Summary: Released by VeloPress last fall, A Dog in a Hat is a revealing memoir of former American journeyman pro cyclist Joe Parkin.
Rating: 4.5/5
Price: $21.95
Availability: Most bookstores or order online from Velopress
In a genre dominated by “How I won” autobiographies, A Dog in a Hat is a refreshing behind the scenes look at European pro cycling, warts and all. At a time when American professional cyclists were a rarity in European, Joe Parkin hopped on a plane to Belgium never having made contact with the mechanic he was referred to to help him make a start. Amazingly enough, he found his way to the mechanic’s door who then took Parkin in to door for what turned out to be his entire European career.
This combination of luck and determination becomes a common strain throughout the book. Despite culture shock, treachery of teammates and team staff, the pressure to dope, and the physical pain of racing, Parkin successfully lives the life most of us dream of, getting paid to ride a bike.
While it was a pleasure to see the pro life from his perspective, I also felt a certain melancholy as I reached the end of the book. I kept waiting for Parkin to get a victory even if it were a small stage race or Belgian kermis, short circuit races held in a festival atmosphere. Alas, even when he tried to pay off his fellow breakaway compatriots to get the win in one of his last kermis races, one hold out in the group ruins his chance for a momentary sense of victory.
I thought maybe I had missed a win in my reading and went to double check Parkin’s race record online. Unfortunately, there was not a single victory in his pro racing history. (Parkin later had a successful career as a mountain bike racer in the States.) In an American cycling fan base that is used to Lance chalking up yet another victory, it is nice to read about someone who experienced the pro life without the trappings and make believe hero imagery that comes with it. I was just sorry to see such a likable narrator leave Europe without a win.
The book begins with a forward by cycling TV commentator and former 7-11 team member Bob Roll, the man who helped Parkin jump the pond. He warns readers that many cycling fans will not be able to handle the grittier side of cycling that Parkin relays. Indeed, the book is a nice compliment to the more realistic portrayal of pro cycling in the 2005 Daniel Coyle book, Armstrong’s War. Having said that, any reader who can put aside the “Lance is God” and “I Believe Tyler” mentality for the short time it takes to read this page turner will be glad they did.
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on Jan 12th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Just read a review of this book in Bicycle Quarterly. Two positive reviews is a good sign. Thanks for the review.
on Feb 5th, 2009 at 8:01 am
[...] first learned of the book by way of a review on Austin Bike Blog. The review was quite favorable. Most other mentions of the book I’ve read seem to agree. To [...]