Bike for Burundi: A Ride Across One Country for the Future of Another

by Simon Guillebaud

Bike For Burundi started out as four men cycling over 3,000 miles across America from San Diego to Charleston to raise money for one of the poorest countries in the world. Their epic adventure included highs and lows as they persevered through sandstorms, over snow-capped mountains and across desolate deserts. It was a race against time and a battle against the elements. They were run off the road by a biker gang and attacked by numerous packs of feral dogs. They had to deal with the loss of a team member medically evacuated by helicopter, several spectacular crashes, multiple injuries, hallucinations, dehydration, mind games, road-kill, and more. Spurred on by the urgent situation back in Burundi, they defied the odds to complete their task through blood, sweat and tears-some of pain, others of laughter! Relive the adventure through Simon Guillebaud's vivid, moving and hilarious recounting of events and people they met along the way on what was the journey of a lifetime!

184 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2012

Reviews

[Dani · Rating 1 out of 5]

The prologue states that the author "claims no divine revelation for this work (...) and no beautifully-crafted language" and that it "first appeared as a blog, mostly written in a semi-comatose state" but "people were telling me it had to become a book. The blog went viral and the rest is history."

It would have been better if the history of this trip indeed ended with the blog but unfortunately he listened to his followers and made it in a... horrible book. A blog is not the same as a book. And this book makes this point: incoherent, coarse (almost pubertal) language oddly salted with his deep religious insights and guidance.

The book has its merit by showing what a travelogue should not be. It is a stark contrast with "De filosofie van de heuvel" by Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer

The only plus was the serendipitous information on sights and conditions he encountered like the Prada Marfa.

[Hal Brodsky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Missionary friends cycle across the Southern U.S. with full van support to raise money for Burundi. Armchair travelers might enjoy this and the cost goes to a good cause, but there is nothing special or insightful about this book, which was converted from a blog and is written in the form of a diary.