Cycling is explodingin a good way. Urbanites everywhere, from ironic hipsters to earth-conscious commuters, are taking to the bike like aquatic mam...
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Oct 13, 2010
Jessica
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I grew up in Berkeley, CA, where riding a bike meant you loved Critical Mass and describing your moral superiority to people who drove cars, often while in the backseat of my Camry as I drove you home from a show in the city. Since at that time I was already vegan and didn't watch TV, I worried about turning into a caricature of myself, and I always steered clear of the bicycle thing.
Later on I lived in Portland, OR, where riding a bike meant you loved racing drunkenly down hills in th More...
Later on I lived in Portland, OR, where riding a bike meant you loved racing drunkenly down hills in th More...
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Apr 03, 2011
Janna
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Look... As a person that wants to spend much more time on her bike, I found this book a fun read. It was an easy read too, finished in a matter of hours. But my goodness... Analogies, similes, and metaphors, oh my. This book was filled with so many pop culture refrences and comparisons, it made me uncomfortable at times. An attempt at humor gone to far? It just got to be too much, and I found myself skimming the last few sections to avoid it all. But I appreciate a good rant, which is what this
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Sep 10, 2011
Melanti
rated it:
While the book is more geared towards encouraging novices who may be afraid to ride in traffic, it does have enough cycling related jokes to make the seasoned daily bike rider chuckle often.
Just because it's written for novices, don't assume that it's going to tell you how to fix a flat, or do routine (or any) maintenance - it does tell you you need to know how to do such things, then directs you to use the ever so handy Internet to look it up. If you want a how-to book or tips and More...
Just because it's written for novices, don't assume that it's going to tell you how to fix a flat, or do routine (or any) maintenance - it does tell you you need to know how to do such things, then directs you to use the ever so handy Internet to look it up. If you want a how-to book or tips and More...
Sep 03, 2010
Andrew
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
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Jun 05, 2011
Geoffrey
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Perhaps because I didn't go into this book already a fan of the Bike Snob blog, I wasn't able to fully appreciate it. I'm somewhat new to the adult cycling world, and thought this book would be a fun way to learn about different areas of cycling I was never aware of, and be a fun commentary. This book generally had no useful information, the area near the end of the book that referenced maintenance and repair was only there to say "I'm not going to go into details because you can find thi
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May 10, 2010
John W.
rated it: 
I don't read BikeSnobNYC's blog, and the few times I've checked it out it was a little too all over the place for me to really get into.
The Bike Snob book, on the other hand, is nearly as much fun as riding itself. It's relatively brief but will leave you satisfied with a solid little knowledge of the history of bicycles and bicycle-related subcultures, why to do certain things and not other things on/with your bike, and how to maximize the fun (and utility) of cycling.
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The Bike Snob book, on the other hand, is nearly as much fun as riding itself. It's relatively brief but will leave you satisfied with a solid little knowledge of the history of bicycles and bicycle-related subcultures, why to do certain things and not other things on/with your bike, and how to maximize the fun (and utility) of cycling.
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Jan 16, 2011
Dirk
rated it: 
Brilliant blog, watered-down into hardcover form.
The BSNYC might be the best blog on the internet. While it has biting humor and a sense of poignant self-awareness, it also follows current events tangential to the cycling world and has a set of insider references that blow Arrested Development out of the water. So how does that translate into book form?
The book slows it all down, and seems to be aimed at more of the nouveau cyclists out of fear of exclusivity. Bike Snob's More...
The BSNYC might be the best blog on the internet. While it has biting humor and a sense of poignant self-awareness, it also follows current events tangential to the cycling world and has a set of insider references that blow Arrested Development out of the water. So how does that translate into book form?
The book slows it all down, and seems to be aimed at more of the nouveau cyclists out of fear of exclusivity. Bike Snob's More...
Jan 19, 2012
Dustin
rated it:
Bike Snob is a book mainly about bikes, bike riding, bike maintenance, and overall all things bikes. However, it is even more about being entertained by a snarky hipster blogger's relatable experiences through being a cyclist in a generally cycling-unfriendly world. A lot of people who have reviewed this book on Goodreads seem to be completely missing the point of this book, because it's not at all a book to be taken seriously. If you are looking for how to lube your chain, how to share the road
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Jun 20, 2011
Kara
rated it:
Alright, in all fairness, if one happened to be an extremely avid (and long time) cyclist, this would probably be a fun read, as it casually name drops various brands, parts, and what the author deems types of cyclists. For someone who has average bicycle knowledge hoping to glean something extra (be it either about certain styles of bikes/parts or various items of bicycle culture- which the author denies exists), it was almost completely useless.
There was a lot of humor, and I will b More...
There was a lot of humor, and I will b More...
Dec 26, 2011
Jesse
rated it:
This may have been more of a 3.5. But, my love and sodade for biking allowed for me to round up. It put a lot of things I think into words for biking that I didn't quite know how to say. It made my laugh a few times and it had some interesting bits of info.
