A Bike Ride: 12,000 Miles Around the World

by Anne Mustoe

When ex-headmistress Anne Mustoe gave up her job, bought a bike and took to the road, she couldn't even mend a puncture. 12,000 miles and 15 months later, she was home.

Her epic solo journey took her around the world, through Europe, India, the Far East and the United States. From Thessaloniki to Uttar Pradesh, from Chumphon to Singapore, she faced downpours, blizzards and blistering deserts, political turmoil and amorous waiters - alternated with great kindness from strangers along the way.

A Bike Ride is the first in the series of Anne Mustoe's successful and inspiring travelogues.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Cycling, Biography, India, Bicycles, International

290 pages, Paperback

First published June 20, 1991

About the author

Anne Mustoe was an English schoolteacher, a touring cyclist, author of travel books and former headmistress of Saint Felix School, Southwold, Suffolk.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I was not athletic. I was not young. I had never been a keen cyclist. I had no idea how to mend a puncture. I hated camping, picnics and discomfort. In fact, my qualifications for an arduous cycle-ride were minimal….”

Approaching retirement, Ms Mustoe leaves her job as headmistress of an English girls’ school to ride a bike around the world by herself. History is her passion, and she organizes her trip segments historically, following Roman roads from London to Rome, the journeys of Alexander the Great from Greece to India, and the westward migration of settlers (backwards) across the U.S. She is an engaging traveller to follow as she shares highlights (and lowlights) of her trip, encounters with the locals, bits of history, bike problems, bad weather, etc. Unfortunately, by the time she reached the U.S., she was understandably eager to make good time and finally get home, and her account becomes briefer and a tad grumpy. Illustrated with occasional photographs and with good high-level maps so readers can follow along.

“After years of work and duty, I was setting out unashamedly to please myself. Even this book has been fun to write. Retracing my route in the comfort of my hotel in Southern Turkey, I sometimes marvelled at the hardships I endured, but more often I looked back with longing at those vibrant, carefree days.”

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read this book, I thought 55 was ancient and that this was a remarkable woman to set out on such a journey at such a great age! Now that I'm not that far off that age myself, I realise how patronising my opinion was. She is a remarkable woman though and this is a remarkable journey. In its telling, she intersperses history lessons and this, together with her adventures, makes for a cracking good read.

[Erman · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.2 stars. Truly delightful to read. What an experience to see much of the world, granted the world of the 1980’s, in such a delightful and revelatory way. The more I learn about India the more fascinated I am. Reading about her travels through Malaysia has transfixed me.

[Lucian Belić · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,0 / 5

At seldom times was this read interesting. A rather dull traveling book in my humble opinion.

[Kriegslok · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think if I had been setting out on a round the world trip on two wheels I would at the very minimum have made sure I could fix a puncture. Anne Mustoe however abandoned her comfortable bourgoise life as the headmistress of some classy private girls school to cycle out of her comfort zone and around the world. A Classically schooled and prim lady setting out to cycle across some of the worlds tough environments physically and socially she has an air of mad dogs and english(wo)men about her. I've done some serious cycling but not much outside my European comfort zone, Anne Mustoe rode straight into the unknown and dealt with it (except for basic cycle repairs and maintainance). Following Alexander's route of conquest east and beyond she crossed Turkey, Pakistan, India, Thailand malaysia which make for the most interesting reading as she is challenged by poverty, religion and culture as well as being an independent woman in some societies where such an existence could not easily be contemplated. Again and again she finds it is those with the least who are the most accomodating and give the most and will accept no payment, hospitality being an honour given cheerfully. It is interesting how once you are on a cycle for any time the world becomes a completely different place, your bike opens doors and minds and it is this that again comes across clearly in Mustoe's book as the quite plummy middle aged upper/middle class lady discovers a freedom and sense of adventure that has been (I think) missing in her life up until then. There isn't anything in my experience to match being out on the road with only what you carry in your panniers and the excitement of the world opeing out in front of you. Anne Mustoe tells the tale well. (Still can't believe she set out unable to fix a puncture though and reilied on being a "damsel in distress" to get the few she had fixed, madness).

