Some races are won in seconds. This one was lost a hundred years ago. A thrill-seeking boy, his terrified best friend, and a phantom rider who refuses to lose. Twelve-year-old Aiden doesn’t believe in playing it safe. Why avoid potholes when you can jump them on two wheels? So when a bright yellow flyer appears in Blackwood Village advertising The Great Blackwood Grind—a legendary bicycle race with a lifetime supply of sticky toffee pudding as the grand prize—Aiden is all in. His cautious, rule-following best friend, Iain, has a ten-point list of reasons why entering is a terrible idea. The deadly route wind through the Haunted Hallow, past the Old Mill, and up the treacherous Crag Hill. But Aiden isn't backing down—especially not after a mysterious vintage bicycle bell starts ringing from the dark woods, leaving ancient tire tracks in the mud. When race day arrives, a thick fog rolls over the mountain, and a shadowy competitor in a tattered coat glides onto the track. He doesn't pedal, he leaves a trail of grey ash wherever he rides, and he’ll stop at nothing to trap the summit forever. Tethered together on their bikes and armed with sheer willpower, a bungee cord, and a handful of reflectors, Aiden and Iain must outrun, outsmart, and out-jump a phantom who has been riding for a century. Because they aren't just racing for a trophy anymore—they’re racing to survive. Perfect for fans of fast-paced mysteries, hilarious best-friend dynamics, spooky Scottish folklore, and heart-pounding adventure!
