Customer Reviews

Bike Racing 101

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There's no better place to start if you want to learn to race bikes. A lot of what's out there is very interesting but targeted towards a more advanced racer. It's all too easy to lose sight of the fundamentals. This book will help you pick the equipment you need without going overboard, improve your understanding of training and recovery, and work a training plan into your life without burning out. It's full of detailed discussion of essentials like how to execute an attack and make it stick. The chapters on improving fundamental skills like climbing, cornering and descending are complete, detailed, and effective, as are the chapters on strategy and tactics. Road racing, time trials, criteriums and stage races are each given a full chapter that will to help you develop a tactical sense that you can apply when the situation arises. I'm midway through my first serious season and the more I get out and race the more mileage I get out of this book.

Bike Racing 101 is an excellent resource for those cyclists with a basic knowledge of the sport, and a strong desire to take it to the next level. This book guides you through the process, from getting licensed, to understanding road racing events, to the necessary equipment. From there, this easy-to-read book (that's filled with up-to-date photos), helps you, the future racer determine your goals, choose your first race, and even guides you through basic training. Bike Racing 101 gives you the background knowledge to increase speed, power, and endurance as well as the basics of nutrition and hydration. All the aspects of racing are covered in this book and it prepares you for everything to expect in a race, it even has a section on learning how to crash! With an insider's perspective, it makes racing seem much less intimidating. The back of the book is full of helpful resources as well, complete with a glossary of related terms and suggested websites. This is a must-have for any cyclist with the desire to race!

If you want to get into bike racing but have no idea where to start this is THE book for you. It's a complete over view of all the basics you need to know to get into the sport including a check list to see if you are even ready to race. Gets into basic training concepts and racing tactics. However, if you are a seasoned cyclist, you probably won't find much new here. Being new to the competitive side of the sport this last year, I found this book to be an extremely important guide.

I'd recommend this book. As an junior racer many, many years ago, I was able to reflect on some of the advice that was gained 'the hard way', ie- by making mistakes. Defininitely a good read for someone starting out in racing.

Book was as advertised -- slightly used but in fine shape. No missing or ripped pages. And, dirt cheap ($1.00). Can't go wrong and can't beat the price....

I found this book to be entertaining and informative, but I'm a novice to racing. I agree with several of the other posters here; if you are an experience road racer, you will probably already know most of what's in this book.

If you are coming from some other background than cycling, this is a good book. If you are riding your bike and thinking of doing a crit, it is a good book. In other words, probably should be read by anyone that has not been racing since they were young.

..but brings very little value if you have been in cycling for a while and experienced your first race already. I would suggest joining a good racing team instead

I'm a seasoned ex-elite racer. I bought this book with great enthusiasm, but found it to be oriented to the novice rider. It didn't add as much as I though it would, in fact, after my 10+ year career, it didn't add anything!

There are better books for bicycle racing out there: Eddie B.'s Bicycle Road Racing is my favorite, even if it's 20 years old.

This book tells about training, bicycle equipment and very little about racing itself.