Summer is fast approaching, and if you’re one of the lucky ones jetting off for sun, sea (and probably cycling), you might also be contemplating which book is worthy of that limited luggage space should you find yourself with some down time. Your dilemma? You’ve read all the cycling books already, and Chris Hoy’s new autobiography is only out in hardback, which is the weight equivalent of your clip in shoes, and space equivalent of at least three bibs’ chamoises.
Whilst we can’t offer any hacks to bypass EasyJet’s baggage weight restrictions, we’ve found five books you might not have read yet, and are well worth leaving that spare jersey at home for.
1) The Quick Read: The Rider by Tim Krabbé
Written as a first person account of a 150km French amateur bike race, and in just as few pages, you could get through this in one sitting. Krabbé accounts the inside the peloton and the mind of a rider in the thick of it at break neck speed, kilometre by kilometre. If you have ever raced a bike or been a rapt spectator, you won’t finish this book without relating to page after page.
2) The Twisted Tale of Tragedy and Triumph – Land of Second Chances by Tim Lewis
What do you get when you combine a disgraced ex pro-cyclist, a mountain bike pioneer and a man whose life was torn apart by the Rwandan genocide? One of the most interesting and under appreciated stories of cycling and beyond. This is a rollercoaster of a read, packed with real characters you’ll love and loathe, painting an entirely different picture from that we have of the sport in the Western world. Lewis meticulously researched this book, and it shows in the level of detail which will undoubtedly leave you reflecting far more than just the sport of cycling.
3) The Forgotten History Lesson: Revolutions: How Women Changed the World on Two Wheels by Hannah Ross
Contrary to what many might wrongly say, cycling is a women’s sport. In fact, this book proves that cycling has always been a women’s sport. This isn’t just about women winning races, this is a full social and sporting revolution combined. Chronicling the untold stories of how women have taken the cycling world by storm, and in turn how the humble bicycle was the vehicle of emancipation and liberation for women in society through history. Inspiring and amusing, another 50 years and a second edition would likely make an even more thrilling story.
4) The TdF Primer: Lanterne Rouge: The Last Man in the Tour de France by Max Leonard
With the men’s Giro drawing to a close, all eyes will now be on the Tour de France. If you’re anything like me, the weeks before will involve watching the latest season of Unchained (after probably rewatching the first two seasons), reading endless analysis articles and nightly disagreements with my Dad over who we’re putting in the family fantasy peloton. Amongst the focus on victory and the Yellow Jersey, this book is the ideal contrast. But don’t be fooled, this is so much more than a story about the lad at the back. Instead, this book looks at the complex nature of the sport, what it means to be a part of a team, and ultimately challenge how we perceive the notion of success and failure.
5) The Past, Present and Future Reflection:
Eritrean born Biniam Girmay made history not once, but twice, in the 2024 Tour de France, becoming the first Black African to win a stage, and take the green jersey. Of the 137 riders in the peloton, he was the only Black rider. Cycling has a glaring diversity issue in more ways than one, and despite the powerful global movements taking place over the last number of years, it remains a largely white, Euro-centric sport.
Despite this, Black cycling culture has a rich history, and powerful present, all recounted by Moncrieffe through his discussions with Black voices across the sport. From pros to commentators, activists to members of cycling bodies, the commentary he writes is a testament to this, and calls in to question what is currently being done in the sport to address the lack of racial equality in cycling up to the elite level, before speculating the potential revolution of the sport driven by and for the Black cycling movement.