Bikes Reviews

This was an inspirational book, written by a historian. I enjoyed the book.
However, I was disappointed with the book in one way. The author speaks mainly as a historian, taking the reader on a historical tour of all of the places she visted on her bike. Even by the end of the book, we know very little about the author herself, or her personal feelings. There are several very poor, black-and-white photos of places she visited, but there is not even one photo of her! I would have preferred one photo of her, with her bicycle, anywhere, than all of the other photos she included in the book. I would also have liked her to share more of her personal life with the reader, which she seems to have purposely avoided (In the chapter where she travels through the American Midwest, she comments that Americans seem to discuss their personal problems even with strangers, but indicates that she feels that is an oddity. I found that an interesting comment on American culture, and probably very true, when compared with other cultures, especially the British culture.)

This one issue aside, I found the book inspiring, for a woman of her age, and poor physical condition (at the outset) to have cycled around the world. I read with great interest her descriptions of the people's behavior (both toward her and toward each other) in various places. I was quite surprised by her descriptions of Pakistanis, Indians, and various Americans (as an American myself). I was both surprised and not surprised by her travels across America--it being the hardest place because of the vast, empty distances (particularly in the West).

Disappointingly, the author shared only a few minor details of her life. I am quite a history buff myself, but this book rather overdosed on history. Nevertheless, I did pick up a few interesting historical tidbits. For example, I found it quite interesting that her cycling through Italy was far easier than many other places (in spite of the mountains) because the Romans constructed their roads in such a way as to try to never give up height before reaching the highest point. Therefore, the route gradually climbed, whereas in newer areas (such as America), modern roads repeatedly climb and fall, making it much harder on a cyclist.

Feeling 50 and old? Stuck in your ways with life a bit monotonous? Read this and feel the freedom of following the trail of Alexander the Great. Ride on the Royal Road through Turkey staying at local Inns and stopping for coffee. A fascinating book!

It's too bad that Michael Swartz wasn't writing about Neil Everheart when I was a youngster. I likely would have become an avid reader earlier in my life. Thankfully, I have referred my own pre-teens to this engaging mystery where Neil, Marcus and Jun are the teenage sleuths who foil bullies and bad guys in greater DC. Excellent character development, picture perfect description of Greenbelt and real life drama. I look forward to the next in the Everheart series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The plot was very engaging and the characters were even more so. In the few dozen books I have read designed for teen and young adult audiences, I have never come across one that had characters with such depth and real life problems, yet captured in a way that teens (and adults) can relate to without being overwhelmed. It's unique in this sense based on my reading of young adult fiction. The length of the book is very digestible too and Mr. Swartz says a lot while only having to say a little. This speaks to the fact that it was very nicely written and well crafted. I hope Mr. Swartz make this first "Neil Everheart" mystery one of several because I believe it has the makings of an excellent series.

The article I read about the book is from the local county paper, The Independent Journal dated feb 6,1999. The author is interviewed and the conclusions are discussed openly.It is a great format for the book because each of the men going for the inventor of the mountain title are interviewed and quoted. I went to high school with the real inventor and hung with them. Read the book to see who it was.

I read a Berto story in Mountain Bike magazine regarding the history of the mountain bike, so when I saw this book, I had to pick it up. It's a great read with all the usual suspects (Breeze, Fisher, Ritchey, Sinyard...), and as an avid mountain biker, factoid freak, and history buff, this book answered a lot of questions about the origins of the mountain bike. Living in Mountain View, CA, it's great to be able to ride the trails (at least the one's still open) where the mountain bike was born.

If you are planning on going to Cooperstown and would like to do any kind of cycling in the area, I highly recommend this book. The book is divided into two parts. The first half is a somewhat standard review of bicycles, bike safety, etc. This half would be useful for a neophyte cyclist, but is less so for someone with a bit more experience.

The second half of the book is a collection of fantastic cue sheets with rides ranging from very short rides (less than ten miles) on as flat terrain as possible to some very challenging rides approaching 100 miles (some longer). The cue sheets have maps and include information on where to pick up food along the route. They also are rated according to difficulty and list elevation changes along the route.

