Fat Tire Flyer: Repack and the Birth of Mountain Biking - Charlie Kelly

After reading about its release to the masses, I picked up a copy of Charlie Kelly's new book a few weeks ago. Upon arrival to the official Dan O estate, I quickly read through it as I'm usually disposed to do with a new book. Especially one about old school mountain biking. The book did not disappoint, well done indeed.

Recently during a rainy weekend, I pulled it off the bookshelf for a slower reread and ponder the historical photos also included at no extra charge. Call now, operators are standing by.

As you may or may not be aware, Charlie Kelly was a key player in what you and I now call "Mountain Biking". Yes, other folks also constructed similar bikes during that era - and even earlier - but Charlie Kelly, Gary Fisher, Joe Breeze, Tom Ritchey and others collaborated, created, and marketed what evolved into what the mountain bike scene is today. They are truly the founding fathers of the mountain bike movement.

And not to forget Wende Cragg, the godmother of mountain bikes. She was there riding with this gang and without her impressive collection of photographs, we wouldn't have the visual documentary of this bicycle revolution. Fantastic that she carried a camera during this early adventure.

Being the old school mountain biker myself - first mountain bike for me in 1984 - I was already familiar with story about the birth of it all. This through various articles and media over the years. Even so, this book being the best of 'em. Story of it all in chronological order through the eyes and words of Kelly himself. You couldn't ask for better tour guide.

Some of the other folks from that era have become a bit more famous and certainly more wealthily, via bike companies associated to them. When it comes down to it though, Kelly was also right there and perhaps the most collaborative of 'em all. From modifying Schwinn klunkers into early prototype mountain bikes, starting the first production mountain bike company, organizing the first downhill Repack mountain bike races and large scale organized rides, the creation of NORBA, to the first mountain bike publication - Fat Tire Flyer. The blueprint of mountain biking today.

Kelly truly defines the soul of mountain biking and his impact still resonates through the sport today. Check out this book and you'll see why. Highly recommended.

Match it up with this DVD and you'll become seriously schooled and perhaps nod your helmet in appreciation, next time you roll that modern long travel rig down your favorite trail.

Evel Knievel Biography - Leigh Montville

I recently reread this biography on Evel Knievel. Book on our shelf from about two years ago, pulled it out for a quick thumb through, wound up reading it again. Excellent job by author Leigh Montville.

Evel Knievel: Interesting, larger then life character, but also just - uh - a tad narcissistic and a bit of a sociopath. Thief, con-man, philanderer, charismatic, complete jerk, insanely brave, intelligent, semi-nutcase - all rolled into one person - with a career that could only be hatched during the '70s.

If you witnessed any of his jumps during the era, as I did on television as a kid - lots of interesting details and behind the scenes info on his exploits - including the wacky canyon jump later in his career. As you may or may not remember, his career basically over after assaulting a writer with a baseball bat. Nice.

This is not a "motorcycle book", it's a well researched and written look into a pop cultural icon of the '70s. A damn interesting life anyway. Highly recommended.

The Secret Race - Book Review

Unless you've been living in a cave for the last few weeks, hard to ignore the news that Lance Armstrong has been busted for doping and stripped of his seven Tour De France titles. Another massive blow to the credibility of pro cycling.  This doping nonsense never seems to end and makes you doubt the results of any pro level race, especially any of the grand tours.

I was a Lance fan, even though I had my doubts, put them off until something was proven. Well, with the USADA report and testimony of previous teammates, there is no more doubt. To me, if George Hincapie says Lance doped - Lance doped.  Then add in the other pros who've said the same thing - Hamilton, Landis, Andreu, Leipheimer - the list goes on. Incriminating themselves and taking Lance with them.

I enjoyed the hell out of watching those seven Lance tours, waking up bleary eyed for work after too many nights of late coverage.  Then bike commuting to work, 34 mile round trip, inspired by what I witnessed.  If pros can conquer mountain passes while battling each other at insane speeds, I can get my sorry ass to work via bike.  Now, according to the UCI, those Tours never existed - or whatever crazy version of history they'll rewrite.  It all leaves a lame, sour taste in your mouth.

Pro sports is basically the entertainment industry, so who cares - right?  Cycling is different however, many pro cycling fans are cyclists themselves - especially in the U.S.  So, we feel more of a connection to the sport itself, even if we don't race or do so at a grass roots level. How many football fans actually play football?  I think you get my drift.  That's why this kind of news stings us a little.  Because we're cyclists and cycling fans, so it digs deeper.

