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Changing Gears: A Family Odyssey to the End of the World,
What would you do if you were not afraid?
Changing Gears is the true story of one woman asking herself that very question. What followed was a family journey of epic proportions – a journey of physical challenge, emotional endurance, teamwork, perseverance, and tremendous learning opportunities. It was a discovery of self, of priorities, of accepting hardships, of appreciating blessings, and of contrasting a comfortable past life with the extreme hardship and poverty of those they met.
Changing Gears is the true story of one woman asking herself that very question. What followed was a family journey of epic proportions – a journey of physical challenge, emotional endurance, teamwork, perseverance, and tremendous learning opportunities. It was a discovery of self, of priorities, of accepting hardships, of appreciating blessings, and of contrasting a comfortable past life with the extreme hardship and poverty of those they met.
298 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
8 people are currently reading
162 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
April 30, 2018
I first 'found' the Vogel-family two years ago when they were on the last legs of their journey from Alaska to Argentina. A friend pointed me towards their blog, and I was instantly hooked. Ever since then I've been sitting on tenterhooks waiting for the book chronicling their adventures to be first written and then published.
At long last it is here :)
Changing Gears is the amazing story of a family's 2.5 year adventure. Nancy, John and their twin boys (age 10 at the start of the trip) packed up their lives and moved to the roads to bike all the way from Alaska to Argentina. They took each day as it came, experienced hardships and successes, met Road Angels and friendly people everywhere and generally had the experience of a lifetime.
I was totally mesmerized from the very start. Even though I was already familiar with their experiences through the blog, it was great to get to read it all in this condensed form (after all, it's not often you have the time to reread blog entries from 1018 days!), and I was equally fascinated to read about the planning and preparation that went ahead, as the actual adventures along the way. Somehow especially the trip through Alaska and Canada appealed to me... probably because those are two places I've always wanted to go myself!
Changing Gears will make you want to go travelling - big time! It is the story of living your dream. I could never do what the Vogel family did, and I'm grateful to Nancy for letting me live vicariously through their experiences.
Reread in 2014: Still loving this. My only "complaint" is that I would have appreciated dates being given here and there, so instead of just saying "Day 734" it would have said "Day 734 - Whatever date". It got difficult for me to figure out just when things were happening. A minor nitpick I know :)
At long last it is here :)
Changing Gears is the amazing story of a family's 2.5 year adventure. Nancy, John and their twin boys (age 10 at the start of the trip) packed up their lives and moved to the roads to bike all the way from Alaska to Argentina. They took each day as it came, experienced hardships and successes, met Road Angels and friendly people everywhere and generally had the experience of a lifetime.
I was totally mesmerized from the very start. Even though I was already familiar with their experiences through the blog, it was great to get to read it all in this condensed form (after all, it's not often you have the time to reread blog entries from 1018 days!), and I was equally fascinated to read about the planning and preparation that went ahead, as the actual adventures along the way. Somehow especially the trip through Alaska and Canada appealed to me... probably because those are two places I've always wanted to go myself!
Changing Gears will make you want to go travelling - big time! It is the story of living your dream. I could never do what the Vogel family did, and I'm grateful to Nancy for letting me live vicariously through their experiences.
Reread in 2014: Still loving this. My only "complaint" is that I would have appreciated dates being given here and there, so instead of just saying "Day 734" it would have said "Day 734 - Whatever date". It got difficult for me to figure out just when things were happening. A minor nitpick I know :)
January 19, 2016
The kind of thing I've always wanted to do.. except I'm too cheap and lazy. But this family seems to be working it out. Fun to read, and fairly descriptive.
July 26, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Journey of Courage, Grit, and Heart!
Changing Gears is the kind of book that makes you want to throw caution (and maybe your couch) to the wind and chase a life less ordinary. Nancy Sathre-Vogel doesn’t just tell a story, she invites you to ride alongside her family on a journey that’s equal parts adventure, transformation, and emotional soul-searching.
From the snowy peaks of Alaska to the vibrant heart of Argentina, this book isn’t just about the miles, it’s about the growth that happens in between. Nancy’s voice is honest, warm, and often downright funny. She doesn’t sugarcoat the struggles, but somehow makes even the hardest days feel like victories. It’s a reminder that bravery doesn’t always look loud, it sometimes looks like a mom pedaling uphill with everything on the line.
This book is perfect for anyone who’s ever asked, “What if?” and is craving a big, beautiful answer.
If you need a nudge to live a little braver, dream a little bigger, or just appreciate the power of persistence, Changing Gears will give you that and more.
A Journey of Courage, Grit, and Heart!
