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Crossing Europe on a Bike Called Reggie Paperback – 23 Oct. 2011

by Andrew P. Sykes (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars 1,106 ratings
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The academic year must have been a difficult one as when the summer holidays arrived, secondary school teacher Andrew Sykes was happy to do as little as possible. But while sitting on his sofa watching the exploits of the cyclists at the Great Wall of China at the Beijing Olympics, he realised the error of his ways and resolved to put a bit more adventure into his life. Two years later, accompanied by his faithful companion Reggie (his bike) but only a rudimentary plan, Andrew set off for a trans-continental cycling adventure that would take him along the route of the Via Francigena and the Eurovelo 5 all the way from his home in southern England to Brindisi in the south of Italy. There were highs and lows, rain and shine, joy and despair and they are all recounted here in a light-hearted, brisk style.

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  1. Print length
    322 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    CompletelyNovel.com
  4. Publication date
    23 Oct. 2011
  5. Dimensions
    13.97 x 1.68 x 21.59 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    1849142130
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1849142137
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Product description

Review

A truly inspirational read. --Amazon.co.uk review

I thought this book was brilliant, it almost made me wish I had learnt to ride. --Amazon.co.uk review

If this book doesn't inspire the reader to jump on their bike and go....nothing will. --Amazon.co.uk review

The author writes with warmth and wit, and does an excellent job of capturing every emotion, every landscape. --Amazon.co.uk review

"Good Vibrations" does exactly what it says on the tin. That's exactly what I felt when I read it. --Amazon.co.uk review

About the Author

Andrew P. Sykes was born and grew up in the small town of Elland in the foothills of the Pennines in West Yorkshire. He studied for a degree in mathematics at the University of York and immediately after graduation went to work in London for a firm of city accountants. The world of auditing was not however for him and in 1993 he left the U.K to go and work in France, initially in the tourist industry and then for four years teaching English in the Loire Valley city of Tours. He returned to the U.K. in 1999 to train as a secondary school teacher of French at the University of Reading. He still lives in the town and can currently be found working as the Head of Modern Languages at a secondary school in South Oxfordshire. You may well spot him each morning and each evening during term time cycling to work through the picturesque countryside that lies between the Thames Valley towns of Reading and Henley-on-Thames.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ CompletelyNovel.com; First Edition (23 Oct. 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 322 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1849142130
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1849142137
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.97 x 1.68 x 21.59 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 1,106 ratings

About the author

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Andrew Sykes

Andrew Sykes

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Andrew P. Sykes was born and grew up in the small town of Elland, in the foothills of the Pennines in West Yorkshire and he studied for a degree in mathematics at the University of York.

Following a period of time working in London and then France, he returned to the UK in 1999 to train as a secondary school teacher of French at the University of Reading. He taught in Berkshire and Oxfordshire for 15 years before taking a career break in 2015 to learn some Spanish, cycle from Tarifa in Spain to Nordkapp in Norway and move back to live in Yorkshire. He now teaches at the same school that he attended as a pupil during the 1980s.

Since 2009 he has been travelling long distances on his bicycles: first Reggie, now Wanda (with Ronnie taking up the slack on the shorter commutes to work).

He has written four books about travelling Europe:

- Crossing Europe on a Bike Called Reggie (2011)

- Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie (2014)

- Spain to Norway on a Bike Called Reggie (2017)

- Le Grand Tour on a Bike Called Wanda (2024)

Andrew also produces a podcast, The Cycling Europe Podcast, that can be heard across all major podcast platforms. He has made a number of films about his cycling journeys and they can all be watched online at YouTube. He is also present on social media @CyclingEurope.

Andrew regularly gives talks about his travels. If you would like him to speak at your event, please get in touch. His contact details can be found on his website.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
1,106 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book to be a great and entertaining read about a long bike ride through Europe, with a nice easy style of writing that's very difficult to put down. They describe it as a vibrant travel book that's informative and inspiring, with one customer noting how it captures the highs and lows of a long-distance cycle tour. Customers appreciate the writing style, with one review highlighting how the author manages to communicate feelings in few words, while another notes how it brings the travel alive.

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146 customers mention ‘Enjoyment’146 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable, describing it as a great and interesting read that serves as pure escapism.

