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Downhills Don't Come Free: One Man's Bike Ride from Alaska to Mexico
One man. One bike. One tent. One hell of an adventure.
Biking from Alaska to Mexico solo is hard enough. But when you throw in bad weather, flat tires, hair-raising roadways, and unpredictable grizzly bears, only a fool would keep going.
Fortunately, Jerry Holl was just the fool for this particular two-wheeled odyssey. Coming off a lifetime of corporate positions, he wasn't exactly prepared--his most trusted companion on the trip was a bike he didn't know how to fix. But inexperience and lack of a concrete plan didn't stop him. For fifty-one days, Holl pedaled his way across two countries, encountering everything weird and wondrous North America had to offer.
Downhills Don't Come Free takes you through the ups and downs (literal and figurative) of Holl's ride. By turns amusing and reflective, self-deprecating and self-assured, it chronicles every aspect of the journey, from the breathtaking vastness of the Alaskan-Canadian wilderness to the fortitude, generosity, and eccentricity of the people he met along the way.
Biking from Alaska to Mexico solo is hard enough. But when you throw in bad weather, flat tires, hair-raising roadways, and unpredictable grizzly bears, only a fool would keep going.
Fortunately, Jerry Holl was just the fool for this particular two-wheeled odyssey. Coming off a lifetime of corporate positions, he wasn't exactly prepared--his most trusted companion on the trip was a bike he didn't know how to fix. But inexperience and lack of a concrete plan didn't stop him. For fifty-one days, Holl pedaled his way across two countries, encountering everything weird and wondrous North America had to offer.
Downhills Don't Come Free takes you through the ups and downs (literal and figurative) of Holl's ride. By turns amusing and reflective, self-deprecating and self-assured, it chronicles every aspect of the journey, from the breathtaking vastness of the Alaskan-Canadian wilderness to the fortitude, generosity, and eccentricity of the people he met along the way.
358 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 19, 2017
59 people are currently reading
182 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
December 14, 2017
This is a book based on a blog, and it made me want to read the blog more than the book. The thing is, if I'd been reading the blog daily I think I would've been hooked. Reading it after the event? It doesn't have quite the same compulsive draw. But that's leaping ahead, so back to the start.
Jerry Holl introduces himself as someone who's led a pretty active and exciting life. Maybe if you're an X-Games regular you'll think it a bit tame, but next to the average person he's not exactly shied away from a challenge. What follows is best described as a leap of faith. He decides to ride from Alaska to Mexico. Now, I can't help but feel this would seem slightly more logical if he lived in Alaska - it's got that "step out the front door and ride" logic to it. He's from Minneapolis though. That means he consciously decided to start his journey in Anchorage and had to fly there with his bike before he even started. And that's the kicker, when you're flying to the start of your journey you've really thought bout it.
Except, he hadn't. I mean, he'd thought about the start and end, but not the in between. Or the how. This is a man who, by his own description, is at best a casual cyclist. A 57 year old man with little experience of his intended journey, no assistance beyond moral support, and basically no clue what he's doing. Now this could be a story of travesty and disaster, but it's more like a story of near misses and good fortune (with the odd bump in the road, both figurative and literal, along the way). That's actually where it loses some of the excitement. There's only so much tension you can create about a bear encounter when you've obviously got through it just fine and written another couple of hundred pages about what happens next. And the bear story basically gets told twice too.
That's a little bit nitpicking, but it's also the crux of why I didn't quite embrace this book as much as I hoped. Reality often isn't that exciting. Even when you're on a grand adventure. And it takes me back to the blog envy. When you read these accounts in real time you get more sucked in. You honestly don't know what the next day will hold. You don't know if the broken chain will cause things to grind to a halt, or if the rains will wash things out, or who will be met. Holl does a pretty decent job at trying to recreate that tension, but at times it feels a little stilted. A day can be stretched a little too far in an attempt to make it exciting. Some encounters are too verbose in trying to capture a significance; it ends up draining the emotion.