I've done several rides from the book and did not get lost once. The directions are very good. The rides are loops which depart from parking lots which the author has ensured are cyclist friendly.

The riding in the Cooperstown, New York area is as good as anywhere I've been; with quiet roads and the opportunity to see wildlife like deer, wild turkeys, and hawks. The drivers (what few you will encounter) are mostly considerate. The riding can be pretty challenging for a flat-lander like me with some rides having over 5,000 foot gains in elevation.

I wish that every vacation destination had a book like this for cycling. In my opinion, with a book like this available, Cooperstown ought to be as associated with cycling as it is with baseball.

The cover of "Cranks from Cooperstown" proclaims: "Two Bike Books in One! A How-to-Bike Instruction Manual & A Bicycle Tour Guide with 50 Tear-out Cue Sheets and Maps". It is all of that and more. And it appears to have been a "labor of love" for the author, Dennis Savoie, a physician who began cycling in 1983 and has since become a "long rider".

The very comprehensive instruction manual begins with basics such as how to choose the right kind of bike and how to calculate the correct frame size, two areas where initial mistakes can be very costly. That is followed by good advice on every aspect of cycling. A newbie who starts with this book could become an accomplished rider without ever developing any of the bad habits that come from doing it wrong and not knowing better. It covers technique (braking, cornering, climbing, etc.) as well as the technical stuff of chainrings and cogs. There are gear charts and diagrams galore, all made easy to understand. In addition to instruction on how to ride a bike, there is a section on how to "drive" the bike, which is a road survival guide. Maintenance, repairs, and adjustments are also covered. It ends with how to dress and what to carry on a typical road ride. This first part of "Cranks" is almost an Effective Cycling course in 40 pages.

The second part of "Cranks" is aimed at both the experienced and the new tourist. Designed in the style of a League of American Bicyclists National Rally book, but much better, it has tear-out cue sheets and maps for 50 rides. The rides are grouped into 13 series, each series exploring a different area of Otsego, Schoharie, Montgomery, and Herkimer Counties. There are 25 numbered rides ranging in length from 7 to 100 miles. The first 11 of these leave from Cooperstown; the other 15 are remote starts, leaving from villages within a 10 to 20 mile radius from Cooperstown. Most of the rides have several places to cut across the loop to the return, making a shorter ride. The century, for example, has inner loops of 25, 50, 62, and 75 miles (how'd he do that?). In addition, there are places where rides of one series meet another and rides from each can be combined, providing almost endless possibilities. Each ride is described in full. Points of interest are listed along with distance, elevation gain, and a difficulty rating. A two-page map shows all the rides and how they interact with each other. A two-page topographical map gives a clue as to the overall hilliness of the area. The beginner is not forgotten here; there are instructions on how to use a cue sheet.

Because the rides are self-led and speed doesn't play a part, the difficulty ratings are based solely on elevation gain per mile. The ratings are Easy, 0-45 ft/mile; Moderate, 45-60 ft/mile; Difficult, 60+ ft/mile. It would be nice if any extra difficult climbs were considered in the ratings. Distance must also be factored in.

Cooperstown lies at the southern end of Lake Otsego, 80 miles northeast of Binghamton, 75 miles southwest of Albany, 80 miles southeast of Syracuse, and 45 miles southeast of Utica. This lake and nearby Lake Canadarago appear to be misplaced "Finger Lakes". They, and the river valleys, run north and south, held in by long ridges. It is typical NY country that makes for easy north-south runs and challenging east-west crossings.

Now, a shameless plug:

Overall, "Cranks from Cooperstown" is a very impressive book. It would be a wise purchase or gift for anyone who is

considering buying his/her first bicycle or has recently begun cycling or who has just never received good, basic advice. It would be great for anyone looking for a new touring area, or for a group looking to have a multi-day rally type event or maybe a week-long big loop tour without the problem of finding a route. Maybe you want a place you can go to year after year and do a different section each time, like hiking the Appalachian Trail. The 25 outer loops add up to over 1000 miles; doing all 54 rides individually would be 2000 miles. "Cranks" is also a great book for the armchair tourist or map aficionado.

