What do you think?
Rate this book
Drive, Ride, Repeat: The Mostly-True Account of a Cross-Country Car and Bicycle Adventure
Author Al Macy is a character and a tightwad with a unique sense of humor. He and his wife squirreled away enough money to retire early, do interesting things, and take unusual trips. As he puts it:
“Every day I wake up with nothing to do, and by the end of the day, I've only gotten half of it done.”
During his working life, Macy was a neuroscientist, computer game programmer, jazz trombonist, chef, CEO, piano player, clam digger, and technical writer.
The book is a journal of a car/bicycle/camping trip from California to St. Louis and back, but Macy promises that “if it starts sounding like one of your brother-in-law’s boring slide shows, I will stop this book, and we’ll turn around and go home. I mean it.”
Interspersed with the journal chapters, you'll find thought-provoking life tips, stories from the past, and descriptions of Al's wacky inventions. You’ll hear poignant anecdotes about what happened when doctors discovered a golf-ball-sized tumor in his wife’s brain and how everything they owned burned.
“Every day I wake up with nothing to do, and by the end of the day, I've only gotten half of it done.”
During his working life, Macy was a neuroscientist, computer game programmer, jazz trombonist, chef, CEO, piano player, clam digger, and technical writer.
The book is a journal of a car/bicycle/camping trip from California to St. Louis and back, but Macy promises that “if it starts sounding like one of your brother-in-law’s boring slide shows, I will stop this book, and we’ll turn around and go home. I mean it.”
Interspersed with the journal chapters, you'll find thought-provoking life tips, stories from the past, and descriptions of Al's wacky inventions. You’ll hear poignant anecdotes about what happened when doctors discovered a golf-ball-sized tumor in his wife’s brain and how everything they owned burned.
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 21, 2014
116 people are currently reading
372 people want to read
About the author
Al Macy
26 books152 followersAl Macy writes because he has stories to tell. In school he was the class clown and always the first volunteer for show and tell. His teachers would say “Al has a lot of imagination.” Then they'd roll their eyes.
But he put his storytelling on the back burner until he retired and wrote a blog about his efforts to improve his piano sight-reading. That's when his love of storytelling burbled up to the surface, along with quirky words like “burble.”
He had even more fun writing his second book, Drive, Ride, Repeat, but was bummed by non-fiction's need to stick to “the truth” (yucko). From then on it was fiction all the way, with a good dose of his science background burbling to the surface.
Macy's top priority is compelling storylines with satisfying plot twists, but he never neglects character development. No, wait … his top priority is quirkiness, then compelling storylines, then character development. No, wait …
But he put his storytelling on the back burner until he retired and wrote a blog about his efforts to improve his piano sight-reading. That's when his love of storytelling burbled up to the surface, along with quirky words like “burble.”
He had even more fun writing his second book, Drive, Ride, Repeat, but was bummed by non-fiction's need to stick to “the truth” (yucko). From then on it was fiction all the way, with a good dose of his science background burbling to the surface.
Macy's top priority is compelling storylines with satisfying plot twists, but he never neglects character development. No, wait … his top priority is quirkiness, then compelling storylines, then character development. No, wait …
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
September 21, 2015
This was sort of a silly book, but a surprisingly entertaining one. Unlike most travelogues, it doesn't actually offer any profound explorations of the socioeconomic, political or historical conditions of places visited. It doesn't even go anywhere particularly exiting, unless you find the west and middle of the country particularly exciting. Frankly it's much too small for that. It's just a travel journal of a month or so long adventure (or masochism, depends on how you feel about camping) interspersed with some random biographical mini essays from a fairly funny, ridiculously parsimonious (self proclaimed tightwad and proud of it) early retiree. The humor works for the most part, occasionally to the laugh out loud degree and it's a very quick read (maybe couple of hours), so it was an easy mindless sort of distraction, sufficiently diverting to pass the time.
July 30, 2023
Drive, Ride, Repeat: The Mostly True Account of a Cross-Country Car and Bicycle Adventure was definitely not a page turner, not even in the way of other travel memoirs like The Fallen Stones: Chasing Butterflies, Discovering Mayan Secrets, and Looking for Hope Along the Way, for instance. There was little conflict, and everything just sort of happened. It was very clear throughout that the book was written well after the fact.
