Digital List Price:	$14.99
Kindle Price:	$9.99 Save $5.00 (33%)
Sold by:	Amazon.com Services LLC

Read with our free app

You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.

Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

There was an error. We were unable to process your subscription due to an error. Please refresh and try again.

Follow the authors

Bike Snob: Systematically & Mercilessly Realigning the World of Cycling Kindle Edition

by BikeSnobNYC (Author), Christopher Koelle (Illustrator) Format: Kindle Edition

4.3 595 ratings

Part of: Bike Snob (2 books)

See all formats and editions

“Equal parts critical manifesto and tender mini-memoir about a boy and his bikes” from Eben Weiss, blogger and author of The Enlightened Cyclist (GQ).

Cycling is exploding in a good way. Urbanites everywhere, from ironic hipsters to earth-conscious commuters, are taking to the bike like aquatic mammals to water. BikeSnobNYC—cycling’s most prolific, well-known, hilarious, and anonymous blogger—brings a fresh and humorous perspective to the most important vehicle to hit personal transportation since the horse. Bike Snob treats readers to a laugh-out-loud rant and rave about the world of bikes and their riders and offers a unique look at the ins and outs of cycling, from its history and hallmarks to its wide range of bizarre practitioners. Throughout, the author lampoons the missteps, pretensions, and absurdities of bike culture while maintaining a contagious enthusiasm for cycling itself. Bike Snob is an essential volume for anyone who knows, is, or wants to become a cyclist.

“This is a social manual that should be bundled with every bike shipped in America.” —Christian Lander, author of Stuff White People Like

“I like to think I know a thing or two (or three) about being ruthless and relentless—either trying to win the Tour or fighting cancer. The Snob knows it too. Keeping us dorks in line is tough work. I take pleasure in getting picked on by the Snob, slightly more pleasure in reading his writing, but take the most pleasure punishing his ass (my payback) on the bike either in Central Park or on 9W/River Road. Long live the Snob.” —Lance Armstrong

Part of series

Bike Snob
Print length

243 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publisher

Chronicle Books LLC
Publication date

April 29, 2011
Reading age

18 years and up
File size

3521 KB
Page Flip

Enabled
Word Wise

Enabled
Enhanced typesetting

Enabled
See all details

Report an issue with this product or seller

All 2 for you in this series See full series

See included books

Total Price: $23.98

Bike Snob NYC
209
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $13.99
Bike Snob NYC
137
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $12.99
Grant Petersen
1,458
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $9.99
Robert Penn
908
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $9.99
Eben Weiss
150
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $12.99
Michael Carabetta
162
Kindle Edition
1 offer from $8.99

Editorial Reviews

Review

ELDEN "FATTY" NELSON, FATCYCLIST.COM
First you'll think the Snob is funny. Then you'll think he s smart. Eventually you'll probably think that he s seen far too many movies for his own good. At some point during this book, however, you re going to say to yourself: Holy crap. He is right. Believe me, that is one disconcerting moment.

BILL STRICKLAND, EDITOR-AT-LARGE OF BICYCLING
Bike Snob should be lovingly gifted to all new cyclers - and forcefully smacked against the heads of all the jaded know-it-alls who take the sport way too seriously.

ROBERT LANHAM, AUTHOR OF THE HIPSTER HANDBOOK
As any avid biker will attest, cycling isn't just a form of transportation. It's a complicated culture with its own slang, taxonomy, and preferred tat styles. If you haven't read Bike Snob, you should consider reattaching those training wheels to your overpriced fixie.

CHRISTIAN LANDER, AUTHOR OF STUFF WHITE PEOPLE LIKE
After reading Bike Snob I put a brake on my fixie, started wearing a helmet, then punched myself in the stomach for spending so much time as a stupid hipster. This is a social manual that should be bundled with every bike shipped in America.

LANCE ARMSTRONG
I like to think I know a thing or two (or three) about being ruthless and relentless - either trying to win the Tour or fighting cancer. The Snob knows it too. Keeping us dorks in line is tough work. I take pleasure in getting picked on by the Snob, slightly more pleasure in reading his writing, but take the most pleasure punishing his ass (my payback) on the bike either in Central Park or on 9W/River Road. Long live the Snob.

