Bicycle Across America

Rating:
Summary: A whiny Ride Across America
Review: Any book that gives you information about what really happens during a long tour is useful. This book would have been much more useful if Ms. Siegret found something to enjoy and less to whine about. I'm sure this is a question of writing style, no one could have done all those rides if they were that awful.

Rating:
Summary: Going the Distance...
Review: Bicycling across America is quite an accomplishment. Doing it five times when you're in your 60s is truly a feat. Barbara Siegert and her husband have done just that. Barbara, a retired French teacher, has a can-do attitude. She insists, "If we can do it, you can do it." Her enthusiasm and attitude inspires many people her junior to take up the sport, set some goals, and "just do it!" The stories Barbara shares about her experiences as she crossed America on two wheels are so poignant, she had to write a book. Written in a warm, conversational manner, Bicycle Across America, spans the gamut of emotions. One moment you're giggling as she recalls the scene in an elegant hotel lobby. The Siegerts' panniers (bike saddle bags) are carried by a bell hop dressed in a tux with the Siegerts nonchalantly following attired in their best T-shirts and bike shorts. Next you're in pain as Barbara tells of the tragedy of their adult daughter dying in Europe in a freak auto accident which occurred when the Siegert's were two days shy of completing their Pacific Coast tour. They chose to complete the ride because they believed Meg would have wanted them to. Barbara's sound advice comes from experience. She can help you prepare to ride across America on your bike because she's done it. When you finally get on the road, you too will meet up with unforgettable characters and be touched by the still-present goodness of people across America. Happy trails! Linda Chestney, M.A., publishe

Rating:
Summary: 2nd printing available 2-15-97. A must for any tourer!
Review: For the go-it-alone cyclist or with a buddy, I share with you five trans-America tours(CA to CT, BC to MX, ME to FL, WA to NH, ND to LA) with maps detailing distances and routes, how to plan, what you'll need for a tour of 3 days or 3 months and answer any questions you've ever had on the subject of touring. My stories of the road include tour notes, camping experiences, and unforgettable people we've met -- all guaranteed to inspire you to go the distance. You can reach any seemingly impossible goal one day at a time! Check it out: Endorsement by Sports Illustrated -- among others

Rating:
Summary: snippets and snapshots
Review: I certainly admire greatly Barbara Siegert's spunk and initiative in starting bicycle touring at retirement age. That said, however, I don't share all the 5 star enthusiasm expressed for this book. Personally, I found it to primarily consist of fragmented, bits and pieces of observations and recollections. It's an interesting read, to be sure, but certainly not a really great book on cycle touring. The "Details" section toward the end does have some useful ideas and guidance. Sorry not to have been "wowed" by this book, but I just wasn't.....

Rating:
Summary: Great book; Barbara wrote a real page turner
Review: I found Bicycle Across America very helpful in planning my own bicycle trip down the Natchez Trace; from the "what to take" to a feeling of what it would be like riding, camping, and B&Bing it for 14 days. Bob Leavitt

Rating:
Summary: Makes you want to get on your bike & go!
Review: I found this book inspirational. What fun people. Here they are retired riding back and forth across the USA. If back and forth isn't enough, they've done it up and down too! While the book is short and light, I found it a fun read. The beginning section on short trips to get going and see how you like bike touring was a good suggestion. I also found the mileage logs to be a nice additional detail. I was surprised she mentioned map sources for bike trips but left out Adventure Cycling, available on the Internet and a great source geared toward bikes, not cars. Mostly this is a book of short stories of this couple's experience on the road. I doubt she ever meant it to be followed as a route, just a telling of her travels. Her suggestions are generally sound. Who can argue with the success of going across the whole country by bike, twice! I hope she writes more books and takes more trips. I hope she includes more stories of the road next time. If I have a criticism of the book, it would be its brevity. Surely there was more to describe in such long trips. If you are longing for a bit more detail, try reading one of Josie Dew's books. Her trips are just as long and the book's are rich with description and adventure.

Rating:
Summary: A good read - depending on who you are
Review: I went into reading "Bicycle Across America" by Barbara Siegert with expectations of a self-contained touring book that would give a detailed outline of 5 bike trips across the U.S. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I do not feel that it met my expectations adequately.

