You Can't Ride a Bike to Alaska. It's an Island! (Paperback)

~ Mickey Thomas (Author)
Key Phrases: bad gravel, baby moose, handlebar bag, Watson Lake, British Columbia, Prince George (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

“You’ll never make it!”

With encouragement like that, author Mickey Thomas, in a fit of youthful testosterone, and meticulous inattention to detail, decided to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime 3,400 mile bicycle ride from Montana to Alaska.

While riding through knee problems, illness, homesickness, infatuation, bad weather, and meeting a host of quirky and hilarious characters, Mickey, and his group, rides over some of roughest roads and most desolate scenery in North America. Along the way, he discovers an inner strength as well as a new physical stamina he never had.

The book is laugh-out-loud funny, but it is also a celebration of the human spirit, and of the last great North American wilderness.

About the Author

Mickey Thomas is a resident of Davidson, North Carolina, where he lives with his wife, Leslie, and children, Will and Nelle. This is his first book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 136 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (November 7, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 059537350X
• ISBN-13: 978-0595373505
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #687,774 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice Account of an Exciting Trip, June 30, 2009

By	Bob Neubauer (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

Having read many books about long-distance cycling trips (and written one myself), I'm a rather harsh critic of these tales. I've been burned after reading some that were little more than collected e-mails sent home during the trip. That said, I liked this story of a guy who, without much cycling experience, undertook the trip of a lifetime. It's not a book of eloquent prose, rather a very interesting account of small Canadian towns and the people he encountered. I enjoyed hearing about these remote places that I'll likely never see.

He took this trip with a group years ago, before such trips had really gotten popular. His first encounter with a newfangled thing called a "Mountain Bike" brought a nostalgic smile for those simpler times. He gets in some jams, details the hardships he faced, describes some pretty awesome scenery and enjoys his accomplishments. You can feel his excitement and pride as he nears the finish line in Anchorage.

No book is without its flaws, though. One of the most annoying is the way that words break when he puts photos on a page. Sor
t of li
ke thi
s. Har
d to read.
But that's a small quibble really.

Also, at first I felt like the book was a bait and switch, when the author was forced to hitchhike (and not bike) for many days due to leg pains. But in retrospect, his account of those non-riding days passed fairly quickly, and the rest of his riding days were interesting.

SO unless you're seeking the mellifluous prose of Blue Highways, it's hard to imagine you'll be disappointed in reading about the experiences of Thomas on this ride to Alaska.

[...]

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Story - Tell Me More, January 25, 2006

By	Sam - See all my reviews

Mickey Thomas takes you on a fun journey with him to Alaska by bike. It's obvious that he had fun because the book is full of warm and sometimes ironic humor. The book is easy to read and hard to put down.

The story of the group's trip is well constructed. There are interesting characters, dramatic events, funny interludes, and suspenseful developments.

The book makes me want to read more of Thomas's cycling adventures.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A ride of a lifetime!, March 30, 2007

By	M. Stocks (Smyrna, GA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What a treat! Mickey shares the ups and downs of an amazing and amusing trek across the continent. Great read and very insightful...maybe I'll dust off my old Schwinn!