About the Author

BikeSnobNYC is a frequent racer, daily commuter, and former bike messenger himself. He has been published and profiled in numerous publications, including the New York Times, Outside, and Bicycling Magazine.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004089TB4
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Chronicle Books LLC (April 29, 2011)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 29, 2011
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 3521 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 243 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0811869989

Best Sellers Rank: #295,418 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #9 in Bicycle Travel
- #32 in Cycling (Kindle Store)
- #88 in Cycling Travel Guides

Customer Reviews:
4.3 595 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

(Cyclist) BikeSnobNYC
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.
Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more
See more on the author's page
Eben Weiss
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.
Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more
See more on the author's page
Chris Koelle
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.
Chris Koelle has created artwork and illustrations for dozens of books, album covers, graphic novels, and award-winning documentaries, including the Oscar-nominated Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience. See more of Chris's work at chriskoelle . com
See more on the author's page

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5

595 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Kindle Customer

What Cycling has to Say about the American Way of Life

Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2014

Verified Purchase

The Bike Snob may not be a world-class racer or the owner of a bike shop specializing in custom built frames, but in his survey of the bike world of New York City, he comes across as someone who certainly knows a lot about bikes and the larger cultural context in which which bikes play their (unfortunately too small) role. The Bike Snob is a citizen advocate for cycling, committed to making it a bigger part of American life. He has a visceral disdain for the car-obsessed aspect of American identity. At the same time, the Snob's acerbic wit can be seen as a humbling and refreshing restorative when it's directed at the many deformities and stupidities that arise within the bike world itself. This book is for anyone who wishes (for some odd reason) to be culturally informed about the American cyclist. The focus on biking in New York City may result in a few distortions or omissions if you're a cyclist from some other region of the US (for example, as a cyclist in Wisconsin, collisions with animals has to be one of the top hazards of biking . . . though it doesn't make the Snob's list), but all in all, this book is treasure for anyone who has a fondness for bicycles . . . or who has some issues with American urban "planning" and the kind of social pathologies it has engendered.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Kalikiano Kalei

There is no such thing as the perfect bike snob...

Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2010

Verified Purchase

There is no perfect bicycle book, although Eben Weiss comes as close as anyone has in recent years. As has already been pointed out by others here, the `Bicycle Snob' book is a conveniently portable condensation of material, observations, et al, from his bicycling blog, with sharp corners rounded off and language neatly smoothed out to fit uncontested on any pedalist's book shelf.

What Weiss has done here is produce a book that, while very amusing, articulately arch and volubly informative, would be best regarded as a beginner's 'Audubon Field Guide to Urban Two-Wheelers', for he would seem to have prepared a (near) perfect introduction to bicycling for those who are not quite fully fledged members of the sub-species he describes so cleverly (blame this on his editor or publisher, perhaps.

Clearly, Weiss found himself faced with the challenge of mixing lots of disparate author objectives into the writing bowl in order to reach the widest possible audience. It appears a compromise of sorts was reached with his editor/publisher in that the book definitely has a strong element of `Bicycling for Dummies' in it. Including basic bicycle maintenance advice (and a condensed `how-to' guide) is great for absolutely hopeless or totally unknowledgeable would-be cyclists (and for providing encouragement to and moral support for those who have always eyed cyclists and their steeds rather warily), but it wasn't quite the sort of uniformly high-level Oscar Wilde type rumination on cycling that I was expecting from someone who is used to being a bit more...um, shall we say, unconstrainedly candid?

Much of what I found in this book version of Weiss' take on the two-wheeled universe was quite fulfilling, since I find that although I tend to wear wool sox with my Keen sandals, I mostly fit the same `Retro-grouch meets the Lone Wolf, versus the Curmudgeon' pattern that he styles himself after. I suspect that age has much to do with this, since it is a known human awareness dynamic that age & experience tend to catalyse a strong sense of cynicistic crankiness in individuals who have been observing the foibles of humanity for more than half a century. Weiss proves himself a sharp and astute observer of his fellow cyclists, certainly, and although I'd personally add a category or two more to his `various subsets of cyclists', they are for the most part quite accurate to a most entertaining degree.

