Customer Reviews

Bobke II: The Continuing Misadventures of Bob Roll

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As someone who loves cycling but finds most books on the subject more boring than watching paint dry, this book is a refreshing change. Bob Roll takes you riding in the pelaton, on the training rides, and into the heart of a professional cyclist, which after reading this book you will never look at the same again.

Part of Roll's charm stems from his being exceptionally unexceptional. Though never having any great wins he was able to have a long career, ride in the big tours and experience the sport from the inside all because of his relentless work ethic, which seemed to be fueled by his pure love of cycling.

If you've ever watched the Tour De France and scratched your head wondering what it is about this sport that draws hundreds and thousands of screaming fans to pack the roadways to see these little skinny shaved legged men wearing garishly colored jerseys race past in a blink of the eye, Bobke will answer this. You will see cycling as this great sport; this drama of man against man, team against team, and man against himself all played out on this wonderful little machine the bicycle.

Finally, Bobke for the masses. This book fills the gap left by the skyrocketing prices for his first book. Anyone who has ever had fantasies of riding a bike for money has to read this. Bob's writing style takes some getting used to, but he tells it like it is, and does it his way. A mediocre editor would have taken this book and made it more "readable" and mainstream, but it would have lost what makes Bob Roll Bobke. Imagine if he was just another generic commentator for the Tour--would anyone want to listen? I wouldn't. Half the fun of Bob Roll is wondering what he'll say next. The other half is his fantastic storytelling. Get this book, read it, then pass it on to someone else to share the fun.

I got this book as a gift for Father's Day, and after the second page I was hooked. If you are a serious competitive cyclist and have had your head deep into this crazy sport, you won't be able to put it down. Maybe a bit random, but if I want to read Grisham, Koontz, or King, I'll buy one of their books. For a window into the world of professional cycling at its most glamorous and its worst, this is a must read. If I could give it 6 stars I would. But then again, I am a Bobke fan.

I am a big fan of Bob Roll, ever since watching him face plant in a NORBA race at Big Bear. After enjoying his column in Velo News, I bought Bobke when it was published. Amusing read. When we got back from France in a TdF frenzy, I ordered his Tour primer, and thought my wife might enjoy more stories, so I ordered Bobke II.

I didn't mind re-reading his columns in B-I, but to be sold the same stories twice, with minimal value add was insulting. The few new bits have such a 2004 speculative orientation, I am sure this book will become instantly dated.

If you DO NOT own the original Bobke, and discovered Bob on OLN, perhaps Bobke II is of value. I just feel ripped off and ignorant for having been taken this way.

I still love Bob, and hope he has continuing success. OLN's coverage would suffer without his knowledge and funk.

Bob Roll writes like he talks, with wit, humor and great insight. Anybody who has followed the Tour and enjoyed his outstanding commentary will enjoy this book. Also, you can draw great lessons from this book that apply to any competitive endeavor in sports, or business.

If you are lucky enough to have read Bob's first book that came in and out of print about fifteen years ago, or to have followed along with all his columns over the years in Velo News or wherever, then maybe this book isn't for you. You can try to buy his original book on ebay for a hundred and fifty bucks if you are a purist. If you want to jam econo then just get this book. It is great. Thanks Bob!

I thought this book was an interesting look at the life and times of Bob Roll, and modern pro cycle racing. It is rambling and disjointed, but it is supposed to be! I would have been dissapointed if it wasn't. That is part of the Bobke experience, and it makes the book and the events it describes more entertaining. It is basically Bob's daily journal. If that is not what you expect, don't buy it. Bob was present at many of the greatest moments in cycling history, and it was fun to read about them from his unique and unconventional inside perspective. I was a little dissapointed in his excessive use of trendy slang terms, and I felt like they did not contribute to the book. Otherwise it would have been five big ones.

This could be a decent book, if it wasn't missing one little element. An editor! Jeez, this is the most poorly organized piece of writing I've ever paid for. The first chapter, for instance, consists of a few of Bob's diary entries from 1982 followed by a few from 1993, with no hint as to why they belong together. The book sometimes goes for entire chapters without telling you what year of Bob's life it's describing.

If you're a serious Bobke fan, go ahead and buy this; you'll probably enjoy it. I have to admit I did. But I can't get over the feeling that I've been scammed a bit by the folks at VeloPress, who knew that we cycling fans would buy this book regardless of how little work they put into it.

Bobke II is for serious fans of cycling, and probably those that also cycle themselves. There are very few pro riders out there who write about what it's like to live eat and breathe bike racing, especially in the 80's and 9o's -- before Lance made it so big. Yes, it's often Bob's diary entries, and they can be random, but it's better than anything else out there.

For some reason Bobke's first book is going for between $300 and $400 on the used books sites. This book contains all the material from his first book -- and the second half is all new.

A cyclist who can write, and be funny? That's rare. So is Bobke.

I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who has even the slightest of interest in competetive cycling/endurance events. I've always enjoyed Bobke's unique commentary on OLN, especially during the Tour. Bobke II takes the whole thing up a notch as Bobke reflects on a truly inspirational cycling career. Its great to hear what the Tour de France really feels like when you are just trying to hang in there to the end. And of course Bobke's colorful and diverse vocabulary makes it all the more enjoyable, even when we need to use his end-of-chapter glossary to decipher what nickname belongs to who. I especially enjoyed the chapter about Bobke's training camp with Lance Armstrong, in which we hear what its like for an accomplished pro rider (Bobke) to try to keep up with super-human Armstrong. Look forward to reading more of Bobke's zany ruminations. By the way, anyone ever see a copy of Bobke I??