Steep Hills & Learning Curves: Cycling Lands’ End to John O’ Groats

Steep Hills & Learning Curves By Dawn Rhodes. This was an interesting book about cycling from here to there. All too often these books are about someone on an epic ride, existing on $2.00 a day partly because of the generosity of the poor people they meet along the way. This book was different. First of all, the cyclist is a young woman (21 yrs. old) who made this trip from Land’s End to John O-Groats in 1997. Why did it take so long to write? This is a very popular trip from one end of Great Britain to the other. The shortest route is about 870 miles but in her case, the journey was 1205 miles. Why? She does not say. As a result, she meets very few other cyclists even though her trip is in August. Unlike others who end of writing about their trip, she does not brag I think because she was so unprepared and yet she does finish cycling only about 35-40 miles per day with 5 or 6 rest days over the roughly 40 days of her trip. I have traveled long distance by bike alone and she and I could never travel together. Even though she is camping or staying in hostels she rarely leaves before 10:00! This is Great Britain in the summer when the sun is out before 4:00 am. I would have done her daily mileage before she even got out of her sleeping bag. But still I enjoyed her writing. She lets us in on her exhilaration, depression, fear often all on one hill climb. This can happen when spending so much time just moving along with no one to talk with but yourself. At the end of the book she mentions she has now cycled in many places including America, Europe and Asia. I look forward to her website going live soon although given this book is 25 years after her adventure. Perhaps. we must wait many years for it to come out. This is not a good guide book if you plan this trip. But it is a good read if you need to build up your confidence about could you make a trip like this. From this point of view, Well done Ms. Rhodes!

I really enjoyed coming along with Dawn Rhodes as she cycled from Lands' End to John O'Groats. The reader is treated to tales of not only the highs (both emotional and in elevation) and lows of her journey. Her account felt honest and I enjoyed her humor and the bits of history included throughout. Rhodes also discusses the benefits of cycling on our own physical and mental health and on the environment. While I'm not planning any 1200 mile treks, I do plan to add biking to my local commutes. I look forward to her next book about her cycling trip from New York to LA!

Thanks to Matador and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Alas, this book wasn't for me and ended up a DNF.

I enjoyed Rhodes' dry British humor and wit, but the language and political commentary ultimately got the best of me and I had to set it aside.

Great potential, for sure, and readers who enjoy personal-best books (i,e. Ross Edgley's _The Art of Resilience_) will likely enjoy this read.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.