by Blake Nelson

The latest young adult novel from acclaimed Portlander Blake Nelson relates the struggles and idealism of a 17 year old boy living in Beaverton who is disillusioned with cars, consumer society, and his ex-girlfriend.

by Lenore Skenazy

Kids are a huge factor in American’s transportation choices. Cars, often deemed a necessity for families, are in fact the number one cause of child mortality, and busy streets and unfriendly landscapes prevent kids from roaming free, getting exercise, and making friends. This popular recent book explodes myths about safety that too often go unquestioned.

by Jeff Mapes

“From Oregonian senior political reporter Jeff Mapes, Pedaling Revolution (OSU Press) is essential reading for the approximately one million people who regularly ride their bike to work or on errands, for anyone engaged in transportation, urban planning, sustainability, and public health — and for drivers trying to understand why they’re seeing so many cyclists. All will be interested in how urban bike activists are creating the future of how we travel and live in 21st-century cities.”

by J. Harry Wray

In this newly released book, Wray travels the country seeking every permutation of the 21st century resurgence of bicycle transportation. He writes about politicians, advocates, regular folks with kids, and even includes a section on Portland’s own bike activist group Shift.

by Tim Krabbé

A cult classic — an exuberant literary historical look at road racing. Originally published in Holland, by the same novelist who wrote “The Vanishing.”

by Paul Fournel

An avant-garde meditation, translated from the French. Here’s the publisher’s blurb, which ought to give you the basic idea: “In his attention to the pleasures of cycling, to the specific “grain” of different cycling experiences, and to the inscription of these experiences in the body’s cycling memory, Fournel portrays cycling as a descriptive universe, colorful, lyrical, inclusive, exclusive, complete.”

by Robert Hurst

This is hands-down the best book out there about urban bicycling. Hurst explores, in detail, what is required to stay warm, dry, and safe on a well-maintained bicycle, whether you are riding to the grocery store or out into the country for a day trip. This is also an excellent primer on the political, economic, and cultural contexts of modern urban cycling. Empowering, inspiring, and incredibly useful, if you ride a bike or if you share the streets with bikes.

by John Forester

This is the man who brought us Vehicular Cycling, the idea that people on bikes should act, and be treated, exactly as if we were driving a car. Interesting and influential, this book deserves attention from anyone who wants to understand one of the major debates in bicycle planning and advocacy. And it’s an excellent manual for how to ride your bike confidently in traffic, while taking the lane. Worthy of respect, whether or not you agree with every single point.

by Travis Culley

A paean to the work and culture of bike messengers by a former Chicago messenger. An exciting, heady read. Not necessarily endorsed by other messengers, but maybe that’s part of the point.

edited by Chris Carlsson

Love it or hate it, Critical Mass is a key component of the history of modern urban bicycling. The controversial event originated in San Francisco in 1992 as a leaderless happening intended to re-create car traffic, but with bikes. It has since been through as many iterations as there have been riders. This collection of essays, interviews, photos, and fliers is a fascinating read and a great inspiration. Includes Fred Nemo’s eyewitness account of the early history of Critical Mass in Portland.

Also check out other titles by longtime San Francisco bike and livability activist Chris Carlsson.

by Andrew Richie

Marshall “Major” Taylor was a pioneering African American athlete. He was a world champion in 1896 at age 19, and went on to further successes, particularly as a sprinter. Well written book with great images.

by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransome

A biography for kids aged 6 to 10 about Marshall “Major” Taylor’s youth. As a 13 year old African American in 1890, Taylor battled the odds and went on to become a world champion bike racer.

by Lance Armstrong with Sally Jenkins

Autobiography of eight time Tour de France winner, cancer survivor, and possibly the most famous bicyclist ever, Lance Armstrong.

by Peter Norton

A fascinating history of the beginning of the automotive age in US cities. Peter Norton focuses on how social forces worked to change our conception of what kind of space a street is and how we use it. This change happened rapidly, but hardly smoothly — and the outcome was hardly inevitable. As much a history of anti-car sentiments (which were rampant eighty years ago) as of cars themselves.

by Tom Vanderbilt

Published in 2008. A fascinating, behavioral approach to understanding traffic congestion, road rage, and what makes a good driver. Accessible, entertaining, and convincing.

by Woodrow Phoenix

A stark, bleak graphic novel exploring the toll car culture takes on human life. Note that this has not been released in the US.

by Chris Balish

A nicely put together and reassuring reference book about taking the plunge and going carfree.

by Doug Fine

Doug Fine, a consummate urbanite, picks up and moves to a ranch in New Mexico to live off the land. A funny new addition to the fresh wave of titles on sustainable farming, rethinking transportation, and going back to the land.

