Squeaky Wheels: the Non-friction Adventure from Sea to Shining Sea

by Scott Hippe

Why would anyone in their right mind spend eight spandex-clad weeks with a painfully skinny bicycle saddle wedged between their quadriceps?"Squeaky Wheels" is the travel memoir of an enterprising free-spirit and his pedal-powered journey across the United States in the summer of 2011. As the voyage steams (sweats, rather) eastward from Seattle to New York, he meets a diverse, humorous, and motley bunch of individuals in full support of his spirit of adventure, evidence that one's wildest dreams are in fact worth pursuing. The story is a testament to the power of welcoming the stranger and the good that resides in us all. Read it to laugh, read it to learn, or read it simply to remember that you are human.They say once you start pedaling you can't stop. So buckle your helmet, don spandex if you dare, and get ready for the ride of a lifetime.

296 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 20, 2012

Reviews

[Kelvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable and slightly entertaining account of a young man's American transcontinental bicycling journey. Unfortunately Scott does not like to talk about the technical side of cycling, if he had included more information about his route and what gear worked or didn't work this would have been a brilliant book. Other than being single and incompetent with women, he mostly speaks of how to find free accommodation, this alone was worth the read.

An enjoyable 4/5

[Ida Earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yearn for adventure?

I gave this, full stars, because I loved it. Cycling cross country, has always been a dream of mine.
Easy read and full of insight.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done

As someone who's shared the experience of a transcontinental ride (albeit 30 years earlier than Scott) I'm always interested in books like this. Scott does good job of capturing the surprising benevolence of the people one meets on a journey like this, and it was reassuring to find that so much of what I experienced still held up. By no means a guidebook for a cycle tourist--and certainly not meant to be so--the book nonetheless provides some useful information for anyone aspiring to such an adventure. Scott's philosophical meanderings were occasionally overdone, but overall I thought he balanced what could have easily become a repetitious account with enough side stories to carry the reader along. Overall, I found the book enjoyable, accurate and entertaining enough to recommend.

[Kim McClaren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Page Turning Inspiration

The story is well written and entertaining. It brings back memories of my cross country Trans American bicycle ride in 2012. Thank you Scott for helping relive the memories!

[Paul Catterton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Positive Travelogue

I don't think riding across the US on a bicycle will ever be on my bucket list, but I'm glad it's on somebody's. I enjoyed Scott's enthusiastic appreciation of his journey and the people he met. There's realism here too; when he got stuck in rain and windy conditions he doesn't sugar coat the struggle. I also knew some of the locations he referenced along the way which deepened my appreciation for his journey. Worth a read, check this one out.

[Myra L Rice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scott et.al riding across the U.S.A.

Refreshing account of riding a bike across the continent! I enjoyed his descriptions of the places he and his friends traveled through and the people he met along the way!

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fun to see their adventure develop. It was not a deep thinking book of great personal insight like I had hoped. The book was quite literally too straightforward without imagination