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

see oli küll minu maitse järgi reisikirjandus. alustuseks autor, kellega oskasin täitsa suhestuda - Anne Mustoe oli 54 aastat vana ja ühe briti tütarlastekooli direktriss, kui talle tuli mõte töölt ära tulla ja jalgrattaga ümber maailma sõita. mingi sportlane ta ei olnud, tavaline veidi vormist väljas vanaema; samas jällegi oli tegu haritud, ennegi reisinud ja keeli õppinud inimesega. ahjaa, ja see kõik juhtus aastal 1987.

niisiis saab kokku täpselt paras segu eneseületamist ja -leidmist (viimast tõesti ülemäära palju pole, no selles eas enam ei oota ka), ajalugu ja geograafiat, kohalikke inimesi ja vanu sõpru, vaesuses virelemist ja luksushotelle. (eelarve on küll kenasti paigas ja minimalistlikule rattamatkajale sobiv, aga täpselt nagu ma ise teeks, katkestab Anne aegajalt matka ja võtab endale mõned päevad või nädalad paigalolemiseks, mõnusalt elamiseks ja tavaliseks turistitamiseks - rannad, spaad, restoranid, rongisõidud.)

ring ümber maailma tehakse läbi Euroopa, Türgi, India alamkontinendi, Tai-Malaisia-Singapuri ja USA, vahepeal jääb poliitika võii geograafia ette ja tuleb lennata. aga 12000 miili on ikka päris palju rattasõitu.

Anne sõitis pärast seda veel rattaga ja kirjutas veel raamatuid, ei välista, et võtan mõne neist kunagi veel ette, sest mulle tõesti meeldis.

[John Samuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over-privileged person circumnavigates the globe on a bicycle. Even after 12,000 miles and eight punctures, Anne still couldn’t fix one herself. Compelling and compulsive reading. Total respect.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this book at the charity shop for 2$, great purchase! Love a little adventure book!

[Daren · Rating 2 out of 5]

In 1987 Anne Mustoe set off from London with basic equipment in panniers on a bicycle. 439 days later she returned to London, having cycled 11,552.1 miles. From the UK to France, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Turkey. Then Pakistan, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, across the USA, and to Ireland. Epic, without doubt.

Anne Mustoe was 54, had limited experience on a bicycle, couldn't repair a puncture, and by her own admission, was overweight. A recently retired head-mistress, she was not short of self motivation and determination.

After a brief introduction where the author describes her equipment and the motivation / planning of her trip, she then launches straight into the cycling.

It is hard not to draw comparisons with Dervla Murphy - well known as an accomplished cyclist and traveller, often alone, but sometimes with daughter in tow. To be perfectly honest, this book missed what makes most Dervla Murphy books successful - it was not as amusing. There were a few wry comments, and amusing situations, but for me far too far between. Large tracts of the travel were only marginally interesting, and perhaps due to the great distance covered, the commentary seemed to skip through the potentially interesting things far too quickly!

As I understand it, this is Anne Mustoe's first of many books (I have several in my shelves), and perhaps she felt obliged to mention each town and village, no matter how briefly. Perhaps in the following books she gets a more instinctive feel for where to linger in a story and what to omit. Parts of the European countries, and almost all of the USA fell flat with me. I enjoyed the central part of the trip - Greece, Turkey, Pakistan & India, but to be fair they are destinations I am much more interested in. Thailand and Malaysia were brief in their descriptions, and didn't spark much amusement. There was far too much "saw that, cycled here, slept there, eat that" of a repetitive nature, it just all remained too predictable.

In hindsight I am glad I read the first of her books first, and I am game to try again. But not too soon...

Between two and three stars for me, but erring towards the lower end.

[Roberta · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I would like this more than I did. In the end the writer did not engage me. I found her pedantic, maybe too much of the headmistress.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A cycle touring adventure with a twist of classics. I broadly enjoyed Mustoe’s travel writing but wasn’t really into her prim headmistress vibes. She cycled, trained and planed her way around the globe and spent much of her time trying to follow ancient routes and roads. Classics are clearly a love and there is a good chunk of time spent covering history and archeology which added richness to the read.

I found the middle part of the book through Turkey, Pakistan and India the most interesting, and was a bit disappointed that the US got such short shrift as I would have loved to have read more about this experience.

This is well-written and has a lot of fascinating elements, but as is typical of a lot of cycle touring books we are treated to a long list of place names and what the writer had for dinner. I also felt she lacked vulnerability in her writing - she completely glossed over the difficulties and hardships that come with trips of this nature and I would have liked a lot more of this to get a real and unfiltered idea of what cycling huge distances over unfamiliar terrain and different cultures means in practice.