by Robert Hurst

Author Robert Hurst delivers a vigorous forehead slap to America in this feisty manifesto for the age of Peak Oil.

by Peter Sutherland

Beautiful, well-designed photo essay book featuring New York City messengers and their gear, races, tattoos, and scabs. Comes with a DVD documentary on the same topic, based on footage taken 1998-2000.

by David Herlihy

A big, gorgeous book of photos and essays on the surprisingly colorful history of bicycle technology and design.

by Tony Wheeler

Well-done collection of photos and text exploring bicycle and tricycle rickshaws throughout Asia.

by John Glassie

The publicity blurb says it best: “This mournful but pleasing collection features many of the best photographs of bicycles locked to poles ever taken.”

A McSweeney’s book.

by Jan Heine

A celebration of the design history and craftsmanship behind this simple but efficient two-wheeled vehicle. Featuring fifty classic models built by hand, this book unveils the bicycle’s technical evolution within a historical context.

by Christine Elliott

240 pages and 300 glossy color photos, the $60 book is definitely coffee-table ready. The book is published by Australia-based Images Publishing Group and features 5-8 page profiles of 39 builders including Portland-based Ira Ryan Cycles, Signal Cycles, Vanilla Bicycles and Strawberry. Statewide, they’ve featured Wolfhound Cycles, Vendetta Cycles, Keith Anderson Cycles, and Jeff Jones Custom Bicycles.

by Barbara Savage

Barbara Savage and her husband had never done much cycling before when they set off to bike around the world. They had an amazing, and sometimes harrowing trip through 25 countries. This account has been praised as exemplary travel writing, and comes highly recommended on our forums.

by Joe Kurmaskie, aka The Metal Cowboy(check out Kurmaskie’s other bike travel books)

Local Portland bike hero Joe Kurmaskie’s latest book focuses on one of the hottest topics in the bike world right now — carrying your kids on bikes. Except that while most people are focused on the challenge of biking the kids to school and back, Kurmaskie took his five and seven year old sons all the way across the country, from Portland to Washington, DC.

by Evelyn McDaniel Gibb

A historical account of two young men bicycling from Santa Rosa to Seattle one hundred years ago. Recommended.

by Andrew X. Pham

Award winning memoir of a Vietnamese-American’s solo bicycle trip around the Pacific Rim.

by Neil Peart

Accompanied by literary and artistic sidekicks such as Aristotle, Dante, and van Gogh, the author of “Ghost Rider” and “News, Weather, and Sports” conducts a voyage of body and mind on a bicycle adventure through West Africa.

by David Gordon Wilson

Ever been riding along and wondered just what exactly, physically, you were doing? And what your bike is doing? And how? If you’re trying to hone your cadence, improve your speed, better understand your maintenance issues, or if you just have a burning curiosity about how things work, this book is for you. Physics and physiology alike are accessibly delivered.

by Lennard Zinn

Also see Zinn’s titles on mountain bikes, triathlon bikes, and his general cycling primer.

Seasoned mechanics and brand new cyclists with two left thumbs alike will find this book an invaluable resource. Clear, step-by-step instructions for fixing and maintaining every part of your bike.

by Ray Thomas

Beloved Portland bike lawyer Ray Thomas has published an affordable, comprehensive guide to cyclists’ legal rights in Oregon. A must-have resource for anyone who rides a bike in Oregon.

by Bob Mionske

Local bike attorney and former Olympian Bob Mionske has created a great all-around legal resource for cyclists in the US. Mionske, an outspoken advocate for cyclists’ rights, also has an online weekly column in Velo News focusing on legal inequalities in the treatment of cyclists.

This is the most comprehensive bike map of Portland and surrounding areas, put out by Metro regional government. Printed on sturdy, waterproof paper.

by Shawn Granton and Nate Beaty

Don’t let the title fool you — this is really a bicycling guide to Portland. You wouldn’t know it from the title, but this well researched, pocket-size book is a great guide to getting around Portland by bicycle. Everything you need to know is here, from a clear explanation of the street system and bike routes to the best budget destinations for your urban rides. And it’s only $3.50.

by Shelley Lynn Jackson and Ethan Clark

Half DIY bicycle repair manual with hand-drawn illustrations; the other half reprints the first four issues of Chainbreaker zine, one of the lesser-known casualties of Hurricane Katrina. Packed with history, stories, and passion for bicycles. Another excellent, affordable title from Microcosm Publishing.

by Andy Singer

Andy Singer’s CARtoons are classics that you may have seen around already in magazines and on stickers. The text and cartoons in his book cast our relationship with the automobile in a counterintuitive — and very funny - light.