I am reminded of a few encounters of my own with some of these types of cyclist he describes, one of the most memorable being the ultra-roadie I met one afternoon after returning home (on my bicycle) from work. This chap (a supremely fit 30s-something) was dressed from head to toe in brightly colored roadie Lycra and had shaven his arms, legs, head (and probably anything else he could take a razor to) in the approved manner of a `serious' road racer. His bike was at least a ten thousand dollar machine, based on what I could discern from checking it quickly over, and he had experienced a flat just a short way from my home on a major urban artery. He didn't appear to have an adequate pump with him, although he did have a spare tube.

Passing by him on my old 1971 Peugeot PX-10 commute bike, I felt an immediate pang of comraderly sympathy for his plight, vividly recalling numerous similar circumstances I had had in the past, stranded out in the middle of nowhere on a hot day and eyeing my small Crank Brothers pump with some perplexity. Therefore, upon reaching home I grabbed my heavy-duty floor model bike pump from the garage and cycled the short distance back to him, offering to let him use it to speed up the job (and lessen the work).

Before I really knew what was happening, he commanded me to take the pump and blow up his tire while he critically supervised the whole process with a stern gaze. Taken aback by this unexpected brazenness, but also admittedly highly bemused by his moxie/mojo titre, I dutifully pumped his tire up for him. No sooner was it full and the Presta fitting disconnected than he got back on the bicycle and pumped off, putting on a blazing display of accelerating biceps and quads that rapidly disappeared in the distant heat-haze. Standing there with the pump in my hand and receiving not so much as a nod of thanks from this supremely self-assured fellow, I marveled open-mouthed at the arrogantly assumptive nature of self-important people like this. To me, that was the supreme `archetypal roadie experience' and it's probably why I will never be one myself (yuk). So much for the `brother cyclist' empathy urge!

At any rate, Weiss has delightfully nailed the main groups of cycle subsets to the cross of his overall witty riposte and also managed to cover a few other areas of concern I share. One of these is his critical analysis (doubtless toned down considerably in the book) of cycling sub-cultures (especially the `style cyclist'). In his macroanalysis of cycling style, Weiss makes very relevant reference to basic principles of human sociology and in this context, while he places himself squarely in a deserved niche as a skillful and astute raconteur, he is still able to inform and educate the reflectively challenged. Weiss references the same patterns involved in any cyclist's attempt to stand out from the crowd on two wheels that are found in Chapter One of the human mating manual (e.g. the most brightly feathered, most verbally conspicuous male gets the fecund female). After all, for most ordinary people life is all about setting one's self apart from and above the herd, isn't it? The methods used by urban cycle stylists to do that with a bicycle are most fascinating and worthy of a whole field study guide in and of themselves.

In furtherance of this association, Weiss seizes upon the `fixie' phenomenon and makes rather incisive statements about the foolish affectation `fixie cyclists' have for that particular fad's code of conduct and sense of style (and make no mistake, folks, the fixie thing IS all about perceived style and élan). Safety is an entirely separate matter (by fixie reckoning) and has never had anything to with style and élan in the fixie world. Of course no matter how super-cool a hipster thinks he is, there's nothing very wise at all about riding around in a highly congested urban environment without accessory brakes on one's bike, unless one is simply subconsciously compelled to end up as an organ donor.

Although there are a few inconsistencies in this book, such as his `narchy admonishment (in `Rules vs. Fashion') that despite there being NO absolute rules one must heed, there ARE certain things one ought to observe (like align one's tube stem with the tire data), Weiss never loses sight of the fact that style...all style...is an affectation that one either accepts or rejects to suit the whim and I find myself in agreement with him most of the time. I do maintain some disagreement with him in the matter of wearing a helmet, however, since my background in medicine has given me insights into the need to protect one's noggin against massive head trauma that he clearly does not have, and whether one rides against the proper directional flow in bicycle lanes or not, having a skid-lid wrapped around one's brain is still a very, very good idea.

