4 comments about Yikes Bikes! (Ready, Freddy!).

1. My six year old son absolutely loves the Ready Freddy series of books. He can't read them yet himself, but we read them to him every night and he is very entertained, and I find myself being entertained too and reading more than I usually intend just to see what happens next.
   
   It's nice to have a chapter series where the characters are carried over from book to book. I personally think that helps in gaining reading comprehension in little kids. I don't think you can go wrong with this series of books.



2. My son has really enjoyed all of the Ready Freddy books and reads through them within a few days.



3. My son loves these books! They make him laugh. I have purchased all of the Ready Freddy Books published so far and will continue to do so. He is 8 years old and they seem like the reading level is made for children his age.



4. Our son is 7 and in the 1st grade. He absolutely loves these books. Each one is a different story but with the same characters. He can read them, but usually we read them to him. We usually read one chapter a night before bedtime. But as another reviewer said, we get so caught up in the story that we read on to see what will happen next. They are good clean books with everyday kid experiences.
   Highly recommend!!!

2 comments about Froggy Rides a Bike.

1. Froggy is a good character for my son to identify with. My son is almost 4 and thinks Froggy is the coolest. When i ask him what he wants for breakfast, he now wants "a bowl of flies" just like Froggy has. For him, it's Raisin Bran. I have now 6 Froggy books to our collection and a bunch more are available at our library so this author has definately got an audience.



2. This is a story about a frog who learns to ride a bike. His father helps him and although he falls off the first time, Froggy gets back on and tries again. It has humor and cute illustrations. The Froggy series are one of my favorite collections.

5 comments about Henry and Beezus (Henry Huggins).

1. On a scale of one to ten Henry and Beezus by Beverly Cleary is a twenty. That is why I am going to try to persuade you to read this wonderful book. The first reason you should read this book is because once you pick it up you just cannot put it down. It has so many funny things that happen to Henry, Beezus, and Ramona that you cannot wait to read what happens next. Now I am going to tell you a little about this book. It is about a boy, Henry, who wants a new bicycle. His parents cannot afford to buy him one so he decides to find a way to get the money himself. If you want to know how he gets the money you will have to read the book. But don't think that reading a book about a boy that gets money to get a bike is boring. In this book Beverly Cleary makes it so much more interesting. So if you want a book that you can read that will bring the kid side out of you again, read Henry and Beezus by Beverly Cleary.



2. Are you bored of mystery books? Well, get Henry and Beezus. It's the most funny book ever. It's about Henry wanting a bike and earning it. Henry finds lots of bubble gum packages and sells them. But a lot of kids at school are tired of them. Then Scooter goes to camp while Henry is taking his route to deliver Journals on the neighbors' front door step. Then Henry is dared to eat Woofy Dog Food. After that Henry has won beauty tickets, so Henry sold his beauty tickets and got his bike. --Andrea Arauza, Aimee Lopez, Shelly Newman and Diana Ruiz in Ms. Marik's 6th grade class



3. Oh how we love Henry Huggins! My daughter (age 8) just adores these books! Our most recent read, Henry and Beezus didn't disappoint. Told in the same chapter style as the previous books, we start out with Henry and is dog getting into more trouble...this time with the neighbors and their roast and where Henry swears to his friends that he'll have a bike as nice as Scooter's. From there we follow Henry on a raccous, fun-filled set of adventures which involve him striking gum gold, untraining Ribsy to fetch the paper (hileraious), a dog and his parking ticket, an awesome and funny bike auction, and finally the boy who ate dog food! In this group of stories, Ramona and her sister are also key players in each adventure and they lend a nice touch to this particular set of stories. Will Henry get that spiffy red bike he's got his eye on? Will he ever save enough money...or will Ribsy and Ramona "help" him right out of his chance to get it? Since this story, like others in the series, was written in the 1950's, it has a dated "leave it to beaver" feel...but that's also a great deal of the charm. They are clean cut, the kid's respet their parents and take their problems to them...and whey they get in trouble, even though they somtiems lie...there is always discussion and rational solving of the issues. I like that and apparently so does my daughter. I give it an A+, another classic that is sure to keep right on pleasing kids for years to come!



4. This is one of those children's books that grownups love to read to children and children love to read over and over again. We're into a third generation of Beverly Cleary fans. This book is especially great if you've been struggling to find something to read to a six year old boy!



