Total Road Cycling: Everything you need to know to improve your road cycling skills, confidence and fitness

Cycling has never been more popular, whether as a pro-level sport on TV, as a way of commuting on city streets, or as a massive participation sport involving millions of dedicated road riders.

Total Road Cycling is an extensive and authoritative book aimed at the legions of weekend heroes who inhabit the world of road riding, from those entering their first charity event to seasoned riders looking to improve their performance. Everything that these riders need to know is here, in one comprehensive volume. Illustrated throughout with annotated photographs and step-by-step artworks and images, this is the only book any road rider will ever need.

Starting by looking at choosing the right kit, the book talks you through everything from buying a bike to deciding on the right clothes and accessories. It then looks at how best to train for the rigours of the open road by getting your bike-specific fitness up to scratch. But riding a bike is much more than just pedalling hard, so next come the essential skills necessary for efficient speed – including climbing, cornering, and descending. Road riding also has its own tactics and this volume shows you the strategies that will keep you at the front of the pack. You won't get far if you don't eat the right food, so next comes a section on fuelling for rides.