The Secret Cyclist

Real Life as a Rider in the Professional Peloton

By: The Secret Cyclist

Narrated by: Ben Eagle

Penguin Presents the audio edition of The Secret Cyclist by The Secret Cyclist, read by Ben Eagle.

Who is The Secret Cyclist and why all the secrecy?

"Every public aspect of our lives is so tightly controlled that being truly honest is all but impossible in a newspaper interview, never mind a whole book. You try write a warts-and-all blog about your office. Question how the business is run, make sure you remember to call your boss a moron, and then tell me how it goes."

He's ridden for World Tour teams for ten years. He's achieved top ten finishes in Grand Tours. He likes coffee. These are just a few details about the professional rider who wants you to know what the view looks like from the centre of the peloton.

What do the riders really make of Team Sky? How does the pay structure work? Why should you never trust a kit endorsement from a professional? Is doping still an issue? The Secret Cyclist tackles the big questions head-on, revealing a side to cycling that fans have never seen before.

©2019 The Secret Cyclist (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Refreshing

With identity hidden he was able to be honest and I really enjoyed that. An interesting, assumably non biased look in the life of a pro cyclist.

Racing your bike

The knowledge of the author and the way he made me feel like I was right there sitting across from him did a really good job making me understand and appreciate how hard it is to be a bike race racer

Very entertaining and simple

Lots of interesting info, really fun to read, something every cyclist will love if they are in to following road racing.

That book is a "Born to Run" for cyclists

I'm so glad that I have read this book because it changed completely my perspective towards this world, and made it very clear not to chase or envy, but going for the fun of it, enjoying the cycling "old school style" and just ride.

Good for cycling fans

Not really an introduction to professional cycling; the book is more of a memoir, though anonymous, and so perhaps better for somewhat knowledgeable fans of the sport. In some ways it is a bit dated; the sport has changed in the years since this was written and there are some gripes about aspects that are normal now. Relatedly it is somewhat amusing to hear about the past legends (of the time the book was written) and compare their achievements and status to today’s top young riders. That said, it is quite an honest view of the sport, though personal; it was cool to hear the author’s spouse’s own perspective and voice. In such aspects, no doubt much remains accurate.