And that's the thing, if you're reading this you've probably got some wanderlust and adventure in you yourself so you don't need these things explained. You understand that familiar face popping up down the road. You understand how wonderful random small talk with strangers can be. Those little exchanges of tips and pointers which come to mean so much. You don't need them spelt out quite so plainly. It's another of those things that a blog can get away with - the audience is more mixed and everyone is more used to items written for a broader audience. Books often feel more focused.
None of this is to say the book was bad. Just, I came away feeling I missed out on it all at the time. Holl actually delivers a lovely view of North America and I found myself wanting to undertake a similar roadtrip. Admittedly I'm more wary of those hills and would rather have an engine to help me out, but Holl's writing makes a superb argument for the slower paced and more open bicycle. Once you're being propelled along the world flies too fast to appreciate some details. The silence of self-propulsion lets you hear the world around. The random craziness in certain parts of the country makes you a moving conversation starter like no motorised vehicle ever could.
And that's what keeps you going. For every uphill chapter that moves a little too slowly and takes a little too much effort you get a downhill ride too - one that flows gracefully and with some pace.
Probably more a book for those who are ready for their next crazy adventure. Whether you want it in your armchair or on the open road, this is a book to remind you that there is a break from your daily routine. It might also remind you to do a little research before heading out.
Jerry Holl introduces himself as someone who's led a pretty active and exciting life. Maybe if you're an X-Games regular you'll think it a bit tame, but next to the average person he's not exactly shied away from a challenge. What follows is best described as a leap of faith. He decides to ride from Alaska to Mexico. Now, I can't help but feel this would seem slightly more logical if he lived in Alaska - it's got that "step out the front door and ride" logic to it. He's from Minneapolis though. That means he consciously decided to start his journey in Anchorage and had to fly there with his bike before he even started. And that's the kicker, when you're flying to the start of your journey you've really thought bout it.
Except, he hadn't. I mean, he'd thought about the start and end, but not the in between. Or the how. This is a man who, by his own description, is at best a casual cyclist. A 57 year old man with little experience of his intended journey, no assistance beyond moral support, and basically no clue what he's doing. Now this could be a story of travesty and disaster, but it's more like a story of near misses and good fortune (with the odd bump in the road, both figurative and literal, along the way). That's actually where it loses some of the excitement. There's only so much tension you can create about a bear encounter when you've obviously got through it just fine and written another couple of hundred pages about what happens next. And the bear story basically gets told twice too.
That's a little bit nitpicking, but it's also the crux of why I didn't quite embrace this book as much as I hoped. Reality often isn't that exciting. Even when you're on a grand adventure. And it takes me back to the blog envy. When you read these accounts in real time you get more sucked in. You honestly don't know what the next day will hold. You don't know if the broken chain will cause things to grind to a halt, or if the rains will wash things out, or who will be met. Holl does a pretty decent job at trying to recreate that tension, but at times it feels a little stilted. A day can be stretched a little too far in an attempt to make it exciting. Some encounters are too verbose in trying to capture a significance; it ends up draining the emotion.
And that's the thing, if you're reading this you've probably got some wanderlust and adventure in you yourself so you don't need these things explained. You understand that familiar face popping up down the road. You understand how wonderful random small talk with strangers can be. Those little exchanges of tips and pointers which come to mean so much. You don't need them spelt out quite so plainly. It's another of those things that a blog can get away with - the audience is more mixed and everyone is more used to items written for a broader audience. Books often feel more focused.
None of this is to say the book was bad. Just, I came away feeling I missed out on it all at the time. Holl actually delivers a lovely view of North America and I found myself wanting to undertake a similar roadtrip. Admittedly I'm more wary of those hills and would rather have an engine to help me out, but Holl's writing makes a superb argument for the slower paced and more open bicycle. Once you're being propelled along the world flies too fast to appreciate some details. The silence of self-propulsion lets you hear the world around. The random craziness in certain parts of the country makes you a moving conversation starter like no motorised vehicle ever could.
And that's what keeps you going. For every uphill chapter that moves a little too slowly and takes a little too much effort you get a downhill ride too - one that flows gracefully and with some pace.
