One Year on a Bike: From Amsterdam to Singapore

by Martijn Doolaard

The title says it all: one man, one bike, one long ride, the adventure, the pleasure, and the pain. It is simultaneously a travelogue and visual journey. Martijn Doolaard traded the convenience of a car and the distractions of daily life for a cross-continental cycling journey: a biped adventure that would take him from Amsterdam to Singapore. Leaving behind repetitive routines, One Year on a Bike indulges in slow travel, the subtlety of a gradually changing landscape, and the lessons learned through traveling. Venturing through Eastern European fields of yellow rapeseed to the intimate hosting culture and community in Iran, One Year on a Bike is a vivid chronicle of what can happen when the norm is pointedly replaced by exceptional self-discoveries and beautiful scenery. Doolaard shares the gear and knowledge that made his trip possible alongside the passionate curiosities that served as his impetus.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Cycling, Biography

368 pages, Hardcover

Published January 19, 2017

Reviews

[Vera · Rating 5 out of 5]

The coffee table book of my dreams!!! (Omg)

First off, the images were just beautifully shot, curated, edited to tell a story that made me feel like I was literally there. That itself already warrants high praise. But that’s not all. It was also such an exciting story to actually read about, not just to ooh and aah over the images, but to read about. Cycling from Amsterdam to Singapore over the course of a year? Wow. (I just wished he spent more time speaking about Singapore, though I get it, it’s the end of the journey, you’re so tired and ready to just stop being a foreigner.)

All in all, I had lusted over it when I first set my eyes on it while on exchange. I finally got my hands on it in the library and it was definitely worth the wait. :-)

[Kristina Kudryavtseva · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me it was a paperback instagram of a strong, adventurous, brave and deep human, amazing photographer and inspiring person - Martijn Doorlaard. I bought and read this book in Martijn’s home country before a relatively big journey of myself and got really inspired. What I was missing is more insides, emotions and background stories of the author, but most probably it wasn’t something that he wanted to share here.

[André Raio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martijn really manages to capture the reader's attention during this cycling journey, which is excellently illustrated and complemented by his own views and information about the various cultures and countries he has encountered. The book is also beautifully designed and its unique style with many small details makes it a worthwhile purchase.

[Alessandro Pontorno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Semplicemente imperdibile

[Julie Bouchonville · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tres beau livre, les photos sont sublimes. Le type n'est pas auteur de nature mais peu importe à ce stade.

[Chaima :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing photography and beautiful storytelling!

[Hans van der Veeke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being at a place at the beginning or the end of the day, in rain or sunshine, summer or winter, a good or a bad mood, influences how you perceive a place or a moment. That is why every trip is different (p. 98)

Kun je gelukkig worden van een boek? Ik weet het niet zeker, maar dit boek komt er wel heel dicht bij. Het is de €40 meer dan waard en ook in de uitvoering is het monumentaal met zijn formaat van 33 bij 25 bij 4 centimeter. Maar het is vooral monumentaal door de 370 pagina's die het boek een gewicht van bijna tweeënhalve kilo geven. Ik heb genoten van elke minuut die ik eraan besteed heb. De foto's zijn adembenemend en de teksten inspirerend. Ik kan niet anders zeggen dat het een van de mooiste (fiets)boeken is die ik gelezen heb.

I pitch my tent, build a fire, and the rest of the evening I'm busy maintaining it. Light and warmth are basic necessities to work for. Life can be so simple. (P. 220)

Martijn fietst van Amsterdam naar Singapore. Zijn route loopt door Europa, Turkije, Iran, wat stan-landen, India, Myanmar en Maleisië. In Europa loopt zijn reis bijna dood door een meisje. Liefde doet vreemde dingen met je. In Turkije en Iran is het thema veel gastvrijheid. India is een grote chaos. Myanmar en Maleisië vallen op door hun natuurlijke schoonheid en rust.