As I said, in writing a book suitable for everyone, Weiss has apparently had to mollify his publishers who are clearly concerned about not unnecessarily alienating certain types of would-be cyclist reader/buyers. You therefore can't expect him to turn the full `retro-grouch' heat up on many of his more entrenched opinions and I respect that. One thing that he makes clear is the fact that to a great extent, bicycling IS all about the bike in a certain larger sense (sorry, Lance!), although the most important thing is still to simply get on a bike and ride it...any bike, anywhere, any time. The riding's the thing, not the affected style adopted. The highly affected (or is it `afflicted'?) humming beans among us shouldn't be allowed to have it any other way!

This is a great book for someone who is interested in learning a bit about the bicycle culture before plunging into it for the first time. It's also a great book for the Compleat Bicycle Fanatic who must have a copy of every bicycling book ever written on his reference shelf. It's additionally a worthy read for anyone interested in the sociological affectations (or mating rituals) of the human race and for those who haven't been previously amused and entertained by the somewhat more acerbic commentary found in Bike Snob's blog. Overall, it is a very entertaining read in many places throughout its pages.

One final aspect of this book stands out in my mind. Weiss is clearly a product of the New York City mindset, a nuance that is reflected in both his references and context. It probably fits the NYC scene perfectly, where `style cycling' has reached a new high water mark. For a bit more casual west coasties like myself, it loses a bit of its ionic charge in the venue relocation. Still, it is a worthy read and most enjoyable as a complete piece.

It makes me wish I have more faithfully been following his pithier blog observations in their archetypal, buck-nekked fleshly identity. I've no doubt it would probably be delightful to share some Leninaid (SIC) with Weiss and trade bicycle stories with him, based on what I have read in 'The Bike Snob (book)'. My only remaining question: When's the movie going to be released?

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Kindle Customer

A View of a World

Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2013

Verified Purchase

It is interesting to read how bicycle riders like this author think. As a sometimes rider who does not commute to work on a bicycle, I do not intend to dodge in and out of traffic --- ever, nor do I insist on sharing the road when a perfectly good sidewalk is unused alongside. That is the only law I will break on my bicycle. This writer seems to think that occasionally running a red or weaving around cars at a traffic light is okay and I do not. He is not a speed racer type, but somewhat militant about his rights still. I don't see the point actually. In my view, cars are bigger than me and my bicycle will lose a confrontation with them so I avoid such confrontations. The self-proclaimed bike snob is far braver than me, or is that more foolhardy? Definitely a younger perspective than mine. His book is quite a lot of fun to read and includes some tips and techniques that are of great value to any cyclist. He writes in a casual entertaining style and his books and his blog are well worth the cost of admission. Every cyclist should have this book on his her shelf.

Helpful

H. B. P.

Only Slightly Amusing

Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2015

Verified Purchase

I was looking forward to reading this book. However, I found it to be only slightly amusing and helpful. It was mostly focused on readers living in large cities who have their own unique perspective. The book was also very thin in other areas of focus - such as history of biking, bike maintenance, etc. It also completely ignored such key areas as training, bike technical features, and essential equipment for pain free biking such as bike shoes, underclothes, socks, gloves, and cold weather clothing.

Helpful

Book Junkie

The truth in a numerous form!!

Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2013

Verified Purchase

"Are you going to ride the Tour de France?" Bike Snob brings up this question that is asked of all of us, as well as the male impotence issue that wee get asked. Loved this section of the book because any self respecting human will have watched the Tour and will never have seen a woman ride it and... Lance Armstrong and Andy Schleck have plenty kids so duh! It doesn't cause that. So I loved how Bike Snob takes an angle on these topics and explains them.

