Touring Books

I am an avid Bicycling and Touring book reader. "A Crossing" by Brian Newhouse was a treasure. I read the book in less than 24 hours. It has everything a book like this needs. Insight into crossing the United States by bicycle, a positive attitude, fun, amusing, and one of the best writers I have had the priviledge to read. Thank You Amazon.com, for without you I wouldn't have found this wonderful book. Connie McAyeal

I am sorry, but this book was not very interesting, I never really came to care about Newhouse and his description of his trip was spotty. There are many better cycling/cross-country books and there are a few books out there that deal with man's search for meaning in life.

This book is poorly edited with examples such as the simile describing the Columbia as being as wide as the Mississippi, or perhaps spelling mistake on page 22 where the bike "fled" down the mountain instead of "flew". This was followed on the next page by "what was wet and cold and lush with ferns on the eastern side of the Cascades had turned to sand, heat, scrub pine here on the west", sorry but the writer and editor got that one mixed up - the story is moving west to east, and the eastern side is the dry side. A little further on, we meet John who tells us about an early baseball experience at the Met, the Metrodome in Minneapolis opened in 1982, in which Harmon Killebrew hit a home run. Harmon retire in 1975. On page 143 Newhouse says the sun threw my shadow probably a quarter of a mile over the handlebars.

How does this stuff get published?

I must admit to being quite disappointed with this book. I found
it to feel like a less than honest story, in both the tone
and the details. I found myself doubting the story as the
details didn't seem to ring true. The story of the Wheel Wizard
using a hammer in the manner described to fix a wheel is
either fabricated, or belies the author's cluelessness concerning
bicycle repair and maintenance. The story of the war vet simply
felt anachronistic, like it was a forced story made up to fill
out an otherwise empty section of the book. These are just
two of too many examples where I found my self doubting
the story as told. It really doesn't matter if all the details
are true, because if they are true the book has failed even more
so to convey what is supposed to be a very personal experience
of journey and learning.

I was also surprised to find positive reviews of this book. For
anyone considering reading this book, if you haven't yet read
Miles from nowhere, you would read that one instead. That book
is by far the better travel tale, and simply doesn't fail to
convey an honesty that A Crossing lacks.

I'm sorry, but this was just not worth the money. Not even close. The only interesting character in the entire book ditches him in the first two weeks. With such a wonderful experience, you would think that there might actually be a few more notable characters. Instead, the author splits his time between daydreaming about some obviously disturbed "girlfriend" and her equally bizarre friends and whining about his father that doesn't pay tribute to him. I was really expecting an episode with snake-handlers.

If you're wondering what a cross-country bike ride might be like and whether you might like to do it, don't bother reading this book. There are many other books that more accurately describe the experience, or at least make it seem more appealing. (Barbara Savage's book about her around-the-world journey is quiet entertaining) The author spends most of the book discussing his relationship with his emotionally distant Scandinavian father. Unfortunately, he doesn't really offer anything novel or insigntful on this topic. His musings on religion are equally annoying and sophmoric.

Now in an updated and expanded second edition, Great American Motorcycle Tours by Gary McKechnie offers the reader a wide variety of suggested motorcycle tours ideal for vacationers and cyclists looking for history, excitement, and the joy of the open road. Different tours appeal to different tastes, such an Amish Country Run stretching from New Hope to Intercourse, Pennsylvania, or a Wild West Run from Livingston, Montana to Jackson, Wyoming. Each individual tour has numerous historic stops, and any attraction can be easily looked up in the index for "user friendly" cross-referencing. Overall, Great American Motorcycle Tours is an enjoyable, practical, and very highly recommended guide.

