Customer Reviews

Miles from Nowhere: A Round the World Bicycle Adventure

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

With all the reviews posted here, it's hard not to sound like a "me-too" reviewer... But there are some aspects of this book that can still be called out. [FIRST] Prospective bike tourists tend to think of equipment, conditioning, and education as the tasks they need to do in preparation. But if you're taking on something as significant as a world tour, you'd better be prepared to trust your touring partner, because the stress will be on your relationship. Barbara brings this out beautifully, both in describing the changes she went through with her husband Larry, and the contrast between their growing partnership and some of the more parasitic folks they picked up along the way. [SECOND] Something Americans don't often "get," even when we take conventional tours, is how very different this country is from other parts of the world. Barbara's graphic descriptions of cycling through Egypt (frightening) and India (just very crowded and no privacy) bring this home in a unique manner. And, were the Savages brave or stupid to travel through bandit-terrorized areas of Thailand? She leaves just enough ambiguity to our imagination so that we have to think it through ourselves. [FINALLY] An activity that was for 10-mile, casual spins became a daily routine, and I hate to see Barbara and Larry boarding that plane for California at the end of their journey. I want to know that they'll continue their ride, seeking further adventures -- and it hits me hard to learn that Barbara was killed in a cycling accident while the book was at press. This book grew on me, as good stories do, and I wanted to believe at the end that I could pick up the phone and somehow invite Barbara and Larry out for a ride. I have to "settle" for doing it myself some day.

Having failed to read of Barbara's tragic death until finished with the book, I felt as though I'd lost a friend at the story's end. The spirit with which Barbara and Larry embraced life on their journey makes me look at my world much more thankfully for its simple pleasures. Enduring physical and mental hardships as well as relishing the pleasures of creation and human kindness, Barbara Savage sparked in me a yearning to break free of my daily routine and reach out to others however I can. Perhaps one day our family will create a cycling adventure of our own!

This is a true story of a husband / wife worldwide adventure from 25 years ago. Barbara Savage chronicles a two year long world tour she and her husband, Larry made beginning and ending in their home state of California, on bicycles! This is not your ususal granola eating, wimpy envoirnmentalist travelogue, but a gritty, realistic and at times humerous tale of the people and places they encounter along the way. From friendly ranchers in South Dakota to motorcycle riding bandits in the middle east, this story has it all. It details the efforts of the author and her husband to overcome and survive hard places and unusual cultures. As they go, they strike friendships with other travelers and local residents, and also get in fights with mauraders in cars and on foot. It neither condemns nor sugar coats the locations visited, but paints a true picture of the world from the bicyclists' perspective.
As entertaining and enlightening today as it was when written years ago. Sadly, the author died in a bicycle accident shortly after writing the book. But as readers, we are fortunate that she was able to produce a work recording this adventure. I'll never brag about my 25 mile bike tours again.

Picking up this book on a whim, I had no idea what impact Barbara and Larry would have on me! Even though the story is 25 years old, it is fresh as can be. Read this book and then read "Hey Mom,Can I ride my bike across America?" and see how Barbara and Larry inspired a middle school teacher, his wife and 5 students to ride their bikes from DC to California. It's amazing how well these books go together.

I have never laughed as hard as I did as when I read sections of Barbara Savage's "Miles Form Nowhere". I also shed some tears at other sections.

This well-written adventure story, with a woman's touch, is a wonderfully entertaining and emotion-tugging delight. Men and women alike (who bicycle, or care about someone who does) will especially enjoy this book.

The tempo varies, but never drags. The language and the syntax are easy to read, yet not simplistic. This book is definitely one to own, and to re-visit periodically.

I read this book 8 years ago. I was about to embark on a journey through Africa on my bicycle and found motivation through Barbara's tale. What struck me the most was that she and her husband were riding 10 speeds! 10 speeds! Imagine. And they did it (imagine "granny gear" on a 10 speed)! Their journey, her words, her life are inspirational. I have my bicylce tales in foreign lands as well, but rather than writing about them, I found myself laughing and relating and thanking her for her anecdotal comraderie. Rest in Peace, Barbara Savage. Your life shines.

i myself am not a bicyclist, however barb and larry transported me around the world with them, and i didn't want it to end.the part that brings a tear to my eye is that this woman took life by the horns. i was so sad by her tragic death even though she has been gone awhile. i felt i knew this couple personally.goes to show life is a gift, don't squander it.i wish i could get more info on her, i don't want to say goodbye. can anyone tell me what larry has been up to since?

I've never done one of these online reviews before, but this book should get more attention. I wish I always had a book on hand like this, that I was so actively interested in. I would give family a running update on what Larry and Barb were doing at a given point in the book.

As for a previous review citing lack of proper planning and cultural insensitivity, there is something to be said for underplanned or spontaneous adventures. And sometimes those who make the most mistakes can become the best of teachers. I for one don't require that the authors have something profound, illuminating, and highly sensitive to say about each culture they encounter. I'm quite happy that Larry and Barb were normal people who had some great adventures, persevered where many might not, and happened to write well enough to let me share some of it.

I definitely recommend this book.

It was tough for me to read Barb's book. She was a good friend of mine and I learned a lot from Larry and Barb. But, reading her book was like reading out of my own journal. The experience of riding around the world is overwhelming; Barb let's you know some of what to expect.

By the way, Larry is doing just fine, living life to the fullest. (Is there any other way?)

Undertaking a trip like this requires a great amount of temerity. What I especially like about this book is her attention to details that could easily have omitted or trivialized. If you've done any sort of tour like this, you can appreciate her annoyance at Chris "The Sponge" interrupting a romantic anniversary date or having a heated argument with her spouse during an especially excruciating ride across the midwest (howling headwinds all the way).

She writes about her experiences of arriving in Egypt or cowering in a road side "potty," sheltered from the rain, well enough to make you feel like you've been there. Even if you aren't able to take a trip like this, you can still experience it from the book.