Customer Reviews

Smart Cycling: Successful Training and Racing for Riders of All Levels

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a terrific book for those interested in getting to be stronger on their bikes. Arnie Baker starts off with helpful information on the body and different kinds of trainings - leg speed, strenth/hills, endurance - not the typical drink lots, ride with traffic, and always wear a helmet bike book! Very readable with sound advice. A large part of the book is devoted to wind/magnet trainer workouts. He has specific workouts for different results. I have done a number of them and they have been excellent for building my strength and leg speed. I used to avoid doing indoor workouts so much, that I would loose my base fitness level in the New England snowy months. Now I look forward to my 2-3 weekly workouts of about an hour each - before this book I never lasted more than 40 agonizingly boring minutes. I look forward to continue doing these workouts at night, even when the weather gets warmer and I can't get out to ride during the work week. I've been telling my training partners about this book, maybe I shouldn't, so I can surprise them with my strength!

I have read this book at least five times cover to cover (no kidding). Every time I pick up something new. For a beginning racer who does not have access to a coach or more experienced racers, this book is full of training and tactical information. Best trainer workouts I have come across and will really get you into shape. Arnie Baker does an excellent job of conveying his book.

As a commuter trying to train for a century, I thought this book would be great. However, the part of the title "for all levels" is misleading. You must have a heart rate monitor, clipless pedals and an indoor trainer to even consider buying this book, as it focuses primarily on medium-to-high level bikers. It refers very frequently to racing season, has an infuriating section about training with weaker riders, specifically your girlfriend or wife, and says often that if you can't make such-and-such a goal, you're out of shape. This book is for YOU, the male, hard-core racer with seven days a week to train for cycling, but not for riders of ALL LEVELS.

Racing is one focus of this book, but the training methods and indoor workouts are valuable for riders of any ilk. I'm a pleasure and fitness road rider, now on workout 6. Combined with a HR monitor, I've seen measureable improvement and workouts fly by. The workout structure is easily understood. My only recommendation is to make copies of the workouts, so you don't trash your book as you record your performance. Enjoy the time on your trainer for a change.

Arnie Baker is very succinct in his writing. When he writes about a topic, i.e. bike fit or cycling shorts, he explains the terms and why it is important every rider. There is no fluff. Every subject is treated this way. This makes for a very easily digestable, quick read. Some of the sections on racing may not be applicable to everyone, but it's nice to know, esp. if you are watching a race on TV. The strategy is great, if you are into that stuff, like me :-)

I bought this book primarily for the 12-week indoor trainer workouts, and it has not disappointed. If you perform the workouts every week, you will definitely see an improvement in your fitness. This is my second winter with the 12-week cycle, and I can see the improvements. Charting your progress is a great idea and is a definite motivator. At the end of the 12-weeks, I was able to easily complete a 100k rally. You can too, regardless of your level. If the workouts are too difficult, simple adjust your gearing or effort appropriately and you will see improvement. As Arnie says many times, the gearing and effort suggestions are nominal and should be adjusted based on your abilities. A very reasonable approach.

The only reason this book did not get 5 stars is because the trainer workouts only cover one day per week. I ride at least three days a week in the winter, so I would like to see a more detailed plan for the entire week, not just the one specific workout.

Everytime I thumb through this book I find more information that I actually use. The trainer workouts are very challenging. I have most of them printed out in large time so I can see them from trainer and not sweat all over the paper! The only addition I would like to see is a good weekly schedule on how to use the trainer workouts.

this is quite a nice little book on training, more than worth buying just for the very nice sequence of 1 hour trainer workouts - nicely hits the middle ground between the over the top, training bible type books, which offer plans to center your otherwise pointless life around bike training, and the mass-mkt, "this is how you sit on your bike, now go do some intervals" type of schlock.

be warned that the workouts are challenging, if you're mostly a recreational cyclist like myself; usually took me 2~3 weeks to get through one of his hours honestly, with lots of opportunity to explore the red line - probably works best in conjunction with less intense, longer workouts.

in addition to the 12 wk sequence, there are additional fun hours available to focus on particular aspects of cycling, which can also provide opportunity to explore one's limits.

This book shows a scientific approach to riding and training. There are also some interesting workouts for indoor training and a little of the psychology of racing, quite a good variety of information for one book. It seemed that everytime I read it I would pick up something new. I loaned this book out to a friend and now have to buy another one for myself!

P.S. After thinking about this book some more following the review, I realize that its big problem is that it's unfortunately titled. This is not a book about "smart" cycling.

I've met plenty of chronically novice riders who had quite a lot to teach me about smart cycling, and none of that information is contained here. This book, I'd argue, should be retitled to save it from the flamingly bad reviews, and here I suggest "Performance Cycling," because that's what the book is actually about--maximizing your performance, energy output, results, etc . . . .

This is not a book for the non-competitor.

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No. 1 thing I want to say: Arnie Baker's other book, Bicycling Medicine, is a great book that anyone who rides--even novice, fair weather, just-for-fun riders--should have; Bicycling Medicine is essential for anyone who ever felt uncomfortable or suffered some kind of pain as a result of riding; Smart Cycling however is no such must-read. That's why I'm so increadibly disappointed, and a bit glad that I didn't read this book before the other since I would have dropped the author altogether.

Arnie-baby, what the hell happened? This is atrocious. This is the pasta weighing, single digit gram fretting, Armstrong-wannabe, weenie cycling guide of the age. I thought we were friends, that you were for the common cyclist out to do a century or three a year. Oh well, at least you have that other book to fall back on.

This book gives the impression that cycling is a highly technical sport which requires all sorts of gizmos and careful monitoring of your performance level.

Fooey!

If you're not a competitive cyclist, determined to win races, you don't need to be doing the kind of self-analysis and monitoring of performance you read about in this book. And that's coming from someone who rides thousands of miles a year, non-racing.

Bottom Line: Follow this book's advice and you'll be completely disenchanted with cycling in no time, which is horribly odd since Arnie Baker MD, champion cyclist and all around good joe also wrote what I consider the essential cycling book of all time--Bicycling Medicine!

Like the book. It explains alot of helpful things to the cyclist. I especially like the cheap way to lighten your bike! It also comes with a set of trainer riding programs to get you ready for next season. It explains aerobic and anaerobic training and the difference there is. Also, that you should get a good heart rate monitor and cadence meter for the training programs. I am using these programs this winter and look forward to the benefits. I recommend the book.