Saying goodbye was not easy. I've learned the hard way that a nomadic style of living is as much about connecting as it is about letting go. (p. 80)

Nu hebben meer fietsers zo'n reis gedaan, maar waar die over de toeristische aspecten schreven, richt Martijn zich meer op de visuele en reflectieve aspecten van zijn reis. Vandaar dat er ook zoveel jaloersmakende foto's in het boek staan. De teksten zijn kort maar herkenbaar. Mijn langste fietsreis was maar vijf weken maar toch zijn de situaties en gedachten hetzelfde. Hij weet heel goed de essentie van een fietsreis te beschrijven en wat het met je doet. De vermoeidheid en de tegenslagen die essentieel zijn voor je reis en elke keer weer als een overwinning voelen. Het 'gevoel' van een land, de vriendelijkheid van de mensen en de dingen die een land anders maken dan het onze terwijl je dat, normaal gesproken, niet beseft.

Setting small goals and not getting frightened by the size of this country. Living by the day and taking it in piece by piece. It was the only way to make this kind of trip doable. (P. 247)

Als fietser ga je veel plezier beleven aan dit boek. Maar ook voor een aspirant- of niet-fietser zal het heel interessant en inspirerend zijn om te lezen. En zelfs als je niet van fietsen houdt kun je niet anders dan genieten van de foto's. Had ik al gezegd dat die mooi zijn?

The discoveries are what makes the unknown so exciting and the reason for taking the unbeaten paths more worthwhile. Even more reason to go to places that are not recommended-you could be the first one to do so. (P. 322)

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

“My brain is overloaded with images that have yet to become memories.” -> martijn doolaard
Reading this mans story of his whole experience riding his bike halfway across the world. How he described it....and put the words together....I can’t describe how it impacted me...I felt like I was there, experiencing it all.....it was so beautiful.....if only I could tell him...

[Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic pictures from around the World. It's less about cycling, more about the people, cultures. As a one year tour, it's not overly complicated or too dense, it's just the right length for such a book. I discovered that my little daughter also likes to open this book and look at the pictures.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leuk geschreven, maar vooral prachtige fotos!

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highlights from the book
I've never been away from home longer than a month. All I of my previous trips were more or less planned. I love to spend time in the outdoors, reconnecting with nature without the distractions of daily life. It opens the senses and triggers the mind. Why is it that we can endlessly stare into a campfire without getting bored? Is the pureness of the wilderness always experienced as if for the first time, or does it create a sense of belonging to a place we originally came from?

Certainly we are not made for sitting in offices five days a week. Although my work as a designer and filmmaker is mostly done sitting behind a desk, I try to reduce this as much as possible.

Life has so much more to offer. Why are the most vivid memories in our lives from vacations and travel? When I open old photo albums at my parents' house, the pictures were almost always taken during a vacation. When we travel, we open up. We learn, we absorb, we get amazed. So why then do people travel so little? Is it for financial reasons? Are we stuck too firmly in our daily routines?

Progress is slow, very slow. Looking at the big map is frustrating.

I'm too focused on the unknown world ahead. Countries like Turkey and Iran, where the "real adventure" is. Europe feels familiar in a lot of ways. I need to remind myself to live one day at a time. Take tiny steps. Enjoy the details. Be in the moment. It's not about getting to China; it's about spending time in Germany.

After about ten days I'll be in the Czech Republic, and I have to make something of that too. If I just keep pedaling, things will come to me. This way of thinking is the only approach that softens the pressure of the enormous distance still before me.

To live by the day, take it piece by piece. Absorb the surroundings and find beauty in small things. The last days are a blur of memories of German country life. Peaceful, quiet villages with characteristic German houses and green meadows. Old folks staring at me from their yards like I arrived from Mars.

Back on the road. Prague is now behind me, and I've decided to focus my route on capital cities. Next up will be Budapest, Bratislava, maybe Bucharest. I don't want to think ahead too much, though. I want to live in the present.

The big change from normal life is that every day on the bike feels so different from the previous one. Finding another place to sleep every single day, whether it's a hotel or a campsite, takes up energy. The concept of home doesn't exist anymore. You have to create a new home every night. It will be like this for the next few months. I expected it to feel like a really inspiring way of living, and, in a way, it is. It definitely feeds the soul. But it's also a lot to digest. My head is completely filled with all the things I've seen. The tiniest details of the landscapes.

