Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
24th out of 36 books
—
20 voters
French Revolutions: Cycling the Tour de France
by
Tim Moore
Not only is it the world's largest and most watched sporting event, but also the most fearsome physical challenge ever conceived by man, demanding every last ounce of will and strength, every last drop of blood, sweat, and tears. If ever there was an athletic exploit specifically not for the faint of heart and feeble of limb, this is it. So you might ask, what is Tim Moore...more
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
June 1st 2003
by St. Martin's Griffin
(first published May 14th 2001)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
978)
Thank goodness I read this book. Many years ago I circum-cycled Tasmania and, on completion, thought about what my next challenge would be. Unsurprisingly (due to what must have been lactic acid-affected cognition) I also hit upon the idea of cycling the Tour de France route. And though I subsequently recognised it as a silly idea (or rather, far too hard), now I really, really don't have to do it 'cause this author has done it for me.
Containing some fascinating anecdotes of Tour history, and pr...more
Containing some fascinating anecdotes of Tour history, and pr...more
Travel writing is ubiquitous, but good travel writing is hard to come by. Fortunately, Tim Moore's "French Revolutions" fits in the latter category.
Moore is a crazy Brit who decides he's going to cycle the Tour de France route in 2000 about a month before the tour and discovers that, at the end of all things, he was indeed mad to undertake such an adventure. He fails in some of his goals, triumphing in others. He meets genuinely good people and a bunch of pratts. His encounters with "official" F...more
Moore is a crazy Brit who decides he's going to cycle the Tour de France route in 2000 about a month before the tour and discovers that, at the end of all things, he was indeed mad to undertake such an adventure. He fails in some of his goals, triumphing in others. He meets genuinely good people and a bunch of pratts. His encounters with "official" F...more
There was general agreement that the book was a light, journalistic, good holiday read which did not need - or get - over analysis. The account of Moore’s escapades read well, eg his intake of calories including alcohol, though some thought he tried too hard to be funny. His treatment of his wife and children attracted some criticism, though Moore did show some awareness.
There was some discussion of what type of book it was. It was not a travel book. Moore did not give any insight into the Franc...more
There was some discussion of what type of book it was. It was not a travel book. Moore did not give any insight into the Franc...more
I'm not quite sure how you prepare for biking 3000 km of the Tour de France route by running a couple of times and heading out on the new bike a couple of times. But somehow Moore pulled it off.
And he doesn't pull any punches with the descriptions. Wanna know how you'd feel after biking just over 254 km in a day, arrive in the town of Troyes in the night only to find there's not a hotel room in the entire town, but your wife, calling to France from England for you found one in a city 13-22 km a...more
And he doesn't pull any punches with the descriptions. Wanna know how you'd feel after biking just over 254 km in a day, arrive in the town of Troyes in the night only to find there's not a hotel room in the entire town, but your wife, calling to France from England for you found one in a city 13-22 km a...more
A rank amateur rides the route of the Tour de France, with painful and hilarious results. Very funny, lots of Tour history. Think Bill Bryson with a bicycle.
Picked this up a few weeks ago from the used bookstore after recognizing it from the Book Lust “Bicycling” list. This is the first season I’ve paid even the least bit of attention to road racing (after watching A Sunday in Hell and other classic-era race footage), making it a perfect read for the early season.
This is the true story of Tim Moore, a British humorist / travel writer / journalist, who - despite not owning a bike or ever having much success riding them - makes the resolution to ride...more
This is the true story of Tim Moore, a British humorist / travel writer / journalist, who - despite not owning a bike or ever having much success riding them - makes the resolution to ride...more
This was just what I needed, and just what I didn't expect it to be. It was hilarious from start to finish with a truly British sense of humor and way of seeing the world. I loved it and immediately looked up Tim Moore in the library catalog to see if he'd written anything else - he had, lots.
EDIT: Don't let the absence of the letter U fool you. I'm an ex-pat Brit living in the belly of the beast and therefore am perfectly entitled to make subjective judgements on all things "Bridish".
EDIT: Don't let the absence of the letter U fool you. I'm an ex-pat Brit living in the belly of the beast and therefore am perfectly entitled to make subjective judgements on all things "Bridish".
I've been following the Tour de France for 30 years, but still learned a few things from Moore's travelogue. His analogies of the pain he suffers while trying to drag his bike (complete with panniers) up the famous mountains of the Tour are very original and funny. Somewhat surprisingly, his trials and tribulations actualy made me want to get out on my bike, when I have enough trouble just climbing a staircase.
This was a pretty good book. I liked it since it was centered around two of my favorite topics; bicycling and travel. The book had a humorous slant to it, so it was enjoyable to read. I would recommend this book more to cycling fans than I would to travel fans. I must tell you about one of the reading habits. It takes me twice as long to finish a non-fiction book as it does a fiction book. I guess it is because fiction books flow better, I'm not sure. After I finish my mountain of Dick Francis b...more
Moore is off his rocker, but he's pretty entertaining, and he's good for at least one belly-laugh every other chapter. (Is that worth it? I dunno.) If you're looking for an informative travelogue of France, this isn't it. Hard core bikers will be disgusted (in a paternal, holier-than-thou kind of way) with Moore's "preparations," efforts, "insights," and cycling achievements. As for non-bikers, well, I can't even begin to guess what they might think...
Really enjoyable read. Would have been even better if I had understood the French language bits, and there are more than a few anglocentric jokes and references, but if you are a cyclists and have ever contemplated doing something crazy on your bike, this is the book to either convince you to go for it - or to totally discourage from doing so. And I have to say, I loved the ending!
