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Laid Back Around the World in 180 Days: Diary of a long bike ride Paperback – 9 July 2016

4.0 out of 5 stars 148 ratings

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From the vast deserts of Kazakhstan to the Pyrenees via the monsoons of Southeast Asia, the Australian Nullarbor, the Canadian Rockies and Great Lakes, this is Richard Evans’s travelogue of his six-month journey around the world by recumbent bicycle in 2014.Averaging around 1,000km per week, Richard shared treacherously potholed highways with speeding juggernauts, faced freezing nights and scorching days, and battled headwinds strong enough to blow him off the road. Having lost 7kg in the first seven weeks and with 19 weeks still to go, it was important to stabilise the weight loss. A cure was found in beer and dumplings.Roads varied erratically from freshly tarmacked highways of international standard one minute to heavily rutted dirt tracks the next, where all evidence of any rideable surface had long since disappeared.In the thermal pools of Taupo, New Zealand, he met ultra-runner Kevin Carr, who’d been running round the world at over 50km/day for two years. Kevin’s blog Hardwayround prompted Richard to consider renaming his own blog Easywayround. Because there were some easy bits too. And running is always harder.In an American supermarket he stumbled across the gun counter, where a shop assistant apologised for not knowing much about firearms because she usually worked on fruit and veg.Countless acts of spontaneous generosity from strangers propelled him along the way. Several times he was warned that he’d reached the edge of civilisation and to continue would be sheer folly because folk in the next town/province/country were aggressive savages. Upon arrival however he was invariably met by benevolent locals interested in where he was from, where he was going and how old he was (52½). And one proposal of marriage.Richard eventually finished back where he started, at BikeFix in London, having ridden 23,000km across 18 countries and four continents. The only aggression he’d faced had been on the roads: first from motorists, a sizeable minority of whom morph into murderous maniacs as soon as they get behind the wheel; and to a lesser extent from dogs – but Richard had his own special way of dealing with them…All royalties from this book will go to RoadPeace, a small charity which looks after the bereaved and injured from road crashes, and campaigns for safer streets. Road crashes kill 1.3 million people worldwide every year – that’s more every day than died in the Twin Towers on 9/11, and almost three times more than die from malaria.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1st edition (9 July 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1530136083
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1530136087
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 - 18 years
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.24 x 1.3 x 22.86 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars 148 ratings

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
148 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book to be an excellent account of a great adventure, well-written, and humorous. Moreover, the author provides lots of detail, making it very informative.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

12 customers mention ‘Inspiration’12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book inspiring, describing it as an excellent account of a great adventure, with one customer noting it's a fantastic bike trip.

"...Laid back Around the World is a truly amazing adventure and a superb read." Read more

"...This is much more than a daily log as it includes the characters, events and flavours that always present themselves on such a jouney, if one only..." Read more

"...It is probably a book that is most inspiring for fellow cycling addicts but it is also a beautiful reminder of the generosity of strangers from all..." Read more

"...A well rounded read of a world rounded trip. A pleasure for all; whatever their transport of choice." Read more

12 customers mention ‘Readability’12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-written and engaging, with one describing it as a real page turner.

"...Laid back Around the World is a truly amazing adventure and a superb read." Read more

"A great book...." Read more

"This is a great read, a real page turner, developed from the daily diary of a cycle ride around the world, the first appearance of which provided..." Read more

"This man cycled around the world, an impressive feat. Then he writes a book...." Read more

10 customers mention ‘Entertainment value’10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining and humorous, with one describing it as a fantastic experience.

"...several words I could use to describe Richard Evans: brave, intrepid, bonkers... Laid Back Around the World is an extraordinary diary account of an..." Read more

"Good fun to read and learnt a lot" Read more

"...some accounts of such rides, Richard has written this one in an entertaining way...." Read more

"...I enjoyed the book so much it was entertaining and informative. It did get a bit repetitive about me about meals...." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Information quality’7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very informative, with the author providing lots of detail throughout. One customer specifically mentions the fascinating insight into the preparation process.

"There are several words I could use to describe Richard Evans: brave, intrepid, bonkers... Laid Back Around the World is an extraordinary diary..." Read more

"...complete his my 'century ride', I can appreciate the sheer effort, determination and physical punishment that went into this trip...." Read more

"...The author provides lots of detail of what he ate each day and how much he paid (or didn't) and how far he rode, but there is very little..." Read more

"...I enjoyed the book so much it was entertaining and informative. It did get a bit repetitive about me about meals...." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 August 2016
    There are several words I could use to describe Richard Evans: brave, intrepid, bonkers... Laid Back Around the World is an extraordinary diary account of an extraordinary man's adventures around the planet on a recumbent bicycle written in a style that takes you on the journey with him. I too felt the heat, the wind, the cold and every bump in the road that Richard encountered enroute. I began to wonder whether any man truly deserved to suffer the pain and the hardships that Richard had to endure during his travels - then I read his poetry and decided he deserved every bit of it! Laid back Around the World is a truly amazing adventure and a superb read.
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 October 2017
    Good fun to read and learnt a lot
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 November 2017
    This account of an epic trip will appeal to non cyclists, as well as those of us who have found the true path to enlightenment.... As a cyclist aiming to complete his my 'century ride', I can appreciate the sheer effort, determination and physical punishment that went into this trip. Unlike some accounts of such rides, Richard has written this one in an entertaining way. The time and effort that was put into editing accurately has not gone unnoticed either. This is much more than a daily log as it includes the characters, events and flavours that always present themselves on such a jouney, if one only takes time to notice them.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 March 2017
    A repetitive diary account of what must have been a fantastic experience. The author provides lots of detail of what he ate each day and how much he paid (or didn't) and how far he rode, but there is very little description of the landscapes and cultures through which he travelled and his emotional response.

    Nevertheless, if you are interested in cycle touring and want to support a good cause (Road Peace) then buy the book
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 August 2016
    A great book. Richard's simple story of his ride around the world on a recumbent bike says as much about him and about the personality of the nations through which he travelled as it does about the extraordinary terrain and challenges of such a trip. Like Mark Beaumont's book of his trip around the world, Richard gets across how such a physically demanding endeavour tends to reduce your focus to the essentials - time, kilometres, food, drink, shelter. But it differs in that Richard is happier if that drink is beer, and can be easily drawn away from the tyranny of the schedule by lovely people. It is probably a book that is most inspiring for fellow cycling addicts but it is also a beautiful reminder of the generosity of strangers from all around the world
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 August 2016
    This is a great read, a real page turner, developed from the daily diary of a cycle ride around the world, the first appearance of which provided the material for Laid Back Rich blogspot. It was good as a blog but the fleshed out read is even more interesting because the immensity of the effort involved is both revealed and charmingly underplayed. It describes moments of terror and of rapture and makes pedalling to the point of delirium sound attractive.
  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 March 2017
    Frankly a rather boring account of cycling around the world. It's written as a daily diary - with pretty much every single meal included.
    As a personal blog this would have been fine - but as a book it is rather tedious and lacking. I found myself skimming large sections.
    As a cyclist I found some parts of it engaging - and there were even a few laugh out loud moments - but it was simply too repetitive in parts.
    I came close to abandoning it. I am sure the author had a great adventure - but for the most part that really didn't come across.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 21 November 2016
    This is the best free book I have downloaded you should charge.
    I enjoyed the book so much it was entertaining and informative.
    It did get a bit repetitive about me about meals.
    I am very impressed at the distances covered.
    I look forward to reading as bout the next adventure.