On The Road Bike- The Search for a Nation's Cycling Soul

If you live in England, you may have noticed something over the last five years or so. There are cyclist everywhere. Ned Boulting, ITV's main Tour de France reporter has made it his mission to discover why it is now so common to get about on just two wheels.

Boulting (below) makes it clear from the start that he is no cycling expert. Instead of potentially putting off the reader with his opening remarks, Boulting endears himself with his honesty. There is no sense of the author dictating to the reader what it is they are about to be learn but rather that both the author and the reader are going on the same journey, at the same time.



There is an overwhelming sense throughout the book that Boulting is incredibly proud of the subject matter. At times, the English cycling scene is at best nutty, from the amateur races on a cold, rainy day in front of a man and his dog to the nearly pointless Sunday afternoon rides that amount to very little about from sweat and the odd loose chain.

Yet despite this rather grim outlook, Boulting endeavours to find the quirky soul of British cycling. He succeeds. A bit like Boulting, I must admit, that there are many names in this book, the likes of the two Tommy Godwins and Graham Webb, that I had not heard of before I picked up "On The Road Bike". Boulting has a brilliant knack of making the reader feel like they are there is the living room of English's sport unsung heroes, sipping a cup of homemade tea and enjoying sandwiches and tales alike.

There are also some brilliant anecdotes that could only come from a man who has been privileged to be able to be at the centre of the British cycling revolution of the past decade. From fetching champagne for the Team Sky lads after their historic Tour De France triumph in 2012 to conducting a rather bizarre interview with the former major of London Ken Livingstone. Boulting details extraordinary stories of this fast growing sport.

Boulting admits himself that this book is not a comprehensive account of British cycling. Yet what it is, is a fascinating description of the romantic tales and unlikely heroes that give cycling in Britain a certain je ne sais quoi.

Hinman Rating- 88/100

Author- Ned Boulting

Publisher- Yellow Jersey Press

ISBN- 9780224092098

Price- Cheap, no more than £8

Availability- Wide, available at most book shops and websites