I recently finished reading Ten Points by Bill Strickland. Bill is the executive editor of Bicycling Magazine and this book is the story of his pursuit to score 10 points in a weekly racing series in his Pennsylvania hometown.
Bill writes about the sacrifice and training required to hang with the pack and those of us who are fellow cyclists can relate to his story and appreciate his experiences. The images he shares of racing in the thick of the pack and working to hold a wheel during these weekly criterium races are very vivid and I could almost feel my heart rate increase as I turned each page.
Cycling is only half the story of this book. Bill uses his racing experience to try and overcome some disturbing demons of abuse that he endured as a child and a few of the memories he shares are a bit disturbing at times. After finishing this book I felt even more grateful for the normal family and happy home I was blessed with as a kid.
Anyone who has ever tried their hand at bike racing will relate to Bill's struggles, defeats and accomplishments. An easy read, I would recommend this book to my fellow cycling friends. I'm sure you can pick up a copy at Beehive Books in Delaware.
1 comment:
Hey Mike-
I just found your blog here. Cool.
I read this book also and I cannot fathom the abuse the author withstood through his childhood. I thought my childhood was less than ideal, but it was paradise compared to Bill's. Quite honestly, that part of the book was extremely disturbing for me.
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