I don't see it as being something to stand the test of time as far as cycling goes. The author uses a ton of pop culture references that pretty much act as carbon dating for his age/era he grew up in. And he talks about hipsters More...
I don't see it as being something to stand the test of time as far as cycling goes. The author uses a ton of pop culture references that pretty much act as carbon dating for his age/era he grew up in. And he talks about hipsters More...
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Dec 20, 2010
josh
rated it:
not too bad of a book and generally a pretty quick read. while i didn't particularly agree with all of his points, the author does a pretty good job of giving the reader a crash course in the history of cycling, where it stands today and some solid starting points for being a more responsible cyclist.
parts were pretentious. parts decimated hipsters and what they've done by commandeering so many parts of cycling subcultures into their own little quasi-culture.
as i said, i do More...
parts were pretentious. parts decimated hipsters and what they've done by commandeering so many parts of cycling subcultures into their own little quasi-culture.
as i said, i do More...
Mar 29, 2011
Jessi
rated it:
A happy-go-lucky little "blog to book" primer on the wonderful world of bicycles. Includes a brief history of the sport, hilarious composites of the different types of characters that populate the bicycle universe, the different bicycle subcultures (Messengers, Roadies, Urbanites, etc), and the bikes we all ride. Despite allusions to snobbery in the title, the author doesn't take himself or any of the other "bike snobs" too seriously and sets out to demystify biking. He re-it
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Feb 21, 2011
Jordyn
rated it:
This book had entertaining parts and alienating parts, which is why I think it's more for existing riders than for conversion (despite its claim to the contrary). Also, this guy seems to think the only women that ride bikes do it the wrong way down a one-way street while talking on the phone, which is a very unhelpful attitude.
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Mar 20, 2011
Gpickle
rated it:
A tall task to be sure, this systematic and merciless realignment of the world of cycling. I was impressed right off with his overview of the history of the bicycle - I do hope he sent a copy of this to Herlihy... Great organization throughout, and while the laugh out loud moments do not come as fast or as often as on his website, there is gold in this book. Triathaletes are roadies who actually want to pay full price for stuff! Modern bike fit technology is out of control! Ride your bike!
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Aug 16, 2011
Zarah
rated it:
I doubt many non-bike-riders will read or enjoy this, but I thought it was hilarously funny, full of snark, much like BSNYC’s blog is. (I’ll admit I don’t really read his blog all that often because he sometimes gets too tedious on there.) I actually laughed out loud numerous times reading this, and I almost never do that. Really, I cannot remember the last book that caused me to do that.
I had my mom, who I was visiting at the time, read the section on how cars are trying to kill cycli More...
I had my mom, who I was visiting at the time, read the section on how cars are trying to kill cycli More...
Oct 03, 2010
Ram Rattan
rated it:
Omy goodness people!!! This book is perfect. Spot-on! I read some reviews, for cyclist, not for cyclist, blahblahblah. It's an entertaining and informative history of a, the development of the bicycle and b, of the cyclist. And though every possible type of person that rides a bike could not possibly be describe he hits the nail on quite a few heads. And perhaps at times it might feel a little judgemental, snooty even, but he makes no lies about his disdain when he classifies himself in hi
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Apr 22, 2011
Christie
rated it:
Early bikes were awful. Now we're getting into why people are commuters or bicycle racers (like weekend cycle racers not Lance Armstrong). The author has a voice I can relate to. He talks about the gear that is actually needed for riding and the gear that has been made "cool" by the sport. He also puts a few pages aside for the non-commuter/non-cyclist about attempting to "interview" people who are riding. We don't like it. Ask the brand, tell us you like the bike and l
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Jan 22, 2012
Benjamin
rated it:
I thought that this would be whimsical and amusing. I was surprised by just how hilarious and insightful it was in some places. This guy lays it on thick, but usually to good effect. A lot of the music and pop-culture jokes resonated with me, in addition to the expected cycling humor. One technique the author excelled at (and made use of several times) was the itemized list with a final item that is just goofy. For example, a list of things "not to lock your bike to" with many of the e
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Oct 19, 2010
Becky
rated it:
Great analysis of cycling culture. Two quips I related to are: Essentially, the only thing separating a sexual sadomasochist and a road racer is slightly different fetish gear." & "Your physical rhythms are now becoming more a part of your life. At the end of the day, you are tired - the good kind of tired, which is physically tired. This is the kind of tired that makes it easy to go to sleep, and that overwhelms the sorts of anxious thoughts that can sometimes keep you awake." Ba
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Nov 13, 2010
Bernie
rated it:
I first saw this book while visiting with my daughter in NYC. She took me to a weird "bicycle bar". I mean weird as in unusual but really cool. I didn't know there was such a thing. Anyway, at the bicycle bar, which was in Manhattan, they serve strong coffee (alcohol and bikes don't mix) and displayed fascinating vintage, road, and hipster bikes. They have a little "bike library" where this one was featured. So I added it to my to-read list.