This is a fantastic book! I wanted to take a cross-country tour and this was the only book I found that covered more than one region. Second, the humor is prevalent but it never gets in the way of describing some killer back roads and great historic towns I might have missed. Third, I never felt the lodgings he recommended were that expensive because A) I am a solo rider so the rates are lower for me anyway, and B) if I don't want to stay at a place he lists, I have the option of finding a chain hotel. That's another thing -- at the end of each chapter he lists campgrounds and state parks (for even cheaper camping). Finally, the reason I like this book and would strongly recommend it is for its great references. There are listings for state tourism boards where I can get free detailed maps, a listing of motorcycle shops within a few miles of each place he visits, and websites for motorcycle corporations, rentals, and tours. This is a solid, essential, and ultimately extremely valuable source of information for ALL riders. Buy it.
{This review refers to an out-of-print edition.}

I recently purchased Gary's book in the Spring of '02 for my trips to the Blue Ridge Parkway and Sturgis. It provided an excellent primer for stopping points of interest and quality local eateries. I wasn't hung up on his allowing four days to cover 200 miles, however, I looked at is a buffet in which you can pick and choose the events of interest to you. His advice on packing warmer clothing in the dead of Summer for the elevation changes was dead on. Some may call it 'common sense', but if you see reported temperatures in Asheville at 90 degrees, you may not realize you'll need a jacket and light gloves by the time you hit Mt. Mitchell. I appreciated his advice and considered it money well spent.

The foreword of the book is written by Peter Fonda. I personally fail to make the connection why the endorsement of a Hollywood actor who happened to shoot a motorcycling movie should prove the value of a touring guide. But as I tried out some of the journeys, I started to see how the whole experience, which these suggested trips cater to, is concentrated around the image of motorcycling rather than the actual experience of riding. I wasted a couple of weekends diligently following directions through Pennsylvania and up the Hudson. The book led me through numerous towns and it reserved a lot of pages for information on all the things, which you could do to avoid riding your bike - you could find listings on every thrift store, restaurant, rafting company, and even bicycle tour! available on your way. Another interesting (and related) point was the fact that the author estimated coverage of about 50 miles per day i.e. if the suggested trip was 200 miles total, you were supposed to need 4 to 5 days to cover the distance. While very concentrated on all the entertainment that could be bought along the trip, the book was not especially concerned with the quality of the selected riding. Gorgeous scenic ways were followed by long stretches of banal suburban motifs and while stuck in the stop-and-go traffic I was wondering what part of the motorcycling experience I was supposed to be exercising at the time.
This is my rendering of the qualities, which the reader needs to possess in order to enjoy the recommendations in the book: 1. Your name must be Peter Fonda 2. You must be independently wealthy since you can't both hold a job and go to all these 4-5 days trips. 3. You must be versatile in the outdoors' activities to take full advantage of all the fun that awaits you out there. 4. You need friends who would like to hear about stuff like " When I flew in that helicopter over the Grand Canyon...", and "Here is a picture of me next to an Amish farmer..." 5. You only need basic riding skills and moderate motorcycling enthusiasm.
My advice is - get a map, look for the small roads, use your common sense, and explore. Good luck out there, maybe we'll meet on the road.
{This review refers to an out-of-print edition.}

The foreword of the book is written by Peter Fonda. I personally fail to make the connection why the endorsement of a Hollywood actor who happened to shoot a motorcycling movie should prove the value of a touring guide. But as I tried out some of the journeys, I started to see how the whole experience, which these suggested trips cater to, is concentrated around the image of motorcycling rather than the actual experience of riding. I wasted a couple of weekends diligently following directions through Pennsylvania and up the Hudson. The book led me through numerous towns and it reserved a lot of pages for information on all the things, which you could do to avoid riding your bike - you could find listings on every thrift store, restaurant, rafting company, and even bicycle tour! available on your way. Another interesting (and related) point was the fact that the author estimated coverage of about 50 miles per day i.e. if the suggested trip was 200 miles total, you were supposed to need 4 to 5 days to cover the distance. While very concentrated on all the entertainment that could be bought along the trip, the book was not especially concerned with the quality of the selected riding. Gorgeous scenic ways were followed by long stretches of banal suburban motifs and while stuck in the stop-and-go traffic I was wondering what part of the motorcycling experience I was supposed to be exercising at the time.
This is my rendering of the qualities, which the reader needs to possess in order to enjoy the recommendations in the book: 1. Your name must be Peter Fonda 2. You must be independently wealthy since you can't both hold a job and go to all these 4-5 days trips. 3. You must be versatile in the outdoors' activities to take full advantage of all the fun that awaits you out there. 4. You need friends who would like to hear about stuff like " When I flew in that helicopter over the Grand Canyon...", and "Here is a picture of me next to an Amish farmer..." 5. You only need basic riding skills and moderate motorcycling enthusiasm.
My advice is - get a map, look for the small roads, use your common sense, and explore. Good luck out there, maybe we'll meet on the road.
{This review refers to an out-of-print edition.}

Having completed a cross-country bike ride myself, I enjoyed reading the author's account of their ride. My husband and I didn't ride in a group, but nevertheless, encountered many of the same problems, thrills, etc. that the author wrote about. Bottom line - it's an adventure that you just can't relate to unless you've experienced it first hand!! I couldn't put the book down once I started reading.

