Page 10 - DLNjun2016-1007
P. 10
people from his youth and frequenting pubs in the Old Kent Road and led to
him doing some work for various gangs – details are unspecified in the book
for obvious reasons. At the time of the interview, Reg was apparently working
on his autobiography, which I think will be an interesting read.
On to the rest of the book. Dineen’s first book was a biography of Reg Harris
– another interesting read, especially if, like me, your knowledge of Harris’s
achievements and the background to them is limited. “Kings of the Road”
picks up with Dineen feeling a bit of a fraud for having written a book about
a cycling legend when he himself was blatantly not a cyclist. To compensate
for this, instead of simply diverting royalties my way J he decided to become
a bikie and the book describes that journey. It touches on the demise of
traditional clubs, his travails in finding one that accepts him and where he
“fits” (he settled on Crest CC – I’ll leave you to judge how we’d have fared as
a prospect if he didn’t live in the East End/Essex catchment area…).
Interspersed with his journey from novice to Etape rider are interview with
key cycling figures, some of whom haven’t had the attention they merit.
Apart from Reg, interviewees include Denise Burton – on her career and her
mum; Dave Orford – on BLRC vs NCU (BC) and RTTC (CTT); Vin Denson; Alf
Engers; Colin Sturgess (never beaten by Chris Boardman in an individual
pursuit…); Tony Doyle; Mick Bennett; Tony Doyle; Ian Hallam; Nicole Cooke;
Nick Hussey (Vulpine cycle clothing); Peter King (the BC coup); Tony
Woodcock. The book is full of anecdotes , some of which clarified things for
me that had previously been slightly disjointed in my understanding. The book
is similar in a way to Geraint Thomas’s autobiographically-based essay on
all things cycling in “G”s view but with the aim of trying to explain the current
cycling scene through the lens of figures from its past.
I heartily recommend this as a holiday/commuting read as it lends itself to
dipping in and out and reading it in, loosely-related, chunks.
Nigel
10