Discovery Road

by Andy Brown, Tim Garratt

Their goal was to become the first people to ride mountain bikes unsupported across the three southern continents and, in doing so, raising money for the charity, Intermediate Technology. This is a fast moving tale of self-discovery—full of adventure, conflict, humour, danger and a multitude of colourful characters. Much more than a travelogue, it proves ordinary people can chase great dreams with the ultimate success.

Genres: Travel, Cycling, Adventure

330 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1998

Reviews

[Tom Attard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may have over rated this, but let me explain.

I read this book aloud with a friend, one chapter each, while we were backpacking through China. The story perfectly captured the spirit of travel an adventure, at a much more difficult time than we were doing it.

[Roger Greenaway · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an incredible journey - and for a good cause. What I particularly liked was that the authors write alternate chapters. This means that you get Tim's version of events, and then you might get Andy's version of the same events, or vice versa. So you get to see each rider-author from the inside and from the outside. This doesn't mean you do every bit of the journey twice because they also each tell different parts of the story. But this interplay between the two authors really brings events to life.

This was a southern hemisphere journey around the world on bikes - so you get to travel through Australia, Africa and South America - a bit off the beaten track for round-the-world journeys. This route also meant that the riders could visit some of the projects which they were supporting through their fundraising. All very worthwhile - but what an adventure!

[Julian Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hugely inspirational tale, told by both protagonists, this captures the enormity of their task - to circle the world cycling across the southern continents, their ups and downs, emotional swings and ultimately their grim determination to get the jobs done.

Along the way they meet a host of interesting and curious characters, experience elation and despair, and find time to engage with local communities and brilliantly describe the communities and lands through which they travel.

A cracking travel book.

[Renske Steenhof · Rating 3 out of 5]

Verslag van een fietstocht van oost naar west door Australië, Afrika en Zuid-Amerika. Eerst met z’n drieën (twee mannen en een vrouw waarvan twee een voormalig stel waren). Veel geruzie onderweg op het eerste continent. De vrouw besloot na aankomst in Afrika niet door te fietsen en met haar nieuwe vriend terug naar Engeland te gaan. De twee mannen maakten de tocht wel gezamenlijk af. Het gaat over het fietsen maar ook over de rustdagen en vakanties die tijdens dit reisavontuur plaatsvinden.

[Dorian Simmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book. An easy read that kept me interested all the way through.

[Pete · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was nothing outstanding about this book, which is why I liked it so much. The authors, two regular guys with a penchant for traveling to remote places, ride their bikes on a self-supported journey across Australia, Africa, and South America to raise money for a charity in Africa. While they push themselves to pedal 15,000 KM in some of the harshest terrains and dangerous places in the world, they also let the journey carry them where it wants to. At times, they simply go with the flow and take the time along the way to meet the people and get to know their ways of life. Often times with adventure travelogues you get an author who just wants to impress upon you just how incredible his or her feet is, or makes every encounter seem like a life or death situation. But it really feels like these authors simply rode and told the stories along the way as they occurred.

The book moves at a reasonably fast pace, as you don't get an account of every single day. And the authors admit that on many days of their 366 day journey they simply spun all day, then made camp. But the book also doesn't seemed rushed either. The writing is good, not great, but that fits with the authors themselves and is part of, again, why I liked it so much. Most readers probably couldn't see themselves doing something like this before starting this book. But as you read it you realized that they were nothing special, only that they put a lot of time and effort into their journey and took the chance to try something no one had done before.

[Bert · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book that made me start thinking no more in dreams but in possibilities. Love the thoughts of Andy in chapter one.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something a bit different and a really good story about a journey across 3 continents by bicycle.