A Ride Across America and How to Realize a More Enjoyable Old Age

I agree, it is an admirable accomplishment, but as a cycling book it leaves a lot to be desired. The journal entries are monotonous, and the fact that the author knows almost nothing about the bike he rides and shows no inclination to learn even how to adjust a brake or a derailleur leaves me feeling like my money would have been better spent elsewhere.

Enjoyable read. Several years ago I had a similar trip planed, but unfortunately my wife had to take "early retirement" and I had to shelve those plans. Mr. Petterson's diary combined with his personal comments gave me a chance to enjoy this trip. Was a very avid cyclist in my younger years and regret not having a chance to do a cross-country ride.

I was expecting insights into distance cycling for those of retirement age. Instead this is mundane daily diary turned into book form. Its boring and lacks any sense of story telling or practical insights into cycling. This book had so much potential but failed to deliver. I have to believe the 5 star reviews are all paid robo-reviews. Don't waste your time or money.

Enjoyable read. Several years ago I had a similar trip planed, but unfortunately my wife had to take "early retirement" and I had to shelve those plans. Mr. Petterson's diary combined with his personal comments gave me a chance to enjoy this trip. Was a very avid cyclist in my younger years and regret not having a chance to do a cross-country ride.

I was expecting insights into distance cycling for those of retirement age. Instead this is mundane daily diary turned into book form. Its boring and lacks any sense of story telling or practical insights into cycling. This book had so much potential but failed to deliver. I have to believe the 5 star reviews are all paid robo-reviews. Don't waste your time or money.

Started well, but devolved into a listing of days bike miles, etc. without the commentary and personal reactions that were there in the beginning. I'd skip it were I do be thinking of reading it for the first time.

As a cyclist crossing America, the author gives considerable advice throughout the book on various subjects. He also described in great detail how a number of the roads were especially dangerous for cyclists. However, he wasn't even smart enough to wear a helmet for most of the trip.
I'm disappointed that I even bought the book.

For any cyclist, especially an older one like myself, this book is a treat. While I rely on my bike to get around Boston, I don’t do long distances so this was, for me, a vicarious adventure, much like mountain climbing books are for someone who is fearful of heights ... like me. How he manages to go against headwinds while climbing steep hills, especially in the far west, is beyond my understanding. I like also that he is not your typical granola, vegan, perfectly fit cyclist which you imagine most are. Especially those who compete. He knows when it’s time for a break and has no problem finding the best diner or hamburger joint. Even allows himself a cold one now and then.

I really enjoyed this book it was very different. The one thing it was written by someone who is 82 years old and it was very inspiring for me who is about ready to embark on their own long distance bike ride at the age of 62. Also the author talked a lot about health issues which some readers may find a little preachey but which I liked. In the event that he actually reads his reviews, which I think he does, he's invited to stay with us if you ever rides the Katy Trail that runs through the length of Missouri. Missouri was a very bike friendly town but there are a lot of jerks and it's where he had some bad experiences.

This book was okay -- the adventures and the like, but that it was written long after the trip and with rather dull excerpts from a diary and largely fluffed up with the author's philosophy on life, got a little tedious. His constant diatribes on aging and being old got annoying, and if he "forgot to drink" while riding and got dehydrated just once more, I was going to throw the book across the room. Even with a steep learning curve, it doesn't take but once to learn your lesson after getting dehydrated on a long ride.

I would have liked to have read more about the journey itself, the route, the people, the scenery, the history of the places he rode through and a whole lot less about the author's age related issues and philosophy on life.

The last couple of months I have been reading several books about long distance rides as I try to encourage myself to ride just a little. Many of them are racing the clock and I enjoyed that Don not only rode east to west, going against the grain or with the wind in his face, but that he was doing this on his own rather than in a race. Also enjoyed his stories of the people he met along the way. We hear so many bad things about human nature today and what I love about travel stories is that we hear the great American Heart is still beating strong to help a total stranger.

Often I read stories from places I have never been, but I knew the areas Don was riding through in Eastern Colorado as I have family in Cheraw, CO. Just gave me the feeling I was riding along with him.

I was expecting more of an adventure story having just read "Wild". Instead this was a book half filled with sermonizing on exercise being the health cure for aging. While this may well all be true, I already have an appreciation for "use it or lose it" so the preaching was a turn off for me. When not preaching it seemed to spend more time on the negative aspects of the trip (like the always present headwind) than the positive (cool things to experience on a bike). It became apparent that this trip was more to prove the author could do this than it was to enjoy the trip. Sadly it did not inspire me to want to hop on the bike and go ride across the country.

Likes
Perseverance despite calamities that would easily justified quitting. Encouragement for all the old-timers that dream and have similar goals. I actually liked the fact that he went back and finished.

Dislikes
Not many. Wasn't too fond of the geriatric description of aging. At times I felt the author may border on hypochondria in real life! But I have never met him.

This was very informative book on how to get across this great Country. Don kept an in-depth journal of each day of the ride with mileage and roads he traveled. It's a starting point for anyone who has the thought of attempting the feat. Don keeps you motivated and aware of the dangers of the trip at the same time telling funny stories of age, life and the benefits of exercise for senior citizens. An easy read but interesting and adventurous for the avid bicyclist.

I recently began bikepacking and long-distance running. Some had their doubts about my motives and abilities so much so that I began to doubt myself. Reading this book has reinvigorated me and convinced me I am not just going through a mid-life crisis. This book has really motivated me to keep moving. I also loved all the facts about how our bodies change as we age. I highly recommend this book to anyone who questions their abilities as they age.

Without segment maps it was hard for me to visualize the route. Also, terms like "very steep" are subjective. As a cyclist I understand grade, so saying it was a 10% grade tells me exactly what the author was experiencing. Be that as it may, this was an enjoyable story and makes me want to experience a cross country ride.

I really enjoyed reading this book and appreciate the author's dedication to his cross country trip. As a person entering my "senior" years, his story gives me inspiration that I may one day have the same experience. Thanks!

Don Peterson set out on a cross country solo bicycle ride from New Hampshire to The Golden Gate Bridge in 2002. He journals along the way interjecting facts about health, aging and history. This is a great adventure read and a motivator for “mature” readers to exercise. 5 stars.

A somewhat pedestrian (to coin a phrase) recitation of a trans continental bike ride. The unique part is the age of the writer and the health commentary inserted in appropriate spots in the adventure. By and large, the health comments are spot on and pertinent to this activity.

As an aging man who bikes, and is facing retirement, I found this book inspiring and informative. I hope I have the gumption to make a trip lime that. I think I'll go with the winds west to east, though.

I bought this book for my father, who has started riding a bike seriously again, in his late 50's. Before I gave it to him, I picked it up, and found that I really enjoyed reading this "old man's" story! Bicycling across the US at his age sounds crazy, but then when you read his reasoning behind it, as well as his views on exercise and healthy living, you realize that, even though he was in his 70's, he was quite capable and (somewhat) prepared for the long journey. This book has inspired me to want to live a healthier life, so that I can reap the rewards when I reach my autumn years. Thanks to the author!

While not epic, this is an enjoyable read even if you are not contemplating a cross country ride. It has plenty of information for those considering a cross-country ride such as myself [about the same age as the author], and is interwoven with enough personal stories to make it a pleasant read. I would love to meet this author for a glass of wine or cup of coffee..