In 1919, some madman decided to hold a race called Circuit Des Champs De Bataille – the Tour Of The Battlefields. The battlefields in question were that of World War One, and the route was deliberately designed to run through 2 000 kilometres of carnage. This incredible book tells the story of that race. The … Read more
If you looked at an accurate world map, or better yet, a globe, you’ll say that the UK isn’t big at all. In fact, especially when compared to a continent like Africa, you could say the UK is tiny. And you’d be correct. Until you decided to cycle the coastline of the UK. If you … Read more
Mark Beaumont set a new Guinness World Record for circumnavigating the world by bicycle in 2008, and this book tells the tale of that event. It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? “Oh, he cycled around the world, and?”. Let’s put that in perspective: have you ever cycled 100+ miles in one day? If so, how … Read more
This book hit home for me. So much so, that I had to wait quite some time after I finished reading it, before writing this review. I need to explain that: I grew up in South Africa, during the Apartheid years, and many things touched upon in this book are things I lived through. If … Read more
I reviewed many cycle travel books, and like all good cycle travel books, the story isn’t about the cycling. I’d go as far as to say that cycling is only relevant, because it allows you to travel at a human pace. That simply means you experience the world you’re travelling through in a far more … Read more
A breed apart Ultra-distance cyclists are a breed apart from the rest of us, and are uniformly characterised with an almost grim determination. Emily Chappell is certainly no exception. In common with many (though certainly not all) such riders, Chappell seems to be a remarkably humble human being. Not your normal ultra-distance book I’ve read … Read more
Dr Ian Walker is quite well known on Cycling Twitter, being an ardent advocate for cycling, and usually being the voice of reason. Though an obviously very intelligent man, the impression Ian Walker mostly creates is that of a humble and kind human being. For reasons I cannot begin to understand, these are strong characteristics … Read more
No, sadly this post isn’t about a forthcoming long-distance cycling holiday. Instead, it is about a book I recently read. I’ve never done a book review before, so forgive me if this one is a tad clumsy. This book is called Crossing Europe on a bike called Reggie and tells the story of Andrew Sykes‘ cycle … Read more