Hell on Two Wheels: An Astonishing Story of Suffering, Triumph, and the Most Extreme Endurance Race in the World

by Amy Snyder

Three-time Ironman finisher Amy Snyder takes the wraps off the best kept secret in the sports world, the Race Across America (RAAM), a bicycle race like no other. Unlike its famous cousin the Tour de France, RAAM is much crazier, more gothic, and even once the gun goes off the clock doesn't stop, and the first rider to complete the prescribed 3,000-mile route is the victor. In Hell on Two Wheels , Snyder follows a group of athletes before, during, and after the 2009 RAAM, the closest and most controversial race in the event's 30-year history. This work offers a thrilling and remarkably detailed account of the competitors' triumphs and tragedies as they test themselves, each other, and the limits of human endurance. As RAAM exacts its vicious toll, Snyder shows how the racers discover their essential humanity and experience profound joy and completeness, demonstrating how such a grueling effort can also be cleansing and self-revelatory.

Genres: Cycling, Sports, Nonfiction, Adventure, Bicycles

251 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

my Snyder grew up in New York City and attended Princeton University and Stanford Business School. After a career in management consulting she retired and settled in La Jolla, and began competing in Ironman triathlons and eventually discovered events even longer than the Ironman. Knowing she didnt have it in her to conquer these ultra-distance races, she decided to find out why and how others can by following the RAAM,"

Reviews

[Helen Dunn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is about RAAM - a cycling race across the USA from Oceanside CA to Annapolis, MD. Participants race more or less non-stop for 10 to 12 days with little sleep and all kinds of medical issues. It's an endurance battle unlike any other.

While the 2009 race documented here had a fascinating storyline and a number of interesting characters, I found the writing dry and repetitive.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Tour de France racers have never suffered. Not like the Race Across America (RAAM) racers.

After you read this book do an internet search for Jure Robic, the greatest RAAM racer, for the shocking follow-up.

[Grayson shuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cool idea for a book.

[Martha☀ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amy Snyder's goal in writing this book was to open our eyes to the amazing distances and unthinkable suffering that Race Across AMerica (RAAM) riders endure during their bids to complete this event. But the hyperbole that she uses to make her point is off the charts. While trying to convince us that these men and women are simply regular folks with big dreams, she uses extreme comparatives and over-zealous praise with the effect of making them seem inhuman and untouchable. The endless repetition of race information and phrasing she uses is mind-numbing as well. Each of the 350 pages are filled with expressions like 'eye-popping', 'maniacal', 'self-inflicted' and 'fearsome king' which I suppose should come as no surprise after reading the 19 word book title. But if I read one more time that rider Kaiser was a soft-spoken pharmacist or about the sarcastic wit of Christiansen, I think I'll go mad.
Each chapter covers one day of the 2009 event, following 28 solo riders as they cycle for 3000 miles across the USA in about 10 days. But Snyder manages to fill dozens of unnecessary pages with random stream-of-consciousness information about everything from Mohammed Ali's boxing matches to Mozart's gift.
The book has earned high ratings but I believe that readers are voting solely on the fascinating subject matter and turning a blind eye to the poor writing. I, on the other hand, could not enjoy the topic because of her overuse of exaggeration and repetition.

[Trike · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well-written book and Snyder does a very good job of detailing the athletes and the things they go through in this brutally epic race. The reason I've only given it 3 stars is because it does pale somewhat in comparison to the brilliant Born To Run by Christopher McDougall. While she goes a bit into history and touches on the biological aspects of the RAAM, McDougall's book felt more complete in this area and was so far-ranging that it felt epic, as well.

I suppose one could argue that Snyder is merely echoing the extreme focus the bicyclists have in order to complete their arduous quest, but I really felt like I wanted to know more than the blow-by-blow of the race. More than we were given. As I said, though, the writing is quite good.

