cccorlew

I just this moment finished "Heft on Wheels"
https://www.amazon.com/Heft-Wheels-Fi...3514275&sr=8-1
It's a book about a 39 year old, hard-drinking, big-smoking cyclist
Good read. Inspiring! Though, as a member of this forum it was just a little hard to hear him worry about turning 40...
None, the less, a really good book. Any one else read it?

The Weak Link

I've read it. It was depressing.

Underneath 100 pounds of excess fat lay a lean raging beast. Good for him. I'm glad he thought the assault on Mt. Mitchell was easy.

Underneath my 20 pounds of excess fat is still a pretty lame cyclist.

CrossChain

I read it also. His 180 degree turnabout and regeneration as a strong cyclist and ascension to personal cycling glory and right living was more dramatic than many of us......except on our own scale-- in which case we be just as proud of ourselves. I think author Mike Magnuson would agree.

George

I read it as well, but I just picked up a new one and it looks pretty good. Ten Points by Bill Strickland, I guess he had a pretty hard life at home, ( child abuse) and he turns it around, and does good, I think. I just skim read it, and it caught my attention.

HopedaleHills

I just finished a very inspirational book titled "Dee Gee's Big Adventure". It's a lovely story of an over 50 cyclist who leaves his cozy San Diego apartment on his beach cruiser in search of his recently stolen, beloved Ruby Roubaix. His quest takes him cross country where he meets other 50+ers who join in the search for the beloved Ruby. Characters such as CrossChain, Tom Bombadil, Jet Travis, TWL, and more add to the hijinx along the way. After cycling clear to NYC, only to find a dead end of clues they head back toward sunny CA where they meet a retired detective that goes by the codename SKT. He has uncovered a tip that leads them to a deserted warehouse where a thug named Big Pauly has disguised Ruby by painting her black and hiding her among a bunch of LeMonds. All ends well when Tom Bombadil and Dee Gee throw Ruby into the fires of Mt. Doom where she arises from the flames reborn a sparkling white virgin.

All characters in this story are fictional and any resemblence to anyone real is purely coincidental.

Digital Gee

Is that available on Amazon?

BLIZZ

Sounds a lot like PeeWee Hermans story........

jazzy_cyclist

I read an exerpt in Bicycling - looked pretty good. Let us know what you think!

George

So far it's been great, but I'm only on chapter 5, very busy.

bcoppola

I've been meaning to make a book recommendation of my own: "Memory of Running" by Ron McLarty. It too is a tale of redemption by bike, but the protagonist doesn't become a superman racer - he just finds a reason to live. It mostly avoids the mawkishness that would be all too easy given its premise; it is very affecting and rings true. Basically, a middle-aged drunk in a dead end job, beaten down by life, almost by accident drunkenly sets off across the country on his childhood three-speed Raleigh with the vague hope of giving his schizophrenic sister who died alone on the streets in LA a decent burial.

Not great literature but a good read.

The link is to Amazon. Book seems to be out of print but if you can't buy it check your library.

I do not know whether DG was the inspiration, however.

Bud Bent

I enjoyed Heft on Wheels a lot, too. I'm currently reading Positively False.

xlrogue

Are you sure you didn't mean WITH an Amazon?

CrossChain

But who will play us in the inevitable movie? And of course, there will be the spinoff video game, coffee mugs, tee shirts, line of bicycles, collector cards (get all the BF50Plussers and complete your set!), decoder rings, etc. Subaru had the Discovery boys doing roadie hijinks...so, too, Geritol, Depends, or maybe AARP will want us to do commercials-- maybe even get up a TEAM!

I'll have to retire in order to really get to work.

jppe

Interesting tidbit-my brother rode with Mike Magnuson the last several miles including most of Grandfather Mountain on the Bridge to Bridge ride a few years ago. They talked a good bit and he told my brother that he was going to do a book on his cycling story so I guess he did. I think the photo on the cover of the book shows Mike riding up Grandfather with my brother trailing behind him......... If it's the day I'm thinking of the weather was just horrific. Hard rain and chilly most of the day. In the higher elevations the fog was so thick you couldn't see more than a few bike lengths in front of you. Just guessing it would have been very late 90's or maybe even 2000.

Mike was also the supper preceding this past Assault on Mt Mitchell and gave a talk and signed a few autographs.

CrossChain

Jppe, here ya go: Mike M. after and before...........back and front covers. Is that your brother in the yellow club jersey rounding the turn?

jppe

Thanks CC. I'll email my brother with the picture to find out where he is. That's not him in the yellow jersey, though. I do know he takes the high side of all the turns on Grandfather so if he is behind Mike M he may very well be on the high side of the switchback and just out of view. I also recall the weather being a lot different than what's in the picture but this picture could have been another year. It sure looks like Grandfather though.

I'll let you know what he says.

jppe

Okay, here's what my brother said. The year he rode up the last part of Bridge to Bridge with Mike was in 2002 when Mike told him his story and was just getting started with the book.

My brother sent me his picture from 2002 while he was climbing Grandfather and it was one really dreadful day weather wise. Rainy, windy, cold, fog, etc. My brother's picture shows being pretty wet with a lot of road grime on his legs. I helped SAG for my brother that year and remember it very well. I was so moved that guys would even do a ride like that in those conditions I recall putting together a pretty lengthy note and sending it to a number of people. It's somewhere on the hard drive that crashed on the last PC we had.

Mike M finished the 2002 BtB in 6:28 and my brother finished in 6:27-so my brother either climbed Grandfather a little quicker or Mike stopped for just a brief period.

We're guessing the picture on the back cover of the book is from the 2003 BtB ride and what's called Forrest Gump curve. Mike finished BtB in 5:50 in 2003 and my brother was about 15 mins further back. 2003 was the first year I rode BtB and I finished around 7hr 34 min and recall the weather being very nice. Last year I was about 1 hour faster.......

So, is Heft on Wheels worth reading??

Bud Bent

I really enjoyed it, jppe. He did so many things wrong, you certainly can't recommend it as a guide to someone who's starting out, but it is well written, and the humor and inspiration make it a good read. Of course, that's just my .02.

CrossChain

+1 with BudBent. I found it good not great. Amazing how resilient his body was...to be beaten up by food, smoking, sedentariness, and alchohol for years and then come back so strongly.

hypoden

i read it and thought it was inspiring. I also read a good one called. Wide Hips and Narrow Shoulder, about an out of shape guy riding across the country.

Road Fan

Kirk Douglas will play all of us.

tlc20010

I assume you mean this Kirk Douglas.....yeah, he could pass for any of us.

CrossChain

Man, I'm sorry I asked.

Though, I have to say, Kirk in Paths of Glory or Lust for Life was a pleasure.

I'd prefer Clint Walker played CrossChain, DG perhaps by Peter Ustinov, Stapfam undoubtedly David Niven with glue on beard, Dnvr Fox by Burl Ives, etc. Oh, and Beverly by Gina Lollabrigida or Ava Gardner.

cccorlew

This is MY flippin' thread, and no one even suggests an actor for me? I have to do it myself? Oh, and let me get you a beer while I'm up.

Me, played by Danny DeVito
My wife just said "No, because I'd be married to him."
I think my part just went to Johnny Depp.

George

I think the book is great, it covers all sort of riding and home life. It's put together very well and I think you may enjoy it.