Really Wild Cycling

An illustrated pocket guide to off-the-beaten-track cycling challenges Really Wild Cycling follows in the tracks of Chris's bestselling Wild Cycling. Most, if not all, the rides are off-road, but each one presents a challenge to inspire readers to train for it and have a go. Most take only a few hours, but some are longer, and a few much longer, taking even the fittest several days. An introduction explains safety techniques and underlines the skills, knowledge, equipment and fitness levels required. The rides are graded in ascending difficulty within each region. Each ride suggests regular escape points to get riders to a safe place should the weather close in and draws attention to places where extra care should be taken. Some rides are on marked routes, like the Trans-Pennine Trail, some are races or organised challenges, while others are routes the author himself has mapped out. Each ride is illustrated with photos, an annotated map and a profile of the terrain. The text includes a detailed route guide and historical, geological and natural points of interest.

'A wildly inspiring adventure - from armchair to saddle.' Nichiless 'A lovely concise guide.' A. W. Baird Here is plenty of inspiration for anyone who loves to ride off road and get out into the wild and stunning scenery of the British mainland. Each route suggests further routes and the book as a whole introduces the wild cyling potential of a range of different locations. These natural routes to wild places link country lanes, green lanes, bridleways, towpaths, trails and often ancient ways between places. The book is illustrated in colour and each ride includes an annotated route map and ride profile, also OS grid references. And a fact file gives further indispensable details, including an indication of how hard each ride is, and how wild. From Chalk Cliffs and Curious Sound Mirrors in the south-east to Cape Wrath in the north-west, the purity, beauty and essential wildness of these rides will ensure that over the years many of them will become classic, even legendary cycling challenges.

What happens when you swap the nine-to-five for two wheels and a journey of a lifetime? Terrified of the prospect of a life spent behind a desk, without challenge or excitement, Leon takes off to cross America on an overloaded bicycle packed with everything but common sense. Over five months and 6000 miles, he cycled from New York to Seattle and then on to the Mexican border, facing tornados, swollen river crossings, wild roaming buffalo and one hungry black bear along the way. But he also met kind strangers, who offered their food, wisdom, hospitality and even the occasional local history lesson, and learned what happens when you take a chance and follow the scent of adventure. With a sharp eye and a genuine go-where-the-wind-takes-me attitude, McCarron makes for an ideal guide on this cycling adventure. He passes through small towns, rolls up and flies down the winding roads of the Blacks Hills is taken in and fed by strangers, all on a quest to discover the “real” America, and in the process, learn a little about himself. Funny, insightful, and full of life, The Road Headed West will inspire readers to chase their dreams and go off in search of adventure.

Here is plenty of inspiration for anyone who loves to ride off road and get out into the wild and stunning scenery of the British mainland. Each route suggests further routes and the book as a whole introduces the wild cyling potential of a range of different locations. These natural routes to wild places link country lanes, green lanes, bridleways, towpaths, trails and often ancient ways between places. The book is illustrated in colour and each ride includes an annotated route map and ride profile, also OS grid references. And a fact file gives further indispensable details, including an indication of how hard each ride is, and how wild. From Chalk Cliffs and Curious Sound Mirrors in the south-east to Cape Wrath in the north-west, the purity, beauty and essential wildness of these rides will ensure that over the years many of them will become classic, even legendary cycling challenges.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE RBC TAYLOR PRIZE WINNER OF THE EDNA STAEBLER AWARD FOR CREATIVE NON-FICTION "Every day on a bike trip is like the one before--but it is also completely different, or perhaps you are different, woken up in new ways by the mile." As a teenager, Kate Harris realized that the career she most craved--that of a generalist explorer, equal parts swashbuckler and philosopher--had gone extinct. From her small-town home in Ontario, it seemed as if Marco Polo, Magellan and their like had long ago mapped the whole earth. So she vowed to become a scientist and go to Mars. To pass the time before she could launch into outer space, Kate set off by bicycle down a short section of the fabled Silk Road with her childhood friend Mel Yule, then settled down to study at Oxford and MIT. Eventually the truth dawned on her: an explorer, in any day and age, is by definition the kind of person who refuses to live between the lines. And Harris had soared most fully out of bounds right here on Earth, travelling a bygone trading route on her bicycle. So she quit the laboratory and hit the Silk Road again with Mel, this time determined to bike it from the beginning to end. Like Rebecca Solnit and Pico Iyer before her, Kate Harris offers a travel narrative at once exuberant and meditative, wry and rapturous. Weaving adventure and deep reflection with the history of science and exploration, Lands of Lost Borders explores the nature of limits and the wildness of a world that, like the self and like the stars, can never be fully mapped.

