On her second attempt, she won the women's event, covering nearly 4,000 miles in 13 days and ten hours, sleeping in short bursts wherever exhaustion took her.In the aftermath of a win that troubled as much as pleased her she worked with Mike Hall, the founder of the race, until his tragic death on the road.Where There's a Will is a book about a normal person finding the capacity to do something extraordinary; the paradoxes of comradeship, competition, vulnerability and will and the shock of grief, combined in a beautifully written and very human story.

     Returning home to a job I didn’t enjoy, that dream burned at my mind until, as a mature student in 1999, I was given the opportunity to take a year out and decided now was my time. This was at a time of huge advances in communication technology but I chose to journey without a mobile phone or any other means of communicating with the outside world – something we might struggle to comprehend these days. If I got into trouble, if I got injured, if I became lost, it was up to me to sort myself out. No close friends were willing to leave the comforts of home, so the fledgling internet did at least prove useful in finding a travel companion. But within nine days of the start of my journey I found myself alone, close to the bottom of the world and with many thousands of miles of the unknown still ahead. This book tells how the desire to fulfil a burning ten-year dream helped me overcome illness, injury, exhaustion, loneliness and so much more; how I, a normal guy from a working-class family in Leeds – among many other adventures – found myself singing to bears to keep them at bay, ran out of water crossing the driest desert in the world, had a volcano rain ash down on me and found myself hiding out from bandits most nights while pedalling through Mexico.

    The two-and-a-half-year journey spanned the mountains and deserts of former Soviet Republics, Afghanistan on the fearful brink of foreign withdrawal, and remote corners of the Congolese jungle. From hiking through sandstorms in the Gobi desert to barrelling down rapids in a dugout canoe, this perilous adventure, and Charlie’s many encounters along the way, gives insight into the past, present, and future of often-overlooked places during periods of great change. 'A first class adventure by a first class adventurer - packed with compelling incident and insight.' - BENEDICT ALLEN ‘An epic adventure, told candidly and vividly. Charlie’s words make me want to go back and experience these places with the same depth.’ - MARK BEAUMONT. ‘A mammoth journey that makes me yearn for the formative freedom of the open road.’ - ALASTAIR HUMPHREYS

    From his early years as a keen cyclist in his hometown in Colorado to his unflinching rite of passage as a professional rider with US Postal to his elevation as one of cycling's most resilient, ethical and intelligent team bosses, the highs and lows of his career have mirrored those of the sport itself. Vaughters has had a front-row seat for most of the major events in cycling over the past three decades. He was both a former teammate of Lance and a leading witness against him. And he went on to renounce doping and start the first pro cycling team to dedicate itself to clean riding, which has grown into one of the most successful teams competing today and started a movement that has swept across the sport.This is also not simply a story of races won and lost: Vaughters shows readers how he navigated the complex, international business of building Slipstream into a world-class cycling team. Over the past decade, he has led the sport out of the scandal-plagued Armstrong era. By presenting the world with a team made of talented racers built around a rigorous approach to clean racing, he set a new standard within cycling that has since spread across the peloton. Written from the unique perspective of both a racer and a team manager, One-Way Ticket gives the complete story of what it takes to build a winning team and repair the reputation of a sport.

    This is the story of Grace's journey from the snow-capped peaks of Banff, Canada, down the spine of the Rocky Mountains, and finally into the forbidding desert of New Mexico. Grace battled many difficulties, including an infection that put her two days behind the nearest competitor, Multiple Sclerosis, the elements, demons from her past, as well as a secret that even she didn't know. Ride with Grace and laugh at her hilarious interactions with the oddballs she encountered along the way. Divide By One is an adventure story with heart and humor that shows how indomitable will and perseverance can change the way we see our limitations and our world.

    This is his story, how he tried, and failled many times, to break a cycling world record, and the story about his final world record attempt, cycling 4000 miles across Europe. Sean nearly gave up on his dream after tragically losing two of his ultra-cycling friends, but decided to continue in their honour with his quest to chase big miles on two wheels. Sean looks back at some of his cycling heroes, heroines, and the boom in ultra-cycling over the last decade.

    The last five days were filled with endless mountain passes, inclement weather, physical ailments, extremely limited sleep, and mental breakdowns. At this moment, however, I sat at the top of a spectacular, remote Montana mountain pass with the sun setting over the western horizon. The waning light offered magnificent vistas in every direction with rich greens, whites, purples, and yellows soaking up the last rays of the day. The faint smell of a previous storm and the wet tundra provided an unbelievable soothing sensation. The moment was perfect. I was at peace. Everything was right, and I was reminded why I chose to attempt this incredible and crazy adventure. The Tour Divide, a 2,725-mile mountain bike race along the Continental Divide from Banff, Alberta, Canada to the Mexican border crossing at Antelope Wells, New Mexico, demanded will-breaking efforts day after day, but the race also returned brief moments of euphoria. Most of the time the race felt impossible, and I loved it! Just Ride is an adventure story of the 2018 Tour Divide. The book details the resilience and amazing adaptability of the human body and mind, and it gives a realistic and often raw account of the physical and mental toll required to finish the race in less than 17 days. The route, the conditions, the gear, the strategy, the training, the mental struggles, the embarrassing moments, and the physical battle are all described throughout a story that offers a genuine look into what was experienced and felt throughout the ultimate test of mountain bike endurance. In addition, Just Ride summarizes data that were collected before, during, and following the race. The huge amount of collected data tell a story of how the body broke down and how it remarkably adapted to the 2,725-mile ordeal. The book also details how the mind was central to creating and breaking down the barriers that impeded progress each day. The Tour Divide was an incredible adventure that offered the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. In the end, the race boiled down to one simple task: Just Ride.

