Downhill: Life Cycle of a Gravity Goddess, The [Mass Market Paperback]

Marla Streb (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 28, 2003

In 1994, Marla Streb left her promising career as a biomedical researcher to climb onto a bicycle and hurtle herself down the side of a mountain at speeds topping fifty miles an hour. And at the age of 36, she continues to compete and win against women ten years younger at the highest levels of her sport-downhill mountain biking.

Astonishingly enough, this is not the most intriguing aspect of Marla Streb. Downhill chronicles her life before racing-her training as a classical pianist, bicycling throughout Europe with her companion turned boyfriend Marc, crisscrossing the country in a battered polka-dotted VW bus, and, perhaps the defining moment of her life, the loss of her brother. As she recounts her experiences with humor and grit, Marla Streb reinforces for all readers the need to abandon everything to pursue what you love and to live passionately.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Marla Streb competes as a world-class downhill mountain bike racer. During her career as a biomedical researcher, she fell in love with cycling. She appeared on The Today Show and on the cover of Outside and is sponsored by Luna Bar and Red Bull.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Plume (October 28, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452284589
• ISBN-13: 978-0452284586
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #370,513 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Goddess finds way along the bikepath, February 25, 2004

By 

Wayne Lankford, singletrack rider (Alabaster, Alabama) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Downhill: Life Cycle of a Gravity Goddess, The (Mass Market Paperback)

"Until I started down this path I was lost". So Marla Streb begins "The Life Story of a Downhill Gravity Goddess." Anybody, who's maybe lived a little bit, poked around in the dark for more years than necessary, doing what never felt right in the first place, will be able to cord right away with Marla's feeling lost, then feeling lost no more. And that fact, maybe more than any other contained in this book, is what put the hook in this reader from the get go. Contrary to what the title of this work proclaims, I believe this book could be just the first chapter to be added to in a larger volume of contributions from Marla Streb. This is not a book penned by a celebrity talking about how great they are. This is a book written from the heart about the subject of life from someone who learned young just how precious life is. With this book Marla has contributed something special back the sport that she excels in. By reading this book and learning more about her path, you may see and learn more about your own.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I couldn't think up a non-cheezy title...so this will do!, November 3, 2003

By 

Don Gunn (on a brown Cannondale in Hellifax) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Downhill: Life Cycle of a Gravity Goddess, The (Mass Market Paperback)

This book was a great read. Marla is one talented girl, she is very honest about everything from personal choices, professional direction, drinking, training, relationships, everything. Which anyone who rides comtemplates. She debunks the notion that racers are superhumans, and really reveals a lot in this personal journey. I think that anyone can relate to this on a whole bunch of levels.
I ripped through this book in record time. From the riding in europe, to breaking collarbones, career paths, longterm significant others, she does what a lot of us do...using cycling to figure out what happiness is and sort out all of life's big questions.
Give this book a go.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This bike is about so much more than biking!, May 14, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Downhill: Life Cycle of a Gravity Goddess, The (Mass Market Paperback)

Marla Streb's autobiography might be the last book you'll read in a while. Why? Because after reading it, it's quite likely you'll find yourself out doing things, being active, and really sucking the marrow out of life--instead of sitting around reading. It happened to me. I was an avid reader. Then I read her book. I loved it and had to ration it out so I didn't read it all in two sittings. Then, out of habit when I finished reading it, I stocked up on books at the library. Several chapters into one, I realized, "Why am I reading about other people doing things that I could go out and do?"

You don't have to aspire to be a pro mountain biker to be able to appreciate and enjoy this book. I'd recommend this book to anyone who has felt lost or to anyone who isn't quite sure he/she's enjoying his/her life as much as possible. Marla's been there, and found a way to achieve happiness. It's an inspirational book just as much as it about sports and about one person's journey to personal greatness.

Marla isn't just a super-fast cyclist... she's smart as a whip, funny, kind, patient, friendly, supportive, generous, very self-aware, and not self-centered. Buy this book! If you love it, buy another copy and donate it to your local library so other people can be inspired as well!