5. My children read this when they were small and I bought it for my grandson.

5 comments about Bicycling Science, 3rd Edition.

1. While I recommend it, I don't recommend you expect a real engineering reference or good reading cover-to-cover. It is somewhere in between and as such is not very good as either.
   
   The charts and plots are good so if you only want it for that it's a great compilation of other sources and references. The history of the bicycle and the HPV chapters are very interesting. The book is one of a very few like it so "one of the best" is not that great of a compliment.
   
   It is layed out and presented as an engineering reference type book on a specific topic (something like a Mark's for bikes) but it's nowhere near as consistent, rigorous, or detailed. A better description would be "musings on bicycle design and science" by someone who is genuinely very knowledgeable on the topic.
   
   My biggest problem is with the narrative. It has way too many opinions. Many are simply some ideas the author has about a particular design or test (there's no data in this area but one way to get some would be this...). It also has way too much anecdotal evidence which is (thankfully) usually presented as such. And worst of all there are many opinions that are generally made to sound like facts through casual use of expressions such as "future testing should..." "it is recommended" "conventional design practices" "according to some" and so on.
   
   To sum up if you are an engineer looking for an engineering reference you'll be disappointed. If you are a lay bike geek you'll probably find it too technical.



2. As Miss Jean Brodie said, "For those who like that sort of thing, that is the sort of thing they like." She meant it as an insult, but I don't. Bicycling Science is nerd heaven, full of physics, engineering, molecular biology, aerodynamics and all kinds of other scientific manna. If you have an appetite for charts, graphs, and research studies, then this book will delight you with its explanations of why bikes work so well with the human body.
   
   It's not casual reading by any means. I'd prefer the same information presented in slightly less academic tones, but that doesn't mean it isn't accurate or interesting. So I dip into my copy for short bursts. For me, it's not a cover-to-cover read, but it's been on my bedside table for months because I pick it up regularly.
   
   Bicycling Science may well be more technical info than a casual fan can absorb. However, it's a great reference that will demystify your bike -- if that's the sort of thing you like.



3. Way more information than a casual reader needs, but chock full of engineering and design information for a bike builder. Also a good reference to refer to for evaluating performance and design claims by bike retailers. Before you plonk down $2000 for that special road bike, check the stats against this book. Oddly, steel frame bikes are pretty darn good when designed and built right. Do you need carbon fiber? Hmm.



4. I found Bicycling Science to answer every question I'd ever had while pedalling along wondering if I could be more efficient with this modification or that modification. It's one of those standard texts that if there were a course on cycling, this would be required reading. Covering subjects from wheels to warping you have to have this on your shelf if you're a serious cyclist. It is time to provide an updated version however as carbon construction is hardly touched on. Instead of spending thousands on components, save yourself the money and read what works to gain you speed and reduces your drag.



5. As a cyclist and an engineer I really enjoyed reading this book. It is very technical and interesting to read. Really nerds it up, and I loved it.

5 comments about Bicycling The Pacific Coast.

1. We just completed a coastal ride from San Francisco to Mexico. I bought this book prior to the trip hoping it would shed some light on what to expect, tips, training, etc. I was initially disappointed.
   
   But..as we started our trip we found the maps were very valuable (the rest of the book..so/so). The altitude scales were okay, but good enough to set some level of expectations. They didn't always reflect the map in the right scale, but it worked well enough. We initially thought we could ride route 1 the whole way, but found we couldn't in many of the bigger cities, which is where the book came in handy. The maps showed which side streets to take. You can also follow bike signs or bike lanes along the way, but they're not always around when needed. We usually ripped the page out of the book and only carried the small map vs a bunch of maps. You will be surprised how many different maps you would need to carry. Use the book and maps as a general guide, but don't be afraid to wing it. In a few areas like Santa Cruz, South LA, La Jolla and South San Diego (near the boarder) we couldn't find the streets on the map. We got lost, but usually found our way via other streets using general navigation.
   
