Two Wheels and a Map

by Bob Neubauer

Overview

Long before smart phones and GPS devices simplified bike touring, cyclists were crossing the roads of this country, equipped with little more than two wheels and a map. This is the tale of one such rider who tackled the East Coast in the early '90s. Leaving behind an unfulfilling job, he loaded up his bike and set off, meandering along rural back roads, meeting strangers, listening to their stories and enjoying their unexpected hospitality.

Not everything went as planned, though. Unforeseen circumstances forced him in directions he hadn’t anticipated; searing summer heat drained his energy; and he spent many a nervous night bedding down where he didn't belong. His trip touched the tip of failure—yet succeeded in ways he hadn’t imagined. Through it all, the people who crossed his path, sometimes offering only a kind word, gave him the inspiration he needed to persevere.

Two Wheels and a Map details Bob Neubauer's two-part solo bike journey from Bangor, Maine, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. His often-amusing observations on the people and predicaments he encountered along the way give the book a lighthearted tone as it chronicles his life on the open road.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940012210470
Publisher:	Outdoor Action Publishing
Publication date:	01/01/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	196
File size:	223 KB

About the Author

Bob Neubauer was born in Chicago in 1964, but lived most of his life in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Penn State University in 1986 and subsequently worked as an audio tape editor, a wedding videographer, a messenger in New York City and a film sound recordist.

After completing his East Coast bike trip, he landed a position as a freelance reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Following that, he took a job at a publishing company and eventually became the editor of a national trade magazine there.

He continues to write freelance travel stories, and his articles have appeared in the Inquirer, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Examiner, The Boston Globe and The Newark Star Ledger. He also wrote a chapter for the book Weekend Journeys, published by the Inquirer.

Editorial Reviews

I've read many bike travel stories but this one is the best. It was entertaining, witty, humorous, and authentic. Having ridden across the United States and Europe myself, I found Bob's interaction with the locals to be right on target. His unique observations of human nature make this a must read for long distance cross-country cyclists. His writing style with twists and turns in the storyline made it impossible to put down.

I would recommend this book to anyone contemplating travel by

http://www.amazon.com/Two-Wheels-And-Map-Bicycle/product-reviews/0615120555/ref=cm_cr_dp_qt_hist_five?ie=UTF8&filterBy=a - Jean-Luc D

This is an excellent book! I have always been under the impression and in the past have found that "travelogues" or "road stories" were often boring and somewhat narcissistic. But I found Bob Neubauer's story of his trek down the east coast to be entertaining, full of insight and very humorous (heck, down right funny at times). One thing this author is NOT, a self-indulgent egotist. He brings a very insightful and introspective realism to a journey that was much more than just a thousand mile...

http://www.amazon.com/Two-Wheels-And-Map-Bicycle/product-reviews/0615120555/ref=cm_cr_dp_qt_hist_five?ie=UTF8&filterBy=a - T.N. Tozier

I read Bob Neubauer's book years after successfully completing my own cross country cycling adventure in 2004 albeit with more comforts than what Bob described. Early in my life I dreamed of riding self-supported across the country and in those visions it would play out much like Bob's East Coast adventure. I admire Bob's adventurous spirit and his ability to put into words what I tell people must be experienced first-hand to understand. Feelings of fear and desperation when you get a flat tire

http://www.amazon.com/Two-Wheels-And-Map-Bicycle/product-reviews/0615120555/ref=cm_cr_dp_qt_hist_five?ie=UTF8&filterBy=a - Tom G

I was initially intending to read the book as a guide to riding the East Coast trip. However, the book is more of an account of the authors trip. I would recommend it, it is a great story on it's own merits. I would advise that it is not a "how to" book.

http://www.amazon.com/Two-Wheels-And-Map-Bicycle/product-reviews/0615120555/ref=cm_cr_dp_qt_hist_five?ie=UTF8&filterBy=a - Edward Young