Books and Magazines.

My book buying habit continues unabated, with these recent arrivals. It's a bit of a beggar as my concentration is not good these days, so books take a while to read, but still. I've not started reading all of these yet, but I'll post 'em up anyway.

Richard's Mountain Bike Book is an all encompassing manual from 1988, covering all aspects of mountain biking, from the history of the bikes , the usual how to choose/how to fix/how to ride and also how to go on an expedition and more.
I love these older books, full of nostalgia for a simpler time, although 1988 only seems like a few weeks ago - damn I'm old...
This hardback was a penny plus the post (£2.80) on Amazon.

Staying with cycling we have Pedals and Petticoats. Four young English girls - Mary Elsy, Barbara, Agnes and Esme set off in 1951 on a 3,000 mile bike ride round around a Europe that was still recovering from the Second World War. I haven't started to read this yet, and while it all sounds a tad Enid Blyton, I think it is going to be a very interesting read.
Another used jobbie from Amazon.

English Country Lanes is a second book on my shelves with the same title, but this one takes 10 celebrities of the time (2002) and asks them about their favourite lanes and countryside. The author then visits, photographs and writes about these same lanes to show their appeal and what can be found on them, and other lanes too of course. 
Another Amazon used buy.

Akenfield by Ronald Blythe is the only one of these books purchased new. Akenfield as a single village doesn't actually exist, but the book is the story of village life in Suffolk as seen through the eyes of villagers themselves and was first published in 1969. This was a time of change in rural communities with horses giving way to tractors on the farms, young folk starting to leave the villages in search of greater things, and just a hint of outsiders starting to come in from the towns looking to live the idyllic rural life. This book has been fascinating I must say. It highlights what a harsh existence living in a rural village could be with long hours for little reward and nothing much in the way of luxuries.
An updated version - Return To Akenfield,  has been published by a different author,  which brings us up to date with the 21st Century, and seeks out some of the people featured in the original book, so that is next on my 'must get' list.

While Wandering: A Walking Companion might seem an odd choice as I'm not a walkist. I would be, as well as a cyclist, if my back wasn't so crap, and anyway, a lot of the joys of walking are to be found when bimbling and pootling about on a bike as well - the sights, the sounds, the exotic things to step in or find oozing between one's tyre treads. It is a celebration of plodding about, in the form of short articles and quotes on the topic of walking from a wide variety of sources. This definitely looks to be a 'Sunday afternoon by the roaring log fire with a steaming cup of coffee' warm and fuzzy feeling book.

Another used buy for a penny from Amazon, but in as new condition.

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Cycling Through Depression by Ed Bradley.

Well this book really hits the spot for me for obvious reasons.

It is the honest and straightforward account of how the author, a long time sufferer of depression, and having recently gone through the pain and devastation of divorce and the loss of his home and family life, rode 5,600 miles through 21 states in the US.

Bradley's descriptions of his depressive episodes will be familiar to so many and the heart felt writing as he bears his soul isn't always easy to read in that you really feel for the chap, and the pain he carries with him.

The book is also easy to read in that it trips along really nicely, and reads like a journal so doesn't get bogged down in long chapters or descriptions of particular events or places, but keeps moving along at an entertaining clip. It is a book you can put down, and pick up where you left off, but it also keeps you interested enough in what happens next and how the author gets on, unlike some books of cycling epics that become very repetitive.

This is the work, not of a professional writer, adventurer or high mileage cycling fiend, but a 'normal' person who decides to get on a bike and go and gain control of his life by challenging himself physically and mentally. The book is all the better for this and adds to the authenticity of the writing.

My only criticism is that there isn't more of it! It comes to a bit of a sudden stop when Bradley reaches San Diego, and I'd like a little more about the aftermath of such a trip. How does one handle waking up in the morning and not getting on your bike and going forwards to somewhere new every day? (I found it depressing getting home after a mere fortnight touring on motorcycles, how long distance travellers get over that 'suddenly grounded' feeling I don't know).

A highly recommended read then, and that rare thing – a book I imagine I will want to read again at some point in the not too distant future.

