In The Spin

Cross country cyclists are fond of regaling listeners with tales of the wonderful people they met along the way. Now comes this more honest account detailing 48 bars along the way. Below is a review from those on Amazon’s site. Bill and Jim, take note.–Corrie

A test of a good bicycle book, at least to a cyclist, is that it inspires one to get on the bike and go off on an adventure. Bars Across America by John Greenfield did do just that for me. Although I am not much of a drinker and only rarely order a beer, I found the author’s description of the 48 bars he visited during his two month bike ride from the west to the east coast during the summer of 2007 highly entertaining. More than just the decor of these bars, the author describes bartenders, bar maids, and various bar flies and odd characters he encountered in these establishments. Many of the people he met were surprisingly open to Greenfield, someone they did not know, often expressing candid accounts of their own lives and hopes. Other odd characters and cyclists were encountered on the road or at camp sites or roadside parks where Greenfield spent most of his nights. Aside from the bars, a not inconsiderable amount of space is devoted to the cycling itself, the scenery as well as the dusty, seemingly forgotten small towns of America. Almost all of the author’s encounters and adventures were positive, perhaps reflecting Greenfields jaunty and usually optimistic nature. Aside from the author’s sometimes excessive use of colloquialisms, I liked the author’s simple and personal style of writing. The book contains many photographs of the bars, the scenery and the people.

via Amazon.com: Bars Across America: Drinking and Biking from Coast to Coast (9780557294800): John Greenfield: Books.