The pinnacle of road cycling has always been the climb – climbing a mountain gracefully, beating your competition up the slope. The mountains are where cycling legends are formed. Max Leonard goes in-depth to explore this obsessional relationship. He asks why road cyclists have turned Europe’s mountains into the Colosseum of the cycling world. He explores the pilgrimages that amateur cyclists have created of these high, remote roads and what they see and feel when they do. Higher Calling explores the central place of mountains in the folklore of road cycling. Leonard beautifully combines adventure and travel writing with the narrative of pro racing – taking readers from the battles that created the Alpine roads in the first place, to the shepherds tending their flocks on the peaks, to a Grand Tour climax on the highest road in Europe. Through this journey, Leonard brings together stories of courage and sacrifice, war and love, and obsession.
Lennard Zinn is the world's leading expert on bike maintenance and repair. His friendly step-by-step guide explains the tools you'll need and how to know you've done the job right. The book's two-colour interior is easy to read - even in a dimly lit garage or workshop. Hundreds of hand drawn illustrations and exploded parts diagrams show just the right level of detail to lead you through every bicycle repair task. This smartly organised guide shows how to repair new and old bicycles from top to bottom. In 500 pages, Zinn's guide includes simple instructions for hundreds of bike maintenance and repair jobs. * Basics: how to fix a flat tire, lube a bicycle chain, adjust the brakes. * Emergency repairs: how to fix a broken chain, tighten loose spokes, repair a bent derailleur. * Easy shifting: how to adjust shifters, derailleurs, and cables for clean and smooth shifting. * Wheels: how to true a wheel, install a new tyre, change a cassette, replace broken spokes, build your own wheels. * Overhauls: how to service and replace pedals, chains and chainrings, saddles, handlebars, stems, headsets, forks, bottom brackets. * New tech: how to maintain 11-speed systems, electronic and wireless shifters, disc brakes. * Cyclocross: how to set up a 'cross bike for racing, select the right components, and make quick repairs. * Troubleshooting: how to figure out what's wrong with any bike and fix it. In this updated 5th edition there's new information on disc brakes, through-axle forks, SRAM eTap wireless shifting, second generation Shimano and Campagnolo electronic shifting, direct-mount sidepull brakes, SRAM X-Sync 1x11 cyclocross systems, tubular tyre gluing tapes, press-fit bottom brackets, wheelbuilding for all bikes including cyclocross and disc-brake wheels, torque tables plus much more. Lennard Zinn is the world's leading expert on bike maintenance and repair. He was a member of the U.S. national racing team and has been riding and fixing bikes for nearly 50 years. A professional frame builder and bike designer, Lennard is also a technical writer for VeloNews magazine and hosts the popular Tech Q&A on VeloNews.com.
I checked my balance and peered apprehensively at the sheer drop below. Once I felt comfortable, I radioed down to Stu.'I'm just gonna unclip quickly,' I said. My walkie-talkie crackled straight away. Stu sounded pretty stressed. 'Dude, keep the rope on!'I edged forward, my hands and feet scoping out the summit for any loose rock. The ridge pinnacle was still only a meter wide, if that, but I felt pretty stable.'This bit's fine,' I said. 'The rope makes it harder for me..." At the Edge follows Danny MacAskill, the viral youtube cycling stunt man, from his lawless childhood on the Isle of Skye, to his early days as a street trial rider, and goes behind the scenes of his famous training videos. MacAskill reveals what it takes to take on such dangerous biking stunts, as he scales everything from mountain peaks, to rooftops, to ghost towns and movie sets.
Onto it’s seventh edition, The Bike Book of Complete Bicycle Maintenance is your indispensable guide to bicycle maintenance. The book has a new writer, James Witts, updated photography, and a new page design, but still, the Complete Bicycle Maintenance book provides the same, trusted, step-by-step approach that the Haynes manuals are famous for.
Adventure cyclist and author Markus Stitz has gathered together routes from passionate gravel cyclists and curated them into this essential Great British Gravel Rides book. There are 25 routes to pick from, including an East Lothian adventure with round-the-world cycling men's record holder Mark Beaumont or perhaps enjoy a different side of East Anglia with ultra-endurance racers and GBDURO20 winners Josh Ibbett and Gail Brown. Then there's A Scottish coast-to-coast adventure with round-the-world cycling women's record holder Jenny Graham, or see the best of Scottish Borders with diversity in cycling champion Aneela McKenna. Route Guides Every route provides insight as to why each cyclist loves gravel riding, what inspires and motivates them - and why they believe it qualifies as one of Britain's best gravel rides. You'll find a detailed route description, with interesting information about the local area plus exactly what to expect on the route. This includes details on the best places and attractions to explore, recommendations for the best local cafes and pubs and a list of local bike shops, should they be needed. With inspiring photography showcasing some of the best gravel trails in the UK, as well as bespoke maps and downloadable GPX files for each route, this is the essential companion for any gravel rider.
Hannah Reynolds offers a light-hearted and informative guide to all things cycling, with a wide variety of topics covered. Be it choosing a bike, what essential kit you need, navigating your way to fitness, bike maintenance at home and on the road, and travelling with your bike, it's all there. Hannah's no-nonsense advice and vast knowledge base will ensure that you have the right tools to enjoy your cycling and achieve your goals, whether you want to race, climb huge mountains or enjoy days out on two wheels with the family.
The Alpine peaks of Europe are a part of everyday life for locals; but those who visit those same peaks reveal awe-inspiring beauty, active holidays and moments of quiet solitude. But for us cyclists, they take on almost mythic qualities. They represent suffering, pain, agony - and glory. For over a century the mountains have provided the setting for the greatest cycling contests, where human determination and willpower can triumph over nature and opponents. As cycling has gained in popularity, more of us enjoying seeking roads less travelled, the mountains of Europe have become the primary destination for everyday riders who want to challenge themselves, experience the storied roads and escape their everyday lives. This publication is aimed at all who wish to be inspired by those challenges or celebrate those personal victories. With tributes and personal recollections from leading road cyclists, the photographs and words coalesce into a visual depiction that transcends any single perspective and will inspire awe and wonder in anyone who wishes to confront the power of the mountains.