Adventure

Book Review: Spain To Norway On A Bike Called Reggie by Andrew P. Sykes

It has been months since I finished this book and Iโ€™m only now getting round to blogging about it. This is the second book that Iโ€™ve read by Andrew; the first was all about crossing Europe (read itย here). This book he also crosses Europe, but from the southernmost point in Spain to the most northerly point in Norway, a distance of 8,000km.

One of the things that I like most about the author is that he doesnโ€™t confess to being a โ€˜cyclistโ€™, heโ€™s just someone who happens to go on long touring adventures on a bike. He also doesnโ€™t know a thing about bicycle maintenance, which is very refreshing. As Alastair Humphreys says in one of his books, if youโ€™re bike breaks down, either youโ€™ll repair it or someone else will. Andrew opts for the latter.

As with all travel books, itโ€™s the places he visits and the people he meets that make the story. The big difference is that on a bike youโ€™re travelling at a much slower pace, so youโ€™re far more likely to meet people interested in where youโ€™re going, especially if youโ€™re on your own. Andrew cycles through eight different countries, starting at 36 degrees north and finishing way above the Arctic Circle at 70 degrees north.

A couple of the tunnels in the far north of Norway do sound particularly scary, but on the whole this is a very gentle meandering book full of insights into the local areas, along with his own witty observations. As always, a judge of how good a book is, is would you look out for more by the same author. This is the second book of his that Iโ€™ve read, and I will be looking out for his other book, Cycling along the Med.

Beards & Triathlons

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