The First Big Ride: A Woman's Journey [Paperback]

Eloise Hanner (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

The story is not just about the bike, it's also an examination of life and relations. -- New York Daily News, Sept. 4, 2000

While not exactly a how-to manual, "The First Big Ride" offers a thorough grounding to anyone pondering such an expedition. -- The Seattle Times, October 12, 2000

About the Author

Eloise Hanner was raised in the small town of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. After several years of working in Afghanistan and Kuwait, she was a stockbroker in San Diego for fifteen years. Hanner and her husband, Chuck, recently joined the Peace Corps and spent several months working and living in Paraguay.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Cumberland House Publishing (August 20, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581821441
• ISBN-13: 978-1581821444
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,859,318 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A personal perspective, October 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The First Big Ride: A Woman's Journey (Paperback)

This is the most favorable review this book will receive. I was on the Big Ride in 1998, so I can tell you that Eloise Hanner's personal accounts of her reactions to riding a bicycle across the U.S. ring true and let me relive much of the trip. This is in spite of the fact that I am a male (A Woman's Journey?) I might have suggested "One Woman's Journey." Her accounts of personal experiences with the emotional and physical challenges of the journey are compelling reading. Her realization that she was one of the lucky ones at MacDonald Pass was great. Weather kept more than 600 people from even riding that day. I wasn't one of the lucky ones who got to ride. She let me experience a part of the ride that I was looking forward to as much as the ride into DC itself. Thank you Eloise. As a first time writer, her prose style is well suited to reflect the wonder and awe of a powerful new experience.

However, when reading this book you must understand that Eloise Hanner is not a reporter. Her description of events she "heard" about and some sweeping generalizations about how all the riders felt this way or that, are way off base. One incident she "reports" on is simply a list of egregious errors in fact and uneducated supposition - the crash of a recumbent and two other cyclists.

I was the rider of the recumbent bicycle. There were two other cyclists involved. That is about the only thing she gets right. She goes on to state that recumbent bicycles are dangerous and gives a medical opinion about muscular/skeletal effects of riding a recumbent bike. This is from a person who is new to cycling, who had never seen a recumbent (let along ridden one) and makes no claim to any background in medicine. She completely forgot to mention that a standard bike went down breaking the leg of its rider. Bicycling, no matter the kind of machine you are on, is potentially dangerous.

However, for riding on roads, recumbents are the safest, fastest, and most comfortable pedal powered vehicle available. If anyone - including the author - is interested in the facts (like the fact that at least 3 "normal" bicycles were thrown away during the ride because the bikes were hurting the riders) please feel free to contact me at

[e-mail]

So there you have it. I can think of no higher praise than when the villain of the book likes it and recommends that you read it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great True Story, September 30, 2000

By 

Fred Singleton (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The First Big Ride: A Woman's Journey (Paperback)

Ms. Hanner has written a great story about her bicycle trip across the country.in seven weeks. At the age of 48 she was a business woman who had never done serious cycling. A superb description of her months of trainng, getting the right bike and equipment, including sleeping bag and tent and a thousand items required for the trip. Her battles with weather from the cold and snow of the Rocky Mountains to the heat and humidity of the Midwestern states. This book is an inspiration to ordinary people with a yen to do the impossible. Difficult to put down.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wouldn't It Be Nice ? An Inspiring Story, June 27, 2001

By 

turtlex "turtlex" (PA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The First Big Ride: A Woman's Journey (Paperback)

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