Bicycling Magazine's New Cyclist Handbook [Paperback]

Ben Hewitt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 29, 2005

Proven wisdom and techniques to help new cyclists get on the road to better fitness and safe, skilled riding.

Now completely revised and updated with the latest advances in the sport, this comprehensive handbook will help any new cyclist ride with confidence and avoid common pitfalls. Learn how to choose the right bike, ride safely in traffic, treat and prevent injuries, train for a century, and perform basic maintenance. Packed with quick tips from the pros at Bicycling magazine, this volume provides everything the new cyclist needs to achieve optimum cycling performance.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

BEN HEWITT writes about sports and the outdoors for a wide variety of publications, including Bicycling, Men’s Journal, Mountain Bike, Outside, and Skiing. He currently resides in Vermont.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Books; Rev Upd edition (November 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594863008
• ISBN-13: 978-1594863004
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #340,869 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #43 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Individual Sports > Cycling > Bike Repair

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction to cycling., May 13, 2007

By 

Arq Paulo Barrelas "vertex tutor" (Portugal) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bicycling Magazine's New Cyclist Handbook (Paperback)

This book is a good introduction to cycling. It will give good tips on how to set up your riding position, ride securely, differences between mountain biking and road biking, buying appropriate clothing, etc. I'm not a total newbie on MTB but i learned a lot with this book.

I gave 5 stars to this book because as the title says, this is a book for the new cyclist, so if you are a more advanced rider, you can still find it useful but you should look out to something more specific.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars EVERYONE needs a little help every now and then!, June 26, 2006

By 

Kirby Reese (Bloomington, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bicycling Magazine's New Cyclist Handbook (Paperback)

VERY informative little book, I must say. While some of the instructions go a little "over the top", length-wise,(changing a flat tire), it is always feasible to be too"wordy", than not"wordy" enough. Basic maintenance is crucial to enjoying a bike, and to think nothing is going to happen to your bike while riding, is asking for trouble. This book should be standard reading for all bike enthusiasts....mountain AND road. It answers most of the beginning cyclist's questions with easy to read text. Even seasoned "veterans" will appreciate the full spectrum of subjects included in this paperback.

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Tries to Serve Too Broad an Audience, May 3, 2009

By 

Kenny (Wichita, Kansas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bicycling Magazine's New Cyclist Handbook (Paperback)

I purchased this book because I wanted to purchase a new bike, but am confused by all the new technology that today's bicycles have. People spend outragous prices for the simplest of parts. Which parts do I need and are worth the money? Which are not? What kind of a bike do I want for the riding I do?

The book has one section for me. Then it takes off on a wild ride including "training for a century." If you are a casual rider, then training for a century and the other stuff is of no interest to you. And if you are an avid enthusiast, you don't need to be told what a mountain bike is.

It just tries to serve too broad an audience. On the positive side, it is not expensive, and it may have the one or two tips that you are looking for that will make it well worth your money, such as appear in the section on solving common ailments.

I wish that someone would write a book for the person who is new to modern biking. I can't find one. The magazines are no help. They think a cheap bike is one under two thousand dollars!