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latest amazon reviews

Jon S. - 5 Star Review

“Fantastic, easy to follow book”

“This is a really good book packed full of valuable information and advice.

The author has a great writing style which makes the book very enjoyable to read. This combined with the well presented information makes it an invaluable manual for any cyclist.”

Helen T. - 5 Star Review

“A must-have guide to road cycling.”

“A comprehensive guide for anyone interested in road cycling, from beginners to those wanting tips to develop their skills and learn new techniques. It's an enjoyable read as well as being informative, with plenty of motivational quotes to inspire!”

 

Simply Road Cycling…

…is a ‘must have’ book for any budding or developing cyclist.

Taking you on a journey that will empower you to become the rider of your dreams, this book compresses decades of knowledge and experience on the bike into a comprehensive and enlightening read - brought to life by incredible photography and practical know-how that's invaluable for any road cyclist. Sharing tips and techniques that are passed down from rider to rider, this is your essential guide to starting and improving your road cycling.

Table of Contents:

  • 1 - Introduction

  • 5 - Choosing a Road Bike

  • 21 - Getting the Right Fit

  • 39 - Selecting the Right Gear: What to Wear

  • 63 - Taking Your First Pedal Strokes

  • 83 - Getting More from Your Ride

  • 97 - Climbing: The Ugly Truth

  • 115 - Descending: Trade Secrets

  • 129 - Maintaining Your Bike

  • 175 - Riding with Others

  • 187 - Moving Forward: Your Next Steps

  • 203 - Final Thoughts

  • 204 - Acknowledgements

  • 206 - Further Reading

  • 209 - Table of Figures

  • 213 - About the Author

 
 

New & Popular Posts

Rox Ramblings Blog
Cycling’s Big Secret Revealed
Cycling’s Big Secret Revealed

Now, this might, or might not, come as a bit of a shock to you: in 361 days, I’ll turn 50. That’s almost eighteen thousand days I’ve been living, breathing, and learning here on this planet. So the big question is: what have I learned over these thousands of days. If you’ve been following this blog for a while, which I hope you have, you’ll know that I’ve learned that you can never lose those illusive seven pounds, that you should always wear sunscreen, and that you should never underestimate a wiry old rider. But there’s more.

A Tale From the Bike Shop: An Unwelcome Visitor
A Tale From the Bike Shop: An Unwelcome Visitor

Back when I was in the bike shop, the workshop was my domain. It was a narrow dog-legged room with a door at each end: one led to the shop floor, and the other to the attic come bike store come dumping ground for 100-years of shop history. From the ceiling, wheels in various states of construction or deconstruction hung, and along the walls there were countless tools and storage bins filled with parts old and new. Besides this, there was the timber bulk of a pre-war workbench, two workstands plastered with past mechanics’ names; and a cylindrical black bin: the kind they used for street collections when I was a kid. This bin is where my story starts.

Fitting the Big Dog a.k.a Can I Fit a Larger Chainring?
Fitting the Big Dog a.k.a Can I Fit a Larger Chainring?

The other day I was talking to my brother, and he was telling me that he wanted to up the size of the Big Dog (outer chainring) on his TT bike. He asked if there was anything he needed to consider. This got me thinking, and I realised there are several considerations, so I’ve written this piece in case you have the same question.

When to Buy a New Bike
When to Buy a New Bike

You’ve got a couple of grand burning a hole in your pocket, and you decide now is as good as a time as any to invest it in a new bike. So let’s go. No, stop! Knowing when to buy may save you a substantial amount of change, which you could splash on other shiny new toys. In this post, I offer you an insider’s view of when is the best time to grab a bargain.

How to Descend Fast While Drunk
How to Descend Fast While Drunk

One particular morning, the alarm went off at stupid o’clock. It was dark outside; the air was crisp; and the house was quiet. It was a day that neither of us were relishing: Em on account of his lack of pre-pre-season training, and myself because I have a near allergic reaction to early mornings and early rides…

A Boxing Day Tale
A Boxing Day Tale

When I was down south at the bike shop, I’d commute on my single-speed every day. And every day I would pass Roadie labouring his way up the hill; we would lift a finger from our bars to acknowledge one another. Then one morning, Roadie came into the bike shop…

Cycling in Europe Post Brexit
Cycling in Europe Post Brexit

Back in April last year, I wrote A Travesty Unfolds, which took a tongue-in-cheek look at older cyclists who pass their winters on the Costa Blanca. The upshot was that Brexit might curtail their winter sorties, and they would, once again, clog up the UK’s winter roads. Now that we’re on the eve of the end of the transition period, I unravel what the new year will bring for all of us who enjoy stretching our legs under the European sun.

How Not to Crash and Burn on Your Bike This Winter
How Not to Crash and Burn on Your Bike This Winter

Back when I was in the bike shop, there was always a steady stream of people gingerly carrying mangled bikes in for repair—or for last rites before I sent their bikes off to the great bike shop in the sky—as the result of the owner unsuccessfully wrestling with a car. None of us likes the idea of head-butting bonnets or eating gravel…

The Curious World of Gear Inches
The Curious World of Gear Inches

It’s the weekend and you’re out on the club ride when one of the old boys asks something like, “When I was your age, I’d climb that in a 91 inch gear; what you pushing?” Or, maybe, it’s the mid-week time-trial and one of the skinsuit clad wannabes boasts, “Yeh, anything less than 130 inches and I spin out!”.