Riding Out: A Journey of Love, Loss and New Beginnings

by Simon Parker

The remarkable and inspirational true story of how one man battled grief and anxiety, one pedal stroke at a time, on a 3,500-mile adventure around Britain

In March 2020, as Britain entered its first lockdown, Simon Parker’s life fell apart; his travel journalism career vanished overnight and shortly afterwards he received the tragic news that a close friend had died. With a long-suppressed anxiety disorder starting to rear its head, he turned to the only therapies he knew and trusted: travel and exercise.

Setting off on his bike from the northernmost point of Shetland with only a sleeping bag and a camping stove, Simon would end up cycling 3,427 miles around Britain. En route, he would meet hundreds of resilient Britons, who were all, in their own way, riding out the storm just like he was. Even in his gloomiest moments he began to see that a chink of light was never too far away.

Riding Out is a story of optimism and hope, and a ground-level portrait of Britain as it transforms from a country in crisis to a nation on the mend. From Shetland to the Scillies, Dover to Durness, Simon learns that life’s sharpest corners are best navigated at the gentle pace of a bicycle.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Cycling, Biography

320 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2023

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I have just finished this book I’m now attempting to find some words to describe this book (gets out thesaurus). Dazzling, Astounding, Gut-wrenching, Remarkable, Kick-Ass. There ya go a few words to give you an idea of just how good this is. I’ve read a few books now which cover the events of the Covid pandemic but none feel quite as important as this one, a proper good piece of journalism looking into how the lockdowns and incompetent government affected the people of Scotland and England, with a big focus on mental health.

Simon Parker is a travel journalist and was unable to work during the lockdown, he was dealing with the loss of a childhood friend, unable to pay the mortgage and overwhelmed by everything that was going on, so what he did was try to escape it all by going on a cycling journey. Starting off in the Shetlands he cycles the length of those islands, then the Orkneys before hitting mainland Scotland, wild camping as much as possible and staying somewhere warm only when he couldn’t possible handle the elements any more. Gradually he cycles around the coast with a break for the second lockdown (unfortunately missing out Wales due to the border being closed) eventually heading north again. And during the whole of this journey he uses his unique skill of getting people to open up to find how life has been for them.

I think this book is less about the cycling and more an anthropological study of the British people, he comes across the shining beacons of kindness far more times than I expected, it was wonderful to read his journey and to see the updates on twitter taking their effect and people reaching out again and again (totally gutted I missed this event). I’ve read a number of books about people travelling around the world and relying on the kindness of strangers and always thought you’d never get this kindness in Britain….so glad to be proven wrong. And of course he does meet the odd total bell-end but comes out mostly unscathed.

He has committed himself fully to this task, no shortcuts and no support system following him on the road, he shares the highs and lows with the reader, those moments he was overwhelmed I felt I was there…those moments when he woke up hungover I was also there shaking my head and tutting. I do feel a sort of kinship with him, at one point he says there is nothing on Earth worth visiting when 1000s of others are also there, that’s exactly how I am, I’ll put the effort into trying to find that place nobody else bothers to go to.

This is one of those once in a lifetime books you’ll come across, somebody has truly put themselves through hell and then has the talent to put those experiences into words, if you don’t give it a go then you’re poorer for missing out. The big question now is has this book inspired me to get out there and go on an adventure to find myself? Well the bike is in the shed and does look like it’s comfy at the moment…maybe if there is a zombie apocalypse I’ll get out for a long bike ride.

Blog review: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2022...

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is really hard being a travel writer when you’re not allowed to travel. This was the problem that Simon Parker had as the pandemic swept around the world at the beginning of 2020. Gone were the fancy flight and stays in nice hotels that were his natural habitat in his career as a travel journalist. His partner’s public relations business had more or less folded and they had no income and didn’t know when they would be able to earn again.

They had to give up their flat and move elsewhere and then to top it all a close friend died. The anxiety that he somehow had managed to keep suppressed began to bubble up and he knew that if he didn’t do something soon he would be a total lost cause. The therapies that he knew would work were travelling and exercise and it was these two activities that he turned to. He made a plan to cycle from the most northerly point on the British Isles, and he paused, overlooking the magnificently named Muckle Flugga, a lighthouse in Shetland. He climbed on his bike and cycled away.

