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Home > Inside the Postal Bus: My Ride with Lance Armstrong and the U.S. Postal Cycling Team
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Inside the Postal Bus: My Ride with Lance Armstrong and the U.S. Postal Cycling Team
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By Michael Barry
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 (20 Reviews)
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List Price: $21.95
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Publisher:
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VeloPress
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Edition:
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Later Printing
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Published:
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December 31, 1969 |
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Binding:
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Paperback
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Pages:
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240
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During the professional cycling season, the members of the United States Postal Team live, train, and work together for weeks on end while traveling to competitions throughout Europe. With wit and singular insight, Michael Barry, a professional cyclist and member of the United States Postal Team, shares his first-hand knowledge of the sport and of his fellow cyclists, describing intricate pre-race orchestrations; the efforts of the coach, mechanics, team chef, and other staff members; the personalities and idiosyncrasies of his international teammates, including six-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong; and the thrilling races themselves.
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Customer Reviews:
Add Your Own Review |
 a flat tire., June 8, 2005
By Joe Coldebella (New York, NY United States)
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*Note I wish I could have given this book 2.5 stars*
I so wanted to like this book. As a cycling junkie since 1985, I have tried to get my hands on anything that involves European cycling. Especially first hand accounts of the European peloton. (peloton = main group or pack in a race)
I just finished Michael's book and to be honest, I was disappointed. It's not a bad read but the title of the book is a little misleading:
Inside the Postal Bus my ride with Lance Armstrong and the US Postal Cycling Team.
Now if George Hincapie or Floyd Landis had written this book, you might have gotten a more intimate picture of Lance Armstrong. But Michael usually rode for Postal's "B" team so I wasn't too shocked or disappointed that there wasn't too much material on Lance.
That being said, this was supposed to be a book about the Postal Bus and what goes on in it.
There were glimpses of what goes on in the bus and the team but Michael never goes very deep.
Maybe I'm too hard-core but I felt like he never really tells us anything about the races or the racers.
I wanted to read a few funny stories. Heck any stories. Stuff that the general public never gets to see. The closest he comes is when he and Dave Zabriske are in an elevator and they see a famous French cyclist and make fun of the fact that he has a mullet.
Unfortunately, the best and most revealing passage is not written by Michael but is in fact written by George Hincapie.
George tells us how he told Lance how much he respected and admired his gutsy performance after Lance had had a rough time trial during the 2003 Tour.
Lance said that he was touched by George's words. It was a great passage. And not for the fact that it involved Lance but because it showed the human side of the cyclists. If only the book was filled with stories like that. Whoa!
I wish he would have talked more about how hard it is to make the postal tour team.
And on how disappointed he was of not going and having to watch the tour on TV. (He had to have been disappointed it's every cyclist's dream to ride the tour. I know it was mine and when I raced I sucked).
Give us some emotion please. (If Michael was on a lesser team, I'm convinced he could be a tour rider - yes he's that good.) But we don't get anything.
If you want a more entertaining look at cycling in the European peloton, read Bob Roll's first book Bobke: A ride on the wild side of cycling. The only unfortunate thing is that it's from a different era. But it's funny. Hilarious in fact.
VELOPRESS had a golden opportunity to get an inside look at one of the greatest cycling teams ever (and not just becuase of Lance i.e. Bruyneel, Ekimov, Heras, et all)
But instead of getting inside the bus we get thrown under it.
57 of 63 people found the above review helpful.
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 I'm new to cycling, so this helped, May 16, 2005
By Terry Mathews (a small town in east Texas)
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Michael Barry's peek inside the world of the former US Postal Pro Cycling Team was a fun read for me. I'm new to cycling and don't know much of the inside scoop, so Barry's vignettes entertained and educated me about life on a pro team.
Maybe an editor could have given the stories more "flow." However, I read the book in one sitting, laughing all the way through. Barry is a cyclist, not an author . . . and the stories show just how much he loves what he does.
I recommend this book to other cycling newbies and will read more from Barry, should he choose to put pen to paper again.
Enjoy!
15 of 17 people found the above review helpful.
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average at best, May 9, 2005
By opus54 (Chula Vista, CA USA)
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I liked the inside look at a pro team but the writing was simplistic and reminded me of someone writing home from summer camp. Very little here outside of "what I did today."
14 of 17 people found the above review helpful.
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 View From the Inside of the Team, April 23, 2005
By Gunny (Winnemucca, NV)
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This interesting title comes from the fact that the US Postal Service sponsored the professional cycling team that included Lance Armstrong and the author Michael Barry. There have been several (make that many) books on Lance Armstrong and the Tour de France last July. However, for an insiders viewpoint, how can you do better than have one of his team mates write the book. From this point of view you can get a story of the personalities of the members of the team as well as an understanding of what it takes to win, even to compete at this level of competition.
You also get a much better insight in what it takes to staff a team. They travel with their own chef, and of course they have to have bike mechanics. Bikes at this level are not the simple fat tire Schwinn's that never required any maintenance.
Now that the next racing season is beginning, and Lance Armstrong has already announced that this is his last Tour de France, this book provides an insight that will make the next season more enjoyable.
12 of 21 people found the above review helpful.
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A Little Bit of Almost Everything (Except a Good Editor), May 29, 2005
By Ex Fossor Sessio In Angulus (Southern Maryland, USA)
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The bad news is that this book obviously had no editor. It appears to be a verbatim reprint of Michael Barry's thoughts/musings over the course of the 2004 season. There is virtually no organization and quite a bit of repetition - the end result is an effort that would make even an average high school student cringe.
But the good news is that "Inside the Postal Bus" is an enjoyable ride for fans of cycling both new and old. I didn't learn much new (the subtitle lure of a year with Lance is a bit misleading), but it was a good way of getting a "cycling fix" at the start of the 2005 season.
There is no way I would pay $21.95 for a book this poorly written if it were not for the fact this is a niche book with a limited publication run. Regardless, Michael Barry seems to be a very nice guy and hopefully my purchase and those of fellow fans will put a few extra dollars in his pocket.
10 of 12 people found the above review helpful.
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A Great Account of Life In and Out of the US Postal Bus, March 10, 2006
By Guillermo Cordobva (Los Angeles, CA USA)
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Forget about all the negative reviews about this book!!! They are completely wrong. I can't believe those people didn't get more out of this book. First, it's called "Inside the Postal Bus". Sure it has Lance in the SUB-title, but that doesn't mean this book is "all about Lance". If that's what they wanted, they obviously can't read a title let alone a sub-title, and they should stick to books that have a hugh pictures of Lance on the cover so they don't get so confussed.
For TRUE cycling fans (and NOT the-Lance-bandwagon crew) this is one great cycling book. Michael Barry does give plenty (yes plenty) of accounts of what went on in the US Postal bus. He also gives accounts of stays in hotels, in European cities that are hubs for non-European born cyclist, and plenty of road racing. A real insider's view.
O.k., Barry didn't race in the Tour de France alongside Lance, but the title doesn't say he did. A true fan would know that there is life outside of the Tour de France and the US Postal Team has more than one rider. And such a fan would also want to know about other races and riders.
Barry gives plenty of stories about other riders (George Hincapie, Floyd Landis, Dave Zabriskie, and plenty more) and also US Postal Team staff. Great stories-and well told. This is an easy to read, enjoyable book about life in and out of the US Postal bus, the glory, the pain, and the triumphs of wins both big and small. I'm glad I happened to catch Michael Barry signing copies of his book at the final stage of the inagural Tour of California.
6 of 7 people found the above review helpful.
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 Big Disappointment, November 6, 2005
By Joe (Quincy, IL USA)
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No stories, no inside view, no organization, no reason to waste your time with this book. I was excited when I bought this book and once I started to read it I was wondering when it would become a good read. It never did. The author painted a professional bike racer's life as one big bore.
5 of 9 people found the above review helpful.
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Misleading title, September 6, 2005
By Stephanie From the Block (Forest Hills, NY USA)
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If you are new to cycling then you will learn a few things in this book. But if you are already a cycling fan looking to learn more about Lance or US Postal, you won't find it here. This guy was so much an outsider that he doesn't have much insight.
5 of 9 people found the above review helpful.
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Ever hear of an editor?, November 30, 2005
By Lonnie (Lake County, IL USA)
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I bought this book with high hopes; however, it just proved some athletes need to stick with sports and not writing. I could never tell when Barry was in the past or present. The book jumps around and gives very little account of the people inolved. The journalism is poor, the writing is poor, and the editing is worse.
If you have $15 to blow and have read every other cycling book, then buy it. If not, choose something else.
5 of 10 people found the above review helpful.
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Great Introduction to Coffee & Cycling, August 19, 2005
By Meredith (Stowe, VT)
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Michael Barry's view "Inside the Postal Bus" gives a great introduction to cycling, and includes some funny excerpts about the hotels, bus, and coffee machines that keep the team rolling. This is a quick read, and offers more perspectives on cycling than JUST "the" Tour, which is nice. The writing is not too sophisticated (most cyclists don't go on to college) but who cares?! He finally gives some of the riders OTHER than Lance and some OTHER races some coverage. If you are real Tour fan, this book covers some of the basics (meaning the jerseys, etc.) that we have heard over and over again but bear with it.
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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A great informal look Inside the Postal Bus., February 27, 2006
By Cycling Addict (Tennessee)
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I truly enjoyed the way Michael Barry delivered the 'inside scoop' on what goes on inside and outside the Postal bus before, during, and after race events. The personal sacrifices these riders make in order to be a part of a professional race team were brought forth in an amusing and heart felt way.
3 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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Great book!, July 9, 2005
By B. Williams (California)
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I really enjoyed this book. I found the stories funny and it was interesting to learn more about how professional cycling teams function.
3 of 5 people found the above review helpful.
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Not A Lance Book Alone, July 8, 2006
By LoneCactus (Bay Area, CA USA)
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Okay...it's more like a 3.5 star book.
First and foremost, the fact that a professional European cyclist can write a book that is easily read is a miracle. Actually if you go to his Michael Barry's website, you can tell that he is quite intelligent.
This book actually is a very good read. One sees the day to day detail of what a procyclist is like. I particularly enjoyed the episodes that had really nothing to do with racing, but just life in general on the team. Julien DeVriese's love for the Lakers, Luc Verloo, the bus driver, being dragged by a car in the middle of the night, Roberto Heras sitting on the toilet in his pajamas drinking coffee so he wouldn't wake Barry. These are what really makes the book.
The reason I gave it only 3.5 stars is that it is at times dry. And the end tends to drag on...maybe it's like the cycling season at the end of the year. That along with the fact that if you are not into cycling, this may not be a very inspiring book, especially if one was anticipating tons of Lance stories. I enjoyed it as I am a cycling enthusiast...
Yep...3.5 stars...good book...just not great.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Nice Read for a Cyclist - But Barry Wasn't on the Bus with Lance in France, January 16, 2006
By Thomas D. Newman (Maryland, USA)
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The title of this book is a little misleading for cycling fans. Like other reviewers, I really wanted to like this book. However, it just doesn't come through with the goods.
Like most riders/fans who look for good books on cycling, I eagerly looked forward to Michael Barry's take on life in the pro ranks. Barry is, of course, a world-class rider with world-class experience riding for the phenomenal Postal and Discovery bike teams. I expected Barry to come through with some fascinating insider scoop on life in the Postal bus. While Michael certainly shares some interesting anecdotes, like the importance of the expresso machine on board, I'd be less than truthful if I didn't give the reader a heads-up - this book isn't so much about Michael Barry as about Lance and the Postal efforts to win the 2004 Tour de France. To me that smacks of hopping on the Lance bandwagon in order to make some extra cash. There are plenty of books about Lance - we want to hear about the rest of the team. George Hincapie, Floyd Landis, etc. are great riders as well - tell us what they are like!
Make no mistake - this book is pretty much a collection of Barry's diary entries already published on [...], fleshed out with the aforementioned accounts of Lance and the Postal boys. (In case it sounds like I'm griping - let me point out that Barry recounts the Tour de France in quite a few chapters but didn't actually ride the 2004 Tour). There is no problem with Barry's writing - he does a nice job of capturing the atmosphere surrounding bike racing. However, whoever edited this book forgot to point out to Barry that it might be nice to have a logical transition between chapters instead of the haphazard manner in which each chapter fits together.
Basically, the book follows the US Postal Cycling Team through the 2004 season. The first few chapters were exactly what I had hoped for - background on Michael Barry, details on what the Postal Bus was(!) really like, and interesting notes on Michael's teammates. Yes, the detail was a little sparse, but there were interesting anecdotes here and there. About a third of the way in to the book we get a blow-by-blow description of Lance's heroic win in the 2004 Tour de France... There's only one problem - Barry wasn't actually on the Postal bus or team during the 2004 Tour. I wanted to read about Michael's experience - not Lance's (there are plenty of books detailing Lance's heroic antics during the Tour(s) elsewhere).