With that background, I read Tyler Hamilton's tell all book a few days ago.  Start to finish in one sitting, fascinated and sickened at the same time.  Many of the incidents and stories I've heard before, but now laid out in chronological order with full details.  I've always wondered how the mechanics of doping work, now I know.  And it's less complex then I imagined.  From shooting EPO to the creepy practice of transfusing your own blood, usually hiding in a nondescript hotel somewhere.  Blood bags carried via cooler and taped to hotel wall.  Somehow that scene never comes up during interviews or Tour coverage on cable.  Also apparently easy to avoid getting caught, though eventually the averages put you at risk.

As a fan I always enjoyed watching and reading about Hamilton.  Super tough guy from Massachusetts; from riding the Giro with a shoulder injury, to suffering to a 4th place finish in the Tour with a broken collarbone.  All with a humble, low key style.  Then after being busted for doping a few years ago - complete with "unborn twin" crazy excuse, the Believe Tyler crowd, endless denials - made you wonder, yet another weird chapter in pro cycling.

After reading the book, you realize to an extent, why Hamilton acted this way.  From the don't tell pro culture, to realizing without doping, winning at that level would be next to impossible, at least during that era.  It was all part of being a professional.  It's easy to call these guys cheats and liars, 'cause in fact they all did just that.  Still, if you were in their shoes at that time, you'd say no and head home?  Or just become pack fill at a lower salary?  That grays up the area a bit.  I'm not condoning what they did, but it certainly puts more light on why they did.

Through Hamilton's experiences, you also get the impression that Armstrong is quite the ego manic, and the conniving all powerful jerk.  You're either in with him or on his enemy list - complete with high priced lawyers, connections to the UCI, bike industry, and media - to insure you're dismissed as a disgruntled employee, nut case, or ironically enough - a doper.  Huge piles of fame and dough at his disposal.

If you're anything of a pro cycling fan, this book will open the doors a bit - a peak behind the curtains - and it ain't that pretty.  Names are named, pro culture split open to revel the bloody truth, dates and scenarios explained, no holds barred.  Well worth the read and the eye opener.

Through it all, the silver lining, Hamilton comes across as the honest nice guy. The guy you originally thought him to be.  With his book, USADA testimony, and other actions of finally telling the truth - maybe, just maybe - will start the path of a dope free pro scene.  His response, along with other pros doing the same, deserve kudos and even forgiveness if you will.  These folks are human, made mistakes - of their perceived own doing or not - and are now trying to make things right.  Many fans will remain fans of pros doing just that, I know I will.

For all the pros, officials, team directors, and others to continue to play the denial game - Lance included - time to fess up.  Cover has been blown, the jig is up, time to honestly move the sport in the correct direction, no matter how painful that may be.  Do it now, we're all behind you.

Just Ride - Book Review

As I've mentioned a few times in this wildly popular blog (ha!), I'm a bit of Grant Petersen fan, starting from his days running Bridgestone during the company's heyday of the '90s.  As proof, purchased three new Bridgestones in '91:  RB-1, MB-Zip, and MB-3.  The vibe, catalogs, and bikes from Bridgestone were something out of the ordinary for that era.  Most things Bridgestone have now become eBay collector items to some extent, and the company is remembered fondly many years later.

As most bike nuts already know - after Bridgestone USA folded up - Grant went on to start Rivendell and himself becoming somewhat of an icon in certain bike culture circles.  Rivendell carving its own little niche of real world bikes and accessories.  There's no hype involved, the company just sells what it believes in and doesn't follow any fads or trends.  Even if you don't agree with Grant/Rivendell you gotta enjoy someone who stays their course.  I know I do and always enjoy reading his words and checking out the Rivendell site.

With that, I enjoyed reading his book - a guide for folks looking to ride without pretending to be a racer - the Unracer, as he calls it.  If you're familiar with Grant Petersen, the book basically puts all his views in one convenient place:  Handlebars should high enough to be comfortable, frames need enough room to handle fatter tires and fenders, baskets and bags are a good thing, steel frames rule, carbon fiber is unreliable, don't use clipless pedals, wear normal clothes to ride, etc - the list goes on and on...

