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Conference noted::bicycle

Title:	Bicycling
Notice:	Bicycling for Fun
Moderator:	JAMIN::WASSER

Created:	Mon Apr 14 1986
Last Modified:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	3214
Total number of notes:	31946

2082.0. "'A Spoke in the Wheel' by Les Woodland." by PAKORA::GGOODMAN (Number 1 in a field of 1) Wed Sep 18 1991 17:31

    
    
    	There's a new book out in the UK called 'A Spoke in the Wheel' by
    Les Woodland, more famous for writing coaching books. Anyway a short
    review:-
    
    	The book is basically a collection of small humorous stories from
    the world of cycle racing with many witty observations at the British
    Cycling scene. The stories admittedly are funny but sometimes his
    delivery isn't too good.
    	One good example of the book is an observation about L'Equipe (this
    is copied with absolutely no permission whatsoever, but then again,
    when does it ever?):-
    
    	'L'Equipe's style is to begin a 5000 word report with a discussion
    of the weather. move on through the emotions, the culture, the
    gastronomy of the region and it's greatest philosophers, and only then
    report that:"... five riders were seriously injured, the world champion
    ended his career with hepatitis and the race was abandoned."'
    
    	All in all, worth reading. I've got a copy if anyone is interested
    in reading it.
    
    Graham.

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
2082.1	SQF LIBRARY STARTS UP !!!	PAKORA::CDOUDIE	B.U'S FURRA CUP..	`Wed Sep 18 1991 17:40`	7
	Sounds like a good read....could I please borrow it??? I'm on shift A-etch thanks.
2082.2		NOVA::FISHER	Rdb/VMS Dinosaur	`Thu Sep 19 1991 09:20`	5
	Sounds like a good book to add to the [non-Engineering?] library. Could you provide more information? Thanks, ed
2082.3	Yes Graham, I should be out on the bike	MOVIES::WIDDOWSON	Rod, VMSE-ED013. 824-3391	`Sun Oct 06 1991 08:49`	12
	isbn 0-7207-1972-0 - Pelham Books Published by the Penguin Group 27, Wrights lane, London W8 5TZ - Viking Publishing, a division of Penguin books USA Inc, 375 Hudson Street, New Yorrk NY 10014 - Penguin Books Australia Ltd, Ringwood Victoria, Australia - Penguin Books Canada Ltd, 2801 John Street, Markham Ontatio, Canada L3R 1B4 - Penguin Books (NZ) Ltd, 182-190 Wairau Road, Auckland 10, New Zealand
2082.4	Anyone else want to read it?	BHUNA::GGOODMAN	Number 1 in a field of 1	`Sun Oct 06 1991 14:35`	7
	Thanks, Rod. I've been meaning to put that in for a week now (sorry...). And at least I've got an excuse, I'm paid to be here at this time of night. Mind you, don't fancy being out in that wind just now... Graham.
2082.5	Homelines are wonderful	MOVIES::WIDDOWSON	Rod, VMSE-ED013. 824-3391	`Sun Oct 06 1991 15:27`	15
	(digression... It was a bit `bob-like' yesterday but its nice being able to spin my 52x14 up hill at 56 kph...) I skimmed in parts I laughed outloud to (on being a poser - wear sunglasses partly sothat noone recognises that you were the one that brought the whole pack down on your first outing; divide what you spend oequalkly on equipment and chrome polish; don;t by Campag it';s difficult to get a good gleam on it) and others were pitiful - maybe they were just too true. Funnily enough I couldnt get it at my local poser-bike'n'book-shop (my bike shop doest run to anything more than the SCU calendar) but found it under sports in a real book shop... rod
2082.6	Can't beat British club cycling	MASALA::GGOODMAN	Number 1 in a field of 1	`Sun Oct 06 1991 16:50`	20
	Yeah, that's what I found about it, too. Some of it really was funny. I especially enjoyed his view on British club life and the story of the club mates growing up and their trials in life outside cycling (love, or rather how difficult is to find it when you continually smell of embrocation). Maybe it was so funny because anyone who has ever been in a cycling club, in particular Britain with it's time trial base, could relate to the story. On the other hand, the true stories from the continent weren't quite up to scratch. They just didn't seem to hold the same comic punch as the rest of the book. Amusing, but not funny. I put it down to the fact he isn't a comedian, just someone with a good sense of humour. As a result, he didn't have a comedian's delivery. I would like to see him write a fictional story on the life of a club cyclist from schoolboy to vet. I think that that is more in his style. Still, it's worth a read... Graham.