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The Cycling Life

Things that make the ride better

Books worth reading on a rest day, kit that earns its space in the bag, fuel for long climbs and places that understand cyclists. A small selection – never a shop.

Photo: Kritzolina · CC BY-SA 4.0

Affiliate disclosure

Some product links on The Cycling Life are marked Affiliate link (placeholder). Once the site is live, links like these may earn us a small commission if you buy – at no extra cost to you. Commission never decides what we recommend or the order we show it in. In this prototype no affiliate programme is connected: every such link leads to a placeholder page. Read the full disclosure.

How we choose

We recommend things we have used, read or stayed in, and we say why. The Bookshelf starts with three real books chosen by the founder; bibliographic details are verified and sourced on each card.

Prototype The other collections show the format only – every pick there is a placeholder to be filled with a real, personally chosen recommendation. No products, prices or partners are shown, and no real affiliate IDs or links exist yet.

The Stories

The Bookshelf

Route books for dreaming and planning, and a training book for riders short on time – the first three picks on our shelf.

3 verified picks
Recommended by [Founder name PLACEHOLDER]

Epic Bike Rides of Europe

A collection of more than 50 rides across Europe – road, mountain-bike, gravel and trail – from Mediterranean islands and Alpine and Pyrenean passes to northern Scotland and city rides in Berlin and Copenhagen. Each ride comes with photographs, an illustrated map and practical planning details; guest contributors include Rob Penn and Ned Boulting.

Author
Lonely Planet
Publisher
Lonely Planet
Published
2020 · 1st edition
Pages
320
ISBN
978-1-78868-942-7

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Verified Details checked 14 Nov 2026 against: Lonely Planet shop – Epic Bike Rides of Europe · Open Library – Epic Bike Rides of Europe. Description summarised from the publisher's blurb. Text cover – publisher artwork is copyrighted.

Recommended by [Founder name PLACEHOLDER]

Ride: The Greatest Cycling Routes in the World

Fifty road routes from the team behind Cyclist magazine, each with a route map, a first-hand ride report and photography. Most of the rides are in Europe, from northern Norway to southern Spain, with others in Vietnam, Ethiopia, Lebanon and the USA.

Author
Cyclist (magazine)
Publisher
Mitchell Beazley (Octopus Publishing Group)
Published
2020
Pages
224 · Hardback
ISBN
978-1-78472-687-4

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Verified Details checked 14 Nov 2026 against: Hachette Australia – Cyclist – Ride · Hatchards – Cyclist – Ride · Open Library – Cyclist – Ride. Description summarised from the publisher's blurb. Text cover – publisher artwork is copyrighted.

Recommended by [Founder name PLACEHOLDER]

The Time-Crunched Cyclist: Race-Winning Fitness in 6 Hours a Week

A training programme for riders with limited time, built around high-intensity interval training in about six hours a week. It includes field tests and training plans for goals ranging from criteriums and road races to gran fondos, gravel events and commuting. The third edition adds Strava integration, a nutrition plan and a chapter on hydration and riding in the heat.

Author
Chris Carmichael with Jim Rutberg
Publisher
VeloPress
Published
2017 · 3rd edition (1st edition 2009)
ISBN
978-1-937715-50-2

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Verified Details checked 14 Nov 2026 against: Google Books – The Time-Crunched Cyclist (3rd ed.) · Stable Book Group (VeloPress distributor) – The Time-Crunched Cyclist · Open Library – The Time-Crunched Cyclist. Description summarised from the publisher's blurb. Text cover – publisher artwork is copyrighted.

The Kit

The Kit

Clothing, shoes, helmets, sunglasses and computers that earn their place in the suitcase.

Selection in preparation
Photo to come
Jersey and bib shorts for warm days

[PLACEHOLDER] Name & brand

[PLACEHOLDER] Short description

Why we recommend it
[PLACEHOLDER] Reason – based on real use
Founder's note
[PLACEHOLDER] Personal comment
Suits
[PLACEHOLDER] Who it is for

Shop link Affiliate link (placeholder)

Photo to come
Shell for mountain descents

[PLACEHOLDER] Name & brand

[PLACEHOLDER] Short description

Why we recommend it
[PLACEHOLDER] Reason – based on real use
Founder's note
[PLACEHOLDER] Personal comment
Suits
[PLACEHOLDER] Who it is for

Shop link Affiliate link (placeholder)

Photo to come
GPS computer

[PLACEHOLDER] Name & brand

[PLACEHOLDER] Short description

Why we recommend it
[PLACEHOLDER] Reason – based on real use
Founder's note
[PLACEHOLDER] Personal comment
Suits
[PLACEHOLDER] Who it is for

Shop link Affiliate link (placeholder)

The Fuel

The Fuel

Hydration, gels, bars and recovery – what we actually carry on a long mountain day.

