Back in April I went to see Ned Boulting preview his new one man show 'Bikeology'. I was a bit surprised as to his lack of appreciation of the finer points of cycling; my expectation at the time was that he was probably a bit of a cycling nerd, but the truth was far from this! To be honest, I was a bit disappointed.
Having known of Ned since first seeing him on ITV4's coverage of the Tour de France, I had been aware that he was also quite a prolific author of cycling books, although admit to not having read any before seeing his Bikeology. This was probably a mistake, as having recently spent just over 8 hours listening to him reading his book, On the Road Bike, I am now suitably enlightened as to where he is coming from.
This is a really enthralling read, or listen .. I acquired my copy through my Audible book membership and was drawn to buy a copy because Ned himself was reading it. He speaks of how he first got the calling to cover the Tour of France, how he's met many a celebrity through the joy of cycling including a hilarious invitation to join Gary Kemp for a ride. I'll say no more, you must give it a read. I also loved the chapter on his visit to Rapha, reading between the lines, I know he was really impressed!
So, Ned is now on a month's official tour with his Bikeology show, ending 23rd November in London. It is well worth seeing if you get a chance, just make sure you read 'On The Road Bike' first, it should be a mandatory.