Take a Seat: One Man, One Tandem and Twenty Thousand Miles of Possibilities

by Dominic Gill

When Dominic Gill set out from Alaska on his bicycle, it was to be no ordinary ride. His goal was to reach Ushuaia, the southernmost city in South America, and he was starting off far from confident and with barely enough food to last a week. But Dominic had a secret the spare seat. His bicycle was a tandem and he would invite strangers to join him on his long journey. Over 26 months, Dominic covered 18,449 miles down the west coast of the Americas, passed through 15 countries, was looked after by countless strangers, crashed into a banana truck and was attacked by a man with a rusty machete. But Dominic's journey wasn't just an endurance challenge full of derring-do. While sharing his bicycle with 270 strangers who wanted to help him on his way, Dominic discovered a world that differed dramatically from the scare stories and the sensationalist press reports that had shaped his preconceptions about life in the Americas. What started as a physically demanding road trip turned into the inspirational adventure of a lifetime.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Memoir, Cycling

287 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. There is no doubting the author's incredible achievement at cycling the Americas over the course of two years. The premise of his ride was intriguing - using a tandem to pick up fellow travellers and locals to journey with him felt like I was going to get a candid portrait into the lives of people and cultures from the other side of the world.

Instead of interesting insights into his stokers and researched information about the communities and countries he cycled through, I was given a linear blow by blow account of the food he ate and the number of hangovers he endured.

I came away from the read feeling a bit let down - the writer came across as moody and petulant, a bit self-absorbed and privileged. He spent no time drawing me pictures of his companions or the cultures he passed through, aside from tiny glimpses. This read became a bit of a trial for me towards the end - I am not sure his skill as an author has been able to convey the sheer struggle, both emotionally and physically, that an amazing journey of this kind must afford.

Still, saying that he's cycled 18,500 miles and written a book about it and I haven't, so huge kudos to him for embarking on an adventure of such scope and ambition. If this is something you're thinking about doing, this read is probably a great source of inspiration.

[Bob Schmitz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Given to me by my cycling brother in law. The author describes his trip by tandem bike from Alaska to Argentina. Could be a great story but it is boringly told. There is no description of the history, politics, ethnicities of the country and people he passes. The Guatemalans are short with leathery skin and colorful costumes. So? What else? He describes the scariest thing that happened to him: in a small town in Mexico a drunk son asks him to leave his families back yard to sleep some where else!?? There si little humor. A wide variety of people get on his tandem bike and bike with him for hours or days but about all he describes about them is how hard they pedal. And we learn little about him as a person other than his girl friend broke up with him when he decided to leave for a year to bike and that he is very fit and likes to drink with the people he meets. Would not recommend.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

The attraction to the book was to read about someone who would make this trip. The author is a very unusual man, a rare individual with a drive to do something challenging and who has the ability to make things work out.
To spend over 2 years, much of it alone, riding a bulky bike/trailer through all types of terrain and weather, and living on a diet I would never be able to exist on, was amazing. He is a social person who easily sought out strangers to be with him briefly. The conditions of where he slept were mostly very austere.
Anyway, the book is an account of trial after trial and the theme becomes a bit monotonous. Although the book seems to be about the rough trip (over 20,000 miles), the amazing thing is that anyone would do it.

[Shane Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I first learned about Dominic and his cycling exploits while he was riding around Tahoe with Ryan Van Duzer.

This should be a book I loved. I learned more about Dominic's diet than the people he encountered and pedaled with. At one point he mentioned having 250 something stokers yet I can only recall a memorable handful. Is there more to Chile than being cold and expensive? There was more about the terrain than the people living there.

I'm still going to watch the movie though.

[audrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why. Why would you go on a two-year-long ride where the object was to get perfect strangers to ride a tandem bike with you and then belittle most of those who do? Not fast enough, too weird, sings too much, too fat, has too much luggage -- Gill finds a reason to complain about nearly everyone. And when he feels like they don’t pedal hard enough he gets angry at them?

My dude, you could have just gone by yourself.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good travelogue about a young man who decides to ride from Alaska to the tip of South America on a tandem. He has different companions at different points in the ride and gives good pictures of the different cultures though which he travels.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5
I enjoyed reading the parts when he rode through places I’ve traveled (and there were a surprisingly large number), but otherwise, it was like reading someone’s journal.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure where to begin. Gill's journey is interesting, insightful and incredible from day 1. His writing is succinct, heartfelt and flowing. It's a touching human experience.

[CynthiaLubben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dominic traveled 18,000 miles on a tandem bicycle. A book only a cyclist could love. I can't wait to see the documentary!

[Stefanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book (and read it) years ago. Very recently, I decided to embark on my most challenging bicycle adventure yet (I'm in the early stages of planning), and I felt I should re-visit Gill's account of his journey from Alaska to Patagonia. I'm glad that I did. Gill's book is a true gem in the adventure travels niche; he manages to share the entire enchilada of what long-distance cycling entails: We participate in his joys, his pains, his enlightenments (including those about himself), his angers, his inspirations, and his learnings along the way. Gill is very outspoken about the downsides - including the downsides of his tortured downside - of long-distance cycling, while dragging along 200 pounds of dead weight. This isn't a romantic adventure, but it is a gritty task that more than once brings him to the brink of giving up.