   Other tips the book doesn't give...wear bright colors, in SF and LA you will be on busy streets with cars zipping by. I hear going in April or Sept are best to avoid tourists and still have really good weather. We used Yahoo Yellow Pages to print out high level city maps with all the hotels listed with contact info and pre-plotted on the map. This was very handy when trying to find a motel in the evening. I also recommend buying the toughest tires you can find (i.e. Specialized Armadillos). Normal road tires are too soft and get too many holes. Between the two of us we had 6 flats and a tire slash in the first day leaving SF..very discouraging. We bought heavy duty tires at a bike shop in Santa Cruz and never got another one the whole trip! We avg. about 78 miles per day with an avg. speed of 15.5 miles per hour, allowing us to get from SF to Mexico in 8 days. Make sure you know how your bike fits you and your body reacts to long days, esp multiple days. I started to ice my knee and quads every night, which made me feel much better the next day. All in all...it was a lot of fun!



2. Today, I finished cycling the Pacific Coast from the Oregon border to Los Angeles [900 miles] and can say without hesitation this is one of the most inaccurate guidebooks I've ever used. Mileages often were wrong; elevations frequently were wrong [one climb described in the book as 800' turned out to be 300']; climbs were in the wrong place; towns which were on the bottom of climbs were placed by the book at the top; important places were missed entirely; the maps often did not conform to road maps. Worse, some alternate routes, such as the ride over San Marcos Pass into Santa Barbara, were described positively, but were found to be hellish experiences---5,000' total of climbing, bumper-to-bumper traffic driving at high speeds, minimal shoulders. The authors also missed some obvious alternate routes, such as Santa Rosa Road from Lompoc to Buellton, a gorgeous lightly-traveled country road through wine country in favor of highway 154, a boring 4-lane highway with fast-moving traffic.
   
   A much more accurate, and easier to use, cycling guide is the Krebs map for the Northern California coast. Unfortunately, Krebs has published no map for the Southern California section. Let's hope Krebs produces a riding guide for the rest of California.
   
   Despite the many inaccuracies of the Kirkendall book, this is a great bike ride and no one should be deterred by a crappy guidebook. Some sections are absolutely sublime. Riding from Half Moon Bay to Morro Bay in three days, our riders, some of them very experienced [one had ridden the Road Across America], said, "This is the most beautiful day of riding I've ever had," only to say the next day, "Today was even better." Some of the riding encounters fast traffic and no or small shoulders, so take care in those sections. Also, avoid weekends in the more tourist-oriented sections.



3. I bought this because I wore out the old copy I had and it was a little out of date. This book is so valuable to cyclist up and down the coast that they simply refer to it as "The book". While I did notice some inaccurate information, specifically, the book mentions that there is no camping on Hornby Island while I stayed in a huge campground there, It is mostly accurate as I read it cover to cover upon receipt to relive my last ride from Powell River BC to Seattle. This book is indispensable for anyone considering cycling any part of the coast from Canada to Mexico. Don't leave home without it!



4. I used this book in conjunction with Adventure Cycling maps on a Canada to Mexico ride in 2007 and found this book to be more complete in it's description of routes and facilities. It's very easy to follow, takes you on less-traveled roads without going to ridiculous extremes to avoid well-traveled roads, and gives excellent descriptions of available facilities such as campground amenities, points of interest, libraries, etc. I would highly recommend this book if you are planning a bicycle tour along any or all of the Pacific Coast Bicycle Route.



5. I did this trip (Vancouver to Tijuana) with a couple of friends last year, and noticed that most people used this exact book. Most also have those cyclist's maps that cost much more--we didn't, and turned out fine.
   Anyway, we came to refer to it as "the Bible" throughout the trip, often checking it for absolutely any details we may need, and sometimes just to assure ourselves we were on the right track.
   It's surprisingly small (good for the handlebar bag) given how much information it has for you. Details of everything a cyclist might need or want are provided along the set path, down to the TENTH of a mile. On our trip, we strayed quite a bit from the trail, but the Bible made it pretty easy to orient ourselves even when off of the recommended roads.
   If you're planning to bike any section of the west coast, and especially if you want to do the whole shebang, you REALLY should buy this book.

5 comments about Angelina's Birthday (Angelina Ballerina).

1. Like all of the "Angelina Ballerina" series, this one is beautifully illustrated and has content interesting to pre-schoolers, including the idea that children can do some work to earn something they really want. Angelina and her friend Alice have set-backs and successes with, of course, a happy and satisfying ending.
   
   Unlike previous books, however, the cover has shiny silver among the lovely pastel colors making it a must-touch book among others on the shelf. "Angelina" is my granddaughters' favorite book but they are too young to write their own reviews so I have done it for them.



