Rating: 
Summary: Great prep for your own bike trip
Review: A friend gave me the book when he learned I was planning a bike tour of New Zealand. I made a lot of mental notes as a result of their lessons learned, and wish I had the courage to go where they have gone, now 20 years later. I too mourned the tragedy her death and Larry's incredible loss after the tour... but I have to think she went to her grave with no regrets.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful Book about the Savages Amazing Adventure
Review: A person where I used to work in San Francisco told me about this book over 13 years ago. Was not really interested at the time about reading about a cycling trip since I don't cycle myself. However, he finally wore me down and I went out and bought this book. What a welcome surprise this book was. This book is really about the decisions we make in life. As Larry and Barb talked about their lives, they pondered the thought of cycling around the world instead of buying a home. Although some of their friends thought they were crazy to leave two careers and not buy a house now when they had worked so hard for the down payment, they made the decision to do something adventures that most people would never do - travel around the world. The book tells of their amazing adventures through the US and through all the countries they visited over two years. Their adventures leave you laughing, feeling terrified, etc. When I found out that Barb Savage was killed while cycling, I cried. However, it made me happy that she embarked on this incredible once in a lifetime journey. Houses come and go but adventures in our lives last a lifetime. Have bought this book for friends and my dad. Everyone who read this book really enjoyed their adventure.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Book about the Savages Amazing Adventure
Review: A wonderful book about long distance bike trips. I first heard about this book after making a ten day bikepacking trip in Canada 17 years ago. WUOM, my local public radio station, had this as their book on radio and I heard an excerpt from this book that peaked my interest. This story about a couple who travel the world on their bikes is very inspiring even though they were not the most prepared (e.g., they have regular tires as spares as opposed to special "touring" spares). This book isn't a how to, but more a travelogue for where to travel. It's an inspiration for those who like to bike or travel. They may not be similar to your experiences, but they are a wonderful story. In fact, some of their disasters are usually avoided by being prepared. It's too bad that Mrs. Savage died as this book went to press. I am really glad that the Savages wrote this book to share their experiences. It's a wonderful tribute to the Savages and well worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: I'm glad this is still in print!
Review: A wonderful book about long distance bike trips. I first heard about this book after making a ten day bikepacking trip in Canada 17 years ago. WUOM, my local public radio station, had this as their book on radio and I heard an excerpt from this book that peaked my interest. This story about a couple who travel the world on their bikes is very inspiring even though they were not the most prepared (e.g., they have regular tires as spares as opposed to special "touring" spares). This book isn't a how to, but more a travelogue for where to travel. It's an inspiration for those who like to bike or travel. They may not be similar to your experiences, but they are a wonderful story. In fact, some of their disasters are usually avoided by being prepared. It's too bad that Mrs. Savage died as this book went to press. I am really glad that the Savages wrote this book to share their experiences. It's a wonderful tribute to the Savages and well worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Travelogues rarely get as good as this.....
Review: Admittedly the writers were not pros at literature composition but so what? What I wanted to read was a down to earth honest story and I got it. Barbara was very good at putting you right there with herself and Larry. I have bought several copies of this book and have given them to everyone that ponders a long trip. Always keep a copy because reading it once is NEVER enough.
Rating: 
Summary: very average
Review: Cycling 23,000 miles is a notable accomplishment, but that doesn't mean that one can write about it in an interesting way. Reading this book will tell you more than you want to know about the minor travails of the author and her husband; it will tell you very little about the world they cycled around
Rating:
Summary: A wake-up call from your daily routine...
Review: Having failed to read of Barbara's tragic death until finished with the book, I felt as though I'd lost a friend at the story's end. The spirit with which Barbara and Larry embraced life on their journey makes me look at my world much more thankfully for its simple pleasures. Enduring physical and mental hardships as well as relishing the pleasures of creation and human kindness, Barbara Savage sparked in me a yearning to break free of my daily routine and reach out to others however I can. Perhaps one day our family will create a cycling adventure of our own!
Rating:
Summary: Delightful travel tale of adventure and discomfort
Review: I bought the paperback in a thrift store for 50 cents and had a great time traveling with Barbara and Larry on their around the world bike adventure. The trip was a 23,000 mile globel bike ride. A great read !! Rob Question - Where is Larry today ? Still biking
Rating:
Summary: Sorry to be a grouch, but...
Review: I found this book both enjoyable and annoying. Certainly, bicycling around the world in the 1970s was a daring thing to do. It took a great deal of courage and an adventuresome spirit. It was indeed sad to learn of the author's death at the end, and to wonder if that would have occurred if today's effective helmets were available. At the same time, the book has an annoying undercurrent of "oh look at what we had to endure. Aren't we noble?" when, in fact the author's and her husband's problems were largely the result of poor planning and cultural obtuseness. For example, they took very little care to avoid illness in places where sanitation was not good, and paid for it severely. They also complain about the wife being perpetually propositioned in Moslem countries, but she was warned about, and obviously ignored, rules of dress. I don't find these things admirable.
As with other such books, the story is completely self focussed. It would have been nice to learn something about the people that the author met, and the cultures of the places visited, beyond the two-dimensional treatment in the book. This could have been a book about personal growth through meeting challenges and developing cultural understanding. But, it isn't.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent reading for bikers and adventurers
Review: I gather this book has become a classic for touring bicyclists. The book was very exciting to read, and I felt as if I was there with Barbara and Larry experiencing their highs and lows. These were real people living a real adventure. In this day of Hollywood personalities, TV lala-land, phony celebrities, flaky sporting events -- Barbara and Larry showed what common, unknown, down-to-earth REAL people can accomplish with average physical strengths, but a determination that celebrates the human spirit. I only wish there were a few more pictures in the book of their travels.
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