If the time of the year when retailers and websites are proposing Christmas gifts, here are two for the cold, dark of winter:
Cyclopedia: It’s all about the bike, by William Fotheringham, an A-Z guide to cycling, from the history and development of the bicycle to modern doping scandals.
Fotheringham writes with the authority of the long-time cycling correspondent for Britian’s Guardian newspaper. He can describe the exploits of famous Italian cyclists from the 1930s or 1950s, but he is also able to put them in context in the broader history of the sport. With contemporaries, such as Flying Scotsman Graeme Obree, he describes details, such as Obree drinking copious amounts of water so that the would get up frequently in the night, and do stretching exercises. That stretching allowed him to make a second attempt to set the hour distance record within 48 hours.
Interspaced are entries for other aspects of cycling, such as BMX, polo, naked cycling, and how many cyclists are needed to illuminate a room with an energy-saving lightbulb (one).
One caveat, although the book was substantially revised for the American market from it’s original edition in the United Kingdom last year, the writing is distinctly British. There are many entries related to British cycling and cycling in the commonwealth countries.
The 448-page book, Fotheringham’s sixth, is priced at $25, although it is offered on Amazon for as little as $10.
7-Eleven: America’s Greatest Cycling Team, by Geoff Drake and Jim Ochowicz, tells the story of the first American professional cycling team in Europe, its landmark victories and how it changed racing.
Reviews have faulted the writing as lackluster. (I have only read an excerpt in Velonews. It was passable.)
The 352-page book chronicles the history of the team, from its start by Ochowicz and Olympic speed skating medalist Eric Heiden in 1981. It describes the team winning seven medals in the 1984 Olympic games, their start in European racing in 1985, and their eventual wins, which brought American cycling onto the world podium. A 7-Eleven rider wore the yellow jersey in the Tour de France in 1986. In 1988, the team won the tour of Italy, the Giro d’Italia.
Team 7-Eleven is available at the Lancaster Barnes & Noble book store, 1700 H Fruitville Pike, or various online booksellers. Prices range from $17.63 from Amazon.com to $27.95 from Velopress.