Apart from the odd training ride, he had done very little training and he knew that he was going to feel it very soon. It was a journey that he hoped would help him meet new people and experience new things, the first person he came across on Shetland that he wanted to ask the way was a postman. His PPE was one stage down from a hazmat suit and it was then it dawned on him that cycling in the midst of a covid pandemic, might not be the trip he had envisaged.

Travel, I was reminded, was only ever a force for good.

It would change though and the people that he would meet as he cycled south would show kindness and generosity in equal measure. Not only is it an exploration of Scotland and England at 15mph on a bicycle in the midst of a pandemic, but it is a journey through Parker’s mind as he battles with self-doubt, anxiety and his mental health. On top of that, he has had to cope with the grief of losing two close friends. But in amongst that maelstrom he somehow manages to hang on and the dark moments fade away with the help of friends, family and the strangers that he meets on his ride.

I liked this a lot. Not only is it a really good travel book about his two journeys around the coast of the UK in the time of the pandemic and numerous lockdowns but Parker is using it to be open about addressing sensitive and complex issues about his mental health. It goes to prove that the greatest adventure you can have is not scaling vast mountain ranges, rather is it coming to terms with your abilities and limits.

[georgie_porgie · Rating 1 out of 5]

The advice I'd give to anyone thinking of reading this book: read the first 20 pages, they are hilarious, and had me actually laughing aloud and pulling people aside to read them passages. The rest of the book was like dragging myself through broken glass. This guy is so unbelievably self-absorbed, judgemental of others and competitive in such an unhealthy way. He'll zip through a town, get a snapshot of someone's life, and label them as lazy, unkind, rude, etc. despite having no idea who they are or where they are in their life journey. He'll then guzzle energy drinks and eat junk food for weeks on end, write ten pages straight on his bowel movements, and basically summise with "But why me? Why does the universe hate me!". He yo-yoes between wanting to get back on the open road and being desperate to get back home to the girlfriend (later, fiancee) that he's forgotten about for the majority of the book. And at the end of the book, he comes to the groundbreaking conclusion that you need to take care of yourself - eat well, spend time outdoors, sleep enough. If you're looking to continue your journey with this author, try banging your head against the wall - you'll get the same effect.

[Emma Hardy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this, I think we all remember those lockdown boredoms all too well. However, Simon's honesty and bravery in this book is astonishing and makes for a compelling read.
There are times where I wished he just went home, but in any good book that doesn't happen and this is no exception.
The discussion of mental health is prominent in this read and a very important one. It is appreciated how candid the author is in this read and I hope it supports anyone who needs the help to reach out.

Engaging, and unlike anything I've read before. I still won't be hopping on a bike anytime soon, but will happy to read bicycle adventures from the comfort of my flat from this author.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd class myself as an avid cyclist and have known and spoken at length with friends who have done variations of LEJOG. This book was about more than the route though, it was personal and interesting look past the cycling and into the state of the nation during the COVID lockdowns and beyond.

Read at home. Thanks Harry!

[Ape · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable cycle-travel tale of doing an entire loop around the UK. So many familiar places, and also inspiring in wanting to get out and do something and explore more. As this is happening over 2020-2021, between lockdowns, it also brings back memories of our own lockdown and covid experiences - the good and the bad, because there were both during this period. Funny, when he first started out in Shetland and Orkney in 2020 straight after the first lockdown had ended, people were so standoffish, masked up and kind of terrified. And for a moment you think, wow, they must have been really paranoid up there. But you reflect, here we are in the summer of 2022, either immune to the terror or feeling like covid is now history (I wish it completely was, but I think the jury is still out on that). And you think back to how it was in the beginning. Something most of us had never experienced. It was scary.

Simon Parker is a travel journalist, so basically with the pandemic, his work disappeared overnight - no travel allowed. So between cabin fever of being stuck at home, financial worries, and quite a tragic back history (for someone only in his thirties, he has already lost a shocking number of friends), he decides to do this cycle round Britain to keep going. Stubborn and obsessive he does become, yes, but you also see him find some peace and joy. But I hope he manages to marry this up with normal life as well, so he's not constantly dependent on the extreme to make him feel calm and of purpose. Because I did also get the theme of a load of friends telling him how important family was, kids were the best thing they ever did, and he wants to do it now. Which is all well and good, but it's an easier decision to make as a bloke, and have the bike waiting when it all gets bit much. I do still think, despite the improvements and more liberal thinking towards children that our society has, compared to say 50 years ago, the heavier side of responsibility and life-change still stays with the woman. Not always as easy an off-the-cuff decision for the rest of their lives.