Probably more a book for those who are ready for their next crazy adventure. Whether you want it in your armchair or on the open road, this is a book to remind you that there is a break from your daily routine. It might also remind you to do a little research before heading out.
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May 13, 2022I can’t quite believe how utterly uninteresting the author makes his journey. I’m his ideal audience: I love both travel narrative and bike journeys, but this isn’t worth my time. Also, having done some bike camping myself, I don’t believe that someone well past 50 with zero conditioning or training can average 80 miles a day for over a week in Alaska. I gave up somewhere in the Yukon Territory, so not sure if he claims to keep riding at that pace all the way to Mexico or he gets more real about how difficult it is.
May 26, 2024
DNF. I wanted to give it a chance because my mom purchased it for me, but I do not appreciate the ignorance of the author. His “how hard could it be” attitude displayed in the first 15 pages is so unattractive and infuriating for someone who lives in the Colorado mountains where trip preparation is essential. I tried to read this book after reading “Colorado 14er disasters” which is all about people who are unprepared for their trips and make poor decisions while in the backcountry. Perhaps that’s why I was more sensitive to this kind of writing, but I don’t think it would have changed my opinion.
Overall, this book was just not for me.
Overall, this book was just not for me.
June 17, 2023
4.5 - Loved the message, but wish he dove into his personal life more.
August 19, 2022
What is it about these long-distance cyclists who think they need to fill a book's pages with incessant yammering about life's big questions? This could have been a decent book, Holl does give some accounts of the scenery he's biking through, and recounts some conversations with people he meets, but he can't write dialog to save his soul and every conversation in the book ends with him telling someone to "just go for it." He doesn't do any preparation of any kind other than buying a new bike (which he manages to wreck by the end of the book...), doesn't prepare by doing rides at home, doesn't plan a route, doesn't learn how to do basic mechanics, doesn't even do a test ride with the fully loaded bike before day 1. And this is all because of his new mantra that we should all just jump right into new adventures without hesitation (nice that he can afford to do that). There's another reason there's no in-depth conversations or descriptions of locales...he completes the entire 3600 mile journey in a mere 51 days, a few of which were rest days. That's averaging 70+ miles a day! I have to admit to some disgust as well, because Holl spends the first several pages repeating the idea that he's never done anything like this before. Then we learn he once hitchhiked across the country, and climbed some major mountains, and went surfing in the Pacific, and rode his Harley across the country, etc. etc. Overall, unfortunately, just another average bike-across-the-country book.
July 14, 2023
If for any reason you feel compelled to try this book : you don’t need to read it. You definitely don’t need to read all 300 pages - the ego-centric caveman author is so repetitive that any one section will tell you the whole story, and trying to circle the same camp dozens of time is so boring I couldn’t force my way through the whole book. I jumped ship once he got to Washington and I realized that he didn’t have much to say about the ride or scenery - basically just incessant bragging about how strong he is, how fast, how far he is capable of going without rest… blah blah blah. He narrates encounters with various people and many of them he insults - throwing them into two-dimensional categories that are always inferior to his own self-image. He is the kind of narcissistic asshole who makes everything about himself, and this journey of riding his bike from Anchorage to the Mexican border could have been an epic story of exploration and growth, but instead it is simply an opportunity for him to beat the reader over the head with his caveman repetitions of how amazing he is and how superior his sexist world views are. I have no idea why or how this book got published or ended up on any “to read” lists but I cannot imagine anyone walking away from that book with anything positive. It is a total waste of time and the worst book I’ve ever encountered.
May 31, 2021
I have never rooted for the failure of a memoirist before reading this book. The author is an arrogant, privileged man who is rewarded for his ignorance and hubris at every turn, literally and figuratively. I am angry that I also rewarded him by wasting money on this book. His constant and alleged self-reflection (in italics throughout the entire book) is filled with shallow, self-aggrandizing statements and conclusions the reader is supposed to believes are insights. Every day of cycling concludes with example after example of how strangers flock around the author to hear about the glory of his endeavor. Perhaps the final straw for me, was the judgement of the "fat guy with an RV" for failing to recognize that he was wasting the author's precious time by talking to him.
