On a ride with my old friend Malcolm, we spent some time talking about cycling books and agreed to swap some of our best cycling books. One of the ones I talked about was “The Rider” by Tim Krabbe. Without giving too much away, it’s the story of a bike race. It’s not a long novel, but it really is a great read that I wholeheartedly recommend to any cyclist or anyone who wants to understand bike racing a little better.

I’ve read it several times and I enjoy every bit as much on each read as I did on the first.

It gives a tremendously compelling account of a fictional road race. As someone who has never raced, I can’t vouch for it’s accuracy but I can vouch for it’s entertainment and readability. You’ll probably finish it in an afternoon or an evening – but it’s absolute classic cycling book.

Highly recommended indeed.