- 50 unique cycling trip stories from 70 cyclists that will inform and inspire - Answers to over 700 questions that relate to bike travel around the world - Beautiful photography combined with practical advice 50 Ways to Cycle the World presents 50 unique cycling adventures gathered from more than 70 cyclists representing 22 nationalities. It is the ultimate visual guide and encyclopaedia to travelling by bicycle, whether you are travelling alone, as a couple, or as a family with small children. Featured here are inspiring stories and advice, accompanied by breathtaking photographs taken all over the world by the many contributors who share their cycling stories.
Once the quaint province of European cities such as Amsterdam, daily cycling is currently exploding in North American cities. People ride folding bikes to the train, slip through traf?c on tricked-out ?xed-gears, and carry children and groceries on their utility bikes. Commuters are giving up their cars Monday through Friday, bike lanes and bike parking are sprouting up all over, and Talking Head David Byrne has designed arty bike racks for various New York City neighborhoods. It’s healthy for riders and clean for the environment, but is it fun? Amy Walker, who has been at the forefront of the urban cycling trend, knows that the answer is yes. She presents stories by a diverse group of cycling enthusiasts and activists that, accompanied by the illustrations of bike culture artist Matt Fleming, show readers why. They say you never forget how to ride a bike; this collection helps us remember why we ride.
- Discover various bicycle tours throughout Europe, North America and Central Asia- With beautiful photographs, personal anecdotes and practical advice to organize your own trip- A visual invitation to discover breath-taking scenery and meet new people- Tristan and Belén share their advice and personal experiences with bike traveling- Includes numerous short stories that appeal to one's imagination For the travel and adventure enthusiasts: Bike Life shares the story of Tristan and Belén's adventures on various bicycle tours throughout Europe, North America and Central Asia. A book full of beautiful photographs and personal anecdotes, advice, and the many things they learned while being on the road. The book breathes adventure, but also bursts with interesting tips on how to plan your own bicycle tour, and provides some recommended routes. The book also provides an answer on the most commonly asked questions and concerns surrounding this exciting way of exploring the world, and gives inspiration to go out and pedal to a new place.
An updated edition including new color photographs and a new afterword looking back at the journeyAlastair Humphreys' around-the-world journey of 46,000 miles was an old-fashioned adventure: long, lonely, low-budget, and spontaneous. Cycling across five continents and sailing over the oceans, his ride took four years to complete, on a tiny budget of hoarded student loans. Here is the story of the first remarkable stage of the expedition. Just two weeks into the ride the September 11th attacks changed everything. All Humphreys' plans went out the window and, instead of riding towards Australia, he suddenly found himself pedaling through the Middle East and Africa and on toward Cape Town. This book recounts an epic journey that succeeded through Humphreys' trust in the kindness of strangers, at a time where the interactions of our global community are more confused and troubled than ever.
A witty, erudite celebration of fifty great Italian cultural achievements that have significantly influenced Western civilization from the authors of What Are the Seven Wonders of the World? “Sprezzatura,” or the art of effortless mastery, was coined in 1528 by Baldassare Castiglione in The Book of the Courtier. No one has demonstrated effortless mastery throughout history quite like the Italians. From the Roman calendar and the creator of the modern orchestra (Claudio Monteverdi) to the beginnings of ballet and the creator of modern political science (Niccolò Machiavelli), Sprezzatura highlights fifty great Italian cultural achievements in a series of fifty information-packed essays in chronological order.
“Delightful debut travelogue by botanist Malusa, who cycled to the lowest point on each of six continents.” —Kirkus Reviews With plenty of sunscreen and a cold beer swaddled in his sleeping bag, writer and botanist Jim Malusa bicycled alone to the lowest point on each of six continents, a six–year series of “anti–expeditions” to “anti–summits.” His journeys took him to Lake Eyre in the arid heart of Australia, along Moses’ route to the Dead Sea, and from Moscow to the Caspian Sea. He pedaled across the Andes to Patagonia, around tiny Djibouti in the Horn of Africa, and from Tucson to Death Valley. With a scientist’s eye, Malusa vividly observes local landscapes and creatures. As a lone man, he is overfed by grandmothers, courted by ladies of the night in Volgograd, invited into a mosque by Africa’s most feared tribe, chased by sandstorms and hurricanes—yet Malusa keeps riding. His reward: the deep silence of the world’s great depressions. A large–hearted narrative of what happens when a friendly, perceptive American puts himself at the mercy of strange landscapes and their denizens, Into Thick Air presents one of the most talented new voices in contemporary travel writing. “I’ve followed all of Jim’s amazing and hilarious journeys, and I am happy to claim him as one of my favorite writers.” —Barbara Kingsolver, New York Times bestselling author “His descriptions of desert landscapes can be extraordinary . . . You can almost feel the dry gusts turning Malusa’s lips into cracked leather.” —The New York Times Book Review
Power up mountain passes in Italy’s Dolomites, tackle Bolivia’s infamous Death Road or go island-hopping in Japan: Ride takes you around the world in search of adventure on two wheels. Covering 100 incredible cycling routes, this inspirational book will make you reach for your handlebars, whether you’re an experienced, ascent-loving road cyclist or are planning your first bike- packing trip. Awe-inspiring images and compelling descriptions of each ride will have you itching to jump in the saddle, while handy maps, elevation profiles and practical information – including things like distance, difficulty and road surface – will help you plan the nitty gritty of your trip. We’ve also included the best places to explore along the way – whether that’s refuelling spots, epic viewpoints or nearby must-see sights – as well as suggestions for alternative ways to tackle a route. This beautiful bike book features: - Covers 100 rides, from day cycles around cities to epic journeys across continents. - Beautifully designed gift book with stunning photography throughout. - Inspirational travel guide for anyone planning a cycling holiday. - A carefully curated selection of rides, chosen by cycling and travel experts. - Infographics provide an easy-to-digest overview of each ride. - Includes maps and elevation profiles. - Features top tips on cycle touring. Rides are arranged within each chapter geographically, and include the duration and a difficulty rating to help make it easy for readers to find rides that suit their timeframe and ability level. Each chapter covers a different continent (North America, Central and South America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Asia, Australasia) whilst offering top tips for getting the most out of each ride – including recommended stops, viewpoints on route andhow to make the ride shorter/longer depending on how much time you have. Ride is also jam-packed with facts and figures on the world’s most famous cyclists and iconic races, plus information on the history of cycling, how to choose a bike and what kit to take.