The Bike Sno More...
The Bike Sno More...
Mar 24, 2011
Aaron
rated it:
I wouldn't have bought this book. I got it for xmas from a friend who recieved TWO copies for the holidays. This is obviously the book purchased by non-cyclists for cyclists. I liked it more than I thought I would, but it's unlikely I'd buy/read the sequel. If somebody got my friend another two copies of the sequel I might read it. It's fairly good reminisces and decent writing but as a reading material for a bike person it's pretty well traveled ground. It's probably a better read for the non-c
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Jul 31, 2011
Jane
rated it:
Bike Snob is an entertaining look at bike culture in NYC that translates well to other countries. Its great that we all have the same kinds of people riding bikes around the world from the lycra clad roadies to the lone wolves to the mountain bikers who drive 4 hours for a 1 hour ride. I particularly enjoyed the history of cycling and am glad, having come to cycling a little later in life that bikes have progressed beyond the wooden wheeled variety to the comfy bike of today with gears, shock ab
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Jan 16, 2011
Jason
rated it:
This is about the same as reading the Bike Snob's blog and the book fleshes out some of the recurring themes and inside jokes from his blog concisely. He's an entertaining writer and I can imagine people who are not familiar with his blog can enjoy the book without any trouble, especially if they've ever ridden a bicycle as an adult. The book is attractively bound, looks nice on the shelf after the very short time it takes to read through it.
May 04, 2011
Ryan
rated it:
Funny and appropriately snarky, "Bike Snob" by heretofore unknown to me blogger BikeSnobNYC pulls back the curtain on the insular, mysterious and often ridiculous world of cycling in a loose, conversational manner that's thoroughly enjoyable. While I think everyone can take something away from this quick read, it's objective to demythologize the act of riding a bike makes it perfect for cycling neophytes, the cycling curious and the too-serious know-it-alls that could stand to lighten
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Mar 18, 2011
Bryan
rated it:
Fun, kind of a pointless diversion, really just a pep talk for beginning cyclists. I did get the stickers out of the back because I was the first person to check this book out at my library.
I want to point out though for those that don't know Mr. Snob spends a lot of time sticking it to bike snobs and lampooning the "cycling community" (whatever that is)as a whole. So his handle has a lot irony value. Just wanted to put that out there for people that are put off by his nam More...
I want to point out though for those that don't know Mr. Snob spends a lot of time sticking it to bike snobs and lampooning the "cycling community" (whatever that is)as a whole. So his handle has a lot irony value. Just wanted to put that out there for people that are put off by his nam More...
Jan 24, 2011
Jeremy
rated it:
Great assessment of the basics (including a brief history and the current status) of cycling. His thesis is that the experience of riding should always be priority number one, never to be neglected due to style or inhibitions or inexperience or the myths purported by "bike culture." And the book employs the hilarity commonly found in his blog. Worth the read for anyone who rides a bike.
Jan 19, 2012
Chris
rated it:
As a recent emigre from suburbia, I've enthusiastically embraced my inner downtown hipster doofus. Aside from meaning that I ride a single-speed bike a lot, it means I'm starting to think in terms of *bike culture.* This hilarious book dissects everything that's good and bad about cyclists, biking, urban planning, drivers, and more. The style is casual and acerbic. Highly recommended.
Jun 07, 2010
John
rated it:
This book is kind of stuck in a weird spot. It's written as a guide for new or non cyclists, but is packed full of in-jokes (of which many are hilarious), but I don't think any new riders would pick this up and read it.
I didn't really get much out of it except a lot of good quality one liners, though it was faily enjoyable to read. The illustrations are nice.
I didn't really get much out of it except a lot of good quality one liners, though it was faily enjoyable to read. The illustrations are nice.
Jun 19, 2011
Smellsofbikes
rated it:
Thoroughly fun book about the place of the bicycle in urban lifestyles. History of cycling, a distinctly amateur-feeling discussion of different types of cyclists, and some thoroughly good stuff about bike maintenance and philosophy. This isn't a book to give to an avid cyclist, but to that avid cyclist's non-cycling parents, kids, or partner.
Oct 27, 2010
Doug
rated it:
I wasn’t familiar with the Bike Snob NYC blog before reading this book, but they share a breezy, sardonic style. Readers of the blog will probably appreciate the book (and vice versa). As the pseudonym implies, the snob is fiercely opinionated. I imagine most cyclists will find themselves thinking “heck, yeah!” and “no, you moron!” as they read — which is probably exactly right for a book like this.
Part of the fun of reading Bike Snob was that it’s such a splendid artifact. It’s a real More...
Part of the fun of reading Bike Snob was that it’s such a splendid artifact. It’s a real More...
