Customer Reviews

Cyclecraft: Skilled Cycling Techniques for Adults

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

 

 

John Franklin's _Cyclecraft_ is about how to ride a bike safely and efficiently in the seemingly harsh world of motor traffic. Franklin presents the specific techniques that cyclists need to know to start off, move along, turn safely, avoid hazards of all types, and maneuver in unusual or difficult situations. The diagrams in the book are lucid, Franklin's instructions are specific without being pedantic, and his points are clearly made and backed up with evidence and experience.

The lone drawback to this book for anyone who lives outside the United Kingdom or Ireland might be that some of the information is specific to traffic standards in those countries. The most obvious of these is driving on the left, and Americans like me will have to think "right" whenever Franklin writes "left."

This is a very minor nit, however. There is no book yet published in North America that is so succinct yet so complete on the practice of cycling for transportation.

Everyone who rides a bike on North American roads needs to read this book.

The whole book is excellent, but the best part is about road positioning, which Franklin calls "probably the most important [of all cycling skills]" (p. 92). Here are some key citations.

"...positioning is one of the most important traffic skills for a cyclist to acquire, yet is precisely here that most cyclists perform badly. Many cyclists fail to position themselves properly because of their fear of traffic, yet ironically, it is this very fear that probably puts them most at risk." (p. 91)

"An important rule of road sharing is that no one should unnecessarily impede the passage of anyone else. However, you are quite justified in restricting the movements of other vehicles where this is important for your own safety, and you should not hesitate to do so when necessary."

Franklin has developed the concept of the "primary riding position" which is "in the center of the rightmost line of traffic for the direction in which you wish to travel." Why is this the primary position? Because, "here you will be well within the zone of maximum surveillance of both following drivers and those who might cross your path, and you will have the best two-way visibility of side roads and other features along the road. The road surface will usually be flatter here ...". Earlier on the same page he explains the basis: "Motorists primarily give attention to that part of the highway where is risk to themselves: they are not nearly so good at noticing anything outside their path. This zone of maximum surveillance is often very narrow, especially at higher speeds - it does not extend to much ... For you to be safest as a cyclist, you must normally ride within this zone of maximum surveillance, not outside it." (p 93).

Franklin also introduces the "secondary riding position" which is "about 3 feet to the right of the line of traffic", but recommends using it only when riding there could help others, "so long as your own safety is not thereby impaired." (p. 94). The reason this book is so important to read is because it explains so well why the secondary riding position compromises safety much more, and much more often, than most bicyclists seem to realize.

Reading this book, and applying what you learn to your own riding, can probably even make a very experienced bicyclist much safer.

'Cyclecraft' is recommended reading for the UK's Bikeability (the national cycle training standard, rather more advanced than cycling proficiency) and that's why many people will probably buy it. However I think it is an excellent read for anyone who takes their bike out on normal roads. Franklin looks at all aspects of cycling (except for bike maintenance), including choosing a bike, setting it up correctly, gear changing etc and advice on riding on the roads. His diagrams are all generally helpful but it's his overall comments about taking your position on the road as a cyclist that are so helpful. He dispels common myths about cycle positioning (that we should hide ourselves in the gutter) and his advice makes cycling much safer.

This is a very readable book, including information about other forms of cycling such as tricycles and recumbents (I have a recumbent trike so I was interested to read this), towing children in a trailer, tandems etc. My only criticism is that sometimes the book makes cycling on a normal upright seem rather dangerous (comments about braking correctly, not skidding in the wet etc) and might have put me off a little if I cycled one of these. However despite this reservation I can heartily recommend this book and have found it exceptionally useful for my own cycling and something that I will refer to many times.

Well written, great illustrations of many different traffic scenarios. Information about pulling trailers and bike handling that you will not find anywhere else. Important information about riding tandems that is not available in other publications.
This book can make your next bike ride safer, less stressful and more fun because it guides you to take your proper place IN traffic.

In Australia, we use the same (correct!) side of the road as the Brits, so we don't have to translate much. John's sections on riding in traffic are excellent, and if he'd left it at that, this would rate a 5, but he delves into bike fit, still touting the hairy old myth of knee over pedal spindle and other such nonsense, and gets involved in a helmet debate that belongs elsewhere than a book on reduced risk road riding.
If you skip the bike fit myths and anti helmet evangelism, this is a great book on riding on the road, and I highly recommend it.

An excellent book for beginners who aspire to add cycling to their lifestyle. As well all seasoned cyclists will reconsider their own concepts on techniques of dealing with all issues of everyday riding.I did take issue with the authors lack of treatment of an important piece of safety equipment, the helmet or eyeglass mirror.

No doubt about it, this book has a great feel to it. Typographically the book is an easy read with great full color illustrations. But as they say down South, "When you are invited to a fish fry, no one has to tell you not to swallow the bones!" First off, you gotta translate the diagrams since the Brits drive on the wrong side of the road. Franklin, sure does not belong to the Hecktor Helmet Brigade. All of his great illustrations of cyclists show them not wearing a helmet, this may gall the club/waiver folk on this side of the pond. Franklin does have a serious discussion of the pros and cons of helmet wearing. He seriously neglects "Blinkies" and the "trashmo" or utility city bike. Otherwise it is a great read, but one which does not hold a candle to our John Forester and his "Effective Cycling".