Be a friend of BS
Bicycling for Women by Gale Bernhardt
June 2, 2009
Gale Bernhardt is a professional cycling and triathlon coach as well as the author of several books on training. Her most recent book, Bicycling for Women, published by Velo Press in 2008, is specifically aimed at the female cyclist, although riders of either sex will find the information she presents useful in preparing to accomplish their goals. In fact, one of the key points that the book makes is that aside from a few particular physical aspects, when it comes to training men and women are not too terribly different. In spite of its title, in fact, the first six chapters of the book, which deal with bike fitting, physical and mental training, and nutrition, are entirely applicable to men as well as to women.
Bernhardt approaches these topics in a thorough manner, and glancing through some of the detailed charts for training plans or looking at the many different diagrams for strength training exercises is a little daunting and even overwhelming at first. However, it is all useful information, and part of Bernhardt’s philosophy is that the more you understand how your training routine works, the more successful you’ll be. The book is heavy on charts and diagrams, which is great if you like visuals, but distracting if you prefer textual explanations or if you are easily scared. In either case, the training plans are very nicely detailed and designed to help you achieve particular goals (your first Century ride, for example, or a time trial race) and if you can stick to them, you have no excuse for not improving!
The final five chapters of the book do deal with aspects of training and competing that are specific to women, covering things like menstruation, pregnancy, and health and first aid tips that apply to women. While the information that Bernhardt provides is not unique or groundbreaking, her philosophy that women’s specific needs can and should be discussed and met in athletic training is really what makes this a book for women, and is very encouraging.
The aspect of the book that I found most inspirational is Bernhardt’s approach to the mental / emotional side of training, for competition or simply to meet your own goals. She encourages awareness of the way in which aspects of your life not directly related to bicycling can have an impact on your training and results, and suggests strategies for dealing with these that are straightforward and not overly idealistic.
All in all, the book is well written, packed with information and charts, and even includes a few humorous anecdotes. All this in less than 300 pages, plus helpful appendices and a complete bibliography!
Price: $18.95 USD
Details: Technical weather resistant cycling pants
Pros: Very thorough, informative, specific, and detailed. Strategies for mental preparedness are encouraging without being cheesy or annoying.
Cons: Figuring out the charts and figures takes a bit of concentration. Perhaps not the best book for beginners unless you have specific goals you want to meet.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Velo Press
Reviewed by: Emily