[Clark Goble · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always enjoyed cycling and am an avid fan of the Tour de France. On many occasions I've watched that particular event in awe of the endurance and sacrifice displayed by its participants. Having read this book, however, I've learned that nothing compares to the RAAM (Ride Across America). I'm embarrassed that I've never paid more attention to this event!

This book chronicles the 2009 RAAM by focusing on a handful of its 28 solo competitors. It is a fun read (especially for cycling fans) that successfully documents the grueling aspects of the race.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hell On Two Wheels reports on ultra endurance bicycle riders who race across America, suffer, bleed, and enter sleep deprivation for a shot at victory in RAAM. The Race Across AMerica is the toughest of all endurance races with winners biking 3800 miles in nine days. This book offers bios of the participants and their ride experiences. It also enlightens as to training routines and strategies to improve order of finish at the Atlantic Ocean. I was fascinated.

[Kevin Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot. It provides an excellent first hand account of what is clearly the most grueling ultracycling race in the world ... just incredible what some people can do!

[Tim Blackburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I don't understand the question. I didn't do it for the pleasure; I did it for the pain."
Lance Armstong

This book chronicles the 2009 Race Across America which is a bicycle race from Oceanside, CA to Annapolis, MD. The real kicker is that the participants turn the pedals for at least 21 of every 24 hour time period so the 3016 miles are covered in 10-12 days. The suffering is incredible and Ms Snyder does an excellent job in presenting the inside story on several of the contestants. Pain and suffering are the constant for all riders including pulmonary edema, pneumonia, Shrummer's Neck (ultra painful condition where the biker can no longer support his neck and the neck "flops" forward), along with the assorted cycling hazards such as intense saddle sores and knee joint pain. The reader is brought along for the ride. This book appealed to me personally since I am an avid bicycle rider but nothing like this extreme race - kudos to all who even attempt this race.

[Martha Schwalbe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been sitting on our bookshelf at home for several years. It's a good thing I don't enjoy riding a bike for more than an hour because I think I would sign up for the RAAM. Back in the late eighties, I remember wearing blue parachute pants while riding my bike on the Santa Ana River Trail because one of my friends told me these RAAM athletes were training in the vicinity. I wanted them to know that I didn't know what I was doing. We did see a group ride by us one time when we were running.
The failure of the neck muscles by some athletes really blew me away. This was something I had never considered.
I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy reading about sports, especially ultra distances.

[Christy Keeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

What these men and women do is absolutely astonishing! It blows my mind that they can persist without sleep. It's also amazing that their crews are willing to support them.

Snyder provides (what appears to be) an incredibly realistic portrait of extreme ultra cycling. In addition to athlete stories, she addresses topics including terrain, weather, physical needs and conditions, and mental challenges. She provides background information and some research to explain conditions like hallucinations and failure of neck muscles and she doesn't shy away from natural topics like peeing on the bike.

[James Norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this ultra-athlete stuff. For those who have read Born to Run, this is very much like that, but cycling. The suffering that these athletes put them through, seemingly for no other reason than to prove they can--there are almost no sponsors, no prize money, no fame outside the ultra community--boggles the mind. Fast paced, well-written, heart-warming and gut-wrenching all in one. A worthy candidate for any book lover's collection

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled with this book--perhaps because it is difficult for me to get engaged with 'sports writing'.

That said, it was fine--I did gain some insight into the challenges faced, the organisational aspects of co-ordinating a support crew, and the will power (and perhaps stupidity) involved in even attempting such a challenge.

[jayhawkrockdoc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice introduction to the RAAM and main players during the tightest race through 2009 though I personally would have preferred more technical detailing of the race course layout considerations and cycling equipment with less hyperbole about how tough the challenge is--I understood this after the first explanation.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I started cycling, I have wanted to do RAAM. I always pictured riding with a team of 4 people not by myself. Since this book follows a race I had to pick it up.