Al Macy makes it hard to follow the central story. While I realize the tangents are similar to the way I talk, to have it all written down in a nonfiction memoir is... different. I feel like tangents are less annoying in speech, when you don't always have time to edit what comes out of your mouth, but in writing... I've never seen this style before, and I'm not sure if I like it.
I did enjoy all the photos. As someone who has trouble picturing things, these were definitely useful to help me appreciate the book and the adventures. The landscape and scenery pictures were great.
I probably wouldn't reread this book. Sure, there were some laugh-out-loud moments, but I don't really feel anything about it in general.
Al Macy makes it hard to follow the central story. While I realize the tangents are similar to the way I talk, to have it all written down in a nonfiction memoir is... different. I feel like tangents are less annoying in speech, when you don't always have time to edit what comes out of your mouth, but in writing... I've never seen this style before, and I'm not sure if I like it.
I did enjoy all the photos. As someone who has trouble picturing things, these were definitely useful to help me appreciate the book and the adventures. The landscape and scenery pictures were great.
I probably wouldn't reread this book. Sure, there were some laugh-out-loud moments, but I don't really feel anything about it in general.
June 18, 2018
I m glad that he s not a politician. On 2d thought ....
Drive, Ride, Repeat: This Mostly True Account of a Cross Country Car and Bicycle Adventure by Al Macy
This book is unique in the fact that I m 7 chapters into it and I m forcing myself to stop and at least start the review. The author and his better half both retired early and while frugal is the best overall term used to describe them. The writing says this isn t the actual truth.
Each chapter is just a few pages long and -so far- has at least one grin. In the author s own words:
Perhaps it s just me, but I rarely find myself bored. Each day I wake up with nothing to do, and by the end of the day, I ve only gotten half of it done.
This is bad: I last paused at Chapter 7. I decided I was going to write a good comprehensive review. I wish I could that I have, except I can t.
The pages just seem to slip by and now I ve paused again to find that I m starting Chapter 33 which of all things is an advertisement for a Pepsi can stove. (I learned to make this type of emergency stove back in 1969). Nice to know that they ve hung around and are still usable.
This time I know I ll start keeping a better review: and here we go!
Okay, this is so not like me: chapter 37. Al shows his version of different stuff, he s seen over time. Including a Fire Blower. They have these back in the Old World, all over the place. Though you have to know what to ask about to either buy one, or most people make their own. He shows other stuff as well.
I ve no excuse, I don t normally read any book without noticing the chapters slipping by and eager to read the next page. Chapter 45 is on bicycling tips. He keeps mentioning the bike forums, here he has the website address. He also describes his stretching techniques and includes the standard “check with your doctor .... “ speech (which makes sense) after all it s called “Medical Practice” not “Medical Perfect”.
Chapter 48 to 49 has the statistics of the trip.
This book was just what I needed humour! I ll keep an eye out looking for more of his books. He claims not to write any more mostly truthful books and I hope that his strictly humourous ones are just as good!
Drive, Ride, Repeat: This Mostly True Account of a Cross Country Car and Bicycle Adventure by Al Macy
This book is unique in the fact that I m 7 chapters into it and I m forcing myself to stop and at least start the review. The author and his better half both retired early and while frugal is the best overall term used to describe them. The writing says this isn t the actual truth.
Each chapter is just a few pages long and -so far- has at least one grin. In the author s own words:
Perhaps it s just me, but I rarely find myself bored. Each day I wake up with nothing to do, and by the end of the day, I ve only gotten half of it done.
This is bad: I last paused at Chapter 7. I decided I was going to write a good comprehensive review. I wish I could that I have, except I can t.
The pages just seem to slip by and now I ve paused again to find that I m starting Chapter 33 which of all things is an advertisement for a Pepsi can stove. (I learned to make this type of emergency stove back in 1969). Nice to know that they ve hung around and are still usable.
This time I know I ll start keeping a better review: and here we go!
Okay, this is so not like me: chapter 37. Al shows his version of different stuff, he s seen over time. Including a Fire Blower. They have these back in the Old World, all over the place. Though you have to know what to ask about to either buy one, or most people make their own. He shows other stuff as well.
I ve no excuse, I don t normally read any book without noticing the chapters slipping by and eager to read the next page. Chapter 45 is on bicycling tips. He keeps mentioning the bike forums, here he has the website address. He also describes his stretching techniques and includes the standard “check with your doctor .... “ speech (which makes sense) after all it s called “Medical Practice” not “Medical Perfect”.