Gills sense of observation is marvelous, and his writing is exquisite; he surely has a great way with words. Granted, his descriptions of the backseat companions he picks up along the way are rather short and less insightful than the descriptions of countries and cities and towns and countrysides he passes, however, something's gotta give in the task of trying to squeeze the adventures of 2 years and many different environments into about 300 pages, and I think Gill does a fine job in distilling the essence of his experience into this book and balancing the different aspects of what needs to be shared with the readers. Overall, this is a wonderful - and wonderfully honest - travel memoir that I have thoroughly enjoyed both times I've read it.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I first learned about Dominic Gill when I caught a few episodes of Take a Seat: Ride Across America, where Dominic converted his tandem to allow riders who wouldn't normally be able to ride a bike on legs across the country (think riders who are legally blind, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury). It was a really inspiring and fascinating documentary and I appreciated Dominic's apparent patience and good-naturedness.

This book is the story of his first tandem adventure, biking from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego over the course of two years, meeting people along the way, cycling through both desert and snow. He is honest about his fatigue, his at-times poor attitude and loneliness throughout the trip. Some of the people he met were clearly characters, and made me want to know more about them. Although it wasn't the focus of the book, I would have liked to have known more about the logistics: how trained was he in bike repair, how did he use maps or other guides, how many extra tubes, spokes, etc., did he bring along, what materials and supplies did he think were necessary.

[Mark Dodson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll start by saying that I really am impressed by the author's sense of adventure and ability to adjust to all kinds of uncertain, awkward, and difficult situations. Riding solo on a very heavy tandem, pulling a trailer of camping gear, and picking up strangers as riding partners along the way over a 2-year journey from Alaska to the southern tip of South America is totally off the charts. While there are some ups and downs along the way, for the most part, the trip goes relatively smoothly, and the author adjusts pretty well to most of what he encounters. That said, there's just, for the most part, not all that much drama for some long stretches. I'd like to have seen some more detailed maps of some of the areas he passed thru also. Overall, it's still quite a good read if you have an interest in bicycle touring. I'd be willing to rate it 3.5 stars.

[Celeste · Rating 3 out of 5]

I ordered this book on a whim. I like books about running and cycling, so I thought this one might be neat.

The premise had me interested from the start. And shortly after I started reading it I heard about some of the author's other adventures. Sometimes the author whined, and that would irritate me a little. But I'd stop myself and try to imagine what he was going through and I'd realize that he was in a tough situation. Hearing about the South American countries made me want to learn more about them. They sounded beautiful.

The writing was pretty good for a memoir on cycling. I enjoyed it for the most part.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story but not very well written. It was confusing at points and difficult to follow. I would have liked to see a map or 2 of the route and be introduced to who was on the bike and when. Sometimes as I read the author would refer to his new partner and you had no idea how they got on the bike! Maybe an editing problem? Otherwise the story was a good read - finished it on the plane ride between Europe and the US.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed the book - like othrs maps would have made it easier to relate to - it was really hard to get a sense of the scale of the journey. I mean 20,000 on a bike. 2 years + cycling. That's phenomenal. I also thought the author was brave to admit he was a bit of a dick for quite a lot of the time. It would be interesting to hear what the 'stockers' (Tandem riders) thought of it all and of him!

Definitely worth a read.

[Allan Beaufour · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite the trip he did; 20K miles on a tandem bike. Crazy idea really :) If you have a bit of the travel bug, the book cannot help to grow on you. That said, it's not a particular well written book; It's more a diary / collection of random experiences. I'm still happy I read it though

[Hella Comat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome story of an English cyclist who took a tandem bike from Alaska to the southern most tip of South America. He invited people he met along the route to ride along with him. It took him 2 years, stopping every now and then to make some money or dry out or rest. Great story!

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow what an adventure! 20,000 miles on a bike in all kinds of conditions. what a truly inspiring story about how open and hospitable people can be.
They shared what they had with him as he traveled through some extremely tough conditions.

[Ali Mandala-Kaynak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, my brother is doing this on a single bike.. so I'm pretty freaked out and yet excited for him. It had a lot of detail and yet wasn't too much. Sometimes I even wanted more. and I certainly wanted more pictures.

[Tuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

a good mix of biking technicalities, inward looking mulling, characters met on the road, and some cultural descriptions. A fine addition to the long distance bike genre.

[Becca]

So far I love this book, packed full of inspirational stories and true thoughts of a travelling tandem and his struggles to ride from the top of Alaska to the chin of South America.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspiring at times. Boring and drawn out at times... A perfect account of a 26 month bike ride.

[Edwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

18 1/2 thousand miles. Not a bad effort for a new comer makes our 425 miles look a bit mean

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

see the world from the seat of a bike

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

good book describing the struggles and highs of a very long journey by tandem ...enjoyed it

[Gwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

My kind of adventure story - vicarious.

[Diana Holland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed hearing about this guy's bike tour, but the writing itself isn't the best.

[Dave Emilio · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unknown,relatively. But such a good read. And inspiring!

[Ahimsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cool story, but it's a little sad that the writer is such a grump.