Travelling 44,000 miles, at times in 140'F heat - for days without food, at times without water, at times in pirate-infested territories, at times in swamp-lands - they cycled through dense jungles and notched up many 'firsts' while pedalling round the globe. They were the first to cycle the world - six young boys from Bombay Weightlifting Club, who started this journey of adventure on 15 October 1923. Crossing the deserts of Persia, Mesopotamia, Syria and Sinai, they became the first globetrotters to cover the most arduous journey of their lives in four years and five months. A must-read story of adventure and endurance.
Miles from Nowhere is the story of Barbara and Larry Savage’s sometimes dangerous, often zany, but ultimately rewarding 23,000-mile bicycle odyssey, which took them through 25 countries in two years. Along the way, these near-neophyte cyclists on their ten-speeds encountered warm-hearted strangers eager to share food and shelter, bicycle-hating drivers who ran them off the road, various wild animals (including an attack camel), rock-throwing Egyptians, overprotective Thai policeman, motherly New Zealanders, meteorological disasters, bodily indignities, and great personal joys. The stress of traveling together constantly tested yet strengthened the young couple's relationship and as their trip ends, you'll find yourself yearning for Barbara and Larry to jump back on their bikes and keep pedaling. Originally published in 1983, Miles from Nowhere has provided inspiration for legions of modern travel-adventurers and writers.
- 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.
This classic, once hard-to-find travelogue recalls one of the very first around-the-world bicycle treks. Filled with rarely matched feats of endurance and determination, Around the World on a Bicycle tells of a young cyclist’s ever-changing and maturing worldview as he ventures through forty countries on the eve of World War II. It is an exuberant, youthful account, harking back to a time when the exploits of Richard Byrd, Amelia Earhart, and other adventurers stirred the popular imagination. In 1935 Fred A. Birchmore left the small American town of Athens, Georgia, to continue his college studies in Europe. In his spare time, Birchmore toured the continent on a one-speed bike he called Bucephalus (after the name of Alexander the Great’s horse). A born wanderer, Birchmore broadened his travels to include the British Isles and even the Mediterranean. After a lengthy, unplanned detour in Egypt, Birchmore put his studies on hold, pointed Bucephalus eastward, and just kept going. From desert valleys to frozen peaks, from palace promenades to muddy jungle trails, Birchmore saw it all on his eighteen-month, twenty-five-thousand-mile odyssey. Some of the people he encountered had never seen a bike—or, for that matter, an Anglo-European. As a good travel experience should, Birchmore’s trip changed his outlook on strangers. Always daring, outgoing, and energetic, he now saw an innate goodness in people. In between bone-breaking spills, wild animal attacks, and privation of all kinds, Birchmore learned that he had little to fear from human encounters. That he traveled through a world on the brink of global war makes this lesson even more remarkable—and timeless.
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.
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.
The inspiring story of one man's record-breaking cycle around the world. On Monday 18th September 2017, Mark Beaumont pedalled through the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. 78 days, 14 hours and 40 minutes earlier he set off from the same point, beginning his attempt to circumnavigate the world in record time. Covering more than 18,000 miles and cycling through some of the harshest conditions one man and his bicycle can endure, Mark made history. He smashed two Guinness World Records and beat the previous record by an astonishing 45 days. Around the World in 80 Days is the story of Mark's amazing achievement - one which redefines the limits of human endurance. It is also an insight into the mind of an elite athlete and the physical limits of the human body, as well as a kaleidoscopic tour of the world from a very unique perspective; inspired by Jules Verne's classic adventure novel, Mark begins his journey in Paris and cycles through Europe, Russia, Mongolia and China. He then crosses Australia, rides up through New Zealand and across North America before the final 'sprint finish' thorough Portugal, Spain and France, all at over 200 miles a day. This is the story of a quite remarkable adventure, by a quite remarkable man.
Peter Zheutlin's thoroughly researched account will make you wish you'd been around to catch a glimpse of the extraordinary woman as she went wheeling by. --Bill Littlefield, National Public Radio's Only A Game Until 1894 there were no female sport stars, no product endorsement deals, and no young mothers with the chutzpah to circle the globe on a bicycle. Annie Londonderry changed all of that. When Annie left Boston in June of that year, she was a brash young lady with a 42-pound bicycle, a revolver, a change of underwear, and a dream of freedom. She was also a feisty mother of three who had become the center of what one newspaper called "one of the most novel wagers ever made": a high-stakes bet between two wealthy merchants that a woman could not ride around the world on a bicycle. The epic journey that followed took the connection between athletics and commercialism to dizzying new heights, and turned Annie Londonderry into a symbol of women's equality. A vastly entertaining blend of social history, high adventure, and maverick marketing, Around the World on Two Wheels is an unforgettable portrait of courage, imagination, and tenacity. "Annie was a remarkable woman and well worth getting to know." --Booklist "A wonderful telling of one of the most intriguing, offbeat, and until now, lost chapters in the history of cycling." --David Herlihy, author of Bicycle: The History "A pleasant, affectionate portrait of a free spirit who pedaled her way out of Victorian constraints." --Kirkus Reviews "[A] charming and informative book." --Cape Cod Times "[An] incredible story. . .[a] fascinating book." --NextReads "[A] stirring tale. . .not only a must read, but a must have." --Western Writers of America Roundup Magazine "[A] remarkable saga." --The Winston-Salem (NC) Journal "[R]ead[s]. . .like a novel." --The Columbia (SC) State "[M]eticulously researched. . .illuminat[es] the feeling of a bygone era." --The Portsmouth (NH) Wire Peter Zheutlin has been chasing the story of his great-grandaunt Annie Londonderry for more than four years. He is an avid cyclist and a freelance journalist whose work appears regularly in the Boston Globe and the Christian Science Monitor. He has also written for the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, AARP Magazine, Bicycling, the New England Quarterly, and other publications. He lives in Needham, Massachusetts.
On 15 February 2008, Mark Beaumont pedalled through the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. 194 days and 17 hours previously, he had begun his attempt to circumnavigate the world in record time. Mark smashed the Guinness World Record by an astonishing 81 days. He had travelled more than 18,000 miles on his own through some of the harshest conditions one man and his bicycle can endure, camping wild at night and suffering from constant ailments.
In November 1962, the then 22-year-old Stücke left his job as a tool and die maker and rode out of his hometown on a three-speed bike, with a dream to explore the world on two wheels. During his travels, Stücke encountered many obstacles and near death experiences, which saw him hit by a truck in Chile's Atacama Desert, chased by an angry mob in Haiti, attacked by bees in Mozambique, detained by military in Cameroon and losing his bike in Siberia before having it stolen in Portsmouth. Stücke's extraordinary desire to travel the world was partly motivated by his aversion to returning to factory work in his native Germany. Heinz Stücke is now back where he started: in Hövelhof, the German village he happily cycled away from half a century ago. He visited 196 countries, got through 21 passports, and ended up with a tidy number of 100,000 photos to sort out. He came across Pelé, got pocket money from Haile Selassie, and even slept under the arms of Christ the Redeemer. He cycled more than 648,000 kilometres, most of them on an ordinary gents' bike, and several thousands on a Brompton folding bike. Heinz 'wanted to see it all'. Dutch travel writer Eric van den Berg, who dug into his vast collection of journals, photos, postcards and notes, visited the now 75 year old cyclist to get an answer to that most pressing question: why? His philosophy of 'home is elsewhere' comes through in the daily routines, unexpected encounters and inevitable mishaps of a lifelong adventurist and Einzelgänger, and not least through the pictures Heinz took himself.
