A cross-country bicycle adventure is the canvas for this tale of discovery along the winding backroads of America's heartland. The second book in the "Cycling Reflections" series Pilgrim Spokes tells the story of the eastern half of the trans-American trek continuing the saga begun in Neil's award-winning previous book-Pilgrim Wheels-which reconnoiters the western half of the journey.
More than just a journal of a bike ride across the country Hanson's delightful and beautifully written story takes the reader on an engaging pilgrimage of observation and reflection. Often hilarious sometimes poignant and always inspiring it's a must-read adventure that will stir your soul.
Author and speaker Neil M. Hanson is one of the country's foremost bicycle-touring experts. He's pedaled across America along the Natchez Trace across several of the nations' premier rail trails and throughout northern Italy.
The Flint Hills of Kansas are home to Neil. The wide landscape of the deep tallgrass prairie taught him to cultivate a broad perspective while searching for subtleties hidden in low pockets sheltered from the winds of what feels obvious.
He lives in Colorado navigating his bicycle up and down the inclines of the Rocky Mountains. His books provide both outstanding guidance to help cyclists plan and execute a bicycle tour and journey stories that anyone will enjoy. His mastery of the art of storytelling inspires touring cyclists to reach for their next level of adventure wannabe cyclists to go out and start turning the pedals and armchair adventurers to imagine a delightful tailwind or to vicariously explore a small town along the trail.
"Neil Hanson takes you on a journey that's both on the road and in the mind. For him travel sparks observations on a myriad of topics which he shares in his sparkling prose."-- Stan Purdum author of Roll Around Heaven All Day and Playing in Traffic
"Pilgrim Spokes delivers a delightful blend of travelogue cycling insights and reflections. . . . [It's] a vivid read filled with personal reflection philosophical insights physical challenges and a dose of spirituality that immerses the reader in an exhilarating ride."-- D. Donovan Senior Reviewer Midwest Book Review
"Hanson is a thoughtful narrator... Readers will consequently feel fortunate to find themselves immersed in meditations... this isn't just a book for bicycle enthusiasts it's also for any fan of the examined life... A book that offers plenty of "shared sojourner's camaraderie" in the company of a happy philosophical companion." -- Kirkus Reviews