The story follows several individual racers and their crew during a race. It reiterates that I do not want to do this solo! I enjoyed the story, but the narration was not great.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This account of the 2009 RAAM certainly provided an in-depth look at how difficult this race is for even the world's best cyclists. In the past, I might have thought that I could do well in such a race, but after reading this, I realized that it would be highly unlikely that I could even finish.

[Tomas Gimenez · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very dissapointed

As soon as I got to where she describes Lance Armstrong as an "elite cyclist" I quit reading any further. What a disgrace.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first heard of RAAM listening to Rich Roll's interview of Leah Goldstein. I absolutely wanted to learn more about this incredible race. This is one of the few books about RAAM and I loved it.

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Exciting subject matter, terribly written!

[Ben Pattison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Action packed narrative of a superhuman transcontinental cycling race interspersed with tackling the deeper question of how and why ordinary humans undertake such punishing endeavors.

[Sara Goldenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it. I wish I could read about more than one year's results, though.

[Mitch Holyoak · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book makes you wonder who someone could do endurance riding. I'd never consider such a feat.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend recommended this book by describing it as engrossing despite not being expertly written, and I am basically going to agree.

This is a book about the Race Across America (RAAM), a little-known road biking race from California to Maryland, during which the clock doesn't stop. Racers win in part by sleeping as little as they can, and past winners have pulled off the feat in just over eight days.

It is also the first narrative nonfiction book about sports I can remember reading.

Yes, it's not up to New Yorker standards of writing. In particular, the prose is full of cliches that would probably have been pretty easy for a sensitive editor to help get rid of. Each one is like a little, irritating bump in the road. The structure and pacing are pretty good, though, and after a while the story tugs you along and you stop noticing the bumps as much.

There are a few stories within the book and for the most part they slide nicely off of each other. There's the drama of the race itself, both the women's race and the men's race, which isn't always a heated contest but was very much of one in 2009, the year the author covered the race. There's the background of why such an extreme event exists and what drives people to do it. And there are the gory details about the logistics of the race (the relationship between the riders and their 'follow crews,' which trail them in vans and motor homes all the way across the country, is especially interesting), and all the things that can happen to a cyclist's mind and body after riding for a week on one or two hours' sleep a night. Neck muscle failure, anyone? And I can't imagine there are many other sporting events in which the contestants are, pretty much without exception, hallucinating robustly by the time they cross the finish line.

There are a few attempts at developing themes from the material; I think my grad school professors would have said the author could have "pushed harder" on most of them. Comments about the relationship of endurance sport to spirituality were the most interesting to me, but they were basically just that, scattered comments. An account of the science about what happens to the body during such an ordeal felt perfunctory and incomplete. I guess I'm saying the book doesn't really find a thesis beyond simply covering its topic, the race and the personalities in it. Luckily the race itself is such a curiosity that it mostly works.

There are a few details that felt as if they were missing. Did 5-time RAAM champion Jure Robic of Slovenia make the author promise not to describe in detail the supposedly shocking and animalistic behavior he displayed during his first solo race, that so deeply scared himself, his crew, and his then wife? I can't think of why else she would mention this tantalizing detail--multiple times--and then not deliver the goods. Likewise, there were some allegations of cheating during the 2009 race that were mentioned but then not really followed up on (I guess I won't mention the specifics because, spoilers). I'm guessing the author didn't feel she had the journalistic firepower to judge their veracity, but the way they were pushed to the side was unsatisfying. She also covered one of the female front-runners extensively but barely mentioned the other. Was she refused an interview? Worth explaining, at least?

Those are my quibbles, but all in all I was strongly drawn into the book, which was a fast read in the best of ways. Maybe it's compelling because RAAM practically begs for you to feel ambivalent about it: it is both patently inspiring and unbelievably fucked up.

