Riding Outside The Lines: International Incidents and Other Misadventures with the Metal Cowboy

His first book, titled 'Metal Cowboy', was a collection of bike stories from his many road trips. With 'Riding', Joe's still has tons of hilarious stories to make you snort milk out of your nose laughing. It's not so much a book about cycling, but snapshots of this wonderful world in which we live in and those we meet along the way. This is some of the best short-story non-fiction I've ever read, ever! How's that for my Highest Recommendation!!!

Someday I'll learn not to read Joe Kurmaskie's books. Or his magazine columns, for that matter. I enjoy them immensely, they are funny, they are thought-provoking, they are much more than just descriptions of places visited on a bicycle. They let us see through his eyes, share his thoughts on travel, people, the past and the future. I find myself putting off reading the last few pages, because I want it to last. So why should I not read any more of Kurmaskie's stuff? Because I'm jealous. I would like to be out there riding the world, and writing about it. Why is he doing it, and I'm not? Because it takes not only writing skill, but the nerve to get out there and do it. I'm glad that he does it, though, and that he writes about it so well. Someday I may follow his advice of "on yere bike". But until then, I'll be reading about Joe's adventures.

I read his first book - Metal Cowboy - on a lark and found its stories to be interesting, funny, well written, and at times even poignant. This second collection of stories is more of the same. It's great if you like to ride a bicycle. But even if you do not the stories have a charm of their own for which the bicycle is merely the vehicle to get you there (no pun intended.) The guy can write. His stories make for very good reading.

Joe won't tell you HOW to go bicycle touring, but his books sure show you WHY. His stories from almost every point on the globe have shown the best reasons to get out and get on your bike. He's not going to tell you what bike to buy or what equipment to bring, but you will learn the importance of getting a head start on chasing after all-girl bagpipe squads and maybe getting a second opinion before harvesting cantaloupe. Joe's world is an exciting place filled with wonderful characters and great places to be. After reading both "The Metal Cowboy" and this most recent work, "Riding Outside the Lines", I can't help but ask myself: "What am I doing here??" Get the books, read the books, GO FOR A BIKE RIDE!

Joe's first collection, "Metal Cowboy" showed us the makings of a rich storyteller. What stuck with me - his ability to put humor and inspiration into a barrel of adventures across America. What I hoped for in his next offering, his global trek, best case, much more of the wit and his eye for observational humor and quicky characters. I hoped for more Twain style tales like A Friendly Game of Darts - the sort that you have to imagine grow and expand inside Joe's head on quiet backroads and long days on the road. But Wow, the new book is more than I expected - I was laughing outloud during his Ireland stories, and South America gets way out there in a very ON THE ROAD way. In The Outback, When the bodybuilder with a thick accent wearing a kilt and driving a blue vestpa stands over a sleepy, out of sorts cowboy and the man is wearing a T-shirt that said "In case of the rapture I'll be off looting the homes of the righteous!" Joe had a reader for life. His writing has grown more subtle and definitely, definitely funnier.