"Mid-life crises don’t have to be boring and staid. Buy a mountain bike and the best adventure of your life is just over the next hill" - Quote unquote from the guy at the bike shop. What he didn’t tell you is that when you’re on a bicycle most hills turn into mountains. And he also didn’t tell you beware of riding next to guy with a long bucket list. Because he will casually ask if you want ride with him from Harare to Cape Town.

After completing the trip (unexpected experiences – both good and bad- forever skeyched in your memory), you get home exhausted but exhilarated, patting yourself on the back for having raised more than a million Rand for charity, and your friends call you lazy for choosing a downhill destination. So straight away, you look for another mountain to aim at, a pointy one this time called Kilimanjaro.

Cape Town to Kilimanjaro is about having fun, doing good, and above all doing epic. It will make you laugh and cry if you are on the receiving end of the intravenous antibiotics. Hopefully it will also inspire. All you need is a bike and a destination.

No bicycle repair was ever made easier by turning your bike upside down. White shorts are for other people. A helmet perched on the back of your head is perfect if you ride your bike backwards - These and a host of other handy pointers jostle for attention within this A - Z guide to being a cyclist. It's an essential manual and source of wisdom for those who would be kings of the road. Many pitfalls await the unwary middle-aged-man-in-Lycra, but fear not, for the Guide is here to steer you through choppy waters. No more passing out halfway up a hill. No more ridicule in the work place. No more hurty knee. And no more sock crimes. Pearls of wisdom are scattered throughout this book like rose petals before a princess on her wedding day. For instance, who could deny that life is too short to drink bad coffee? That a noisy bike is marginally more annoying than a whiney toddler? Or that style should ever be sacrificed for speed? Written by experts who know everything there is to know about cycling, yet never forget that there is nothing funnier than a rabbit playing a trumpet, How to be a Cyclist is mandatory reading for all bike riders.

Explore the Cotwolds off road with this laminated, waterproof Cotswolds map. With 10 clearly-marked routes this easy-to-use map will help you discover the best of the Cotswolds on your bike and off the road. From the gorgeous, honey-coloured stone villages to the dramatic rolling hills, the Cotswolds are a visual feast and perfect for exploring by bike. The Cotswolds are ideal for the touring cyclist and day-tripper. They represent England at her very best. Long, winding lanes connect beautiful villages with excellent pubs and friendly tearooms. The landscape you cycle through is rich in imagery with some of the tracks being prehistoric in origin. For the cross-country rider who wants long green lanes criss-crossing some of England's most beautiful landscapes, and linking some of the most beautiful villages, and all 100% rideable - then this is for you. 10 fantastic routes are included, from the Bibury Circuit and the Northleach Circuit to the Stow Slaughters Trail.

This step-by-step guide is packed full of information and tells you all you need to know about caring for your bicycle. It covers everything from the basics of why maintenance matters and which tools you should use, to vital safety checks and more advanced maintenance tasks, even the fitting of accessories. Advice on how to adjust your bike to fit you, how to clean it efficiently, and how to keep it running in top condition, lets you get more enjoyment from your bicycle for longer, more safely, and with the sense of satisfaction that comes from knowing you can fix or prevent problems that may arise yourself - you could even save yourself a small fortune in repair bills. With information on maintenance scheduling, troubleshooting advice, and electric bicycles, this book is the perfect companion for every cyclist.

Around Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders is one of 20 titles in the new Philip's Cycle Tours series. The series is directly derived from the highly successful Ordnance Survey Cycle Tours series, but has been updated and improved, with a new focus on the needs of cyclists and the cycling market in the 21st century.Each book in the series contains 20 routes, both on-road and off-road, taking you along low-traffic or traffic free roads, tracks and paths. The route takes you through some of the most beautiful countryside and prettiest villages in Britain, and past some of the finest and most interesting houses, churches, castles, gardens and monuments in the land.Around Edinburgh and the Scottish Borders provides excellent cycling in the superb scenery of the eastern half of southern Scotland around Edinburgh, with rides in the area from Dundee to the north through to the border country in the south. The region contains a wide variety of rides through hills and forest and past rivers, lochs and coastline.A unique feature of Philip's Cycle Tours is the superb Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 mapping showing the routes of the rides. This mapping not only gives the detail and clarity you need to follow the route with ease and safety, but allows you to plan short-cuts and detours, to look out for new places of interest, and to become truly involved in the lansdcape you are cycling through. The mapping now shows National Cycle Network routes and National Long-Distance Footpaths.Clear directions are given alongside the mapping, and cross-profile diagrams make planning the pacing of each ride an easy task, even for the beginner. Extra information includes an introduction to the area of the route, nearest railway stations, places of interest with descriptions, guides to refreshment stops, and clear indications of distance, grade and terrain.The books are beautifully and practically designed, with colour photographs throughout the ultra-clear layout.Main map scale: 1:50,000

In "Hike and Bike Bowland" Jon Sparks will show you around. On his well chosen 24 walks, 7 road bike and 4 mountain bike rides he will take you to places high and low, by river, through woods and onto the tops. In these fine landscapes you can lean back on a warm rock and listen to the call of the curlew or amble through meadows glowing with buttercups or, for those of you with a zest for something more daring, take a white-knuckle ride on the rocky mountain bike trails of Gisburn Forest. There's even a long distance route, which can be broken up into six linear walks, with good transport links making it straightforward to tackle them individually. The author provides fascinating background information on flora and fauna, history, legend and literature. The book is sumptuously illustrated with the author's photographs and simple but clear full-colour mapping. Award winning photographer and writer Jon Sparks founded his career on photographing Lancashire and the Lake District. Today his library encompasses images from five continents, with specialist coverage of the Scottish Islands, Finland, and major Baltic destinations. He has written many highly successful guidebooks for walkers, climbers and cyclists, an acclaimed book on outdoor photography, and travel guides to Finland and to the Baltic. He writes regularly on photography and is responsible for an ongoing series of Nikon camera guides. Jon's high photographic ability turns "Hike and Bike Bowland" into a splendid celebration of the Forest of Bowland's extreme beauty and, being a local (Jon lives in Garstang), he has the experience to show his readers all the best routes to the best places. Although it is a guidebook, "Hike and Bike Bowland's" high quality printing and illustrations will make this desirable winter fireside reading and a popular gift.

Explore Europe's most thrilling cycling routes with the latest installment in the Epic series from Lonely Planet. From dreamy getaways on sun-dappled Mediterranean Islands to challenging alpine crossings, bike enthusiasts share stories from the best road, mountain, dirt and trail routes across the spiritual home of cycling. Destinations suit a range of trip types and abilities, and each ride features stunning photographs, a richly-illustrated map and a toolkit of practical details so that riders can help plan their own trips. From some of the remotest corners of northern Scotland to mighty mountain passes in the pristine Pyrenees, you'll explore some of the continent's least-explored regions, as well as cities including Berlin and Copenhagen amongst many others. Rides feature adventurous bikepacking routes, classic race routes, must-do mountain biking trails, and family-friendly forays. Guest contributors include author Rob Penn, who cycled around the world in his late twenties, and Ned Boulting, a British sports journalist and television presenter who has reported on everything from the Tour de France to the Vuelta a Espana. So turn those pedals and enjoy the ride to over 50 cycle-loving destinations. About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world's number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, on mobile, video and in 14 languages, 12 international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, eBooks, and more.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park is one of the UK's top mountain biking destinations with an abundance of thrilling and varied trails against a stunning backdrop of rolling fells and limestone scenery. Drawn from the author's 20 years of mountain biking in the area, this guidebook describes 30 original and exciting routes of varied length and difficulty to cater for riders of all abilities. Newcomers and veterans alike will be surprised by routes on little-known trails. The hundreds of tracks and bridleways crossing the Yorkshire Dales make it a rich adventure playground for mountain bikers. So what are you waiting for? 30 routes throughout England's second largest national park, divided into short, medium, long and full-day loops suitable for all levels of experience, from beginners through to experts information to help riders choose a route by distance, difficulty, time or how much of it goes off road at a glance

This is the first history of the bicycle to trace not only the technical background to its invention, but also to contrast its social and cultural impact in different parts of the world, and assess its future as a continuing global phenomenon.

Cycling is Britain's biggest boom sport and nowhere is the boom more evident than on the road: once seen as the preserve of serious racers, the road bike has recently found a new lease of life due to the popularity of challenge rides and Sportives. It is now possible for cyclists of all abilities to ride a well marked, well marshalled event just about any weekend of the year, usually based around one, two or sometimes as many as ten fearsome hills. For the first time, here is a pocket-sized guide to the 100 greatest climbs in the land, the building blocks for these rides, written by a cyclist for cyclists. From lung busting city centre cobbles to leg breaking windswept mountain passes, this guide locates the roads that have tested riders for generations and worked their way into cycling folklore. Whether you're a leisure cyclist looking for a challenge or an elite athlete trying to break records stick this book in your pocket and head for the hills.

The story begins in a public square in New Delhi. On a cold December evening a young European woman of noble descent appears before an Indian street artist known locally as PK and asks him to paint her portrait – it is an encounter that will change their lives irrevocably.

PK was not born in the city. He grew up in a small remote village on the edge of the jungle in East India, and his childhood as an untouchable was one of crushing hardship. He was forced to sit outside the classroom during school, would watch classmates wash themselves if they came into contact with him, and had stones thrown at him when he approached the village temple. According to the priests, PK dirtied everything that was pure and holy. But had PK not been an untouchable, his life would have turned out very differently.

This is the remarkable true story of how love and courage led PK to overcome extreme poverty, caste prejudice and adversity – as well as a 7,000-mile, adventure-filled journey across continents and cultures – to be with the woman he loved.

This is a completely new, fully updated edition of the best selling guide to the UK's premier long distance cycle route - around 140 miles of superb scenery, from the Irish Sea to the North Sea, taking in the Lake District and the Northern Pennines on the way. As part of Sustrans' National Cycle Network, the C2C uses mainly traffic-free paths and minor roads and is fully signed and waymarked. It is completed by thousands of cyclists every year. This is the complete guide, including detailed 1:50,000 maps of all route options, directions, what to see and do, accommodation, places to eat and much more. The guidebook covers the route from Whitehaven or Workington to Sunderland or Newcastle.

This book, written with the full co-operation of the factory, brings to life the golden era of Peugeot bicycles. After a brief look at the company's pre-war days, the richly-illustrated pages focus on a period when the Peugeot name was synonymous with the Tour de France and racing, and brings the story up to date with coverage of later machines. Both road and race bikes are looked at in detail, with the book written in a fashion that makes it equally suitable for both reference and as a coffee table tome for the enthusiast.

Explore 60 of the best rail-trails and multiuse pathways across three states with this official guide. All across the country, unused railroad corridors have been converted to public multiuse trails. In this official guide, the experts from Rails-to-Trails Conservancy present the best of these rail-trails, as well as other multiuse pathways, in Northern New England. Tour Maine's Eastern Promenade Trail, showcasing Portland's Casco Bay and Portland Harbor. Enjoy picturesque countryside on the Northern Rail Trail-New Hampshire's longest rail-trail. Take a ride along Vermont's Island Rail Trail, which boasts a spectacular marble causeway crossing Lake Champlain. Whether you're on feet, wheels, or skis, you'll love the variety in this collection of multiuse trails-from beautiful waterways and scenic areas to the hustle and bustle of the states' urban centers! In this book, you'll find: Detailed maps for every rail-trail, plus driving directions to trailheads Icons indicating the activities each trail can accommodate Succinct descriptions written by rail-trail experts "You can now throw away all your self-help books on fighting depression, losing weight, toning muscles, finding something to do with your kids, and learning American history. Just use this guide, find a great trail-and enjoy!" -Peter Harnik, Director, Center for City Park Excellence, Trust for Public Land

Routledge Companion to Cycling presents a comprehensive overview of an artefact that throughout the modern era has been a bellwether indicator of the major social, economic and environmental trends that have permeated society The volume synthesizes a rapidly growing body of research on the bicycle, its past and present uses, its technological evolution, its use in diverse geographical settings, its aesthetics and its deployment in art and literature. From its origins in early modern carriage technology in Germany, it has generated what is now a vast, multi-disciplinary literature encompassing a wide range of issues in countries throughout the world.

"A middle-aged crisis takes many forms..." Tadej Pogacar has 7% body fat, Chris Froome's resting heart rate is 30bpm, Mark Cavendish reaches sprint speeds of over 50mph. They're super-human cyclists for whom riding 3,500km over 21 stages across the Alps and Pyrenees is a matter of course. James Witts is 44 years old, fatty deposits nestle on his back and he has a penchant for craft ale. He also rides a little. But not a lot. In his job as cycling journalist, however, he does have unparalleled access to the world's best riders and their world-class support staff. Which got him thinking - could spending time with the pros, discovering the training, gear and nutritional tricks of the trade, transform this back-of-the-pack sportive straggler into a fit-and-fast frontrunner? Doubtful, improbable though not impossible. In this entertaining tale, Witts utilises his connections in the industry to gain access to the world's greatest teams and riders to reveal the tricks of the trade that he can then apply to his own less-than-world-class performance. This warm-hearted and amusing tale is of an Everyman dropped into the world of Supermen. James Witts trains, rides and eats using the regimes of the planet's toughest athletes, to conquer his very own Grand Tour. Will he sacrifice the pub for stamina boosting beetroot juice? Can an altitude mask really send his performance soaring? And will his ego cope with a drag-cutting, little-left-to-the-imagination skinsuit? Learn and laugh on a journey of a lifetime.

