Cathy Bussey, a regular Total Women’s Cycling contributor has penned a wonderful new book ‘The Girl’s Guide to Life on Two Wheels‘.
Full of inspiration and fun, the book is a practical and stylish guide to help you embrace cycling as part of your daily life, so who better to review it than our very own Reluctant Cyclist.
Cathy Bussey has authored a ‘how to get started’ book for new cyclists. In ‘The Girl’s Guide to Life on Two Wheels’ she covers topics such ‘why cycle’ (which is something I frequently ask myself and other people in an attempt to understand all this) and how to choose a bike in easy to read, non-technical language and with real-life good advice to boot.
Cathy has coined the term ‘cyclista’ to describe girls for whom looking good on a bike is as important as getting around on it. There is a clear focus on everyday cycling which can be done in a skirt or dress when preferred but the book doesn’t skimp on advice on topics such as safety and cycling while pregnant (Cathy has one daughter and another baby on the way, cycling through both pregnancies, she also contributes regularly to our Mums’ Corner).
The book itself is a pleasure to pick up, with a cotton binding and a wealth of photographs. I personally, would have loved to see more photos of real women cycling in the book as many of the photos are model-shots. As a beginner I’d like to see more ‘women like me’ (over a size 12, that is) pictured, something I can relate to almost.
If like me, your last cycling experience was in the cycling proficiency test, you’ll find pages such as ‘types of bike’ and ‘positioning on the road’ particularly useful, especially as Cathy takes the time to explain technical information in a reader friendly manner. In her book, Cathy also takes the time to explains things that more experienced cyclists assume everyone knows so new cyclists are afraid to ask.
A nice addition to the mix was the inclusion of a chapter on cycling fashion, focusing on clothes that look good both on and off the bike. Cathy had this area well covered, as a Lycra-averse cyclist, I found myself on the internet looking up several of the companies detailed in the book.
If you’re looking for a gift to encourage a girlfriend to take up cycling, then I would certainly recommend this book, and if you are new to cycling yourself, or just fancy making the whole experience a bit more stylish then ‘The Girl’s Guide to Life on Two Wheels’ would make a great treat for yourself too.
Author: Cathy Bussey
Pages: 144pp
Price: RRP £14.99
Publisher: Ryland Peters & Small
More information: The Girl’s Guide to Life on Two Wheels
UK supplier: Amazon
What Cathy, the author, says about ‘The Girl’s Guide to Life on Two Wheels’
When I first came up with the idea for a book for female cyclists focusing on fun, fashion and function, the overwhelming majority of cyclists in the UK and US were male.
Four years on as the book hits the presses women up and down the country, both sides of the pond, are loving life on two wheels.
The Girl’s Guide to Life on Two Wheels is a celebration of female cycling. There are more events, opportunities, products and accessories for female cyclists than ever before, along with incredible role models such as Victoria Pendleton, Laura Trott, Joanna Rowsell, Lizzie Armitstead and Dani King, who have taken on the world’s best – and beaten them.
