Customer Reviews

Man Who Cycled the World

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I can understand why, if you're searching for a novel or something more like Ewan McGregor's Long Way Round, you could be a bit disappointed.

Mark was cycling, 100 miles a day for almost 200 days, and as a result the book can seem repetitive. As a cyclist, however, I found it fascinating. There's a lot more depth than you gained from the four part BBC series.

You get a real insight into the mental challenges that go along with such an endeavor. At times, it's obvious that it's taking all his mental strength to make it through the day. At other times you can get a glimpse of the sheer joy the adventure is bringing.

It was an incredible feat, and for anyone with a love of cycling this is a book you should read.

Much as Mark Beaumont managed to plod around the world, I made my way through this book. Okay, he did average 100/miles a day, but it lacked so much description and didn't seem to give the flavor of these interesting countries, it was a real journey to finish. I am not a cyclist, but I am a world traveler. I'm not sure how he made this seem unexciting, but this book lacks something. A trip around the world in record time and there is no drama? He never seemed to be excited at the idea of what he was doing--it was as though someone twisted his arm to force him. The book probably could have benefitted from being 100 pages shorter--there might have been less repetition-- I really didn't need to know how many massages he received (he traveled with a masseuse for goodness' sake for parts of the trip.) Admittedly, he claims not to have researched his American leg very much, then whined about the commercialism and bad food. Spoiler alert: he gets mugged in a bad area of Louisiana but failed to check with "mum" about the hotel, something he frequently did with almost every other unknown. His feelings about America are described as love/hate and "like India, he couldn't wait to leave". Maybe research your route better next time.

When I start a book it has to be pretty uninteresting for me not to finish it. I'm one of those die hard readers who finish just about every book they start. I kept trying to read it. I got to page 140, more than a third of the way through, so I felt I gave it a good chance. It was just not interesting. (How can you cycle around the world and it not be interesting?) I'm a world traveler but NOT a cyclist and that may be part of the problem. One reviewer, who is a cyclist, gave it 5 stars. I must be missing what cyclists would get from the book. I've read and thoroughly enjoyed Barbara Savage's Miles From Nowhere (as well as a number of other great cycling books.) In my opinion, get Barbara's book and skip this one.

I think what Mark did was incredible and I admire him greatly for his accomplishment. However, I too found the book repetitious. What bothered me most was his negativity. While I appreciate that this was a difficult undertaking, it seemed like he had a negative spin to put on most of his anecdotes and the many people who helped him. One example: when he arives drenched to a motel that is closed on Christmas day in New Zealand, the kindly owner not only opens up a room for him, but also offers him a meal of Christmas leftovers. His take on it is, "It was one of the best Christmas dinners I have ever had. It wasn't a particularly fantastic meal ..." Why mention that? The lady did you a kind favour and saved you an 8km trip in the pouring rain to find your own food on Christmas Day. He is also quite critical during his trip through the U.S. At one point he eats at a Wendy's burger restaurant and decries the lack of veggie options. While I'm no fan either, every Wendy's I've been to had many options for salads. He seemed to have given up on being a vegetarian before he even left Europe anyway, partially after realizing that it would not provide him with the calories and nutrition he required fo his trek.
So, while I wanted to enjoy this book a lot more I can only offer it 3 stars. I haven't seen the tv program, but perhaps that would give me a better impression.