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A Highly Unlikely Bicycle Tourist
- An Astonishing Story About a 350-Pound Middle-Aged, Disabled, Working-Class Husband and Father and His Thirst for Adventure
- Narrated by: Aaron Smith
- Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Travel & Tourism, Adventure Travel
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Summary
A highly unlikely bicycle tourist
Many an incredible story may have been told about young courageous men and women cycling the globe in search of adventure, covering vast distances at speed each day with not a care in the world, sleeping wherever they could pitch a tent or find someone willing to give them a free meal and bed for the night.
Well, this incredible story is a little different. It is a story about a 350-pound middle-aged, disabled, working-class husband and father. I was never a regular cyclist, and I knew nothing about bicycle maintenance and repair. And yet, without a single day of bicycle touring practice, I loaded up my shiny new bike with everything I thought I’d need and cycled out of Cheshire to see the world. Solo, self-financed, with no support network and without any fixed route plan other than, “I’m going that way.”
What could go wrong? I wondered.
Bicycle Touring
Bicycle touring is often referred to as cycle touring, bike touring, and bikepacking. However, bikepacking usually involves travelling ultra-light. Bicycles and other pedal-powered vehicles, as well as electric-assist, are perfect for exploring the world at just the right speed and in any way you choose. A day out or a long weekend, with an organized tour group or partner. On a shoestring or healthy budget. Travel as your fitness will permit, for as far and for as long as you wish. There are no rules, and you don’t have to love cycling or be a regular cyclist to love touring.
Info
Fourteen chapters about a far from typical bicycle touring adventure
Organic reviews. No pre-launch reviews, no paid for reviews, and no review swaps
Kindle and Paperback versions with 70 high-resolution images are also available
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What listeners say about A Highly Unlikely Bicycle Tourist
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
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- Amazon Customer
- 28-03-21
Thoroughly enjoyable listen
From the beginning I really felt drawn into Stephen's story, and all the twists and turns of his journey. As a fellow touring cyclist, I could relate to dealing with the issues he had, even though some were far worse than I'd ever encountered. But it also showed me that all things are possible when you add humour to the mix!
I also felt he absolutely hit the right balance between giving a travel narrative of the places and people he met, and the technical in's and out's of cycle touring on this scale. His comments about the latter apply for both beginner tourers - which is what he was when he set off - and for more experienced riders who have "been there, seen that".
As someone who has listened to a lot of audio books, I was initially concerned the narrator wouldn't be up to scratch like some I've come across, but Aaron Smith seemed to immerse himself in the storyline, but not take it over with any strange accents or distractions; in fact his reading style just added to an already great story.
Overall I really enjoyed this and would happily listen to more by this author.
1 person found this helpful
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- Steve
- 06-12-21
Spoilt
I really liked the story but sorry thought the narration was awful - robotic and monotone.
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- Phil Crompton
- 25-03-21
Quite a trip
enjoyed it but wish there was more about the places and the interactions and less about frustrations