Two Wheels And A Map: A Solo Bicycle Journey Down The East Coast

by Bob Neubauer

Long before smart phones and GPS devices simplified bike touring, cyclists were crossing the roads of this country, equipped with little more than two wheels and a map. This is the tale of one such rider who tackled the East Coast in the early '90s. Leaving behind an unfulfilling job, he loaded up his bike and set off, meandering along rural back roads, meeting strangers, listening to their stories and enjoying their unexpected hospitality. Not everything went as planned, though. Unforeseen circumstances forced him in directions he hadn’t anticipated; searing summer heat drained his energy; and he spent many a nervous night bedding down where he didn't belong. His trip touched the tip of failure—yet succeeded in ways he hadn’t imagined. Through it all, the people who crossed his path, sometimes offering only a kind word, gave him the inspiration he needed to persevere. Two Wheels and a Map details Bob Neubauer's two-part solo bike journey from Bangor, Maine, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. His often-amusing observations on the people and predicaments he encountered along the way give the book a lighthearted tone as it chronicles his life on the open road. Bob Neubauer is also the author of Alone in A Solo Bike Trip Across Austria. It chronicles his two-wheeled journey from Salzburg to Vienna, Austria, visiting quaint villages, castle ruins and ancient monasteries.

202 pages, Paperback

First published March 21, 2008

Reviews

[Jesse]

I read the kindle version of this. The formatting was super shitty which didn't help me enjoy this book any better.

And based on the reviews at amazon, I think he had his friends write them. I was originally really interested in reading this because of my plans to bike through Japan and just generally getting into biking over the past year or so. I was hoping to get some inspiration and really enjoy this book.

I guess, I did get inspiration from it, but I did not enjoy it. I think the main problem with my book was well, Bob. He stated he was a boy scout when he was younger, and I think he was a bit too much of a boy scout still while writing it. His writing felt really restrained like he was writing a letter to his grandmother. And he repeated himself a lot. His his weariness of people. His mocking of people who had actual gear and preparations. He was kind of even hypocritical. He wouldn't get a ride somewhere because his bike was broken. but, then because he made a mistake and got lost, then attacked by biting flies, and didn't have enough water because he somehow forgot to fill it up, he then got a ride out of the woods, but didn't bat an eye of regret to that. And there was a little pang of homophobia near the end that really turned me towards the end.

[Joe Dimond]

Not sure if other reviewer read the same book I did. Formating for Kindle seems fine now. I liked the book a lot. Funny at times. He had some interesting experiences and met a lot of people on his ride. He does a good job describing people me met and giving a picture of their lives. I hated to stop reading when my train came to the station because I wanted to see what happened next. Thats the sign of a good book to me.