Don't reward this guy by buying his book. It's truly awful and only underscores the unearned privilege of a wealthy, white, middle-aged man, who has little to no insight into that privilege.
Don't reward this guy by buying his book. It's truly awful and only underscores the unearned privilege of a wealthy, white, middle-aged man, who has little to no insight into that privilege.
July 31, 2017
Yes, it’s true. The author was just 30 minutes into his trip before the nice policeman was already telling Jerry to got off the freeway, and onto the bike path where he belonged. The author explains that he didn’t really check out his route too much—After all, what could possibly go wrong?
In DOWNHILLS DON'T COME FREE Jerry Holl takes the reader on a scary ride. Zero bike experience? No problem—Start your cycling training with a ride from Alaska to Mexico! “At fifty-seven, I resigned from my corporate job, and in a broader sense from my past, to take on the challenge of a bike ride from Anchorage, Alaska, to the Mexican border despite zero distance experience whatsoever on a bicycle.”
Jerry explains that his wife was very encouraging, even enthusiastic. Hmm, he though, “Too enthusiastic?”
I found the author’s equipment selection interesting. He loaded up a LOT of gear, and his bike + gear topped 100 pounds. (I confess I doubted the author’s number, but Jerry swears the number is correct.) Not sure what gear to get? Just buy a whole bunch and try it out on your first day in Alaska.
One might also question the author’s nutritional choices: “Once I was up and moving, I was subsisting on candy and granola bars. The simplicity of tear and eat appealed to me.”
Well, you get the idea. This is an amazing story, full of (mostly) good experiences cycling along some of North America’s most beautiful scenery. Lots of interesting characters (including some wild ones), and a lifetime of stories.
Of course, the journey was physically grueling, but there are a few funny scenes. Not properly securing his tent, the author had to chase his tent down once: “I came back out of the laundry area, the winds were howling— and there was my tent in the distance, bouncing and bounding high into the air like a beach ball in a hurricane as it rolled across the grassy field.”
Despite some equipment breakages, the author escaped without serious injury until the very end of his trip. Following another rider’s mistake, Jerry enters some nice, soft concrete: “I only had a millisecond to think, Oh shit, that’s going to hurt her—and WHAM! I was down too. . .Our front tires had dropped straight into the wet cement and slammed against the opposite wall, which dropped us both like a ton of bricks.”
Well, the injuries were serious, but not life-threatening. Note to reader: Do NOT try to ride through wet concrete, no matter how cushiony it looks.
All in all, I found DOWNHILLS DON'T COME FREE to be a fascinating, albeit a bit of a scary read. There’s lot of good lessons here on how to make a trip like this (and maybe a few lessons on how to NOT make a trip like this?) I am amazed that a non-cyclist could pull off this feat.
Finally, I cannot imagine hitting 45 MPH on one downhill, as Jerry mentions. Readers: Do not attempt this!
Advance Review Copy courtesy of the publisher.
In DOWNHILLS DON'T COME FREE Jerry Holl takes the reader on a scary ride. Zero bike experience? No problem—Start your cycling training with a ride from Alaska to Mexico! “At fifty-seven, I resigned from my corporate job, and in a broader sense from my past, to take on the challenge of a bike ride from Anchorage, Alaska, to the Mexican border despite zero distance experience whatsoever on a bicycle.”
Jerry explains that his wife was very encouraging, even enthusiastic. Hmm, he though, “Too enthusiastic?”
I found the author’s equipment selection interesting. He loaded up a LOT of gear, and his bike + gear topped 100 pounds. (I confess I doubted the author’s number, but Jerry swears the number is correct.) Not sure what gear to get? Just buy a whole bunch and try it out on your first day in Alaska.
One might also question the author’s nutritional choices: “Once I was up and moving, I was subsisting on candy and granola bars. The simplicity of tear and eat appealed to me.”
Well, you get the idea. This is an amazing story, full of (mostly) good experiences cycling along some of North America’s most beautiful scenery. Lots of interesting characters (including some wild ones), and a lifetime of stories.
