Book Review – On Your Bike! by Matt Seaton

by Heather Bamforth | Jul 22, 2012

On Your Bike! The Complete Guide to Cycling
by Matt Seaton.

For somebody who has ridden a bike for quite some time, I was interested to see what would be included in something dubbed “the complete guide to cycling”.  And, I must say that I was quite surprised at the book’s ability to make me see the bike from a different angle.

When you take up cycling, whatever age you are, you don’t think about the bike itself – it is merely the tool by which you can get out on to the road/track/rough terrain (whatever floats your boat) and get “on your bike.”  And to be honest, I wasn’t expecting to find a book that was so easy to read, so interesting to read, especially on a subject that can seem quite mundane.

However, Matt Seaton appears to have successfully completed a somewhat impossible task – it has made me think differently about how I look at my bike.  No longer do I see it as an inanimate object that helps me keep fit.  No, I am now able to see the bike for what it really is – a concept built out of the Industrial Revolution, a tool that has helped normal folk (as in those who weren’t aristocrats) develop a sense of freedom and something which has transformed personal mobility into social mobility.  Yes, very deep.  But I bet you never even stopped to think that the bicycle was such an important tool.  In fact, as Matt Seaton rightly asserts, “cycling [has] become synonymous with progress.”

So, maybe the idea of a history lesson doesn’t set your world on fire.  Well, don’t worry, Matt Seaton merely uses the evolution of the bicycle as a tool to set the scene, to make you realise that the bike in itself has its own place in history.  Did you know, for example, that Peugeot, Singer and Triumph all started life as bike manufacturers?  Me neither.

Matt goes on to cover the rise and fall of the bike’s popularity, including the BMX’s development in the 1970s, to the mountain bike phenomenon of the 1990s to the carbon fibre road bikes that we have today.

Most of my cycling friends would agree with me that my knowledge of mechanics is somewhat sketchy, to say the least, despite my years of cycling.  However, this book is quite good in that it explains about the different types of bike and the basic measurements.  There is also a nice double page spread on what the different components of a bike are.  If you are pretty handy with mechanics, you will probably find this part basic, however if you are new to the sport, then the book acts as a useful aide-memoire.  It covers all types of bikes, from road, to track, to cyclo-cross, to BMX and mountain bikes, and it also provides information as to what to look for in a good bike lock and bike light.  It even covers tools, clothing and helmets!

Included in the “Your bike – and how to love it” section is also a useful sub-section about how to clean your bike.  This may seem quite a useless thing to include however, I do know people who have purchased bikes worth over £3,000 and then not known how to keep it clean.  Remember that this book is aimed at all cyclists – both those new to the sport and seasoned riders.

I must admit that I don’t currently commute by bike, however after reading the chapter entitled “Cycling and the city”, it did make me think twice about doing so.  It reminds you that cycling is a great antidote to stress, that the threat to your health from pollution is far outweighed by the other health benefits of cycling and that you can also benefit from the Government’s “Bike to Work” scheme.  But perhaps most important of all is the chapter entitled “How to stay safe on your bike.”  This is a valuable read for anybody who shares the road with other road users, which is most cyclists.  You tend to take things for granted, but this helps you to become ‘actively visible.’  Surely that in itself is worth a read?

The penultimate chapter deals with “Cycle sport”, including the pro peloton, how teams work and a piece on the issue of doping.  There is also some useful information on other types of riding, including track racing, cyclo-cross and sportives.

If you are looking for a well-written, informative, interesting book on cycling as a whole, then this could be the book for you.  It is full of colour pictures, is easy to pick up where you left off (one of those books where you can pick which bits you want to read) and is definitely worth reading if you have just taken up cycling for the first time after having been inspired by Brad Wiggins and Team Sky in this year’s Tour de France.  However, it is a bit out-dated, having been written back in 2006, but having said that, the basics and the history of the bike will always remain the same.

If you are looking for a book that will make you a faster rider, this isn’t the book for you, but if you want a book that does what it says on the tin, then you should definitely add it to your Christmas list.
 

 
 
Title:  On Your Bike! The Complete Guide to Cycling  

Author: Matt Seaton    

Published by Black Dog Publishing

Available from 7th June 2012 in Hardback & eBook

RRP Price: £16.95