Beloved German cyclist Jens Voigt isn’t a superstar in the traditional sense of the word. Although he won three stages of the Tour De France—and wore the yellow jersey twice—Voigt never claimed an overall victory. He became a star because he embodies qualities that go beyond winning and losing: sacrifice, selflessness, reliability, and devotion. European and American crowds were drawn to his aggressive riding style, outgoing nature, and refreshing realness. Voigt adopted a tireless work ethic that he carried throughout his career. In Shut Up, Legs! (a legendary Jensism), Voigt reflects upon his childhood in East Germany, juggling life as a professional cyclist and a father of six, and how he remained competitive without doping. Shut Up, Legs! offers a rare glimpse inside his heart and mind.

This is an urban and commuting cyclist's handbook, both inspirational and practical, showing us how to live safer, more enjoyable and healthier lives, both physically and mentally, while reducing our impact on the planet. Author of numerous bestselling bike books, Chris Sidwells, begins with a brief introduction which shows how cycling is already forming a crucial part of future urban transport, good for the environment as well as our health. Current urban transport models, heavily dependent as they are on cars, are unsustainable both in terms of our health and the environment. Cycling offers the perfect mass transport, health and wellbeing solution. As well as being an easy way to improve the fitness of the whole family, with some simple know-how, which Chris shares in this book, it can be perfectly safe even in busy cities. Increasingly, local authorities are seeing the essential role that cycling has to play in transport infrastructure; Chris looks at the many different schemes, both financial and infrastructural, to encourage people onto bikes. Commuting by bike also offers a financial benefit to individuals and societies. Chris shows how to get the right bike for you for commuting and urban cycling, whether that's an electric-assisted bike or pedal-powered only, and how to adjust it properly for your unique build. He looks at cycling clothing and accessories, including helmets, masks, locks and safety equipment. Chris explains how to keep cycling safely despite inclement weather and the different ways to transport what you need to and from work. A chapter on bike care and maintenance shows how to carry out basic repair jobs like adjusting gears, mending punctures and adjusting brakes. Chris explains cycling skills to give you confidence when cycling, including bike control, braking and how to make the most of your gears. He shows when and how to use the extra power provided by an electric bike and offers encouragement to new and returning cyclists. An extended chapter covers road safety, perhaps the biggest barrier to people commuting by bike. Chris shows how to co-exist safely with other road users and the potential hazards that every cyclist should be aware of. He explains the rules that every cyclist must follow and gives step-by-step guidance on how to carry out manoeuvres on the road. Chris shows how to choose the best route to and from work. He gives details of the various schemes to encourage commuting by bike, including insurance and where to find information. Cycling is regarded by many as the best way to regain and maintain fitness. As well as improving both physical and mental wellbeing, cycling can boost our immune system. Cycling also gives self-sufficiency and enhances self esteem.

For Paul Howard, who has ridden the entire Tour de France route during the race itself—setting off at 4 am each day to avoid being caught by the pros—riding a small mountain-bike race should hold no fear. Still, this isn’t just any mountain-bike race. This is the Tour Divide. Running from Banff in Canada to the Mexican border, the Tour Divide is more than 2,700 miles—500 miles longer than the Tour de France. Its route along the Continental Divide goes through the heart of the Rocky Mountains and involves more than 200,000 feet of ascent—the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest seven times. The other problem is that Howard has never owned a mountain bike—and how will training on the South Downs in southern England prepare him for sleeping rough in the Rockies? Entertaining and engaging, Eat, Sleep, Ride will appeal to avid and aspiring cyclers, as well as fans of adventure/travel narrative with a humorous twist.