Touring Books

This book covers bike paths and routes in several cities in Arizona (14 routes), Southern California (6 routes), Northern California (26 routes), Nevada (2 routes) and Utah (8 routes). There are no maps of the routes but the author does a pretty good job of describing them. The descriptions are pretty detailed including such things as places to park, restroom locations, places to eat, level of difficulty, and condition of pavement.

This book seems to be written with the casual cyclist in mind. If you're looking for a route where you can "hammer" out 40 miles at a fast pace then this book is not for you. If you're looking for a place to enjoy a leisurely weekend ride with friends or children, then this book was designed with you in mind, For example, in their level of difficulty ranking the authors consider a 3-mile route with rolling hills to be "challenging."

The only negative comment I have about the book was that it was written about 5 years ago so some of these routes may have changed over the years. For most of the routes, the author does provide a phone number to call to get more information about the route. If you're traveling to a new area and plan to ride one of these routes you may want to call ahead of time to make sure the route or bike path still exists or has not changed.

I had read this book. I was very impressed with the amount of the information packed into this fine paper back. I think Phil Van Valkenberg had done a superb job! Love the cover photo!

Dennis Brutus is an inspirational poet who challenges the world to look inside their souls and help those in search of it.

An amazing collection, definitely recommended to the readers who enjoy revolutionary poetry. This man is very skilled, and still writing to this day, I can't wait for the next book.

Having done an around the world bike tour myself, and biked in many countries, I found this book to agree with my personal experiences. I think that it is very informative and helpful to people who need to find out the essential information for bike touring: How are the roads, what is the weather like, where does the wind come from.... I have found no other book that equals this book for international bike touring.

Of the 8 books that i have on touring within europe, its this book that i'm taking with me on my trip. A well written guide. It is out of print and until recently amazon didn't even have a listing for it. All routes are broken into day to day segments(about a week long each). I would still recommend "touring club italiano" maps on the specific regions you intend to travel. This book covers 4 areas of italy. lake distrist of lombarby,umbria, tuscany, and the piedmont wine country. This book doesn't have hotel info so it is more of a practical guide rather than a year to year tour based book.

Another book that has recently caught my eye is "Garfagnana by Bicycle : Cycle Touring and Mountain Bike(2001)," although it appears that this book concentrates on a very small area in umbria. It could worth checking out if traveling within the area.

Now in a fully updated second edition, Doug Shidell and Vicky Vogels' Bicycle Vacation Guide: Minnesota And Wisconsin has everything the adventurous cyclist would want or need to know about biking the trails and byways of two premier upper Midwest states. If you want to go biking anywhere in Minnesota or Wisconsin for fun and healthy exercise, begin planning for your cycling excursion by reading Doug Shidell and Vicky Vogels' Bicycle Vacation Guide!

Sharp maps, all of them are four color. The authors even included maps of the towns along the trail. Nice for finding trail heads and local parks.
They included a lot of tourist type information like lodging, camping, local festivals and events and other activities for when you aren't on the bike. The road loops are a nice touch. Ride one way on the trail, then return on a road.

Okay, you've read every bicycle adventure book on the market in the past 20 years. You've read "Pedaling to the Ends of the Earth" and "Miles from Nowhere." They carried you on long adventures.



But in "Bicycling Around the World," you're going to sweat, laugh and cry right along with Wooldridge as he takes you on the fifty best adventures that have ever happened to a long distance touring cyclist. Once you read the first episode that will startle your senses, you won't be able to stop. Each chapter draws you uncontrollably into the next adventure.



He mesmerizes readers into the astounding world of a long distance touring rider. Personally, I never expected to meet a cobra face to face, but I did in his book. I have never seen a grizzly bear, but I smelled a grizzly's breath in the first chapter. Who would have thought anyone could walk across America on his hands? You'll meet Bob Wieland in the fourth chapter and you will never forget him.



How many cyclists ride for 13 years non stop? Stan is still out there on the road as you read this review. He's living the dream. But he's not alone as the casket man rolls down the highway with his own amazing adventure. He offers secrets that few contemplate.



The raw adventure moments leave you sweating bullets, but then, Wooldridge pulls you into 15,000 foot passes where you're faced with 12 foot condors flying 30 feet off your handlebars. Is there a favorite chapter in this book? That depends! The chapter where he meets a family of penguins in Antarctica on his bicycle must take the cake as the most incredible experience anyone has ever had on a bicycle.



The subtitle to the book is, "Tire Tracks for Your Imagination." What I liked about the cover stems from the fact that he's inside the highest railroad tunnel in the world at 11,000 feet on Corona Pass in the Rocky Mountains. But it could be anyone as it's a black silhouette. It could be you. It could be me.



He even shows readers "How to Live the Dream." His special section: "Everything You Need to Know About Touring" offers sound advice that will start any novice off on the right foot.



Finally, this is one heck of a read for anyone who loves adventure. It carries readers off to six continents and six times across the United States. It inspires hope, engenders enthusiasm and optimism for the future.



Mike Machuga

Denver, Colorado

Oscar Swan has compiled a collection of the best bicycling routes in South Western Pennsylvania. Loaded with useful advise, detailed route descriptions, and illustrated with a wealth of quirky photographs it's the definitive guide to rides out of Pittsburgh.

Nancy has always had a knack for adventure. Now she has to tackcle anthor case. It seems it deels with bikes.

I suggest you BUY THIS!