Of course, the journey was physically grueling, but there are a few funny scenes. Not properly securing his tent, the author had to chase his tent down once: “I came back out of the laundry area, the winds were howling— and there was my tent in the distance, bouncing and bounding high into the air like a beach ball in a hurricane as it rolled across the grassy field.”
Despite some equipment breakages, the author escaped without serious injury until the very end of his trip. Following another rider’s mistake, Jerry enters some nice, soft concrete: “I only had a millisecond to think, Oh shit, that’s going to hurt her—and WHAM! I was down too. . .Our front tires had dropped straight into the wet cement and slammed against the opposite wall, which dropped us both like a ton of bricks.”
Well, the injuries were serious, but not life-threatening. Note to reader: Do NOT try to ride through wet concrete, no matter how cushiony it looks.
All in all, I found DOWNHILLS DON'T COME FREE to be a fascinating, albeit a bit of a scary read. There’s lot of good lessons here on how to make a trip like this (and maybe a few lessons on how to NOT make a trip like this?) I am amazed that a non-cyclist could pull off this feat.
Finally, I cannot imagine hitting 45 MPH on one downhill, as Jerry mentions. Readers: Do not attempt this!
Advance Review Copy courtesy of the publisher.
April 15, 2021
I've read multiple books on cross-country biking including The Divide: a 2700 mile search for answers, Over The Hill And Around The World: A Baby Boomer's Ride To The End Of The Earth, and Biking Through (recently renamed Biking Across America: My Coast-to-Coast Adventure and the People I Met Along the Way). To that number I've added Jerry Holl's Downhills Don't Come Free: One Man's Bike Ride from Alaska to Mexico, another enjoyable read on the experience.
The one thing this book has in common with those in its genre is the detailed account, day-by-day, of each day's activities and experiences. Sometimes that entails the meals and lodging for the day and where they occurred. Other times it's in relation to the ride's derailments and close calls. However, the most interesting to me are the stories and conversations had along the way with the folks met on and along the road and trails he traversed. This latter part of the adventure is where Jerry excels in his retelling of the account. He met a lifetime's worth of folks in the course of his 51-day adventure. And in this regard, something that stood out to me many times is how we tend to judge people on appearance without even having a chance to hear their stories. Something I will try to do less of in my own journey.
Of course, the trek itself is aptly described including the wildlife and "wild life" encountered along his route. Jerry does a great job of describing the sights encountered and the occasional hair-raising experiences along the way. And, while he may not have been as prepared as he should have been for the journey (or as mechanically equipped for keeping his bike in top shape as he could have been), he did one thing most people will never do and that's to make the trip in the first place, as well as complete it (though a bit bruised and bleeding in the process).
In the end, I came away having enjoyed his account while also being challenged to take on some adventures I still haven't tackled myself, some of my more challenging bucket list items. Thanks, Jerry!
The one thing this book has in common with those in its genre is the detailed account, day-by-day, of each day's activities and experiences. Sometimes that entails the meals and lodging for the day and where they occurred. Other times it's in relation to the ride's derailments and close calls. However, the most interesting to me are the stories and conversations had along the way with the folks met on and along the road and trails he traversed. This latter part of the adventure is where Jerry excels in his retelling of the account. He met a lifetime's worth of folks in the course of his 51-day adventure. And in this regard, something that stood out to me many times is how we tend to judge people on appearance without even having a chance to hear their stories. Something I will try to do less of in my own journey.
Of course, the trek itself is aptly described including the wildlife and "wild life" encountered along his route. Jerry does a great job of describing the sights encountered and the occasional hair-raising experiences along the way. And, while he may not have been as prepared as he should have been for the journey (or as mechanically equipped for keeping his bike in top shape as he could have been), he did one thing most people will never do and that's to make the trip in the first place, as well as complete it (though a bit bruised and bleeding in the process).
In the end, I came away having enjoyed his account while also being challenged to take on some adventures I still haven't tackled myself, some of my more challenging bucket list items. Thanks, Jerry!