Julian Sayarer grew up riding a bicycle. Working as a bike courier in London, he learned the world record for a circumnavigation by bike had been broken, and that cycling into the sunset had been bought by banks and big business. Determined to do things differently, Julian set out to take back the record for the people. Life Cycles is his story of that record, riding 110 miles every 24 hours for 6 months on only GBP8.84 a day - a route through jungles, snow and 20 different countries. He found himself stranded without money in the deserts of Kazakhstan, held up by insurrections in northwest China, and sleeping under motorway bridges in America's Deep South. Taken by life on the road and a spirit of adventure, he loved every minute of it. A tale of excitement and world politics by bicycle, travelling at 12mph, Julian found that the Tartars of Central Asia aren't so different to the trailer families of Louisiana. This book is a reminder that the world is out there - and it's waiting for us.

Back in 1987, longing to get away from her domestic routine as a wife and mother but living uncomfortably close to the breadline, Fran Adams scrimped and saved until she had scraped together just enough cash to take her teenage sons on a cycling tour of Brittany. They found themselves having to deal with torrential rain and furious gales, frequent punctures and mechanical hitches and encounters with eccentrics from both sides of the English Channel, but in the end their tight budget did not stop them having the holiday of a lifetime and collecting some never-to-be-forgotten memories, so much so that the following year they went back for more. Travels on the Breadline is Fran's memoir of two simple but happy holidays with her boys.

This title presents a humorous and eventful account from author Fred Johnson, taking the reader with him on his journey by bike on the famous route from John O Groats to Lands End - for the second time! Enjoy the ride down with none of the pain, through the struggles, hardship and laughter and through some of Britains most beautiful scenery. "How NOT to cycle from John O Groats to Lands End", Fancy cycling John O Groats to Lands End?Fred did it once to raise money for cancer research after his wife died of cancer, he enjoyed it that much he vowed never to get on his bike again at the finish. With a new wife Chris and a new job, despite his best efforts he is railroaded into doing it again with work colleague Bill. Have a taste of it; join them, the months of training, the journey to Scotland. Enjoy the ride down with none of the pain, through the struggles, hardship and laughter, through rain and sun. Toiling up hills and mountains and sailing down the other side, through some of Britain's most beautiful scenery. Following a calamity in Inverness it becomes a race against time to get to Lands End before Chris has to leave for home. Enjoy it, the good, the bad, the highs, the lows, nice meals and wine; G&Ts by the score, the cigar stops along the way but you know that today or tomorrow, "There's Always Another Hill".

In cities throughout the world, bicycles have gained a high profile in recent years, with politicians and activists promoting initiatives like bike lanes, bikeways, bike share programs, and other social programs to get more people on bicycles. Bicycles in the city are, some would say, the wave of the future for car-choked, financially-strapped, obese, and sustainability-sensitive urban areas. This book explores how and why people are reconsidering the bicycle, no longer thinking of it simply as a toy or exercise machine, but as a potential solution to a number of contemporary problems. It focuses in particular on what reconsidering the bicycle might mean for everyday practices and politics of urban mobility, a concept that refers to the intertwined physical, technological, social, and experiential dimensions of human movement. This book is for Introductory Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology, Cultural Sociology, Environmental Anthropology, and all undergraduate courses on the environment and on sustainability throughout the social sciences.

In the cyclists' guide series from Mica publishers, here are 30 circular road cycle routes of 35 miles to 115 miles, exploring the best of Scotland's panoramic back roads from the Far North-West to the Borders. The routes include two Cairngorm crossings and the spectacular Bealach na Ba in Applecross, some of the toughest and most spectacular challenges in the country, as well as gentler cross-country and coastal routes round the Black Isle, Moray Coast, Ayrshire, Arran and East Lothian. These day circuits include detailed descriptions and Ordnance Survey mapping, plus variations and extensions to ensure you get the best from your day. Route profiles indicate uphill and downhill sections and the spread of total height gain. There are also route fact files indicating starting point, distance, height gain, maximum gradient and approximate time. There are extensions & variations to shorten and lengthen routes, plus all important cafe stops en route are listed.

Cycling is currently enjoying a boom in popularity. What are the reasons behind this phenomenon? How have perceptions and the popularity of cycling shifted? This book charts the historical development of cycling both as a leisure and sporting activity since the 19th century and explores the wider political and cultural context in which cycling in Britain emerged. In particular, it examines cycling's relationship with environmental politics and its place in popular culture. Neil Carter successfully traverses several historical sub-disciplines, including the history of transport, leisure, sport, medicine and politics, employing the analytical tools of class, gender, political culture, the role of the state and commercialism to demonstrate how British identity has shaped and been shaped by cycling. At a time when it has become part of debates over transport and health, Cycling and the British: A Modern History provides a timely and clear analysis of the changes and continuities in attitudes towards cycling.