A beautiful guide to fifty of the world’s best places to ride a bicycle, as chosen by expert cyclists who have been there. Fifty Places to Bike Before You Die is the ninth addition to the bestselling Fifty Places series by Chris Santella. Biking has grown increasingly popular in recent years, as both a leisure and an extreme exercise activity, and Santella covers trips for cyclists of every level. Fifty Places to Bike covers environments as varied as the Dalmatian Coast in Croatia, the Indochina Trail in Vietnam, and the urban jungle of New York City. With a healthy mix of international and national locations, the 50 chapters capture the breathtaking vistas cyclists will enjoy around the world. As always, the places are brought to life with more than 40 stunning color photographs. Praise for Fifty Places to Bike Before You Die “OMG views, killer hills and open road—the routes in Fifty Places to Bike Before You Die (in bookstores this month) have everything a pedal pusher could ask for.” —Fitness magazine “If you know someone who can’t view a landscape without visualizing themselves traversing it on two wheels, Fifty Places to Bike Before You Die is a sound gift choice.” —The San Francisco Chronicle “Fifty Places to Bike Before You Die gets adventurous cyclists going in the right direction.” —The Boston Globe “50 chapters capture breathtaking cycling trails around the world.” —Metrosource magazine
"...an engaging book: part diary, part manifesto." The Guardian A round-the-world bicycle tour with one of the most original artists of our day. Urban bicycling has become more popular than ever as recession-strapped, climate-conscious city dwellers reinvent basic transportation. In this wide-ranging memoir, artist/musician and co-founder of Talking Heads David Byrne--who has relied on a bike to get around New York City since the early 1980s--relates his adventures as he pedals through and engages with some of the world's major cities. From Buenos Aires to Berlin, he meets a range of people both famous and ordinary, shares his thoughts on art, fashion, music, globalization, and the ways that many places are becoming more bike-friendly. Bicycle Diaries is an adventure on two wheels conveyed with humor, curiosity, and humanity.
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “One of the most important books I’ve ever read—an indispensable guide to thinking clearly about the world.” – Bill Gates “Hans Rosling tells the story of ‘the secret silent miracle of human progress’ as only he can. But Factfulness does much more than that. It also explains why progress is so often secret and silent and teaches readers how to see it clearly.” —Melinda Gates "Factfulness by Hans Rosling, an outstanding international public health expert, is a hopeful book about the potential for human progress when we work off facts rather than our inherent biases." - Former U.S. President Barack Obama Factfulness: The stress-reducing habit of only carrying opinions for which you have strong supporting facts. When asked simple questions about global trends—what percentage of the world’s population live in poverty; why the world’s population is increasing; how many girls finish school—we systematically get the answers wrong. So wrong that a chimpanzee choosing answers at random will consistently outguess teachers, journalists, Nobel laureates, and investment bankers. In Factfulness, Professor of International Health and global TED phenomenon Hans Rosling, together with his two long-time collaborators, Anna and Ola, offers a radical new explanation of why this happens. They reveal the ten instincts that distort our perspective—from our tendency to divide the world into two camps (usually some version of us and them) to the way we consume media (where fear rules) to how we perceive progress (believing that most things are getting worse). Our problem is that we don’t know what we don’t know, and even our guesses are informed by unconscious and predictable biases. It turns out that the world, for all its imperfections, is in a much better state than we might think. That doesn’t mean there aren’t real concerns. But when we worry about everything all the time instead of embracing a worldview based on facts, we can lose our ability to focus on the things that threaten us most. Inspiring and revelatory, filled with lively anecdotes and moving stories, Factfulness is an urgent and essential book that will change the way you see the world and empower you to respond to the crises and opportunities of the future. --- “This book is my last battle in my life-long mission to fight devastating ignorance...Previously I armed myself with huge data sets, eye-opening software, an energetic learning style and a Swedish bayonet for sword-swallowing. It wasn’t enough. But I hope this book will be.” Hans Rosling, February 2017.
