Heft on Wheels: A Field Guide to Doing a 180

Yes, I am in my mid forties, have always considered myself a cyclist and was desperately out of shape. I had read an excerpt from the book which was published in Bicycling Magazine and decided to buy it. I could not put it down. The book is real life...Mike is a real guy with real problems and a real determination to make his life better. Like us, he succeeds in some areas but still battles in others. You don't have to be a cyclist to be drawn in to the story but for those who do ride, it is even more relevant. Mike Magnuson's will and drive are evident as you read but he is also a truly exceptional rider with much talent. I live in western North Carolina, in the back yard of the Bridge to Bridge and Assault on Mt. Mitchell rides featured in the book. Mike does a good job in describing the challenge of those rides along with the mental and physical preparation required to complete them. I highly recommend this book for its humor and writing style along with its relevant life lessons. I must go now because after an almost 10 year vacation from the bike, I am training for the Bridge to Bridge ride this September. I blame this on Mike's book.

I bought it for the cover, but I loved it for the content. Mike is not truly 'everyman', but he's also not 'superman'. His flaws are familiar, drinking, smoking, overeating, and generally lazing about. His answer is a brilliantly unhealthy way to change his life through compulsive cycling. Sort of a bicycler's 'A Walk in the Woods' by Bill Bryson, Mike Magnuson discovers some things about himself that are more universal than we might wish. This book is for anyone who has ever secretly wished for a shortcut to enlightenment. Cycling is fun. Mike proves that cycling like crazy can be superfun.

"We" being the many other middle-aged clydesdale riders. Mike Magnuson decided to start taking his cycling seriously when he finally grew tired of being dropped on club rides. He had been cycling for some time but at one point he decided to quit drinking, smoking, and to lose weight - and he ultimately ends up completing some truly challenging rides like the "Bridge to Bridge Incredible Cycling Challenge" (100 miles of steep mountain ascents). I read this book last summer and found it to be inspirational. Like Mike, I am a large middle-aged athlete, and I lost sixty pounds via cycling (and running, mostly) and various lifestyle changes. Right now I'm training for my eighth full (running) marathon in five years. Although I wasn't inspired by Mike to make the change, having done that five years ago, I found this book helpful as ongoing encouragement for me to continue my newfound habits. Unlike Mike, I still get dropped during hilly club rides, and I'm not as competitive as Mike, but I'm going to guess that he is a sort of hero to lots of people like me. I am reviewing this book now because I just finished reading a novel, *The Memory of Running,* which has some similarities to this book. The narrator of that novel quit drinking, smoking, and overeating and rode his bike across the United States to ultimately find love, and to become an active member of the human race again. Mike Magnuson's story is much different. Unlike the passive, nearly "empty" character in *The Memory of Running,* Mike is aggressive and goal oriented. I like the way he made a plan and stuck to it instead of just letting success accidentally roll over him like Smithy did in *The Memory of Running*. Mike chose his change. Some people have criticized Mike for still being a jerk, or for just replacing one group of obsessions with another. So what? Like Mike says on his website (lummox.org) - "(Do people expect) that everything in life is going to be perfect just because somebody quits smoking?" Of course not. I enjoyed not only Mike's story but also his writing and I look forward to finding his other books and to future books as well.

I loved this book!!! I am so glad that in the end, the author realized that he needs more moderation in life. The whole time I was reading it I was feeling very sorry for his wife- left to make a living and raise the family alone.

"Heft on Wheels" tells the story of how a man resolves to get his life in order, via a bicycle. Mike weighs in over 255 pounds, chain smokes, and spends 3-4 nights a week getting drunk. Mike admits he tends to become obsessive about whatever he does (smoking, drinking, eating), and decides to turn this tendency into something healthful-cycling. Mike begins to live off protein shakes and 300 miles per week on the bike. One year later he has lost about 80 pounds and finds he has transformed his life, although not necessarily for the better. In the process of becoming obsessive over his cycling, Mike feels he may have sacrificed some aspects of his teaching career, and pushed the limits with his marriage and family obligations. The Kafka, Camus, and Beckett references are minimal and fit the narrative, despite Publisher Weekly's negative comments. This book is a great read for cyclists over 40 and should not be approached as a guide to professional cycling, dieting, or training. It is however very motivating and has inspired me to crank up the intensity level of my cycling workouts.