More Books About Bikes

I try to read a variety of books, but sometimes my brain just gets stuck on a topic and those books just leap to the top of the list.  Of course, it also helped that there was a display of books at the Main Library about bikes for an entire month - oh the joy!

We'll start with Life is a Wheel: Love, Death, Etc. and a Bike Ride Across America by Bruce Weber. Bruce already rode across the country in his younger years, but now he is in his late 50's and it's time to try again. Bruce has been the obituary editor for the New York Times, and yes, that does bear in mind his decision to take this trip. This was a more contemplative trip as he has gotten older (and a bit out of shape), and reflecting back on his life, friendships, family and romantic relationships. On a personal note, I appreciate his descriptions of where he biked as they are familiar to me - just picturing his ride on the Going to the Sun road in Glacier National Park made my legs hurt.
Another bike road trip book I enjoyed was Cycling Home From Siberia: 30,000 miles, 3 Years, 1 Bicycle by Rob Lilwall. He's much younger and I feel could use a bit more wisdom, but the tale of his adventures in Siberia and beyond were entertaining. It was also great to carry around (and read) a book about Siberia in the midst of the Tucson summer.
Finally, a little bit on the wonky end of bike books is Elie Blue's Bikenomics: How Bicycling Can Save the Economy. Fascinating pieces of information about bikeshare programs and bike corrals and how the money people don't spend on maintaining a car or gas or parking means they have more money to spend on local businesses. Profits at businesses that set up bike corrals instead of car parking spots substantially increase. And it's inspiring to read about bike programs in other cities to see what we can do better in Tucson.