Mountain Bike Lit: Foundational and favorite books in my cycling library

Hey fellow riders and readers. If you love to do both as I do, here are my top reads for you to peruse. I’m always looking for both adventure memoirs and informational books about the sport, so please send any suggestions you may have.

Word of warning: This page uses Amazon affiliate links in hopes that one day I can escape corporate life be outside more.

Something I have to remind myself is that books are not substitutes for learning by doing, which in cycling is the way you improve. They do provide a framework of thought to interweave as you ride. While some riders can take a purely intuitive approach to mountain biking, I tend to enjoy bouncing from written methodology and “best practices,” to coaching, to riding and back again. I find that I start to reinforce bad habits if I ride without checking in with experts. 

There is so much to it.  So, with that said, here we go.....

Just Ride: Racing 2,725 Miles to Mexico

by Ty Hopkins

I love adventure memoirs, especially to listen to while I'm training on the stationary bike or on walks.

And this is an adventure book for those of us who can relate with the intense and somewhat obsessive curiosity toward fitness and our physical abilities, and understanding why we push our limits and what happens when we do. I listened to the audio version of this book and loved it. 

Author Ty Hopkins recounts his epic journey racing 2,725 miles to Mexico as a participant of the Continental Divide race in 2018. Not just a race memoir, this book is full of information for the curious. There’s a high level of detail from Dr. Hopkins, a professor of Exercise Science at Brigham Young University. He goes into race preparations and describes his somewhat obsessive tracking of metrics (hello urine samples!). 

I enjoyed the intensity of his personality, and the very candid anecdotes of unique challenges of extreme distance riding such as falling asleep while riding, gastrointestinal distress and timing your fuel intake, the inner turmoil experienced with endurance riding.

Throughout the book Hopkins also goes into detail about the terrain, his cycling gear and set up, race logistics and the role of friends and family in supporting him.

The Cyclist's Training Bible

by Joe Friel

I got into the Cyclist’s Training Bible and the Training Peaks app toward the end of 2023 when I started to train for longer cross-country efforts and realized Peloton workouts are not going to cut if for the goals I had set in distance and intensity. 

As I discovered, this book is kind of legendary and lots of coaches use it as a reference in writing training plans for their athletes. Friel just released a new edition available Jan 2024. If you’re ready to up your game in mountain biking or any other cycling discipline, this book is a great addition to your library. I also recommend his son Dirk Friel’s Training Peaks podcast. 

In a description pulled from his website, "Joe Friel is a life-long athlete and has a masters degree in exercise science. He has trained and conferred with amateur and professional endurance athletes from a wide variety of sports since 1980. Based on this experience he cofounded TrainingPeaks.com in 1999 with son Dirk Friel and friend Gear Fisher."

From goal-setting and periodization to nutrition and recovery, this book is a comprehensive manual for those who want to ride faster, stronger, and smarter. Friel's decades of expertise shine through, providing valuable insights into optimizing your performance on and off the trail.

I do not have specialized training in exercise science, kinesiology, or any related field, so this book can get a little technical for me. But I use it as a reference to return to when I want to understand training concepts in depth. Repeated readings can help.

Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance

by Lennard Zinn

No rider wants to be stranded on the trail with a malfunctioning bike. Enter Lennard Zinn's comprehensive guide to mountain bike maintenance. Zinn is a respected figure in the cycling world. With a background in engineering and a passion for bikes, he has authored several maintenance guides, becoming a trusted source for cyclists worldwide.

I will admit, bike maintenance is not my strong suit. Fortunately and somewhat stereotypically, my husband is the more mechanically minded one of us. I also frequent my local bike shops for repairs and tune ups. However, having a comprehensive bike maintenance book, even if just to understand the bike’s anatomy and conduct layman’s conversations about bikes, can make a big difference. 

I have taken my bike in for help before, and unable to describe a specific issue very well, it does not get looked at and fixed. The old, “please make sure this works for my Bentonville trip” doesn’t always give the mechanic enough information to go on. 

So that said, this book can be treated as a reference (not necessarily a cover to cover read) and addresses everything from basic repairs to advanced techniques, providing step-by-step instructions and illustrations. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced rider, Zinn's guide is an indispensable resource for maintaining and troubleshooting your mountain bike.

Mastering Mountain Bike Skills

by: Lee McCormack and Brian Lopes

This is one of the first books I purchased in 2020 when I started riding. Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, co-authored by Lee McCormack and Brian Lopes, is your ultimate guide to becoming a skilled and confident mountain biker. 

This book covers a wide range of skills, from fundamental techniques to advanced maneuvers. With clear explanations, insightful tips, and detailed illustrations, McCormack and Lopes provide a roadmap for riders looking to enhance their abilities and conquer any terrain. Lee’s background in information design really shines through, and Brian Lopes, a professional mountain biker,  bring a wealth of knowledge and experience, making Mastering Mountain Bike Skills a valuable resource for riders at every level.

Can I just say I freaking love Lee McCormack? He is a mountain bike skills coach. The content on his YouTube channels Lee Likes Bikes and Joy of Bike as well as his Instagram account are somewhat messy in a good way, self-reflective, positive, encouraging and gracious. I love his integrated mindset around riding and living with honesty and excellence. Much respect to Lee! 

So that’s the brief tour of my bookshelf. I hope these help not only fuel your passion for mountain biking but provide some food for thought in your own journey of riding smarter, faster, and with more confidence. 

Happy reading and happy trails!