This is the story of Charlie Woods' lifelong fascination with racing bikes. Woods traces his love of cycling from childhood to adulthood, recalling the challenges and new horizons which served as a rite of passage into manhood. He explores a sport which has been a source of pleasure and comfort to him throughout his life. However, this is much more than one man's homage to cycling. The book also analyses cycling as a national sport and a pastime intrinsic to British culture and heritage. Britain has a lively tradition of cycling. Today races such as the Tour de France draw huge British audiences, with coverage assured on prime-time TV. Through anecdote and analysis the bike is revealed in "Bikie" as a constant factor in a rather haphazard life - a source of solace and support with which to ride out every age and season, as well as a national tradition surrounded by history and folklore.