Overview

British cycling has had a tumultuous history; from the civil war that tore the sport apart to its golden era after the Second World War, its dramatic decline and stunning, modern transformation, so that now it is thriving at both an elite level and its grass-roots. In Kings of the Road, Robert Dineen provides a personal chronicle of these developments, meeting some of the most influential personalities from successive generations of the sport and dramatizing the overlooked but compelling events in which they were involved. To reconnect this often neglected past with the sport as it is today, he also charts his own experiences on the club scene preparing for the Etape du Tour, the sportive regarded as the ultimate challenge for the amateur cyclist. The two plotlines combine to produce an insightful look at British cycling s past, its present and where it might be headed

Full Product Details

9781781313558

Table of Contents

Reviews

'Funny, insightful and uplifting, this is a book in two parts: a journey into the heart of cycling but also into the mind of a London-Irishman, whose efforts to gain a greater appreciation of the challenges faced by elite cyclsts involved him joining a local club to prepare to ride l'Etape du Tour... Dineen's skilful storytelling and self-deprecating nature come to the fore as he battles with the Pyrenees, hypothermia and self-doubt.' -- Garry Doyle Sunday Times 'very readable and full of hidden nuggets... If stories from British cycling's rich past float your boat then this is definitely a book for you.' -- Brendan Gallagher Tour of Britain blog 'entertaining and informative... shows just how far we have come as a nation in the sport of cycling' -- Richard Peploe Road.cc 'Dineen brings colour to the stories of long-forgotten or never-heard-ofs who were the stars of British cycling.' -- Owen Slot The Times 'I thoroughly enjoyed Robert Dineen's Kings of the Road; A Journey into the Heart of British Cycling and reading about how he has recently become a 'Mamil' (Middle Aged Man in Lycra), is addicted to carbon-fibre and Strava and is thinking now more about the monthly mileage that he has clocked up rather than the state of his bank balance!' -- Tony Doyle MBE, two-time world cycling champion and Britain's most successful ever six-day rider 'kings of the road is a very good teacher; one that educates without ever appearing to do so... the boy done good.' The Washing Machine Post 'a warts and all look at the past of British Cycling. Cycling fans should enjoy.' Cycling Uphill

'entertaining and informative... shows just how far we have come as a nation in the sport of cycling' -- Richard Peploe Road.cc 'Dineen brings colour to the stories of long-forgotten or never-heard-ofs who were the stars of British cycling.' -- Owen Slot The Times 'I thoroughly enjoyed Robert Dineen's Kings of the Road; A Journey into the Heart of British Cycling and reading about how he has recently become a 'Mamil' (Middle Aged Man in Lycra), is addicted to carbon-fibre and Strava and is thinking now more about the monthly mileage that he has clocked up rather than the state of his bank balance!' -- Tony Doyle MBE, two-time world cycling champion and Britain's most successful ever six-day rider 'kings of the road is a very good teacher; one that educates without ever appearing to do so... the boy done good.' The Washing Machine Post 'a warts and all look at the past of British Cycling. Cycling fans should enjoy.' Cycling Uphill

Author Information

ROBERT DINEEN is a sports journalist with the Telegraph Media Group and the author of Reg Harris: The Rise and Fall of Britain's Greatest Cyclist. He lives in East London and this is his second book.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available