A Bike Ride: 12,000 Miles Around the World

In 1987 Anne Mustoe set off from London with basic equipment in panniers on a bicycle. 439 days later she returned to London, having cycled 11,552.1 miles. From the UK to France, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Turkey. Then Pakistan, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, across the USA, and to Ireland. Epic, without doubt.

Anne Mustoe was 54, had limited experience on a bicycle, couldn't repair a puncture, and by her own admission, was overweight. A recently retired head-mistress, she was not short of self motivation and determination.

After a brief introduction where the author describes her equipment and the motivation / planning of her trip, she then launches straight into the cycling.

It is hard not to draw comparisons with Dervla Murphy - well known as an accomplished cyclist and traveller, often alone, but sometimes with daughter in tow. To be perfectly honest, this book missed what makes most Dervla Murphy books successful - it was not as amusing. There were a few wry comments, and amusing situations, but for me far too far between. Large tracts of the travel were only marginally interesting, and perhaps due to the great distance covered, the commentary seemed to skip through the potentially interesting things far too quickly!

As I understand it, this is Anne Mustoe's first of many books (I have several in my shelves), and perhaps she felt obliged to mention each town and village, no matter how briefly. Perhaps in the following books she gets a more instinctive feel for where to linger in a story and what to omit. Parts of the European countries, and almost all of the USA fell flat with me. I enjoyed the central part of the trip - Greece, Turkey, Pakistan & India, but to be fair they are destinations I am much more interested in. Thailand and Malaysia were brief in their descriptions, and didn't spark much amusement. There was far too much “saw that, cycled here, slept there, eat that” of a repetitive nature, it just all remained too predictable.

In hindsight I am glad I read the first of her books first, and I am game to try again. But not too soon...

Between two and three stars for me, but erring towards the lower end.