ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


As with all long journeys, this cycle from Tarifa to Nordkapp was made not just pleasurable but memorable because of the many people I had the opportunity of meeting as I travelled. Alas there are far too many to list here but I would particularly like to thank those mentioned below.
  My Uncle Ronald and his wife Beatrice who not only provided me with a base in southern Spain immediately prior to setting off on the trip but also somewhere to store Reggie whilst I was studying in Cádiz.
  The friends I had the opportunity of meeting up with along the way; Liz near Tours, my former colleagues Kerrie, David and Sarah (and the students of Gillotts School in Henley-on-Thames) who I met in Paris; Janina in Cologne and especially Dominic, Annet, Leni and Nick in Hamburg who had me knocking on their door not once but twice.
  The online friends – many via WarmShowers – who, although we had never met before, were kind enough to offer a bed for the night; Juan in Palencia, Chris and Audrey in La Rochelle, Kevin and Cheryl near Brussels, Andrea and Matthias in Düsseldorf, Dirk and Anita in Münster, Franziska and Klaus in Flensburg and Steve, Anita and Annie in Trondheim.
  Thanks also to Dirk from Hannover for introducing me to life as a pilgrim in Spain, fellow cyclist Javier from Argentina and to Peter and Linda for their advice and good conversation in Burgos.
  The biggest thanks must, however, go to Hans and Veronika from Munich with whom I had the pleasure of sharing many evenings during the final two weeks of the journey. Their unwavering cheeriness was infectious and kept a smile on my face as we neared the northern end of the continent.
  Reggie would like to thank Roman of Yep Bikes in San Pedro (Spain), Christophe and François of Fun Bike in Maubuisson (France), Patrice of VéloSpot in Saumur (France), the quiet, unnamed mechanic at Détours de Loire in Tours (France), Wilhelm of Hü4 in Hamburg (Germany), the mechanics at Fri Bikeshop in Stege (Denmark) and Petter of Sykkelsporten in Sarpsborg (Norway) for keeping him on the road. (And so would I.)
  Finally, to all the wonderfully supportive and helpful people at Summersdale who have allowed me to bring this story to the page. Thanks to Debbie for having the courage to sign me up, the unflappably positive Claire who has flawlessly co-ordinated the publishing process, to Jen for her honest and thorough edit and to Daniela for her forensic checking of the manuscript. Please blame the author for any errors that remain.
Photos: 1. Reggie the bike / 2. Conil de la Frontera, Spain / 3. Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France / 4. Couture-sur-Loir, France / 5. Binche, Belgium / 6. Redalen, Norway / 7. Folldal, Norway / 8. Schleswig-Holstein, Germany / 9. Benavente, Spain / 10. Kruså, Denmark / 11. Castrojeriz, Spain / 12. Halland, Sweden / 13. Ramberg, Norway / 14. Redalen, Norway

KAPP TO CAPE: NEVER LOOK BACK
Race to the End of the Earth

Reza Pakravan with Charlie Carroll

ISBN: 978 1 78372 100 0 (ePub), 978 1 78372 101 7 (Mobi)

Steve and I clutched hands – his right in my left – and then we simultaneously pushed down with our feet. Cogs clicked, wheels turned, and we were on our way. We left Nordkapp within minutes. Cape Town was only 18,000 kilometres away.

Deciding to break away from his comfortable lifestyle in London, Reza and his friend Steven set off from the most northerly point on mainland Europe to cycle the 11,000 miles to the other end of the planet, completely unsupported.

Their expedition becomes a race against the clock, as they attempt to complete the trip in a world record of just 100 days. Battling punishing terrain and primitive roads, harsh and debilitating climates, malaria, food poisoning and heat stroke, their thrilling journey brings them face to face with some of the world's most stunning, memorable and volatile regions.

This is the intensely personal story of one man's mission to create a more positive, purposeful life, and the compelling account of the epic journey he took to get there.

THE ROAD HEADED WEST
A Cycling Adventure Through North America

Leon McCarron

ISBN: 978 0 85765 715 2 (ePub), 978 0 85765 714 5 (Mobi)

It seemed a terrible shame to meet my end in Iowa; I couldn't imagine anywhere more disappointing to die. If I were a betting man I'd have reckoned on the most dangerous thing in this state being sheer boredom. The scenery hadn't changed for weeks and I was slowly dissolving into stimulation-deprived madness. My current predicament, then – attempting to escape through cornfields from a gun-toting alcohol-soaked rancher – was not something I expected.

Just months after graduating from university, Leon received disastrous news: he had been offered a job. Terrified at the prospect of a life spent behind a desk, without challenge or adventure, he took off to cross America on an overloaded bicycle packed with everything but common sense. Over five months and 6,000 miles, Leon cycled from New York to Seattle and then on to the Mexican border, facing tornadoes, swollen river crossings and one hungry black bear along the way. But he also met kind strangers who offered their food, wisdom, hospitality and even the occasional local history lesson, and learned what happens when you take a chance and follow the scent of adventure.

MUD, SWEAT AND GEARS
Cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats (Via the Pub)

Ellie Bennett

ISBN: 978 0 85765 577 6 (ePub), 978 0 85765 607 0 (Mobi)

As Ellie's fiftieth birthday approaches and her ambitions of a steady income, a successful career and an ascent of Everest seem as far away as ever, she begins to doubt she's capable of achieving anything at all. So when her best friend Mick suggests a gruelling cycle ride from Land's End to John o'Groats, she takes up the challenge. They opt for the scenic route which takes them along cycle paths, towpaths and the back roads and byways of Britain, unable to resist sampling local beers in the pubs they pass along the way. But as the pints start to stack up faster than the miles they're putting under their tyres, Ellie wonders if they'll ever make it to the finishing line…