{"product_id":"higher-calling-cyclings-obsession-with-mountains-9781643131375","title":"Higher Calling: Cycling's Obsession with Mountains","description":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWritten with verve and enthusiasm, \u003cem\u003eHigher Calling \u003c\/em\u003eexplores why mountains have such a magnetic appeal to cyclists the world over. But Max Leonard, himself an accomplished amateur cyclist, does not forget the pain, the glory, the sweat, and the tears that go into these grueling climbs. After all, cycling up a mountain is hard. So hard that, to many, it can seem absurd. But for others, climbing a mountain gracefully (and beating your competitors up the slope) represents the pinnacle of cycling achievement. It is where legends are forged.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMountains are where cycling's greatest heroes have made their names. Every amateur rider wishes they could climb better, too. Are all these people addicted to the pain? To the achievement? Or to the allure of the peaks? Some spend their weekends and holidays cycling up mountains from start to finish. But how does a rider push themselves beyond their limits to get up a 10% gradient on pedal power alone? What is happening when they do?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHigher Calling \u003c\/em\u003eexplores the central place of mountains in the folklore of road cycling. Blending adventure and travel writing with the rich narrative of racing, Max Leonard takes the reader from the battles that created the Alpine roads to the shepherds tending their flocks on the peaks, and to a Grand Tour climax on the \"highest road in Europe.\" And he tells stories of courage and sacrifice, war and love, obsession and even elephants, along the way.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLeonard, Max:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cb\u003eMax Leonard\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of \u003ci\u003eLanterne Rouge \u003c\/i\u003eand amateur cyclist. He has written for \u003ci\u003eEsquire, Monocle, Rouler, Daily Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003e, Rapha\u003c\/i\u003e and more. He lives in London.","brand":"Pegasus Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50423304421650,"sku":"9781643131375","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_5bd33ca5-ebc1-4281-9fce-5310b6d1eafa.jpg?v=1729525158","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/higher-calling-cyclings-obsession-with-mountains-9781643131375","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}