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The Ride Journal.

This is my first copy of the Ride Journal, somehow having let previous editions go by (ok, I was skint), which was a mistake. Handily, you can download previous editions from their web site, for free and for nothing, and whilst that is great, nothing beats having the real thing in your hands, especially in the case of the Ride, because it is a bit special.

If there were such a thing as a scratch and sniff photo, this picture would be scraped into oblivion.

It's a lump, be in no doubt. 195 pages of quality paper makes for an impressive thump onto your doormat when it arrives. The first thing that strikes you on opening the packet is the eye grabbing, wrap around, cover art. The second thing is the smell – by far the best smelling magazine I've had so far, and I've had a few it must be said. This magazine has a fragrant pong that caresses the hooter rather than assaults it with some awful chemical inky whiff. Smell matters, ask any wine buff...

It's thick and heavy, the cover art is superb, and its pong is a pleasure – off to a good start and we haven't even looked inside yet. Thankfully the content doesn't disappoint, as long as you're not expecting race results, or road tests of the latest carbon fibre road missile or fat tyred loam botherer. That shouldn't happen anyway, as it is not the sort of magazine you buy without first checking it out. As far as I know it is only available online, or through a few cycle shops or specialised magazine/book shops. I got mine from the journal web site for £10.50 including postage (£8 cover price), a fair chunk of dosh it has to be said, but it is worth it in my opinion.

So if you don't get road tests and who came where and what colour jersey they are wearing, what do you get? Well you do get a few adverts, but even they smack of quality in their presentation and the items they're peddling, and those (few) ads are only to be found at the front and back. Inside you get a collection of personal stories on all aspects of cycling, along with some great photography, and illustrations/artwork. Contributions come from all walks of life and from all over the globe, and the topics covered in issue 9 here include, among many others, the inside line on pro racing, extreme commuting, London couriers, riding with Robin Williams, and Lakeland singletracks through to a look at the strange world of the Japanese Keirin. Most, but by no means all, pieces are a single page, with a full page illustration opposite. Something for everyone then, and interesting to all I'd suggest, as although I'm not into racing for example, and wouldn't know an Eddie Wiggins from a Bradley Merckx, I still read and enjoyed every single piece in the journal.

In reality, magazines such as this aren't really magazines at all, think of them as soft backed books because (in my case at least) they are certainly keepers and are a cut well above most general magazines out there. Settling down to delve into this type of periodical is more of a treat, an event to savour, rather than just something to pass a few minutes with while munching toast at the brekkie table. It's a self indulgent Sunday morning in bed with a posh coffee and a hot Croissant type of affair, and that has to be good.

And it smells nice.

The Ride Journal.

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Metal Cowboy – Ten Years Further Down The Road Less Pedaled, by Joe Kurmaskie.

This is an updated version published to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the original 'Metal Cowboy', and contains some new stories and notes and updates on the originals.

This is a very readable and enjoyable collection of short stories concerning mostly the people and places Kurmaskie ran into on his bike travels, and as such you won't find detailed lists of riding gear, bike failures and repairs, or a meal by meal account of some journey or other like other books feature. What you do get are brief glimpses into the lives of those characters Kurmaskie meets, from a hotel rammed full of Elvis impersonators, to a cycling Barber who carries his scissors everywhere, a Fortune Teller, the old, blind rancher who gave him his 'Metal Cowboy' moniker and many more.

A particular frustration of mine is that my concentration these days seems to be jiggered, so books such as this, where each story covers only two or three pages are ideal, and can be dipped in and out of without fear of losing the plot or whatever, ideal for the busy types too no doubt.

At 272 pages there is plenty to go at, and having enjoyed this book, I have since acquired, but yet to read, Kurmaskie's 'Riding Outside The Lines' and have 'Momentum Is Your Friend' on order from the States. I see he has another title due out early next year too, so no doubt I'll be adding that to the bookshelf as well.

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Bike Magazine.

I've tried a couple of mags from across the Atlantic, and to be honest, they haven't really gelled with me at all, but undaunted and looking to feed my magazine buying habit, I thought I'd give Bike magazine a go (not to be confused with the once excellent British motorcycle magazine of the same name) and it is not bad at all, as can be seen by the fact I've bought three copies of it.

