I don't know any books to suggest but I will say I've also learned a wealth of stuff from sites like this. I just bought my first REAL bike in June--a Trek 5000(I've been riding for about a year on discount store bikes.) I found that the more I learned about cycling, the more my mind changed about what I wanted. I started off just wanting a touring bike to ride in my neighborhood; figured out after lurking on this forum and experiencing the feel of the road, that speed and distance were really what I wanted. Once I told my LBS what I enjoyed about biking and what I wanted out of it, they were more than able to suggest bikes that would fit my needs and give me info about the things that go with them.