And for the most part, for many riders, I agree with him - even though I don't subscribe to it all myself.  I usually dress like the wannabe racer (and do race occasionally), I'd rather use a messenger bag then clutter my bike(s) up with bags or baskets.  I own a carbon road bike (along with steel) and will never give up clipless pedals.  My mountain bike does indeed sport a suspension fork.  After riding as the (alleged) adult for 28 years, I've developed my own style/beliefs.  Grant's book basically documents his bike related style/beliefs and there's nothing wrong with that - as well as being fun to read.

As mentioned, I do agree with Grant on many things.  For most people just looking to ride, using racers as role models is stupid, and cuts down on "normal" folks from perhaps doing just that - ride.  You really don't need to dress like a Euro Pro to cruise the bike trail for an hour or commute to work.  Fatter tires are more comfortable.  Fenders do work and keep the toxic road stripe off your back.  A basket or large bags do allow you to actually carry something on a ride, besides a spare tube and CO2 cartridge.  And horror of horrors, if you want a kickstand to hold your bike up - use one.  All this stuff adds up to using the bike for more then a "training tool" or pretending to be a racer.  And we need more of that, the more people riding bikes, the better.

if you're familiar with Grant, some of the chapter titles give you a clue to what they'll contain:  Racing Ruins the Breed, The Shoes Ruse, Helmets Aren't All They're Cracked Up to Be, Most Bikes Don't Fit, No Ride Too Short.  My favorite was Frame Arithmetic, spelling out insights to frame design.  Cool stuff.

If you're not familiar with Grant and looking for tips and views that go beyond the usual bike marketing hype, this will also be a fun read.  Give it a whirl, book available off the Rivendell site.  Ride on, ride often...

Eat, Sleep, Ride - Book Review

Paul Howard, sports writer from London, becomes fascinated with the Tour Divide - mountain bike race from Canada to New Mexico - a few thousand miles of unsupported riding.  Quite the long distance racing adventure, no?

Oh yeah, Mr. Howard signed on with no mountain biking experience.  Six months later, finds himself in Canada at the start line.  Gotta dig that kind of go for it attitude.

Most riding/adventure books in this format get old quick.  "We rode, ate, then slept".  Lather, rinse, repeat.  Not this book. With his witty and interesting view on the United States, from a Englishman's perspective, made for some fun reading.  Being a mountain biker to appreciate the stories helps, but is not required.

Anyone with a taste for adventure would enjoy this book.  The Tour Divide sounds like an amazing event. Experience it via some well written words and view from basically a mountain bike beginner. Does he succeed? Read and find out.

I Love My Bike - Book Review

Picked this book up from the library last weekend.  First glance, "Hey something to flip through at home", thinking one cruise through would be enough. According to plan, once home, flip through I did.  More then once as a matter of fact.  This is a great little book.

Simple formula of taking pictures of people with their bikes from various cities around the U.S.  It all works and I found myself studying the photos in detail, checking out the people and bikes, but more importantly - the cool backgrounds.  Well done portraits of people and their two wheel rides. If you ever have the need to photograph people and bikes, one awesome little reference book.

Another reason this book works is due to the majority of fixie hipsters contained within.  Fixie hipster I'm not, so that subculture of bikes and uniform was a cool change of pace, over the usual carbon race rig and wanna be racer look.  A look I've seen plenty of and guilty of myself, so nice change of vibe to see people in normal street clothes mixed with bikes.  Fixed gears, tattoos, urban transport, hipster scene.  It's all good and makes for some great pictures.

Book by Matthew Finkle and Brittain Sullivan.  Based out of Boston.  Nice job.

Team 7-Eleven - Book Review

Santa left a few books under the tree this year, including this one.  It has something to do with bikes.  How did he know?  Santa is watching, so you better be good.  For goodness sakes.

Full book title is Team 7-Eleven.  How An Unsung Band Of American Cyclists Took On The World - And Won.  That's a mouthful, or an eyeful, if you can read silently.  Book written by Geoff Drake with Jim Ochowicz.  Why am I telling you all this?  Just look at the cover, official shot of Andy Hampsten, minus head, for the added bonus.  Man, that 7-Eleven team kit looked cool, eh?  All aboard the steel Merckx.  Makes my old school heart all a flutter...

Enough nonsense, let's get down to some serious reading. Oh yeah, I already read it.  And I dug it.  I may be a bit biased however, since this stuff is from my era.  My serious interest in cycling really took off around 1984, so many of the events and characters from the book, I remember from magazine articles back in the day.  

