Ride: A Continental Crossing in Search of Trout, Clear Water...and Self (Hardcover)

by Jeff Graft (Author) "It is a relief to begin this ride..." (more)
Key Phrases: Dodge City, Nez Perce, Arkansas River (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
...Graft pulls it off. You'll like this book, the author, and the cause. -- alloutdoors.com Web site

A well-written, entertaining book that gives you just about everything you can ask for...a rare book. -- Traverse City Record-Eagle newspaper, July 13, 2000

The engrossing, and even inspirational account of Graft's trek across America...Full of vivid descriptions ...colorful characters...and priceless moments. -- Northern Express newspaper, September 21, 2000

Product Description
"Ride" chronicles a 4,000-mile cross-country bicycle ride from Seattle to Savannah. With little preparation and planning, a young businessman simply jumped on his bike and started pedaling. His goal: to raise money for trout stream preservation.

The only problem was that the longest bike ride he’d ever taken was twenty-five miles long. And he barely knew how to repair a flat tire.

Packing a fly rod and waders in place of a tent, he traveled through some of the country’s most spectacular scenery, fished on some of its best waters, and met some of its most charming, "classic" personalities. And with long hours alone—with just the road and assorted creatures to keep him company—he got to meet one other important person…himself. Each day brought new insights into life, and each day he recorded a personal lesson, a daily sutra.

Reading "Ride" you can’t help but feel good about this country, its resources, and its people…especially if you can just step back, slow down, and get things in perspective. In some way, each of us makes his or her own ride. Perhaps this one will help with yours.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 168 pages
• Publisher: Crofton Creek Pr; 1st edition (July 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970091702
• ISBN-13: 978-0970091703
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,730,467 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Along for the ride with Jeff Graft, June 13, 2001

By	Lorene Erickson (Bradenton, FL USA) - See all my reviews

I'm a moderate day biker, 25 to 30 miles on flat land, so I was intrigued by Jeff Graft's fine book, Ride, in which he describes his 4,000 mile cross country ride across the US. I enjoyed the trip, and I didn't get sore. In fact, I sped through the book in one sitting, met a lot of nice folks, learned a few things about fishing and about biking long distances, mulled over a few life "lessons" which Jeff tacks onto the ends of his chapters, appreciated the fact that he was making the trip--not me. I praise the book's great layout design with its maps of the trip, Jeff's photos along the way, the journal style with dates and days marked, clean typeface, lots of white space. An easy read for a good cause--raising funds for conservation.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superbly written, unique travelogue for biking enthusiasts., January 4, 2001

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Ride is the story of Jeff Graft's experiences as he biked from just north of Seattle to peddle east on what was to become a 4,000-mile trip, reaching the Atlantic Ocean just sixty-eight days later. Before this, the longest bike ride Jeff had made was 25 miles. Often taking the most mountainous routes in order to stay close to trout streams, he slept out in the open because he'd sacrificed the weight of a tent to he could carry a fly rod and waders. From his bike seat perspective, Jeff got an appreciation of the country, its people and resources. Based on his daily journal, Ride is a superbly written, very unique travelogue that engages the reader from first page to last -- and may well inspire other bicycle enthusiasts to a similar sojourn.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ride of Your Life!, December 8, 2000

By	"duckman99" (Phoenix, Arizona, United States) - See all my reviews

In Ride, author Jeff Graft does what many of us only dream of doing: He tosses off the shackles of the work-a-day world, jumps on his bike, and pedals his way across the country. That he does so for a great cause--to raise money for trout stream conservation--seems almost beside the point. What propels this book, from beginning to end, is the author's drive to live each moment to the fullest, to appreciate completely the raw country, and sometimes raw characters, he encounters on his journey. This book is about following a dream as much as it is about following the road.