     Written by the acclaimed cycling WorldTour nutritionist, Nigel Mitchell – the nutrition brains behind historic Olympic gold medals and multiple GrandTour wins – this coffee table-style book’s 244-pages cover everything to do with being a plant-based cyclist: from diet, sports and cycling nutrition, micro and macronutrients, and gut health, to how to set up a plant-based kitchen, essential equipment and know-how, supplementation, travelling on a plant-based diet, fuelling for cycling races and events, and beyond – together with 23 great tasting and easy to make recipes for on and off the bike. “Nigel’s approach takes the guesswork out of riding on a plant-based diet” – Si Richardson, GCN Presenter Whether you’re just starting out on your cycling journey or are already an accomplished gran fondo or road racer, The Plant-Based Cyclist’s recipes are all designed to deliver you the perfect balance of taste and nutrition from every day, easy-to-source ingredients: from pre-ride breakfasts, smoothies, and light snacks, on-the-bike DIY energy drinks, energy bars/balls, post-ride meals, deserts, and many more. Nigel’s many, many years of experience at the highest levels of elite sport have gone into the creation of this book – all with the hope that you won’t need to invest anywhere near as much time yourself, instead taking its shortcuts to reap the benefits of being a plant-based cyclist. After all, the less time faffing with the minutiae of diet plans, macronutrients, or trying to track down obscure ingredients is more time spent doing what we all love: riding bikes – purely and simply.

    And there's some cycling, too, illustrated by The Cycling Podcast's photographer, Simon Gill. 'An entertaining book that will have appeal beyond the existing listeners of The Cycling Podcast,' Road.cc on A Journey Through The Cycling Year

    Written with a candid and amusing authority that comes from over 25 years of sports commentary with Eurosport, Carlton Kirby gives an insider's view of competitive cycling delivered in the inimitable, humorous, and at times outspoken style for which he has become globally famous.Peppered with hilarious anecdotes of life on the road with Tour legend Sean Kelly, Kirby indulges in some soap-box moments to lambast his various bugbears, from crazy spectators in mankinis and lazy Italian monks to the more serious issues of rider safety, team strategies and questionable ethics.With his mix of expert opinion and trademark wit, Carlton covers the funny, the serious, the heartbreaking, and the more bizarre moments of professional cycling.

    It continues to evolve and satisfy the numerous roles asked of it – transport of humans, their young ones, sometimes goods, a sport, and a tool for measuring the heights of human performance, among others. It is by far the most efficient human-powered form of transport. Even the late Steve Jobs attributed his learning about the bicycle as a major moment and paradigm shift in his understanding of tools and inventions. In the 21st century, we are still using the same simple two-wheeled machine – but now with significant efficiency and reliability improvements. For adults, the bicycle often brings great memories of childhood, and our first sense of freedom. Memories of cycling take us to simpler times. Other pursuits often force us to shift our focus away from sports and movement. Typically, we decide to get ‘back in the saddle’ in order to lose weight, get fit or start a new and grown-up journey in sport. There are other by-products of this choice – it’s part of the solution for the environment, traffic congestion and other modern lifestyle challenges. Almost all of you would have been on a bicycle at some point. Sadly, as with most childhood friends with whom we have lost touch, relating to bicycles as an adult can be an awkward challenge. Simply knowing how to ride a bike is not enough. Bicycles have adapted, matured and, for the most part, got better with technological developments. Yet we have come across so many unable to relate to this old friend the bicycle – a machine that admittedly looks like it went through at least two makeovers during the authors’ own lifetimes. Other obstacles to developing a new relationship with bikes as an adult can include changes in our own bodies, medical conditions, and mental blocks. This book will address these and other questions and take you a step closer to incorporating cycling in your life. This book will also help you gain a better understanding of design changes in the modern bicycle, and simplify the process of selecting, riding and maintaining your bicycle.We believe that a lot of great things happen out of the comfort zone. This is especially true in sports, where comfort or the lack of it is very tangible, so to speak. When you exercise or exert, the discomfort is very real - muscle soreness, heavy breathing, sweating, and what have you. Luckily, the results you get from persisting with cycling are also very tangible. We tell you all about the great benefits in this book. We were lucky enough to have mustered the escape velocity it takes to move from our couches and get on the saddle, and we hope to pass to the reader some of that escape velocity to break away from the comfort zone!Having been riders and competitors ourselves and having worked in the cycling industry with some of the biggest brands and pro cyclists and interacted with riders of all ages and sizes, we want to give back to the community. Between the two of us, we have been to the largest bike expos, seen the world’s most important races, gone on countless glamorous and not so glamorous bike trips, met inspiring and crazy people, and worked our legs and lungs dry – to come out infinitely richer at the end. This book is a tribute from us to the cycling community at large – a very special group of people from whom we learned valuable life lessons. The book is meant as a handbook or reference for the basic questions a beginner might have about cycling and is divided into three sections: ‘Before Buying Your Bike’, ‘Before Your First Ride’ and ‘Becoming A Seasoned Rider’. You may be in any of these phases, so dive in wherever you think best suits your current experience and skill level. Then the book dovetails into a sample 50 km training plan that you can tweak to your needs. We close with the recommendations section, where we have curated a list of books and movies that influenced us the most.

