A book for Christmas

[Mike the bike]

My lady keeps in her head a category of Christmas gift known as the lunchtime present. Apparently intended to boost the amount of wrapping paper consumed by western civilisation, these relatively inexpensive bundles of joy are scattered around the room, waiting for the recipient to find them after the main packages have been safely dispatched. Sometimes the idea falls a little flat, who needs more socks when there are already two unopened packs in the drawer, but this year a nugget emerged, and with my name on the label.

The Cycling Anthology, by Ellis Bacon and Lionel Birnie, may be small, and cheap, but it contains a collection of cycling-inspired writing by a dozen or more distinguished authors. Mostly up-to-date original work, the chapters are diverse and, for the most part entertaining. Highlights were "Project Wiggins", the story of the man's emergence from unreliable mediocrity to the very pinnacle of the sport and "Pendleton versus Meares" which fleshed out the bones of their intense, decade long rivalry.

I also loved the story of Paris - Roubaix winner Frederic Guesdon. It tells of a man's brilliance, failure, disappointment and redemption, all in fifteen short pages.

As might be expected a couple of sections aren't to the same high standard. "Cyclonomics" is the unsatisfactory tale of attempts to analyse every aspect of a road race, from real time readouts of wattage to time spent in breakaways, all in the pursuit of producing the ultimate rider. Nonsense of course, the mathematical analysis of something as complex and nuanced as a road race is beyond the capability of any computer and most human brains.

But overall I really enjoyed my hours with this little book and, despite the rather uninspiring front cover the contents are largely delightful. Give it a try, even if you get someone else to buy it.

[Ashley Webster]

Perhaps RCUK could serialise some of these articles - then we could all borrow your copy, Mike.

We also have 'table presents' as they're called. This year I got an enammelled aluminium water bidon and cage as I obviously don't have enough water bottles.

[Bally]

.....Highlights were "Project Wiggins", the story of the man's emergence from unreliable mediocrity to the very pinnacle of the sport ....

Had "Bradley Wiggins My Time" bought me that I'm getting through. Certainly an eye opener that he hasn't been a model Pro all the time, plenty of times he has included how Brailsford and Sutton have b0ll0cked him.

[timothy.john]

Thanks, Mike - sounds like a great book. There's a sequel due out next May, which I'm sure you'll want to add to your reading list!

I'm on my second reading of David Walsh's excellent Seven Deadly Sins: My Pursuit of Lance Armstrong - by turns saddening and uplifting, and always enthralling. Worth a look.

[ls28harry]

Had "Bradley Wiggins My Time" bought me that I'm getting through. Certainly an eye opener that he hasn't been a model Pro all the time.

I got this book too but not started it yet. Although I did read the Wiggo interview in 'Cyclist' issue 1. and totally agree.

Just munching through Pendleton at the mo.

[Bally]

Just read where he was riding his first stage in yellow with a frame that had cracked under the bottom bracket and it and "it was flexing like crazy" ~ good advert for Pinarello!

[coolboarder]

We also have table presents and I got 'Bradley Wiggins: Britain's greatest ever cyclist'. Mrs CB continues this tradition with my sister: as we alternate Christmas venues so the missus buys siss a present when they're at our's and vice versa when we go to dinner with siss as they can't really buy their own table present and being a man I'd never think of it!. Having also got My Time and In Pursuit of Glory from Santa it was a bit of Wiggo overkill. I also got Dave Millar's autobiography and wading through that at the moment - better by far.

[Carla]

Just finished 'In Pursuit of Glory', good to read about his persepective before the success of this year. Interesting that he had accepted he would never win the TdF!

Also got Nicholas Roche's book so that's next but I'm trying to save it for a bit because once I start a cycling book, it lasts about 2 days - then I'm annoyed that I've read it so quick. Mind you my memory is so bad I should just start reading the others I have again!

[Paul4]

Don't read any of Lance's book just yet, wait for the updated editions to come out.

[coolboarder]

Also got Nicholas Roche's book

I have to say I found this a bit tedious and gave up less than a quarter the way through. There's nothing that has not already been said many times before about pro cycling in it and he hardly has an inspiring palmares to boast about.