Easy Rider My Life On A Bike

The son of a wrestler turned cycling coach called Killer Kowalski, Rob Hayles was soon winning races himself and realizing that he didn't really want to work for a living. The world of amateur club cycling in the 1990s was a long way from the millionaire sport of today though. When Rob first rode for Great Britain, it was with his own bike, one spare tyre, and a hand-me-down jersey. Yet Rob became an integral part of the amazing success story of British cycling, and has been at the centre of the sport for the past two decades. With Bradley Wiggins, he was a member of the first GB team to become world champions at the team pursuit, the most demanding and thrilling discipline on the track. With teammate David Millar, he witnessed first-hand the drug-strewn, often demeaning life of the professional road cyclist. And as Mark Cavendish's training partner, Rob has been the experienced influence at the side of the fastest man on two wheels. Easy Rider is an unforgettable journey through revolutionary times. Sharp, down-to-earth, packed with anecdotes and just plain fun, it takes you from the humblest of beginnings through a golden era in British cycling.

A Bike Ride through My Life chronicles the life of author Frank Clements with bicyclesfollowing the twists and turns that his life has taken in pursuit of his passion for riding. Clements is the younger brother of Ernie Clements, winner of several British Cycling Championships and a Silver Medal in the 1948 Olympic Games Bicycle Race. Despite his love of cycling, he first chose to join National Service in the RAF to establish a unique place for himselfand spent virtually all of his final twelve months of service riding a bike. After his tour of duty ended, he began training to become the best cyclist in the world, his lifes ambition since his success as a potential world class cyclist as a teen. Clements has had many ups and downs in his cycling life. At a young age, he came in second in the British under-eighteen championships and just missed being a member of the British Olympic Cycling team for the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. He also designed, built, and loaned five special Cross country bikes to Roger Hammond and he won the Worlds Cyclo Cross Championship with them. This memoir follows Clements from youth to retirement, offering a fascinating trip through an amazing life.

In 1982, at the age of just twenty-three, Elspeth Beard left behind her family and friends in London and set off on a 35,000-mile solo adventure around the world on her motorbike. This is the story of a unique and life-changing adventure.

More and more Kiwis are keen to take up cycling, but don't know how to start. Popular media personality Jon Bridges wants to take biking to the masses – and have a good dose of fun along the way. Easy Rider outlines the many joys of riding a bike in New Zealand, and provides a complete beginners' guide – from riding for fun, to commuting, riding for fitness, mountain biking and even racing. We learn about the reasons for, the reasons against (there aren't any), the basics of buying a bike and getting started, riding in New Zealand traffic, training and racing, safety and etiquette, maintenance, gizmos, gadgets, Lycra – and so much more. Told with Jon's amiable sense of comedy, boundless energy and passion for the subject, and accompanied by illustrations and photographs throughout, Easy Rider is your one-stop bike shop. Two-wheeled heaven is just one enjoyable read away. (This book, that is.) 'There is no doubt [Bridges] is a converted cycling enthusiast . . . once you have read his reasons why you should pedal with your legs rather than motor on your backside, you too will be a convert.' --NZ Fitness

The chopper is quintessentially American and, since Easy Rider, has embodied the American dream. This book tells the true story of the most rebellious of all motorcycles. The chopper is a quintessentially American invention, rivaling jazz and abstract exp

“No matter what or how you ride, read this book and remind yourself just how enjoyable cycling can and should be.”—Eben Weiss, author of The Enlightened Cyclist Just Ride is a revelation. Forget the ultralight, uncomfortable bikes, flashy jerseys, clunky shoes that clip onto tiny pedals, the grinding out of endless miles. Instead, ride like you did when you were a kid—just get on your bike and discover the pure joy of riding it. A reformed racer who’s commuted by bike every day since 1980, whose writings and opinions appear in major bicycling and outdoor magazines, and whose company, Rivendell Bicycle Works, makes bikes for riders ready to opt out of a culture overrun by racing, Grant Petersen shares a lifetime of unexpected facts, controversial opinions, expert techniques, and his own maverick philosophy. In 87 short, two-to-three page chapters, it covers: Riding: Count Days, Not Miles; Corner Like Jackie Robinson; Steer with Your Hips, Shift with Your Legs Suiting Up: The Shoes Ruse; Ponchos—the Ultimate Unracer’s Garment Safety: #1 Rule—Be Seen; Helmets Aren’t All They’re Cracked Up to Be Health and Fitness: Why Riding Is Lousy All-Around Exercise; Saddles Don’t Cause Impotence; Drink When You’re Thirsty—Not Before Also includes chapters on Accessories, Upkeep, and Technicalities, and a final chapter titled “Velosophy” that includes the essential, memorable thought: Your Bike Is a Toy—Have Fun with It. Winner Silver Medal 2013 Independent Publisher Book Awards

On July 3, 1961, Ian Parsons reported to RCMP Depot Division in Regina as a raw recruit. It was the beginning of a 33-year adventure that took him from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island and many points between. By the time he retired with the rank of inspector, Parsons had a policeman’s trunk full of colourful stories and insightful observations that he now shares in this memoir. Parsons writes candidly of his many roles within the RCMP, from postings in rural detachments, where he dealt with diverse policing issues, to stints teaching at the Canadian Police College in Ottawa and at the RCMP Academy in Regina. Always an independent thinker, Parsons lectured sometimes-resistant RCMP senior officers on the adoption of new ways and helped introduce programs to modernize recruit training and make it more relevant to the demands of a rapidly changing Canadian society. In recent years, Parsons has observed the troubled state and tarnished reputation of his beloved force as it faces crisis after crisis. Against the entertaining backdrop of his life in red serge, he gives a thoughtful assessment of things gone wrong in the iconic institution and identifies the drastic steps necessary to save it.