Bikes Reviews

If you're going to be mountain biking in Washington, this should probably be one of the first trail guides in your collection. It covers almost 90 of the major rides all over the state.

Each ride is accompanied by an "at a glance" section that will give you basic overview of the ride as well as good maps and very complete writeups. I've never had a problem finding a trail (or finding my way on a trail) and generally agree with all of the comments written about the trails. I just wish the trails had estimated driving times from major areas.

The front of the book also has all of the trails categorized by "type". So, if you're a single track person, just find the list of single track trails and off you go.

If you're planning on riding in a specific region (such as the Seattle area), I'd recommend picking up a book specific to the region as this doesn't cover all of the local trails.

I recently used this book on a tour of mountain bike rides through Washington State and recommend it highly. The route descriptions are well-detailed. I will say that the writing is strangely uneven--some chapters are bland, while others are very colorful. In any case, it tells you where the great rides are, gives you a sense of what your experience will be on the trail, and makes sure you find your way back afterward.

The author(s) did a great job of finding amazing rides near Mt. St. Helens. In short: if you ride in Washington, this book is a must.

Although I haven't had a chance to actually -try- most of the trails in the book, it seems to be a great guide telling you how to get to the trail, and what to expect on the trail itself.

Unlike many books I've seen, it also coveres a wide range of skill levels...if you're a newbie (like I am), you'll find a stack of trails. If you're an experienced rider (like I hope to be), you'll find a stack of trails. Whatever you're looking for, you should find it.

If you're looking for trails, this book would be a great place to start.

definitely a must for a n.z. bound cycling adventure. this book keeps it all simple and clear without what you don't need. i cycled 4100km in n.z. by mixing and matching routes from the book and found it very useful. the only down side is the not very convenient format and the lack of good route maps which is not a big deal altogether. good luck.

Yes, I am a Kiwi [native New Zealander]and have found this book extremely valuable for planning a tour around both islands. I could find out all the information, but why reinvent the wheel?? It is all laid on here..including an insight into our customs and language.

In brief..... you want to bike around NZ??? GET THIS BOOK!!

In February '97 me, my bike, and this book covered 1300 miles of New Zealand. I used this book extensively to plan my route by mixing & matching the routes covered in the book. obtw, in New Zealand you don't need a map, you only have a couple of roads to choose from and this book covers just about everything you need. I highly recommend it and appreciate the effort Bruce put into the book.

Mr. Bike's book will save you and your candidate hours of discussion with his clear advice and many checklists. The sections on budgeting and planning are the most useful and best written. The only complaint I have is that most of the examples are of Chicago politics, which is obviously not a bit like other cities' politics, though Mr. Bike is very engaging in drawing much from his personal experience. A few hours spent with this easy-to-read book will steer you around campaigning pitfalls and provide the guidance and information necessary to get a campaign off the ground quickly and run it effeciently.

Now in an expanded and updated second edition, William Bike's Winning Political Campaigns is the definitive "how to" handbook for planning, organizing and implementing a successful campaign for elective office. Designed for novice campaigners, there is a wealth of information that would benefit even the more experienced campaign worker. This new edition is enhanced with political ideas, tactics, strategies and advice gleaned from the experiences of the Jesse Ventura, Hillary Clinton, and George W. Bush campaigns. If you are involved in any elective office political campaign at any level, read William Bike's Winning Political Campaigns.

Now in an updated and expanded second edition, William Bike's non-partisan "how to" manual, Winning Political Campaigns: A Comprehensive Guide To Electoral Success, continues to be an ideal primer for the novice who aspires to an elected office whether it be with municipal, county, state, or federal government bodies. Easy-to-read and with the contents arranged alphabetically, Bike covers all aspects of campaigning from advertising and building alliances, to fundraising and voter contact. Thorough, detailed, "user friendly", Winning Political Campaigns is essential reading for anyone entering the political arena -- and has a great deal of value for even those who are experienced in seeking political office for themselves or their candidates of choice.

As reference material relating to biking, I have come across few better than this book. It gives a good feel for what you can expect area by area, is written by somebody with obvious passion and an understanding of the variety of people and capabilities off road biking attracts and really does cover the whole of Scotland.

Down sides are: poor referencing to maps, especially first map of Scotland with routes (this should be tied in to page number). Some of the route descriptions are innacurate and start points are difficult to find (best advised to take a map and compass, even for the apparently obvious routes).

The book is value for money with out doubt.

I would like to see a book that covers biking routes with walks.

Pleased to see my book in your web site - It's a hard-back though not a paper-back - personally I think it's the best Scottish biking guide Harry Henniker

Having just completed a coast to coast bike trip and having done many tandem trips, this book for me was thoroughly enjoyable. We met Mrs. Young when she was no longer young - but still full of vitality. When she made the trip and wrote the book, she not only had incredible energy, but a zest for life and an appreciation for all she encountered that are hard to match. The unique style is marred only by a little of the racial attitudes of the time. But the book on the whole is difficult to put down and can inspire all who have not yet taken bicycle trips - on tandems or singles - to do so.

I enjoyed reading Bicycle Built for Two immensely. The format of the diary was well written, entertaining, and kept my attention. Now I'm purchasing it to give as gifts to my friends that ride in the bicycle ragbrai (bike ride across Iowa).