However overall a good read, would certainly recommend to folk interested in travel.

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting account of one woman's round the world bicycle ride done at a time (1980s) when cycling was not so fashionable. Her account contains interesting observations about the countries, cultures and people she met along the way. Many went out of their way to help her with bicycle repairs, accommodation and hospitality. Some parts of the world were dangerous back then including Afghanistan and Northern India which meant air flights to avoid them. Otherwise, aside from punctures and other mishaps with her bicycle and panniers, the author completed her 12,000 mile challenge without significant problems despite the frequent warnings from those she met of potential harm to her and her belongings that she would likely encounter in neighboring countries.

The only drawback of the book was the author's enthusiasm for the classics. Previously a school teacher, the routes she followed were those of the Romans and and Alexander the Great as she traveled through Europe and the Middle East. This led to frequent references to historical events and detours to archaeological sites, museums, ancient buildings etc. Without some in depth knowledge of classical history this did detract from the overall interest in her journey.

It is interesting to speculate how easy it would be to repeat her journey now some 30 years later. Certainly bicycles have become more sophisticated and reliable. Communication in the days of mobile phones and computers would also be easier. However the world seems more unsettled so I do wonder how easy the route would be to replicate.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked that it doesn’t try to turn the journey into some epic, heroic feat, it feels like something anyone could do, even me, and she deserves a lot of credit for showing that adventure doesn’t have to be extreme to be meaningful. I also appreciated the historical notes she includes along the way, which give the trip a bit more depth and purpose beyond just riding from place to place. Her self-deprecating humour keeps the tone light and engaging. That said, I did find myself wishing for a bit more introspection and vulnerability; she tends to stay quite guarded, and I wanted more insight into how the journey affected her emotionally. For someone setting off on such a long bike trip, it’s surprising that she didn’t even bother to learn how to fix a puncture.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit disappointed.
This book has so much scope but for me was too much about the history of the places travelled rather than the actual journey.
I felt there was a lot of moaning about the people and the food - you are in India, Pakistan, Thailand therefore you expect curry.
I was appalled at her lack of ability to mend a puncture, change a tyre//inner tube. If I was to embark on anything like that I would ensure I had basic bicycle maintenance skills.
The telling of the story needs some polishing too.

[Demsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing style is a bit dry to my taste and some comments slightly conservative or obsolete but there's also an unapologetic sense of derision and optimism I totally warmed to. The travel tips and anecdotes are amazing and never cease to feed my wanderlust. I am grateful I came across the stories of dear Anne Mustoe.

[Gwyneth Spadaro-Dutturi · Rating 5 out of 5]

So impressed with this lady

[Bex]

A charity shop purchase from my Bill Bryson loving days this is a bit list like and lacks character so I’m giving up.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of determination and a desire for travel. Loved it

[anđa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never met a person who LOVES roads as much as this lady

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want a book that provides a lot of history and insight into cultural differences today, this book rates 5 stars.

However, if you want details about the realities of travel, apart from finding food and accommodation, this book is lacking description. The author is a bit refined (a real book titled "How to S--t in the Woods" is the kind of book that a traveler on a trip like this needs.) http://www.trailspace.com/gear/ten-sp...

When you are traveling by bike in a country whose language you do not know, where facilities for locals and certainly for travelers are inadequate, lacking or nonexistent, how do you find a toilet? She drank copious amounts of caffeinated soft drinks (because she was sure the water in them was safe)... Each drink meant a trip to the toilet... but how did she find them?

In rural areas, sometimes it was just a walk outside, even worse than some backpacking trails that I have been on where people did not bury their waste. The smells, flies, disease... and the risk to her health... In some areas, it was an open pit with a plank on the roof of the "hotel". In some hotels, she had her own "hole" in the floor like some restaurants in France that I have used. In some cities, crowded with millions of people who lived on the street, where facilities were not available, people simply use the streets. What did she do?

What did she do about hand washing when so many things that she needed to touch (door knobs, her bike after others had handled it, etc.) were filthy and sticky with dirt and germs?

I have been in places where the accepted protocol for people was to step off the trail in full view of everyone and others were expected to stop on the trail until the person was finished.

I have been on Manhattan Island where you could buy an expensive cappuccino everywhere but there were no washrooms unless you wanted a full meal. By the end of our visit there, I could understand why there was a show on Broadway called "Urine City".

