Get Fast!: A Complete Guide to Gaining Speed Wherever You Ride

by Selene Yeager

Every cyclist wants to get faster. Whether they're a weekend warrior, a crit specialist, or a charity cruiser, speed is the X factor that lets a rider ride strong, feel fresh, and thoroughly enjoy each ride.

Get Fast! is the cyclist's go-to guide for gaining speed. In it, author Selene Yeager addresses speed from every possible angle, including not only the standard chapters on riding techniques and bike maintenance tricks specific to getting fast but also stand-alone chapters on fitness and weight loss, stretching, nutrition and supplementation, motivation, and mental attitude. Together they present a complete and comprehensive guide to achieving one's top speed.

Bolstered by a foundation in science and road-tested by Yeager and the editors of Bicycling magazine, the wisdom presented in Get Fast! will have riders and readers flying on the road, dirt, dirt roads, cross course, track—anywhere and everywhere they love to ride most—in no time at all.

Genres: Fitness, Nonfiction, Cycling

288 pages, Paperback

First published April 23, 2013

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great basic read on how to improve on cycling. Applies to every level. if you need more then hire a coach!

[Nine Provinces · Rating 5 out of 5]

Selene Yeager is , in my opinion, the most important contemporary voice in womens' cycling. She has an approachable style, but clearly, when she puts on her race plate it is Game On.

I will never get as fast as Selene, but her book helped me to trim the fat off my training program. Literally. I was never so motivated to cut weight as I was after reading Chapter 10. Less weight = free speed? Sign me up! I used Selene's tips to make sure everything I was eating had some sort of nutritional value. It was not easy, but I could definitely feel a difference skipping up the hills.
Disclaimer: Selene is the first person to admit that eating is fun. But to get faster, we need a balance.

Selene goes into detail about my two least favorite topics, strength training and bodywork (foam rolling/stretching). The truth hurts, as does foam rolling, but it has a purpose, and the book gave me a push to stick with it.

She also talks a lot about technique, cornering, climbing and body po. Most of it review, but it's nice to have it all in one place , written by a female.

Lastly, Selene may be a 'celebrity' in the literary/cycling subset, but she is very approachable. She has her blog and her articles and her Instagram, and not once have I reached out to her with a question she didn't answer or a comment she didn't give a "like" to.

Enjoy the book and happy trails.

[~Marty Qualls · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to get back to the basics in training, weight to power ratio measures and exercises to strengthen cyclist specific muscles. Good read for the dark days of winter so that you can be ready for the spring and be the fastest you can be. Because it really is all about being fast on your bike! 🚴

[Zia · Rating 3 out of 5]

There're snippets of advice for the clubhouse weekend warriors, but no so much for seasoned riders already familiar with the sport; as expected in a book aimed at beginners looking to take their sport to the next level.

[KT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Or you could read Bicycling Magazine every month for a few years, but this seems more efficient.

[Two Readers in Love · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than average, actionable advice.

[Gary Steffins · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some really good riding tips and information on nutrition and training, but overall the book is not detailed enough. It's like a 8" everything pizza, a sampling of everything, but not enough to fill you up. Selene attempts to cover too many things without going into enough detail... too many instances where she glances a topic but says "this isn't a book on ___ ". But there is enough information to learn something new for a novice biker, seasoned biker and mountain biker, but most information is geared towards road bikers.

[Fri Rasyidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this book, I was able to create my own nutrition, training, and maintenance plan.

I love this book very much and ended up finishing in just a couple seating. Selene Yeager was able to make it comprehensive but brief enough that it didn't confuse me with too many details. Its definitely successful in helping me know and understand what matters in achieving faster ride.

[Eric Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of tips and general information to help riders of any age and fitness level.