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Rating: 
Summary: Inspiration to follow in path
Review: At age 36, I would love to be able to do a ride such as this, but would never have the time to plan it. But, now I have the dream of one day doing this ride with the help and inspiration of the Christian's guide. Hopefully, I won't have to wait 'til my spouse is 60...maybe we can take our passel of kids and see America sooner than that. This guidebook has so much detailed information on what the ride is like, where to stay and where to eat. I half-way expect to have the names of all the host families. A long needed guide for the recreational cyclist to make a safe journey across a great country!
Rating:
Summary: Inspiration to follow in path
Review: At age 36, I would love to be able to do a ride such as this, but would never have the time to plan it. But, now I have the dream of one day doing this ride with the help and inspiration of the Christian's guide. Hopefully, I won't have to wait 'til my spouse is 60...maybe we can take our passel of kids and see America sooner than that. This guidebook has so much detailed information on what the ride is like, where to stay and where to eat. I half-way expect to have the names of all the host families. A long needed guide for the recreational cyclist to make a safe journey across a great country!
Rating:
Summary: A "must" for cross-country bikers & armchair travelers.
Review: Lue and Shannon Christian's road trip adventure, published as Cycling Across North America: A Leisurely Route From Coast To Coast, begins in Fresno, California and picks up Route 66 to Illinois, and then travels through Indian and Michigan, then on into Canada, finally finishes up in Quebec City. The Christians averaged 53 miles a day, totaling over 3700 miles in all, and with very little climbing. But it is much more than just a pleasant travelogue adventure, it also services as a superlative planning guide for others seeking their own sense of wonder in a cross-country trip by bicycle. By following their established routes, fellow travelers can enjoy the sights and pleasures the Christians found when they made their three month journey. Cycling Across North America is valued and pleasurable reading for armchair travelers, and a "must" for anyone seeking a successful and memorable cross-country bike trip of their own.
Rating: 
Summary: How our book was born...
Review: Shannon and I searched, in vain, for a book to show us it was possible for an over-the-hill couple to bicycle, unsupported, across the continent, a book that would give us: 1) a route with motels on an average of 50 miles apart, 2) a route with a minimum of tough climbs and maximum elevations around 7,000 feet, 3) a route where we would not suffer extreme temperatures. So, we would have to design our own tour, and from this we would write the first book to offer a laid-back tour for cyclists of all ages looking for a fun trip and leisure time to see the Real America. But why not drive our proposed route, just to be certain the route we had in mind had all the elements we were looking for? We were both retired, so time wasn't an issue, and it was a good insurance policy. We left in our van, pad and pencil in hand, and drove the back roads to Bakersfield, California where we took a left and climbed over the Tehachapi Mountains, headed for Barstow. There we joined Route 66 and followed it to Wilmington, 50 miles south of Chicago. We left Route 66 and headed east through northwest Indiana, northeast through Michigan to Port Huron and entered Canada. Threading our way through farm country, we reached Toronto, then headed north along Lake Ontario. Bordering the St Lawrence River we traveled to Montreal and on to the City of Quebec -- the end of our tour. We had tracked 3800 miles. We could do that, we discovered. The route encompassed all our requirements. It was a go! The preparation began when we returned home, putting together daily route instructions from the notes we had taken, figuring out a list of what to carry with us, and conditioning ourselves at a gym during the winter months. We wrote to dozens of tandem couples along our route and received 21 invitations to overnight with them on our tour. We decided on a spring departure of April 10, weather permitting, which would get us into Quebec around the 10th of July. We couldn't have picked a better window and were only about four days off our original schedule due to storms. We rode up into Quebec City on July 13, relieved it was over but yet sorry because it had been truly the most exciting and memorable three months of our lives! From our book we hope to lead the way for countless cyclists who feel a long tour like this is too difficult for them. All they may need is proof from an over-the-hill couple like us. To allow a more diverse range of routes from which to begin and end the tour, we have offered three alternate routes -- two from the actual West Coast, San Francisco and Santa Monica, and one leaving the Main Route in Montreal and ending in Boston, Massachusetts on the East Coast.
Rating:
Summary: An inspiration to this desk-bound, would-be cyclist!
Review: This book gives me hope that I might yet embark on the bicycle trek of my dreams. The authors share anecdotes and opinions along with ample details of their impressive (at any age), journey across North America.
Rating:
Summary: An expert cross-country guide for all!
Review: This new book by the Christians is well written, easily understandable, with their special form of dry humor laced throughout. I am not a cyclist, but am interetested in cross-country travel and their book, complete to a fault, also works well for people who would like to explore America by car, motorcycle or Motorhome. The wisdom of their preliminary scouting trip as descibed paid off in this being a usable carry-along whenever one heads out across America. The Route 66 information makes it valuable for junkies of that historic highway. The maps are detailed and understandable, and the elevation changes are marked so those on two wheels can plan their days. This will make a good bookshelf reference for all travelers!
Rating:
Summary: An expert cross-country guide for all!
Review: This new book by the Christians is well written, easily understandable, with their special form of dry humor laced throughout. I am not a cyclist, but am interetested in cross-country travel and their book, complete to a fault, also works well for people who would like to explore America by car, motorcycle or Motorhome. The wisdom of their preliminary scouting trip as descibed paid off in this being a usable carry-along whenever one heads out across America. The Route 66 information makes it valuable for junkies of that historic highway. The maps are detailed and understandable, and the elevation changes are marked so those on two wheels can plan their days. This will make a good bookshelf reference for all travelers!
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