Two New Books to read
Whilst I’m at home suffering from labyrinthitis and can’t ride I’ve ordered two new books to read recommended by #bikenite on Mastodon - Just Ride by Grant Peterson and Two Wheels Good by Jody Rosen.
Two Wheels Good
SHORTLISTED FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2023
“Full of delightful anecdotes and interviews and fascinating historical tales' Mail on Sunday
A panoramic portrait of the wonderous vehicle whose passenger is also its engine.
A toy, a tool, a liberator, or complete nuisance: the bicycle has been many things to many people over the decades, yet it endures as the most popular form of transport in the world. How has such a simple machine achieved so much?
Combining history, travelogue and memoir, Jody Rosen reshapes our understanding of this ubiquitous vehicle from its invention in 1817 to its present-day renaissance as a 'green machine'. Readers meet unforgettable characters: women's suffragists who steered bikes to the barricades in the 1890s, a Bhutanese king who races mountain bikes in the Himalayas, astronauts who ride a floating bicycle in zero gravity.
By examining the bicycle's past and peering into its future, Two Wheels Good forms a joyful ode to an engineering marvel of global importance.”
Just Ride
“No matter what or how you ride, read this book and remind yourself just how enjoyable cycling can and should be.
”—Eben Weiss, author of The Enlightened Cyclist Just Ride is a revelation.
Forget the ultralight, uncomfortable bikes, flashy jerseys, clunky shoes that clip onto tiny pedals, the grinding out of endless miles.
Instead, ride like you did when you were a kid—just get on your bike and discover the pure joy of riding it.
A reformed racer who’s commuted by bike every day since 1980, whose writings and opinions appear in major bicycling and outdoor magazines, and whose company, Rivendell Bicycle Works, makes bikes for riders ready to opt out of a culture overrun by racing, Grant Petersen shares a lifetime of unexpected facts, controversial opinions, expert techniques, and his own maverick philosophy.
In 87 short, two-to-three page chapters, it covers: ·Riding: Count Days, Not Miles; Corner Like Jackie Robinson; Steer with Your Hips, Shift with Your Legs ·Suiting Up: The Shoes Ruse; Ponchos—the Ultimate Unracer’s Garment ·Safety: #1 Rule—Be Seen; Helmets Aren’t All They’re Cracked Up to Be ·Health and Fitness: Why Riding Is Lousy All-Around Exercise; Saddles Don’t Cause Impotence; Drink When You’re Thirsty—Not Before Also includes chapters on Accessories, Upkeep, and Technicalities, and a final chapter titled “Velosophy” that includes the essential, memorable thought: Your Bike Is a Toy—Have Fun with It.”
