Rating: 
Summary: Overall, an interesting book for a cycling fan.
Review: I thought this book was an interesting look at the life and times of Bob Roll, and modern pro cycle racing. It is rambling and disjointed, but it is supposed to be! I would have been dissapointed if it wasn't. That is part of the Bobke experience, and it makes the book and the events it describes more entertaining. It is basically Bob's daily journal. If that is not what you expect, don't buy it. Bob was present at many of the greatest moments in cycling history, and it was fun to read about them from his unique and unconventional inside perspective. I was a little dissapointed in his excessive use of trendy slang terms, and I felt like they did not contribute to the book. Otherwise it would have been five big ones.
Rating: 
Summary: Had to be there to get it
Review: I was disappointed with this book. I really enjoy Bob Roll on OLN - his comments and insight are truly funny and I was hoping for much of the same from his new book. The book is just a compilation of his diary and articles. The diary entries from different races are impossible to follow since he uses nicknames for everyone and most entries are short. At the end of some chapters they give a "Dictionary of Bobke Speak" to help with interpretation, but it doesn't help much. If you are a pro cyclist I'd buy this book - you'll know the people in it and understand what he's talking about. If you're not, skip it. Too much rambling non-sense.
Rating:
Summary: Great Laughs from Bobke!
Review: I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who has even the slightest of interest in competetive cycling/endurance events. I've always enjoyed Bobke's unique commentary on OLN, especially during the Tour. Bobke II takes the whole thing up a notch as Bobke reflects on a truly inspirational cycling career. Its great to hear what the Tour de France really feels like when you are just trying to hang in there to the end. And of course Bobke's colorful and diverse vocabulary makes it all the more enjoyable, even when we need to use his end-of-chapter glossary to decipher what nickname belongs to who. I especially enjoyed the chapter about Bobke's training camp with Lance Armstrong, in which we hear what its like for an accomplished pro rider (Bobke) to try to keep up with super-human Armstrong. Look forward to reading more of Bobke's zany ruminations. By the way, anyone ever see a copy of Bobke I??
Rating: 
Summary: Read the Book!
Review: If you are lucky enough to have read Bob's first book that came in and out of print about fifteen years ago, or to have followed along with all his columns over the years in Velo News or wherever, then maybe this book isn't for you. You can try to buy his original book on ebay for a hundred and fifty bucks if you are a purist. If you want to jam econo then just get this book. It is great. Thanks Bob!
Rating:
Summary: Not worth the money or the time
Review: If you want to learn more about riding, wrong book. First part is a sketchy outline of his diary for a few years. Rest of it is a hodgepodge of memories and rantings. He does have a wacky way of thinking and describing things. But, in a writing style and language that will likely appeal to 14 year old boys it has way too many nicknames, unnecessary swearing, nitwitticisms, etc. You have to be a hard core fan of his to give this book five or six stars. Maybe he has a good book in him but this isn't it.
Rating:
Summary: Bobke, yer da Man!
Review: It starts out a little rough with the daily entries of a testosterone-dipped, California-hip, sunshine-drenched-fresh-air-and-dirt 20-something, but feels genuine and possesses occasional lines of brilliance. Once the boy enters his 30s and the book dives into the mountain biking scene, the writing matures into shining brilliance, constricting my pupils to tiny pinholes behind my Oakleys till the very end. And this has to be one of the most hilarious things I've ever read (on par with Thomas Pyncheon's candy-eating scene in Gravity's Rainbow) - causing mio sposo to roll over and grumble in his sleep due to the bed shaking like jello in the back of a pick-up bouncing down a washboard road from my laughing so hard while reading this thing in bed (homage to Bobke - I am not worthy!). As for previous reviewer comment re: needing a cycling pro background to get it - granted I would be a tifosa if I was Italian, but I just came into this whole cycling thing in the last three years or so, and I didn't run into any trouble getting it, especially with the Who's Who Glossary for Dummies -- it ain't the history of the Chinese dynasties. Anyway, the soul of this book is not about the cycling scene - it's about someone who tears into life with intense energy, showing his unbridled love for it with heat-seeking cynicism and humor and more than a touch of insanity.
Rating:
Summary: Great piece of Cycling Lore and 80-90's cycling history
Review: Once again Bobke does not disapoint. This is a great, fast read and has many funny stories of the trials and tribulations of a good rider from the 1980's and 90's. His point of view is from the worker in the peloton. If you do not have a little cycling background some of the lingo may go over your head. Pick a copy up and have a nice read.. Good job Bobke...
Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable
Review: The book is entertaining, I'll give it that. I was introduced to the wit and wisdom of Bob Roll through the broadcast of the TDF on OLN. I found him funny and amusing, with some decent insights into the peloton. The book does give me more of his insights, wit and wisdom. My question is...where was the editor during the production and planning of this work? Granted they are diary excerpts and our author's abilities are choppy - but he's a cyclist, not Shakespeare. The chapters of the book jump back and forth between decades at times. Very annoying. I did learn alot about Bob, USA cycling circles, and the strength and determination of Lance. I do recommend the book for some light reading, but dont be expecting to learn volumes about cycling.
Rating:
Summary: Some fun stories, but a literary train wreck
Review: This could be a decent book, if it wasn't missing one little element. An editor! Jeez, this is the most poorly organized piece of writing I've ever paid for. The first chapter, for instance, consists of a few of Bob's diary entries from 1982 followed by a few from 1993, with no hint as to why they belong together. The book sometimes goes for entire chapters without telling you what year of Bob's life it's describing.
If you're a serious Bobke fan, go ahead and buy this; you'll probably enjoy it. I have to admit I did. But I can't get over the feeling that I've been scammed a bit by the folks at VeloPress, who knew that we cycling fans would buy this book regardless of how little work they put into it.
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