Is your slogan "I Love NY"? Want to know everything there is about Cooperstown? Are you taking the family to the Baseball Hall of Fame? Do you want a unique, one-of-a-kind, nothing else like it, high quality coffee table book cleverly illustrated with drawings of antique bikes and riders? Buy it.

I've been vacationing on the Vineyard for about a decade - but only last year picked up this great book, packed with terrific suggestions on places to go to see the "real" Vineyard -- on foot, on bike and even on kayak. The format is easy to follow - providing local history, step-by-step directions, and details on what you'll see along the way, such as the types of flowers, birds and trees. There seems to be a wide variety of activities (I didn't try any of the kayaking options), geared to people of all ages and fitness levels. The book is very well-researched, and since the summer I've recommended it to many Vineyard residents as well as to vacationers - there's something in it for everyone. I did found it helpful to tear out pages of interest and bring them with me, as the book is a sizable one. But I will be using it for years and years.

A DETAILED MUST HAVE GUIDE FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO EXPLORE THE VINEYARD'S WATERS, PATHS, AND TRAILS. EXCELLENT MAPS, LOCAL HISTORY, BOTANICAL AND WILDLIFE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE COMBINED TO ENHANCE EVERY ADVENTURE. A GREAT GIFT FOR A NEWCOMER TO THE ISLAND.

If you're a guy who's into motorcycles. This is for you! Not without class either.

I really don't know what the appeal is of motorbikes. The motorbikes are a waste of good paper but the totty is first class! Yum yum! More please!

I have been a long distant tour rider for years, just purchased a Mt Bike 11/21/01 purchased this book for some insite as to this type of riding, upon receiving it read all of it in one setting enjoyed it very much, rendered much help.
Elzie Speir

I read through this book and the author gives some really good insights to mountain biking. The book is based a how-to-have-fun basis.

Given that Jodi is a pretty hardcore kind of athlete (and a generally nice person as well), I believe that the summaries of the rides are accurate and valid as personally experienced by the writer. Don't hesitate in checking this one out - the East coast is beautiful and this handbook can only help make it even better. Ride on!

Just happened to pick this sucker up. Wow. If I ever make it up to Canada this book makes me want to bring my bike.

Very well organized. The information is easily accessible and browseable. A little more detail on locations of trails in each area would be good (i.e. a general map for each area), maybe with GPS coordinates...
In any case a must if you live in South California.

I look for three things in guidebooks. 1. Advice that won't get me lost. 2. Information on stuff I didn't know about before. 3. A sign of wit or humor. All of these matter, and I'm happy to say they're all abundantly presented in this book. Compared to a lot of the regional mt. biking books, this one is superior. The trail directions are clear, the histories & backgrounds are enlightening, and best of all, it's not boring or geeky. The maps are good too; unlike other books, they have a new map for each new route, instead of cramming three routes onto one dinky page. I also get the feeling that these authors worked a little harder than a lot of guidebook writers, who seem to hit one area then try to milk four rides out of one trail. In contrast, this book seems to cover a vast area with a lot more discrimination. The rides I've done so far have been fun and easy to follow. What more can you ask?

This is a great reference tool for the travelling ATB cyclist. The maps are easily understood and exceptions are made clear in the accompanying text. Another nice feature was the rescue ratings which provide an indication of the availability of medical help should it become necessary. The author also provides a bit of history to go along with the trails and offers advice on locating "secret" local trails.

Living in the DFW area, I found this book even better for myself because the author also lives in the area, and a good portion of the rides are in the DFW area. However, the entire state is covered very well. Each trail has good information on the terrain, nearby resources (including bike shop in nearby towns), a rescue index, and general warnings that you will find useful on every trail. The book is written with a lot of personality and isn't just a simple guidebook -- it's also enjoyable reading.