2. Angelina Ballerina books are wonderful books. My grand daughter who is 4 reads and I purchased some for her. She takes dance class and loves ballet. The whole idea of a mouse that dances makes it cute.



3. Angelina's Birthday is a sweet book. My little 4 year old loves the ups and down of Angelina's little life and that she makes it out alright. Of course that there is some ballet involved always helps :) It is a nice little book.



4. I bought this book for a little girl I babysit for. I would recommenf this book for any young girl!



5. My grand daughter, who is 6, loved the book. She loves ballet, and the fact that Angelina is a mouse didn't seem to bother her. She has gone back to read it several times.

5 comments about The Complete Book of Long-Distance Cycling: Build the Strength, Skills, and Confidence to Ride as Far as You Want.

1. I bought this book when I first got into cycling about a year ago. For someone who is just starting out it is a great book because it explains a lot about the different aspects of riding such as bike fit, nutrition, etc. I am in the process of reading other books on cycling, but I would without a doubt recommend this to someone trying to learn more about the sport and how to get into better shape while on the bike.



2. This is an excellent reference for long distance riding. Following the information in this book a beginning rider can ride a century, the cyclists' marathon, with no difficulties and few surprises. A good way to start getting involved with long distance riding. Not good for those who want to do time trials or other fast racing.



3. This is one of the most COMPREHENSIVE books on long-distance cycling I've ever read and I recommend it to anyone who is going to do any amount of long distance cycling. While you can get SOME of the info off the internet, you can't get it all by far, and why would you want to try when you can get it all in this handy book? Let me tell you about some of what the book covers.
   
   The book does a nice job of going over the most efficient positions to bike in. To me, this is the best way to avoid an injury. But if you do get an injury, the book goes over in some pretty good detail, what the most common injuries are and how to treat them (I also recommend The 5-Minute Plantar Fasciitis Solution if this terrible foot problem causes you cycling problems). I've read a lot about injuries from various sources and the advice is right on the money.
   
   Biking equipment is also covered in a lot of detail, as well as the different types of bikes out there to help you sort out what you need. There's a lot of stuff out there made for cyclists and this could save a lot of people a lot of time and money.
   
   Other interesting topics covered include what to eat (nutrition), how to train for various distance rides (the book breaks this up into up-to-100 miles rides, 100 to 200 mile rides, and 200+ mile rides), specific cycling problems males/females may have (such as prostate irritation), riding in various weather conditions, and even how to stay in shape when you can't ride in the off-season!
   
   As you can see, its a quite thorough book and I can't recommend it enough for those who are looking for a good long-distance cycling resource.



4. I am helping my husband plan an unsupported cross country trip this summer. I have now read 15 books on Long Distance, Cross Country Cycling. This is the only book I am passing on to my husband and his cycling companion as a Must Read before the trip. He has already found, through Ed&Ed's advice: a great weight work-out, he's seen a podiatrist for cycling orthotics , and adjusted his seat because he was starting a knee injury. The information on nutrition is really helpful as my husband has trouble with blood sugar. Everything from hydration systems to leg warmers is practical, useful and ultimately helpful information. Ed&Ed give credible advise because of their vast experience with long distance cycling. If you are considering a tour of any length, this is a Must Have Book!



5. Wonderful book; easy to read and understand. I highly recommend it for anyone embarking on a long distance ride.

5 comments about The Complete Book of Road Cycling & Racing.

1. Whether you are just getting started in the sport, or you've been riding and racing for 20+ years (like me), this is a tremendous handbook and reference guide to all things cycling.
   
   I found the off-season training and nutrition chapters to be particularly helpful. If you are interested in racing, the racing skills and tactics chapter will quickly bring you up to speed.
   
   Perhaps the best aspect of this book are the photos, which tell the story in many cases themselves. The author has gone to great lengths to find pictures that supplement the text and further explain many of the technical aspects, particularly in the bike maintenance chapter.
   
   If there's a cyclist on your Christmas list this year, I recommend this as a "must purchase."



2. As a fellow exercise scientist, this book covers all of the bases and well! Will starts at the the basics of cycling and covers great ground that will prove beneficial to athletes at many levels. I will be using this book for my beginning wellness and cycling class.



