Cycling in Cities - the Best Books
John Forester, "Effective Cycling" , MIT Press, 6th edn, 1993
The Bible. Every cyclist should own it. Known for its clear explanation of how to ride in traffic, but equally good for most other things: mechanics, bike touring, and so on.
John Franklin, "Cyclecraft" , The Stationary Office, 1997
The other bible on how to ride in traffic, this one written for British conditions. All the right endorsements: RoSPA etc etc.
Daniel Behrman, "The Man Who Loved Bicycles", Harpers Magazine Press, NY, 1973
"The Memoirs of an Autophobe" is its subtitle. Other books tell you how to ride a bike, this tells you why.
Frances Willard, "How I Learned to Ride the Bicycle", Fair Oaks Publishing Co 1895/1991
Cycling as 19th century women's lib, or anybody's lib. Equally valid a century later.
John Franklin, ed "The Bart's/CTC Guide to Cycling in and around London", Bart's 1981
John Franklin's other book. For those who ride round London because they enjoy it, not just because they want to prove something
Goldfrank, Goldfrank, Humez and Humez "The Boston Basin Bicycle Book", David Godine, 1975
Another model for what a city bike guide should be. The world's best, I think.
John Forester, "Bicycle Transportation" MIT Press, 2nd ed 1994
The alternate view on bike activism. Don't trust the competence of any traffic engineer, or bike activist, who hasn't read it, or who can't say why they agree, or disagree, with what it says. Make sure you get the latest edition.
Krausz and Krausz, "The Bicycle Book" , The Dial Press, 1982
Everything about cycling that isn't in the "everything about cycling" books. Where else would you find the scoop on unicycling, for instance. Notable for Rob Van der Plas's article "Some Call it Paradise: Bicycling in Holland", revealing the dark side of Dutch style bike facilities.
Davies, Halliday, Mayes and Pocock, "Attitudes to Cycling: a qualitative study and conceptual framework", TRL Report 266, 1997
What it will really require to get the world cycling again. Necessary reading before planning any cycling campaign
John Adams, "Risk", UCL Press, 1995
The current activists' cry to encourage cycling is "Cycling is unpleasant and dangerous, but it is your duty to do it anyway." Actually cycling isn't especially dangerous, or I wouldn't do it (see, eventually, elsewhere on this web site) but nowadays, if trying to encourage others to ride, you do need to know something about risks, especially on this road. The publishers' blurbs on the back of the book are all true.