Bicycle Road Racing: The Complete Program for Training and Competition

Rating:
Summary: Possibly the best guide ever to racing tactics
Review: A very good book, especially in the area of how to race different types of event, the skills and tactics required for them.

Training sections are good but revolve around a older style Euro program, which for some is no bad thing and certainly worth considering instead of other more recent programms. Downsides are that some of the training advice is out of date due to advances in science and understanding of excercise physiology plus a lot of the program is aimed at aspiring internationals rather than recreational racers.

A lot of the info on diet is out of date but the equipment advice, although based on 80's gear, still holds due to the sound principles behind it.

Rating:
Summary: the bible
Review: Everything you need to know about racing bicycles on the road from a former racer and current coach. He exaplains how to choose a bicycle that's the right size for you, then properly adjust the seat and handlebar height (yes, very important). He gives training tips for specific types of races - criteriums, road races and time trials, and suggests actual event strategy and tactics. Often imitated, never improved upon. This is the bible of bicycle racing.

Rating:
Summary: It works if you work it.
Review: My first year of riding was 1985. I used the book beginning in 1986. By 1989 I was racing Cat 1-2 Pro races fully sponsored by Team Spago in Los Angeles, CA. Call me 'old school' but I'd still recommend it for any entry level rider that dreams of racing with the best.

Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: The best part of this book are racing tactics. It's the best I've seem so far.

This is a great book. Sure it's out-dated, but, why mind? This book has a LOT of good advices for any racing cyclist. It covers a lot of aspects in cycling, although none of them in great depth. It has gave me at least a dozen of very valuable tips that really helped me in real life, including tips for sprinting, climbing, playing with the others mind, how to manage a cross-wind, a breakway.

The only part that I found not good was the training season. That was the old way of training, with a fixed season and fixed number of hours for all types of riders. Everyone is different and therefore need a different training method. I do not advice to follow 100% his training plan, specially if you're a begginer. Hire a coach to help you or do it at your own risk. Eddie has a "iron hand" on his way of coaching and says: my way or no way. I don't believe this, but hey!, he was grown in the eastern-old-world. This may stop you, take care.

Some other chapters are outdated, like bike positioning, equipment choices and the now almost defuncted team-time-trial, but his TTT techinics are great if you are in a breakway.

He has a very sensate way of writing and thinking. This book is MUCH better than those of Greg Lemond, Bernard Hinault and alikes. You'll learn many good techincs for droping your companions. He tells a lot of how a team should work to get their job done. A great book for a racing cyclist.

Rating:
Summary: Start early, get fast
Review: The two seasons I used this book (starting the training program on Dec. 1st), were my most rewarding years as a cyclist. Use "Bicycle Road Racing" with caution, yes, but this can be said for all training programs. The best thing about this book, I think, is not the tactics section (although his ideas are technically superb, with strong teammates), but Borysewicz's insistence on RECOVERY. I have learned the hard way that this word is the most important in any cyclists vocabulary, whether you are a beginning racer, Cat. 1, or recreational cyclist. I hope we get an updated version soon!

Rating:
Summary: Start early, get fast
Review: The two seasons I used this book (starting the training program on Dec. 1st), were my most rewarding years as a cyclist. Use "Bicycle Road Racing" with caution, yes, but this can be said for all training programs. The best thing about this book, I think, is not the tactics section (although his ideas are technically superb, with strong teammates), but Borysewicz's insistence on RECOVERY. I have learned the hard way that this word is the most important in any cyclists vocabulary, whether you are a beginning racer, Cat. 1, or recreational cyclist. I hope we get an updated version soon!

Rating:
Summary: Good book, but use with caution
Review: This book IS a classic, and should be required reading for any aspiring road racer, but it is NOT a substitute for a good coach. This point needs to be stressed: Eddy B's training program is geared toward PROFESSIONAL racers. Beginners who follow his program will find themselves overtrained and demoralized. God knows how many beginning racers quit the sport after reading this book and mistakenly believing that a Cat 5 needs to ride 400 miles a week to be competitive. The chapters on tactics are good, as are his gripping anecdotes, but do yourself a favor and GET A COACH!

Rating:
Summary: Good book, but use with caution
Review: This book IS a classic, and should be required reading for any aspiring road racer, but it is NOT a substitute for a good coach. This point needs to be stressed: Eddy B's training program is geared toward PROFESSIONAL racers. Beginners who follow his program will find themselves overtrained and demoralized. God knows how many beginning racers quit the sport after reading this book and mistakenly believing that a Cat 5 needs to ride 400 miles a week to be competitive. The chapters on tactics are good, as are his gripping anecdotes, but do yourself a favor and GET A COACH!

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books on how to bike race available!
Review: This book is the book to read if you intend to begin bicycle racing. It is also a good read for people who want to appreciate the sport, but don't want to race. The book tells you everything you need to know about fitting a bike to training for a particular race. Only drawback is some outdated chapters on diet and equipment

Rating:
Summary: Great book - update may be coming soon
Review: This is one of the best books for getting from ground zero to elite cyclist. Granted, a few chapters are out of date (and the author knows it). I have recently spoken to the author (Eddie B.) and a new book may be in the works. A new privately published training manual will be available in a few months!