The Road That Has No End: How We Traded Our Ordinary Lives For a Global Bicycle Touring Adventure [Paperback]

Tim Travis (Author), Cindie Travis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 25, 2004

Authors Tim and Cyndie Travis accomplish the unthinkable, in an unprecedented worldwide cycling adventure. Their clever story explores the depths of humanity, as they expose themselves to life's perils on roads less traveled. This story is written as it happened, on the road.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tim Travis has been everything from a bicycle mechanic to a Special Education Teacher with a Masters degree.

Tim started riding a bicycles in the mid-1970’s with a Campy five-speed bike, wool shorts and one of those funny leather helmets that cyclists wore back then. The bicycle racing movie "Breaking Away," hit the theaters and he quickly fell into racing. He was immersed in racing until he graduated from Indiana University in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education.

Tim excels at being a traveler and a storyteller. Tim spends his days living international bike touring adventures and nights writing about them in his tent. The ability to capture in writing and photography the extraordinary events that only living cheaply on a bicycle creates is a very special gift to the readers of his books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 317 pages
• Publisher: Down The Road Publishing (October 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0975442708
• ISBN-13: 978-0975442708
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #808,547 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars It's just not that interesting....., June 3, 2010

By 

Nigel Pickard "nigey_" (Westwood, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Road That Has No End: How We Traded Our Ordinary Lives For a Global Bicycle Touring Adventure (Paperback)

You would think given the subject matter this would be a fascinating travel tale; let's just say it's miles from "Miles From Nowhere". The writing style is brusque, but perhaps most distressingly, lacks soul and the author's expression of emotion.

While I freely acknowledge I'm no author myself and have tremendous respect for those who do actually write a book, this is a commercial venture so I do want to review it as honestly as possible. I did manage to get through it, but I was left feeling very dissatisfied and as though no connection was made with the author as a person. I wanted to know the answers to questions -how did they feel? What were the doubts? How did they get on with each other? How was their interaction with the people around them? All these questions were never raised, never mind being answered. What did come from the book was a never ending series of generic descriptions of "We got up. We cycled through [insert country or region]. We ate [insert food]. We made camp at [insert camping area]."

I'm extremely surprised and puzzled by how many glowing reviews this book received as I gave this book to my neighbor and a friend -both of whom enjoy travel books immensely and without letting them know what I thought about it - and they echoed almost identical criticisms. If you can peek inside the book to see how it's written, do so. It may save you some money.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great bicycle touring books, October 28, 2007

By 

Steve R Marks (Minneapolis) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Road That Has No End: How We Traded Our Ordinary Lives For a Global Bicycle Touring Adventure (Paperback)

I have to agree with other writers who have complained about the quality of the writing. I enjoyed reading it because the subject interests me. If you want to read some excellent books about bicycle touring in other countries try the following: "Spokesongs" by Willie Weir, "The Masked Rider" by Neil Peart, "Metal Cowboy" by Joe Kurmaskie, Odysseus' Last Stand" by Dave Sumboulis, or the classic "Miles from Nowhere" by Barbara Savage. Having commented on the less than stellar writing of this book however I would recommend going to their website where there is a wealth of information about the equipment they have used.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read worth experiencing, May 29, 2005

By 

Charles DiBella (Big Island, Hawaii) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Road That Has No End: How We Traded Our Ordinary Lives For a Global Bicycle Touring Adventure (Paperback)

Tim Travis's book is an exceptional read. You'll be able to travel along with Tim and his wife Cindy down fabulous roads seldom explored and learn the ins and outs of how to get around in a world sometimes friendly, sometimes hostile. You receive tips not found in bestseller tour guides, and you'll find out where to go and where not. You'll learn to save money on everything from hotel rooms to local food on the steet, and you'll get the feel of what it's like to travel in the rough, on a narrow budget, along with high tech tools, combining the internet, laptop, and digital photography. Tim and Cindy have a detailed website you won't want to miss, chock full of even more tips, tricks, links, and photographs. They continue to make regular entries to journals, keeping you posted on where they are, and answering questions from a huge international audience. This is an 8 year trip around the world, and this book is the first of a long and exciting series. If you're planning to tour professionally anywhere, alone or with a friend, need the motivation to start, or just want to dream about high adventure, this is the book for you. You'll not only have the time of your life, but you'll make yourself two great new friends with Tim and Cindie. Packed with photographs, this book is a best buy!