by Bill Strickland

“This book will provide any cyclist with unending pleasure, and inspiration to get out on the bike. It features quotes from such superstars as Lance Armstrong and Greg Lemond, and from civilians like John F. Kennedy, Mark Twain, and Albert Einstein. With chapters on road biking, mountain biking, winning, losing, descending, crashing, love and hate, The Quotable Cyclist will delight anyone who ever rode a bike.”

by Robert Gardner

A reader wrote in about how much they like this book of bike-related science projects geared at 11 to 17 year olds.

by Quentin Blake

A wonderful illustrated work by Quentin Blake. Mrs. Armitage has so many ideas for improvements and accessories for her bicycle that the whole thing eventually collapses (but not until she adds the mast and sail). Note: this book ships separately from the UK.

by Cari Best

This is the exuberant tale of Sally Jean and her bicycle, “Flash.” They ride everywhere, singing and rhyming. When Sally Jean starts to outgrow Flash she is sad at first –but then learns to build a new bicycle for herself. A reader wrote in about this book: “It’s awesome! My 4-year old daughter was inspired to ride.”

by H.A. Rey

Curious George gets on a bicycle for his new job — delivering newspapers. As you can imagine, he gets into a little bit of trouble along his route.

by Stan and Jan Berenstain

Another great Berenstain Bears book — remember those? This one is heavy on the pictures, low on the text, and offers a colorful parade of bears on one wheel, two wheels, and many more bicycle wheels.

by Stan and Jan Berenstain

“When Brother Bear gets a brand-new bike, he’s all set to ride it — that is, after Papa Bear shows him the rules of the road.” For ages 4 to 8.

by Michael Ward

I don’t know much about this title, but it comes highly recommended from a reader. Foreword by Lance Armstrong; and the book comes with an audio CD narrated by sports journalist Phil Liggett.

by Berkeley Breathed

The inimitable Berkeley Breathed — who has moved on from decades of creating hilarious and sometimes racy political cartoons to a career in children’s books — has drawn and written this story of a lonely boy, living on a Pacific Northwest island, who only wants a Red Ranger Bike for Christmas. And he gets it — but in an unexpected package. This one’s entertaining for you as well as your kiddos.

by Katharine Holabird and Helen Craig

Angelina is a young mouse who loves riding her bicycle all over town. On her birthday, she and her friend Alice ride to pick up her birthday cake — but she hits a rock and her bicycle is broken! I won’t give away the end.

by David Shannon

Duck loves riding a bike, despite scorn from the other animals on the farm. But his example convinces them they can ride too, and they all ride off together. Witty book by a Caldecott Award winning author.

by Jonathan London

Froggy is the star of a popular kids’ book series, in which he gets dressed, plays soccer, and now…tries out bike riding. He falls off many times, but keeps getting back on, and soon enough he’s having so much fun he doesn’t want to stop riding.

by Stella Blackstone

Bear also goes by train, raft, rocket, and many other modes. Danica Maus’s top pick.

by David M. Shwartz

“A thrilling picture book based on the true story of Gustaf Hakannson’s historic bike ride. In 1951, at age 66, Gustaf entered the Tour of Sweden–over the judges’ objections–and, to the delight of his countrymen, finished first!”

by Ashley Maceachern

Local writer — and former Nike executive, and friend of Lance — has created a funny kids’ picture book about Lance Armstrong.

by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransome

A biography for kids aged 6 to 10 about Marshall “Major” Taylor’s youth. As a 13 year old African American in 1890, Taylor battled the odds and went on to become a world champion bike racer.

by Allen Say

Two American soldiers turn up in a small village in occupied Japan and amaze the local children with their bicycle tricks. For ages 4 to 8.

by Emilie W. McLeod

Bear and his young human friend demonstrate safe bicycle riding. Comes with a cassette tape. Ages 4 to 8.

by Erin Mirabella

Gracie has to face her fears and learn to ride a bike in order to participate in the big barnyard race. Part of the “Barnyard Sports Squad” series. Ages 4 to 8.

by Dick Bruna

A wordless picture book for very young children about a bunny named Miffy who has big plans for riding her bike to visit her friends.

by Helme Heine

A pig, a rooster, and a mouse ride their bike everywhere together, as friends should.

by Paulette Bourgeois

One in a series of picture books about a shy turtle named Franklin.

by Sue Heap

Recommended by a BikePortland.org reader. Lucy Little-Fairy and her frog, Burp go to the Queen’s feast on Lucy’s flying bicycle.

by Christopher Alexander and Sara Ishikawa and Murray Silverstein

An architecture and urban design classic, providing classical inspiration and progressive thinking to anyone working on building projects big or small. Alexander literally gave us a whole new way of looking at the urban landscape.

