A Cut Above the Rest

WHAT: Bike for Life WHERE: Your Average Book Store HOW MUCH: $16.95

I’m not a huge fan of “helpful” cycling books. Over the years I’ve found most are targeted at budding cyclists who (judging by the subject matter within these books) are dying to know the difference between a toe clip and a clipless pedal. In short, the content generally leaves more experiences riders muttering either “No shit” or “Who gives a shit?”

I was surprised then to find that I truly enjoyed Bike for Life. In fact, allow me to take that assesment one step further—I actually learned things by reading this book. Bonus.

Long time riders and authors Roy Wallack and Bill Katovsky lead off this book with a simple question: Wouldn’t you like to ride a century when you turn a century? A silly rhetorical question (sorta like “Wouldn’t you pay five dollars to have Regis Philbin knocked off?), but these two authors proceed to tip the shitty-cycling-book paradigm on its ear by promptly addressing all sorts of worthwhile topics, including:
*Avoiding the “Vegetarian Deficit”
*Yoga for cyclists
*How to avoid bad knees and a bad back
*The link between cycling and osteoporosis
*Cycling and visualization techniques
*Cycling and depression
*Tips on long-distance cycling;
and a ton more that I just ain’t feeling perky enough to jot down.

Sure, other books have addressed some of these issues—what makes it worthwhile in this case is that Wallack and Katovsky are long-time, hardcore cyclists who know how to write interesting text.

But here’s where it gets really interesting. On top of addressing worthwhile topics, the two authors also included several interesting mini-feature stories about truly great cyclists who have all kicked the shit out of Old Man Time. Gary Fisher, John Howard, Johnny G, John Sinibaldi, Ned Overend, Mike Sinyard, Eddie B, Jim Ochowicz, Missy Giove, Patrick O’Grady, Marla Streb and Rich White all get a chance to opine on their long-lasting love affairs with cycling. Most of the features are riveting. It’s top notch writing and story telling and, to be honest, it pisses me off that I didn’t think of this first. Nice work, guys.

My only complaint with the book is that Bike for Life is text heavy and image light. In fact, it’s a visual Gobi Desert: lots of text and no pictures to help give your eyes a breather. Not to suggest that the book is boring. It’s great stuff, but even great editorial needs some breathing room and design flair to help balance things out.

I highly recommend Bike for Life--it is arguable the best book of its kind. Sure, it could use more photos, but don’t let that scare you off. The great interviews alone make this a must-read. The excellent writing and solid topics put it over the top.