Reading time: 2 – 2 minutes

The Rider by Tim Krabbe chronicles a fictional 137 kilometer bike race or more specifically, the Tour de Mont Aigoual, through the eyes of Krabbe himself. We quickly learn that cycling is more than just a sport to Krabbe when he glances up from his gear before the start, sees some spectators and thinks “Non-racers. The emptiness of those lives shocks me.” From that moment on we are swept up into the race with Krabbe and never look back. Nothing else seems to matter.

Kilometer after kilometer Krabbe pushes along, calculating his moves and recounting both races he’s participated in and tidbits from famous races like the Tour de France, Giro de Italia and Milan – San Remo. Not only is the reader able to pick up a lot of cycling history they are also able to see what really happens inside a road race – all of the things that we aren’t privy to as spectators.

What stood out to me most after finishing the book is the pure suffering cyclists endure in a race and determination they have to have to overcome their suffering. I always knew that the suffering was intense but watching cycling races never conveyed to me quite what Krabbe’s words did.

Cyclists and cycling fans will definitely love this book. However, I would recommend it to non-cyclists as well. If you’re a fan of good clean writing and enjoy a captivating fast-paced story this book is for you. Who knows, it may even make you a cycling fan!