In the age of Womyn Power, Susan Weaver's book A Woman's Guide to Cycling is yet another catalyst for women seeking strength, confidence and respect. Perhaps the greatest deterrent for women interested in cycling is the male-dominance of the sport. What are women to think when bike shop employees immediately lead them to touring models with step-through frames? How should women react when male riders ignore them during club rides? What should women believe when the UCI bans women's races that are half the distance of men's races, considering them too hard on the female body?

Weaver's book is a great introduction to the world of cycling for women interested but intimidated by the sport. Throughout the book, case studies are provided which support the theme that cycling is good for a woman's soul as well as her health. This, at times, makes the book seem like more of a woman's liberation document than a cycling reference. Due to the introductory nature of the subject matter and the occasional woman-specific topics, this book can be very helpful to women new to cycling or coaches with female clients. Most male cyclists and experienced female cyclists, however, will find little useful information in Weaver's book.

Almost anything a new rider needs to know is discussed in A Woman's Guide to Cycling. I couldn't help thinking how helpful this book would have been when I was first started cycling. Such basics as choosing the type of bicycle and assuring proper fit are covered. More advanced topics such as devising a diet, performing minor bicycle repairs, riding in a group and setting up a training plan are also discussed. The audience to which these topics are directed, however, is inexperienced and more interested in fitness than competition. Experienced athletes or new cyclists with loftier goals would find more useful information is books written by professional cyclists like Greg Lemond, respected coaches like Chris Carmichael and Joe Friel, or doctors and kinesthesiologists knowledgeable about cycling like Dr. Edmund Burke.

Two of the best things about this book are also two of the major reasons why this book would not appeal to men. One is the frequent use of case studies to emphasize certain points. All of these cases are women who experienced some type of benefit from cycling. Weaver devotes many pages to providing reasons, both physical and mental, for initiating a cycling program and she supports her claims with specific examples of women just like those that will read this book. These case studies are interesting to read but are frequent enough to bore or annoy a reader who is only interested in garnering concrete knowledge on training and racing.

The other great thing about this book is the attention Weaver pays to specifically woman-oriented topics. For example, two chapters suggest ways to deal with such female matters as pregnancy, PMS and yeast and urinary tract infections when cycling. Weaver provides information on women-only cycling tours and helps women find a saddles that are comfortable for them in a market overflowing with products designed for men or labeled "unisex" (which basically means "made for men but we hope women will buy it anyway").

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It is refreshing to flip through this book and note the ponytails on all of the sketches. A full color series of pictures in the middle of the book shows women participating in a number of different bicycling activities from touring China to racing the velodrome in Pennsylvania. Weaver takes great pains to avoid intimidating her audience. The pictures illustrating women active in the sport and the presentation of material from a woman's perspective help her succeed in this.

A Woman's Guide to Cycling is an excellent introduction to the wonders of cycling for the beginning woman cyclist and a fun book for any woman to read. Technical detail required to devise a training regimen, structure a dietary plan or repair anything beyond a flat tire or dropped chain will require a reference directed toward more advanced cyclists. However, this book provides enough information to get any woman started in cycling so that she can hang in local club rides. And never does the theme diminish in intensity - "You go girl!".

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