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bicycle literature — travels (authors L–Z)

"Astride his trusty Trek 520, Los Angeles Times correspondent Lamb pedals his way from the Potomac to the Pacific in this entertaining 3,145-mile ramble... Feeling restless, feeling all of his 55 years, knowing that he 'could be quite fulfilled wandering aimlessly forever,' he decided to undertake a transcontinental journey, via bicycle, without timetables and sticking to back roads. He is a worthy narrator, stopping to smell the roses and sketch for his readers the towns and characters he met en route, witnessing in many places the demise of Main Street, listening in the quiet of the night 'to the labored breathing of Small Town, America.' But this is no Blue Highways, for as much as Lamb enjoys the open road, he is even more fascinated with cycling, its history, and what great good sense it makes in terms of simple pleasure and its benign nature... With his light journalist's touch, he makes fair reading out of the biker's concerns: picking the good route, the torment of head winds, the terrors prompted by vicious dogs, the unfathomable ugliness showered on cyclers ... all balanced by the ecstasy of smooth macadam and a downhill slope; on this trip, a wide shoulder to the road was more tantalizing than even the fairest prospect. A delightful tribute to romancing the road on a bike, and unintentionally inspirational: Lamb smokes, has high cholesterol, and chows down on fast foods. Criminy, if he could do it ..." —Kirkus Reviews A marvellous, racy account of his five-year bicycle ride around the world that took him through 45 countries, 77,000 cycled kilometers, 267 tires, and 199 punctures.

This book is currently out of print, and may be difficult/expensive to acquire.

"Originally published in 1965, it is the diary of [Murphy's] bicycle trek from Dunkirk, across Europe, through Iran and Afghanistan, over the Himalayas to Pakistan and India. Murphy's immediate rapport with the people she alights among is vibrant and appealing and makes her travelogue unique. Venturing alone, accompanied only by her bicycle, which she dubs 'Roz the indomitable', Murphy not only survives daunting physical rigors but gleans considerable enjoyment in getting to know peoples who were then even more remote than they are now." —Publishers Weekly

The plucky, pistol-packing Irish author began this journey (on a single-speed bicycle!) in January 1963, when she was just past 30. It launched — with good reason — her subsequent successful career as a travel writer of some renown.

An earlier edition of this book is subtitled, "Dunkirk to Delhi by bicycle".

"Its brio and optimism ... are unquenchable." —The Observer

"No ordinary travel book ... but a richly multi-faceted journey. Civilised, well-informed, and perennially interesting." —Isis magazine

When ex-headmistress Anne Mustoe gave up her job, bought a bike, and took to the road, she couldn't even mend a puncture. "I was 54, overweight, out of condition, and I wobbled slightly on my unfamiliar bicycle." Twelve thousand miles and fifteen months later, she was home, back from Europe, India, the Far East, and the United States. Told with humour, keen observation, and supreme relish for every chance encounter, this is a classic, inspiring story of one woman's journey of personal discovery.

"Her wry sense of humour is one of the great charms of Lone Traveller." —The Daily Telegraph

"It's a compelling read, detailing the experiences of a rather curious traveller." —Independent on Sunday

"... a book about the true spirit found in real travellers, written by a real traveller" —Wanderlust

The intrepid Ms Mustoe takes on her second world journey, this time tracing historic routes: ancient Roman roads to Lisbon, the Conquistadors' paths across South America, Captain Cook's trail over the Pacific to Australia and Indonesia, and the fabled Silk Road from Xi'an back to Rome. And she still calims to be unable to mend a puncture.

Mustoe's third book is somewhat misleading in its subtitle, as the journey is not a single one, but rather a sequence of separate trips, over several years. The common thread is the epic Hindu poem The Ramayana, and the paths of its main characters: Rama, Sita, and Hanuman. The story begins in Kathmandu, Nepal (birthplace of Rama's wife Sita), descends from the mountains, meanders — occasionally by local train or plane — across the Indian subcontinent, and ends in the tranquil town of Kandy, Sri Lanka (where the virtuous Rama and his 10-headed opponent, Ravana, fought their decisive battle). As always, Anne Mustoe's amazing journey by bicycle is told with keen observation and the relish of the open road. Osborn laconically recounts the story of an extraordinary two-and-a-half year exploration of the Pacific coast from Vancouver to the furthest reaches of Southern Chile, after he exchanges a Greyhound bus pass for panniers and a bicycle in Denver, Colorado.

This book is currently out of print, and may be difficult/expensive to acquire.

The drummer of the rock group Rush cycles his way through West Africa and brings us along with him, dysentery and all. This book details his physical and spiritual journey, through photographs, journal entries, and tales of adventure. Peart's titular "masks" are the masks that we wear — culture, psychology, labels, expectations — and his book reveals how travelling in a very foreign land allows us to peer behind them. Martin Ryle's gentle, captivating recounting of 22 Irish routes, a refreshingly personal response to Ireland and its varied landscape. Ranging from the Blackstairs mountains south of Dublin to Killybegs in the northwest, the routes cover most counties of the Irish Republic, and include wild mountain passes, delightful rides beside loughs, and explorations of unspoiled coastal lanes in Cork, Mayo, and Donegal. He describes the history and scenery of each area carefully, but the real charm lies in his vignettes of the towns, lochs, moors, valleys, and mountain he explores on his bike with his partner Kate.