"...A quick and enjoyable read as it is not all about the bike but more about his story of cycling or at least trying to cycle the Eurovelo 5 route...." Read more

"...It's a readable account with enough pace and interest to keep the pages - like Reggie's wheels - turning, and with only the slight irritation of a..." Read more

"Best cycling book I've read to date...." Read more

"Excellent and amusing commentary on a solo bicycle trip from Reading in England to Brindisi, on the heel of Italy...." Read more

122 customers mention ‘Entertainment value’113 positive9 negative

Customers find the book entertaining, describing it as a very engaging story about a long bike ride, with one customer noting it's a witty account of an epic journey.

"Andrew Sykes's enthusiasm, determination and wry humour come through in this entertaining and easy read...." Read more

"...Andrew Sykes's style is both informative and amusing - he had me laughing and nodding in agreement on many occasions...." Read more

"Excellent and amusing commentary on a solo bicycle trip from Reading in England to Brindisi, on the heel of Italy...." Read more

"...Lots of useful info for any who would like to do this very doable journey. For most of us the main issue is how to take the time off to do it!..." Read more

95 customers mention ‘Writing style’83 positive12 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, describing it as beautifully written and easy to read, with one customer noting how the author manages to communicate his feelings in few words.

"...It's a readable account with enough pace and interest to keep the pages - like Reggie's wheels - turning, and with only the slight irritation of a..." Read more

"...This is a charming and well written account about how to spend the time of your life on -mainly- the more quiet back-roads of Europe, where people..." Read more

"I enjoyed the book in that it was written by a guy that had done it, no fiction here, no cherry on top, no dramatics, just the true story of a guy..." Read more

"...With a knack for great descriptions of the terrain, history, people and events along the route we, as readers can feel part of the journey and get a..." Read more

56 customers mention ‘Inspirational read’56 positive0 negative

Customers find the book inspiring and informative, with one mentioning how it provides encouragement to go the extra mile, while another notes how it describes the author's motivations for undertaking the journey.

"Andrew Sykes's enthusiasm, determination and wry humour come through in this entertaining and easy read...." Read more

"...Andrew Sykes's style is both informative and amusing - he had me laughing and nodding in agreement on many occasions...." Read more

"...route we, as readers can feel part of the journey and get a great sense of occasion...." Read more

"...Great powers of observation as he describes his experiences touring in Europe on his bicycle...." Read more

32 customers mention ‘Travel value’32 positive0 negative

Customers praise this travel book as a vibrant account of cycling through Europe, with one customer noting how it captures the highs and lows of a long-distance tour.

"...A truly epic adventure and book. Sykes captures wonderfully the highs and lows of a long distance cycle tour...." Read more

"...There's some solid advice for European touring as well, covering a variety of things from the need to find a balance between roughing it and rest..." Read more

"...no cherry on top, no dramatics, just the true story of a guy on a bike travelling through Europe...." Read more

"...It's a light-hearted journey through France and Italy - easy to read and humorous...." Read more

22 customers mention ‘Readability’22 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and humorous, with one review noting how it captures the feel of a long ride and another mentioning how it provides a true sense of being there.

"...be disappointed in you - but I will read it, oh yes, this was a gripping read and my first on the iPad kindle which I've ever managed to get to the..." Read more

"...The book also provides plenty of evidence of the warmth of human nature, with many tales told of a number of people of different age, gender and..." Read more

"I just loved this book and was gripped from start to finish. The author is such an everyman but is so inspiring as he cycles across half of Europe...." Read more

"Unlike the vitriolic Jim 888, I found this book utterly charming and informative...." Read more

8 customers mention ‘Ease of use’8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to use and very difficult to put down, with one customer noting there is no jargon to contend with.

"...The book is a very easy, compelling read. The author has a wonderfully easy way of bringing to life his experiences as he cycled across Europe on..." Read more

"...with technical details about the bike or equipment, and stays fairly easy on complications to the end, although it's packed with detail about the..." Read more

"A great read and was hard to put down, feel that you were with him all the way. Well written" Read more

"...It's funny and enthralling, very difficult to put down. If you like cycling or just slow travel, buy it, put your feet up and enjoy...." Read more

7 customers mention ‘Level of difficulty’7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's level of difficulty, describing it as an amazing feat that works well on multiple levels.