From my limited experience of the mag so far, it appears that there is usually a different theme for each issue. I picked up my first one out of curiosity, and was not expecting too much, but found the articles and stories within about biking in LA and California generally, pretty interesting.

The next issue was a photo special featuring some of the best images of the past year. Well I had to have that of course, and wasn't at all disappointed, and that issue sits on a shelf with the other 'keepers'.

The latest issue, on the top here, is on the theme of bike packing, something I'd love to get into if I was able, so again, I ordered it and although I've yet to start reading it, a quick flick through suggests it will once again be a good read, and with some great photography too.

Bike seems to be a magazine devoted to stories rather than just majoring on regurgitated press releases for dropper posts, lurid baggy shorts and the latest bouncy bike that costs more than a small car. It's people and experiences that appear to be to the fore rather than products (although they are there, they just don't take centre stage), and that's what trues my wheels.

The only let down is that the magazine is a bit thin, it could do with being a bit fatter at around 120 pages. It's the sort of magazine I'll check out before buying, unlike some that I just buy without even checking their content first, but I think I'll probably end up getting each issue anyway.

I see WH Smith here in the UK has started stocking this mag now (£3.95), but I've had these from the News Stand web site where postage costs a bit extra.

Worth a look for the magazine addict looking for a decent hit.

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Singletrack Magazine is celebrating the 100^th issue with the September 2015 edition, and their success is very well deserved. 

I confess I am a late comer to the magazine, having been put off by the cover price during lean financial times, but once I tried an issue I was hooked, and quickly snaffled up as many back issues as funds would allow from their online shop, and now it is a 'compulsory purchase' each issue.

The magazine kicked off way back in 2001 and is aimed at the mature mountain biker according to Wikipedia, and the focus is on quality in all areas. From the perfect bound card cover to the writing and excellent environmental photography, you do get your money's worth – it's a keeper. It even smells nice! Subscribers and buyers from their online shop get an extra 16 pages (total 130) over those who buy in the high street, and a cleaner front cover (no guff about what's inside).

That the magazine is the product of an enthusiastic and passionate few rather than some corporate publishing giant is obvious from the moment you flick through the magazine, but the result is anything but amateurish. It's a turn off the telly and settle down with a coffee magazine rather than a flick through on the bus/at work/on the loo then chuck it in the bin affair.

For me, I enjoy the absorbing articles of course, but also the photography which usually depicts 'real world' riding as opposed to riders, all elbows and knees, throwing shapes in a rear curtain sync flash frenzy that you see in other mags (although to be fair, that kind of photography fits their target market and subject matter).

Singletrack is published 8 times a year, and among other awards has been awarded Best Cycling Magazine in 2009 and 2010, and Best Web Site 2013 by Bikebiz Trade Magazine, so you see, it is a good'un alright.

Singletrack

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Frostbike – The Joy, Pain and Numbness of Winter Cycling, by Tom Babin.

Frostbike is not a shiver by shiver account of various rides through chin deep snow drifts or battling blizzards in some masochistic endurance endeavour, rather it is how Babin, from Calgary, set about changing his attitude not just to his winter commuting mount of choice, but to the season itself.

Babin had been a summer cycle commuter, and whilst sat in a jam in his stuffy, steamed up car one December morning, he realised how much he missed his daily cycling. Most bike commuters disappear come winter, but did it have to be that way? Were they just wimping out when it came to getting cold or were there other reasons for it? Could someone commute by bike through winter still, and even possibly enjoy it? Babin dusted off his bike, put on some extra layers and set out to find out.

Babin went beyond just finding out if he could handle frosty nasal hair and dodgy ice patches, he set out to thoroughly research winter cycling, with the utility riding angle firmly in mind. In the course of this he attended the 2013 Winter Cycling Congress in the 'Winter Cycling Capital of the World', Oulu in Finland. He then visits other Scandinavian cities and is thoroughly amazed at what he sees on the streets, and discovers about the attitudes, not just to cycling, but to winter as a whole.

