Photograph by Momentum Contributors

Cyclecraft

North American Edition

by John Franklin

The Stationery Office, 2009

250 pages, $33 USD

John Franklin and I didn’t get off to a good start. On the first page, he describes cycling as “the most efficient means of travelling known to man.” Do we women know nothing? That aside, this book is a very comprehensive riding manual that covers almost all aspects of cycling in great detail. In fact the amount of details might be too much for some people. After seven pages on vehicular-style left turns, even my eyes started to glaze over.

The book is well organized and is very useful as a reference book. It includes sections on types of bicycles, riding gear, basic and advanced cycling skills, the helmet debate, cyclist attitude on the road, handling road rage, cycling with kids – and even dealing with horses, dogs and insects!

The chapter on riding with children is excellent. Franklin urges parents to ride with their children on the road as early as possible, suggesting that delaying this gives them false messages about the skills needed and will make the transition to safe road riding more difficult. He also provides good details as to exactly how an adult should ride with a child on the road, which I have not found elsewhere.

It is unfortunate that the North American version of this British book has some serious and confusing language issues. Franklin is not clear on the difference between a “roundabout” and “traffic circles.” As a result he says “at a traffic circle incoming traffic has the right of way and circulating traffic must yield.” Of course, the opposite is true here – and this misunderstanding might lead to a dangerous interpretation.

At $33, Cyclecraft, with its good color diagrams, is a bit expensive but worth the investment. Franklin clearly shows that the hazards of cycling are exaggerated compared with the health benefits. The section on road rage – including our own anger – which stresses the importance of confidence, assertiveness and clear communication, is worth the price alone.