"Feeling inspired from the amazing feats of the Great Britain team at the Beijing Olympics, Andrew Sykes felt it was time he challenged himself and..." Read more

"...book is a humorous travelogue that doesn’t try too hard and works all the better for it, there are some lovely turns of phrase and many a chuckle to..." Read more

"...The book works on a number of different levels...." Read more

"This is an excellent read and which works well on a couple of levels...." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Alex
    5.0 out of 5 stars A truly epic adventure and book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 April 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Feeling inspired from the amazing feats of the Great Britain team at the Beijing Olympics, Andrew Sykes felt it was time he challenged himself and go on a more unconventional summer holiday. Being a secondary school teacher in Henley-upon-Thames he was blessed with long summer breaks. After two years of planning he finally set off on an adventurous cycle tour taking him from his home near London to Brindisi in the south of Italy.

    A truly epic adventure and book. Sykes captures wonderfully the highs and lows of a long distance cycle tour. I found I could to relate to a lot of what he said. Although a book about cycling I do believe that it would appeal to anyone adventurous wanting a light hearted travel book. A quick and enjoyable read as it is not all about the bike but more about his story of cycling or at least trying to cycle the Eurovelo 5 route. With many tales each day, it is a vibrant travel book, with culture and history along side cheerful banter.

    Although not as impressive as some cycle tours, Sykes shows how you do not need lots of money or be going around the world to have a good, fun and memorable trip. If you read this book I can guarantee that you will want to go off cycling around Europe. I think that is a good thing the more people inspired the better, and if you are looking for some inspiration look no further. If you are thinking of organising your own trip I would also recommend it. Or check out his website. Go. Read this book then get on your bike!

    I purchased this book on kindle and I must recommend purchasing it on there as it is only £2.99 so an absolute bargain!
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Dweasle
    4.0 out of 5 stars The vibes are good
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 April 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Andrew Sykes's enthusiasm, determination and wry humour come through in this entertaining and easy read. It will suit both armchair dreamers and two-wheel travellers considering their own possible adventures.

    Although there are many who have done greater distances (see Crazyguyonabike website, for instance), Andrew's trip from England to the toe of Italy during his summer break from teaching has the feel of a minor epic. His account seems honest and he is not afraid to allude to hating some of the moments, but then longing to get back in the saddle after a rest day. Those of us with some experience of bicycle touring know exactly how he feels.

    It's a readable account with enough pace and interest to keep the pages - like Reggie's wheels - turning, and with only the slight irritation of a few typos.

    I would recommend it to anyone interested in bicycle touring.
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  • C. J. Boarland
    5.0 out of 5 stars This is the book for the ordinary, everyday cyclist who aspires to achieve something
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 March 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Best cycling book I've read to date. Having decided to embark on my own mid-life cycling adventure this year I was looking for a book written for the ordinary guy who aspires to achieve something special. There are plenty of technical, expert accounts around for the super fit and cycling anoraks, but that's not what I wanted. I came across Good Vibrations purely through a Kindle search and more by luck than judgement or recommendation, I found exactly the book I was looking for. Andrew Sykes's style is both informative and amusing - he had me laughing and nodding in agreement on many occasions. I am planning to cycle from Roscoff to Monaco in August 2012 as a way of celebrating my retirement year (early fifties). I don't want to to this for any charitable cause (laudable though that would be), nor do I want to be under any unrealistic time constraints - I just want to succeed in the challenge and enjoy it on the way. Good Vibrations exactly reflects my outlook on such an endeavour - solo, minimal reliance on and contact with others and an intent, come what may, to achieve his goal. My one critical observation was that the book could really do with an appendix detailing the equipment / clothing etc that Andrew took on his trip and what he learned in that regard for a future trip.
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  • Mark Henwick
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brindisi by bike
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 7 December 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent and amusing commentary on a solo bicycle trip from Reading in England to Brindisi, on the heel of Italy.

    This isn't a journey through Outer Mongolia. Sykes always has the option of stopping and getting a train the rest of the way. He doesn't have to learn to light fires with friction and make stew from ant grubs. He doesn't even have to find out how to rewire his wheel spokes, although he does have to learn to dance a bit, sleep with donkeys and eat raw meat. And he has a fantastic time. All of which begs the question - why don't more people have this kind of adventure?