Chapter 48 to 49 has the statistics of the trip.
This book was just what I needed humour! I ll keep an eye out looking for more of his books. He claims not to write any more mostly truthful books and I hope that his strictly humourous ones are just as good!
August 16, 2017
Al Macy and his wife, Lena, are taking a month-long road trip From Northern California to St Louis. They take their bikes and plan to stay at campgrounds during their trip. The author is correct that this is not your typical travelogue slide-show. The author dares to call himself a humorist, but it's true what that people who think they are funny, are usually not. His attempts at 'jokes' makes him look more like a jerk. And for that, I don't feel one bit sorry for his rain soaked nights and lack of decent showers for days on end. Thank goodness the book is relatively short. I believe the author himself grew tired of his story about three quarters of a way in, because he started adding 'stay tuned for what happens in the next chapter' or some dumb quip such as that.
August 31, 2018
This was as fine a piece of froth as you would ever want to read and it was FREE too on kindle download. What more do you want. A couple of hours of brain free reading, some humour, a few facts thrown in for good measure and some side bars or something. A road trip around a bit of America is what it is. Some reviewers couldn't understand the American jokes. I seem to have managed it and Im British. The last time I looked we sorta spoke the same language - sorta. So if you have to sit for a couple of hours on a plane, train or doctors surgery this is the FREE book for you.
March 20, 2018
LOL
As a youngster we went many places with the family. Two parents and five kids! Never actually saw the places we went because we never arrived anywhere but back home! When dad said he'd turn the car around and go home, he meant it!! Never got more than 3 hours away! Ah, memories!
As a youngster we went many places with the family. Two parents and five kids! Never actually saw the places we went because we never arrived anywhere but back home! When dad said he'd turn the car around and go home, he meant it!! Never got more than 3 hours away! Ah, memories!
July 21, 2024
Quite An Adventure
Hilarious antidotes and stories. A bit jumbled and bouncing around, but that adds to the quirkiness. I found so many parts to highlight because they rang true from my own experiences or were just so funny I had to remember them. I look forward to reading more from this author.
Hilarious antidotes and stories. A bit jumbled and bouncing around, but that adds to the quirkiness. I found so many parts to highlight because they rang true from my own experiences or were just so funny I had to remember them. I look forward to reading more from this author.
October 20, 2025
This is a travel book but it reads like a verbal dump of a grade school child. I don’t mind diary style writing but one must have a purpose, other than random things just written. I understand the writers timeline style but feel he just didn’t have enough content so he creatively added things. Not my type of book. I would not recommend.
January 16, 2021
It's a light book.
Written as a journal - 49 chapters (about 1 per day, about 2 pages per day) - but it doesn't often talk about the drive/road.
It wasn't a dry "we saw this" story. It was fun and funny.
Written as a journal - 49 chapters (about 1 per day, about 2 pages per day) - but it doesn't often talk about the drive/road.
It wasn't a dry "we saw this" story. It was fun and funny.
September 2, 2017
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I laughed until I cried! It was interesting and included lots of helpful tips and information.
June 22, 2019
Short and funny. I liked it.
July 22, 2020
An enjoyable read.
November 6, 2023
Fun story of a trip he and his wife made to their daughter’s graduation, moving her and their return home. Funny stories and adventures
September 4, 2019
👌 up side down
December 31, 2023
This book is fun for campers or bikers
this was a fun little book about camping and biking. I have done my share. Something outrageous happens on all almost every trip and the riders experience. Nothing less. This is a good book if you need a chuckle.
this was a fun little book about camping and biking. I have done my share. Something outrageous happens on all almost every trip and the riders experience. Nothing less. This is a good book if you need a chuckle.
June 3, 2024
Drive, Ride, Repeat
I read this wonderful book five years ago and re-read it with great pleasure today. It's just as wacky and hysterical as I remember it and it raises a question I've often pondered on. Why are some people funny and others aren't? Obviously, effort is involved. The author says he was always the class clown and the despair of his teachers as a result. Something made him seek attention by entertaining others. But that's not the whole story because we've all known people who try for attention by making jokes that fall flat with their audience. If you're not naturally funny, best to look for popularity via some other route.
I think many funny people come from families that value humor and perhaps use it to get through hard times. I was blessed to be born into two families with a humorous bent, so my childhood was enlivened with hilarious stories of my relatives' adventures. Some of them might even have been true, but don't count on it. I'm always surprised to meet families who stick to the literal truth. Where's the fun in that?
