Ask A Pro

Some professional cyclists turn to writing after they have finished cycling competitively – perhaps to produce an autobiography or a 'drugs exposé'. Others, such as Phil Gaimon, manage to write while still competing: his second book, Ask a Pro is a collection of the columns that he wrote for VeloNews magazine for about seven years until he retired from professional cycling.

There may never be sufficient demand for an autobiography by Gaimon, but he did have demand for his first book: Pro Cycling on $10 a day, which made it onto our essential reading list. It does a good job of making the reader think twice about choosing professional cycling as a career unless you are really, really determined and are prepared to sacrifice a lot – with the hope that sometimes the rewards will make it all worthwhile.

That first book ends as Gaimon joins the Garmin-Sharp WorldTour team in 2014; the VeloNews columns were written before, during, and after that period, finally coming to an end in 2016 because 'even though I've only been an amateur for a few weeks I can already feel that I'm losing my credibility'. So what better time to publish a complete collection of those columns?

Gaimon found that his current computer did not have the full set of older columns, so he got his mother to scan the missing months from her complete collection of VeloNews magazines. Then he added a few notes where things have changed since he first wrote the column – and because he can now say things that might have made life awkward while he was still an active professional.

Gaimon's column tried to 'answer every question you could have about pro cycling, including all the weird and distasteful stuff people don't usually ask but can't wait to read'. Sometimes the questions are sensible and serious, and they generally get a helpful and informative answer – with a bit of humour thrown in; other questions lend themselves to answers more biased towards humour, giving Gaimon the chance to showcase his acerbic style.

It seems that pros are often asked the same questions many times, so occasionally Gaimon gives an all-encompassing answer to a question that is a consolidation of every variation he has encountered: it still does not stop him being asked the same question again, though, such as that old favourite 'Can you get me on your team?'.

A question about chamois cream is a good example of the informative and the entertaining: 'I use Chamois Butt'r because they sponsor my team and the company has always been nice to me, but in my experience all the brands work pretty well'. As for applying it, 'Put the shorts on, then reach in and apply directly to the sensitive areas of your skin. In most states, it's a good idea to avoid eye contact with anyone nearby while your hand is in your pants.'

Not surprisingly Gaimon was asked some questions that required a politically expedient answer, such as his views on disc brakes. As his later notes show, the first time he was asked he 'had to dodge the question because I was scared of sponsors getting mad at me'. He enjoyed training with disc brakes, and in a later answer was able to say: 'I personally think that improved braking will reduce the number of...pileups, which will outweigh the risk of disc brakes as a whole, especially as technology improves.'

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As a bonus Gaimon tries to include the answer to a question that VeloNews apparently declined to run, but unfortunately the book's publishers (VeloPress) took the same view. The question was: 'What do women do when they have to go during a race?' Having no personal experience Gaimon asked around for input, but we may never know what he found out. Fortunately at least some of the answer can be found in the review of another book on our essential reading list: Ride The Revolution by Suze Clemitson.

If you actually want to know what life is like as a fledgling pro, Gaimon's first book is the better bet; if you primarily want to be entertained with off-beat information and some surreal humour, Ask a Pro does the job, living up to its billing as offering 'deep thoughts and unreliable advice'.

Verdict

Every question you ever wanted to ask a pro cyclist (possibly), with answers that are sometimes helpful and always entertaining