I digress. It's a great travel journal of the UK. It's also a thought provoking and reflective look at the pandemic on Britain. He speaks to a lot of people who have been affected in good and bad ways. The obvious negative is the deaths, and the loss of loved ones. But there's also the businesses that folded over night, or the more creeping destruction of communities that has ramped up with the rich second-home owners, having drunk areas like Cornwall and the Lake District dry, now turn their eyes to other areas such as Yorkshire and Shetland. He doesn't touch on all this greatly, but it worries me, because it couples in with the selfish, panik buying hoarding that we saw some do in the lockdowns - the attitude that as long as I'm all right and get all that I think I deserve (including the second home) the impact of my actions on other people, communities, the environment, ROW are completely irrelevant. There's a tragic comparison when he's down on the south coast, near or at Poole I think and he's going past a stretch of obscenely priced mansions, and then next to some socially deprived areas, homeless people and lives that don't seem to have a hope of getting out of the hole. As a society we are money and material fixated, and the things we need to live and luxuries have grown muddled. It's frightening how much some have against how little others have, and how some can't do with out some luxuries so that more could have a bit of the basics. Don't get me wrong, over all this book has a lot of good people and good thoughts, and some of this is coming out of my worries as to where we're headed as a country at the moment, but it is a worry.

I have noticed that Simon Parker is doing a book tour at the moment. Part of me wonders about going, but complications of getting an evening to myself probably will thwart that.

Borrowed from the library.

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riding out is not just a story about going for a cycle tour when covid first arrived to disrupt our life, it’s so much more.
This book is an honest and often humorous, account of battling with anxiety, the impact of covid from many points of view on people, livelihoods, and the environment, an emotional rollercoaster, an epic struggle against weather and roads, a joyous account of the benefits of exercise and nature, the reality of cycle touring, an uplifting view of beautiful Britain, insight into fear, the kindness of strangers, and the freedom to know yourself.
I learnt about places I’d never heard of, statistics that blew my mind, and snippets of history that made me wish I’d paid more attention at school.
There are stunning descriptions enabling me to visualise, smell, taste, and understand places, views, people, meals, and emotions.
A sunrise – ‘Streaks of amethyst washed through the tussled grass, like purple rinse reinvigorating a pensioner’s grey perm.’
After rain – ‘...and when the clouds parted the land throbbed with luscious petrichor, so thick and moreish the air tasted of watermelon.’
People – ‘Five middle-aged men in gaudy trainers and skin-tight leggings wheezed past me, their heels fluttering up and down the pavement.’
A stag – ‘Two perfect antlers, the colour of coffee-stained teeth…’
There are sentences which stopped me from my fast onward read, stopped me in a good way, sentences which focus on an aspect of life, and made me think more deeply about what we do, such as – ‘If a whale dies on a beach and no one puts a photo of it on Facebook, did that whale die at all?’

I could go on and on, but it makes more sense for you to buy the book and read it.

I’m going to read it again, right now, slower so I can absorb what I gobbled too fast the first time around.

And if you get the opportunity to hear Simon Parker speak, don’t miss it. He’s such an honest man with a melodious voice and I can’t wait for him to make the audio version of this book.

[Victoria Gibbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it, really well written. Great balance between cycling, travel/location descriptions, covid lockdown politics and mental health.

