The Art of Urban Cycling - R Hurst

[Jonahhobbes]

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Urban-Cycling-Lessons-Street/dp/0762727837/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-8240576-7386436?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193091281&sr=1-1

Ok Alot of you may have read this book which I have just finished reading and I'm sure its been mentioned on the forums before. For those that have not had the good fortune in encountering this book please enhance your life by reading it. Anyone who intends riding a bike would benefit from reading this. Funny, insightful, inspiring and practical even if there are things you don't agree with it is still worth the read.


It appears that this book has had a title change:

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Cycling-Bicycling-21st-Century-America/dp/0762743166/ref=sr_1_2/002-8240576-7386436?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193092246&sr=1-2

It seems to be the same book.

 

[ohiobiker]

thanks for the tip I just reserved it on line from the library.

 

[Jonahhobbes]

just got the wife to read it as she is an occasional cyclist. She thinks its brillant.

 

[ohiobiker]

I just finished reading it myself. I throughly enjoyed it. Good information, very useful.

 

[mawtangent]

Thanks for telling me this book exists. I googled it, read a review (that contained several passages from the book), and just ordered the 2006 version (which was selling for less than the old version at half.com).

I don't live in a city by any means (a mostly rural area, extreme southwest Virgina, U.S.A.) but I do ride through a town about once a week and I know that it takes a unique and vigilent mindset to stay alive and have an enjoyable, and efficient, commute in a high-traffic atmosphere.

 

[threaded]

Got to read that. Does it have advice on what to do when you're on your way home and someone opens up with a machine gun at people just cycling by?

 

[Jonahhobbes]

Got to read that. Does it have advice on what to do when you're on your way home and someone opens up with a machine gun at people just cycling by?

Erm chapter 6 page 87 I think covers machine gun avoidance tactics and bullet dodging...

 

[mawtangent]

I have read about half the book...I can't say I see the point of going through the history of the bicycle (along with America's ever-growing love affair with the car and the evolving city landscape), but I may get it as I keep reading.

My take so far: The conventional biking wisdom has been to ride the bike in the same way as you would a car and expect to be seen, and treated like any other vehicle...but this "wisdom" has led to a lot of car-on-bike collisions...the reality is that one must not count on other (vehicle) drivers to see us (bikers), but bikers should ride as though we don't expect to be seen by other drivers at all (thereby not putting our safety in others' hands, but keeping responsibilty for our own safety with our own selves).

I am now in the part of the book that deals (quite technically) with how to bike-ride in congested city traffic (a bit overkill for me, the town I drive through only has about 6 traffic-lighted intersections in total, and I only incounter one of those when I commute)...anyway I like the book, and it isn't just "feel-good" psychological fluff (which is probably what I wanted, candy for the brain)...so I am getting some fiber, it won't hurt me...

Stay out of "The Door Zone"