fixedabode

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• Useful Cycle Training Books

  in National Standard Cycle Training • 13 years, 10 months

  

  Thanks Chainwhip for the link to review. JF clearly has some fun with the lack of engineering rigour in Hurst's book. these faults were much more evident in the Cyclists Manifesto. I don't know about the arguments amongst US cycling advocacy but what Hurst says about cyclist behaviours chimes with what I see and read in the UK. For me, reading the book felt like an advance or at least a confirmation of my own theory and experience.
  You may have seen this but maybe others haven't - John Forester speaking at Google HQ and not winning many converts, I think; some spectacular dogmatic nonsense on Dutch cycling also:
  http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6082181397382918705#

• Useful Cycle Training Books

  in National Standard Cycle Training • 13 years, 10 months

  

  I found The Art of Cycling by Robert Hurst illuminating and I would be interested to hear what other people think of it. I thought the emphasis on attentiveness was correct and the book showed a proper interest in road surfaces, which led to one really good teaching point - the first thing you do before looking behind is look ahead.
  Overall, Hurst argues for cyclists taking complete personal responsibility for their ride. This implies that you cannot ever unthinkingly rely on any manoeuvre or regulation or technique - he is arguing against doctrinaire lane takers and those who over sell the efficacy of making eye contact. One corollary of his position is that since the artful cyclist knows that other road users will make mistakes, there is no point getting particularly irate - much better to put your available psychic energy into self reflection and possibly review your route planning if the issues are frequent.

  One issue that I am not aware any training books cover well is cycling with lots of other cyclists - Franklin in particular seems to have in mind a single and lonely cyclist. For those who have too much spare time, do check the front brake cable route on the Cyclecraft cover below. I know that these covers are staged but it adds to my personal difficulty in constructing a convincing picture of John Franklin actually cycling.