Bike Life: An Illustrated Guide to Riding, Fixing, and Loving Your Bike

by Adrien Zammit

A charmingly illustrated and fun guide to cycling, with a “handmade” format that belies its encyclopedic comprehensiveness—a perfect gift for cycling novices and devotees alike

Constantly on the move, Adrien Zammit is a true cycling enthusiast. He knows the ins and outs of every aspect of bicycles and bike riding, from mechanics and maintenance to the philosophy and advocacy to make cycling a safe and enjoyable way to get around. Economical, ecological, practical, good for your health—it’s the ideal transport, whether you’re commuting and running errands or leaving all cares behind on a weekend pleasure ride. This guide is aimed at everyone, from experienced to aspiring cyclists, and reveals everything there is to know to make the most of your cycling journeys. Getting from point A to B will never be the same!

Genres: Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

Published June 24, 2025

Reviews

[Lauren Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

So charming & helpful. Will be fixing my hybrid and riding more this year for both practical transport & adventure.

[Jane B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced reader copy of this great book. To be honest, at nearly 40 I can barely ride a bike, and know basically nothing about bikes. UNTIL NOW! There’s so much information about bikes that I didn’t even realize existed. More types of bikes, things to maintain and so much other information packed into this illustrated guide.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

A charming illustrated guide to cycling, this comic-style book doesn't seem to know its audience. It ranges from the absolute beginner level (e.g., how to pedal) to more detailed guides to bike parts and emergency kits.

I suppose it's trying to be comprehensive, but I couldn't quite gauge who it was for. I would have preferred a more advanced take, perhaps one balanced with tales from the saddle, but this wasn't for me.

[Aubrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute! This book was the perfect intro for me as I jump into cycling. Great for beginners. Wish there was a bit more technical information, but it gave me confidence on owning and taking care of my bike!

[Nathaniel Hoggard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything you’re gonna need for getting starting biking, all the way to becoming an amateur mechanic. I love this resource.

[Emily Thirion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute comprehensive history/guide for beginners.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a life-long cyclist, and several facets of the book resonated with me. I found the advice for novice cyclists excellent with a message of not pushing oneself too much, of not taking unnecessary risks - a sort of start slow, build up slow. I also liked that recommendations weren’t necessarily for the most expensive, top of the line equipment. The book is very detailed, but never gets bogged down. And there is some humour, which I appreciated. My only real quibble about the book were the winter cycling recommendations which really don’t hold up well in my part of Canada. Thank you to Netgalley and The Experiment for the advance reader copy.