One Wheel-Many Spokes: USA by Unicycle

Rating:
Summary: Virtual Travel
Review: I am at the Statue of Liberty with the One Wheel Crew! I literally cried when I read this part of the book. I could feel what it was like to accomplish this ride, and I could feel what it was like to be on the support crew too!! I am not traveling from Alaska this summer, so this has been a wonderful experience from my armchair or sittng on my deck. Beautiful writing and deep meaning are all part of this book. Congrats to those who made it possible! I am headed to the Pacific now, as Lars rides back!

Rating:
Summary: Not just for cyclists
Review: I wanted to take the trip again as soon as I put "One Wheel, Many Spokes"
down.? Like other books on distance cycling ("Pedaling the Ends of
the Earth", "Miles From Nowhere" and, of course, "It's Not About the
Bike"), One Wheel is less about the bike and more about life and
living.?? Lars is a remarkable person and his straightforward
storytelling managed to capture me completely.? I had tears in my eyes
for much of the book and was touched by what he saw and reflected on
throughout his journey.? His connection with "the human experience" and
that connection with the land resonated powerfully with me and I am
lucky to have participated with him and his wonderful (extended) family
in his journey.

Rating:
Summary: Not just for cyclists
Review: I wanted to take the trip again as soon as I put "One Wheel, Many Spokes"
down.  Like other books on distance cycling ("Pedaling the Ends of
the Earth", "Miles From Nowhere" and, of course, "It's Not About the
Bike"), One Wheel is less about the bike and more about life and
living.   Lars is a remarkable person and his straightforward
storytelling managed to capture me completely.  I had tears in my eyes
for much of the book and was touched by what he saw and reflected on
throughout his journey.  His connection with "the human experience" and
that connection with the land resonated powerfully with me and I am
lucky to have participated with him and his wonderful (extended) family
in his journey.

Rating:
Summary: A travelogue like no other
Review: One Wheel Many Spokes: USA By Unicycle is the unique story of Lars Clausen's one man, 50-state, unicycle trip. From the West Coast to the Statue of Liberty and back again, One Wheel Many Spokes is a inspired and inspiring account of the joy an adventure, and along the way, observing different flavors of regional way of life, as well as simple ponderings while putting effort into the pedals. One Wheel Many Spokes is a travelogue like no other and very highly recommended reading.

Rating:
Summary: Hallelujah
Review: What a great story. Very well-written and easy to read, with plenty of description, Lars Clausen weaves the story of his unicycle trip across the country, his family support, his personal theology and his passion for life.

As a person who lives in Nome, Alaska... I found this book to be an excellent description of not only life here on the Seward Peninsula, but also of many other places around the country.

Clausen writes about his ups and downs and not just on the trail. You will find yourself rooting for him and his family as they patch together their RV and follow a path through all 50 states.

Quotes from Mark Twain, histories of Native American people, lots of food descriptions and true determination make this a wonderful read for anytime and anywhere.

Rating:
Summary: Inspiration through Perspiration
Review: What a remarkable person! What a remarkable story! We are into the new Millennium and still so many of us only focus on ourselves yet here is a man who looked beyond himself to see the needs of others and to find a way to connect with our country on a very visceral and yet spiritual level. Importantly, he did not do this alone but with the daily support of a very loving family, friends and innumerable strangers.

This book has more than a little for everyone--a bit of history, geography, spirituality, community--and a lot of love and friendship.

My knees hurt just reading this!!!

Rating:
Summary: A Soulful Journey through the United States
Review: You can't reach old age by another man's road. ~Mark Twain

The One Wheel Many Spokes story helped to publicize the needs of the Inupiat Eskimos of the Seward Peninsula. Through this journey, Lars Clausen helped to earn money for an Endowment Fund to help a struggling tribe of Eskimos.

The unicycle route starts on April 22, 2002 and ends on November 12, 2002. Riding across the country on a regular bike sounds pretty incredible, but to ride on a unicycle seems almost unbelievable. Yet this journey is recorded by Lars Clausen in glowing detail. He records his experiences in each state, conversations, special events he happens upon and explains how difficult it is to ride a bike in some states.

Lars Clausen has a love for the writings of Mark Twain and many of them were familiar quotes that have probably inspired us all in various moments of our lives. I like the one about how disappointed we will be by the things we didn't do than by the ones we did do. In the process of traveling across America, Clausen also establishes the longest distance traveled by unicycle in a 24-hour period.

He tells stories of caterpillars crossing roads, conversations with people he meets at convenience stores, traveling with his family, and the generosity of people he meets along the way. While on the road he also takes pictures of shampooing the Husky dogs after the skunk, pictures by state signs and his kids riding mini unicycles. He journeys through a Mojave Desert storm, cycles past snow-capped mountains and rides close to a raging hurricane in Louisiana. He also encounters Times Square Traffic!

Clausen and his family are now volunteering at Holden Village, a retreat center in the heart of Washington's Cascade Mountains. His life is the perfect example of how you can set good into motion through loving decisions.

~TheRebeccaReview.com