Listmania!
The best cycling books in the world...EVER
One More Kilometre and We're in the ShowersOne More Kilometre and We're in the Showers by Tim Hilton
Buy new: £6.99 / Used from: £0.96
Utterly bonkers. In a good way. A unique take on cycling, life, politics and (fleetingly) sex.
The Escape Artist: Life from the SaddleThe Escape Artist: Life from the Saddle by Matt Seaton
Buy new: £4.48 / Used from: £1.97
Lovely book. A London bikie faces up to personal tragedy and adult responsibilities.
The Death of Marco Pantani: A BiographyThe Death of Marco Pantani: A Biography by Matt Rendell
Buy used from: £1.00
Meticulous, painful deconstruction of the Pantani myth. You will never look at a bike race in the same way again.
Sean Kelly: A Man for All SeasonsSean Kelly: A Man for All Seasons by Sean Kelly
Buy used from: £97.95
Hard to find, but an excellent evocation of how an Irish farm boy became an international superstar, by suffering more than anyone else. Story of a legend, by Lance Armstrong's favourite writer.
Tales from the Bike ShopTales from the Bike Shop by Maynard Hershon
Buy used from: £2.10
Garrison Keillor in an old Bianchi jersey. Quaint, sometimes over- folksy, stories of US cycling life.
BT-RICHARDS BICYCLE BKBT-RICHARDS BICYCLE BK by Richard Ballantine
Buy used from: £0.45
The book that inspired a generation of cyclists. Still one of the best introductions to why cycling is the world's finest sport
It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to LifeIt's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life by Lance Armstrong
Buy new: £4.74 / Used from: £0.01
Inspirational and still a great read. Though I will never forgive him for introducing long black socks to the peloton.
The Flying Scotsman: The Graeme Obree StoryThe Flying Scotsman: The Graeme Obree Story by Graeme Obree
Buy new: £5.40 / Used from: £0.01
Brave and powerful, an insight into the tortured mind of one of British cycling's greatest characters
Lance Armstrong: Tour De ForceLance Armstrong: Tour De Force by Dan Coyle
Buy new: £5.46 / Used from: £0.48
Well written, close enough to "Planet Lance" to gain some useful insights, not so close as to be sucked in. Very good on the horrors of everyday life as a pro
Bicycle Mechanics: In Workshop and CompetitionBicycle Mechanics: In Workshop and Competition by Steve Snowling
Buy used from: £15.95
Leonard Zinn's books are more use for modern wrenchers, but nothing beats Steve Snowling's nerdy mechanical obsession. I built a string of bikes in the '80's with this as my guide.