Product Description

It's the only cycling record that matters: one man and his bike against the clock in a quest for pure speed. No teammates, no rivals, no tactics, no gears, no brakes. Just one simple question - in sixty minutes, how far can you go? Michael Hutchinson had a plan. He was going to add his name to the list of record-holders, cycling's supermen. But how does a man who became a professional athlete by accident achieve sporting immortality? It didn't sound too hard. All he needed was a couple of hand-tooled bike frames, the most expensive wheels money could buy, a support team of crack professionals, a small pot of glue, and a credit card wired to someone else's bank account. Still, getting the glue wasn't a problem...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #46996 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

About the Author
Michael Hutchinson became a full-time cyclist in 2000 after becoming disillusioned with an academic career. Over the following six years he has won more than twenty national titles, and the gold medal in the Masters' Pursuit World Championships. He is now a writer and journalist (and cyclist) and lives in south London.

Customer Reviews

Fascinating, easy to read, most enjoyable book I've read for a while.
I really enjoyed this book. It is about Michael Hutchinson's attempt to cycle further in one hour than anyone else ever has - although of course it isn't that simple.

He covers the history of "The Hour": the riders, technology, drugs, and how it has now become the anti-technology Athlete's Hour.

He talks about how he got in to cycling quite late in life, his training, racing, creating the bike for the attempt, the attempt itself and much more.

He has a writing style that is easy to read and addictive - I read the book over one weekend. There are lots of funny bits and his descriptions and opinions of the people involved are refreshingly honest - especially of himself.

I'd recommend this book if you're at all interested in cycling, record attempts or the mind of professional athletes - great stuff.

An Hour Well Spent !!
This book was a total and unexpected delight. I am only a recreational cyclist with no great knowledge of the cycling world but within minutes I was totally engrossed in Michael Hutchinsons story. It made me laugh out loud and kept me on the edge of my seat til the last page. I lost my copy to my Ironman brother and had to buy a second copy for my cycling mad partner. Both of them thoroughly enjoyed it as well. Great little book.

A truly brilliant book
It's not often I read a book that I just can't put down, but this has been one of them. For any cycling enthusiast who wants a detailed insight into The Hour this book is a must. It gives a blow by blow account of how the author prepared to attack the record and is filled with interesting and fascinating facts on the cycling greats who have also attempted it over the years. Even if you have no real interest in cycling, the story is so good that this is still a riveting book. It is mainly a factual account, but is written in a style that at times has you laughing out loud. Michael Hutchinson is to be applauded for having written such a splendid book on his Hour attempt, and for having had the sheer guts to take it on, and stick with it, in the first place.