The Big Bike Race by Lucy Jane Bledsoe

In The Big Bike Race the main characters are Sonny, Ernest, Melissa and Grandma. His Grandma has raised Ernest and his sister, Melissa since the death of their parents. Ernest wanted a sleek bike for his tenth birthday. Instead he gets a chunky yellow one with streamers and baskets hanging off. Since his family is poor he wasn't too sad when he got a bad bike.

He thought if he won the junior division of the Citywide Cup he would win the new sleek bike. Then he met a professional racer named Sonny. Sonny, his coach, taught Ernest to be a good bike racer. Sonny said that it's better to have a great body and a bad bike instead of the other way around.

The Citywide Cup took place in Washington D.C. Ernest was really good but his bike was too heavy so he finished in thirteenth place. This is amazing because he only got about a month to train. Ernest got lucky because he was friends with Sonny , who won the race and got the new bike. He gets Sonny's old bike which is better than his yellow clunker.

I think Ernest will win his next race because he has a good body and a good bike now.

I liked this book because it shows you don't have to do everything without help.Ernest didn't give up when he lost the bike race. His friendship with Sonny taught him how to be a good bike racer and helped him earn a new bike.This book is good because it presents a believable story. So bike on down to your closest library and get this book!

Reviewed by Eli (8 years old)

This book is about a boy named Ernie who dreams of being a bike racer, but is poor. He gets a secondhand yellow clunker, not a racing bike, but he learns that your determination speeds you up more than your bike.

This gives quite a bit of information on the mountain biking trails, I just wished it listed more of them.

I read this book with interest....I like to ride,and who doesn't like to drink beer? This book is nicely written and an easy read. I've riden many of the trails in Michigan, and some in the surrounding states, plus I've eaten in some of the brew pubs also, so, as I review this, I believe I am qualified to give FIVE STARS *****. Mercer hits the "nail on the head" with his description of the rides, and the food/beer appears to be on track also....but I think I have a passion for a pale ale rather than a porter. I've started traveling more for work, I'll pack my bike and this book......every work trip will become a road trip. Buy it!!!!

I found the book to be quite informative, however there is one problem that I found. The reader/rider can only do the tour in the direction in which the tours take place in the book due to the fact that the directions are given one way. I just finished a tour using this book and thought that I may be able to maneuver from the end of a tour and go toward the beginning with the help of some good maps. If I had a one Euro cent for every time I got lost I would have been Trump by the end of the trip. I did a tour in the U.S. with maps and directions that went both directions... north AS WELL AS south and east AS WELL AS west. The directions are impossible to follow unless you are going in the Whitehill's prescribed direction. Aside from that, information regarding campgrounds and distances is extremely on target and helpful.

I used their first edition for my first bike trip in 1991, and can't recommend it enough. I really didn't have any other bike book then, and this one got me across Italy, through part of France, and across Germany. I used the same edition a couple years later, and it was still helpful.

The advice was all clear, particular the directions--what to look for, where to turn. Maps were good. I've had time over the years to compare it to a couple other bike touring books, and this was clearly the best. Roads change, of course, and I hope to see new editions.

I used this book for a 2 month sabbatical cycling 2,000 miles thru 12 countries in '96. I had never toured before and I give it credit for making the trip a hugh success.

Now I am planning a second trip thru Scandinavia and I only wish it included more of Eastern Europe (I can't seem to find an alternate source).

My guess is that the entire series is worthwhile.

This book is only for the very casual rider who lives in Long Island and carries his bike by car. As a Manhattan resident (sans car, of course) who was looking forward to help in exploring Long Island via train and bike, I was disappointed.

The 40 bike rides described are pretty SHORT -- less than half are over 15 miles and even the longer rides have options that reduce the ride to 8-12 mile range. There are even a handful of rides less than 5 miles long.

All ride descriptions do include driving directions to the starting point, in addition to map and route guide. However it's difficult to use this book without a car. The starting points are scattered all over the island with little information on how to connect them via bike route or train.

This book includes a great selection of bike tours, and is a must-buy for cyclists who live on Long Island or plan to tour it on two wheels. My teenage son and I have ridden almost all the tours in this book and have never been disappointed...in fact, I've lived on Long Island for 25 years and discovered many scenic areas I never knew existed. The maps and directions are much clearer than similar books I've used, and most tours include both short and long versions of the route to match your available time and stamina. A nice bonus is the wonderful one-day ferry-and-bike tour of Block Island (actually part of Rhode Island).

This book of do-it-yourself road bike tours is a great example of how the genre should be done. The maps are clear, the cue sheets are concise, and the descriptions are informative but brief. Distances of the rides vary from 8 - 20 miles or so, and are largely well-chosen. And the book is small enough to take with you.

When I lived on Long Island I did several of these rides and was not disappointed.

The photos used in this book are nice, but I found them to be lacking in detail, especially when maintenance procedures are described. Additionally, the text is vague and too simplified at times. A beginners' book should not necessarily translate into less detail. Overall, the book covers a broad range of topics and is good for absolute beginners.

This is a very informative book. It was written with the beginner/intermediate mountain biker in mind. The book take you from the simple steps of mounting your bike, to basic maintenence and care. From tricks and trails, to races and upgrades, it is an excellent beginner mountain bike handbook!

This is a very good book, it tells different places that you can go biking and the techniques that you should use to go over different hazards, this has to be one of the best, most informative MBing book I have ever read.