It's Not about the Bike: My Journey Back to Life

Lance Armstrong thought his life was on the fast track to success as a cyclist when, at the age of 25, he discovered he had cancer. He compares his diagnosis to being run off the road by a truck while cycling, an experience about which he already knew all too much. At first, his condition went from

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bad to worse as the cancer quickly metastized throughout his body, including into his brain. But having been raised by his mother to never quit, Armstrong claws his way back to health, a more well-rounded life, and even greater success as America's first world-class cyclist. It's Not About the Bike gives the reader a detailed account of Armstrong's medical battle against an aggressive, blood-borne choriocarcinoma followed by details of the his training program to climb back into the ranks of professional cycling. However, as Armstrong makes clear, this is not a storybook take about a hero or a miracle. Instead the personal account creates an inspiring story of hard work and what he calls "luck". Although his story will naturally appeal to sports and cycling fans, Armstrong says "the Tour was the least of the story".

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I don't normally read nonfiction, but I am an avid cyclist. At one time, cycling was my life, but not to the extent that it is Lance Armstrong's life. I won't even pretend to have been that devoted to it.

After giving up cycling and settling into a sedentary lifestyle for a lot longer than I should

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have, I can credit this book with waking me up and getting me off my growing backside and back into an active lifestyle. The story of Armstrong's conquering cancer and coming back to win a Tour de France convinced me that my relatively minor problems would not be an obstacle to me enjoying myself.

Along with the medical motivation, Armstrong's story is a true American dream story. Raised by a single Mother on a meager salary, Lance learned the meaning of perseverance and keeping yourself focused on the payoff. We also learn that he is an arrogant and sometimes not so nice person, but this serves to make him all the more human. The faults come with the good side and you either take the whole package or reject him.

Well told, well illustrated and very inspiring. Three words can sum up my recommendation: "Go For It!"

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Lance Armstrong sure thinks Lance Armstrong is great.

Read and reviewed in 2004.

I was facinated into the glimpse into Lance Armstrong. I thought it was probably as revealing of himself and his personality as was possible for him - I don't think personal introspection and self-understanding are natural for Lance, but he gave the reader a lot of what he

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had.

I learned more about cycling, and more about testicular cancer and its treatment. I learned about the personality of a boy who always felt he had a lot to prove, and with no strong male role model to guide him. (He did look for and find those strong male figures later in his life.) I was fascinated by the insight into the Tour de France, which I watch diligently but without that much understanding.

I thought Lance was pretty straightforward about himself and his actions. Sometimes I wondered if he knew what he was recounting was obnoxious behaviour or if he was just oblivious. Sometimes he knew and said so. Of course, like most of the readers, the dissonance between his words about his wife Kik and their subsequent breakup are disheartening.

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the guy had full health coverage and was getting paid more than most of us ever earn, and still he complained and was resentful because he wasn't paid even more while he was sick and not working. Talk about a bad attitude of entitlement. I admire his resolve and his achievements, but the way he

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tells his own story you don't develop much compassion for him.

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Lance Armstrong is my hero. This book explores his illness in depth, and how hard he fought to beat it. As a cancer survivor who worries that it might return, I view this book as a major source of inspiration. Highly recommended.

Before I started this, I wasn’t sure what to make of Lance Armstrong. He’s well known as the cancer survivor who now practically owns the Tour de France, certainly the hardest cycle race in the world. I think he’s won it seven times now, although when this book came out, he’d merely won it

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three times. Cycling is a notoriously drug-riddled sport, so there have been lots of questions about how Armstrong has dominated the Tour for so long. I must confess I’m among the non-believers, although recognise my inconsistencies (I’d never believe it possible of Sarah Ulmer, for example). I half expected Armstrong’s story to be along the lines of “I survived cancer because of my extraordinary willpower” and because he’s American, I thought there’d be a lot of God in there too. But, no, his story is nothing like that, and he’s a cheerful atheist. He comes across as a hard bastard, but you’d expect that, given his chosen sport. He’s candid about what happened to him, and the luck he had along the way. If you have to get cancer, you’d want to get it in the States, where he had the choice of treatment regimes and oncology specialists. But he doesn’t skim over the hard stuff. You end up cheering for him as he fights his way back to full health, with the realisation that “full health” is as much mental as physical. Written in a slightly clipped, no-nonsense style that is much like the man, I expect. Recommended.

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Eye-opening and will knock your socks off

Wow. You want a book that will cheer you up (when you're facing your chemo infusion or diagnostic test) this one is it. Armstrong pulls no punches here. He doesn't dwell on his cancer diagnosis, but it was very grim. And he went on to become one of the

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world's strongest and best athletes. In a world full of sad stories and dismal news, this book is an upper. Be sure to read it.

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Pretty good book. It's amazing what he went through and continued to ride.

(read in January 08)

This is a pretty good read, although being into cycling I wished it had a bit more detail about training regimes etc. However, Lance was/is an exceptional sportsman, whether you like him as a person or not, and that does come over in the book.

Lance Armstrong's memoir on his battle with cancer and the events thereafter that led him to win his first two Tour de France titles is an inspirational and eye opening story. I enjoyed his detailed account of the world of competitive cycling, giving me my first peak into the depths, the buzzwords,

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the politics, and the difficulty in achieving success. Being a recreational cyclist, I have not had any exposure to the road racing culture, and Lance does an excellent job of bringing the novice into his world. Now I want to get out there and trade my hybrid in for a full road bike!

The most important piece of his story deals with his account of finding out he had cancer, fighting it for months and then dealing with the psycological effects of survivorship. He doesn't mince words over the mistakes made, the difficulty he had getting back on the bike, and ultimately the epiphony that happened and brought the overwhelming desire to show the world what he is made of. This is also the first time I have heard such a detailed account of the treatment process, what chemo does to your body short and long term, and the mental and emotional effects that come with it. I think his story can be inspirational to anyone in a similar situation, as well as educate those of us who haven't known anyone in our lives that has or had cancer.

