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Changing Gear: A Bike Ride from Britain to Bulgaria
 
 

Changing Gear: A Bike Ride from Britain to Bulgaria [Kindle Edition]

Eileen Sutherland
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)

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Product Description

Product Description

Changing Gear is about love, loss and adventure.

In the summer of 2006 Allan and Eileen cycled from Britain to Bulgaria. He was a fit 52 year old with a new Dawes Galaxy bike and she was an overweight 54 year old with a dodgy knee and an old Trek. They set off with only a hazy idea of the route and not much money.

Three years earlier, on the 8th August 2003, their son Matt had died unexpectedly while on holiday. Things were never the same after Matt’s death. Allan and Eileen had tried living normally and found they couldn’t do it. So they looked for alternative ways of being, one of which was to cycle from Britain to Bulgaria.

‘As we got on our bikes I experienced an intense sense of freedom. A fraying of the cord of sadness. I felt light and irresponsible. With few possessions to worry about and a sense of space stretching ahead, anything seemed possible…’

Product details

  • Format: Kindle Edition
  • File Size: 419 KB
  • Print Length: 246 pages
  • Publisher: Eileen Sutherland (9 May 2012)
  • Sold by: Amazon Media EU S.à r.l.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B008216QI4
  • Text-to-Speech: Enabled
  • X-Ray: Not Enabled
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #71,526 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A road movie on two wheels 17 July 2012
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Changing Gear is a very surprising book. I had no prior knowledge of Eileen Sutherland's motivation for writing this and had assumed it was the account of an arduous bike ride across Europe - which it is - and a very well written travelogue it is too, on a par, I think, with such writers as Paul Theroux. However, there's a lot more to this book than the physical journey.

There's so much I enjoyed, although sad it's never maudlin and there are many laugh-out-loud moments. I learnt so much about the countries the writer travelled through and the cultures and people she met. But above all I loved the total honesty of this book. This woman isn't saintly or non-complaining, she is real and hurting and you can't help but want to cheer her in the end, not only for this amazing emotional and physical journey, but also for her courage.

A life-enhancing read and well worth a larger audience.

And the comment about a road movie? I think this would make a fantastic film - and I know just the person to write the screenplay!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
a good read.Was a bit sad to have finished it! People who like to travel or get the feel and geography of a country will enjoy
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars It's not just about the bike... 21 Oct 2012
Format:Kindle Edition
In my experience books about bike rides fall into one of three categories. There are those that focus on the process of cycling, which focus on the kit and the stats. There are also books which use the bike as the basis for a travelogue. And there is the third category, into which Eileen's book sits - a bike journey as a backdrop to the telling of a personal story. In Changing Gear we ride through Europe sampling the food and the scenery, pulling together the stats on a daily basis. But this is really about Eileen's own journey. And how well she tells it. Thanks Eileen.

Review submitted by Simon Haslam
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars No Frills
This is a very interesting and honest account of a European bike journey through countries
not as yet popular for the cycling camper. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Eva Wierzuchowska
5.0 out of 5 stars Honey
I found this beautifully written and the interweaving story of Matt and your family added a depth not found in many travel books. Read more
Published 1 month ago by michelle hindmarch
2.0 out of 5 stars bike ride from britain to bulgaria
sorry I gave up on this book, I am a cyclist myself, there was not enough detail about the places visited. Sorry.
Published 2 months ago by Mrs. P. Dew
5.0 out of 5 stars Bike travel
Seems a very original way to move to another country but really enjoyed the experience of looking over their shoulder on there journey. Recommend to anyone
Published 3 months ago by Aa Mcfarlane
3.0 out of 5 stars Routine Ramble
Not brilliantly written, either from the point of view of a travelogue or of a soul-baring, find-yourself book. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Biffo
5.0 out of 5 stars Get on your bike.
If you enjoy travel stories, you'll enjoy this. The sights, sounds and scenes they portray make you feel you are actually there with them. Read more
Published 3 months ago by L.V.B
5.0 out of 5 stars Changing Gear
I knew Matt and we went out for drinks on many occasions. He was a great bloke and I won't forget him.
Published 3 months ago by D. A. Wearmouth
3.0 out of 5 stars Not that interesting.
I was really looking forward to reading this book and found the mention of their son who had died as being their reason for doing the trip quite acceptable and uplifting. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Barbara
5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic read
A really fantastic, interesting and well written book. The book itself reads like novel from an established author rather than an autobiographical tale from a new writer. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Josh Edwards
5.0 out of 5 stars What a journey!
After the tragic loss of their son, "Eil" and "Al" are travelling through Europe to Bulgaria in the search for new horizons. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Mark Baker
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