No Brakes!: Bicycle Track Racing in the United States

by Sandra W. Sutherland and Sandra Wright Sutherland

Survey book of bicycle track racing on the velodrome, reviewing champions in events, rules and strategies of events, history, list of velodromes and dimensions in the US and in the world. The single... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0964524309
• ISBN13: 9780964524309
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Iris Publications
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 8.4" x 11.1"

Customer Reviews

Great overview of track racing

First, know up front that the production quality of this book is a little, well, off the mark. The pages are printed in four-column landscape format, which is a bit unwieldy. The fonts and typesetting look like something from a first-generation word processor. And, as other reviewers have pointed out, apparently the book wasn't proofread. At all. There are several typos and missing punctuation marks. Okay then. If you can get past these issues, the information in the book itself is fantastic. The author explains many different types of track events and then prints lengthy descriptions verbatim from leading competitors in each event. You'll not only learn how each event works, but also how actual riders trained and developed their careers to excel in these events. The author also interviewed leading coaches, velodrome managers, promoters, announcers, officials and photographers (the author herself) to give the reader a thorough overview of all aspects of track bike racing. Great stuff. Two other things worth mentioning: (1) the book is loaded with photographs that help tell the stories and bring a sense of excitement for the sport, and (2) the storytelling style of the author and her interview subjects show their personalities, which will give you a better feel for the sport in a way that dry information alone couldn't do. This made the book a fun read for me.

Great Book

If you are cycling nut like I am, this book is a must read. I'm 63 and only race track on Friday nights in the Stock Bike races so you can't class me as a racer and even so I got a lot from this book. The interviews with the different racers were very enlightening. Cycling is such a technical sport that you can't become proficiant without help from others and this is what this book provides. Knowing what motivates people and how they ride, what gears they use can add more to your own abilities. I've met and talked to three of the people mentioned in the book namely Greg Lemond, Rebecca Twig and Eddy Borysewicz all great people and a benefit to cycling. I also rode with Mary Jane Reoch and never new about her accomlishments until reading the Statistics and Results in the back of the book.

Great info

I really like the book. Great pictures. In depth stories, and great list of velodromes worldwide in the back of the book. Velodromes I bet people would not be on the book were listed with the specs. The best book on track racing from the USA thus far.

A genuine and authentic representation of track racing.

I have rarely felt compelled to thank an author but I really appreciate the efforts of Sutherland. This text is brilliant because not only do I come away with an understanding of the events and their intricacies (strategy, specific training), but also the dynamics of the individuals in each event. Sutherland explains the events and the rules and then gives us a flavor of the range of personalities that we may encounter at the track. Sutherland has brought together present and past champions and given us an indepth and revealing look into the competitors and why they are competitors. She does this by interviewing the personalities and then using their exact words. After I read the interview with Whitehead I am ready to go out and ride against sone of the nastiest guys that ever rode in the U.S. (Whitehead I'm ready for you!!). Simply put, thanks Sandra for the compelling read and the amazing photos that accompany the text. My only question is when's the next book?