The Rider by Tim Krabbe Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Rider
Book Review: Short but sweet
Summary: 5 Stars
A wonderfully evocative tale of a one-day bicycle race. I don't know if it will appeal to non-bike riders, but anyone who cycles with some regularity will get a glimpse of the real pain and strategy involved in bicycle racing. Note: The book was written in the 1970's, when racing bikes had 12 gears, unlike today's 20, and there was no radio communication between riders and/or team managers. Those elements added a need for planning and strategy that have been lost to some extent in today's world. Back then, when a rider broke away, for example, the riders following would have had no idea what kind of lead had been extended. Today, they'd know exactly how far away the leader was. There's one oddity in the book that I believe is the fault of the translator. Krabbe writes about having to change tires; they are referred to as "tubes" when the proper term should be "tubulars", a type of tire preferred by bicycle racers. That has no bearing on the story or the reader's enjoyment. This is a can't put it down race through the pages charmer.Book Review: The Dutchman Rideth
Summary: 5 Stars
Dutch people are really good at cycling even tho Holland has no hills. WTF? If you can get past that, read on...
This book is absolutely THRILLING. It is told in a first person POV, and the guy is pretty much on a bike the whole time! IF that doesn't turn you off, read on...
As a cyclist since I was 5, I can say this book has verisimilitude up the wazoo. Very accurate depictions of cyclists: spandex, shorts, anorexic body types etc. etc. Beautiful prose. Almost stream-of-conscious. Very obvious that the author raced himself, as I found myself thinking the EXACT SAME THINGS When I raced. Altho that may be because I read this book first....
Book Review: The Rider - A must read for cyclists
Summary: 5 Stars
This is not a long book but it really captures the experience of riding whether you are racing or just riding. Anyone who cycles can relate to this story.Book Review: The Rider - The Writer
Summary: 5 Stars
This book provides a humorous, reflective, insightful and candid perspective into the mind of the sportsperson that creates an immediate affinity with The Rider.
Anyone who has raced, or ridden in a competitive way, can readily identify with the thoughts of The Rider. From the critical to the ridiculous, The Rider's mind wanders through the realms of what is relevant to what is not and one finds themselves breathless with anticipation as to the result.
Krabbe's style is unique, and may not be enjoyed by all, but it struck an immediate chord with me and allowed for a thoroughly entertaining read. My only lament is its brevity.
Book Review: The Writer
Summary: 4 Stars
Cycling holds a unique niche in the world of sports. It is a delicate balance between rider and machine, between strength and tactics, between the individual and the team, between man and the elements. Anyone who has ever ridden seriously knows that almost any serious ride is an epic journey, an endless series of choices and possibilities, of suffering and pleasure.To date, I have read nothing that captures the real essence of that experience nearly as well as Tim Krabbé's The Rider, which was originally published in 1978 in Amsterdam and which appeared in English only in 2002. Like a racing bike that has been relieved off all excess weight and trimmed of anything that could increase resistance against the wind, The Rider is prose in its most basic and stripped down form. There is hardly a wasted or misplaced word here: the writing is crisp, powerful, efficient, and compelling.
The little book weighs in at just 148 pages, just a little more than one for each of the 137 kilometers of the Tour de Mont Aigoual, by all rights a nondescript semi-pro bicycle race through the rolling mountains of Cévennes, in south central France. It may not sound like much, but Mr. Krabbé breathes life into it by describing perfectly what goes on inside a racer's head: everything from relevant glimpses at strategy -- in addition to being a strong rider and an even better writer, Mr. Krabbé may be best known as a chess champion, and his eye for tactics and detail shows -- to interesting thoughts about his own athletic career, about philosophy, fantasy, his competitors, and fascinating memories from cycling history.
The book is set in the 1970s, a time that will seem quaint to riders who have become interested in the sport only over the last few years: a period when riders made decisions about strategy rather than have it radioed into their ear pieces, when leather straps and not titanium clips held the shoes to the pedals, and when riders packed half an orange and a few figs in their pockets to fuel the ride rather than the latest scientific miracle mix.
I found it all exhilarating. As I leafed through my copy of the book earlier in order to double check a few facts before writing this review, I found myself happily re-reading some of the more compelling passages. While I was doing so, two (non-cyclist) friends stopped by and I read out loud to them Mr. Krabbé's dramatic account of Charley Gaul's stunning victory in the 1956 Giro d'Italia ... and they were unimpressed.
Which brings me to why I withheld one star from what I think is an excellent book: its appeal is far from universal. Unless you are a rider -- or at the very least, a serious fan of the sport or very close to someone who is a rider -- then I think it will be difficult to appreciate the discussions of the nervousness that accompanies a rapid descent from the mountains or the thought that goes into choosing the right gears.
But if you are a serious (or semi- or formerly-serious) rider, I can't imagine that you wouldn't be as thrilled by this book as I was.
If you do get a copy, my one piece of "strategic" advice would be to keep careful track of the names Mr. Krabbé mentions, famous and otherwise: to an English speaker's ear, many may sound quite similar. In addition to Mr. Krabbé himself we meet riders called Kléber, Koblet, Coppi, Caput, Kübler, and Clemons. And don't even get me started on the mouthful that many Dutch names represent to non-natives. Not that that sort of thing would be much of a stumbling block for anyone accustomed to the rigors of cycling.