August 14, 2017
Overall, this book felt like a male version of Wild! Well, except Mr. Holl didn't have a near rape experience. But otherwise it has all the same plot points: unprepared and untrained person decides to find themselves on some crazy over the top physical adventure. In Mr. Holl's case he decided to cycle from Alaska to Mexico. How was his saddle not seriously sore after the 78 miles he road the first day? And how can he be so inept with a bicycle but be thoroughly educated regarding camping protocol? In addition to my questions regarding the actual ins and outs of Mr. Holl's adventure, they presentation of the material was somewhat flat. Throughout the book, even when interacting with others, the voice remained the same: they all sounded like Mr. Holl. But, while the book could have used some editorial assistance, it was an overall good read and presented a lot of helpful information for someone contemplating their own great cycling adventure.
A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Wise Ink Creative Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Wise Ink Creative Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
August 18, 2023
About half way through I started hoping `that the author would get bear bit or, at least, butt blisters. I thought I was getting an adventure book, but instead I got a motivational speaker. Living in Southwest Utah in the land of countless national parks, monuments, forests, and state parks, I cringed at what was either false humility or actual naiveite as expressed in the preparation for this biking marathon. Our local news is full of search and rescues of clueless people challenging themselves and nature, so the book's constant encouragement of bending the rules and "get on out there" made me long for a counter balance of something along the lines of a little common sense.
On the plus side though, as much as I might hate to admit it, Holl has some good advice on how to treat others. Also, having been to quite a few of the places mentioned in his travels, it was fun to read about those places from another perspective. Downhills is an easy, relaxing read - good for a car or plane read if you choose that type of transportation over the two wheeler kind.
On the plus side though, as much as I might hate to admit it, Holl has some good advice on how to treat others. Also, having been to quite a few of the places mentioned in his travels, it was fun to read about those places from another perspective. Downhills is an easy, relaxing read - good for a car or plane read if you choose that type of transportation over the two wheeler kind.
January 22, 2025
I’ve done a number of 1 o 2 week bike tours and have read every bike travel narrative I could get my hands on. I liked this book for the flow, insight and descriptions of encounters and people Jerry met each day. What cost it a 5th star for me was I got tired of the ongoing philosophizing and thought bubble type interjections by the author. He is definitely a type A personality and to me that can get to be exhausting. Portions seemed like excerpts from a self help book.
That aside I greatly commend Jerry for his glass half full philosophy. His examples of seeing the best in strangers he met and handling situations to benefit both parties were inspiring to me. Recognizing and commenting on the goodness of strangers was one of his strengths. As he said he did the ride solo but not alone.
I liked that he is from a city quite close to me and I was able to relive the Oregon coast route that I’ve biked. I’d recommend the book to anyone interested in bike travel.
That aside I greatly commend Jerry for his glass half full philosophy. His examples of seeing the best in strangers he met and handling situations to benefit both parties were inspiring to me. Recognizing and commenting on the goodness of strangers was one of his strengths. As he said he did the ride solo but not alone.
I liked that he is from a city quite close to me and I was able to relive the Oregon coast route that I’ve biked. I’d recommend the book to anyone interested in bike travel.
August 6, 2017
Like the author, I'm a sucker for adventure memoirs. Normally that is thruhikers, but this adventure of riding from Alaska to Mexico by bike was a good one. Like all adventures, the people he met are a good part of the story. I enjoyed the book. The narrative feels a bit contrived at certain points where the author uses a conversation to explain his thinking and feelings. But overall a good read.
Full disclosure - I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Full disclosure - I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 11, 2017
Not being athletic or outdoorsy myself I wasn't expecting to like the book as much as I did. On the one hand, yes, it's about a man who goes on a solo biking trip from Alaska to Mexico and the challenges and joys of such an adventure. But it's also about the value in shaking yourself out of your everyday routine, your comfort zone, the stupor that you find yourself in, to rediscover the thrill of living and learning and growing, something that most of us lose as we get older and more sedentary. This was a surprisingly fun summer read! I highly recommend it - it's quite inspiring.