Similar to Barbara Savage's "Miles from Nowhere", this book documents a husband / wife long distance bike tour. Although the author and her husband "only " do a trans-USA supported tour, the writing is excellent as the author recounts her adventures in making the journey. In the book the author focuses on the hard times and with the people and places encountered along the way. She also relates the techincal and physical challenges faced by the riders in a highly readable and enjoying format. I especially enjoyed the chapter where the author, her husband and a small group of riders make it over a mountian where all other riders were transported by the ride sponsor to avoid the storm. A small victory over a large foe. This book embodies the spirt of a person who, bored with her routine life, tackles a challenging adventure, unsure of her ability and prevails. Although the book is subtitled "A Woman's Journey", the author is successful in producing a story which will appeal to both men and women. If you are thinking of doing a long distance bike tour, read this book first. Then show the same courage that the author and her husband displayed and do it.

Similar to Barbara Savage's "Miles from Nowhere", this book documents a husband / wife long distance bike tour. Although the author and her husband "only " do a trans-USA supported tour, the writing is excellent as the author recounts her adventures in making the journey. In the book the author focuses on the hard times and with the people and places encountered along the way. She also relates the techincal and physical challenges faced by the riders in a highly readable and enjoying format. I especially enjoyed the chapter where the author, her husband and a small group of riders make it over a mountian where all other riders were transported by the ride sponsor to avoid the storm. A small victory over a large foe. This book embodies the spirt of a person who, bored with her routine life, tackles a challenging adventure, unsure of her ability and prevails. Although the book is subtitled "A Woman's Journey", the author is successful in producing a story which will appeal to both men and women. If you are thinking of doing a long distance bike tour, read this book first. Then show the same courage that the author and her husband displayed and do it.

The First Big Ride is easy to read, easy to feel "with" the author, as she decides to do the ride and proceeds. Many humorous moments along the way. (And scary ones going over the snowy mountains!) Great book to stuff in your travel bag or to enjoy on a rainy afternoon. My family of 3 passed it around--everybody said, "good read"!

One true ruler by which to measure a book is how you feel when you've finished reading it.

When I finished "The First Big Ride" I felt happy. That's always a good sign. I also felt satisfied that the person I just "met" (through her writing) was a real and genuine person. That helps.

This book covers the cross country bicycle ride (for charity) of the author and her husband.

It's written in very readable passages ( not at all journal-entry like ).

We join the author at the beginning of her adventure....in a job that no longer inspires her. From there, the revelation that a cross country bike trip is a possibility.

We're taken along on this journey, from the earliest tentative steps ("We won't be able to do it") to the ride itself. Included are the practice rides around the block, their first "century" and the all important facets of finding a bike that fits you properly.

I get the impression, especially after reading the entire book, that these are generally, and sincerely, good people. They're doing something more here than simply doing a trans-am.

It's a good book to read. You may just be inspired to do something with your own life that you thought might never be possible.

Best Regards, turtlex

America At Twelve Miles An Hour: A View From The Edge Of The Road by Phil Shrout is the entertaining story of a summer-long journey the author, at the wry age of fifty-four, made with his wife when they traveled by bicycle from the coast of Oregon through the far stretches of America, including the bucolic South. Colorfully describing the entire journey, America At Twelve Miles An Hour includes a wealth of wonderful and interesting facts about America's unknown frontier and the peculiar intricacies which make up the extensive diversity of our unique states. America At Twelve Miles An Hour is very highly recommended to all non-specialist general readers considering their own coast-to-coast bicycle journey in a nation-wide exploration of America's greatest oddities.

What a fun way to see our beautiful country! I enjoyed reading the Shrout's adventures as well as the conversations with all the local people. It's amazing to have the stamina and the desire to take on a project such as they did. Well written and a great read!

