She Rides: Chasing Dreams Across California and Mexico

by Alenka Vrecek

At fifty-four, Alenka was running out of time to follow through on a dream she’d written down in her pocket-size Rumi book just after her first marriage crumbled. Years later, as she slowly rebuilt her life with her second husband, things started spiraling out of control. The only way she knew how to heal and connect all painful parts of her life was by riding her bike, and she didn’t want to have regrets. But was she brave enough to embark on an unknown path and risk losing everything . . . perhaps even her own life?

Determined to awaken her dying spirit and heal her battered body, Alenka loaded her mountain bike with 50 pounds’ worth of camping gear and set off on a 2,500-mile journey. Starting in Lake Tahoe California, she hoped to ride along the Sierra Nevada Mountain range to the tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, following remote mountain trails. Alone.

What followed was an irrevocably transformational journey of love, hope, courage, and resilience—and here, Alenka tells that story in a voice stripped of self-pity and infused with a good dose of humor. She Rides is a galvanizing wake-up call for anyone who wants to unearth and follow their own deeply buried dreams—and reclaim their life.

Genres: Travel, Memoir

320 pages, Paperback

Published June 13, 2023

Reviews

[Stephanie Affinito · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am always inspired by women who go after their long-lost-deep-seated dreams and try to live vicariously through them. That is exactly what I was able to do in this powerful, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants (literally!) memoir. Alenka Vrecek so beautifully captures her experience riding her bike from her home in Lake Tahoe to her home in Baja Peninsula. Alone. After recovering from knee surgery. And battling two forms of cancer. And dealing with her husband’s Parkinson’s diagnosis. Any one of these things would be enough for many of us to raise our hands in surrender and give up. But not Alenka. Instead, she used those challenges to fuel her long-held desire to bike alone on the adventure of a lifetime. She chronicles her early adventurous spirit, the first marriage she painfully left behind, her child-raising years and her new-found love of a lifetime and I couldn’t put the book down. I loved these back stories just as much as I did the description of the actual ride and the people she met along the way. This was her journey, but one I thoroughly enjoyed taking with her as a reader.

[Lori Leaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love adventure memoirs and this one had me dreaming of taking my bike beyond the local trails. In this story we follow Alenka as she works on a lifelong dream to bike from Lake Tahoe to Baja Mexico. I loved how the author described the settings she travelled through, the triumphs and challenges endured and the people she met.

[enjoyingbooksagain · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this memoir.
We follow Alenka during a chaotic time when she feels like she’s running out of time to follow a dream she had years ago. Next we start at beautiful Lake Tahoe, then to Yosemite national Park, Mount Whitney, Gen Sherman, Mojave desert, border crossing,Valle De Los Ciros, Mission San Ignacio, Cerro La Purisima, San Juanico,Scorpion Bay, Finish- La Ventana.
As she is following her dream and doing it, she describes the sounds, the scenery, and the people she meets and sees well on her bike. I love the way she described everything.

[Meghan Holidy · Rating 4 out of 5]

So awesome to read about this adventure she went on. Inspiring.

[Misty · Rating 4 out of 5]

A powerfully inspirational read. I loved it. Highly recommended.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy reading about women's adventures--and about people traversing Baja. This book offered that and more.

The human will is incredible. After dealing with breast cancer treatment and mastectomy, Vrecek rode her bike from Tahoe to Baja Sur at age 55.

The physical and emotional journey of this memoir has echoes of Cheryl Strayed's "Wild" - although Vrecek's story is quite different. She's in midlife, so there is a lot of her past to reflect upon and untangle as she pushes her body and spirit to the limit.

(Found in a little free library in Todos Santos.)

[Riss 🫶🏻☕️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Memoirs are a favorite of mine for 2023. She Rides is a greatly written story about a woman who feels like time is running out to complete a goal of hers. Challenging herself to ride a bicycle across California and Mexico, we get to see the journey of a lifetime. I really liked reading about her struggles, experiences, and challenges she overcame while on her adventure. Vrecek has written a memorable memoir that captures the essence of a dream and working to fulfill it.

[Anne Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading inspirational books and this one especially since the author is a cyclist. Despite all the odds against her, she embarked on a journey of the mind, body and soul hoping to find solace on the seat of her bicycle. I so enjoyed reading about her experiences and the flashbacks to earlier times in her life that shaped her life today.

[Abigail Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's funny how much this book spoke to me, as I'm not a bicyclist or an athlete at all, really. I think it resonated a lot with some things that have happened in my internal life over the past couple years....things I don't think I've really expressed outside my own mind yet. Interesting. This one might need to be a re-read.

[Marianne Bohr · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant memoir that echoed with the author's resilience. She was brave beyond measure as she battled the demons in her body and then celebrated that body across so many miles to Mexico on her bike.

[CR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful journey of self-discovery and healing. I would love to one day take a bike trip around the state or even the world. And man I hope I am still this mobile by the time I reach my 50s. This was a great non fiction story.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alena Vrecek is one tough mother! Raised in Slovenia, this woman always challenged herself to the max. At 54 and after facing physical disabilities, she rides her bike from Tahoe to the end of the Baja Peninsula. What an incredible tough undertaking. Amazing!

[Marianne Bohr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was with the author on every mile she traveled. Beautiful, lyrical writing that I read in just two days. I loved this story.

[Tiffany Camarillo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great adventure and amazing accomplishment - just not the best writing.

[Becky of Becky's Bookshelves · Rating 5 out of 5]

She Rides by Alenka Vrecek is an inspiring memoir. I felt like I was riding along with her on her incredible journey. Her passion and resilience touched me deeply. I recommend!

I was given a book by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

[Polly Triplat · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspirational soul journey

Alenka reveals her strength and vulnerability by sharing her life’s experiences in a rich and vibrant story. A soul journey that highlights persevering through challenging the mind, heart and body.