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Good cycling books??
I have just been reading a few cycling books, most recently 'Slaying the Badger' but I have also read Tyler Hamilton's book, David Miller's book and one of the Jacques Anquetil books 'Sex, lies and handlebar tape'. All good stuff..... I do like autobiographies 
Sunday; ran a marathon, well 20 miles of one before I had to stop with a problem with my foot. A visit to A&E (the shame) and some Dihydrocodeine later I am now sitting with my foot in the air.... and in need of some more good books. Any suggestions?
I will forgive any suggestions that I should get the new book 'The Rules' (Rule 42) 'cause if I had stuck to it/them I would not be sitting here 
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
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27 comments
South Manchester people,
The Works in Stockport has Will Foth's Roule Brittania and Matt Rendell's 'A Significant Other' going for a couple of quid each.
Anyone read 'A siginificant other'?
For some reason, I bought 'Roule...' but not the Rendell book.
Domestique - Charly Wegelius
Alongside Dave Millars story for realism in cycling - eye opening for many UK cyclists who arent actually aware of life in european pelotons.
Really well ghost-written too, by another rider turned writer, Tom Southam.
I was hoping for a good review of 'Domestique' - it sounded good from the few bits Id read on web.
I'll give it a try now
I would second your opinion on William Fotheringham's book about Merkx, Merkx does come across as a bit bonkers though. 100k in sleet and snow as a, presumably, self imposed punishment for not winning the Fleche? Just before the Liege? I will put 'The Cannibal' on the list
I like these smileys! 
'The Rider' by Tim Crabbe is on the way.... The Fignon book is coming up a lot
"Willy Voet is completely full of shit", said Lance A. 
No more drugs 
No more trying to work out what is wrong 
But the upside is I have been racking up a few more miles on the bike 
The sights and smells of early Autumn 
and 
'Emergency' physio in 23 days 
or 
maybe 
Cheers 
+ I go away for a few days and all these smileys pop up?
Willy Voet's book has gone down well
But the foot is nearly there
You must read 'We were young and carefree' by Laurent Fignon. The pleasure he takes in being a free spirited Frenchman jumps off the pages - and he deserves to be remembered for more than just losing to LeMond by 8 seconds - cracking read.
Seconded with gusto! Great book.
Ned Boulting's 'How I Won the Yellow Jumper' is an engaging and funny account of how he had to (quickly) get up to speed on pro-cycling, and how it became an obsession.
On a different tack, I also enjoyed Matt Seaton's 'The Escape Artist', a reflective (and occasionally moving) memoir about how club cycling shaped his life.
If you can find it, Tim Hilton's 'One More Kilometre and We're in the Showers' about the post-war club scene is fab, but I think out of print now.
As mentioned above, anything by Matt Rendell is generally excellent.
Finally I'm in the middle of Daniel Friebe's Merckx bio, 'The Cannibal' and very much enjoying it. I chose this over the Fotheringham one as Friebe's seemed a bit more about the character of the man, and a bit less obsessed with listing every single result in the guy's life. I do generally like William Fotheringham's work though.
As mentioned by others I would recommend The Death of Marco Pantani highly. Mind you he was my favourite while he was riding and remains so now, despite his faults!
Daniel Friebe's biography of Eddy Merckx is also excellent.
I wasn't so keen on the David Millar one but I haven't read it for a while so it probably deserves another try.
Laurent Fignon's we were young and carefree is the best cycling autobiography I've read.
Includes a description of how the Colombians imported the white powder
+1 for the Richard Moore and William Fortheringham ones mentioned above. Didn't really enjoy the Reg Harris one - but one cycling book I haven't seen mentioned above that I rate as essential, required reading is The Hour, by Dr Hutch. Fantastic book - my favourite on cycling, and one of my all-time favourites of any genre.
Another vote for Ned Boulting's book. Excellent journey through the characters and history of cycling along with some laugh out loud moments. The final chapter commentary on MAMILs is spot on.
