By Jonathan Simmons, Guest Columnist
In the past few years a whole cottage industry has sprung up dedicated to ensuring that cyclists have something to read when they’re not out riding. Just in time for the holiday gift-giving season (though really, who needs an excuse to buy that perfect book), here’s a list of some of my recent favorites. Enjoy: if this winter is anything like last winter, you’ll have plenty of time to curl up with a good book, the perfect ying to cyling’s yang.
“Bicycle Travel Journal,” by Nigel Peake is unlike any book I’ve ever seen. Peake has combined watercolor and pencil illustrations, envelopes for collecting things while you’re out on your bike, blank space for doodles or notes, and a table to record your rides, with categories such as distance, cadence, and the number of cake stops. Best of all, this handsome, moleskin bound book fits neatly into the back pocket of your cycling jersey. I’m not sure if Peake has created a piece of art, a journal, or an invitation to look at the world a little differently. All I know is that he’s come up with the most unusual book of the year, the kind that makes you smile and know that sometimes all is right with the world.
Michael C. Gabriele’s book, “The Golden Age of Bicycle Racing in New Jersey,” traces the history of cycling in the Garden State. Say what you will about “Jersey,” but back in the day, it was the epicenter of cycling at a time when cycling was bigger than football. Through numerous well selected photographs and a historian’s ear for detail, Gabriele has captured a bygone era of 6-day races, velodromes, and hard men (and women) of the road. I hope Gabriele will find a way to spend some time in the Hub so he can write about the Golden Age of cycling in our fair city.
Best book title of the year goes to Paul Howard with “Sex, Lies and Handlebar Tape: The Remarkable Life of Jacques Anquetil, The First Five-Times Winner of the Tour de France.” Remarkable is an understatement. Anquetil married his physician’s wife, had a child with his step-daughter, and then left his wife for his step-son’s wife. Yuck. Still, Howard has done an excellent job of chronicling Anquetil’s achievements on the bike. More importantly, he’s done an even better job of creating an intimate portrait of an accomplished cyclist who led a troubled life.