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Must Read Book for any rider

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Old 01-04-07, 11:05 AM
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Must Read Book for any rider

The Art of Urban Cycling
It not only is a handbook but gives valuable history to the importance of the bike. Did you know it IS the reason why cars work the way they do. Without the bike cars may have never existed, ironically cars drivers consider a bike to be a small things when in reality it is the core composition to its existence.

also: Urban Bikers' Tricks & Tips is a wonderful book with great pics and inside info. I like to call it the ghetto book cuz of the nice lil DIY tips..

Last edited by Gyeswho; 01-05-07 at 10:02 AM.
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Old 01-04-07, 11:10 AM
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Roads were originally designed for bikes maaaaaaaan.... Pass the spliff dude,,,
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Old 01-04-07, 05:49 PM
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who reads books?
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Old 01-04-07, 05:51 PM
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Old 01-04-07, 05:56 PM
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That book sucks! It spends whole chapters telling people stuff the can figure out in one day riding on the streets
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Old 01-04-07, 05:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Rancid
That book sucks! It spends whole chapters telling people stuff the can figure out in one day riding on the streets
2nd that...........
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Old 01-04-07, 06:01 PM
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Originally Posted by ghostdance
who reads books?
More importantly, who writes them?
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Old 01-04-07, 06:12 PM
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Anybody read Urban Bikers' Tricks & Tips? It's how I learned to be a "Sly Biker."

Last edited by jjvw; 01-04-07 at 07:06 PM.
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Old 01-04-07, 06:34 PM
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I got this book for christmas and absolutely devoured it. Read it cover to cover in 2 days.

It is a really awesome book. Now I am making my girlfriend read it!
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Old 01-04-07, 06:55 PM
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Originally Posted by lima_bean
I got this book for christmas and absolutely devoured it. Read it cover to cover in 2 days.

It is a really awesome book. Now I am making my girlfriend read it!

which one are you refering to?

tips and tricks or the art of urban cycling?


has anyone read The Immortal Class: Bike Messengers and the Cult of Human Power?

or this hahaha
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Old 01-04-07, 07:04 PM
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This book has recently been retitled "The Art of Cycling" which seems a bit presumptious to me. Still, I liked it well enough. The history was interesting, and some of the philosophy stuff was ok.
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Old 01-04-07, 07:12 PM
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i saw that book at borders, flipped through it, laughed, then put it back on the shelf.
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Old 01-04-07, 07:46 PM
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Originally Posted by scotthorrigan
which one are you refering to?

tips and tricks or the art of urban cycling?


has anyone read The Immortal Class: Bike Messengers and the Cult of Human Power?

or this hahaha

I was referring to The Art of [urban] Cycling. But ive read tips and tricks too.

I have ALSO read The Immortal Class and enjoyed it, in fact the bike shop in that book is the one I shop at =)
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Old 01-04-07, 07:46 PM
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Originally Posted by Gyeswho
Without the bike cars may have never existed, ironically cars drivers consider a bike to be a small things when in reality it is the core composition to its existence.
Funny about that whole "horseless carriage" thing, huh?
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Old 01-04-07, 07:57 PM
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Thanks, I'll check it out next time at the book store.
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Old 01-04-07, 08:02 PM
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Yep, good book. Just finished it this week. Another good bike book/messenger book is called Pedal. It's a picture book/ DVD documentary on messenger biking. There's actually a scene showing a messenger getting hit by a taxi. Pretty graphic, no gore but very alarming when you first see it.


JK
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Old 01-04-07, 08:14 PM
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Originally Posted by ghostdance
who reads books?
man its pretty fun, you should try it sometime.
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Old 01-04-07, 08:15 PM
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What about Effective Cycling by John Forester?
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Old 01-04-07, 09:13 PM
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Old 01-04-07, 09:27 PM
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"I dont' take s*** from books, my s*** is all original"
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Old 01-04-07, 09:39 PM
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Originally Posted by Rancid
That book sucks! It spends whole chapters telling people stuff the can figure out in one day riding on the streets
I haven't read this book in particular, but after 10 years of "urban" cycling I read Effective Cycling by John Forster and was delighted to read descriptions and explanations of all kinds of stuff I'd figured out without ever really thinking about it, plus all kinds of stuff I hadn't even considered.

Most stuff about riding bikes isn't about figuring out I don't think, it's more of getting a feel for it.

I think that there are proportionally awful urban cyclists than really terrible drivers and that it certainly couldn't hurt. Most cyclists I've seen in the places I am the most (Montreal, Philly, Toronto) can't ride in a straight line, probably the most important bike skill to learn, and that's bad for everyone.

Need For The Bike by Paul Fournel is easily the best book on biking I've ever read though (among the best of anything really), and getting into that book as a novice cyclist will probably open somebody's eyes more than instructions that aren't clear until you know how it feels, like turning the bars the opposite direction you want to go when you're turning sharply.
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Old 01-04-07, 10:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Serendipper
More importantly, who writes them?
the true gods

mostly
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Old 01-05-07, 12:41 AM
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Originally Posted by jakbikesdc
Yep, good book. Just finished it this week. Another good bike book/messenger book is called Pedal. It's a picture book/ DVD documentary on messenger biking. There's actually a scene showing a messenger getting hit by a taxi. Pretty graphic, no gore but very alarming when you first see it.


JK
It is pretty good, the extra footage is fun as well.
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Old 01-05-07, 09:25 AM
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I feel really bad for the featured messenger in Pedal. I think he'd have a much better quality of life pretty much anywhere else than the most expensive urban area in the U.S.
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Old 01-05-07, 09:45 AM
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Refresh my memory. He was the guy who had to live in a subway maintenance tunnel, correct? I've seen a few too many single-word-title bike films recently.
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