BTW Boulting reads the audiobook version himself - thoroughly recommended.
Have just enjoyed 'Part Man Part Bike'garnished with viewing 'A Sunday in Hell' (YouTube) Cheers lc1981
Have just got to the 'maths' chapter...in 'Obsessive compulsive cycling disorder' I am glad I am not the only one who does this, Cheers andylul 
I have just enjoyed 'In search of Robert Millar' certainly an interesting character who did a lot to raise the profile of UK cycling, in terms of results not PR! It seems a shame that someone with his knowledge and ability was cold shouldered by the establishment, but you can see why the BCF did not want him
I have moved on to Naproxen now; an anti-inflammatory... but I still cannot walk
Yes, The Rider is excellent.
I also have a real soft spot for Jean Bobet's Tomorrow We Ride. Wonderful book. Probably my favourite cycling read.
The escape artist by Matt Seaton is also very good, as is the excellent Flying Scotsman by Obree.
+1 on "The Rider" by Krabbé. Very good book.
As a Dutchy I feel obliged to mention "The Rider" by fellow countryman Tim Krabbe. In the Netherlands this book is widely recognised as the best book on cycling and even by some as one the best novellas by a Dutch author. Mind, this is literature, not a biography. Truly an inspirational and - for some - life changing read. But don't take my biased word for it:
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2005/jun/30/top10s.cycling
http://cyclingtips.com.au/2010/11/the-rider/
http://www.podiumcafe.com/2010/12/18/1883646/the-rider-by-tim-krabbe
Oh, and it's translated in English, so no worries there.
[[[[ SIDEBURN---I had Dihydrocodeine tabs one time, for a back injury. If you're sucking on those, anything you choose to read will be a gas, but for sheer variety I recommend Tim Hilton's "One More Kilometre And We're In The Showers"
P.R.
Have got 'Half man half bike', 'Obsessive compulsive cycling disorder', 'In search of Robert Miller', 'Racing Hard' and 'Paris-Roubaix: The inside story' chosen partly by price! Hopefully that should be enough 'til I am back... I still cannot walk! Thank you for the suggestions
May have to get the Reg Harris book though. My uncle and father in law (not the same person, honest 
) raced against him and I do not know much about him.
Ned Boulting's new book is bloody great. It's all about life as a British road cyclist and all the idiosyncrasies that involves. Has made me giggle a lot. It's a pitch perfect book that really touches on some interesting and little known history.
Lots of recommendations recently on another thread here
http://road.cc/content/forum/85060-great-cycling-books
Dave Barter's Obsessive Compulsive Cycling Disorder
Looking at the cycling biogs on my shelf it appears that the Fotheringham family have a dominant position in the market.
I like books about the old days and 'The Eagle of Toledo' about Bahamontes (Alasdair F) and 'Fallen Angel' about Coppi (William F)give graphic accounts of the poverty and appalling conditions these men grew up and raced in.
Also by William F is 'Roule Britannia' an account of British riders participation in Le Tour.
Getting away from the Fotheringhams, I enjoyed Robert Dineen's biog of Reg Harris, especially when I read that he had lived in Cheshire and I was able to ride and training route he used as described in the book.
I always buy bike books in book form as I enjoy studying the photos almost as much as reading the words.
I enjoyed William Fotheringham's Merckx biography, and Rob Penn's It's All About the Bike, which, along with Miller's autobiography, got me back cycling after a long absence.
I am interested in the Merckx biography; I am wondering whether to get it in book format for the photography? Or would it be suitable to buy on a Kindle?
The dozen or so photos aren't any different than can be seen on the Internet really, get the kindle version.
'In Search of Robert Millar' by Richard Moore is a good read.
Matt Rendell is a great writer and his The Death of Marco Pantani is a moving but measured account of the Italian's downfall. His Kings of the Mountains about Colombian climbers is also a very good read.