3. I've been riding casually my entire life, but when I was ready to take it to the next level and do some serious riding, I bought this book because of the reviews. I am only on page 30 and the book has already paid for itself. I understand how to communicate with the bike shop when discussing different parts of my bike and was able to do a better job than the shop making adjustments. Now, my performance has improved and I'm not getting the same knee injuries I used to for months. I strongly recommend this book for cyclists that are thinking about racing or participating in tours.



4. If your looking for a book that not only coverers all aspects of road cycling (buying, maintenance, training, riding skills), but also does it in a clear concise method, then this is the book.
   As a mountain biker, who just bought my first road bike, I was looking for any and all the information I could find on road cycling. I have read a few magazines and bought one other book, but it did not give me the all the information that I was looking for. After buying this book, I immediately knew that this was the book I was looking for. I not only read it in a few days, but also have been referring back to it, as I have become a more experienced rider.
   Everything is covered: from getting "fitted" riding in the rain, the importance of riding to a 90 cadence, group riding, racing tactics, training, to maintaining your bike. It is all here. Highly recommended.



5. I enjoy reading this book a few pages at a time before going to bed. I don't see it becoming a reference book, so if you can get one from the local library, it will be just fine.

5 comments about Duck on a Bike.

1. This is the book that finally made my older son like reading!! He and his younger brother absolutely love this book! David Shannon's illustrations are amazing, and the story is really cute and funny. If we ever need a gift for a young kid, this is our go-to purchase. You won't be disappointed with this one!



2. One of the teachers in our Creative Learning Center assembled music pieces onto a CD to go with each animal featured in this book. My kinder students loved my read-aloud of it with the musical accompaniment and asked to do it again and again! Great way to pair music with literature and incorporate movement!



3. Delivery was within the time frame but just barely. Book is fine - condition is as described.



4. My daughter loved this book and now my 3 year old son LOVES this book. It is his favorite and I have to read it to him every day. Needless to say I have it memorized by now! The artwork is so wonderful! Bright and colorful illustrations that depict the mood of the animals. We all love this one - but dying to know - will there be "Duck on a Tractor"??? We hope so!



5. Book was purchased as a gift for my 2 year old grandson. It arrived in good condition. He enjoyed listening to me read it to me.

5 comments about The Bicycling Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance and Repair: For Road and Mountain Bikes(Expanded and Revised 5th Edition).

1. the book is a few steps above basic maintenance. it cover everything from the very simple basic things up to some complicated things. it tells you how some stuff is done, even things that your bike shop should do but it helsp to know what has to be doen so they dont rip you off. the knowledge is good and is pretty easy to follow as well.



2. I have always thought it would be so much easier to perform my own bicycle maintenance but never took the effort to look into a "how to" book. After years of taking bicycles to the shop for tune-ups and upgrades, and not having a shop nearby, I decided to investigate the idea of "self repair" a little more. This book is what I needed to get the ball rolling and as the title states, this is a complete guide for at home repairs and then some... This book has made mountain biking even more enjoyable for me!



3. This bike repair book is good, don't get me wrong, but there was much to be desired.
   
   It has a lot of good information, but it doesn't have ALL information. I didn't feel like the pictures were matching up with the text on step by step instructions. It has NO color pictures.
   
   It has great reviews, but I don't think it's that great.
   
   It seems unorganized too. I'm reading it, and i'm not sure what type of brakes they are talking about in the brakes chapter.
   
   I wish I would have went the the "Big Blue Book of Bike repair", although I admit I have not seen it to KNOW it's better that this.
   
   Conclusion: I wish I had went with another book.



4. I bought this book as a resource for repairing my newer MTB. I was surprised to find a lot of useful information for my early, mid, and late 70's road bikes. The information is very detailed and specific to individual popular manufacturer's products. And there are often tips for the less popular products. The trouble shooting portions at the end of the how-to articles are invaluable - especially if you truly wish to remedy 99% of the problems encountered with building and maintaining your own bike. (NOTE: If you do not find that bicycle repair is enjoyable, save yourself the trouble and PLEASE support your local bicycle repair shop)
   
   When building a couple bicycles, I have trusted this book as the human voice when following the overly optimistic manuals provided by manufactures. I'd pay 4x the price for this book. One minor qualm is I occasionally run into mis-captioned photos in the steps. These typos were easily deciphered.
   
   I should add that my friends runs a bike repair co-op. This is their main go to book.



5. This book is definitely worth. Everything that I needed is covered. It takes the mystique out of bike repairs and also shows you what is not worth your time in tackling. Highly recommended.