I wouldn't hesitate recommending this to cycling afficionados and sports junkies alike. As far as the writting style, it is very conversational and flows smoothly. He has obviously taken the time to be as succinct as possible, does not sugar coat any harsh truths, and still manages to conjur up a very good writing style.

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This is Lance Armstrong's story through the first Tour De France victory.

I admit, cycling does (did) not particularly interest me. That confessed, I have followed the Tour De France from the days of Greg LeMond enough to know who wins.

Armstrong's story of growing up with a single parent, surviving

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cancer, falling in love, winning the Tour De France and having a child is detailed in "It's Not about the Bike" and is riveting in its frankness. Armstrong does not attempt to be politically correct and his humanity touches the reader.

I have had this book sitting unread on my bookshelf for several years. That is regrettable.

I was slightly amused and then saddened when reading passages in the book about Kristen, Lance's love, wife and mother of his three children. The fairytale is only slightly blemished by Lance moving onto to another love.

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It's hard to believe that 30 page descriptions of bike races (as Armstrong calls it, chess on wheels) could be interesting. And yet I was completely absorbed.

This memoir is an interesting glimpse into an athlete’s life. He is brutally honest about his battle against cancer. And it was a battle. I’m sure that no one in America that is unaware of the link between cancer and Lance Armstrong. I first became aware of it when students at my school started

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wearing the yellow wristband bracelets. However, I’d never really read much about him and did not realize how invasive his cancer really was.

He really is an inspiration to anyone fighting a disease. And, he’s also an inspiration to aspiring athletes. Armstrong shares his journey to becoming a world-class cyclist. He is careful to recognize those who assisted him along the way – most notably his single mother.

Armstrong also shares the story of how he met and married his wife, Kristin “Kik.” It is clear that she provided a great support system for him as he climbed back into the seat of his cycling career.

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I'm not really one for a sporting biography, but I'm addicted to watching Le Tour on TV and was fascinated by Lance Armstrong's comeback ride this year; I'd also heard good things about this book. It didn't disappoint. Armstrong's story about how he beat cancer and went on to win the tour of France

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(twice by the end of this book but seven times in total) is inspirational. What makes it all the more readable is the way the narrative manages to capture Armstrong's distinctive character: five parts arrogance to five parts humility. You read it and you think how amazing it must be to possess this man's strength - physical strength and strength of will. His co-writer has also done a wonderful job in helping him structure his story in a succinct, logical fashion so that it reads like a master-class in the sporting biography genre. The writing isn't groundbreaking but it is a perfect example of its type.

The title refers to Le Tour. It's not about the bike, but about life itself. Cheesy as it sounds, this book is not really about cyclying, but about life itself.

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This book struck me on two levels. As a cyclist, reading about Armstrong's determination and the level at which he competes is inspiring; what an amazing athlete. As a future Dr. and someone with experience dealing with cancer, Armstrong's story of his battle with cancer, and dealings with

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different doctors are poignant illustrations of how important it is to tailor different types of care to different people. Individuals come in all shapes and sizes; so should medicine.

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Lance Armstrong is not always a nice guy, but he is arguably the greatest bicyclist ever. If you ever watched one of his Tour De France wins, you might be interested in discovering more about the man. Then there is the cancer. How this disease affected him and how he beat it. It is an amazing

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story, even if the last chapters of his life are not yet written.

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Given by tk. I liked it initially because it was written in a matter-of-fact manner. And because it is an inspiring true story of a man who survived cancer. And the way his courtship with Kit started was dealt with in a sweet manner.

What changed my mind about this book was finding out that the

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woman he was so in love with actually was now his ex-wife. So much for true love.

But don't listen to me. I'm biased by his real life love story.

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Interesting look into Lance Armstrong's fight with cancer and recovery. Some people seem to feel he's self-absorbed, but it didn't come across that way to me. He writes about his struggle with cancer, acknowledges those that helped him along the way, and then describes his comeback. Hard-fought and

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inspirational.

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I have not read, heard or seen anything as touching as the story of Lance Armstrong. A guy, who is trying to win a cycling championship, could not win even once goes on to win 7 championships after suffering from testicular cancer. His story is an inspiration for millions and a lesson on the

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importance of psychological fitness. Read it now!

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I'm not sure why I picked this book to read. But I'm glad that I did! Lance's inspirational story of overcoming the one thing that threatened this life, and to get back on a bike, is amazing. An interesting and personal insight into a famous life.

Incredibly well-written biography of Lance Armstrong's life and his battle with cancer. His journey recaps the struggles his cancer had on him emotionally, physically, and how it affected his relationship with his family and with his cycling career. Very motivational story about how he came out

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stronger in the end.

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I dislike popular biography style, which can be summed up as "I battled appalling odds and came out triumphant", but it applies in this case. I skipped the bits on cycling and read it for the cancer, which sounds awful but we're all engrossed by car-crash writing. It was a relief to hear that

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somebody can have such an awful prognosis and go on to do something as spectacular as winning the Tour de France. Gives hope to us all.

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Everyone knows Lance Armstrong's story - man with cancer defies the odds and wins the Tour de France a shocking seven consecutive times. But, as the title of Armstrong's story suggests it's not about the bike. Instead it is about a different kind of competition. Fighting cancer. Ultimately, as near

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death moments will do, cancer changed him. It woke him up to the possibilities of a fuller, more meaningful life. He never would have become a philanthropist without the experience of personal pain. It's Not about the Bike is that journey from hotshot cyclist to a powerhouse with a greater purpose.

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