March 8, 2019
So much more than just another cycling journey!
The author has all the great tales that go along with any cycling journey and so much more. As any cyclist knows, long hours in the saddle provide plenty of thinking time. Jerry shares his stories, thoughts and what the human body can endure and still continue further down the road. Excellent read! Well done Jerry.
The author has all the great tales that go along with any cycling journey and so much more. As any cyclist knows, long hours in the saddle provide plenty of thinking time. Jerry shares his stories, thoughts and what the human body can endure and still continue further down the road. Excellent read! Well done Jerry.
June 1, 2023
I didn’t know it would be a straight day by day account of his bike journey. At first this made the reading hard but I ended up enjoying it and liked following along thought it was still not my favorite book
May 10, 2020
What an adventure
Great fun! Inspirational. Could feel the beauty of the journey from the wilderness of Wild Alaska to the bustle of Southern California.
Great fun! Inspirational. Could feel the beauty of the journey from the wilderness of Wild Alaska to the bustle of Southern California.
May 21, 2020
Well done!
Loved the day by day adventure! Awesome job. I want to do a cross country ride too and this really inspired me!
Loved the day by day adventure! Awesome job. I want to do a cross country ride too and this really inspired me!
May 4, 2021
3.5/5.0 interesting content with a good message but not the most gifted writer
October 31, 2021
An adventurer and writer makes this book a good read.
July 13, 2024
Funny to read a bike trip memoir while on a bike trip I'm writing about similarly, but this book is what I hope my writing can turn into someday, maybe.
July 27, 2024
Amazing trip. Great life philosophy
August 25, 2017
Thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for an ARC.
While I found the author somewhat obnoxious from time to time, I could not put this book down. I am fascinated by epic, biking, travel memoirs and this was no exception. It is not the first time that I have read a book like this & found the author's voice a bit annoying, but I think that may be attributable to the fact that you have to be just a little crazy and self-confident to take on a ride like Holl does. I got used to his style and agreed with some of his inspirational thoughts on life. I loved reading about him biking through Sonoma County and the San Francisco area, where I am from. He does a great job of balancing the on-the-road, eat/find camp/sleep, and engage with people rhythms of a ride of this nature. He has some great descriptions of the landscape in a way that I have found other long-ride memoirs miss out on. I would highly recommend it to someone wanting to take a long ride at some point or just needing some encouragement to think and dream big!
While I found the author somewhat obnoxious from time to time, I could not put this book down. I am fascinated by epic, biking, travel memoirs and this was no exception. It is not the first time that I have read a book like this & found the author's voice a bit annoying, but I think that may be attributable to the fact that you have to be just a little crazy and self-confident to take on a ride like Holl does. I got used to his style and agreed with some of his inspirational thoughts on life. I loved reading about him biking through Sonoma County and the San Francisco area, where I am from. He does a great job of balancing the on-the-road, eat/find camp/sleep, and engage with people rhythms of a ride of this nature. He has some great descriptions of the landscape in a way that I have found other long-ride memoirs miss out on. I would highly recommend it to someone wanting to take a long ride at some point or just needing some encouragement to think and dream big!
September 4, 2019
Good read.
Inspirational! More about his learnings on life and people than the intricacies of bicycling. I’m motivated to do something similar. Been riding now for about 15 years...ready to take on a longer ride than my longest...72 miles around Tahoe. This book has inspired me to get moving and do it.
Inspirational! More about his learnings on life and people than the intricacies of bicycling. I’m motivated to do something similar. Been riding now for about 15 years...ready to take on a longer ride than my longest...72 miles around Tahoe. This book has inspired me to get moving and do it.
August 29, 2020
Entertaining reading!
This was a very interesting story. It was inspiring, seeing all the challenges that the author went through and his persistence and willingness to accept help that allowed him to overcome them. He was also fortune to have had some good luck.
This was a very interesting story. It was inspiring, seeing all the challenges that the author went through and his persistence and willingness to accept help that allowed him to overcome them. He was also fortune to have had some good luck.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews