Just Ride: A Radically Practical Guide to Riding Your Bike

In the same way that Michael Pollan s slim bestseller Food Rules brought a gust of common sense to the everyday activity of eating, Just Ride is a revelation. Forget the ultralight, uncomfortable bikes, flashy jerseys, clunky shoes that clip onto tiny pedals, the grinding out of endless miles. Instead, ride like you did when you were a kid just get on your bike and discover the pure joy of riding it.

A reformed racer who s commuted by bike every day since 1980, whose writings and opinions appear in major bicycling and outdoor magazines, and whose company, Rivendell Bicycle Works, makes bikes for riders ready to opt out of a culture overrun by racing, Grant Petersen shares a lifetime of unexpected facts, controversial opinions, expert techniques, and his own maverick philosophy. In 87 short, two-to-three page chapters, it covers:

Riding: Count Days, Not Miles; Corner Like Jackie Robinson; Steer with Your Hips, Shift with Your Legs

Suiting Up: The Shoes Ruse; Ponchos the Ultimate Unracer s Garment

Safety: #1 Rule Be Seen; Helmets Aren t All They re Cracked Up to Be

Health and Fitness: Why Riding Is Lousy All-Around Exercise; Saddles Don t Cause Impotence; Drink When You re Thirsty Not Before

Also includes chapters on Accessories, Upkeep, and Technicalities as well as a final chapter titled Velosophy that includes the essential, memorable thought: Your Bike Is a Toy Have Fun with It.