    When she started blogging about her cycle adventures under the alias Lady Vélo, a whole world was opened up to her. But it's hard to find space in an industry not traditionally open to women - especially women of colour.Shortly after getting back on two wheels, Jools was diagnosed with depression and then, in her early thirties, hit by a mini-stroke. Yet, through all of these punctures, one constant remained: Jools' love of cycling.In Back in the Frame Jools talks to the other female trailblazers who are disrupting the cycling narrative as well as telling the story of how she overcame her health problems, learned how to cycle her own path and even found a love of Lycra shorts along the way.

    Its archive contains 1000s of stunning images, hand drawn maps and documents. An unexpected treasure trove of incredible value and beauty.

     The state of the bike fitting industry is disorganized, and that is generous. A more accurate assessment cautions that there really is no “bike fitting industry”. This lack of a cohesive industry leads to a lack of consistent outcomes. This is not how it should be. I am fully vested in the concept of orthodoxy in bike fit. F.I.S.T. (The Fit Institute of SlowTwitch) is the school of bike fitting founded by the inventor of the modern triathlon bike, Dan Empfield, who said “Orthodoxy simply means an adherence to historical consensus”. Consistent outcomes are possible, and good fitters know good fits when they see them. Poor fitters do not believe they can know anything without “more information”. They do not understand that “macro sameness and micro differences” drive nearly the entire spectrum of human improvement. Our macro sameness makes orthodox bike fitting possible, even in remote settings, while micro differences allow us to squeeze the last few percent from a studio fit on a modern dynamic fit bike. About a year ago I began doing online bike fits through video and email exchange. I was initially skeptical of the efficacy, but I had been offering so much free advice to remote athletes that I attempted to formalize the process. The outcomes of the first fifty online fits have shifted my thinking. Bike fit orthodoxy could be delivered remotely! Similar to my studio fits, many of the online clients were struggling with the same problems. Today’s responses resembled previous responses. The flow of ideas that led to the writing of this book: 1. Humans are fundamentally the same. 2. Sameness breeds processes which deliver orthodox outcomes. 3. Many bike fitters operate as if sameness and orthodoxy do not exist. 4. Orthodoxy can be transmitted remotely. 5. The remote transmission of orthodoxy can be standardized. This book is an attempt to standardize the remote transmission of bike fit orthodoxy. In laymen’s terms, I think that, with guidance, you can do an excellent job fitting yourself to your bicycle from the comfort of your home.

    Fight the pain, but don’t look up.” Under grey skies and through the ruins of war, two veterans battled for the Tour’s first yellow jersey. Firmin Lambot and Eugene Christophe had raced each other into the ground; the race had come down to what some riders were calling the hunger stage – 420km from Metz to Dunkirk.We Rode All Day is the story of that fateful 1919 Tour de France; the Tour that very nearly never was. In the voices of the riders and race organisers, We Rode All Day throws you into the action – the dirt, the pain, the drugs, the cobbles, the mountains, the sheer madness of riding your bike for 5,500km around France. And two men who knew this could be their last Tour.As Lambot makes his move, can Christophe’s bike and body hold?We Rode All Day reveals the stories that made the 1919 Tour special. The slaying of Henri Pelissier, scourge of the peloton; the emergence of Honore Barthelemy, the climbing revelation, and the efforts of Henri Desgrange, organiser of the Tour since its inception in 1903. The book is finally an opportunity to hear the voices of the riders and organisers, bringing to life an era of cycling - and with it, a generation of cyclists - that had long been forgotten.

    

    He knew that life was for living to the full every day and was not going to wait until he retired or had enough money to see the world. Instead of holidays to Spain or Cornwall, David decided to take his wife and three young children to Asia for fun and adventure. Sometimes, though, his family saw things differently. This is a story of a young family and their travels through a landscape of coconut trees, paddy fields beaches, ancient temples, rich jungles and fast-paced cities. Along the way they experience some of the kindest people on earth and witness the cruelty and sadness of genocide. Join this family on their adventure in Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Cambodia, as they discover a broken and beautiful world.