“When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking.”Arthur Conan Doyle
Le Tour de France in Books & Media Tour Fever: The Armchair Cyclist's Guide to the Tour de France . Explore Partland's list of Le Tour de France in Books and Media .
Marshall "Major" Taylor: Marshall William “Major” Taylor , was a Black bike racer “who broke racial barriers by becoming the world’s fastest and most famous bicyclist at the height of the Jim Crow era.” This list contains books and archival materials spotlighting the groundbreaking cyclist. A documentary film, Whirlwind: The Story of Major Taylor 1899 World Bicycle Champion , about the life and career of Taylor is currently in production. This list includes open access archival images of Taylor racing in France in 1909.
Women and cycling: “Let me tell you what I think of bicycling,” wrote suffragette Susan B. Anthony. “I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel.” history of women and cycling .
Gino Bartali: Italian cyclist Gino Bartali achieved celebrity by winning the 1938 Tour de France. During WWII, Bartali worked for the Italian resistance, saving the lives of 800 Jews by smuggling people and travel documents by bicycle. After WWII, Bartali returned to racing, winning the Giro d’Italia in 1946 and the Tour de France in 1948. A major motion picture about Bartali’s life is now in development. Learn more about the heroic cyclist with these works.
Cycling journeys: From epic bicycle tours and two-wheel travel guides to journeys of romantic, spiritual, scientific, sociological, and self-discovery, here’s a selection of works detailing worldwide bicycle rides , some dating to the late 1800s.
Explore children’s books featuring bicycles: Learning to ride a bike offers kids a newfound freedom to explore. There have been many children’s books about biking, including:
Explore more lists of children’s books featuring bikes, including:
Movies featuring cycling: Biking has been the focus of many movies, both documentary films and blockbuster features. Check out this list of cycling movies to help inspire your next watch.
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