Changing Gears is the kind of book that makes you want to throw caution (and maybe your couch) to the wind and chase a life less ordinary. Nancy Sathre-Vogel doesn’t just tell a story, she invites you to ride alongside her family on a journey that’s equal parts adventure, transformation, and emotional soul-searching.
From the snowy peaks of Alaska to the vibrant heart of Argentina, this book isn’t just about the miles, it’s about the growth that happens in between. Nancy’s voice is honest, warm, and often downright funny. She doesn’t sugarcoat the struggles, but somehow makes even the hardest days feel like victories. It’s a reminder that bravery doesn’t always look loud, it sometimes looks like a mom pedaling uphill with everything on the line.
This book is perfect for anyone who’s ever asked, “What if?” and is craving a big, beautiful answer.
If you need a nudge to live a little braver, dream a little bigger, or just appreciate the power of persistence, Changing Gears will give you that and more.
November 28, 2017
A climbing friend passed this book on to me, and I felt like I was hearing about this family's three year adventure as though they were also my friends. The writing is not professional, but I like that because I think it means it's her words, not an editor's. I relate to her perspective on life/ adventures: the hard times (riding through sand storms, rain, mud, having things break, go wrong, cold showers, no showers, bad food, etc) were unbearable as they were experiencing it, but the most rewarding and forming in the end. They gave their kids quite the childhood adventure, lessons that will serve them well for the rest of their life!
October 29, 2019
Nancy and her family took off from Prudhoe Bay in 2008 to start a two and a half year bicycle journey ending in Ushuaia. This book is a description of her account. I found the book to be reasonably well written. It was also of personal interest. I followed her blog during the trip, cycled a similar trip myself in 2016/2017 before reading this book.
January 3, 2018
What an adventure! I have no desire to replicate their trip, but it did make me think about the kinds of choices we want to be making as a family.
May 1, 2021
On the road again
Much better written than expected
A little more back story would have answered a couple of questions left hanging but altogether a good read.
Much better written than expected
A little more back story would have answered a couple of questions left hanging but altogether a good read.
March 31, 2013
As I started to read I realized that this was a dream, they had a passion for cycling (with being a cyclist myself as so is my son) this was a book I wanted to read and very happy that I was approached to review it. Thank you so much it is greatly appreciated!
Through the first chapter of reading I literally agreed with Nancy the author of this amazing journey that you have got to be crazy, however the more I read, the more I understood the need that sometimes you need a change of pace in life and taking a leap of faith, learning to let go of fear, and giving up your items of comfort to living life on a bicycle is what was needed to give them a new appreciation of life and at the same time an appreciation for our world, cultures, road angels, teaching, nature, weather and so on. This family took that challenge and did The Impossible Dream just kind of like in the song “The Impossible Dream – Man of La Mancha”
To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star
This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far
To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause
And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest
And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star
Changing Gears is definitely one of the most interesting, true to life book you would ever want to read, one for it is about taking that leap of faith, leaving your jobs, following that impossible dream with your family on a bicycle no less for three years. As I continued to read on through each chapter, reading about the journey Nancy, her husband, and her twin boys took riding their bikes from Alaska to Argentina really opened my own eyes as they dealt with wild animals, food provisions and sometimes places to stay by “road angels”, (as referred to in the book-love that term) maintaining their safety, homeschooling their children and bonding as a family. How many families get a chance to do something like this or would even considering doing something like this?
I am not sure that I would, but then again you just never know.
Nancy and her family lived in the real world traveling from one place to another tackling trail that most people considered dangerous, but they did it anyways. They persevered through each triumph, each struggle, each physical challenge, each illness and each doubt to having faith that God would see them through all situations. This is an ordinary family who took an extraordinary journey and in reflection Nancy, her husband and their twin boys are extraordinary in of themselves for doing so.
Through the first chapter of reading I literally agreed with Nancy the author of this amazing journey that you have got to be crazy, however the more I read, the more I understood the need that sometimes you need a change of pace in life and taking a leap of faith, learning to let go of fear, and giving up your items of comfort to living life on a bicycle is what was needed to give them a new appreciation of life and at the same time an appreciation for our world, cultures, road angels, teaching, nature, weather and so on. This family took that challenge and did The Impossible Dream just kind of like in the song “The Impossible Dream – Man of La Mancha”
To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star
This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far
To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause
And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest
And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star
Changing Gears is definitely one of the most interesting, true to life book you would ever want to read, one for it is about taking that leap of faith, leaving your jobs, following that impossible dream with your family on a bicycle no less for three years. As I continued to read on through each chapter, reading about the journey Nancy, her husband, and her twin boys took riding their bikes from Alaska to Argentina really opened my own eyes as they dealt with wild animals, food provisions and sometimes places to stay by “road angels”, (as referred to in the book-love that term) maintaining their safety, homeschooling their children and bonding as a family. How many families get a chance to do something like this or would even considering doing something like this?
I am not sure that I would, but then again you just never know.
Nancy and her family lived in the real world traveling from one place to another tackling trail that most people considered dangerous, but they did it anyways. They persevered through each triumph, each struggle, each physical challenge, each illness and each doubt to having faith that God would see them through all situations. This is an ordinary family who took an extraordinary journey and in reflection Nancy, her husband and their twin boys are extraordinary in of themselves for doing so.
June 26, 2015
In 2008, the Sathre-Vogel family--mom, dad, and two ten-year-old sons--began their bicycle trek from Alaska and the Arctic Circle to Argentina's Tierra del Fuego. The trip lasted about three years, and mother Nancy Sathre-Vogel chronicles the family's adventure.
Quite a journey it was, with desperately difficult terrain, medical emergencies, and equipment failure. Nancy Sathre-Vogel honestly tells their story, including her doubts and weaknesses, the powerful strength of family bonds, and the innocent exuberance of the boys.
Part of the journey's goal was to break the Guinness World Record for the youngest travelers to make the trek, and even though at one point the narrative reveals that over time the journey became more important than the world record, the official quest was a powerful factor in determining how the journey developed.
My personal opinion is that somewhere along the journey, the parents should have sat down with the boys and told them that the joy of the journey was more important than the Guinness record, and that they were all taking the next bus out of Long-suffering Town to a less hostile environment before continuing on bikes. The writer chronicles the family's suffering, their extreme conditions, and after a while I just got tired of the litany of suffering. After all, according to the mom, the journey was more important than the world record. Lots of bike travelers catch a bus or train to skip a particularly unpleasant area.
The sections of suffering aside, much of the book describes the beauty of the Americas and the "up close and personal" experience of traveling by bicycle. I enjoyed the book, for the most part, and admire the achievement of the Sathre-Vogel family. Because the book describes the entire route, it is a good reference source to know what awaits you if you choose to make this journey . . . and it may just convince you that you don't have to pedal every since inch of the journey.
Quite a journey it was, with desperately difficult terrain, medical emergencies, and equipment failure. Nancy Sathre-Vogel honestly tells their story, including her doubts and weaknesses, the powerful strength of family bonds, and the innocent exuberance of the boys.
Part of the journey's goal was to break the Guinness World Record for the youngest travelers to make the trek, and even though at one point the narrative reveals that over time the journey became more important than the world record, the official quest was a powerful factor in determining how the journey developed.
My personal opinion is that somewhere along the journey, the parents should have sat down with the boys and told them that the joy of the journey was more important than the Guinness record, and that they were all taking the next bus out of Long-suffering Town to a less hostile environment before continuing on bikes. The writer chronicles the family's suffering, their extreme conditions, and after a while I just got tired of the litany of suffering. After all, according to the mom, the journey was more important than the world record. Lots of bike travelers catch a bus or train to skip a particularly unpleasant area.
The sections of suffering aside, much of the book describes the beauty of the Americas and the "up close and personal" experience of traveling by bicycle. I enjoyed the book, for the most part, and admire the achievement of the Sathre-Vogel family. Because the book describes the entire route, it is a good reference source to know what awaits you if you choose to make this journey . . . and it may just convince you that you don't have to pedal every since inch of the journey.
May 27, 2013
I snagged this the other day b/c it was free on amazon and I'd been peripherally following along with their adventure over the years through forums and social media so I was interested to see how it turned out. What a great story! This book highlights some of the events over the 2.5 year cycling trip the Vogel family took through the the Americas. Nancy's writing was fluid and I felt she did a great job summarizing so many days on the road. There were a few continuity issues that I felt could be better addressed, as sometimes I felt like I missed whole countries, how they got back to the US at the end, how they prepared ahead of time, more info on how they kept up with homeschooling, etc. I also would have been interested on how they dealt with finances (other than "We went to the ATM," "Eddie Bauer sponsored us," "We looked for a cheaper hotel," etc.) as well as a few more details on how they grew and developed as a family. How to do that without totally delving into their personal life I'm not sure, I just know I liked hearing how Nancy felt personally (especially toward the end of the book/trip), and how she interacted with her sons, etc. more than I cared about even more landscape descriptions and hill grades. All in all a great adventure story that had me telling the story in bits and pieces to my husband as I read. Well done, Vogels!
