Customer Reviews

Latin America by Bike: A Complete Touring Guide

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Planning any independent trip to Latin America is hard. Planning a cycling trip is harder still because it requires answers to travel questions only cyclists ask. This book is the only one I know of that understands what cyclists in Latin America need to know - road conditions, where to get spares, where do the prevailing winds come from etc. Half of the book is devoted to presenting this information clearly for each country, plus a general guide to equipment (wherever I go, I refer to their check-list), safety and customs. The other half gives recommended routes which would be useful on shorter trips and aim to take in the best of each country.

This is a great reference book to help with planning your trip. Most of the information still applies even though the book was written in 1993. Be sure to do your own research on political circumstances and health requirements before you leave though.

Each country is divided into the following sections:
* Intro to the country
* Cycle Zones - each geographic region of the country is listed whether there is a tour in the area or not. Terrain, Scenery, Cultural Interest, and Weather for each zone is described.
* Tour Route Description with Map - Route described by mile points. The maps are not great, but get the point across.
* General Information: Getting to the Country, Documents, Accommodations, Drinks, Health, Money, and Security
* Cycling Information: Bicycles, Roads, Maps, and Bike Transport (other than riding)

The appendices are fantastic. He has included a packing list, list of recommended shots, temperature tables and biking words in Spanish. These alone have been of great assistance, but the "Safety Awareness Chart" is a little out of date.

The routes are usually circle route - beginning and ending at the same location, but each geographic area is described whether there is a route in it or not. The author does state that the routes are designed for people who have some time in a country to do a limited amount of cycle touring. You can incorporate these routes into your own path with little difficulty.

Note: There is information on but no routes in El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, or Uruguay.

I'm a fairly experience touring cyclist and this book offered nothing in terms of being able to plan routes or get a comprehensive semi-plan before embarking to a country. For example, all the author had to say about Panama was that one should not bike there. Not a helpful guide, I would stick to the lonely planet cycle guides (although there is not one for South America that I know of).

I can only speak to the information for Costa Rica, but this book is way out of date for this country at least. The reach of the guide is too broad to be a really good route guide for so many extremely varied countries.

this book is about some tours the autor made in the latin american countrys.

I expected a technic guide about bike travel, but it s not.
Only the kind of informations you ve got in other guides and not so complete.

It s not a bad book, but it s not the one I thought.

sorry to give a bad review, I m sure a lot of people have found good and useful informations in it, but not me.

Max

I had ordered a air purifier UV light from Absolute Home on April 26, 2006. They were quick to get their money from my account but after 2 months of not recieving my order I called them up and was assured I would recieve my order Within a month. Now it is July and ONCE again I will have to call to see what excuse they offer for not sending out my order. I would recommend that people find another place to do buisness.

S.K.