Title: Of limited value to the conscientous cyclist
Product review: I can't really recommend this book. While it's filled with very good equipment and car-free lifestyle choices, the riding techniques advocated are highly dubious. In some cases, they're illegal and stupid -- like showing you how to run red traffic lights, or riding on the sidewalk -- and will do nothing for the image of cyclists. The book even shows (by a backhanded warning) the best place to crack a car windshield.It is a shame that such moments of crassness spoil a book that is aimed at beginners. These would be bad habits to get into, and terrible things to learn from the outset.Better books on assertive cycling are John Franklin's "Cyclecraft", and John Forester's "Effective Cycling". They show you how to gain your place in the traffic, and how to keep it without resorting to crazy stunts.
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