Home
/
Non-Fiction
/
Bikie
Bikie
Oct 9, 2024 8:27 PM

Author:Charlie Woods

Bikie

Bikie lays bare the true heart of cycling. Every grass-roots enthusiast, keen racing man and elite professional has one thing in common: he loves his bike and riding it.

The author pinpoints the source of his love, tracing its development in the individual, how it draws people into a community and then a tradition – creating a whole worldwide culture to celebrate that deep affection for what is a technological marvel and transcendent experience.

Great champions, too, are inseparable from their bikes. They merge into them, becoming a composite image, figures of myth.

As well as exerting an emotional hold, cycling, in its famous races, also mounts a living proof of exemplary virtues: courage, perseverance and self-sacrifice – gives us, in fact, a glimpse of the higher reaches of the human spirit. There is a sense of this mythical realm in every pedal turn, for once astride a handbuilt lightweight we are put in touch with the greatest riders of all time.

Bikie is the story of one man’s passionate involvement, but in its forthright sincerity it goes to the roots of what we all share.

Reviews

Bikie is not just a poignant and very funny autobiography, it is also a beautifully written piece of social history

—— The Times Literary Supplement

'[I]t's a tale of slavish fandom, the highs and lows of which are illustrated with dexterity... It's not only cricket fans and journalists who'll appreciate this yarn - it's a tale for lovers in the wider sense, and of the boundaries they'll cross

—— Independent

Jupp is intelligent, charismatic and one of the most established raconteurs around

—— Time Out

His tribute to the simple pleasures of fandom is a touching one

—— Guardian

A very funny book about a very silly plan

—— Jonathan Agnew

Impressively researched... McKinstry does an excellent job recounting Hobbes' exploits

—— Mike Atherton , The Times

Read this and it will be impossible to take an unremarkable walk again

—— Metro

Quirky, warped, enthusiastic and funny

—— Chris Boardman

Tour history is blended with anecdotes revealing the personalities and quirks of professional cycling

—— Times Higher Educational Supplement

Genuinely funny

—— Richard Williams

Made me chuckle

—— Mark Cavendish

Hilarious behind-the-scenes anecdotes

—— Glasgow Herald

An irreverent and funny take on cycling’s biggest race from a man who has seen it up close every year since 2003

—— Lesley McDowell , Glasgow Herald

I found his behind-the-scenes look at the famous race both highly amusing and telling in equal measure

—— Johann Lamont , Scotland on Sunday

Cycling at its best is fiercely cosmopolitan and internationalist, Boulting provides the kind of commentary the sport deserves, and will need if it is to fulfil its undoubted potential to reach out and grow

—— Mark Perryman , The Huffington Post

An entertaining read, rich in nostalgia and reminiscent of Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch, this offers an insight into the power of obsession and how the beautiful game has changed. Moving and amusing

—— Sport magazine
Comments
Welcome to zzdbook comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Copyright 2023-2024 - www.zzdbook.com All Rights Reserved