The Hardmen

Legends and Lessons from the Cycling Gods

The Velominati

Embrace and revel in the stories of the toughest cyclists of all time, told by The Velominati, originators of The Rules. Read and get ready to ride . . .

In cycling, suffering brings glory: a rider's value can be judged by their results, but also by their panache and heroism. Prepared to be awed and inspired by Chris Froome riding on at the Tour de France with a broken wrist or Geraint Thomas finishing it with a broken pelvis.

In The Hardmen the writers behind cycling superblog Velominati.com and The Rules will tell the stories and illuminate the myths of not just the greatest cyclists ever, but the toughest. From Eddy Merckx to Beryl Burton, and from Marianne Vos to Edwig Van Hooydonk, the book will lay bare the secrets of their extraordinary and inspirational endurance in the face of pain, danger and disaster. After all, suffering is one of the joys of being a cyclist. Embrace climbs, relish the descents, and get ready to harden up. . .

The Velominati are the founders of a singular online community—www.velominati.com—which celebrates the history of road cycling with a distinctive point of view, best described as (ir)reverence. Their infamous The Rules challenge cycling fans to emulate their heroes in everything from training ("it never gets easier, you just go faster") and equipment ("the correct number of bikes to own is n+1") to sock length and coffee choice. Frank Strack, the Editor-in-Chief, appears at bike shows worldwide and writes a column for Cycling magazine.

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Endorsements & Reviews

"Humorous, opinionated, and entertaining, this collection serves as a useful guide to the sport’s leading competitors and top events—and it’s sure to launch debates among passionate fans as to who was overlooked." Booklist (starred) [praise for ‘Hiroshima Nagasaki’]