How people live. How they are dressed. How they build their houses, decorate their yards, or prepare their meals. My brain is overloaded with images that haven't become memories yet. In the evening it takes a solid hour or two of staring at a quiet lake or into a campfire to process the day's events.

[Daniel Montenegro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was gifted this book and would occasionally flip through the pages, looking at the travel photos. The photos were interesting and beeutiful that I started to read the book without realizing it. The context behind each photo was enriching and gave me a new appreciation for travelers/thrill seekers/goal achievers.
Ultimately it was about a guy documenting his journey on a bike, and immediately after finishing the book I was ready to hit the road on my bike with my camera!

[Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I somehow stumbled upon "Two Years on a Bike" first and gave that a read. Then, I made my way back to this book. Both were incredible adventures and you can tell Martijn is a professional designer. If you want something to inspire you to get on your bike and go get lost in nature then pick up either of these books.

I'll also shoutout his four part YouTube documentary of the two-year adventure he does after this.

[Franky 2 Beers · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way Martijn lives his life is the way his books are: adventurous, brave, unimposing, Stoicism, beautiful, respectful of your mind, and welcoming.

Few books motivate like ``One Year on a Bike`` and ``Two Years on a Bike``.

His YouTube channel - @MartijnDoolaard - is an extension of his great books, albeit on his homestead in the Italian alps.

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little happiness for a blue Monday like today. Totally mesmerized by the images, the colours and the stories. I was inspired and motivated to have my own journey not exactly to bike like him but maybe few months touring around Central Asia and Europe.

[Steven Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely spend so much on a book, but once I saw it I couldn't not buy it.
The photography is so beautiful that the words seem like an accompaniment - it's a picture book for adults.
If you haven't travelled, this will make you want to. If you have, you will want to do it all over again.

[Dale Huntington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Confirms the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” this stylish book has great photos that capture the atmosphere superbly. The commentary is concise and makes for easy reading.

Great book - I’ll definitely buy his next one 👍

[Alfonso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un bellissimo libro dal punto di vista estetico, ben rilegato e stampato. Il racconto di viaggio è bello, ma secondo me era migliorabile, diciamo che in generale la scrittura è ciò che mi ha colpito di meno, motivo per cui metto 4 stelle anzichè 5. In ogni caso è un perfetto coffee table book

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Semplicemente bellissimo, come il secondo (Two years on a Bike). Il suo modo semplice di vivere la vita, come affronta le cose, le fotografie bellissime di posti meravigliosi e a volte inesplorati, i racconti delle avventure.. sono un'ispirazione. E ti fanno vedere le cose da tutta un'altra angolazione. Mi fa venire ancora più voglia di viaggiare e di vivere, in generale, in maniera più semplice. (I suoi libri insieme ai video di YouTube, sono un ispirazione)

[Casper Aprikatis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Itchy feet guaranteed! I planned a trip after the first day of reading. Photos are amazing, writing and editing could be better. Why are certain chapters italicizes?

[Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to read/skim/scan after reading "Into a Desert Place". A nice ride.

[Danny Touw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply excellent. Great story presented with beautiful photography, excellent storytelling, an easy to read but very interesting story each page. Beautiful format.

[Lucy Zheng · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read!

[Clivemichael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing vistas, incredible effort, interesting perspectives.

[Joscha Gewinner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that invites you to an adventure some parts of me also desires to do.

[Pajnucci Vue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring book. Makes me want to do a bike touring ride. But also seems lonely. Beautiful to see someone do something hard.

[Foggy Bunneh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jolies photos et chouette récit, mais moins une étoile pour la remarque transphobe.

[cvtherin · Rating 3 out of 5]

snapshot review: a pretty, if shallow, coffee table book of the author's travels backpacki- er, biking through europe and asia.

[Krzysztof · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would have given 6/5 stars if I could. This book made me re-prioritize my life.

[Ellie Wildbore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful in every way