The author grew up as one of the "spacey Macys" and learned a slightly off-beat way of looking at life. His mother, in particular, was a woman ahead of her time. Divorced (at a time when that was NOT the norm) she once took two of her young children on an extensive trip through the American West. The budget was small and there were some hair-raising complications, but the author remembers it as a great adventure.
He and his wife love to travel and always take their bikes along. This particular trip took them from their home in Northern California to St Louis to attend their daughter's graduation and help her move to Kansas City to start her first "real" job. They planned the trip to include a number of natural attractions in Idaho, Montana, and the Dakotas. Typically, some of the famous spots proved to be disappointments and some were even better than anticipated. You can plan meticulously, but no trip goes exactly like you think it will. That's the fun of traveling.
Along the way, Al takes time to tell stories about his family and early life, to introduce you to his Swedish wife Lena and their daughter Jenny. Lena's Scandinavian calm is a good buffer for Al's manic personality. What would he do without her?
I learned some fascinating stuff. Being an Easterner, I'd never heard of the Oakland Firestorm of 1991, which destroyed their house near San Francisco. Al tells the story with his usual drama and humor, but it was a great tragedy, especially since many of their neighbors perished due to the lack of community preparedness. It led to a improved fire services and a greater emphasis on fire prevention.
It's just a great read and I'm happy that I stumbled onto it years ago and that I discovered it on my Kindle for a re-read. E-publishing has its drawbacks, but it's given us quirky books like this one from unknown authors who have wonderful stories to tell.
I read this wonderful book five years ago and re-read it with great pleasure today. It's just as wacky and hysterical as I remember it and it raises a question I've often pondered on. Why are some people funny and others aren't? Obviously, effort is involved. The author says he was always the class clown and the despair of his teachers as a result. Something made him seek attention by entertaining others. But that's not the whole story because we've all known people who try for attention by making jokes that fall flat with their audience. If you're not naturally funny, best to look for popularity via some other route.
I think many funny people come from families that value humor and perhaps use it to get through hard times. I was blessed to be born into two families with a humorous bent, so my childhood was enlivened with hilarious stories of my relatives' adventures. Some of them might even have been true, but don't count on it. I'm always surprised to meet families who stick to the literal truth. Where's the fun in that?
The author grew up as one of the "spacey Macys" and learned a slightly off-beat way of looking at life. His mother, in particular, was a woman ahead of her time. Divorced (at a time when that was NOT the norm) she once took two of her young children on an extensive trip through the American West. The budget was small and there were some hair-raising complications, but the author remembers it as a great adventure.
He and his wife love to travel and always take their bikes along. This particular trip took them from their home in Northern California to St Louis to attend their daughter's graduation and help her move to Kansas City to start her first "real" job. They planned the trip to include a number of natural attractions in Idaho, Montana, and the Dakotas. Typically, some of the famous spots proved to be disappointments and some were even better than anticipated. You can plan meticulously, but no trip goes exactly like you think it will. That's the fun of traveling.
Along the way, Al takes time to tell stories about his family and early life, to introduce you to his Swedish wife Lena and their daughter Jenny. Lena's Scandinavian calm is a good buffer for Al's manic personality. What would he do without her?
I learned some fascinating stuff. Being an Easterner, I'd never heard of the Oakland Firestorm of 1991, which destroyed their house near San Francisco. Al tells the story with his usual drama and humor, but it was a great tragedy, especially since many of their neighbors perished due to the lack of community preparedness. It led to a improved fire services and a greater emphasis on fire prevention.
It's just a great read and I'm happy that I stumbled onto it years ago and that I discovered it on my Kindle for a re-read. E-publishing has its drawbacks, but it's given us quirky books like this one from unknown authors who have wonderful stories to tell.
April 18, 2016
so, this isn't really a traditional book or novel, but an untraditional journal; nor did it fulfil the sort of thing i was looking to fulfill when i searched for books involving driving and/or such. what i found it to be, however, was purely, exclusively and extensively, utterly hilarious. and light-hearted. a go -to mood booster for the cumulative hour or two ispent reading it.
im sure it helps that I, like the author, am also a cheapwad dad humor ghetto-rigger.
(also, directly applicable in my life:
-i garned one piece of infomation that was particularly/personally useful, which I'd recently atempted to research with less luck, though perhaps via the limit of my search terms and short attention span: this was the pepsi can stove.
- there was a reference to a place that has entered my long-deserted places I want to go list (that is, the list has been deserred, the places aren't necessariuly); this was the craters of the moon nation monument. possibly partially attributable to the fact that I have love-hate relationship with gravity, and it has been responsible for a lot of trifles in my life . ironically, he reaccounts yellowstone in very close proximity, that being the last place i checked off, a couple years ago
(okay actualy, chicago has been on there for a solid 4 years, but i only ever seem to be gettung furhter away)
-lastly, also sharing the (though far less refined) trait of carelessness, I have in the last few days distinctly recalled one of his affliated compensation points, to never put anything on the roof of the car, EVER. despite emphatically agreeing this is possuibly the best advice i've ever (not) gotten, i apparently now immediatley recall this with specific attention and amusement, thus havign saved at least one beverage nad probably some other things (and realizing I do this A LOT. certainly far more often than someone of my aforementioned nature should. and probably largely attributable for the long list of items i am constantly realizing i have lost)
im sure it helps that I, like the author, am also a cheapwad dad humor ghetto-rigger.
(also, directly applicable in my life:
-i garned one piece of infomation that was particularly/personally useful, which I'd recently atempted to research with less luck, though perhaps via the limit of my search terms and short attention span: this was the pepsi can stove.
- there was a reference to a place that has entered my long-deserted places I want to go list (that is, the list has been deserred, the places aren't necessariuly); this was the craters of the moon nation monument. possibly partially attributable to the fact that I have love-hate relationship with gravity, and it has been responsible for a lot of trifles in my life . ironically, he reaccounts yellowstone in very close proximity, that being the last place i checked off, a couple years ago
(okay actualy, chicago has been on there for a solid 4 years, but i only ever seem to be gettung furhter away)
-lastly, also sharing the (though far less refined) trait of carelessness, I have in the last few days distinctly recalled one of his affliated compensation points, to never put anything on the roof of the car, EVER. despite emphatically agreeing this is possuibly the best advice i've ever (not) gotten, i apparently now immediatley recall this with specific attention and amusement, thus havign saved at least one beverage nad probably some other things (and realizing I do this A LOT. certainly far more often than someone of my aforementioned nature should. and probably largely attributable for the long list of items i am constantly realizing i have lost)
July 9, 2014
Witty and wise -- a rare combination.This guy has a gift for living. I think anyone who reads DRIVE,RIDE,REPEAT will want to have Al Macy over for a barbecue. A fun book that's refreshingly non-pretentious. I'm sure he was glad to be home again after his trip through the west, but I could have stood a few hundred more miles.
July 13, 2014
Great Fun, and Educational, Too. Wisdom, insight and pure entertainment all wrapped up. Tips and advice on inventing, finances and investing, biking, camping, road tripping and much more, all in a vastly entertaining story of the family vacation. (Note: this vacation rendition is nothing like your brother-in-law's boring slide show!) One of the best reads I've had in a long time.
September 25, 2015
Author Al Macy calls his book... The Mostly True Account of a Cross-Country Car and Bicycle Adventure. He recounts in a very humorous way, his adventures with his wife as they travel together for over a month camping their way from California to St. Louis and back. It is not the usual travelogue story. It is laugh out funny at times and actually full of helpful information about camping.
July 24, 2015
Al Macy tells a great story... this book was written like a journal about his and his wife's trip from St. Louis to CA and back. Driving, camping, biking, hotels and various encounters with people and wildlife. It was funny, educational, and I loved his frugal ideas. A fun read!
February 16, 2016
This book caught my attention, because I usually enjoy personal stories about touring, camping trips and the like. This was about a camping trip around the western half of the United States. It was neither interesting nor exciting. The writer fancies himself a humorist; he's not. Nuf sed.
June 10, 2014
Overall an entertaining read. I would have liked more details but I did like the fact it kept the structure of a journal.
October 17, 2015
I gave it 51%, but didn't finish it. Just not "MY" cup of tea.
May 23, 2016
Fantastic
This was a very entertaining read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It makes me want to pack up my husband and bikes for own adventure.
This was a very entertaining read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It makes me want to pack up my husband and bikes for own adventure.
January 20, 2017
Funny casual book written in a quirky way. Like the authors sense of humour.
December 19, 2023
A very engaging and fun read.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews