What do you think?
Rate this book
Overlander: One man's epic race to cross Australia
A powerful memoir about an epic bike race across one of the most challenging landscapes in the world.
Rupert Guinness set out on the trip of a to race across Australia in the inaugural Indian Pacific Wheel Race.
This would be no ordinary bike race. Unlike the Tour de France, which Guinness made his name reporting on for decades, competitors would ride completely unassisted from Fremantle in Western Australia to the Opera House in Sydney on the other side of the country – a gruelling distance of over 5,000 kilometres that would not only test riders’ physical endurance but their psychological resilience as well. Dubbed ‘The Hunger Games on Wheels’, there would be no help, just riders and their bikes crossing one of the most beautiful – and most inhospitable – places on earth.
Rupert’s mission was to test his own grit, physical and emotional, as he followed the trail of the pioneering men and women whose historic rides over the last two centuries unveiled a largely unknown interior.
But when a terrible tragedy stopped competitors in their tracks, Rupert was forced to make one of the toughest decisions he had ever faced – and ultimately, what he discovered was the extraordinary power of the human spirit.
Rupert Guinness set out on the trip of a to race across Australia in the inaugural Indian Pacific Wheel Race.
This would be no ordinary bike race. Unlike the Tour de France, which Guinness made his name reporting on for decades, competitors would ride completely unassisted from Fremantle in Western Australia to the Opera House in Sydney on the other side of the country – a gruelling distance of over 5,000 kilometres that would not only test riders’ physical endurance but their psychological resilience as well. Dubbed ‘The Hunger Games on Wheels’, there would be no help, just riders and their bikes crossing one of the most beautiful – and most inhospitable – places on earth.
Rupert’s mission was to test his own grit, physical and emotional, as he followed the trail of the pioneering men and women whose historic rides over the last two centuries unveiled a largely unknown interior.
But when a terrible tragedy stopped competitors in their tracks, Rupert was forced to make one of the toughest decisions he had ever faced – and ultimately, what he discovered was the extraordinary power of the human spirit.
263 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2018
19 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 26, 2021
A very enjoyable read about Rupert’s trans-Australian cycling endeavours.
Read
November 11, 2020Rupert rides his bike across Australia and documents his experiences.
March 25, 2019
I have been meaning to read this book for a while. I have followed the IPWR closely since its inception and was devastated by Mike Hall's death. I was fascinated to see if Rupert would make it or not. I loved his failures and victories and thoughts on his whole journey. I found it hard to put down.
December 30, 2018
An honest account of an epic undertaking - riding in the 2017 inaugural IndiPac Perth to Sydney endurance ride. Sadly, the race was abandoned after the death of a competitor in a collision with a car near Canberra. Nonetheless Guinness’ account of his experience takes us from Perth to Adelaide - just over half of the 5470 km total race distance.
The writing is meat-and-potatoes, not much flourish or whimsy to speak of, yet the sheer achievement of meeting the challenge - even to halfway - is worthy of the term “epic”. At 54, Guinness is no elite sportsman, he’s a cycling journalist/enthusiast who takes on a massive challenge.
Given that much of the book covers the vast WA interior - including the Nullarbor Plain - one feels that, had the entire ride been achieved, less ink would have been spent on what becomes a slightly - understandably - repetitive narrative and we’d have had the geographic variety of the eastern legs to compliment the pace and feel of the book.
The original “Overlanders” - pioneer cyclists in the 18 and 1900’s - are referred to along the way. Certainly they don’t crowd out Guinness’ own story, although their remarkable tales invite some further reading.
The writing is meat-and-potatoes, not much flourish or whimsy to speak of, yet the sheer achievement of meeting the challenge - even to halfway - is worthy of the term “epic”. At 54, Guinness is no elite sportsman, he’s a cycling journalist/enthusiast who takes on a massive challenge.
Given that much of the book covers the vast WA interior - including the Nullarbor Plain - one feels that, had the entire ride been achieved, less ink would have been spent on what becomes a slightly - understandably - repetitive narrative and we’d have had the geographic variety of the eastern legs to compliment the pace and feel of the book.
The original “Overlanders” - pioneer cyclists in the 18 and 1900’s - are referred to along the way. Certainly they don’t crowd out Guinness’ own story, although their remarkable tales invite some further reading.
October 7, 2024
I started reading this book because a colleague recommended it to me. Even though I don't particularly enjoy bike racing, I thought the setting of the race would make for an informative read at least. I tried really hard but I gave up halfway through. Sure, the riders show incredible strength (moral and physical) and what they put themselves through is truly awe-inspiring. But I found the style incredibly repetitive and didn't actually learn much apart from some white coloniser Australian history.
October 16, 2018
Outstanding book although my rating might be clouded by the fact that I love reading about people doing challenging things on bikes ... great effort by Rupert to participate and document his experiences in the 2017 Indian Pacific Wheel Race ... and then back up and do it again in 2018 ... respect ...
December 30, 2020
Unfortunately I found the pace of the book devastatingly slow. The author seemed to repeat very similar paragraphs over and over which although somewhat captures the style of cycling it also had me questioning whether there was any reason to continue reading . Considering the book begins where the author ends his first race you already know the outcome. When compared to similar books by other authors (Emily Chappell for example) this books lacks depth.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2019
Very interesting read. I got a bit bogged down in the listing of names and numbers but dont doubt that would be interesting info to many reading this book. I read it in 2 days, i found it hard to put down, i laughed, i cried, i was inspired.
June 6, 2019
What an awesome and truthful story of the grit and determination of one mans journey across Australia on a bike.
I love jumping on my bike but this journey was and is epic and only a few do it. I loved the little bit of history of the original overlanders too.
I love jumping on my bike but this journey was and is epic and only a few do it. I loved the little bit of history of the original overlanders too.
September 19, 2018
Well done Rupert. An inspiring read. A human story about modern day adventures, pitting themselves against their demons and the wild parts of the Australian landscape.
December 17, 2019
One man's very personal account of his riding from Fremantle to Sydney as part of the Indian Pacific Wheel Race. A tough ride!
June 12, 2021
Amazing history and personal reflections.
December 24, 2022
If you love cycling, ultra endurance or non fiction stories of adventure, this book is for you. It's a fantastic read that has made me eager to read other books written by this author.
December 19, 2022
What a tale, such an impressive endeavour!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews