I’m a sucker for books about bicycle touring. Especially ones about riding the United States from coast-to-coast. I’ve day-dreamed about doing such a trek myself, but that is about as far as I’ve gotten. I read these type of books as a way for me to ride vicariously through the eyes of those who have done the deed.
Neil Hanson is a fellow Colorado resident and a man who was pushing 60 years of age at the time he set out to ride from California to New England (he turns 57 during part of his ride in the book). Pilgrim Wheels is part one of a two-part travelogue. Part one starts in San Francisco and finishes in Kansas. Mr. Hanson approaches the ride with both trepidation and a positive outlook.
He goes on at some length about the sense of spirituality he derives from his “pilgrimage”. He feels this most acutely in the quiet and remote parts of the desert Southwest. While his musing are in no way profound, they do make for some enjoyable insights as to why he is making the journey. Plus, Mr. Hanson is obviously a genial and upbeat individual, and his ability to enjoy the moment makes for fun reading.
Mr. Hanson tries to, often unsuccessfully, avoid developing a sense of superiority over his chosen means of transportation. He’ll make note of how he is able to observe the natural world around him in closer detail than someone who whizzes by in an air-conditioned automobile. He becomes aware of how judgemental his view is, and attempts to be more humble, but it comes off more as a humble-brag. It’s not a good look.
(As an aside, this attitude is a big part of why bicyclists are despised by many. There is nothing virtuous about riding a bicycle. If a rider wants to save gas by riding, or get some exercise, or even “save the environment” have at it. Just be aware that the act of bicycle riding doesn’t make the rider special).
I mentioned at the beginning that I am enchanted by these coast-to-coast riding adventures, but I find that the more of them I read the less enchanted I get. That’s because I’ve come to realize that most of these authors never go or see anything on their riding adventures. Mostly they just wake up, wolf down breakfast and head onto the road for another day of riding until they find somewhere to stop for the night. They do this day after day until they reach their final destination. Whee?
For all Mr. Hanson’s rhapsodizing about becoming one with the surrounding natural world, he never actually explores any of it. He just cranks out miles on the way to a pre-determined destination. While he avoids major interstates in favor of the backroads, his view of the passing countryside is still limited to what he can see from the road.
By my reckoning, here are just a few places he could taken a detour and spent a few days exploring: Monterey, Paso Robles, Napa Valley, Sedona, Mesa Verde, Great Sand Dunes National Park and more. Nope, it’s just nose to the handlebars for 1500 miles for Mr. Hanson. It’s his ride, and he has at least done it unlike myself. But it seems like there should be more to this type of adventure than just racking up miles in the saddle.
Still, Pilgrim Wheels is a fast and overall enjoyable read and I do intend to read the sequel (Pilgrim Spokes) soon. If you enjoy books about bicycle touring tales this is a good addition into the genre. If you are not into such books, this is not a book for you.
