On the Road Bike cover art

On the Road Bike

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

On the Road Bike

By: Ned Boulting
Narrated by: Ned Boulting
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

Ned Boulting has noticed something. It's to do with bikes. They're everywhere. And so are their riders. Some of these riders seem to be sporting sideburns and a few of them are winning things. Big things. Now Ned wants to know how on earth it came to this. And what, exactly is 'this'.

In On the Road Bike, Ned Boulting asks how Britain became so obsessed with cycling. Ned’s search puts him in contact with some of the wonderful and wonderfully idiosyncratic people who have contributed to this nation’s two-wheeled history. It's a journey that takes him from the velodrome at Herne Hill to the Tour of Britain at Stoke-on-Trent via Bradley Wiggins, Chris Boardman, David Millar (and David's mum), Ken Livingstone, both Tommy Godwins, Gary Kemp (yes, him from Spandau Ballet) and many, many more. The result is an amusing and personal exploration of the austere, nutty soul of British cycling.

©2013 Ned Boulting (P)2013 Random House AudioGo Cycling Social Sciences Funny

Listeners also enjoyed...

 1923 cover art
Tour de Force cover art
Racing Through the Dark cover art
Square Peg, Round Ball cover art
Sticky Bottle cover art
The Racer cover art
Jan Ullrich cover art
Bloody Minded cover art
The Death of Marco Pantani cover art
The World of Cycling According to G cover art
Magic Spanner cover art
The Break cover art
My Time cover art
Mountains According to G cover art
The Midlife Cyclist cover art
Coffee First, Then the World cover art
All stars
Most relevant  
I love the humour, the honesty, and the breadth of this book, and in Ned's own self-deprecating voice.

So good I listened twice

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

What made the experience of listening to On the Road Bike the most enjoyable?

Really well narrated and a good balance of funny chapters combined with real insight into the world of cycling and the very human world of the individual cyclist.

What was one of the most memorable moments of On the Road Bike?

Description of meet the Rapha boys and David Millars Mother

Any additional comments?

Overall a great book-

A great book looking at the quirks of cycling

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Would you consider the audio edition of On the Road Bike to be better than the print version?

Ned Boulting's voice and performance lends this book a sense of innocence and wonder that is wholly captivating.

What did you like best about this story?

Ned's seemingly endless contacts book drew him to meet people involved in cycling in all levels, and all ways.

Have you listened to any of Ned Boulting’s other performances? How does this one compare?

This is right up there with the peak of Real Peloton. So probably on a par with the third episode (of 47).

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, I preferred taking my time through the book and enjoying it over a couple of weeks on my morning and evening commutes.t

Any additional comments?

I'm disappointed there's no audiobook for any of Ned's other books as this is an exceptional performance, especially for Ned.

Ned's odyssey exploring a nation of bike nuts

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Where does On the Road Bike rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of best but only if you are a cyclist

Who was your favorite character and why?

plenty to choose from

What does Ned Boulting bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

His curiosity and appreciation of what went before the recent boom in all things cycling

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

n/a

Excellent, light hearted yet informative

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A great read and well narrated. Ned searches for a nation's cycling soul and certainly finds it.

Excellent

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Listening to Ned Boulting is always interesting and it's great that he read his own book here - which is important. But the book lacked a bit of flow. Each chapter seemed pretty much unconnected to the one before and appeared to consist of just a series of interviews, told in the narrative style. While interesting in themselves didn't really fit together well enough to make a coherent book.

Ned's writing was a bit too flowery at time too, not that there's anything wrong with that it just seemed to come out of nowhere and disappear just as quickly.

It was rather strange listening to this book on the drive home then Ned commentating on the Tour de France highlights that night - a job to which he's well suited!

It's ok

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A very interesting, funny and touching book about cycling. Ned Boulting (author and narrator) gives an insight into the world of bike riding. Whether that be ex riders, recreational riders and various other personalities. A must read for anyone with a passing interest in cycling.

Very enjoyable.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Would you consider the audio edition of On the Road Bike to be better than the print version?

To hear an author read their own work always adds to the enjoyment of the story for me.

What other book might you compare On the Road Bike to, and why?

Mr Boulting's other books cover similar themes (cycling) and are of as high a quality

Have you listened to any of Ned Boulting’s other performances? How does this one compare?

He has not done any other audio books yet, however I hope he does.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

His telling of Maurice Burton's story was sad, however he discussed a range of histories with tact and grace. I laughed out loud when he was discussing the shoe incident at Rapha!

Any additional comments?

Please do more!

Brilliant history of British Cycling

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I find Ned quite informative and entertaining on ITV4 but was disappointed with this book

Was expecting a recent review of British Cycling

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Great listen. If you like cycling and the itv4 commentary of Le Tour I reckon you will like this.

Great listen, witty and engaging

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews