Eastwards and Far

by Chris Lee-Francis

"A disarmingly honest journal of a true adventure"
"Left me believing we all have the ability to be adventurous"

I cycled across Canada in 2017. Three months, 7,500 km. The ride broke no records and trod no new ground, but was full to bursting with the beauty, camaraderie, and humanity the world has to offer.

Eastwards and Far is about the joy of the the people, their stories, and the connection you forge when you see a place on your own power. I always thought that if these words could make one other person think “damn, bike touring sounds great, maybe I’ll give it a go,” the whole thing would be a success.
Reviews "I'm personally delighted to see this book in existence as it's the first one published by an author whose work I have helped to edit!"
- Alastair Humphreys

"A gorgeous travelogue that emphasizes the beauty of friends & strangers, not to mention the transformative effects of a PB&J"
- Unburied Books podcast

"Uplifting, winning travelogue for all kinds of readers"
- Matt Carmichael, author

"I enjoyed it greatly, and the design, typesetting and overall quality of the edition is wonderful"
- Douglas Suttle, Fum d'Estampa Press

"I've read it and thoroughly enjoyed it"
- Charles Boyle, CB Editions

"Finished your book in 2 sittings. Loved it."
"I can't get my nose out of it! Buy this book!"
"From start to finish I couldn’t put this book down."
"Read it in just a couple of days - certainly a page turner!"
"Such an enjoyable and easy book to read."
- Amazon reviews

184 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 27, 2023

Reviews

[JordiA · Rating 5 out of 5]

I literally just finished reading this beauty and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the lightness, attention to detail and overall humanity of it.

Having done some long walks in my life I can resonate with the feeling the book transmits of both the good nature and general kindness of anonymous people. I think it also portrais really well the sense of accomplishment not only at the end of the adventure but throughout the little daily wins.

Thanks Chris for putting together this tiny window of your experiences through Canada, it's been a pleasure reading them :)

Jordi

[Thomas Brideau · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read!!

Wonderful writing about the trials of bike travel… inspiring and informative as well as funny which is rare to find!!

[Vivian Schmitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

great cycling memoir

Makes you want to do your own bicycling trip. Balanced between the joys and frustrations that crop up on a trip like this with enough joy winning out that you know you can do it too. The last chapter is phenomenal. Thank you Chris!

[Sarah Sowder · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun story. The author made it feel like a very accessible adventure.

[Kevin DaVee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A refreshing breath of good writing in this genre. I’m sure there are others I haven’t found yet but this is a gem.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fun read. I am hoping to get on some longer bike packing trips and so reading about this adventure was very fun. I feel like the footnotes contained more fun little tidbits than the writing of the whole book though. It feels the author was holding back a little and I think they should go for it and let their personality shine through in the writing. Great little adventure story though, love it!

[Kerry Lorenzet · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent perspective

I have done some multiple day cycle tours and spent 7 weeks in Western Europe with three mates from college.
Those will always for me be some of the best memories.

[Allan Beatty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do a little bike touring myself. Not camping and only a week at a time but still I can relate. This was very enjoyable read for me. Not sure it will be as readable to people who don’t ride or camp or aspire to.

[Tim Loft · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably a 3.5/5
Not as interesting as I had hoped. On reading travel books of all sorts, I am usually tempted to follow in the author's footprints, for better or worse. Not in this case! Nothing about the author's experience grabbed me in the slightest.

[Richard C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun read about a cross Canada bike trip. Read on a beach vacation and found it was hard to put down. Highly recommended.

[Niall Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfectly captures the ups and downs of a long distance bike trip, and pays great homage to the awesome variety of people you meet across the different sections of Canada. Highly highly recommend

[Simøn Mélançon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merci Chris pour ce beau récit à travers le Canada. C’est une belle source d’inspiration. Au plaisir de se croiser un jour !

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book about cycling and being a tourist, but with a focus on joy. The easy going style and rolling fun encounters make it a perfect holiday read.

[Steve Procko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book

Traveling across Canada on a bike seems daunting. But this is a fun travel tale that will leave you with a case of wanderlust.

[Kim K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining read

Interesting trip and he makes you feel like you could do it, or do your own adventure. I’ll have to see if he’s written about other bike tours.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to think of a reader who wouldn't enjoy this beautifully written account of Lee-Francis' cycle tour across Canada, as the title suggests - from the Vancouver on the West coast to St John's, Newfoundland in the East. You don't have to be a cyclist but cyclists would love it (and it also functions as a brilliant manual for anyone considering this challenge). It's the kind of writing that can be read at any pace - the prose is artful enough to warrant slow, attentive reading, but accessible enough to be gobbled up in half a day. The reader is introduced to Canada through its landscapes and terrain, titbits of history and culture, but mainly through its inhabitants - an array of beautifully sketched characters encountered by Lee-Francis and his friends on their epic journey. Each has that authentic quiddity that gives you the sense of participating in the narrator's education beyond cliche, into understanding. The overall effect is exactly what Lee-Francis intended - an uplifting sense that humanity, real humanity far from the daily headlines, is fundamentally pretty decent. There's humour in the events and in turns of phrase, and also in perhaps the most entertaining footnotes this avid reader has ever come across. There's tension in the threats of bears, the elements, the inevitable disastrous moments, and in fellow riders' different priorities. There's occasional worthwhile philosophising. There's even a little surprise gift on page 212, which seems entirely in keeping with the generous spirit of the prose. Lee-Francis confesses in his epilogue that part of his motivation for the trip was to have something to write about. I can only hope he finds more subjects.

[Flora Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book feels wonderfully genuine. It doesn’t try to glorify the journey with exaggerated heroics—instead, it captures the quiet beauty of long days on the road and the simple magic of moving through the world by bike. I felt like I was right there for every hill and headwind

[Chris Lee-Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a bit biased because I wrote this book and I'm proud of it 😁