In the spirit of the late Charles Kuralt, Phil and his wife Merj traveled the roads of america; on bikes no less. It makes me tired just thinking about it! But thankfully Phil has written this book for us couch potatos, and given us a wonderful glimpse of the best of America to boot. Anyone who enjoy traveling, and likes to hear whats right with our country, will enjoy this book. It's a great story told with humor and wit, makes me wish I could hit the road too!

Mr. Shrout's account of their cross-country bicycle trip reads like a technical report, full of third-person references to himself and witticisms delivered in a way only an engineer could appreciate. His wife Merj accompanies him, but despite his claims to the contrary, he portrays her as finicky, complaining, inept excess baggage. We know from the dedication and the prologue that he loves her, but all his references to her are more backhanded than complimentary. The descriptions are detailed but lack any real emotion, and for the most part are delivered in a passive-voice construction that gets old quick. There is some good information here, but you'll have to slog through what amounts to a lengthy engineering report to find it.

There are good things about this book. Many of the descriptions of the history of the places they passed through or stayed are accurate, though perhaps delivered in less than compelling prose. The daily progress update helps you to understand the distances they covered and the small steps that are needed to make the whole trip possible. There are even passages that will, perhaps, restore some faith in your fellow man (or woman).

However, the vast majority of the book is more of a struggle to read than a joy. Most of this is due to Phil's writing style, which bears the sharp imprint of an engineer. It might be some attempt at humor, or maybe it is just the way he talks, but many of the descriptions are rendered in the passive-voice form, resulting in sentences like "It was decided to have our evening meal at . . ." or "Their assistance was met with appreciation by the tired cycling duo". That gets tiresome pretty fast.

To make matters worse, he frequently refers to himself as "the male contingent of our cycling duo", or to his wife Merj as "the female member of . . ." - well, you get the picture. His occasional attempts at humor fall flat, and he even describes (in excruciating detail) how flat they fall. Some of the sentences are constructed in such a convoluted way that you have to read them more than once just to believe someone would write it that way. Phil, as punishment, should be forced to diagram some of those offenses to the language.

I read this book because I am anticipating a long tour myself, and I wanted to see how someone else described it. I found the day-by-day detailing a good idea, but the writing style left me rolling my eyes sometimes (actually, most of the time). I recognize that travel is all about discovery and the people you meet, and Phil did at least convey much of that sentiment; but the fact that they bypassed things because it would have added a few miles to their trip was discouraging. I hope I don't feel so rushed on my tour that I have to skip Rock City or the Worlds Largest Cedar Bucket. So what if I have to ride an extra six or ten or even twenty miles? In the scheme of the whole tour, that's nothing.

ONE LAST CAUTIONARY NOTE: This couple stayed in motels, hotels, and B&B's the whole way, and did not camp at all. If you are looking for a book documenting a self-contained cross-country bicycle tour, then you can safely bypass this one.

As an avid cyclist I have a great amount of respect for anyone who can not only complete a transcontinental ride of the US, but also write a book about the experience. Having said that, I can fully appreciate the opinions of readers at both ends of the spectrum with regards to this book. To Phil's credit, he is admittedly not an accomplished author, but his attempts at humorous writing do often fall flat (did he really think that "in the interest of accuracy" the reader needs to be informed that he and Merj did not actually wear lead lined shorts while riding through an area noted for the pioneering of nuclear reactors?). His added explanation that the seats were already uncomfortable enough makes the reader have to consider whether they did only "joke" about it.
Phil's writing style, appreciated by some, found annoying by others, does not over-shadow the overall effect and intent of the book. It does give an accurate, honest and detailed account of a married couple's ride of a lifetime filled with historical background and interesting observations. I think Phil's book could have been much better perhaps with more editorial input, but it is still worth reading(if you are somewhat forgiving). I do find myself wondering if Merj were given the opportunity to proof-read the manuscript though, as his love for her is sometimes overshadowed by the less than complementary ways in which she is occasionally portrayed. In fairness, Phil does attempt some self-deprecating humor, but it seems a bit forced.
This could easily have been a 4+ star book. If you really want a laugh-out-loud travelogue in the same vein, find a copy of Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods".