This book is currently out of print, and may be difficult/expensive to acquire. It is also available in a second edition, titled Exploring Rural Ireland by Bicycle.

"... over 300 pages of the most delightful travel literature I have ever read." —Santa Barbara News-Press

The bestselling story of near-neophyte cyclists Barbara & Larry Savage, and their two-year (May 1978 to April 1980), 23,000-mile, 25-country global bicycle odyssey. The author, unfortunately, died in a terrible accident as her book was in press, but her writings have proved to be among the most inspirational of all long distance bicycle tales.

"... an amazing travelogue of two people who dared to live their dream, setting aside their ordinary lives to embark on a worldwide cycling adventure. Learning to live frugally on the road while maintaining an Internet journal, they observed a religious pilgrimage in Mexico, ancient Aztec and Mayan ruins, the cloud forests of Costa Rica, survived the attack of a pesticide-spraying airplane in Guatemala and much more. Over 150 black-and-white photographs illustrate this enchanting journey ... Both travelers had to learn how to bribe border guards and avoid thieves, yet the majority of their experience with various cultures exposed misconceptions concerning daily life and motivations south of America's borders... a unique personal testimony especially recommended for armchair travelers or [those] considering an extended international bicycle tour of their own." —Midwest Book Review "In 1993, this 27-year-old American woman set off alone from Irkutsk in Siberia, and eight months later ended up 5000 miles away in Saigon. Hers was not so much a test of endurance, although there was plenty to endure, such as eating sheep's head in Mongolia, confronting bureaucratic hassles in China, and fending off overly eager children in Vietnam, but rather a journey of self-discovery... She writes poignantly and frankly of the dilemmas caused by First World low-budget travelers in Third World countries... She confesses to occasional bad behavior, exasperation, and a lack of sensitivity. Travels such as hers are not so rare today, but thoughtful, honest, insightful writing about the cross-cultural experience is... highly recommended." —Library Journal "Reading Willie Weir is like bouncing along on the back of his bike, hanging tight to this poet/guide who knows just which potholes offer the most travel thrills and hits them expertly. In Spokesongs, his bite-sized stories of biking through remote corners of the world not only entertain, but also inspire travelers to get out there and meet the people." —Rick Steves

"Spokesongs manages to evoke the joy and pain of traveling with honesty, compassion, humor, and simple eloquence." —Seattle Times

"Spokesongs ... could be considered a guide book of India, South Africa, and the Balkans. It could be considered a travelogue of one man's journey through foreign lands. It could be considered a novel for its extraordinary stories that it holds. Willie weir is a masterful storyteller with an eye and ear for philosophy in the banal of other places. The bicycle, for Weir, is the great equalizer among people — with his bicycle he is acknowledged wherever he goes." —Sports Etc.

Three continents. Sixty-one stories. Juggling. Singing. A glimpse into the heart and soul of bicycle travel.

In the summer of 1990, shortly after the Berlin Wall collapsed in Europe, Giles Whittell grabbed a touring bike and left Hanover with his notebook and minimal luggage to explore Eastern European life before it changed forever under the onslaught of Western culture. It was, he observed, "too soon to be writing history but a great time to be making notes." An entertaining, humorous, and only slightly paranoic writer with a knack for drawing people out in conversation, Whittell journeys through Poland, Czechoslovakia, the Tatra & Carpathian Mountains, Romania, Bulgaria, and all the way to Istanbul and the Black Sea.

A later edition of this book is subtitled, "By Bicycle Across Eastern Europe". Both editions are currently out of print, and may be difficult/expensive to acquire.

"Wilson, who was born in Ireland and is now an assistant professor of Celtic studies at St. Michael's College, University of Toronto, starts his ramble near the old Belfast homestead armed only with his bicycle and tin whistle in order 'to be closer to the spirit of the place... [and] the piece.' His venture with music turns rough as drunken Orangemen with a bent for John Denver music insist he must know 'Country Road.' It's on to Cushendall and Johnny Joe's Pub where the session is jammed and only the magic of his tin whistle gains him entrance through a side window. As he wheels into Donegal, he begins to suffer from the dreaded 'Penile Numbness Syndrome,' a disease well-known to the avid male cycler. Here Wilson supplies a basic, albeit hilarious, Gaelic lesson on finding the right bathroom (fir for men; mna for women). A life full of B&Bs leaves him immune to the Ulster Fry — 'a veritable festival of cholesterol' — and he survives food poisoning and flat tires on his swing through the southwest. The author's comments on Irish music are delightful and erudite." —Publishers Weekly