Even so, I'm far from being the Team 7-Eleven expert by any means, so did pick up some knowledge and insight.  How the midwest speed skating and cycling scene was the birthplace of it all.  Jim Ochowicz built this team from the ground up, during a time when American pro cycling was basically non-existent, on a world level anyway.

Back then, I also didn't realize how Eric Heiden really helped launch the team, via his Olympic speed skating fame.  Not being one to milk the limelight, he humbly used his celebrity status to draw attention and money to the team - and cycling itself - something he believed in.  Without  Ochowicz and Heiden, Team 7-Eleven would have never existed.  And the entire landscape of US cycling may have developed differently.  Consider that Team 7-Eleven morphed into Team Motorola, then into US Postal, along with the Lance Armstrong era.  Team 7-Eleven put a US based pro team on the world map.  And that changed the face of pro cycling itself for the better.  Well, for US fans anyway.  True?

The book takes you on the ride, from the very beginning, with all the famous characters along the way:  Davis Phinney, Eric Heiden, Ron Kiefel, Jonathan Boyer, Chris Charmichael, Andy Hampsten, Bob Roll - the list goes on with heros from an earlier time in the sport.  At one point, Greg LeMond was signed to ride for 7-Eleven, but the deal fell through.  Damn, that would have been something to witness.  Reading about the big races of  that era, now gone, like the Coors Classic and Tour de Trump, reminded me of flipping through the pages of magazines during the '80s, when this was all new.  And of course, when Team 7-Eleven headed to Europe to contest the big ones - like the Giro and the Tour de France.  It was truly a fantastic era for cycling.  Wanna argue about that?

Also, the corporation of 7-Eleven are heros of this era.  At the time, business was booming and money was available to invest.  They elected to go with cycling, knowing nothing about the sport.  They sponsored various teams, build velodromes, and really helped cycling grow in the US. Without 7-Eleven putting up the dough, US cycling may have never taken off during that era.  It was a great chain of events and mix of business and cycling personalities.

Ultimately, what I took away from the book, is what made me a 7-Eleven fan to begin with.  This gang of folks took on European cycling in an American way, annoying the old school cycling system.  The riders worked as a true team, ate Mexican food, got a little crazy off the bike, blindly went into race situations, pulled off spectacular victories, and experienced embarrassing failures along the way.  They went from being the underdogs to a respected pro team in the European peloton.  They paved the way.  They were the prototype American pro cycling team. They made history while thrilling cycling fans.  A very cool story to be celebrated. 

The Digital Photography Book - Book Review

I've been dabbling with photography once again, courtesy of a new digital SLR camera. I've always taken pictures with the old Point 'N' Shoot, various examples sprinkled throughout this very blog. Most being just snapshot quality and that was the intent - telling a story - nothing fancy.

I'm attempting to bump it up a bit, also an excuse to get the ol' brain working on something besides bikes. Decades ago I goofed around with the 35mm format, so I'm not completely starting from scratch, though I'm just the amateur hack. The digital SLR also allows action photos, something seriously lacking shooting with the Point 'N' Shoot.

Along with the new camera - 50th birthday present from my wife (nice, eh?) - I've read a pile of photography related books. Out of the pile, this one, loaned to me by a fellow coworker bike/photo/gear-head pal, stands out: The Digital Photography Book, by Scott Kelby.

At first glance appears to be super beginner oriented, dig in a bit and that's not the case. This book is chock full of great tips written in a laid back, humorous, super easy to understand format. I read it cover to cover, then flipped through a few times since. I picked up and learned a few things every time.

Once I return the book to its rightful owner, may pick up a copy for myself. I've also discovered there's a second and third volume available. That will also be on the agenda. If you mess around a with photography at all, well worth checking into.

Nice job Scott Kelby...

A Dog in a Hat - Book Review

In 1986 Joe Parkin headed to Belgium to become a pro bike racer, following the advice of Bob Roll, and wound up basically living and racing there into the early '90s. This book covers his exploits and adventures during that time and beyond - racing for U.S. based teams for a few years, then finishing his career racing mountain bikes from '95 - '97. Quite the two wheeled trip.

I found this book fascinating since Joe was indeed a pro cyclist, though not at the super star level. He was a working class pro, scratching out a living racing bikes. This is not private jet Lance Armstrong stuff - much more down and gritty, what it's really like to be a Euro pro, earning a paycheck on two wheels. He did this in relative obscurity as well, at least as far as U.S. media coverage. I've read about a zillion bike magazines and books from the '80s until present, and have never heard of Joe Parkin until just a few years ago.

