Monday, June 23, 2014

What Bike Riding is All About: A Review of G. Petersen's book Just Ride

A while back, I did a brief post titled "Just Get on A Bike" highlighting some of the national sentiment on the growing excitement on bike riding. So, when I came across a book with a similar title, I had to check it out.


 Just Ride:  A Radically Practical Guide to Riding Your Bike by Grant Petersen was released in 2012, and is a great read. Ever wanted to learn the best way to ride your bike? Curious on what the riding poncho is all about? How to (or not to) accessorize? With chapters titles like "Ride bumps with skill, not technology," "Don't overthink your underwear," Be saintlike on the bikepath," and "Most bikes don't fit," the book covers a wide variety of bike-related topics. I learned so many interesting things, from tips on bike safety to DIY upkeep to input topics like bags versus baskets, and bike shoes versus pedals and cages. I feel like this is a book that's meant to have bent corner and bike grease stains from it's use. Just a great companion for any rider. As another blogger put it, we're all doing it right.

This is not a cover-to-cover read. Serious time and energy was put into the craft of this book, making it easy to understand, yet not dull or boring.It's the kind of lit that's meant to be taken in bite-size pieces, mulled over and tried out. Maybe even be some topics of conversation with friends at the next opportunity. It would be a great gift for any bike rider - novice, well-seasoned, racer and unracer, a term that's used in th book for everyone who rides a bike in a non-racing event. This one is going to stay within arms reach for a while.

Honestly, this might be one of those "Christmas in July" times.It's available in print and digital, depending on your preferred device. This guide screams stocking stuffer!!! Pick this up for your bike buddy's Christmas or Birthday gift. And, while you're at it, grab one for yourself. After you spend a little time reading, remember, just ride.

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