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Home > Books > The Cyclist's Manifesto: The Case for Riding on Two Wheels Instead of Four (Falcon Guide)
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The Cyclist's Manifesto: The Case for Riding on Two Wheels Instead of Four (Falcon Guide)
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By Robert Hurst
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 (10 Reviews)
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List Price: $16.95
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Our Price: $11.53 Eligible for FREE shipping. Details
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Availability:
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Usually ships in 24 hours
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Publisher:
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Falcon
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Edition:
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First
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Date:
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May 5, 2009 |
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Binding:
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Paperback
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Pages:
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224
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The Cyclist?s Manifesto makes the most powerful case to date for a simple fact: America can no longer afford to ignore the bicycle as a tool for serious transportation.
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Customers' Reviews:
Add Your Own Review |
 Good, but questionable in terms of safety, August 18, 2010
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I enjoyed reading The Cyclist's Manifesto, and while there's a lot of interesting information about the history of the bicycle and a lot of encouragement about getting on the bike, I found the book veered a little too much into advocacy of dangerous and illegal riding styles for my taste. Mr. Hurst is an ex-bike messenger and he brings a lot of bike messenger practice to his philosophy of bicycle riding, advocating a style of cycling that is 'adaptive'. What that seems to mean is 'legal only as long as I feel it needs to be'. I get the feeling that Hurst sees a red light as being relevant to him only as long as it suits his temperament - if he feels that he'd be better-off if he ignored it, then the red light becomes a mere suggestion. This attitude is part of the reason cyclists have a bad name here in the US.
I find that [url=http://www.forCycling.com/gp/product/B000722S42/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=AEHQ5VHN67LAQ]'Street Smarts: Bicycling's Traffic Survival Guide' by John S. Allen is a much more useful book.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
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 A fun read for existing commuters, but hardly a manifesto, July 14, 2010
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As a bike commuter, I definitely found the Cyclist's Manifesto to be a fun read. The first half of the book serves as a meandering history lesson of the early bicycle (and automotive) industry during the late 1800's, and the later half moving at random through the topics of oil, bicycle laws, and hybrid cars.
Anyone who already commutes by bike is going to enjoy this book and smile appreciatively as they read about strange traffic law decisions, or America's hatred and apathy towards the bicycle, but there isn't an argument being made here for anyone not currently commuting. This book really is singing to the choir, but as a member of the choir, I can appreciate that.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful
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The Practice Girl of Manifestos, June 30, 2010
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For better or for worse, he has arrived at some conclusions that differ from the conventional wisdom. As such, much of the book could be viewed as highly objectionable."
These are the concluding sentences (in pompous third-person voice, no less) of Robert Hurst's "The Cyclist's Manifesto." If it were half as interesting as the author suspects, it would've been a great read. Alas, the only thing truly objectionable is the lack of a judicious editor. Instead, we have a mishmash of environmental jeremiads, personal experiences, and Prius bashing. Hurst wanders from camel importing to Ford and GM's propping of Hitler to name-dropping Milan Kundera and considering that a significant portion of today's cyclists are annoying jerks or elitist and racist toolbags. Duhhhh!
Instead of taking FDR to task for Guernica and Dresden, maybe Hurst could just write about BICYCLES? If it is the author's stated goal is to get more people riding two wheels instead of 4, it get lost in a poor signal to noise ratio. Eventually he wanders back into a discussion of petro state tyranny and oil shale but by that time I just wanted to put down the book and walk to the coffee shop. This thing is the "Practice Girl" of manifestos, falling somewhere between Ron Paul's "Revolution" and Jeffrey Lebowski's "Port Huron Statement."
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
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The Book on Bike Advocacy, January 11, 2010
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Hurst provides an excellent overview of bike advocacy from a very realistic and honest perspective. This book isn't like Pedaling Revolution, where you're patted on the back over and over for riding.
While I don't always agree with the author, he supports his positions well and they're clearly well though out.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
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Change Your World: The Cyclist's Manifesto, December 15, 2009
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The Cyclist's Manifesto is the second Robert Hurst book I've read, which should tell you that I like what he has to say enough to continue to buy his books. That, combined with the fact that I've been an avid cyclist my entire life will reveal my bias towards bicycles as a mode of transportation. A bias that Mr. Hurst most definitely shares.
In general I'm against continuing to read things that support what you already believe (what's the point?). It tends to lead to narrow-mindedness and intolerance of foreign ideas. But I do recommend reading this book even if you already toe the party line. He has a way of articulating ideas that really resonates and invigorates. I found it inspirational enough that I've re-dedicated myself as a soldier in the revolution. I learned some new things along the way, but in general it performed the role of a great pep talk, which is exactly what I was looking for.
However many copies of this book get sold my bet is that almost to the reader he is preaching to the choir. This is a shame because I think this book has a lot to offer the bicycle-curious. Some of his rants seem to play a little fast and loose with the facts (while staying true in a general sense). Additionally his hard-line stance (even for a cyclist) may be repelling to some, but in the end his message is truly liberating.
The book begins with the history where cars and bicycles converge (if you didn't already know this, these histories are very much intertwined), continues on with the mess that we've created through political and personal cowardice, and ends with a bang that would likely convert even the hardened, gas guzzling SUV pilot.
Admittedly he provides no easy answers. He even claims that someone who doesn't own a car or even take the bus is still beholden to petroleum, like it or not. I'm left with the impression that if everyone went to bicycles tomorrow it would be an improvement, but still wouldn't solve the energy problem.
Anyone reading this book who converts to a bicycle way of life is unlikely to change the world, but will, however, change their own world. Dramatically. And that, comrades, is where this book truly shines.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
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