Bike Racing 101

In order to maximise strengths and minimise weaknesses, this book provides cyclists and coaches with a wealth of insider tips on training, equipment, nutrition, logistics and race tactics. Readers can also learn how to develop an individualised training programme.

Written for the experienced road cyclist, Racing Tactics for Cyclists shows team riders how to ride in a race, explains the importance of position, and discusses individual and team racing tactics. Each type of road race--one-days, stage races, criteriums--is covered, along with the technical riding skills and mental strategies needed to succeed. Also included is information on handling prologues, recovering from a crash or flat tire, resting during a race, and evaluating the competition.

A healthy lifestyle is a popular way to deal with aging, but the serious fun and games don’t have to end once middle age sets in. This guidebook is aimed at men and women over 40 (or 50, or 60, or 70) who seek the challenge of athletic competition. The book focuses on those sports requiring significant physical exertion and includes team sports such as soccer, softball and basketball and individual sports such as skiing, tennis and swimming. Chapters on each sport identify the national sponsoring organization and regional affiliates, describe the types of competition available, and give a breakdown of the competitors by age and gender. A “How to Get Started” section describes basic skills needed for each sport, equipment required to compete, opportunities for coaching, and suggested books and videos for beginners. The book also features a list of the 2007 or 2008 national champions in each sport.

The Bicycling Big Book of Training is an encouraging, focused training book that will speak to beginner and intermediate cyclists without making them feel like novices. It covers all the information the reader needs to begin an effective training regimen. The book is divided into five sections that are then broken into miniguides for various cycling training disciplines. Cyclists will learn about how the body becomes fit and how that fitness translates to on-the-bike performance, while discovering the components of a successful training plan, including nutrition. Furthermore, riding disciplines such as road racing, endurance events, cyclocross, mountain biking, and track are discussed at length so readers can figure out which activities are right for them. The Bicycling Big Book of Training is an excellent guide for anyone who wants to learn more about cycling and take their performance to the next level.

Join Ned Boulting as he reports on his dozen-th Tour de France, an event in which blokes do amazing things on bikes, and, we’re oft told, the biggest annual sporting event in the world. 101 Damnations is a chance to relive the 2014 race, stage for stage, fall after fall, tantrum by tantrum; just the good bits mind, without all the aerial shots of castles. Or sunflowers. (Though it does wax lyrical about some stunning Alpine scenery . . . and, with the race starting in Yorkshire, even some stunning scenery not far from Bradford). From Leeds to Paris (how often do you say that?), Ned details the minutiae of his encounters with the likes of Vincenzo Nibali, David Millar, Chris Froome, Chris Boardman (or ‘Broadman’ as some would have it), Marcel Kittel, Mrs Cavendish (Mark’s wife), Peter Sagan and the rest. Their endeavours, achievements, humour and occasional rancour, sit alongside his own decade-long quest for the ideal end-of-race T-shirt. Ned weaves together the interesting, amusing and unheralded threads of the race itself, and reflects on his own perennial struggle to get round, get on and get by. 101 Damnations encapsulates all that is incredible – and incredibly ordinary – about the greatest race on earth.

More women than ever before are jumping on their saddles to enjoy one of the fastest growing sports in the country-and to improve cardiovascular fitness, control their weight, and liven up their social lives. At the same time, cycling remains very much a "man's sport," an intimidating world that can be difficult for women to navigate. Now celebrity spokeswoman Selene Yeager covers all the basics-for all ages and fitness levels. Women will learn... - How to find the perfect bike and other essential equipment - How to shift, spin, climb mountains, and get back down - Training techniques that take it up a notch - What to eat off-and on-a bike - Competition craziness-race information and strategies - Why guys who work in bike shops act the way they do - And more!