Will I love The Rider?

It takes a certain kind of person to succeed in the sport of cycling, and The Rider is possibly the closest I’ll ever get to understanding that mindset. This book tops every list of recommendations of cycling novels that I’ve ever seen and with good reason.

Told in the first person, it’s completely immersive. We follow the narrator through a single day’s race, and we feel all of it as he does: the slog, the suffering, the drive to win. I might have wondered why he kept going, but the simple act of reading the book answers that question: you… show more.

If you’re looking for a short, classic novel starring the poetic machinations of racing a bicycle, the answer is Tim Krabbé’s The Rider.

It’s really the gold standard in terms of fiction about bicycling—I’ve long revered it that way, at least. It’s no wonder Krabbé is also a chess competitor because the prose and internal monologue are beautifully played, in addition to being both tactically and technically stunning.

If you happen to be a cyclist who’s ever had an inkling to race someone else, you’ll be enthralled from page one, I promise. Think of it as Breaking Away meets… show more.