The insane amount of training and race mileage, the dysfunctional teams, the crazy travel between races, the drug use and selling of races - all spelled out in a real world, matter of fact, writing style. The selling of races I found interesting. Yeah - you know it occurs - but now I know how. Group of riders in a breakaway basically work out a deal, deciding who will win, then all receive some money for their effort. Fair? Debatable. But when you're riding for cash, winning some unknown race is less important then scoring some dough to eat. Welcome to the real world of bike racing.

If you have any interest in pro road racing at all, this book is a must - one of the better racing books I've ever read - if not the best. It removes the super star veneer found in many other race related books. This is the real, muddy, cobble stone deal.

Maybe some cyclists can relate to it, since in our own pipe dreams of being a pro, this would be the level of actually doing it - if you had the ability of course. This is not the uber-level of racing fame and fortune, maybe a few rungs down on the ladder, making it seem slightly more believable in our own dreams of glory.

For Joe Parkin however, this was no pipe dream - he went out and lived it - and his story is well worth reading.

Legendary Motocross Bikes - Book Review

Last time I ripped around on a dirt motorcycle was probably 1981, though that era of bikes and associated fun is still a fond memory for me. During the mid to late '70s, my friends and I were seriously into dirt bikes, trail riding, and motocross - sprinkle some observed trials in there as well. We entered the occasional motocross race, along with hare scrambles events - a longer cross-country type race. These were the days before land access issues and other kill joys that eventually neutered the fun of it all. Ignorance was bliss.

During that time, the '70s and into the early 80s, motocross racing was exploding in popularity, along with the general dirt bike boom. A colorful time of many companies producing bikes and sponsoring riders. Besides the big Japanese companies - Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki - many European companies produced bikes as well, some that are no longer around today - Maico, Bultaco, Montesa, Husqvarna, CZ, Puch, and a few others.

Riders sponsored directly from the manufacturer rode what was known as "Works Bikes". These bikes appeared something like you could buy off a showroom floor, from a distance anyway. In fact, they were handmade works of art that pushed the technology required to lap a motocross track as fast as possible. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were poured into the research, development, and construction of these works bikes. Some of the technology trickled down to production bikes you could actually buy, though certainly not at the same build quality of the works unit. The works bikes were the test bed and ultimate motocross machines of that era.

During this time, suspension technology really developed and took off. In a few short years, suspension travel jumped from 4 inches in the rear, and 6 inches of fork travel, to 12 inches or so at both ends. Plus the quality of the suspension improved dramatically as well, changing the style in which the bike was ridden and the speed it could fly over bumpy terrain.

Some famous names of motocross were paid to ride these bikes in the search of championships, and increased sales of production bikes to people like my gang of friends, who idolized the likes of Bob Hannah, Kent Howerton, Roger DeCoster, Marty Smith, Tony DiStefano, Marty Tripes and many others. This era was (not so) arguably the golden era of motocross. A truly great time to be involved with the sport.

I recently picked this book up from the library, Legendary Motocross Bikes, subtitled Championship Winning Factory Works Bikes, written by Terry Good. This book captures the story and details behind many of these works bikes of that era, with great photography and inside information. Being from that time and with plenty of past knowledge from those days, I pored over this book, analyzing the photos and enjoying the related stories.

A few examples to give you a taste of what's included...

1971 was Yamaha's first real attempt at a motocross bike. It doesn't look all that different from a production DT dirt bike, but was in fact completely hand built. Also notice the short travel suspension, long travel was a few years away. The YZ637 was the code name for this bike and doesn't reflect the engine size, which was 250cc.

1972 example of Suzuki works technology as ridden by Joel Robert and Roger DeCoster. Many motocross bikes of that era still sported down pipes, that were often dented and flattened from rocks and other impacts. This age of motocross bike speaks to me. Simple, light, yet trick for the time. Look at that hand welded expansion chamber - nice.

Here Roger DeCoster pilots the 1973 Suzuki RN73 in Belgium. The rear shocks feature cooling fins cut by Roger himself. I personally owned a 1974 Suzuki TM125 that featured the same tank graphics - about the only similarity between a production bike and a full works racer. Still, having a bike that looked like Roger's was cool - especially for a teenager in the '70s.

Yamaha works racer for 1973, big change being the monoshock rear suspension, replacing the standard dual shock setup - single shock now located under the gas tank. That technology helped push the suspension revolution forward into the modern era.

