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

The book begins: "I want to die at a hundred years old with an American flag on my back and the star of Texas on my helmet, after screaming down an Alpine descent on a bicycle at 75 miles per hour." When I first read those words, I found the book impossible to put down.

I purchased my first copy of It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life right here four days after it was released in the spring of 2000, and read it immediately. I read many chapters of it to my youngest son over the following years, and we discussed its message even in his early grade school years. Lance Armstrong became a personal hero to him, as he has been to me.

Have given this book as a gift, sometimes in its paperback form and other times as a hardbound, and only once have I given it to a fellow cyclist -- it's often been to friends who have gone through a battle with cancer, either themselves or with someone close to them. And now I see that it's available here in a Kindle Edition, so I'm sure that I'll be giving it again... and if I ever get my own Kindle, it's going to be the first book that I get in that media.

I'm a cyclist of the mountain/trail bike variety, but as the title of the book says, "It's Not About the Bike." I've never had cancer, but have had numerous close family members and friends who have been victims of this most dreaded disease, including my mother and my oldest son's mother. This is perhaps why I find Lance's story so inspirational. It's more than a story of his amazing athletic achievements and cancer recovery, this is a true story about the triumph of the inner self.

Since the book was originally published, 'Maillot Jaune' (Lance's nickname in French for 'Yellow Jersey') has gone on to break so many cycling records. In his final tour before retirement in 2005, he crossed the finishing line on the Champs-Élysées on July 24th to win his 7th consecutive Tour de France title. Since his retirement, he has focused his efforts on the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which provides support for people affected by cancer. And yes, I'm one of those who wears a yellow LIVESTRONG wristband on a daily basis in support of his efforts.

Lance has also written a moving and insightful follow-up to this book, Every Second Counts which offers another facet to this inspirational athlete who is both motivated and motivating. And now we hear that Lance Armstrong, at age 37, will be making his pro-cycling comeback, and he's already in training, and put in 20-24 hours a week on the bike throughout October. He's pledged to continue with his national call to action on cancer prevention and survivorship program.

If you're looking for a book about cycling, this isn't it. Read the title and that will tell you that. I found his message of optimism to be quite stirring, and hope that you will as well.

Lance Armstrong was a strong, single, 25-year-old world-class athlete that was diagnosed with testicular cancer in October of 1996. It's Not About the Bike, My Journey Back to Life is his story. Through x-rays and severe symptoms, the doctors finally pinpointed his disease and Armstrong embarked on the most aggressive form of chemotherapy as soon as possible. Although being testicular cancer, it had metastasized through his entire body to even his lungs and brain. This man even underwent surgery before his chemotherapy treatments and afterwards. Before his treatments to remove the cancer his chemotherapy could not and afterwards to fix and smooth out complications brought up by the chemotherapy. You will have to read to find out what exactly those complications were. Even before his final chemotherapy treatment on December 13, 1996, Lance began to ride again, but this time for a different reason, for the love of it, not because it was his career. He even said, "it was something I had to do for pleasure--like poetry." After Armstrong's grueling fourth cycle of chemotherapy he began to ride again and train. Yes, as a career, but with a new sense of passion and accomplishment. He had married a woman he had met one month after his treatments and went on to race in the Tour de France, which you all can guess the outcome. Lance was now a "record-breaking seven-time winner of the Tour de France, a cancer survivor, a husband, a father, a son," and of course, "a Human being."
Although this book does not go into extreme details of how cancer forms and specifically testicular cancer, it does talk about the multi-cellular level and what stages this cancer undergoes. With this absence of information, the reader is able to concentrate on the emotional appeal brought up by the spreading of cancer, treatments and the overall affect of this great athlete's life. However, overall this book was extremely informative. It gave great experiential information and therefore a chance for the reader to understand the steps of a process such as cancer and how it affects the person who has it but the family and close friends as well. As the book progresses reader's began seeing cancer as monster, and questioning its reasons for taking over a man's life and why it would inhibit the natural ways of life such as marriage and reproduction. But as readers, we are triumphant over cancer just as Lance Armstrong was, because we are with him during this time, and through his description we are able to understand closer to what cancer truly is and how people overcome it, even when its at the most dangerous stage and the survival rate is only 3%. Anyone can read medical pages with boring facts, but to read this book is true meaning behind the word cancer.
I personally have not had cancer, but I have had plenty of family members that have, including my cousin having testicular cancer. Although he overcame it in the early stages and before I was old enough to understand what was going on, this book really came me a true insight to a little of what he and other victims of this disease must go through if they want a chance at a normal life afterwards. Armstrong writes in an empathetic way, not only for himself but in a way that makes people want to help everyone in their own lives and societies. Lance Armstrong even did this himself by creating the Lance Armstrong Foundation which helps to research for cures and treatments for cancer. After reading this book, the word cancer has an entirely deep, empathetic, and different meaning.

I really valued reading this book after someone very close to me was diagnosed with the same cancer as Lance. It was informatative and emotional. Thanks to Lance for his Foundation.

Its not about the bike, in fact there are only two paragraphs in the whole book that talk about the bike. This book is about Lances diagnosis, his struggle to accept his new reality, the aftermath of living as a cancer survivor, and trying to have a baby using frozen sperm. Oh yeah, and also winning the Tour De France.

I enjoyed the book because I like the "overcoming really bad odds and still becoming a champion" type of story. I do not cycle, unless you count the sporadic bikes rides with my kids. I was hoping the book would not be loaded with unrelatable stories and details about the bike, training, and the actual races, and luckily for me it wasn't.

This book was a personal account of a serious athlete struck with cancer. It gets a little whiny in a few places, but I have to give him points for being honest. I am sure I would be whiny if I was struck down in my prime and had to endure the horrors of chemo and brain surgery.

The writing is excellent and you can almost feel the rain hitting your face during his grueling training rides in the mountains of Europe. My legs are burning right now just thinking about sitting on a bike for 6-7 hours of non-stop riding. Wow.

To me, this book left the message of be happy because it can all change fast. Enjoy what time I am given and try to forget about the small stuff. Its a great book with a great message.

as I was mid-way through this book, there were only two thoughts going on in my mind -
1. this guy is human/normal like us with all frailties/insecurities
2. and gosh what extremes are humanly possible!!... the triumph of human spirit! very humbling. very inspiring.