    Appropriately for a teacher, the author provides us with a little education on the way. History, geography and politics - Europe viewed as a network of bicycle tracks (possibly the crowning achievement of the Common Market). Even theology - there is a patron saint of cyclists :-)

    There's some solid advice for European touring as well, covering a variety of things from the need to find a balance between roughing it and rest days, to using the virtual support teams that social media plugs you into. He looks at the vexed questions of the right handlebars and security for touring, and in one of my favourite quotes points out that ultra-light tends to mean ultra-thin and ultra-ineffective.

    I guess the best reflection I can provide on the book was that I was sorry when it stopped.
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  • SUS
    4.0 out of 5 stars A good read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 August 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Reggie - a Ridgeback bike - and its owner roughly follows the Franciscan pilgrimage trail from Canterbury to Rome - and onwards to Southern Italy.
    This is a charming and well written account about how to spend the time of your life on -mainly- the more quiet back-roads of Europe, where people are helpful and friendly and life and bike-riding (apart from a few broken spokes) are good. Lots of useful info for any who would like to do this very doable journey. For most of us the main issue is how to take the time off to do it!
    But a very good read which leaves you with an urge to go and do it!! And you do not have to be an Olympic athlete to succeed!!
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Jennie Daft
    5.0 out of 5 stars A good read
    Reviewed in Australia on 15 January 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Easy to read, really funny in parts, enjoyed it very much.
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  • Simon
    5.0 out of 5 stars A charming tale of one man and his bike getting to grips with cycle touring.
    Reviewed in Spain on 5 August 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Andrew’s gentle tone and his vivid descriptions take you with him on his journey. He battles with rain and Mosquitos, and maintains a cheerful charm throughout. I look forward to reading his subsequent adventures. I also recommend his blog and podcast for mor two-wheeled inspiration.
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  • Eric Wery
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad but lacks the spirit of bicycle travel.
    Reviewed in France on 19 January 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Mr Sykes has another decent book under his belt and a third one coming this year, I avidly read travel books and bicycle travel books are too rare to be missed. I think the author missed the point of what bicycle travel is (IMHO) and raced through the continent instead of taking the time to understand the regions and cultures he met. Still a good read and an amazing ride though.
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  • M. Neubauer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great insight on a Grand Tour!
    Reviewed in the United States on 7 January 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Few of us would have the combination of time, skill, fitness and gumption to take on a bike tour. Andrew walks us thru the process of what an average cyclist would experience. When I say "average", I don't mean some experienced racer, endurance rider, avid outdoorsman, boxcar hobo, etc... just your average bloke getting on a bike for 5 weeks straight (OK, that being said, he IS a French Teacher. Languages seem a bit easier to him than most 'Mericans).

    As I've been considering a "Grand Tour" of my own, to see how Andrew did it was a great insight; I can definitely learn from some of the issues he had!
    His writing style is downright interesting, and it's easy to stay engaged in the story. It could easily have become the equivalent to google maps directions (say, if I wrote it). But my favorite aspect of the book was Andrew's interaction with the people and culture he finds along the way, not to mention strangers turned friends via the internet and his cyclingeurope webpage. That is what traveling is all about, and Andrew captures the experience quite well. His language knowledge was definitely a plus (and made me carefully consider how I would have done in a similar situation).

    There are some UKisms that might confuse us Americans (what is a carriageway, and what makes it dual? How is that different than a roadway?) I flipped to wikipedia more than once, but that's not Andrew's fault!

    As for the other reviews, I only remember one typo, and it wasn't a big deal. Looks like the ones mentioned have been fixed, the beauty of kindle!

    Overall, I think it's a great book for anyone. If you don't ride, you will want to after this (unless you are dead inside). If you do ride, you'll want to go farther! And anyone this side of Willie Weir (google him!) can learn something from this!
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  • S + S
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved the book.
    Reviewed in India on 27 February 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I read this book after reading ' cross the med on a bike called Reggie's, enjoyed reading both books equally. They created a movie in my mind, it was as if I was traveling the eurovelo route.
    Highly recommended.
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