Bicycling Bliss: Riding to Improve Your Wellness

Incredibly useful book. If you're looking for Olympics level training, this is NOT the book for you. This is the book for everyone else, who are passionate about two-wheeled transport, and want to get more from the activity. Practical, holistic (includes yoga exercises), for men or women, built from her experiences running a bike shop.

This excellent book contains a wealth of information on how to properly fit a bike; physical conditioning; diet and nutrition; correcting problems generated by incorrect posture and movement on the bike; wellness; clothing; urban riding. The author notes: "...my own experience is that no matter how satisfactory my current cycling performance is, I can always refine my technique and discover new ways to increase my riding pleasure. I am certain you will find that the same is true for you." Yep. She's right. Thirty-five years ago my wife and I started riding bikes by tooling about Nakhon Phanom Province in northeastern Thailand on a couple of Bridgestone 3-speeds. We did some biking off and on over the years, really into it at times, followed by dry spells for one reason or another. I have found that the changes in bike design, manufacturing technology, and attitudes toward riding have changed so dramatically that getting back on a bike today is like Henry Ford might feel parking his Model T and hopping directly into one of those soon-to-come Shelby GT500's. If you're in the same boat, this is a good book to get your mind back into cycling. This book is an essential read for any novice before going bike shopping, and is an equally good read for more experienced riders who wish to clarify viewpoints and philosophies about cycling. The Chicken, Red Bean, and Rice Chili recipe ain't too shabby, either.

I obtained this book from the local library and thought it contained sensible advice for novice as well as advanced cyclists. Not that proficient riders could not stand to learn more, but the book may be too basic for them (since I'm just a novice rider, I can't really judge that). The author appreciates the different motivations for riding -- leisure, fitness, competition, etc., and offers tips on proper bike fit, safety, stretching, nutrition, etc. There are even a few recipes in the back. The book is a recent publication (2004), important when choosing reading material in this subject since equipment improves and changes all the time.