Highly entertaining first person account of the origins of the mountain bike
348388
I bought this book for a fellow mountain bike fanatic here in the intermountain west where riding in the mountains and desert borders on obsession.  I stayed up late to read almost the entire book before I delivered it for his 50th birthday the next day.

Charlie has clearly honed his skills as a writer through the years.  His prose is straightforward, entertaining, and absent any  irritating quirks or repetitiveness.  The book tells the story of the birth of mountain biking in Marin County very effectively.  It is a first person account which concentrates on Charlie's own experiences, not interviews and research, which is what makes it so effective.  Charlie richly illustrates his book with pictures, posters, and printed artifacts that bring this story to visual life for the reader.  There are interesting side articles in the body and an appendix that augment the tale.  It appears that Charlie carefully preserved notes and materials through the formative period of mountain bike development with an eye to posterity and we are the lucky benefactors.

My first full-suspension mountain bike was a Gary Fisher and I now know about its early origin.  I am ordering a second copy of Fat Tire Flyer for another friend today.  There is a reason why it is sold out as I write this review.  I will be back out on my bike this afternoon with a persistent chuckle and newfound appreciation as I ride.
1092394
I stumbled on this book as it was a featured read at the Brooklyn Public Library. As an avid cyclist and bike-tourist wannabe, I grabbed it. A disclaimer: I have owned about three Bike Fridays, so I had an automatic affinity for the material. But Lynette Chang delivers the kind of intimate, scintillating, funny, and frankly astonishing look at a place that won't be the same once it is opened to American chain restaurants, and that symbol of colonial-branding mediocrity everywhere: Rock n' Roll Cafe. It helps that Chang is adventurous enough to try just about anything, and willing enough to endure the kind of overnight digs that I would much rather read about than do myself. Thus, like all good travel writing, what you get, as a reader, is the change to sit back, relax and enjoy someone else's wild ride! And wild it is. Read and enjoy!
2059135
I love this book. William Nealy manages to capture the essence of mountain biking skills, and have a lot of fun with it. His drawings are excellent, and funny. Beginners will  learn a lot, intermediate and advanced riders will enjoy this book too (just seeing the things we do already, in funny diagrams).
4377103
I recently became a regular bicycle commuter, with intentions to do some bicycle touring, but I am also fascinated with professional bicycle road racing in general and Lance Armstrong's role in the evolution of it in particular.  This book is an excellent introduction into amazing life and times of Lance Armstrong.  It is important to remember that this story is told from Lance's perspective, and therefore can not necessarily be expected to be totally objective; he occassionally uses the book as a platform to "correct misipressions" created by others.  Although, I can't fault someone as controversial as Lance Armstrong for wanting to air his side of a story.  In short, a bloody good read, if you are interested in the core topics...
3863370
Russ has a real knack for story telling. I could visualize the things he was describing, and I could really feel the close bond of his friendship with his riding buddies. It is amazing how much detail he put into the description of his rides over the years.  It makes me want to check out getting my own bike.
1710487
A super readable book that uses a varied vocabulary to create visual, auditory and olfactory images laced with bits of personal and local history and cultural notations. It is about people more than places, mostly people in remote villages and along dirt roads. People who welcomed and helped  the unusual married couple who were cycling around Africa. Remarkably generous people, communicating sometimes in sign language, sharing their modest food resources, gerry-rigging bicycle repairs and tending to the cyclists' injuries and illnesses. Edge-of-your-seat encounters with the elements, unexpected terrain, broken equipment and with a few unsavory, even dangerous people. Interesting trip organization used to budget resources, avoid carrying too much cash and to arrange for pick-up of replacement equipment and supplies along the way. An enjoyable and interesting book for the armchair traveler or the seasoned touring cyclist.
951986
This was a clever and enjoyable book.  Ostensibly it's the story of a man who sets out to assemble his dream bicycle, starting with a bespoke frame and adding the best components he can find.  He travels around the world, from England to Oregon, California, Italy, and Germany, to the places where each component is made.  And if this were just bland tale of consumerism, it would hold little appeal for me.

But the quest to assemble the perfect bicycle is really an opportunity to explain the history of the bicycle and the people who were essential to its development.  Each chapter concerns a different part of the bike and provides an explanation of what it does.  I am an experienced rider but I finished the book knowing a lot more about my bicycle and how it works, as well as how it came to be.
4870851
I loved this book! I'm not much of a bike tourer, but do like to cycle.  I'm not a gear head, and frankly it took me years to warm up to the cycling culture in my area and I still don't like the prevailing holier than thou attitude of many cyclists.  I've read Lance's books/biographies and those of other professional cyclists with interest but can't, and don't want to, connect to the world view represented in those books--this is a gross generalization, but the narcissism tends to overshadow the storyline.
My point with the above negativity is to juxtapose that sort of book with this one.  Joe Kurmaskie is an excellent writer--he actually is a writer and his books reflect that.  Everything I've read by him has been entertaining and has shared alot about the places he's traveled through and the people he meets.  He also has lots of great bike stories.
And with this newest book we get to learn about his childhood and his wife and his past. When I first received this book as a gift, I actually thought, this will be annoying--a long bike ride with all the crazy antics of what will turn out to be cute, highly gifted and talented children.  Instead, it wasn't, the kids were there, but they were real, and with all of his other books, the stories were more about the personal interactions with interesting people met along the road.
Lastly, Joe has a big heart and it shows in his writing.  He is actively trying to make the world a better place.
I highly recommend all of his books, they are funny and interesting, and deserve a place on the bookshelf of not just bike-enthusiasts but anyone who wants a good story.
687065
Nowadays riding motorcycles long distances seems a consumption of time more than of effort. It's not really, speaking as one who has ridden on three continents, and whose six year old Bonneville has given, so far, 80,000 miles of trouble free service with minimal scheduled maintenance. That's my perspective, now the book.
The author rode around the world on a four cylinder Henderson in 1912 and was the first to do it. He wrote conscious that others would follow and the lightly written narrative is filled with useful details, location of services, average speeds, costs of fuel etc... It is a time capsule that you download here and it is utterly fascinating. Learn how miserable US roads were in that period and much struggle it took to tide the North African mountains, roads it have ridden myself and seemed only marginally less lonely when I rode them.
If you dream of motorcycle travel read this book.
If you are curious about the way the world was before World War One, read this book.
If you enjoy a well written travel story with acute observations peppering the page, read this book.
If you hate motorcycles, don't worry there is lots here for you too to enjoy.
Trust me, said the stranger, this is a great read.
1690202
Considering this is not ghost-written this is a really good read.  It seems a genuine account of cycling with its highs and lows (which were many for David Millar).  It's a great read.
7433
This book is simply brilliant. As an American and a guy who has only a passing interest in truly old motorcycles I didn't expect to like this book all that much. Enticed by the other glowing reviews I begrudgingly gave it a try and am so glad I did. Ham is an exceptional writer; his prose is decidedly British but in a way I found winsome. Self-deprecating humor is masterfully mixed with vivid descriptions of interesting locales and events as the author attempts to visit fifty landmarks scattered about the U.K. while piloting a old and questionably reliable 1948 Triumph. The content is nicely divided between what matters in life, motorcycle repair, a travelogue and sharing the experience with his children.

