Once Around On a Bicycle [Paperback]

Michael Clancy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 7, 2003

In January 1985, Michael Clancy bought a touring bicycle from a small bike shop in New Brunswick, New Jersey. For the next sixteen years he spent his vacations riding that bike through North America and Europe. At the end of every one of those vacations he dreamt of a day when he could continue riding, farther and farther, on the ultimate bicycle trip. He dreamt of bicycling around the world. On April 5th, 2001 his dream became reality as he pedaled that bicycle out of Lisbon Airport, beginning a fifteen-month, 14,000-mile ride through nineteen countries on five continents. This is Michael's journal of that extraordinary adventure.

Product Details

• Paperback: 316 pages
• Publisher: Infinity Publishing (November 7, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0741417693
• ISBN-13: 978-0741417695
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,322,814 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Dissapointing, December 10, 2005

By 

Carol Garagan "luvagudbuk" (Mercedes, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Once Around On a Bicycle (Paperback)

I love the adventure travel genre, but this one doesn't make the grade. The book is the day-by-day diary of a round-the-world cyclist. Adventure? Excitement? Not!

A typical day's entry reads something like: "Left at 9:30 and rode xx Kms. to 'name of town'. Horrendous headwinds all day. Checked into a hotel -- can you believe they only have 2 satellite channels on the TV? No McDonald's in town so I went to the hotel restaurant and had a steak." No kidding.

After a bout of food-poisoning he takes a month off in Perth, Australia. This time period includes September 11, 2001. His jornal entry? "Did nothing".

If you want adventure bike travels read something by Anne Mustoe instead.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars so what happened??, January 3, 2006

By 

gerard carton - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Once Around On a Bicycle (Paperback)

I struggled to find any interest in this book. It was very much the samey on every page-miles travelled, listing (by name) fast food joints he ate at(sponsorship??),lack of satelite channels on tvs,efforts to visit mass on Sunday(was he trying to impress his mother here?),and moaning about reversing his tracks to get a motel/hotel that fitted his high standards.The book only picked up a little steam in the closing stages-even then it was not great stuff, nothing of any real interest at all-simply a log of miles travelled and fast food eaten. There are many travel books out there, this one is not up there with the good ones-you would be better off reading the excellent-"Miles from Nowhere" or "Hey Mom can I Ride my Bike Across America"-I know they are old compared to this one-but are- by far much much superior.Sorry Michael but,this will be one book I won't be reading again.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Painful Read, NO Adventure, March 15, 2007

By 

Brick Thomas "Brick" (Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Once Around On a Bicycle (Paperback)

I have had a passion for reading bicycle adventure books for over thirty years but I could find NO ADVENTURE in this book at all. It was devoid of insight into the countries, people, food, culture, ride or rider. To be able to bicycle 14,000 miles in such a sterile, non-engaging fashion is amazing to me. For a true bicycle adventure turn to "Odysseus' Last Stand", "Moods of Future Joys" or the classic "Miles from Nowhere". My appologies to the author.