[Amelia Wally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! Such a genuine, honest, and thoughtful voice throughout, plus so many relatable moments if you're a lover of cycling, the outdoors, and adventure.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Riding Out is a wonderfully honest account of a journey undertaken by the author, from one end of the British Isles to the other, for the sake of his mental health. When his successful career as a travel journalist came to an abrupt halt when the first lockdown was announced in March 2020, Simon Parker was overwhelmed with anxiety. As soon as it was possible, he did the only thing that would alleviate his symptoms and took to the road. No stranger to long distance cycling trips, he heads for the northernmost point of the Shetland Islands, Muckle Flugga lighthouse, and begins his long journey towards Lands’ End.
Travel writing can sometimes be a bit dry, but not Riding Out as I found this very readable and got halfway through in one sitting. There was a vicarious pleasure in reading about this trip, allowing me to experience something I could never actually do. Along the way, I revisited lots of familiar places and saw others for the first time. I was in awe at what he put his body through, and the distances he managed to cover in a single day. It was heartwarming to read about the many people following his progress and offering hospitality to a stranger.
Over the course of his journey, he highlights the plight of small businesses and freelancers that were in real trouble financially when the country went into lockdown, as they slipped through the net and and did not qualify for any financial help. He paints a disturbing picture of the NC500 route around the north of Scotland. It has attracted thousands of tourists into an area that does not have the infrastructure to cope with the increased numbers. I am familiar with this beautiful part of the country, and I felt sad that people were behaving in this way.
At times, I felt he put himself under too much pressure to cover the extra miles, but it is amazing what the human body can cope with. Over the last few years, with the world in lockdown, I have found myself reading more travel writing. Riding Out is the book I have enjoyed the most, and I hope there will be another by Simon Parker in the not too distant future. I look forward to reading it.

[Anthony Frobisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pedalling a pandemic.

As someone who has cycled long distances, including John O'Groats to Lands End and has experienced the fear, isolation and anxiety of depression, Simon Parker's honesty about his own mental health issues is refreshing to read. To cycle, to circumnavigate his way around Britain from the furthest point north in Orkney to Lands End and back is an impressive feat. To take on such a challenge during the pandemic, with lockdowns looming and in place, and dealing with crippling anxiety as well as coming to terms with personal loss and grief, makes this journey even more so.
It is a cycling journey, but much more so. It is about our humanity, our need for social interaction, contact, the warmth and presence of friendship, the love of family, the kindness of strangers, and the sense of community. All of which were greatly impacted during the Covid pandemic.
The book helped calm my anxious mind and fired my imagination to get on my bike and ride far and free once more, for the sheer delight of turning the pedals, passing the miles and the places and people you meet.
Thank you, Simon, a book I needed to read and am grateful I did.

[Gem ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

During the start of the pandemic Simon Parker's career as a travel journalist disappeared overnight, to tackle a multitude of problems piling up for him, he chose to cycle around the British coastline, initially from the Northernmost point in Shetland down to furthest part of England he could reach. During the early part of his journey, tragedy strikes and his travels become even more a quest for working through grief, mental health and finding connection with local people all struggling with their own hardships. After a brief rest be chooses to continue his adventures by doing a return route along the Devon coast & around the east back up to Shetland.
This is such an interesting book, not only for cycling enthusiasts, but for anyone who has an interest in nature & the simple life. Simon's encounters across the lengths of the British isles highlight what kindness there is amongst communities, the resilience of people during tough times and how issues such as the pandemic and Brexit etc affected different areas of the country.
A very honest, brave and entertaining read

[Nick Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in 2 sittings, as something else came up in between I had to attend to, so the dates don’t reflect my enjoyment.
I saw Simon Parker do a show talking about his book, then met him after and I bought, and he signed the book.
It was inspiring. I wanted to tell all the people I care about, the details of his travels, without giving too much away; so they could read it too.
He has completed an adventure, which inspires me to do the same.
The stories of his mental health struggles really spoke to me. And I really related to the fact that at times he was really struggling and not enjoying his challenge, yet felt compelled to carry on.
Utterly rewarding (the read, and his experience).

[P · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredible journey, during an incredible time. Any person who can go out and do this sort of thing fascinates me with their motivation and courage. I felt like Simon almost got there with "talking" about his struggle with depression, but couldn't quite get to a depth he needed to get too. Maybe just my interpretation, either way, I truly hope he is doing well, and currently on another cycle journey I see.

[Dora · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started off really well and I was looking forward to a great read. I was rather surprised that he even went off on this ride during lockdown and expected people to interact with him.

He zipped through towns and villages and didn’t seem very interested in any of them. I thought some of his comments were very arrogant and even my beautiful Norfolk was portrayed as a bit of a dump to him.

Have read much better “finding yourself” books.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

An open and honest account of the battle we often face with ourselves, especially in the light of the challenges of a global pandemic. Simon's journey inspires hope and possibilities for our own life journeys. A great read.