From all this Babin learns not to endure winter, to 'grin and bear it', but to positively embrace it, get out in it and enjoy what winter has to offer. He goes skiing again, takes walks and even holds a 'Winter Party' in his back yard which turns out to be a huge success.

It is pretty clear that nowadays we try to avoid winter and don't cope too well with it as a result, and in fact by doing that, we're missing out. Now winter in Calgary is of course rather different to Winter here in the UK where we panic if there's as much as a heavy frost and the mere hint of snow means the telly news will be full of shots of deserted school playgrounds as schools close and people skive off work. A few millimetres of snow sees this country at a standstill, as we are as a nation, too thick or just plain too lazy to try and deal with it. Have to think about how to drive in snow? Can't do that! Just switch the hazard lights on and abandon your car because 'that's what people do in snow' isn't it?

So our winters here are a bit different, both in our reaction to them and their nature (they're crap. More wet and windy than regular as clockwork snow, but still...) but embracing them and changing our attitude is still a lesson we Brits should learn.

A book I was initially unsure I'd enjoy, but in the end I found it a very interesting read indeed, much recommended.

Tom Babin is Features Editor at the Calagary Herald and is behind the paper's cycling blog Pedal while Frostbike is available on Amazon UK and of course Amazon.com.

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Travels With Rosinante – 5 Years Cycling Around The World by Bernard Magnouloux.

This was a very enjoyable read, and a bit different to the usual round the world cycling books.

First off Monsieur Magnouloux is a bit of an eccentric in a free spirited sort of way. Any man who ties a piece of string from his moustache to a spoke nipple in his ear to stop the wind blowing his moustache in his mouth clearly doesn't worry about what other people might think. This laid back approach pervades the whole book too, as Bernard sets off in 1981 with some luggage haphazardly attached to his beloved Rosinante and with a most un-Frenchman like lack of fashion sense, to go and see what the world had to offer.

Despite this carefree attitude, Bernard also kept some comprehensive notes along the way so we find in the appendices he cycled about 48,000 miles (an estimated 950 miles of which were spent pushing Rosinante), got through 27 tyres, 2 wheels, more than 145 spokes and three derailleurs, and repaired 199 punctures. So all the facts and comprehensive details are there for those who want them, but you won't find them so much in the general narrative and it is the way this book is written that makes it such an easy and enjoyable read. It's as if Bernard is sat in the pub telling you about his trip – great sections of the journey warrant hardly any mention while other parts of the story are relayed with engaging enthusiasm.

The book is well illustrated throughout, both with photos and line drawings done by Magnouloux.

A very entertaining read then and there are numerous used copies available in hard and soft back on Amazon.

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Adventure Cycling In Britain by Tim Hughes (Blandford Press).

This book is a little gem from 1978 that is rammed with advice and enthusiasm for getting out and about on bicycles. The photos and formal tone of writing could come from even further back in the past than the late 70s, and that just adds to the appeal for me. These were definitely far simpler times, and this book makes cycling seem far more accessible than perhaps the modern day with the plethora of specialist bikes and all manner of hi tech kit and safety wear to get the head around. Leather cycling shoes are mentioned, as are plastic rain capes, but other than that, it's all wooly jumpers, bobble hats and knee length socks, maybe even a good puff on one's pipe filled with a favourite shag tobacco at sandwich stops.

The information contained within the book's 231 pages is impressively comprehensive, ranging from the usual choosing a bike, through maintenance and repair to riding techniques and conduct, followed by chapters on the geology of Britain and what sort of landscape to find in the various regions of the country. Suggested tours to follow are also included along with tips on planning your own routes, using a proper map of course!

The writing might be quite formal, but there is also an infectious enthusiasm for the topic throughout the book that is also seen in the relaxed looking photos, and the book as a whole is a delight to read and a reminder of what seems a very different time now, but wasn't actually very long ago at all.

Much recommended, and at the time of writing (August 2015), there are 15 examples to be had on Amazon UK starting from a penny (plus the postage of course). Bargain.