A light read during commercial breaks watching the Tour de France. At age 35, Moore decides to cycle the Tour himself, following the route a few days (I think) before the Tour itself begins. His French-bashing vignettes are like Monty Python scenes.
After a while, the jokes are a little repetitive, but there are some fun scenes and Tour trivia along the way.
After a while, the jokes are a little repetitive, but there are some fun scenes and Tour trivia along the way.
Funny book about an Englishman trying to cycle the tour de france.
I really laught at some points, but some others where probably too "british humor" for me. Funny descriptions of France, some parts are a bit long for those who don't really have any interest in cycling or in The Tour.
It's still always nice to know how the rostbeefs sees us frogs ...
I really laught at some points, but some others where probably too "british humor" for me. Funny descriptions of France, some parts are a bit long for those who don't really have any interest in cycling or in The Tour.
It's still always nice to know how the rostbeefs sees us frogs ...
I bought this at random from a charity bookstall in a doctors' waiting room - and I'm so glad I did. It's funny and yes, I did laugh out loud. As someone who knows very little about the Tour de France, I enjoyed the snippets from past Tours that were incorporated in the book. I think I'll stick to cycling along canal towpaths and Dutch roads!
This book was hilarious! I literally can't remember the last time I've laughed not just once, but multiple times on multiple pages. I went to the trouble of ILL-ing this book because of a great review that compared the author to travel writer Bill Bryson. I'm a huge Bryson fan, and I have to say that I think Moore is definitely on par. Highly, highly recommended!
Tim Moore decided to ride the route of the Tour de France one spring ahead of the race's July start. Off he goes on his pannier-loaded bike. He's very British and very funny. His trip around the country is full of delightful anecdotes from tour history as well as from his own trip. If you're into cycling, this one's worth your while.
A very humourous account of how the author took on the challenge of riding the Tour de France before the professionals and what he learned about himself on the way. I don't always like it when a writer's chief tool is self-deprecation but Moore manages to pull it off with Bryson-esque aplomb.
I didn't care for this one as much as the other Moore's I've read. The Tour de France historical background wasn't particularly interesting for me (not being interested in cycling); the humor was funny overall, though often with a vaguely self-congratulatory tone. Moreover, the new audio narrator for Moore's books came off a bit ... posh.
tim moore isn't for everyone and i know he hams it up a bit, but l like his disorganized and poorly prepared approach to everything he does. He is often compared to Bill Bryson, but i find him a lot less twee. Perhaps a foul mouthed Bill Bryson would be more accurate.
The funniest book I've ever read, and the only book to ever make me giggle uncontrollably in public several times. If you have spent time in France or have experience of long cycle rides, or better still both, then this is a must read.
As a someone who enjoys cycling (but still hesitate to call myself a *cyclist*) I really enjoyed and was inspired by this book. The author decides to follow the Tour de France route and covers 3000 kilometers, including all the brutal mountain climbs. The style of writing is travelogue, with a very dry british sense of humor which had me laughing out loud in parts e.g. like when the author, his body rapidly succumbing to the cold while climbing one of the mountains, in desperation slathers himse...more
Very enjoyable book which provided a bit of insight into the rigours of the Tour de France. The author is very humourous and I could empathise with a lot of the circumstances he finds himself in and picked up some handy tips along the way such as boiling my water bottle to clean it out.
I wanted to like this book but couldn't finish it. I gave up when I started skipping the whiny parts for the bits of tour history. Moore mistakes his dislike of the trip he decided to do for being funny and it comes off as trying way too hard. I get it, the tour is hard and long and you don't like riding bikes. How many chapters can you write about hills being steep? Apparently 300-something pages worth. If I'm going to read a book about riding thousands of kilometers through France I think I'd...more
A very disappointing read. I slogged through Moore's not very funny story of a non-cyclist picking up a bike a riding the route of the Tour de France just like he did up the Galibier. I should have put it down just after I started, but instead I suffered through it.
Ah the joys of becoming a cyclist and joining the cycling community. Highly amusing for any cyclist. Captures the joys of completing a long hard ride as well as the frustrations of a shameful bonk.
Yeah, it is about the Tour de France. Let's just get that out there. It's also about France and cycling and traveling and a mad person doing a mad thing. It's a really funny story (true) about a guy who decided that he probably didn't have traditional athletic skills but figured he could ride a bike so why not ride one around France in the month before the Tour de France and write about it. That's it, so if the idea of an out of shape Englishman hopping on a bike and trying to ride the course of...more
Great, fun, read about an amateur (really amateur) cyclist who decides to bike in the tracks of the great French bike race. This had me laughing out loud!
This book was a lot of fun!
I enjoyed Tim Moore's humour, got some tips for a future cycling tour and delighted in his recounting of the French landscape.
I enjoyed Tim Moore's humour, got some tips for a future cycling tour and delighted in his recounting of the French landscape.
While it does not beat his other book "Travels with my Donkey" in the humour department, you will definitely not waste your time while reading this book.
A fun read, with lots of interesting historical Tour anecdotes. Probably worth a go while the tour is on or about to start, rather than in the dead of winter!
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Tim Moore is a British travel writer and humorist. He was educated at Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith. In addition to his seven published travelogues to date, his writings have appeared in various publications including Esquire, The Sunday Times, The Independent, The Observer and the Evening Standard. He was also briefly a journalist for the Teletext computer games magazine Digitiser, under th...more
More about Tim Moore...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
Jan 16, 2011 10:43am