Bobke: A Ride on the Wild Side of Cycling [Paperback]

Bob Roll (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1995

Journal entries, stories from the Tour de France and world mountain-bike championships, and other anecdotes you don't get riding sport class or category III.

Product Details

• Paperback: 124 pages
• Publisher: Velopress (December 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1884737129
• ISBN-13: 978-1884737121
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,345,094 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wild Side? Wild Man!, January 19, 2003

By 

"hombredebicycle" (New Haven, CT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bobke: A Ride on the Wild Side of Cycling (Paperback)

Words cannot capture the drama, the funniness, the insanity, the rambling rants, the verisimilitude of the live race descriptions, and that certain 'je-ne-sais-quoi' of Bob Roll's cycling book. It is a peculiar and interesting place, that region or landscape where the demented mind of Bob Roll inhabits and calls itself home. I am sure I don't want to live there, but a visit is well worth the price of admission.
Yes, he is the real deal. Rode the Tour de France with Lemond. The Giro with Andy Hampsten. Helped Andy win the Giro d'Italia in probably the most epic stage ever of any Grand Tour when Hampsten claims the lead of the race in a freak snowstorm over the tallest mountains in Italy, aided by his trusty leftenant-one certain Bob Roll-who brought warm drink and clothing up to his leader to assist him win the stage and the Giro. (Many riders crawled off their bikes, weeping in pain and the knowledge they would never even finish the stage, much less the race. ) Not so Mr. Roll-- in helping his teammate win, Mr. Roll of course suffered hypothermia, frostbite, and literally had to have his heart jumped when the freezing temperatures plummeted his pulse to a mere 20 or 30 beats per minute.
Oh yeah, he was also the person Lance Armstrong called when, during his comeback post-cancer, Lance wanted a good training partner and colleague to go to Boone, North Carolina to exorcise his demons and return to the bike. Hundreds of cycling miles in N.C. and laughter and tall tales at night, courtesy of Mr. Roll...
We all know what happened next.
But to those of us who want to know more about Sancho Panza (Bob Roll) than Don Quixote (Greg, Andy, or Lance) please consider this. True heroics often hide themselves in others' glory. His demented humor belies a fine intellect and a warped and twisted view of life that makes sanity appear disgusting, I want to know this man. For now, the best I can do is read his book and follow his peregrinations across the desert of media cycling hype.
Don't expect to do anything but laugh and cry when you read this piece of culture clash, as if you were at a cocktail party with Hunter Thompson meets Bernard Hinault. You'll wish you too had gotten lost in a New Mexico snowstorm and had the wit to tell it as yet one more brush with the eternal masquerading as sheer chance. As if.
Roll on. Ride like the wind signor!!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bobke, June 23, 2011

By 

Thomas Purcell (Lisle IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bobke: A Ride on the Wild Side of Cycling (Paperback)

This is a sought-after book in the cycling community. Bob Roll is a hero to us for many reasons - not the least of which is his literate, yet humorous commentary on professional cycling. Bob talks the talk because he was in the trenches, both domestically and in Europe. The book itself arrived quickly, and in the condition described. No "thumbing" marks, dog-ears, or tears. It was a great find at a great price. By the way, Bobke II contains the same material, plus later exploits.

6 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars i loved it, May 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bobke: A Ride on the Wild Side of Cycling (Paperback)

for all cycling fanatics who want to read portions of bob's racing diary. fyi, this book is not to be confused with anything john wilcockson has written :)