Author:Charlie Woods
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.
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
—— IndependentJupp is intelligent, charismatic and one of the most established raconteurs around
—— Time OutHis tribute to the simple pleasures of fandom is a touching one
—— GuardianA very funny book about a very silly plan
—— Jonathan AgnewImpressively researched... McKinstry does an excellent job recounting Hobbes' exploits
—— Mike Atherton , The TimesRead this and it will be impossible to take an unremarkable walk again
—— MetroQuirky, warped, enthusiastic and funny
—— Chris BoardmanTour history is blended with anecdotes revealing the personalities and quirks of professional cycling
—— Times Higher Educational SupplementGenuinely funny
—— Richard WilliamsMade me chuckle
—— Mark CavendishHilarious behind-the-scenes anecdotes
—— Glasgow HeraldAn 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 HeraldI found his behind-the-scenes look at the famous race both highly amusing and telling in equal measure
—— Johann Lamont , Scotland on SundayCycling 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 PostAn 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