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| Roadie: The Misunderstood World of a Bike Racer | 
 enlarge | Author: Jamie Smith
Creator: Jef Mallett
Publisher: VeloPress
Category: Book
List Price: $21.95
Buy New: $13.27
You Save: $8.68 (40%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (21 reviews)
Sales Rank: 6357
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6 x 0.8
ISBN: 1934030171
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.62
EAN: 9781934030172
ASIN: 1934030171
Publication Date: March 28, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
In the world of cycling, there are enthusiasts and then there are "roadies" ? the cyclist whose passion for bike racing cannot be tamed. A confirmed roadie will go to any length to better his record ? from shaving his legs to dropping a fortune on a bike ? and the reactions to a roadie's determination can vary from disbelief to outright scorn. Jamie Smith is a confirmed roadie, and in this unique book, he sets out to explain the often-misunderstood world of roadies, delving into the groups many neuroses and lightheartedly illuminating just what it is that keeps these extreme cyclists coming back for more. Accompanied by amusing illustrations from a nationally syndicated cartoonist, this look into a bike racing subculture is sure to convert even the most hardened skeptics.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 16 more reviews...
Dark Secrets of a Growing Cult November 25, 2008
Depending on where you live, the amateur racing season is pretty well over now and there must be a lot of people wondering about the irresistible lure that takes their loved ones out on the open road, oblivious to all else. As I turned the pages of Jamie Smith's entertaining new book, "Roadie," it slowly dawned on me just how strange the increasingly-popular pastime of bicycle racing must appear to outsiders. Mr. Smith provides a capsule description of a bike race, which indicates the tone of the book and its essential truthfulness:
A bike race is like a chess game, a boxing match and a stampede disguised as a sport, encompassed by a life-style, and surrounded by a community on a never-ending road trip to the brink of bankruptcy.
Offhand, this does not sound like the kind of summary that would necessarily attract newcomers to a sport, but this is precisely the intent of this book. Mr. Smith, an experienced cyclist and race announcer, decided to write it to explain bike racing to friends, colleagues and families of cyclists--people to whom this sport, which has stature in Europe, is an alien and exotic transplant in North America. He has succeeded with his light and amusing style and his ability to convey the joy of the sport with an unblinking eye. Has anybody else ever written about how roadies wear out their shorts without noticing it? They do.
The life-style of a road cyclist is so peculiar that it is worth the one-quarter of the book that Mr. Smith devotes to it. The fact that the average roadie owns eight bicycles--Mr. Smith does too--is apparently something unusual to non-racers. Besides our obvious obsession over equipment, the author touches on the other idiosyncrasies of cyclists, such as our unwillingness to move very much when off the bike. The truism of "never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down and never, ever walk" is actually good advice to help in the recuperation process but must seem strange to people who think that athletes should be, well, more athletic.
Getting into the riding itself training rides, outdoors and indoors, are discussed. The need to put in the mileage, typically 100-400 per week, is unquestionable but not always easy to explain to family members or acquaintances who would consider this a significant drive, let alone riding it. Perhaps if non-cyclists appreciated what goes into all this training they might be a little more inclined to leave some space for that cyclist they see when they are out driving on the road.
The chapter on tactics is very clear and should be helpful to neophytes but it is followed by a chapter on that very real and very unpleasant aspect of cycling: crashes, although Mr. Smith does say that he wishes he could ignore it. The fact is that if you are a racer sooner or later you are going to be involved in a crash. Improving your odds comes about through experience and upgrading your skills but it still happens to professionals. At least he speaks plainly so people are aware of this real risk.
Races are categorized into criteriums, road races, time trials and stage races, with a chapter devoted to each and not failing to note that there is not much in the way of money for any. Taking my favourite--time trialling--as an example, the account of what it is to ride one and what it looks like to a spectator (pretty undramatic) is very accurate. The author even mentions that fact that you need additional special costly equipment, which just makes it all that much more attractive. Here is an excerpt on time trials:
Once under way, a racer only needs to ride fast and avoid crashing into things. That may sound simple, but the one thing that makes the time trial such an intriguing event is the one thing that heightens the danger: concentration. A rider who is so sharply focused on riding can become blind to the most obvious things. For example, curves in the road.
Ahem, guilty.
So does this book meet its goals? It certainly would entertain any experienced cyclist, the kind of person who sit together with other roadies in a cafe after a ride and earnestly discusses tire brands, but would it be good to buy for a friend or family member curious about this bike racing thing? There is no question that in its breezy yet comprehensive way it will be able to keep the interest of someone new to the sport strong enough after 206 pages to watch a bike race and get something out of it, and, just possibly, become a convert and go for that first of eight bicycles themselves. Recommended.
It would be remiss not to mention the charming illustrations by Jef Mallett, who, unlike fellow-artist Toulouse-Lautrec, knows what a bicycle chain actually looks like. His work adds greatly to the liveliness and accessibility of this book.
 Great book for education and entertainment October 31, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
As a veteran biker (road and mountain) & triathlete I both identified and enjoyed this book immensely. The book is funny throughout, and I learned things about road racing I had never experienced before. The authors did a great job of keeping equipment and other biking "holy wars" separate from the material, which is very refreshing. (for instance, Powertap is better than SRM, you must have this specific coach to ever be good, etc)
I can't tell you how many times I handed the book to my wife and said "see! it's not just me!" ......
Overall, if you are a biker, bike fan, casual bike acquaintance, or know/related to someone who is, read the book, you will learn something and laugh at the same time.
Great Introduction To Road Racing October 28, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
As a "cyclist" who aspires to be a "road racer" (roadie), I found this book both fun and very informative. It even helped me see correct my cyclist's bad manners of joining a training peloton and/or pace line without requesting permission. Now I ask before a join. By the way as an old marathoner going for ride is not only great cross-training but, as much as I hate to say it, a lot more fun.
 Fun ride cover to cover September 30, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Sure, it's no literary masterpiece, but that's not what it's about. It's a good light hearted read for anyone who knows someone who rides a bike and wants to understand why bike riding consumes them.
An invaluable document for anyone who doesn't ride thinking of dating someone who does. It will either convince you to take up the sport or it will convince you to run a mile.
A great light-hearted read, full of insight and great humour.
Not what I was expecting... September 15, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I have been an avid cycling enthusiast for some time. Most of the people I know don't understand why I like it so much or why I spend so much money on cycling. I was hoping this book would focus mostly on that; in the beginning, it did explain the rationale (or lack of) behind a cyclist's behavior, but then it became too technical and focused too much on racing for my tastes. I feel that most of the cyclists I know are recreational riders instead of racers; I didn't realize that there were that many racers around. All of that being said, I still enjoyed the book, but I think it was because I was able to understand it. Even if your cyclist is not a racer, this book will help you understand his/her love of cycling.
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