I wanted to hear what Barry does and sees on the team, not what Lance did (I've already read all that on [...]! Bottom line - this book is nothing more than a poorly edited collection of Michael Barry's Rider Diary submissions that you can read for free at [...]. I put the book down wondering if Michael didn't see this as a way to supplement his team salary for the year. Its a shame because you can see some real promise in Michael's writing. If he had stuck to writing about himself and his own experiences on the "B" team, I think it would have been a great read. Borrow a copy or just log on to Velonews for Michael's great diary entries...for free!
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Inside The Postal Bus: My Ride With Lance Armstrong, September 22, 2005
By Retired, But Still Cycling (Bonita Springs, FL)
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Like many Americans, suddenly cycling is of keene interest to me. This book lets me live the experience vicariously in good human detail. From the sore muscles and the pain of keeping up with the pelaton, to the horrendous crashes that every cyclist experiences, this book lets you ride along and feel what they feel. The boys in postal blue, have a super demanding schedule, but they also have loads of fun while they do what they do so well.
Even though I'm way over 60, I cycle every day though at a mere 13 mph average, so this book lets me imagine doing it at 25 to 30 mph.
While the style of the writer is not as polished as it could be, it doesn't matter. This is a keeper. Be sure to get your copy.
2 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Inside and personal look at Lance Armstrong's super squad, July 26, 2005
By L Johnson (New Jersey, USA)
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I just finished reading this while watching Lance win his 7th Tour de France. I now have a better understanding of how the team works and what it takes to be a professional cyclist. I was taught things about the sport and the team that only someone from the inside would know. I also had a lot of laughes over the descriptions of some of the characters that make the team up. An enjoyable read.
2 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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Inside the Postal bus, June 26, 2009
By Brigid (Milwaukee, WI USA)
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I found this book to be quite interesting and well-written. It gave a glimpse into the world of professional cycling. Granted some transitions aren't that smooth, but this is not a professional writer. He is a cyclist! As for those that complain about the book being boring, I totally disagree. I was engrossed, and I enjoyed the voice of the writer. Of course He couldn't reveal too much about Lance or his other teammates. He does have a job to protect. He rode the bus plenty, though He was not chosen for the Tour de France. He rode several major European Tours with Discovery.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Dry and flavorless, March 19, 2007
By Michael F. Maddox (Tallahassee, Florida United States)
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I, too, am pure tifosi and really, really wanted to enjoy this. I remember my own racing days and can talk for hours on end, telling story after story: "Remember that time when..."
Michael Barry either cannot or chooses not to.
There's a pretty good description of the malaise experienced by a professional cyclist mired in a 3-week tour at the end of the book. There are momentary bright spots and little tidbits of trivia that may bring a smile. Unfortunately, the majority of the book is taken up with a spectator's view of Lance Armstrong. Mr. Barry drags us through the 2004 Tour de France from the comfort of his television set; he wasn't on the team that competed that year. And this is the core of the book.
Overall, the book has SO much potential, but Mr. Barry cannot bring it to fruition. Bike racing is fun and funny, and full of wonderful stories. This book is not. It is as dull and subdued as the colors of the racing team it follows.
Meh.
1 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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3rd Grader, November 19, 2010
By CS
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I like most all cycling books around Lance and the USPS/Discovery/Astana teams. Not to directly insult Michael Barry, but the book was made up of fragmented sentences and disjointed stories. It is not up to the quality of Lances books and I did not enjoy the writing style. There are still some things to learn from it and some insights you won't receive from the other books out there.
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It's just okay, August 22, 2005
By Santismo
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Frankly, the book is just okay. The biggest problem I had was that Barry would touch on a subject, then dance around it. For example, during a chapter near the end of the book, he mentions that Hamilton tested positive, mentions that everybody around the breakfast table (most of the book seems to take place here) was talking about it, and then completely drops the subject. So, uh, geez, Michael, what were the guys saying about it? He also never really gave any insider's secrets to training, racing, nutrition, etc. I would recommend that anyone who is interested in reading a book about the 2004 season check out Coyle's Lance Armstrong's War, which I thought was a much better book.
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