Only good as a rough introduction to the concepts of motorcycle touring. Frazier's a good writer and obviously an accomplished motorcyclist, but he's got a bad attitude that flows through every story and every chapter, drawing the reader's into a cynical place. Frazier seems mostly to be trying to talk the reader out of undertaking an adventure by motorcycle, rather than trying to teach them how to better survive such a trip.

I can sum up Frazier's book in just a few points:
1. Package tours are for sissies.
2. Ride alone, other people will just ruin your trip.
3. Only sissies and Americans ride bikes bigger than 500cc (250cc in some countries).
4. If you don't love tent camping, you are a sissy.
5. No matter what, none of you will ever be as good at this as I am.

If you want to get a more pleasant introduction to motorcycle (specifically adventure) touring, read Robert Wicks' Adventure Motorcycling: Everything You Need to Plan and Complete the Journey of a Lifetime. For a FAR more informative and useful tome than Frazier's, read Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook, 5th: Worldwide Motorcycling Route & Planning Guide (Trailblazer).

Both Wicks' and Scott's books are filled with actual, useful data such as how to successfully navigate a border crossing; Frazier merely includes a story about how a woman he met on the road got through a border crossing by crying. Where Scott includes a half-dozen stories by other riders about their travails, Frazier includes no perspective other than his own sour view of two-wheel touring. Wicks' sidebars are clear, concise, and informative; Frazier's and self-indulgent, pessimistic, and not even witty in the least.

In short - don't bother with Frazier's book and skip right to the other two I suggest.

This is a very informative and at times entertaining book. Though it was my second book on touring it could have been my first. I have owned four bikes but I have been out of motorcycling for 26 years. I wanted to tour back then but did not. I am doing it now so I wanted to get some expert advice. I feel very well informed as to equipment and what I might expect. Plan your trip, research the bikes/dealers, try them all on, they must fit (not too big, not too small), take a motocycle safty course, buy and have fun. Read Coyner's book also.

I agree with A. Brannon "MLC Rider" to a lot of fluff and not enought subtance. The book is mostly Doc Frazier's travelog. I was looking for information on how to travel, with what and how to do it safely.

This book is certainly not Everything You Need to Know.


I think the better book is:
The Essential Guide to Motorcycle Travel: Tips, Technology, Advanced Techniques
by Dale Coyner

I enjoyed reading the first half of this book but then found it very repititous. There were some good common sense tips that you would apply to travelling the world by any mode not just motorcycling. His stories and anecdotes were interesting at first but it soon became obvious that the book was well padded with fluff and photos.

This book really only demonstrates common sense thing you should already know if you own and ride a motorcycle. If you don't know this stuff, you really should just walk wherever you go.

Throughout the book, I was wondering what decade it was written.

It was a waste of money.

A wonderfull book - I am lookin foreward to do the same, when I am going to stop working.

Thank you - Stan

Peter Georg / Denmark

This book is a pleasant and quick read. Unfortunately, it lacks depth. It fails to explore the author's apparent emotional need to make the journey. It fails to be a descriptive account of the geography the author traversed. It fails to 'flesh out' the apparently interesting characters the author encountered in his travels. Plus, it focused too much on the medical and physical problems of his family.

Being middle aged, and considering taking an extended journey myself, I was eager to read this book. I read it in a day, and was sorely disappointed. Frankly, this man sounds like too much of a whiner for me to want to travel with!

The author rode his bike across the country in three stages because he didn't have the luxury of enough time to do it all at once. He's very candid about his misconceptions and the adjustments he makes. As I read this book, which I greatly enjoyed, I just knew the author had to be a midwesterner, as I am. It's not a flashy story, and nothing terribly dramatic happened, but at least I was left with the feeling that I would like to go with Mr. Purdum on an extended bike trip sometime. Highly recommended.