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable, if slim and a quick read. Did find it hard to match up a supposedly competent and well-traveled journalist with how he described many situations, perhaps deliberately written in the "inept english" school of travel writings

[Payal Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful book. It was a joy to be around. Absolutely captivating. A pleasure to read, I cried with joys of happiness, I laughed plenty, I thoroughly enjoyed as if he was telling me the story

[Michael Gradwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent entertaining read that sets out n interesting recollection of an epic bike journey. I disliked how the author essentially wrote off urban areas, particularly the NW of England, as being of no interest to a cyclist. This made the book feel unbalanced and was to its detriment in my opinion.

[Rich Briers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable read, amazing distance he covered and some great experiences too during difficult times.

[John Ollerton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sometimes horrific journey around Britain carrying the weight of the world which sometimes became a little too heavy

[Max Deacon-Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cycling, adventure, overcoming adversity, exploring the quirks of the British people: what more to ask for

[Chris Wilby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lockdown cycle ride with highlights off the bike just by being in the right place at the right time.

[Simon Knowlton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not an accomplished wordsmith, and no review I can give this book will do it justice. Just read it.

[Mark Salmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good read of a very difficult time . Lots of things I could connect too being a cyclist as well . A way to live your life to be happy and makes the UK sound amazing .

[KIRSTIN HALL · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written. Made me chuckle in places.

[Louis Jouet · Rating 5 out of 5]

un mec qui traverse l'angleterre à vélo

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the first half or so, then got slightly fed up with the constant "woe is me" and the frequent references to mental health that everyone has become so obsessed about. But overall, it was a good read, very well written (even if Simon seemed to have swallowed all the adjectives from The Salt Path and pushed them into every sentence). Some memorable and funny lines / anecdotes.

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm… This is a completely engaging read, but perhaps not the best example it could have been, and not exactly what I think the author wanted of it. We start with all the evidence we need and more of the author being a battered soul, with school friends dying, these people dying, this person close to death – and there is a good argument to be had for saying there is too much of the medical in this book. I don't just mean what cycling a thousand miles and more in a month does to your a-hole, but the mental reasons for it, the quibbles and first world problems leading to doubt about doing it, and all the grief slathered on. I assumed the author expected more sympathy from all his readers – which is probably what means he's a travel writer and I won't ever get to be.

But the book is also a look at a country in a unique place – the Covid lockdowns thrust and thrust again upon us. To some extent he wants to survey the UK and its people and how they are reacting to the restrictions, but this part of the book is (perhaps thankfully) briefer than expected. He meets a few people, when I thought he would be interacting with more (more fool me – this is under lockdown!!), and he doesn't really lead to much other than a couple of farmers who refused the jab, much to his surprise.

Still, for all the mental health reasons for the journey and the not-quite-there journalistic revelations of the story-telling here, this is a fairly remarkable achievement. I would not ever intend to cycle John o'Groats to Land's End, let alone go a longer way between the two, let alone have a few days' run-up to the traditional start, and certainly let alone the return leg via Margate and Scarborough. Our man manages it all, with the help of a stalwart partner back at home, lots of charitable Tw*tter followers, and a heck of a lot of legwork. And let's face it I was here for the travel side of things, not the mental and grieving revelations, nor the lived-through-that-thanks coronasniffles stuff. I was there for the experiences with punctures, bad beds for the night, inappropriate weather – and all that is certainly here. He seemed a personable, trustworthy guy on the page (although he dismissed Berwick too easily), and I liked the reportage from the saddle.

The book does do what the cover wants – show a man heading off, bright red panniers ahoy, into a potentially dazzling new dawn. But it seemed a book with a lot more on its mind, and not all of that worked for me. This is a book whose thesis is that the outside world, the freedom of lockdown, the open air and empty road, is the mental panacea for us all. And just two years later we have uber-privileged twonks unable to behave in theatres, a mahoosive increase in fan incursions and attacks on the football field, and so on, and I bet you anything you like the lockdown price reductions (£200 hotel rooms for under £50, and so on) are definitively a thing of the past with the greed-of-living crisis. I can see a cycling ordeal made a new man of our author – it's remarkable this is his first book, considering what, how and where he's travelled before – but I think his optimistic love of the road and his fellow Brit is not that well-founded. Still, living with that – for want of a subtler word – delusion is still worth three and a half stars.

[Steve Chilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the tale of a long cycle ride which the author embarked on as a challenge to overcome personal psychological problems. In itself it is an interesting story with some humorous incidents. For no reason at all I couldn't help compare it to some of Tim Moore's adventures which I recall way better than I am likely to remember Parker's in time.