by Mike Davis

A compelling history of Los Angeles and a spot-on critique of the trend towards “fortresses” in American architecture and city planning, and of the violent class divisions these inevitably create. Nothing in here about bicycling, or even much about transportation, but you can draw your own connections. Highly recommended.

by David Oates

Portland would not be what it is today without our Urban Growth Boundary, which keeps sprawl under control by placing a physical limit on new development and new roads. The boundary is 260 miles in circumpherence and David Oates walked the whole thing to find out what life is like at the margins, resulting in this interesting and useful collection of essays.

by Jane Jacobs

This is the foundational text. First published in 1961, this books chronicles the dynamic that created the American suburbs.

by James Howard Kunstler

“The future will require us to build better places,” wrote Kunstler in this 1994 manifesto. A readable, classic history of the decline of cities and the growth of sprawl. A powerful argument for the reining in of car culture.

by J.H. Crawford

Crawford has created a thorough design guide for planners, advocates, and activists who are seeking to build new urban spaces or revise old ones around a new, non-automobile-centric paradigm.

by Allan Jacobs

Good streets make good cities, and Allan Jacobs has spent much of his career figuring out exactly what that means. This classic book is full of examples, patterns, and strategies. The perfect gift for the amateur traffic engineer in your life.

by Lynn Sloman

A radical proposal to break the car habit and create a society based round people, not cars. The twenty-first century is gridlocked. Mass motorisation has ruptured community ties, bankrupted a nation of family shops, and bred a nation of obese children and adults. Politicians stumble from one transport crisis to the next.

by Shelley Lynn Jackson and Ethan Clark

Half DIY bicycle repair manual with hand-drawn illustrations; the other half reprints the first four issues of Chainbreaker zine, one of the lesser-known casualties of Hurricane Katrina. Packed with history, stories, and passion for bicycles. Another excellent, affordable title from Microcosm Publishing.

by David Gordon Wilson

Ever been riding along and wondered just what exactly, physically, you were doing? And what your bike is doing? And how? If you’re trying to hone your cadence, improve your speed, better understand your maintenance issues, or if you just have a burning curiosity about how things work, this book is for you. Physics and physiology alike are accessibly delivered.

by Lennard Zinn

Also see Zinn’s titles on mountain bikes, triathlon bikes, and his general cycling primer.

Seasoned mechanics and brand new cyclists with two left thumbs alike will find this book an invaluable resource. Clear, step-by-step instructions for fixing and maintaining every part of your bike.

by Jan Heine

A celebration of the design history and craftsmanship behind this simple but efficient two-wheeled vehicle. Featuring fifty classic models built by hand, this book unveils the bicycle’s technical evolution within a historical context.

by Christine Elliott

240 pages and 300 glossy color photos, the $60 book is definitely coffee-table ready. The book is published by Australia-based Images Publishing Group and features 5-8 page profiles of 39 builders including Portland-based Ira Ryan Cycles, Signal Cycles, Vanilla Bicycles and Strawberry. Statewide, they’ve featured Wolfhound Cycles, Vendetta Cycles, Keith Anderson Cycles, and Jeff Jones Custom Bicycles.

by Tim Paterek

This book documents one builder’s lifelong approach to custom bicycle design and building, and reflects his devotion to teaching about framebuilding. The Paterek Manual will have a well earned place in the history of custom bicycle building in America.

by Bingo Sun Noon

A comprehensive book written by Bingo Sun Noon, a life long metal worker and engineer. Targeted at the home bicycle mechanic with a desire to build a project start to finish. All skills levels are represented.

by Brad Graham

For bicycle lovers, tinkerers, and inventors, this dream resource offers hours of fun, creativity, and adventure. If you have standard workshop tools, Atomic Zombie’s Bicycle Builder’s Bonanza provides everything else you need to create cool custom bicycles on a shoestring budget. Youll find exciting plans for choppers, low racers, tallbikes, recumbents, tandems, and others that defy description.

Tim Burton’s 1985 classic comedy. Pee-wee’s bike has been stolen, and he sets off across the country to get it back. An inspiration to us all.

A weary road biker is kidnapped by an evil scientist…and only his grandmother/trainer can save him, aided by an eccentric trio of sisters. A creepy, dark musical cartoon, entirely in gibberish-French. Lots of fun to watch for adults, maybe a little too gloomy and weird for the kids.

Great movie about a small town racing prodigy just out of high school and learning many valuable lessons about bikes, girls, class, and romantic languages.

Kevin Bacon as a NYC bike messenger circa the ’80s. High drama, car-bike chase scenes, bike-bike race scenes, awesome tricks with fixies.

The beautiful and sad neorealist film by Italian master, Vittorio de Sica.