I am an OCD cyclist who until not so long ago fit into his roadie description perfectly! I have enjoyed reading this book so much that I want to read it again. The book takes a comical look at our awesome sport and the characters in it. And... Don't think that because it is written by an American in America the stuff he says won't be applicable anywhere else. It is! It's a global book - hey, even little me here in South Africa can see the parallels!

This is a must have book if you are a cyclist and a must gift book for family and friends who are not cyclists. Basically: it should be a school workbook and a pre-requisite for all wanna be drivers!!

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English

Arnaud

Un agréable et très enrichissant moment de lecture

Reviewed in France on September 17, 2017

Verified Purchase

J’ai dévoré cet ouvrage. Le premier chapitre m’a semblé absolument soporifique car l’auteur y raconte sa recherche personnelle des racines du cyclisme à New York. Mais heureusement je l’ai parcouru vite fait car j’avais déjà lu une partie de la suite. Et après le premier chapitre, c’est merveilleux.

L’auteur est un cycliste aguerri. Non pas que je le connaisse : je suis tombé sur son livre par hasard. Mais l’ensemble de ses réflexions montre une expérience profonde du vélo. Comme tout cycliste le sait, en pédalant on finit par réfléchir et philosopher. Bike Snob nous partage le fruit de ses réflexions, et ce d’une manière fort humoristique. En lisant son livre je réalise que nous partageons un nombre infini de points communs.

D’emblée, Bike Snob définit le cycliste comme quelqu’un qui utilise son vélo même s’il n’y est pas obligé. C’est mon cas : mon vélo me sert souvent à me rendre au travail ce qui pourrait justifier son usage vu que j’y gagne du bien-être et une profonde liberté. Mais comme tout le monde me le rappelle tout le temps, ce choix n’est pas évident : il y a la pluie, le froid, le soleil, la chaleur, le danger des voitures, le milieu urbain qui est compliqué ; bref, pour eux je suis un fou. Le choix n’est pas évident donc, mais juste pour les non cyclistes. Comme Bike Snob je sais que ce ne sont que des prétextes utiles à ceux qui n’ont pas été conquis par la petite reine. Car même si j’admets avoir un grain de folie pour oser vélotaffer au quotidien, c’est au fond le choix le plus intelligent, rationnel, et émotionnellement valide. Le vélo remplace quasiment tous les autres sports et permet de transcender sa propre vie. Je le savais sans vraiment le savoir, et Bike Snob l’a explicité.

Ce livre n’apprend pas à entretenir ou utiliser son vélo correctement en milieu urbain, ce pour quoi il y a d’autres livres (voir « Effective Cycling » de John Forester). Mais il permet d’accéder rapidement à une vision philosophique du vélo, une vision qui ne pourrait autrement provenir que d’années de pratique. Et comme il est très drôle, sa lecture est agréable.

Le seul point délicat de ce livre est son niveau d’anglais extrêmement élevé. Du coup j’ai eu besoin du dico pour pas mal de mots. A ce titre, la version ebook est pratique car (sur Kindle du moins) un appui sur le mot permet d’en avoir la traduction. Mais la version papier est absolument magnifique, un très bel ouvrage aux nombreuses dorures. Difficile de choisir entre le papier et l’ebook du coup.

Merci de m'avoir lu jusqu'au bout. J’espère que mon expérience vous est utile.

3 people found this helpful

Translate review to English

Nicolas

Snob, sarcastic and self critic

Reviewed in Spain on March 28, 2017

Verified Purchase

Very interest point of view regarding cycling and the role cycling is having in moderns society. Not only for NYC/US readres.

Peter

More than just a ‘Book on Bikes’

Reviewed in Australia on January 7, 2019

Verified Purchase

This has been a great read one I would highly recommend. Enjoy the experience rather than dream about the experience is a great message we all need to take on in all facets of life.
Less time thinking more time doing and the enjoyment will follow.

Alessandro

Spiritoso

Reviewed in Italy on June 9, 2016

Verified Purchase

Consigliato per chi vuole leggere qualcosa, inerente alla bici, senza impegnarsi!

scritto bene!
Il libro è in lingua originale! Must Have

Translate review to English