armstrong about the bike read

z000m

has any one read lance armstrong's - It's Not About the Bike. i want to read it but from the title i take it to mean its more about his recovery from illness and giving hope to others, than anything else. but is it a good read from a cyclists point of view? and if not can any1 recommend something that is please.

thanks in advance

ChrisLS

...I didn't read it for sometime because I thought it was all about cancer, which it is, but I have to say it is one of the most inspiring books I have ever read. Read it, then read his follow up book, Every Second Counts, which has a lot more about cycling in it...the man is a giant and one of my all time heroes...the books helped me fight my way through horrendous injuries and near death after an accident I had four years ago...

TheGreatGatsby

I read both and I think really to get a rounded perspective of the man you really should. As various members of my family and close friends have all passed through cancer I found them very inspirational as well as being just an all round good read.

Gats

andy_wrx

Read both and then contrast with something like From Lance to Landis.

Whatever you do, don't read that thing his mother wrote, which apparently is so saccharine as to be unreadable.

jimmythecuckoo

Its a great little read.

andyp

It's more of a hagiography than an objective view in my opinion.

I'm sure some people find it inspirational but would they still do so if the real truth about Armstrong and his seven Tour wins were known? Balance it with 'From Lance to Landis' by David Walsh. The truth is somewhere between the two.

Doom

z000m wrote:

has any one read lance armstrong's - It's Not About the Bike.

If you want a balanced read after you have read his "autobiographies" try Tour De Force by Dan Coyle.

Gives a bit of insight into Armstrongs non PR generated persona. What little is allowed by his PR team who authorised this book before publication.

brit66

I read it a few years ago and it's a great read from what I remember.

One book I've not read yet but keeps cropping up as highly recommended is Rough Ride by Paul Kimmage.

Salsiccia

It's a good read, whatever you think of him and how legit his wins were.

stueyc

I'm sure some people find it inspirational but would they still do so if the real truth about Armstrong and his seven Tour wins were known? Balance it with 'From Lance to Landis' by David Walsh. The truth is somewhere between the two



disgraceful reply imho if not slanderess....read the books,the guys amazing

andyp

stueyc wrote:

disgraceful reply imho if not slanderess....read the books,the guys amazing

That's your view. Mine is that he is a fraud. And a cheat.

stueyc

it saddens me people believe that...really does

ChrisLS

...oh I see the knock Armstrong brigade are out...blah, blah, blah...what is it, I don't get it? He is one of the greats, he champions and supports cycling, he does a lot of work to help cancer victims(Geoff Thomas would not have ridden without his inspiration),he has got countless people out on bikes and into cycling and yet still the nit picking and unfounded allegations...makes me so angry...build 'em up and knock 'em down...come and tell my 14 year old son his hero is no good...

aracer

stueyc wrote:

disgraceful reply imho if not slanderess....read the books,the guys amazing

Not slander, libel, but in any case, all he's doing is suggesting another book may be nearer the truth, and it seems that book is still on the shelves, so I imagine not even that. Read the book written by him putting his side of the story you mean? What a surprise that he seems to be amazing in that.

FWIW I'm neither a Lance supporter or hater, but your post is way OTT.

stueyc

fantastic reply Chris

stueyc

hes a fraud and a cheat.....where in that is the suggestion of nearer the truth aracer??

aracer

stueyc wrote:

hes a fraud and a cheat.....where in that is the suggestion of nearer the truth aracer??

Those words hadn't been used at the point you made the post I replied to - maybe you should check back.

z000m

thanks guys, the imput is much appreciated. my main concern is that if the book strays too far of the subject of cycling i might get bored half way through, anyway i just ordered it of amazon so ill give it a try.

stueyc

is this serious?we are on a roadbike chatroom,discussing various topics

are you actually saying you believe that the seven victories came about under the unfluence of illegal substances?
under extremely strict/regular testing over numerous years,you believe he his a cheat and a fraud?....is that what is being said here?

redddraggon

Armstrong is a tainted hero/champion.

Now Cipo is a real hero, when the going got tough he didn't dope, he gave up and got in the team car.

stueyc

what?
when has he been tested positive redragon??

aracer

When did Marion Jones test positive?

stueyc

dear dear me.....im amazed,truely amazed at this
very sad people,very very sad

redddraggon

stueyc wrote:

what?
when has he been tested positive redragon??

Stuey, doping isn't black and white. Just because he hasn't been caught, doesn't mean he didn't do it.

It was a hell of an achievement to win 7 TdFs (even if doped up), but I think they are still tainted.

colint

can we pls not turn this into another 10 page did he /didn't he thread. We might as well throw in Campag v Shimano, marmite yes or no, we're never going to change our opinions of him. I'm a fan, but thats just my opinion.

Having said that, I think he'd have won 8 if he'd used Campag

aracer

stueyc wrote:

dear dear me.....im amazed,truely amazed at this
very sad people,very very sad

Amazed at the idea that Lance might have taken drugs - something you'd never considered possible before because of all those drug tests he passed?
Or amazed at all the other high profile sportspeople who have recently confessed to taking drugs despite them never failing a test?
Or simply amazed that anybody else dare challenge your POV on an internet forum?

andyp

stueyc wrote:

is this serious?we are on a roadbike chatroom,discussing various topics

are you actually saying you believe that the seven victories came about under the unfluence of illegal substances?
under extremely strict/regular testing over numerous years,you believe he his a cheat and a fraud?....is that what is being said here?

Ha ha ha ha. How much do you know about professional cycling? Virtually everyone caught doping in the past 5 years has never tested positive. The cheats are a step ahead of the dopers because they can afford to employ the best sporting doctors out there, i.e. convicted dope supplier Dr Michele Ferrari, who just happened to be employed by Armstrong. For training plans only of course. :roll:

If you really believe that Armstrong won seven Tours clean (and the fact there were traces of EPO in his urine samples from the 1999 Tour would seem to dispel that) then I've got a bridge for sale.

redddraggon

colint wrote:

Having said that, I think he'd have won 8 if he'd used Campag

Nah, he would have won just the 7, but he wouldn't have had to take any performance enhancers.

andyp

ChrisLS wrote:

...oh I see the knock Armstrong brigade are out...blah, blah, blah...what is it, I don't get it? He is one of the greats, he champions and supports cycling, he does a lot of work to help cancer victims(Geoff Thomas would not have ridden without his inspiration),he has got countless people out on bikes and into cycling and yet still the nit picking and unfounded allegations...makes me so angry...build 'em up and knock 'em down...come and tell my 14 year old son his hero is no good...

Do you think your 14 year old son will still feel the same when he realises that his hero was in fact a drug cheat? Because he was.

Unfounded allegations? Ha. Don't make me laugh.

colint

Didn't want to get involved but work is really boring today.....

I think we've got to believe he was clean, otherwise what's the point of watching the sport ? Do we assume every winner must have been doped ? If you win all the time you must be doped, if you win less that means you dope less ??

Maybe he was doped, he beat some brilliant riders into the ground who now know were also doped. But maybe, just maybe, he was one of these extraordinary athletes who come around once a generation are just so much better than anyone else, Ali, Sampras, Woods, Pele, etc etc

I choose to believe the second, as the alternative is never to watch pro sport again and refuse to beleive that some people are just exceptional at what they do.

cyclingfury

I thought it was generally known that Lance has an identical twin brother called Larry. He and Larry used to take turns to ride the TDF every other day. If you carefully study TV footage you can quite easily spot which one of the brothers is riding a particular stage.