Downhills Don't Come Free

Overall, this book felt like a male version of Wild! Well, except Mr. Holl didn't have a near rape experience. But otherwise it has all the same plot points: unprepared and untrained person decides to find themselves on some crazy over the top physical adventure. In Mr. Holl's case he decided to cycle from Alaska to Mexico. How was his saddle not seriously sore after the 78 miles he road the first day? And how can he be so inept with a bicycle but be thoroughly educated regarding camping protocol? In addition to my questions regarding the actual ins and outs of Mr. Holl's adventure, they presentation of the material was somewhat flat. Throughout the book, even when interacting with others, the voice remained the same: they all sounded like Mr. Holl. But, while the book could have used some editorial assistance, it was an overall good read and presented a lot of helpful information for someone contemplating their own great cycling adventure.

Like the author, I'm a sucker for adventure memoirs. Normally that is thruhikers, but this adventure of riding from Alaska to Mexico by bike was a good one. Like all adventures, the people he met are a good part of the story. I enjoyed the book. The narrative feels a bit contrived at certain points where the author uses a conversation to explain his thinking and feelings. But overall a good read.

I loved this book,I read a lot of books about cycling,travel,walking,this book is in my top 10,he tells about the place and the Bears he sees and the places he stays,this book is a must read,very well wriiten

This is a book based on a blog, and it made me want to read the blog more than the book. The thing is, if I'd been reading the blog daily I think I would've been hooked. Reading it after the event? It doesn't have quite the same compulsive draw. But that's leaping ahead, so back to the start.

Jerry Holl introduces himself as someone who's led a pretty active and exciting life. Maybe if you're an X-Games regular you'll think it a bit tame, but next to the average person he's not exactly shied away from a challenge. What follows is best described as a leap of faith. He decides to ride from Alaska to Mexico. Now, I can't help but feel this would seem slightly more logical if he lived in Alaska - it's got that "step out the front door and ride" logic to it. He's from Minneapolis though. That means he consciously decided to start his journey in Anchorage and had to fly there with his bike before he even started. And that's the kicker, when you're flying to the start of your journey you've really thought bout it.

Except, he hadn't. I mean, he'd thought about the start and end, but not the in between. Or the how. This is a man who, by his own description, is at best a casual cyclist. A 57 year old man with little experience of his intended journey, no assistance beyond moral support, and basically no clue what he's doing. Now this could be a story of travesty and disaster, but it's more like a story of near misses and good fortune (with the odd bump in the road, both figurative and literal, along the way). That's actually where it loses some of the excitement. There's only so much tension you can create about a bear encounter when you've obviously got through it just fine and written another couple of hundred pages about what happens next. And the bear story basically gets told twice too.

That's a little bit nitpicking, but it's also the crux of why I didn't quite embrace this book as much as I hoped. Reality often isn't that exciting. Even when you're on a grand adventure. And it takes me back to the blog envy. When you read these accounts in real time you get more sucked in. You honestly don't know what the next day will hold. You don't know if the broken chain will cause things to grind to a halt, or if the rains will wash things out, or who will be met. Holl does a pretty decent job at trying to recreate that tension, but at times it feels a little stilted. A day can be stretched a little too far in an attempt to make it exciting. Some encounters are too verbose in trying to capture a significance; it ends up draining the emotion.

And that's the thing, if you're reading this you've probably got some wanderlust and adventure in you yourself so you don't need these things explained. You understand that familiar face popping up down the road. You understand how wonderful random small talk with strangers can be. Those little exchanges of tips and pointers which come to mean so much. You don't need them spelt out quite so plainly. It's another of those things that a blog can get away with - the audience is more mixed and everyone is more used to items written for a broader audience. Books often feel more focused.

None of this is to say the book was bad. Just, I came away feeling I missed out on it all at the time. Holl actually delivers a lovely view of North America and I found myself wanting to undertake a similar roadtrip. Admittedly I'm more wary of those hills and would rather have an engine to help me out, but Holl's writing makes a superb argument for the slower paced and more open bicycle. Once you're being propelled along the world flies too fast to appreciate some details. The silence of self-propulsion lets you hear the world around. The random craziness in certain parts of the country makes you a moving conversation starter like no motorised vehicle ever could.

And that's what keeps you going. For every uphill chapter that moves a little too slowly and takes a little too much effort you get a downhill ride too - one that flows gracefully and with some pace.

Probably more a book for those who are ready for their next crazy adventure. Whether you want it in your armchair or on the open road, this is a book to remind you that there is a break from your daily routine. It might also remind you to do a little research before heading out.