Another 5-star review of Good Vibrations: Crossing Europe on a Bike Called Reggie at Amazon.co.uk (see below) but also a couple of new short reviews at Amazon.com (see bottom of this post). First up is ‘Alex’ who has titled his review ‘A truly epic adventure and book‘;

“Feeling inspired from the amazing feats of the Great Britain team at the Beijing Olympics, Andrew Sykes felt it was time he challenged himself and go on a more unconventional summer holiday. Being a secondary school teacher in Henley-upon-Thames he was blessed with long summer breaks. After two years of planning he finally set off on an adventurous cycle tour taking him from his home near London to Brindisi in the south of Italy.

A truly epic adventure and book. Sykes captures wonderfully the highs and lows of a long distance cycle tour. I found I could to relate to a lot of what he said. Although a book about cycling I do believe that it would appeal to anyone adventurous wanting a light-hearted travel book. A quick and enjoyable read as it is not all about the bike but more about his story of cycling or at least trying to cycle the Eurovelo 5 route. With many tales each day, it is a vibrant travel book, with culture and history alongside cheerful banter.

Although not as impressive as some cycle tours, Sykes shows how you do not need lots of money or be going around the world to have a good, fun and memorable trip. If you read this book I can guarantee that you will want to go off cycling around Europe. I think that is a good thing the more people inspired the better, and if you are looking for some inspiration look no further. If you are thinking of organising your own trip I would also recommend it. Or check out his website. Go. Read this book then get on your bike!

I purchased this book on kindle and I must recommend purchasing it on there as it is only £2.99 so an absolute bargain!” *****

Thanks Alex.

Over on Amazon.com, fellow cyclist and author James Clarke has written the following;

“As a leisure cyclist (nothing athletic about me you understand) who has, with six fellow journalists from South Africa, year after year, cycled thousands of kilometres exploring ‘Darkest Europe’ I salute Andrew Sykes. (Seriously). I salute his courage in cycling 3000 km from the UK to SE Italy and his stamina and, in particular, his indomitable spirit . I got to like Reggie, his bicycle, too… He appears to have no fear of hills – even alpine ones – and I know some of the hills he mentions. We found them very tough – like, say, the southern route up Everest. He doesn’t mention the pain. I read Andrew ‘s book mainly to glean information for “volume 2” of my own book ‘Blazing Bicycle Saddles‘ (2009) – and, in the event, enjoyed every minute reading it exhausted though I was in trying, vicariously, to keep up with him.” ****

And finally, ‘Craig R in Mpls‘ (‘Amazing Read’);

“This is not an exciting book, but it’s not meant to be. Rather, it’s Andrew’s well written account of his dreaming of, planning, and execution of a 3300km bike tour from Britain to Italy. The book is a great, easy read, and Andrew’s humor, descriptions of the towns and landmarks, and observations about the people he met along the way made for a gripping story.” *****

Thanks Alex & Craig. Feedback is always welcome, especially when it’s positive!