Are you new to cycling but have found your head spinning with the enormous amount of cycling advice available to you?
What bike should you get? How often should you ride?
If you’ve got those questions and you’re drowning in information overload, then these cycling books for beginners will give you answers and walk you through everything you need to know to get started with cycling.
(If you’re a veteran rider, then check out this list of the 11 best cycling training books to take your cycling performance to the next level.)
Whether you’re a runner looking for running tips or a cyclist searching for cycling advice, this site is here to help you elevate your fitness game.
Affiliate Disclosure: I’m here to help you grow as a rider and runner. So to keep things running smoothly and the content free, I participate in the Amazon Services program and select affiliate networks. So, when you click on those affiliate links, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
6 BEST CYCLING BOOKS FOR BEGINNERS
If you’re brand-new to cycling and need a primer on cycling lingo, what bike to buy, and essential cycling gear…
The Big Book of Cycling for Beginners, Tori Bortman, Editors of Bicycling Magazine
Don’t know where to start with learning about cycling? Overwhelmed by cycling terms you don’t know?
Then reach for this book because it lays out technical cycling terms in an easy to understand way.
You’ll also find a high-level overview of everything you need to get started with cycling—from how your bike should fit to the rules of the road and much more.
NOTE: This book tells you where to find a training plan for beginners but doesn’t give you a training plan to follow.
If you want to work on your cycling technique…
Complete Book of Road Cycling Skills, Jason Sumner, Editors of Bicycling Magazine
This book will give you essential cycling techniques for beginners, such as how to brake, corner, descend, and much more.
NOTE: There’s some overlap in information with The Big Book of Cycling for Beginners, but for the most part, this book focuses on cycling techniques for beginners.
If you’re looking for a structured road cycling training plan for beginners…
Training Plans for Cyclists, Gale Bernhardt
Unlike running training books for beginners, you won’t find a wide selection of road cycling training plan for beginners.
But whether your goal is to ride for 30-miles or do a one-week tour, this book has 16 road cycling training plans for beginners that can help you reach your cycling goal.
If you want to focus on the fun you’ll have while bike riding…
Just Ride, Grant Petersen
The main goal of this book is to “point out bike racing’s bad influence on bicycles, equipment and attitudes, and then undo it.” When it comes down to it, it’s about focusing on the fun you’ll have while riding a bike.
If you’re new to bike maintenance…
The Complete Bike Owner’s Manual, DK
Your bike needs a regular maintenance routine. Your bike needs a regular maintenance routine. That’s because this extends the life of your bike, keeps you safe when you’re cycling alone, and saves you money in the long run if you keep on top of your repairs.
As a new rider, you might like the visuals that accompany the text instructions in this book.
With this reference guide, you’ll walk away with tips on:
- How to set, adjust and do maintenance on your bike components
- How to fix bike issues and perform adjustments when you’re on the road
- When to replace your bike parts, and much more.
If you need to know what to eat before, during, and after your bike rides…
Fuel Your Ride: Complete Performance Nutrition for Cyclists, Molly Hurford
There’s no shortage of diet and nutrition information out there, and that can get a little confusing.
Should you overhaul your entire lifestyle and eating habits now that you’ve gotten into cycling? What should you eat before, during, and after a bike ride?
If these are the questions on your mind right now, then this book might help.
CONCLUSION
There you have it, the best cycling books for beginners that’ll help you get started with cycling. But that’s not all—you’ll find more cycling tips for beginners here.
If you need a quick list, you’ll find the books below.
If you’re brand-new to cycling and need a primer on cycling lingo, what bike to buy, and essential cycling gear…
The Big Book of Cycling for Beginners, Tori Bortman, Editors of Bicycling Magazine
If you want to work on your cycling technique for beginners…
Complete Book of Road Cycling Skills, Jason Sumner, Editors of Bicycling Magazine
If you’re looking for structured road cycling training plans for beginners…
Training Plans for Cyclists, Gale Bernhardt
If you want to focus on the fun you’ll have while bike riding…
Just Ride, Grant Petersen
If you’re new to bike maintenance…
The Complete Bike Owner’s Manual, DK
If you need to know what to eat before, during, and after your bike rides…
Fuel Your Ride: Complete Performance Nutrition for Cyclists, Molly Hurford