In underdeveloped countries, aid organizations are working on improving sanitation and decreasing disease spread by open toilets.

In most places, except when she was in Americanized hotels in major cities, she needed to leave her room and often the hotel for toilet facilities. That is a risk that to me is not necessary.

I know that weight is a problem, but I would have packed some "PeePoo" bags for emergencies http://phys.org/news186935544.html 'Peepoo' bag offers sanitary human waste disposal for pennies (designed for underdeveloped countries).

Because of the difficulty in many countries of traveling alone as a woman, where, because of her size, she could pass as a man, I think she should have used a "Stand Up to Pee" kit which allows her to pee fully clothed and also removes the need for toilet paper (female urination devices). I have used these in toilets in Mexico which were too unsanitary to sit on. The planks that she sat on were not sanitized, and were wood which would hold moisture and host bacteria.

I don't want an author too delicate to describe these necessities.

Anne Mustoe was on her own; she lived on subsistence food levels but did not adapt to the activity levels of people with minimal caloric and nutrient intake. As a result, she was susceptible to disease and illness. Usually she could survive because every week or two, she could find an urban hotel with adequate meals and build up her body again. But there is no point in exposing yourself to deadly germs unnecessarily. Anne probably overcame these problems, but she did not discuss them in any detail in her book.

She put her body through a lot of strain and I think it eventually paid the price.

Anne Mustoe died at the age of 76 of illness in a hospital in Syria on her third around-the-world trip. Some people would say it was tragic. But I think she died doing what she loved; she had 22 years of cycling adventures. Even though she was away from home, she was never alone. She built relationships and friendships wherever she went, and people wanted her to stay with them, to visit with them, and loved to buy her meals and try to protect her. i don't think she died alone.

Would she have died at 76 if she had been at home in London, England? Probably not from disease, but maybe from old age.

She was an inspiring lady.

[William Cline · Rating 3 out of 5]

“When ex-headmistress Anne Mustoe gave up her job, bought a bike, and took to the road, she couldn’t even mend a puncture.” It seems she still couldn’t by the end of her 11,552.1 mile, 439 day journey, but that didn’t matter. Whether helping her with the occasional mechanical problem, finding her a place to stay, telling her the lay of the land, or giving her water in the middle of a desert road, the people Mustoe met were largely kind and hospitable.

The synopsis on the book’s cover makes much of Mustoe’s initial inexperience and unfitness as a cyclist, but she was an educated woman who had traveled well in Europe and beyond. This was no sheltered countrywoman venturing naïvely into the world for the first time. Her trip was well-planned and thoughtful, though that does not diminish her accomplishment. The thought of setting off each day, often not knowing exactly where she would find food or a place to sleep the following night, will daunt readers (including me). Having to ask around at cafés and tourism offices, however, put her in touch with the people and cultures she traveled through, enriching her journey.

With the overall theme of people’s basic goodness comes the question of why some people (or sometimes entire cities) were rude or even mean. I continued to ponder this problem after finishing the book. Mustoe faced incompetent consular officials, loutish youths, and other miscreants along the way. Sometimes these moments were personal — I braced myself when she entered the United States, hoping my countrymen would represent us well, then cringed each time they didn’t. Whatever unpleasantness Mustoe faced, however, formed only a small portion of her trip, and readers who are apprehensive about traveling to foreign places should find encouragement here.

Mustoe loved both the act of cycling and the travel experience it offered. However, though proud of her Condor touring bike, she supplies few details about it. (When listing its components at the beginning of the book, the gears and brakes are described only as “Shimano”.) Cyclists who enjoy bicycles for their own sake as machines are left wanting more details.

A Bike Ride is an understated travelogue, and some portions made the book feel more like a list of places than a story. Though not an exciting book, however, it rewarded my patience.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1987 at the age of 54 Anne Mustoe resigned from her position as headmistress of a girls' school and set off from London on a solo bike ride around the world. Leaving behind a comfortable life of luxuries including an Italian sports car, she packed a few carefully chosen articles of clothing, maps, passport, money, and some bicycle necessities into her panniers and cycled off on a trip that would cover almost 12,000 miles and 15 months. She started from St. Paul's Cathedral and cycled through Europe, Asia, and North America along established historic routes.

