#gironimo

Jo is a masculine person, and would even describe herself as butch. She feels much more comfortable in button downs and nice slacks for formal events— sometimes experimenting with suspenders or waist coats, but hates ties and belts because of how they extenuate her figure. She doesn’t really like to dress up to begin with, but she doesn’t mind some jewlery or a nice style to her hair. She’s all about functionality and comfort. She doesn’t even wear her ship uniform properly, often keeping it tied around her waist, and cuffing her pant legs above the boot.

Tim Moore spoke to Failure about how he prepared for the Giro d’Italia and what possessed him to recreate the 1914 race, quite possibly the worst cycling race in history

Gironimo! Riding the very terrible 1914 Tour of Italy

Dates -24th May to 8th June

Book Number of 2014 - 34 of 52

Synposis - 

Twelve years after Tim Moore toiled round the route of the Tour de France, he senses his achievement being undermined by the truth about 'Horrid Lance'. His rash response is to take on a fearsome challenge from an age of untarnished heroes: the notorious 1914 Giro d'Italia. History's most appalling bike race was an ordeal of 400-kilometre stages, cataclysmic night storms and relentless sabotage - all on a diet of raw eggs and red wine. Of the 81 who rolled out of Milan, only eight made it back. Committed to total authenticity, Tim acquires the ruined husk of a gearless, wooden-wheeled 1914 road bike, some maps and an alarming period outfit topped off with a pair of blue-lensed welding goggles. What unfolds is the tale of decrepit crock trying to ride another up a thousand lonely hills, then down them with only wine corks for brakes. From the Alps to the Adriatic, the pair steadily fall to bits, on an adventure that is by turns bold, beautiful and recklessly incompetent

My thoughts -

Tim Moore, is one of my favourite authors. I have read all of his books and the Spanish Steps is one of my all time favourite reads and I as read Gironimo I was not disappointed. This is not Tim Moore's best book, that is still the Spanish Steps in my view, but Gironimo is not bad.

In his latest adventure, Tim is following the route of the 1914 Giro d'Italia and he intersperses the winner's story with that of his own. So not only are you getting the story of a 21st century cycling adventure but a historical dip into an early 20th century cycle race. I find it amazing that his wife and family did not discourage him from undertaking this tour on a bike that was nearly 100 years old, but there is trapising around Italy on an antique  and wearing vintage clothing, all because he was a little bit upset about Lance Armstrong and the steroid addled heroes of modern cycling. However he tells his story with great pace and wit and there are several laugh out loud moments. The one that pleased me the most was when he paid homage to the late great Bjørge Lillelien, which is always a winner in my book. As it got the latter stages of the story, I felt myself wanting to will him onto to the finish and to a place free of Savlon.

If I could improve on anything, I would cut down the opening section of the book where Tim goes about trying to find and restore a vintage bike. All of the time I was reading that section, I was thinking that this good for bike nerds but I want to get to the fun part where he hits the road. But this is a minor quibble. This is an excellent read.