Interesting info on the development and sale of the monoshock idea. Belgian Lucien Tilkens came up with concept, as noted by the modified CZ frame pictured, complete with Citroen car shock. The technology shopped around between various companies, including Suzuki who built ridable prototypes, but passed on the idea. Yamaha of course, did purchase the concept and ran with it. At the time, no one could figure out why it worked so well. No one realized the increased travel was the key. The concept was being sold with some mathematical reason that actually didn't make sense, causing some factories to pass on the idea. When the long travel light bulb finally went off, other companies developed their own way of increasing wheel travel.

Now we're talking - '76 Honda factory RC500. Total open class weapon of that time. Honda dumped mega money into their motocross program with bikes like this as the result. As you can notice by the space between the wheels and fenders, suspension travel was in the long travel phase. The overall look, fit and finish, and of course the technology is worlds ahead of bikes just a few years older. Oh yeah, the engine is also painted red. I thought that was cool as hell at the time and just screamed "works bike". I also owned a '76 Honda CR125 Elsinore back in the day, the paint color being the only thing they shared.

The European companies had their own works bikes as well, though generally not up to the insanely expensive examples from the big Japanese companies. The book includes a piece on this interesting Puch 400 ridden by Joel Robert at the end of his career. The European bikes were always a little cruder then the slick Japanese bikes, though that gave them a different sort of trickness factor - my opinion anyway.

This bike is famous for putting Bob Hannah onto most people's motocross maps. I remember reading about this bike and Hannah back in '76. Yamaha upped the game with water cooling on this 125cc machine, though water cooling never fully took off until the early '80s. Bob Hannah went on to become one of the best motocross racers of all time.

The book features stories about various bikes in the words of the talented folks who actually raced them. People like Bob Hannah, Roger DeCoster, Joel Robert, Marty Smith, Kent Howerton, Rex Staten, Rick Burgett and a few others. A great addition to the book that I really enjoyed, as these were my heros from the glory days of MX.

Bob Hannah's 250cc OW40, complete with famous lightening bolt stickers. I personally watched Hannah at speed on this in '79 racing at Unadilla. Great memories from that time.

I remember when this bike was released in 1980 and raced by Johnny O'Mara. It looked space age at the time, complete with water cooling. This was a semi-works bike sold by Mugen to the general public for $4000 a copy. That was four times the cost of a typical 125cc race bike. Only 5 were ever sold in the US, including one to Terry Good - author of the book.

Kent Howerton's Suzuki RH80 looking fantastic. This era of motocross just looks right to me - still air cooled, two-stroke, drum brakes, twin shock suspension, but serious wheel travel. I also owned a production '79 Suzuki RM125N, so maybe I'm just biased.

The works bike era lasted until 1986 in the US, derailed by a new production bike rule - meaning factory bikes were required to be production based. Works bikes were still legal in Europe for a few more years however. Even the "production based" bikes were highly modified by the factories, though not the extent of the big bucks one off models featured. It was the end of an era.

The book features more examples of works iron, all impressively photographed and detailed. More amazing, the bikes featured are real time - meaning restored to their original condition, or actually in their original condition. Finding and rounding up a group of bikes like this is an impressive feat in itself. Older photos of the bikes in action during their heyday adds to it all.

This is the total gear head book that older motocross fans will enjoy - no doubt. Newer MX fans will little to no knowledge of old school MX may get a kick out of it as well. A great document that displays the history and development of motocross technology. Highly recommended.

David Byrne - Bicycle Diaries

I just finished David Byrne's book, Bicycle Diaries, since picking it up from the library a few days ago. As you probably already know, David Byrne was the lead singer for the Talking Heads, the seminal band from the '70s and '80s.

Along with the Ramones, Blondie and few other bands of the famed CBGB era, the Talking Heads helped jump start the alternative music scene. I'm a bit of a Talking Heads fan and have listened to my share of their music. I am guilty of knowing little to nothing of David Byrne's post Talking Heads music career, though he's been involved with various projects ever since.

In case you need a refresher course - David Bryne from the Talking Heads days - one of my favorite Talking Heads songs. The video itself is also brilliant, especially for the simplicity and era. From a visual standpoint, David Bryne pulls the whole thing off. Fantastic.

Oh yeah - back to the book. Don't expect the usual bike book. It's not about bicycles as sport, or a tool to be worshiped. No, it's about just plain riding for transportation and the experiences it allows. The book is a wandering flow of stories through the mind of Byrne and how he views the world. It's a mixture of travel log, peeks into the music and art world, and how using a bicycle as a means of transportation just makes sense.