This is an amazing story and I can hardly fathom the courage it would take to plan such a trip in the pre-internet days without google streetview to prepare you for what was to come. She wasn't terribly in shape when she started yet she managed to conquer mountain ranges and deserts, losing 23 pounds in the process. The entire trip was mapped out on paper maps and although she conducted research prior to the journey, she'd often approach towns without knowing whether there would be accommodation or food. Relying solely on her intelligence, friendly nature, and faith in humanity, she always managed to find a place to stay and people to help her. She had very few unpleasant experiences on her adventures and those she did have were relatively minor. As well as being a testament to Mustoe's courage, the book also highlights the power of a bike to connect people. On her green Condor bicycle, Mustoe found that people would approach her and speak to her in a way they never would have if she'd carried out her adventure by car.

It's an inspiring and enjoyable book, but the cities and villages she passes through tend to blur together as the story goes on and I found that near the end I was as eager to finish the book as Mustoe was to finish her journey. The book would also have benefited from more detailed maps than the small black and white drawings included.

The strength of this book lies not in Mustoe's ability to relay her experiences (though she is a good writer), but in the inspiring nature of the story as a whole. It makes you want to get out and explore different countries and meet new people. I'm sure the world has changed greatly in the almost 30 years that have elapsed since her trip, but I like to think that she is still right in feeling that 99.9% of people are good.

[S.A.A. Calvert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is special to me, as it holds a number of connections. The second one was to someone I knew through the internet, a woman who read the book and decided to set out and see where she ended up. So off over the English Channel she went, finally crossing the USA as a much fitter woman. All through reading Anne Mustoe's book.

The first? A friend of mine, a cancer survivor, rode across the USA for charity, taking my copy of this book with him as inspiration. He sent me an e-mail promising to buy me a new copy as he had spilled molasses over it, finished the ride, and then the cancer returned and killed him.

The book is therefore somewhat special to me. The author, sadly deceased, even used the same tent as me!

The book may dwell a bit on European history at the start, but that was Ms Mustoe's passion. The core of the book, though, is about a poor cyclist who gradually develops the fitness and attitude necessary for the wonders of human-paced travel.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

A retired headmistress ventures outside her comfort zone and sets of to cycle around the world, without even know how to mend a puncture.

This is the premise. And it's a good one. The problem is that most of the story is a recounting of "saw this, cycle there, slept there, eat that", over and over. All the way around the world. What she did, was no easy task. The way she wrote about it was, nevertheless, a bit boring.

It did get better in the final pages. When she started to become more of a "real traveler", seizing the opportunities has they came, and being less of a "true tourist", following a predetermined path and schedule and mostly staying in hotels.

[PaulaJoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books was the catalyst for me to start enjoying the unique pace and view of the world that one experiences when traveling by bicycle. I have only done very short tours, to date, but Anne's pluck and curiosity and perserverance inspire me often, when reflecting back on her fascinating story. I was especially impressed with the fact that she didn't start touring on a bicycle until her mid-50's!

[Mike Perl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I rate it at 2 1/2 stars.

I'm full of admiration for Anne Mustoe but find her tone more didactic than I'd like and that her focus on ancient history doesn't particularly grip me.

I still intend to read her other cycle travel books and still find it fantastic that the headteacher of a posh school was able to morph herself into such an amazingly avid cycle tourist - and writer - with, she says, no prior experience.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anne Mustoe's books are to be read little by little. Her style is not gripping, but her experiences are fascinating. Also she has a great deal of background knowledge which she shares in her books. The world of reading is richer because of her books! They are especially attractive to a cyclist who can relate to any kind of long-distance trip, or one who aspires to trying even a far shorter one than Anne's.

[Carla Luis · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing report, almost unbelievable.
Anne Mustoe cycles & circles the world o the 1980s, by herself. wow.
The book: besides the great adventure, the writing topic is not always the most exciting. Anne talks a lot about the ancient world (Roman, Greek, ecc) and this was not my main drive to read this book. I expected more on bikes & things around it. However, I insisted and got stuck to the book. It took me months to read it, but it was epic to follow this journey. What an inspiration!

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really thought this would not hold my attention for whole book. But after leaving Turkey and less history input loved gearing stories if kindness. A great undertaking and unlike other similar travel books did not seem to mind telling about the comfortable part as well as hardship.
Will say reading 20 years on a little dated

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

quite good - like a lot of journey books, the last leg in the UK is quite rushed. The US leg is a bit sparcely covered, but I expect that is because she didn't find it as interesting as the Asian countries.