Again I'm bedeviled by the Goodreads starring system: if I could I would give 3.5 stars to almost everything I read. Three seems like a put-down, four an accolade deserved only in exceptional cases. But I'm going to hang up my snob hat and go with four stars as a reflection of how much pure enjoyment I got out of this read.

[Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book by a Local Bike Shop employee and told that I would like it.
They were right!
Wow. What a book. What a story. This is the story of the RAAM (Race Across AMerica) a c3000 bike race where, once started, the clock never stops and the participants almost don’t either.
3000 miles of gruelling days, punishing heat, humidity, climbs up big mountains, days of flat, extreme heat. It is probably the equivalent to a couple of years riding for a ‘keen’ cyclist.
This is an in-depth look at this punishing race. While it was written over a decade ago, the RAAM is still being held and still punishing its racers.

If you like sports, cycling, endurance sports, or tales of any of these - this is the book for you.

[Paula Margulies · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was dazzled by this book! Amy Snyder ushers us into the remarkable world of ultra-distance cycling with her documentary narrative about the 2009 Race Across America. The RAAM destroys its competitors, plunging them into a surreal world of sleeplessness and intense pain, and endless hours of brutal, soul-searing physical and mental exertion as they cross the deserts, mountains, and plains of America. Some of the competitors end up with blown-out calf muscles, pulmonary infections, searing saddle sores, and hallucinations induced by 9-10 days of sleep deprivation. Others develop a debilitating condition known as Shermer's neck, where the neck muscles fail and the riders are forced to cycle without the ability to raise their heads (there are photos of some of them with their heads propped up by self-devised scaffolds and neck braces -- unbelievable!).

This race itself is unbelievable, but Snyder makes it seem both fascinating and inspiring as she delves into the personal triumphs and struggles of some of the men's individual race leaders: Jure Robic, Dani Wyss, Marko Baloh, Jim Rees, Franz Priehs, and Christop Strausser, and the four women competitors: Janet Christiansen, Daniela Genovesi, Michelle Santihano, and Ann Wooldridge. Many of these riders don't finish the race, but all of their stories are remarkable. Snyder was with the riders the whole way, driving back and forth along the course for first-hand information from the cyclists and their crews. She provides exciting race details, where competitors battle it out through baking desert heat, soaring mountainous climbs, and bone-chilling Midwestern rain, and intersperses the race story with relevant background history about the racers and their crews.

The RAAM is a long, lonely, grueling event and, sadly, it's one that receives little attention in the sports world. But the winners and losers each have amazing stories to tell about how they got there and why they choose to participate in this soul-crushing sport. Snyder does a wonderful job of presenting both the brutal reality of ultra-distance racing and the life-changing sense of accomplishment experienced by the participants who survive it. And the mind-blowing ending is followed up by an epilogue that was so shocking and stunningly sad, I actually yelled out loud (which scared the heck out of my kids!).

The book includes photographs, acknowledgments and notes, and an appendix that lists the entire 2009 solo riders field, along with their bios and race results.

Hell on Two Wheels reminded me of Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air. Whether you're a cycling buff or a reader who enjoys true adventure stories that grab you by the neck, you'll love this book.

[Kate Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book because the author is my new neighbor and I have a more than passing interest in cycling and endurance events having once completed an Ironman and having followed the Tour de France for my honeymoon. With that said, I'm not a 'lifer" in endurance events and I tend to find it hard to accept that people - especially those with families - pursue these kinds of events for extended periods of their life. The opening of this book put me off a bit - there was an inflated sense of the importance of this kind of event as a metaphor for human challenges and triumphs. I don't tend to buy into that and so I held the book a little bit at arm's length for a while.

The story follows six RAAM (Race Across America) soloists (one can also race RAAM as part of a team) and after the introduction the book leaves the inflated sense of importance of the race behind. The writing is good and doesn't get in the way of the story that unfolds. I found it difficult to follow who was who for a while but the author did a good job of making small references to previous details when a rider came back into the book and after a short while I was able to keep the riders straight.