I really can't stress enough what a pleasant surprise this book was. As critical as I usually am of self-published and edited works I willingly overlooked the embarrassingly numerous typos to still rate it five stars. It would be wise of the author to go back and clean up the goofs (perhaps a man who rides a 1948 motorbike isn't familiar with spellcheck) and really make this perfect. The book is a healthy length and with such strong writing you need not fear the high cover price. It really is worth it. I look forward to reading the sequel to this quite soon.
1741826
If you haven't read In The City of Bikes: The Story of the Amsterdam Cyclist by Pete Jordan yet, I highly recommend it. Whether you are specifically interested in Amsterdam or are fond of biking, it is a good read. I am an expat, just like Pete, and I have been biking in this city for four years now. Yet through Petes research and words I learned so much about Amsterdam and the biking culture. I have many pages bookmarked, noting interesting facts that I want to share with others. Sometimes when I mention certain stories and quotes to the Dutch, they are surprised to learn something new about their country. I especially love how he weaved in his own memories and reflections, adding this personal touch. He keeps the story exciting despite its length, writing about history in a creative, captivating way. At a certain point, I didn't want to put it down. It is clear how much research and time he put into this book, for which I commend him.
727333
I've been an avid cyclist since getting my first Sting-ray for Christmas in 1964, and I follow professional cycling as well, so the subject of this book piqued my curiosity.  I had not known of Frank Lenz previously.  Kudos to Herlihy for his thorough research in reporting the tale.  The book is a bit dense in sections, as Herlihy tries, I think, to authenticate his story by including every little tidbit of info (including meals, room accommodations, and so forth in great detail).  I would've liked the narrative to speed along at a faster clip.

All in all, though, this is a fascinating read.  Recommended.
1926982
Like many Americans, suddenly cycling is of keene interest to me. This book lets me live the experience vicariously in good human detail.  From the sore muscles and the pain of keeping up with the pelaton, to the horrendous crashes that every cyclist experiences, this book lets you ride along and feel what they feel.  The boys in postal blue, have a super demanding schedule, but they also have loads of fun while they do what they do so well.

Even though I'm way over 60, I cycle every day though at a mere 13 mph average, so this book lets me imagine doing it at 25 to 30 mph.

While the style of the writer is not as polished as it could be, it doesn't matter.  This is a keeper.  Be sure to get your copy.
3644459
I found this book for sale in a bike shop in Boulder, Co. I was about to embark on a ten day biking holiday and was relying on some short ride descriptions I had from a regular guide book.
Throughout the holiday I  never regretted making the purchase. No, not all the information was  immediately useful because I never needed the section on how to distract a  mountain lion from attacking you but it was fun to have (throw stones but  don't bend down to pick them up - shout loudly and authoratitively - don't  run). The author leverages his local knowledge to bring you an exhaustive  list of rides ranging from the well-known to previously well-kept local  secrets.
I particularly enjoyed the Monarch Crest Trail - a savage and  long ride that takes you high above the tree line through a range of  different montaine environments.
The book is full of essential  information but also takes time out to bring you stories full of local  color and history. For example, the story of how Nipple Peak got its name  is written with subtle and deliciously understated wit. You don't just get  a list of lengths, elevations and ride descriptions, you learn a lot about  local history and the environment in which you ride, which will help you  appreciate what you see even more.
If you're planning a trip to Colorado  or even just want to enjoy some great travel writing, you should read this  book. However, be warned. Once you read about these rides, you'll want to  try them all.
I had a great holiday - you will too.
4016383
"Vintage Motorcycles" by Jeff Clew is a fantastic little book that offers a wonderful glimpse back at motorcycling in England before the Second World War.  The book is filled with pictures and detailed information on many lesser known British marques such as Levis, ABC, Cotton, and many others.

Being that the book is just over 30 pages in length, it takes little time to read, and the pictures are simply captivating.

This was my first book from the Shire Library Series, and I look forward to many more in the future.
63439
Very informative on the birth of mountain biking.  Gives you a good feel about how things were, and some of where they came, or are now!  Just a real fun flick!