On the Road Bike
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  • Published: 30 May 2013
  • ISBN: 9781448161096
  • Imprint: Vintage Digital
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 336

On the Road Bike

The Search For a Nation’s Cycling Soul

Formats & editions
EBook
30 May 2013
Audiobook
30 May 2013
Paperback
15 Jun 2014
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*Now with a brand new chapter*

An amusing and personal exploration of the austere, nutty soul of British cycling from Ned Boulting, the author of How I Won The Yellow Jumper.

‘British cyclist. It used to be an oxymoron, a sort of silliness. Like French Cricket’
Ned Boulting has noticed something. It’s to do with bikes. They’re everywhere. And so are their riders. Some of these riders seem to be sporting sideburns and a few of them are winning things. Big things. Now Ned wants to know how on earth it came to this. And what, exactly is 'this'.

In On the Road Bike, Ned Boulting asks how Britain became so obsessed with cycling. His journey takes him from the velodrome at Herne Hill to the Tour of Britain at Stoke-on-Trent via Bradley Wiggins, Chris Boardman, David Millar (and David’s mum), Ken Livingstone, both Tommy Godwins, Gary Kemp (yes, him from Spandau Ballet) and many, many more. The result is an amusing and personal exploration of the austere, nutty soul of British cycling.

'Funny, fascinating and frequently touching ... will be enjoyed by anyone with even a passing interest in cycling. No bib shorts required' Guardian
  • Published: 30 May 2013
  • ISBN: 9781448161096
  • Imprint: Vintage Digital
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 336
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About the author

Ned Boulting

Ned Boulting started his broadcasting career at Sky in 1997, working as a reporter alongside Jeff Stelling on the now legendary show Soccer Saturday. In 2006 he was given the Royal Television Society’s Sports Reporter of the Year Award. In addition to his work as a football reporter for ITV, he has now presented seven Tours of Britain, the Vuelta España, the Tour of California as well as the Tour Series and the inaugural Women’s Tour. He has contributed features and live reports on twelve Tours de France. He is the author of the much-loved books How I Won the Yellow Jumper and On the Road Bike.

Also by Ned Boulting

Boulting's Velosaurus
101 Damnations
How I Won the Yellow Jumper
See all

Praise for On the Road Bike

Boulting is a deliciously funny companion

Claire Allfree, Metro

Funny, fascinating and frequently touching ... will be enjoyed by anyone with even a passing interest in cycling. No bib shorts required

Helen Pidd, Guardian

Heartwarming and often downright hilarious

Susan Swarbrick, Sunday Herald

Don't expect to read a better sports book this year. Funny, serious, quirky, hard hitting.

Brendan Gallagher

Reading this book, you are treated to a number of laugh-out-load anecdotes, you get to meet the most eccentric characters and you will read some surprisingly moving tales…sure to enlighten and entertain

Joff Verby, London Cyclist

Quirky, insightful, soulful. Could be subtitled 'cyclists are odd - discuss'

Matt Dickinson, @DickinsonTimes

It's very funny, surprisingly insightful and features telling observations from a litany of engaging personalities along with Ned's amusing take on his own cycling experiences

Wheelsuckers

Boulting is a delightful narrator, amusingly preoccupied by his own middle-class roots

Financial Times

An amusing and personal exploration of the austere, nutty soul of British cycling

Nudge