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Biking Across America: My Coast-To-Coast Adventure And The People I Met Along The Way (2013)

by Paul V. Stutzman(Favorite Author)

3.57 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0800721780 (ISBN13: 9780800721787)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

Fleming H. Revell Company

review 1: When I was in Damascus, VA a couple years ago, in the midst of an AT thru hike, I met a young woman from Minnesota who was biking across country. I was floored and completely intrigued by the notion of pedaling thousands of miles, admiring a lush America from atop a butt-burning bicycle seat. So naturally, Stutzman's book found it's way to my hands. But not before devouring his first book, Hiking Thru, which was gifted to me upon completion of the AT in 2012. While I found HT's religious overtones and pious descriptions of his many revelatory moments quite annoying, I related to his experiences having just walked the same path myself. No, Jesus never spoke to me, and I certainly never sought his advisement, but I enjoyed and recognized Stutzman's descriptions of towns and ... morelandmarks along with his notes on the quirky personalities that color the trail community. The same can be said for Biking Across America--- I loved reading about the ride, the physical experience, the adventure, but there were some cringe-worthy moments when gears shifted to church and God and Christian sentiment. On second thought, maybe this review doesn't align well with a 3 rating. Not sure. Either way, the memoir will likely effect my future riding. Stutzman, along with and the sweet gal from Damascus, has fueled a desire to ride cross country, one that I hope to act on in the next couple years. For all the people, places and transformative power that Stutzman touched upon, I'm sure other readers' will be goaded to ride coast to coast as well.
review 2: It's an interesting story. The author previously hiked the Appalachian Trail following the untimely death of his wife as a way to cast out the demons in his soul. His bicycle trip from the NW corner of Washington State to Key West Fla (5000 miles) does much the same for his memories of a childhood friend who lost his life while riding with the author after dark down a steep hill in the Ohio countryside. I enjoyed reading the book, but I will have to say it may be somewhat flat, i.e., lacking in emotion. I never felt a personal bond with the author as he tells his story. And while one of his goals was to engage the "people of America" as he rode across the country, the story addresses, I feel, more of his inner workings than his attempts to engage those he meets. If you intend to read this book, be forewarned the author identifies himself as "a Christian" and, as such, there is a lot of God this and God that, the Lord etcetera, and Jesus Christ is my savior in the book. It didn't particularly bother me so much, but I am sure some readers may find it distracting. The writing is easy to read and the book is short. Not much is given to logistics. In fact, so little is addressed in the way of logistics, it makes you wonder if the trip really occurred. For someone who says they have never ridden more than 60 miles at one time to then ride 180 miles in one day in Utah a month later. Well, maybe it was that AT training. I enjoyed the book and I would suggest (not recommend) it to my biking friends. It'a only 220 pages long and you can inhale in a day or two. less

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