Byrne is certainly the intellectual artist type, no doubt about that. He rides his bike through various cities and areas around the world, from not so friendly bike areas, to bike transportation utopias in Europe. Locales ranging from Rochester, New York, to London, to Buenos Aires and other places - some exotic, some not so.

He goes into detail on what he sees and the people he meets and deals with, with a very liberal perspective take on things. Being on that side of the fence, it works for me. It's the very big picture, artist take on things. It's a bit of a rambling ride, with the occasional goofy sarcastic view.

The only total bike related aspect of the book is the Epilogue, which focuses on bike advocacy. Byrne has been getting around by bike since the '70s and is very familiar with the NYC scene. The bike is not just a whim or jump on the green bandwagon. He knows what he speaks.

Would I recommend the book? That depends. If you're looking for some kind of bikey tour guide - no. If you're interested in peeking into the mind of David Byrne, with a bicycle slant to the story telling - yes.

I did enjoy it - maybe you will too.

Bike Snob NYC - The Book

If you've done any bike blogging poking around, you've no doubt have heard of Bike Snob NYC. He sort of a rock star in the bike blogging world. Almost every bike related blog in Internet Land seems to have a link to his site. Everyone of his posts gets a crazy amount of comments. I can only imagine what his stats are, he must get thousands of hits a day.

There's a reason why the dude is so popular - he's damn good at what he does. And just what does he do? Pokes fun at the bike world or culture if you will, without coming across as a jerk. Why is that? Because he's one of us, and gets this bicycle related goofy world we all live in - well, people that ride anyway. I don't check out his blog daily, but do a fair amount - he's great - and if you've never checked out his blog, I suggest you give it a shot. He also writes a slightly watered down version of his humor for Bicycling magazine, as well as articles for Outside and other publications.

Who's he? Part of the schtick was nobody knew his real identity - face never photographed and nothing signed - he was just Bike Snob NYC. With the increased popularity, that cover has been blown. Bike Snob's real name is Eben Weiss. So there you have it.

Besides his blog with almost daily posts, he recently came out with a book, called strangely enough - Bike Snob. Well, the full title is Bike Snob, Systematically & Mercilessly Realigning The World Of Cycling. Yeah, that's a mouthful - try saying it three times fast with a mouthful of Clif Bar. Good luck.

I planned to buy a copy or bug my local library in scoring a few copies to loan. However, lucky for me, my coworker and fellow riding pal, Brian, had already scored a copy and loaned me his to peruse. And peruse I did.

First off, right off the bat, this is the best bike book I've ever read. The chase has now been cut. Bike Snob's style of humor and writing, his knowledge of bike and pop culture, all work for me. Maybe it's my east coast roots that dig it, or I've been riding so long that I get everything he's talking about - or making fun of. In any case, I got a kick out the book - the whole deal.

In the book, he varies from the history of the bicycle, his own background in cycling, to describing all the various subsets of bicyclists - messengers, roadies, mountain bikers, commuters, and of course his favorite crowd to pick on - hipster fixie riders. Some of this goes behind bikes and he has great eye to dissect the human condition and how it creates it's own rules and uniforms for various subcultures - with a funny bend on everything. All with an easy to read style, like you and some friends making fun of stuff. And that kind of goofy fun pushes all my mental buttons the right way.

As you can obviously tell, I dug this book a lot. Not many books actually make me smile or laugh out loud while reading - this one did. Would a non-cyclist enjoy this book? Maybe not. If you're a cyclist that knows the culture a bit, appreciates sarcastic humor, and can poke fun at yourself at being a cyclist - you'll dig it as well.

I give it a two fingerless bike gloves thumbs up.

Ned Overend - Mountain Bike Like a Champion

I picked this book up a few years ago, don't remember exactly when - it's been awhile. Even so, occasionally I'll pull it out of the cluttered bookshelf and flip though it. It's a bit dated, published in 1999, though only a tad - mostly concerning dual suspension bikes - since in '99 the idea of dual suspension for XC racing was just starting to be widely accepted. Besides that fact, some great pointers from Ned Overend on riding and racing.

Any old school mountain biker knows who Ned Overend is - a legend. Multiple world and national mountain bike titles. Even after "retiring" from pro mountain bike racing in 1996, he continues to do well in road and off-road triathlons. Add in some road, cyclo-cross and hill climb victories as well. Not bad for a "retiree". Even today at 55 years old, can still compete at a pro level. Incredible. Ned could kick easily kick your ass.

Ned's book (with assistance from Ed Pavelka) is easy to read and laid back. Tips on riding - cornering, climbing, bunny hops, descending - bike set up and other useful advice. That's all cool, but my favorite sections were the training and racing sections. Ned uses more of a free-flow type training process, no endless charts of info to bore you. It's more real world advice - to me anyway. The race tips were good also. Nothing earth shattering here, but great tidbits of info useful to any racer.

Beyond the advice available in this book, the most entertaining aspects were the stories sprinkled through out the pages. Race stories, battles with John Tomac, and other glimpses into the mountain bike cross-country racing heyday of the '90s. For old school XC geek me, the best part of the book.

My neighbor, not a super serious mountain biker, but rides fairly often, borrowed the book from me awhile back. After highlighting sections of the book in pen that he found useful, he kept that copy and bought me a new one.

I think that would qualify this as a good read in anybody's book.

The Birth of Dirt - Origins of Mountain Biking

I picked this book up a week or so ago, along with a few other bike related books from the local library. The Birth of Dirt, by Frank Berto - printed in 1999. This book came out of a research paper by the author, prepared for the 1997 International Cycle History Conference. The original inspiration came from an article by Joe Breeze in Bicycling magazine in 1996, "Who Invented the Mountain Bike?", with a rebuttal from Gary Fisher in the following issue.

At one point in mountain bike history, Gary Fisher claimed to be the inventor of the mountain bike. Having read about mountain bikes myself back in the early '80s, and finally getting my first one in '84 - I always doubted that statement and just chalked it up to marketing hype for Fisher bicycles. Nothing really wrong with that, and Gary certainly was there at the beginning and played a huge role in what we now call mountain biking.

The book captures the chronological development of the mountain bike and the characters involved. If your local college ever cranks up a Mountain Bike History 101 course, this should be the textbook - along with a required viewing of Klunkerz. Along the way, you get a closer view at some of the facts and dates of who developed what - as in adding deraileurs, modifying brakes, building actual mountain bike frames, etc. I've read about most of this story before, but never in this detail and order.

I did learn that Alan Bonds was buying up old Schwinn frames in bulk, converting them for Klunker use and selling them, before Charlie Kelly and Gary Fisher started their company. I thought that was interesting, since in a way, Alan had the first mountain bike company. Mixed in with the facts are comments from all the known names from that era - Joe Breeze, Gary Fisher, Charlie Kelly, Tom Ritchey, and others from that time. Lots of detail and history laid out in a simple format.

In the end, the author declares no one person invented the mountain bike - it was a collaboration of people and ideas. I would agree 100% with this conclusion. Other people were creating and riding bikes in the woods before the famous Northern California gang did it. However, that gang did invent and package mountain biking as we know it today - no doubt about that.

The Repack race is also covered in the book. The one chapter by Charlie Kelly describing Repack is worth the price of admission alone. If you have any interest at all about the beginnings of mountain biking, give it a read.

Custom Bicycles - A Passionate Pursuit

Weather here in the Seattle area has been great for January - in the 50s and mostly dry. Can't complain about that. The days are even getting a tad longer, another sign spring is on the way. Well, not exactly around the corner, but at least a few blocks away.

Over the past week, I did get a few commute rides in, along with one grocery run with messenger bag jammed full of food. Thought I'd get a woods ride in over this weekend, doubt that's going to happen - too many family related festivities at the moment.

I picked up a cool book at the library today, Custom Bicycles. A Passionate Pursuit, by Christine Elliott and David Jablonka. Really well done, large page book - coffee table material - that features many customer builders, some you may recognize, others you may not. Bruce Gordon, Richard Sachs, and Moots - to - Jeff Jones, Luna, and Bilenky. Plus many others. Excellent photography and bio on each builder included. Nice book, wouldn't mind owning a copy myself. I've flipped through it a few times already. It's well worth checking out.

The book is a reminder that high end bikes are rolling works of art - each featuring the craftsmanship and build philosophy of the builder. Production bikes today are done very well, but - if you have the dough to spend - the full on custom frame has something production frames don't have - perceived or not. Call it soul if you will. And in this age of mass produced items, a very cool thing indeed.

Still, the most important aspect of any bike, production or custom, is how often it's ridden. The more the better. True?