One of the first things that I noticed about this book was it's lack of detailed route information. Although it does outline some basic city-to-city day-to-day treks, it does not give you directions street-by-street, nor does it give you any detailed maps. The author admits for every route that "Distances are not always point to point. Some may include detours (voluntary or involuntary) and/or riding around within the tows at our starting point, en route, or at our destination." This sort of disclaimer does not do much for my confidence that this book will be there for me on a 70-plus day cross country journey.

What I DID like about this book was it's fun-to-read short stories of a couple's journey across the states. The book is laid out more like a travel-journal (or diary) than a travel guide. The author seems to open her heart and hold nothing back in passionately expressing the situations that she encountered and people she met along 5 trips across the U.S.

Another feature I liked about the book was it's "Details" section. It is written in a very personal common-sense style. It includes everything from what to bring and what to wear to where to wash your clothes, get your mail, and pay your bills.

If you are interested in reading an excellent narrative about a couple's adventures across America, this book is definately for you. If you are seriously considering a cross-country trip of your own, this book falls greatly short of what you will need.

Rating:
Summary: Makes you want to get on your bike & go!
Review: I went into reading "Bicycle Across America" by Barbara Siegert with expectations of a self-contained touring book that would give a detailed outline of 5 bike trips across the U.S. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I do not feel that it met my expectations adequately.

One of the first things that I noticed about this book was it's lack of detailed route information. Although it does outline some basic city-to-city day-to-day treks, it does not give you directions street-by-street, nor does it give you any detailed maps. The author admits for every route that "Distances are not always point to point. Some may include detours (voluntary or involuntary) and/or riding around within the tows at our starting point, en route, or at our destination." This sort of disclaimer does not do much for my confidence that this book will be there for me on a 70-plus day cross country journey.

What I DID like about this book was it's fun-to-read short stories of a couple's journey across the states. The book is laid out more like a travel-journal (or diary) than a travel guide. The author seems to open her heart and hold nothing back in passionately expressing the situations that she encountered and people she met along 5 trips across the U.S.

Another feature I liked about the book was it's "Details" section. It is written in a very personal common-sense style. It includes everything from what to bring and what to wear to where to wash your clothes, get your mail, and pay your bills.

If you are interested in reading an excellent narrative about a couple's adventures across America, this book is definately for you. If you are seriously considering a cross-country trip of your own, this book falls greatly short of what you will need.

Rating:
Summary: A good read - depending on who you are
Review: I went into reading "Bicycle Across America" by Barbara Siegert with expectations of a self-contained touring book that would give a detailed outline of 5 bike trips across the U.S. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I do not feel that it met my expectations adequately.

One of the first things that I noticed about this book was it's lack of detailed route information. Although it does outline some basic city-to-city day-to-day treks, it does not give you directions street-by-street, nor does it give you any detailed maps. The author admits for every route that "Distances are not always point to point. Some may include detours (voluntary or involuntary) and/or riding around within the tows at our starting point, en route, or at our destination." This sort of disclaimer does not do much for my confidence that this book will be there for me on a 70-plus day cross country journey.

What I DID like about this book was it's fun-to-read short stories of a couple's journey across the states. The book is laid out more like a travel-journal (or diary) than a travel guide. The author seems to open her heart and hold nothing back in passionately expressing the situations that she encountered and people she met along 5 trips across the U.S.

Another feature I liked about the book was it's "Details" section. It is written in a very personal common-sense style. It includes everything from what to bring and what to wear to where to wash your clothes, get your mail, and pay your bills.

If you are interested in reading an excellent narrative about a couple's adventures across America, this book is definately for you. If you are seriously considering a cross-country trip of your own, this book falls greatly short of what you will need.

Rating:
Summary: I'm raring to go!
Review: I've read Bicycle Across America and I'm raring to go! What an inspiration Barbara Siegert is! Her emphasis is on fun and adventure. She encourages the reader to leave the humdrum behind and set out on the adventure of a lifetime. Every day is a challenge to be met. Each morning she can't wait to get on her bike and see what lies over the next hill or around the next curve in the road - the small towns, the locals and their stories are the rewards of touring the country at 10 mph. Her practical information is A-one. I will pack my panniers only with the things she says I'll need - no frying pans or coffee pots hanging off my bike. I'll heed the advice of the guru of long-distance touring. I just can't wait to get on the road.....