A Year in the Saddle by Giles Belbin

If, like me, you enjoy the little, incidental tales as well as the big stories from the long history of racing bicycles, you should find 12 months' worth of entertainment in A Year in the Saddle.

When I saw the title I thought I was in for one of those "off round the world, what I learned about myself" cycle touring journals, but it's nothing of the sort. Instead, Giles Belbin has trawled through the archives for people, events and the stories around them, then retold them in a direct and pithy diary entry for each day of the year.

Sad to admit, as soon as I saw the format I knew where this book was going... It's perfect for the "smallest room" and makes sure you add daily to your knowledge of cycling esoterica.

"Did you know that this was the day, in 1974, that the Oude Kwaremont was introduced into the Tour of Flanders, dear?" you will say as you descend the stairs for breakfast.

Admittedly, some of the stories are whiskery old favourites: Eugene Christophe snaps his fork on the Tourmalet (1913); Tom Simpson's death on Ventoux (1967), for example. But for every tale of Merckx there were plenty of people I had never really heard of and should have: Ferdi Kübler, for example, or André Darrigade.

> Check out the books every cyclist should have on their shelves

The spring and summer months are packed with tales from the Classics and the Grand Tours. Out of season, there's more reversion to anniversaries of riders' births (or deaths), with the opportunity for a potted history of their careers. It's interesting, though, to find out what was happening at the Paris-Roubaix in 1910 in the same week this year's event was being staged.

There's more to the book than road racing, with mountain biking and even BMX making the odd appearance, but if there's anything that doesn't interest you, at least it'll be short and you're on to something else the next day.

Verdict

Ideal lavatory literature for the 'regular' rider