Miles From Nowhere

Picking up this book on a whim, I had no idea what impact Barbara and Larry would have on me! Even though the story is 25 years old, it is fresh as can be. Read this book and then read "Hey Mom,Can I ride my bike across America?" and see how Barbara and Larry inspired a middle school teacher, his wife and 5 students to ride their bikes from DC to California. It's amazing how well these books go together.

With all the reviews posted here, it's hard not to sound like a "me-too" reviewer... But there are some aspects of this book that can still be called out. [FIRST] Prospective bike tourists tend to think of equipment, conditioning, and education as the tasks they need to do in preparation. But if you're taking on something as significant as a world tour, you'd better be prepared to trust your touring partner, because the stress will be on your relationship. Barbara brings this out beautifully, both in describing the changes she went through with her husband Larry, and the contrast between their growing partnership and some of the more parasitic folks they picked up along the way. [SECOND] Something Americans don't often "get," even when we take conventional tours, is how very different this country is from other parts of the world. Barbara's graphic descriptions of cycling through Egypt (frightening) and India (just very crowded and no privacy) bring this home in a unique manner. And, were the Savages brave or stupid to travel through bandit-terrorized areas of Thailand? She leaves just enough ambiguity to our imagination so that we have to think it through ourselves. [FINALLY] An activity that was for 10-mile, casual spins became a daily routine, and I hate to see Barbara and Larry boarding that plane for California at the end of their journey. I want to know that they'll continue their ride, seeking further adventures -- and it hits me hard to learn that Barbara was killed in a cycling accident while the book was at press. This book grew on me, as good stories do, and I wanted to believe at the end that I could pick up the phone and somehow invite Barbara and Larry out for a ride. I have to "settle" for doing it myself some day.

I have never laughed as hard as I did as when I read sections of Barbara Savage's "Miles Form Nowhere". I also shed some tears at other sections.This well-written adventure story, with a woman's touch, is a wonderfully entertaining and emotion-tugging delight. Men and women alike (who bicycle, or care about someone who does) will especially enjoy this book.The tempo varies, but never drags. The language and the syntax are easy to read, yet not simplistic. This book is definitely one to own, and to re-visit periodically.

I read this book 8 years ago. I was about to embark on a journey through Africa on my bicycle and found motivation through Barbara's tale. What struck me the most was that she and her husband were riding 10 speeds! 10 speeds! Imagine. And they did it (imagine "granny gear" on a 10 speed)! Their journey, her words, her life are inspirational. I have my bicylce tales in foreign lands as well, but rather than writing about them, I found myself laughing and relating and thanking her for her anecdotal comraderie. Rest in Peace, Barbara Savage. Your life shines.

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!