Perhaps because the author stopped cramming the idea of the epic nature of this race/journey down my throat I really came to appreciate this race and the challenges it presents. In fact, the 2014 riding of this race is happening as I type this review and I've logged in to one of the sites which follows the riders as the race unfolds ..

This is a non-fiction book that reads a lot like a novel and it's an easy, enjoyable read, especially if you have a passing interest (or more) in cycling or other endurance events.

[Mark Dodson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll preface this by saying I'm a cyclist who’s put in a lot of miles over the years, done some cross state rides and ridden in some rough conditions on occasions. However, I’ve never participated or had much interest in competitive cycling, so I had some doubts that I’d find this book very engaging. I was dead wrong.
Possibly because the race and conditions are so severe, the accounts of the several contenders Ms. Snyder focuses on are not only compelling but in some cases are downright frightening or heartbreaking. It is very well written with lots of first-person interviews and conversations with riders and crew members. Also, it provides a lot of info and background on how RAAM is run along with the logistical challenges of running this type of event.
I think it is possible that my high rating here could in part be due to not being familiar with the event or the riders. I'd be curious as to what other readers with more knowledge of RAAM think of it. For now, I've become quite interested in it and will definitely be a looking for RAAM results and news leading up to the race next summer. At any rate, this was an awesome read, one of the best sports or cycling books I've read.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's probably a three-star-or-less book unless your fascinated by endurance sports and cycling. It covers the unique, mostly-uncelebrated "Race Across America" and follows a number of key members of the Solo/Male category in the 2009 race. It's a lot of details about chaffing and edema that most will find boring but I've always been enthralled by tales of physiological breakdown, training for endurance events and the extreme distances that talented, well-supported cyclists can cover on $5000 human-powered dream machines. Especially interesting are the stories of psychological turmoil, of extreme sleep deprivation causing riders to hop off the bike in the middle of the night to fight hallucinations of dragons or seeing visions of a Viagra-seeking David Beckham (I kid you not) trotting alongside them in the blistering heat of the great plains.

2009 was a heck of a year to write a book about this event because it was one of the closest races ever as well as having some soap opera-worthy intrigue towards the end. It's impossible to capture all the gore and boredom and despair and elation that comes with an adventure this grand, but Snyder does an admirable job. It's an easy, fun read for cycling folk and a peek inside the madness of cycling folk if you're not one of 'em.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

David bought this book after we completed the Mount Laguna Challenge two years ago, where I finished just behind the author of the book, Amy Snyder. The Mount Laguna Challenge of 2012 was my first foray into the world of "adventure cycling" (or endurance cycling), and it's essentially a baby ride compared to the events the ultracycling community participates in. David has told me about the contents of the book previously, and I saw the pictures of the people whose neck muscles have collapsed and they need to use braces to keep their head up in order to see - but even given all that, until I read it for myself, I had no idea how impossible this race is.

Just the lack of sleep alone would completely do me in probably after the first day. This book should be an absolutely MUST read for anyone even toying with the thought of doing RAAM (I never thought I would be a candidate - and now I know for certain it could never be in my cards). This book makes plain the absolute limits of humanity - it is a truly amazing story.

[Leo Polovets · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every year, approximately two dozen racers set out on what is likely the most extreme ultraendurance event in the world: the Race Across America (RAAM). The event covers 3000 miles of mountains and valleys, with temperatures ranging from near-freezing to suffocatingly hot. The winner usually finishes in 9 days while managing an average of one hour of sleep per day and enduring unimaginable physical and mental pain.

Why would anybody want to do such a thing?? This book aims to answer that question, and does a fairly good job. The author followed the racers during the 2009 event and manages to make them seem almost sane by detailing each racer’s life, hopes, and ambitions. You really get a sense of what each competitors is like and why they are doing what they are doing. The race itself is filled with both elation and tragedy, and the writing makes something that seems inhuman feel very… human.