Selection in preparation
Photo to come
Hydration mix

[PLACEHOLDER] Name & brand

[PLACEHOLDER] Short description

Why we recommend it
[PLACEHOLDER] Reason – based on real use
Founder's note
[PLACEHOLDER] Personal comment
Suits
[PLACEHOLDER] Who it is for

Shop link Affiliate link (placeholder)

Photo to come
Energy gel

[PLACEHOLDER] Name & brand

[PLACEHOLDER] Short description

Why we recommend it
[PLACEHOLDER] Reason – based on real use
Founder's note
[PLACEHOLDER] Personal comment
Suits
[PLACEHOLDER] Who it is for

Shop link Affiliate link (placeholder)

Photo to come
Recovery

[PLACEHOLDER] Name & brand

[PLACEHOLDER] Short description

Why we recommend it
[PLACEHOLDER] Reason – based on real use
Founder's note
[PLACEHOLDER] Personal comment
Suits
[PLACEHOLDER] Who it is for

Shop link Affiliate link (placeholder)

The Escape

The Travel Edit

Bike boxes and bags, packing accessories, tools and spares for riding far from home.

Selection in preparation
Photo to come
Bike bag or box

[PLACEHOLDER] Name & brand

[PLACEHOLDER] Short description

Why we recommend it
[PLACEHOLDER] Reason – based on real use
Founder's note
[PLACEHOLDER] Personal comment
Suits
[PLACEHOLDER] Who it is for

Shop link Affiliate link (placeholder)

Photo to come
Packing accessories

[PLACEHOLDER] Name & brand

[PLACEHOLDER] Short description

Why we recommend it
[PLACEHOLDER] Reason – based on real use
Founder's note
[PLACEHOLDER] Personal comment
Suits
[PLACEHOLDER] Who it is for

Shop link Affiliate link (placeholder)

Photo to come
Travel tool kit

[PLACEHOLDER] Name & brand

[PLACEHOLDER] Short description

Why we recommend it
[PLACEHOLDER] Reason – based on real use
Founder's note
[PLACEHOLDER] Personal comment
Suits
[PLACEHOLDER] Who it is for

Shop link Affiliate link (placeholder)

The Fuel

The Coffee Stop

Coffee culture, local roasters and the cafés worth planning a route around.

Selection in preparation
Photo to come
A café worth the detour

[PLACEHOLDER] Name & brand

[PLACEHOLDER] Short description

Why we recommend it
[PLACEHOLDER] Reason – based on real use
Founder's note
[PLACEHOLDER] Personal comment
Suits
[PLACEHOLDER] Who it is for

Shop link Affiliate link (placeholder)

Photo to come
Local roaster

[PLACEHOLDER] Name & brand

[PLACEHOLDER] Short description

Why we recommend it
[PLACEHOLDER] Reason – based on real use
Founder's note
[PLACEHOLDER] Personal comment
Suits
[PLACEHOLDER] Who it is for

Shop link Affiliate link (placeholder)

Photo to come
Coffee kit for travel

[PLACEHOLDER] Name & brand

[PLACEHOLDER] Short description

Why we recommend it
[PLACEHOLDER] Reason – based on real use
Founder's note
[PLACEHOLDER] Personal comment
Suits
[PLACEHOLDER] Who it is for

Shop link Affiliate link (placeholder)

The Escape

The Stay

Cyclist-friendly hotels, villas and places to recover – bike room, early breakfast, a pool.

Selection in preparation
Photo to come
Boutique hotel with bike room

[PLACEHOLDER] Name & brand

[PLACEHOLDER] Short description

Why we recommend it
[PLACEHOLDER] Reason – based on real use
Founder's note
[PLACEHOLDER] Personal comment
Suits
[PLACEHOLDER] Who it is for

Shop link Affiliate link (placeholder)

Photo to come
Villa for a group

[PLACEHOLDER] Name & brand

[PLACEHOLDER] Short description

Why we recommend it
[PLACEHOLDER] Reason – based on real use
Founder's note
[PLACEHOLDER] Personal comment
Suits
[PLACEHOLDER] Who it is for

Shop link Affiliate link (placeholder)

Photo to come
Wellness and recovery

[PLACEHOLDER] Name & brand

[PLACEHOLDER] Short description

Why we recommend it
[PLACEHOLDER] Reason – based on real use
Founder's note
[PLACEHOLDER] Personal comment
Suits
[PLACEHOLDER] Who it is for

Shop link Affiliate link (placeholder)

Affiliate disclosure

Some product links on The Cycling Life are marked Affiliate link (placeholder). Once the site is live, links like these may earn us a small commission if you buy – at no extra cost to you. Commission never decides what we recommend or the order we show it in. In this prototype no affiliate programme is connected: every such link leads to a placeholder page. Read the full disclosure.