Stans book of his cross country journey was wonderful, I know first hand because I was in his book. I met Stan while doing my own cross country bicycle trip just by running into him! I'm Dave from Buffalo NY in Stans book, Stan is most certainly a strong and dedicated rider, a true bike tourer who know's what he's talking about. He was also one of the friendliest bike tourist I met on my trip. I would suggest this book to anyone who's looking to bike across the US Bikecentennial trail, or just looking to know what the US has to offer from a bicyclists point of view. Give it a try, it's an interesting read. Take care and happy trails. David Barnas

As a 53-year old bike tourer, I love reading about the experiences of others on long distance rides. Especially when the author is about the same age as me.
If you are looking for lots of valuable technical information and advice, this is not the book you are looking for. Sure, the author provides a decent smattering of advice and some decent technical instruction. However, what this book really is, is a journal of one man's ride across America. It is presented in an interesting and entertaining way. I loved to read about the interaction he had with people along the way. I loved to read about how he overcame and dealt with physical problems, technical problems, and emotional problems. To me, reading about a person's personal experience is more valuable than any technical manual or how-to book on touring ever written. This is a good one.

This book was a bit of a disappointment after hearing all the glowing reviews. After wading through 6 chapters with terrible photo reproductions of telescopic (not binocular) views, where many sky objects are described as not suitable for binoculars, we arrive a chapter 7 which is the reference list of binocular objects. This consumes half the book and is a complete reference list ordered by constellation with a paragraph description of most. But you will need another reference to find them since there are no maps here.

The book is 15 years old and shows it. The author's comments about roof prism binoculars are dated and of course no discussion of image stabilized binoculars. Surprised not to even see discussions of the different ways to hand hold binoculars with illustrations.

It excels as a reference list of binocular objects but is not the type of book to excite the interest of those not already so inclined.

I have used this book since it first came out almost ten years ago, and have always found it a big help when planning an observing session with my binoculars. It talks about sky objects that are ignored by just about every other book out there, but that are *easily* visible through binoculars! Guess none of the other binoculars books bothered to really research the topic.

But now, the book has gotten even better with the new Touring the Universe Through Binoculars Atlas CD-ROM. A great value for the price too! I first looked for it on Amazon.com, but I guess they don't sell it. (hey, Amazon! hint hint). I ended up buying it right through Harrington's home page. Together, the book and CD are the most complete survey of the binocular sky ever created! My advice is to buy the book here and get the CD separately. If you like binocular observing as much as I do, they make a great team.

This book covers +1000 deep sky objects plus solar system objects for binoculars. It includes many faint objects that can be seen with ordinary binos under very favourable conditions so the observers with large binoculars can use this book better. Although there are +1000 objects given in the book, most of them are not explained but rather their basic data like coordinates and magnitude are given. It does not have maps so you need an atlas with this book. However; this book is very useful with its tabulated data and constellation-based organisation. You cannot find any other complete and well prepared list and data of objects visible in binoculars. The author also groups Messier objects into 4 difficulty groups which is helpful for inexperienced observers.

The first problem with this book is that for the urban or suburban observer with less than giant binoculars, it is too hard to find objects that you will really have any luck with. You have to sort through long lists of 9th-magnitude star clusters to find anything that would really be visible. The second problem is that a large percentage of the objects listed are pretty dim and crummy open clusters, and in most cases it is extremely hard to tell whether you are seeing the cluster or not. The photos are no help, because they are all long photographic exposures taken through telescopes, nothing like what you actually see through binox.

Touring the Universe Through Binoculars remains the single most authoritative source for people who want to view the night sky with binoculars. Sure, there are other books on the subject, but Touring the Universe stands apart for its thorough survey of the binocular sky. This book lists objects that the other books miss entirely (and that the authors probably don't even know exist!).

But readers should keep in mind that Touring the Universe is really aimed more toward seasoned amateur astronomers. Those new to astronomy may find some of the discussion a little beyond them, at least at this point. But you will certainly grow into the book if you stick with the hobby. And thanks to the flowing words from the author, that's an enjoyable task.

Readers should also be aware that the book does not have any star charts. That means you will need to get either a star atlas like Sky Atlas 2000 or the author's companion CD-ROM (which Amazon does not offer, but Sky Publishing and Orion Telescope Center do). It's great software even without the book!

This book was recommended to me by some people who are hard core touring cyclists. They loved this book. I am new to cycling and was just looking to buy my first bike. I was told it would have some useful information for me, but I found the book to be a little overhwelming. It would probably meet the needs of very serious bicycle enthusiasts, but for the casual reader it is just too much information to process.

Provided the information I needed to get started in Bicycling. It is well written and easy to understand.

Great book, very easy to understand and follow all the instructions and tips. Provides a lot of information to start in the wonderfull world of traveling by bike.

