A highly unlikely bicycle tourist

I'm Steve, 57 years from Liverpool. I'm a husband, a father and a grandad, and when I set out in 2017 on my first-ever bicycle tour, I was strongly built and weighed 350 pounds (158 kg) at 6ft (1.8m) tall. For just over a year and four months, I had the most incredible time, which included visiting 12 countries and 7800 actual cycling miles (12550 km).

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There's big, and there's big, and I'm bigger. I ordered a bike I thought could take my weight, and off I rode. I wasn't even a regular cyclist. Weight training was my hobby. I felt the bicycle was the vehicle I needed to see the world at the right pace without carrying suitcases or bags on my back.

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I had no idea how far I could cycle with a fully-loaded bike in a day, and without a single day of practice, I managed 23 miles to a campsite in Cheshire. That was the farthest I had cycled since I was a teen, and it felt pretty good.

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I had no idea how far I could cycle with a fully-loaded bike in a day, and without a single day of practice, I managed 23 miles to a campsite in Cheshire. That was the farthest I had cycled since I was a teen, and it felt pretty good.

I treated my ride like a holiday, albeit with a bike. I had no intention of simply picking two points on the earth and sleeping under a tarp for months, eating pasta and porridge to fill the gap. I travelled a lot like that in my youth. I thought I'd save that style of touring for another later adventure if I enjoyed the first, of course.

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That said, I had my share of wild camping in my tent. I also stayed on campsites, in huts, hotels and guesthouses. I had meals in restaurants and bars from street-food vendors, and I even managed pasta on my camp stove. I didn't rely on others to house and feed me. I used my hard-earned savings. It was my adventure, after all, and I wasn't interested in anyone else covering the costs.

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I had more challenges than I could have imagined before setting out. Due to being run over by a truck some years earlier, my spine wasn't getting any better. I also suffered a few other conditions so that the ride could be my last massive physical adventure.

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Being a family man in my 50s with financial and other responsibilities, I planned to have my wife visit me from time to time, as she would be working much harder to keep everything running smoothly at home in my absence. I was even prepared to return home on occasion for unforeseen reasons,  depending on how long I was away, and I was cool with that. I wasn't out to set records. I was out to have a great adventure holiday with a bike.

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Bicycle Touring / Cycle Touring

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Bicycles and other pedal-powered vehicles are perfect for exploring the world at just the right speed and in any way you choose. A day out or a long weekend with an organised tour group or partner. On a shoestring or healthy budget. Travel as your fitness permits, for as long as you wish. There are no rules, and you don’t have to love cycling or be a regular cyclist to love touring.

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Info

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✦ 74,000 words across 14 chapters about a far-from-typical bicycle touring adventure.

✦ 70 Beautiful high-resolution black and white/greyscale photographs (full-colour photographs in colour-compatible devices and media)

✦ Professionally styled layout to create an even more pleasurable reading experience

✦ Organic reviews. No pre-launch reviews, no paid-for reviews, and no review swaps

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✎ A Varied Selection of Reviews

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As you can see, I decided to include a selection of excellent and not-so-great reviews. 

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"This is an enjoyable, intensely personal account of an epic cycling adventure. This is a big man with ambitions to match." PP UK ☆☆☆☆☆

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"You are an inspiration to the rest of us with hypothyroidism” HT ☆☆☆☆☆

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"...and at last, a bike touring book that most of us who enjoy travelling by bike can relate to. I've become a little tired of the same old themes of east to west, coast to coast, from here to there while reading how the cyclists live on bean and crumb and everyone else's dime. Love this!" CC USA ☆☆☆☆☆

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" I hope the book inspires other people to ignore their weight/age/ability issues to enjoy riding their bike. Excellent story from a very brave man." UK ☆☆☆☆☆

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“Your honesty and sense of humour had me gripped from the first few paragraphs” SH UK ☆☆☆☆☆

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“Stephen Peel differentiated himself in his style of touring. His journey was not about drawing an unbroken line around the world. It was not about the miles cycled and beating the clock. He chose a unique path letting his daily experiences and body guide him.” TB USA ☆☆☆☆

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"I enjoyed reading about the adventure and was greatly impressed by the sheer determination of the writer but was disappointed by the writing style." JPA USA ☆☆

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“This book is so different to any long distance cycling bio I have ever read, no training, plenty beer and pizza and so refreshingly honest.” HD ES ☆☆☆☆☆

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“It’s not about the cycling, it’s about how to live to the fullest and get the most out of it each day.” AC USA ☆☆☆☆☆

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"the 350lbs was muscle it seems" PB ☆☆

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“From the first page Stephen's flowing narrative, interspersed with his dry humour, had me hooked.” UK ☆☆☆☆☆