A Gear Higher by Keith Code and David Gordon

The vast majority of cycling books directed at a being a better rider are training programs like Joel Friel’s Training Bible, or very basic books for the beginning rider. Technique is something that is thrown in at the end if at all in most books. The only book that I know of that has more advance technique (bike handling, cornering) that is applicable for road cyclist is A Gear Higher the Bicycle Racers Handbook of Techniques by Keith Code and David Gordon. This is directed at mountain bikers as well as the road cyclists. Most of the stuff aimed at mountain bikers can be applied to the road also.

The authors have their roots in motorcycle riders and racers, and since that is a two-wheeled sport all the techniques used there can be used on bikes. If you have ever watched a racer with a strong background in motocross you realize that the skills from that are easily applied to cycling.

Most of the book is spent on cornering. They talk about what seems to be every corner possible from the velodrome to mountain bike downhill. More space is spent talking about the mental approach rather then the mechanics of counter steering. If anything their list of everything that must be considered is rather overwhelming. There is a chapter at the end on sponsorship that is basic info for anyone involved with team or individual sponsorship.

The info in this book is all too often learned through trial and error and not much thought given to it. Someone that does a lot of criteriums or wants to improve their riding down twisty mountain roads (paved and unpaved) can learn a lot from this book. Maybe the only bad thing is that a lot of information would make more sense with an in-person class. Trying to explain in a book in a concise matter on how to think is difficult and they do an adequate job at it. Perhaps more time could have been spent on the physical mechanics of counter steering as well.

For all the time cyclists spend on getting stronger for small improvements in speed they could make a big improvement by being able to take a corner at 2 mph faster and not having to sprint after the corner to catch back on to the riders that can take the corner that much faster. This book address that issue.

Comments

[Victoria Gordon]

Hi:
I am an old friend of Dave Gordon's, could you put him in touch with me?
Many thanks.
Vicki Gordon