I just started this last night, I have road ridden on a mountain bike for years, on a bike that has been refit for me several times, this book is very helpful, I would like to ride more and this will help me try some different bikes. My local bike store is full of nice people,but since I am not a serious rider,and am a short heavy woman, they have little time to help me. this book fill that need.

This book is a fantastic reference for the cycling enthusiast. It quite thoroughly covers absolutely everything you can think of when it comes to cycling. I highly recommend it.

This book is more of a biology text for the Florida Keys than a touring guide. And as such it's wonderful, with lengthly and very scientific descriptions of plants, grasses, invertebrates, fish, and turtles. Puffers, we learn, are of the Tetraodontidae family of fish, of which there are 10 genera and about 130 species. Descriptions of the common ones are very detailed. This book is clearly for the serious chronicler of Keys flora and fauna.

There is a good list of dive sites from Key Largo to Key West. The color plates at the end of the book are somewhat helpful, the black and white photos in the rest of the book less so, being black and white. This richly informative book best serves the academic, guides, and other serious students of the minutia of life in the Keyes. Eco-tourists might find Bill Keogh's Paddling Guide or Burnham's Paddling Atlas more useful.

Marsh Muirhead, author of "Key West Explained - a guide for the traveler"

I based my purchase of this book on the cover. It looked as though it would have been a well designed and beautifully executed book. I expected the high quality pictures that usually accompany guide books of this type...which I have shelves and shelves of because I am an avid traveler. This book is horrible quality and not worth the paper it is printed on. I wish I could review on the content but I couldn't get past the fact that it looked like it was made using an old Xerox machine. Even if it is overflowing with useful information, I wouldn't pay more than $6 for it.

After many trips to the Keys I have found the answer book to many of my questions on the organisms in these Florida habitats. So many times I have had to search many sources to find a name of an an organism. Upon recieving this book I was able to identify several organsims both in the water and on land. Great job in compiling the information and I find the pictures of high quality to supplement the text that goes beyond anything that I have seen so far. Nice job.

Eco-Touring of the Florida Keys is a great guide of the local environments and life found in the Florida Keys. For the land lover, a list of great sites (such as parks,refuges, and museums)is provided to keep one busy for their entire stay. For those who want to dive in, the best dive sites are listed with a description of each.
With detailed descriptions accompanied with colorful pictures on the different plant and animal life, one could become familiar with their surroundings.
Being a Marine Biology student, I find this book VERY useful and recommend it to anyone visiting the area. This book will be with me everytime I travel there.

We just returned from another visit to the Keys and we took along this new great guidebook. This book was really helpful for finding some excellent dive sites and also for things to do on land. I recommend this book to tourist visiting the keys and to the natives as well, they may learn something new too!

Should you decide to purchase this book, condider the new updated 2nd edition which came from two publishers in years 2000 and 2001. ISBN: 0071360190

The first edition was in 1994 ISBN: 0070388490

i was looking for some advice that would help ensure my coast to coast trip would be successful. i guess i'm more advanced than i thought. i didn't learn anything i didn't already know.

Mr. Lovett starts with the basics, and is careful to include viewpoints not his own. (Most importantly, he includes the words of a female cyclist when discussing topics such as women's safety on the road, hygiene, and clothing selection.) He loves the sport, and it shows in his writing. This is not the advanced treatise that an anonymous reviewer criticized as "written for morons" (how brave!), but Lovett does not claim it to be. It is methodical, and it points the reader to more advanced information when it is needed. This is a good book with which to start your touring library.

This book does include several things any experienced rider ought to know already. Where it succeeds and succeeds well is in helping a person to think about what they will need on tour. This is not a book for experts but it is an excellent book for anyone considering bike touring who either hasn't done it before or who has tried and had a difficult time. If you have ever had the thought of traveling by bike, buy this book to find out why traveling by bike can be so much fun.

If you are the kind of cyclist who needs to be told to avoid patches of loose gravel, this book's for you! Of course, if you are that stupid, you shouldn't be allowed on a bicycle at all, and people probably should make a serious effort to keep sharp tools and implements away from you, also.

The astonishing thing about this book is not simply that it's written for complete morons, but that the author really doesn't talk down to the reader. He's on the same level. A scary thought, no?