Downhill: The Life Cycle of a Gravity Goddess

by Marla Streb

In a fascinating memoir, the champion cyclist describes her early life, including her training as a classical pianist, her love of cycling, and the loss of her brother, and discusses her decision to leave a promising career as a biomedical researcher to take up the challenging world of downhill mountain biking. Original.

Genres: Nonfiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published October 28, 2003

Reviews

[Jtomassetti · Rating 3 out of 5]

DOWNHILL: THE LIFE CYCLE OF A GRAVITY GODDESS by Marla Streb. I bought this book new at a discount bookstore for $2.99. I didn’t expect much. However, at three dollars, it wasn’t much of a risk.

Downing racing – is it really cycling at all? Before reading the book I didn’t think so. I have only seen it once at a ski slope in summer while visiting a water park at the same ski area. These people would ride a ski lift to the top of the mountain and ride down on contraptions that looked more like motorcycles than bicycles. I doubted that these monstrosities could even be ridden on a flat road.

Early in the book, the author introduces herself as a normal person with no unusual abilities that would allow her to fly down a mountain on a bike faster than most people in the world. However, she is almost 6 foot tall, she is a pianist of exceptional skill, she holds a Masters degree in molecular biology, she has run the Boston Marathon, she played soccer, field hockey, basketball, skate boarding, sailing and other sports in school.

It also turns out that very little of the book is about downhill racing. Instead it tells of her experiences that lead to her being a professional rider at the top of the mountain. This book includes a triathlon, a tourist ride across Europe, road bikes, a love story, cross-country mountain bike racing, bicycle advocacy including critical mass, being a bike messenger, a inspirational chance meeting with Lance, and lessons on how to find jobs and sponsors.

I didn’t like the excessive amount of writing spent on drinking but that was part of her life at the time. Overall I liked the book and it was well worth the three dollars. Yes, downhill is cycling.

[Purlewe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. Altho I would say it might not have been the most well written book, it definitely reads well. I appreciated the story of how she turned her favorite past time into her work. Many people feel their jobs are stealing their life away (as a scientist she certainly did) So being pro-active and doing what she loved really worked out for her. I would recommend this to folks who like extreme sports.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not typically one for biographies of people who are still alive, but Marla Streb is just about the most inspiring athlete I've ever heard of. Her late entry into the rugged world of competitive mountain bike racing gave me hope that at 30, I could learn to downhill. Plus, she's a pretty darn good writer. This book is funny, inspiring, and just a plain good read.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fascinating read, and as I had expected, an engaging autobiography. My main complaint is with Rodale Press's editing-- a lot of typos and lack of punctuation.

I would love to meet Marla Streb in person someday.

[Melissa Milan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome awesome awesome. I want to BE Marla Streb!!!