July 3, 2013
I followed the adventures of Nancy, John, Daryl, and Davy online through social media (Twitter, Facebook) and their blog. The book gives you a much better idea of the grind, both physical and mental, that was involved with their Odyssey. The book is really a book of two tales. The first, and most obvious, is the actual trip but as I finished the book I realized that the real treasure lies in the tale to two parents who got to witness, in a way that "conventional" parents miss out on, their children grow and mature right before their eyes. Away from the trappings and fluff of everyday life this family really had to depend on each other, with the occasional act of kindness from strangers tossed in to remind us all that there are no small acts of compassion. I would love to see a companion book come out (hint...hint...Daryl, Davy) a retrospective look at the trip.
The book is an enjoyable read whether you're an adventure "nut" or not.
The book is an enjoyable read whether you're an adventure "nut" or not.
March 25, 2013
This was the ultimate Adventure novel, a true story of their family of 4 and their journey from one end to the other of the Pan American Highway! Filled with ups and downs, this book tells the tale as this family follows their dream. Some days they eagerly continue, while others they question their very reasons for doing this. In Changing Gears: A Family Odyssey to the End of the World, you will read as this family learns that sometimes you just can't prepare for everything, and you have to be flexible. Even if you aren't planning a major cycling trip you will find a lesson in this book! Now that I've read it, I can't wait to read it to my children as their bedtime story!
October 17, 2013
I read this book having known the outcome of the journey and having heard a few of the stories first hand. Little did I know that reading all of those wonderful little tidbits in the context of the whole trip would make it so much better.
The author makes reading the experience easy and entertaining. It is an amazing journey filled with trials that would make most people, used to the comforts of constant access to indoor plumbing and heat, turn the other direction. Instead this family faced their fears, hardships, and misgivings head on to complete an outstanding trip. An inspiring recounting of one families dream to reach an amazing goal on their own terms in their own time.
The author makes reading the experience easy and entertaining. It is an amazing journey filled with trials that would make most people, used to the comforts of constant access to indoor plumbing and heat, turn the other direction. Instead this family faced their fears, hardships, and misgivings head on to complete an outstanding trip. An inspiring recounting of one families dream to reach an amazing goal on their own terms in their own time.
April 15, 2013
I enjoyed ‘Changing Gears’ by Nancy Sathre-Vogel very much and I found myself wishing that there’s more by the time I reached the last page. Very inspiring to say the least, and I’d highly recommend this book for those who wants to be inspired to live their dreams. There’s plenty of things you can learn from this book. The book was really easy to read, and if you’re looking for something that will allow you to escape to another world without having to leave your home, you might want to pick up this book. Overall, the book is a very enjoyable read and I’d easily rate it a 4 star.
October 15, 2013
A remarkable account of a family cycling North-to-South across North, Central and South America. The joys and challenges are well described but a bit repetitious (I cycled across much of Canada and found 'repetitious' to be the defining characteristic of such travel).
If you are a parent wanting to challenge your children or interested in endurance travel, this is a fascinating story. If you want details of how to do it, look elsewhere.
If you are a parent wanting to challenge your children or interested in endurance travel, this is a fascinating story. If you want details of how to do it, look elsewhere.
January 13, 2015
What a great book! I really enjoyed reading the experiences that this family had together! I found it a little funny that as well prepared as it seemed like they were from the beginning, that they hadn't factored in the cost of having their items shipped to the beginning of their route prior to taking off. It was really neat to see the pictures of the places they saw and hear about the things they saw.
February 5, 2017
wow! amazing I'm sorry people were so negative to her while they were traveling.
September 2, 2013
Couldn't put this book down...loved reading about the (hard!) choices this family made to chase their dreams! One of the most honest and motivating books I've read. I can only imagine a world where we were all so gifted at overcoming our fears...
November 1, 2023
nicely written and very reflective
What a fantastic adventure! After reading this book I’d love to follow my dreams more and have a long cycling adventure! Thanks for being so inspiring Nancy!
What a fantastic adventure! After reading this book I’d love to follow my dreams more and have a long cycling adventure! Thanks for being so inspiring Nancy!
March 11, 2013
Review to come...
July 3, 2013
While I could never do it, reading about Nancy & her family traveling by bike from one end of the earth to the other was fascinating! (as a side note, I read the ebook version)
February 27, 2014
Picked this book up as a freebie on Amazon, and thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
January 27, 2015
Very inspiring! I will do my best to fulfill my Big Goal - World Tour by 2017.
May 9, 2016
This a great, fast read. Great travel memoir, especially to read with the family.
October 15, 2016
Inspiring. Made me get out in my bike more. Became a bit repetitive... reliving the elements and the terrain. Skimmed through the last quarter of the book.
May 6, 2013
Great book! Easy to read. I would recommend it even if you don't think the book is not your type.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews