Riders of the Storm: The Inside Story of London Edinburgh London 2025 and Storm Floris by Rob Skinner is an account of an unusually challenging edition of the Audax that has become an Anglicised version of Paris-Brest-Paris. If a 1,500km round trip between England and Scotland’s capitals wasn’t gruelling enough, in 2025 it was rather rudely interrupted by Storm Floris, an enormous tempest that curtailed the event for all but one rider.
The book’s exhaustive account of London-Floris-London is a tome of three parts: first, Skinner describes his own experiences on the ride, then he covers fellow riders’ successes and failures, and gives a behind-the-scenes look at how the organisers had to accommodate this drastic and unexpected change of plan. He rounds the book off with some essential advice on how to approach long-distance rides.
Skinner’s a great writer and he delivers a palpable sense of what it’s like to ride an Audax: the sights en route (mostly interesting bridges, big and small), the welcome respite of an inflatable mattress in a school hall, the hare-and-tortoise way these rides progress, and the men’s bums in the shower. There is maybe a bit too much information on bottoms, to be honest.
If Skinner provides the skeleton of the book, other accounts flesh it out. Ian McBride, the only rider to actually complete the route – becoming a low-key Audax hero in the process – discusses his incredible feat.
There’s something unintentionally hilarious about a setup for thousands welcoming a lone dishevelled rider, but Laura Massey-Pugh, the long-distance cyclist who was volunteering at the Dalkeith control, relates the rush of emotion when she realised the event would be cut short.
Audaxing is an extreme sport for sensible people, and Massey-Pugh’s experience seems to be shared among the riders. There’s disappointment but understanding, and maybe even a sense of relief that the ride would be curtailed. It’s a bit like Rocky in that even though they may not have “won,” the participants tried; they were part of something, they were contenders.
And they came from all over the world. Indian doctor Radha Krishnan discusses how disruptive long-distance cycling can be for families, while Therese Johansson recounts her experience as one of the few people who made it past the Scottish border. Holding it all together are unflappable organiser Danial Webb and his team of “Special Forces,” who checked the route and put rider safety first and foremost.
The only criticism here is that the segmented approach of giving each rider their own chapter reduces the scale of the drama. I wonder if it might have worked better as an intertwined narrative that recounted how the unfolding storm affected participants and organisers in real time — but this would have been trickier to write. Nonetheless, Rob’s book should be on the curriculum for anyone signing up for LEL 2029 — as well as armchair long-distance cyclists the world over.
> London Edinburgh London: Conquering one of the world’s toughest Audax cycling events
Test Report
What does the manufacturer say about this product?:
Every four years, cyclists from around the world take on one of the world’s toughest endurance events — London Edinburgh London. Covering 1,500 kilometres in just five days, it is a test of stamina, resilience and resolve.
For Rob Skinner, the challenge promised the ride of a lifetime. But as the 2025 event approached, forecasts warned of severe weather moving in. Storm Floris was expected — yet few could imagine the force it would unleash, leaving trains cancelled, flights grounded and 70,000 homes without power. As riders pushed north through long days and dark nights, this violent storm turned an already formidable challenge into something far more dangerous.
Riders of the Storm is the inside story of how Rob and 2,300 other riders were pushed to the limit, and how the organisers battled to keep them safe. It tells the inspiring achievement of Ian McBride, the only rider to defy Storm Floris to make it to Edinburgh and back, and Therese Johansson, one of two women to reach Scotland. The book also reveals the contrasting experiences of five other intrepid cyclists.
But this is much more than a cyclist’s story. Rob takes the reader inside the battle to save London Edinburgh London, explaining how the organisers and volunteers led by Danial Webb worked tirelessly to get the riders safely back to London in a triumph of human ingenuity and community spirit.
A powerful account of endurance cycling, human resilience and agonising decisions faced when conditions turn extreme, this is a story for anyone who has ever chased a goal knowing the outcome was never guaranteed.
The book includes a foreword by Emily Chappell, bike messenger turned ultra-endurance cyclist, and author of What Goes Around, and Where There’s A Will.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of this product:
Language : English
Print length : 194 pages
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested?:
Competitively priced in both paperback and e-book formats.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
A comprehensive guide to one of the most eventful Audaxes in recent history, Rob Skinner left no stone unturned and no important participant uninterviewed. A more unbroken structure might have helped bring it together more, but it’s still an achievement almost as impressive as completing the ride itself.
About the tester
Age: 46Height: 193cmWeight: 88kg
I usually ride: Tritao GroontMy best bike is:
I’ve been riding for: Over 20 yearsI ride: Every dayI would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: Road racing, Gravel riding, Indoor riding, Indoor racing, Bikepacking, Commuting, Audax, Fitness riding, Leisure riding
