Free cycling books - CycleBlaze

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Free cycling books

Kathleen Jones

Hi all,

I'm downsizing our collection of stuff here at home, some of which includes these wonderful cycle touring books. I'd like to offer these to good homes among other cycle tourists. I'm willing to send anywhere in the US.* Contact me at kleenguard sonic net.

* If you're outside the US and really want one or two of these books, I think I can handle that shipping. Just can't do the whole kit and caboodle.

Almost all of Anne Mustoe's books. "A Bike Ride" is a classic - in 1987, 53yo headmistress chucks it all and rides from London around the world even though she'd hardly ever ridden a bike. She died in 2009 with her boots on, as it were: she got ill while on tour in Syria at age 76.
CGOABer Don Weinell's Oregon Trail journals turned into a book, and a cycle touring classic by Barbara Savage
Dervla Murphy is one of the mothers of cycle touring. Her most famous book is Full Tilt about her 1965 ride from Ireland to India.
Decent info and advice. I found a bunch of useful ideas here, but these are especially good for folks who are new to riding.

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3 years ago
Graham SmithTo Kathleen Jones

Kathleen a couple of years ago, after reading Marie Kondo’s “Magic of Tidying Up”, I had a major purge of my books. Numerous boxes of books made the short journey from our house to a local charity. I was fairly  ruthless in the cull of the books. Even most of my precious science books went. However, I must confess, I am unable to yet part with quite a few of my cycle touring books. I congratulate you on your willpower at being able let go of these titles, and applaud your generosity of offering them to other cycle tourists. 

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3 years ago
Kathleen JonesTo Graham Smith

Thanks, Graham. Yes, Marie Kondo is responsible for a huge surge in inventory in charity shops over here too. 

It's not easy to let go of these books, but we also have to be ruthless because we plan on moving into a much smaller space than we have now. And I'd rather the books go where they are wanted. Although these days charities aren't accepting donations, not that I blame them.

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3 years ago
Jet AgeTo Kathleen Jones

Quite a selection you've got there. Must be hard to let go of them. I've hardly read any books about cycle touring. Unfortunately I'm in Europe otherwise I'd happily give one of Anne Mustoe's book a new home. Hope you find some great people to share them with!

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3 years ago
Bruce LellmanTo Kathleen Jones

Hi Kathleen,  

I'd love to have the Dervla Murphy book.  Coincidentally, I just finished her book One Foot in Laos which was excellent.  She's legend!!  And then, also coincidentally, Scott Anderson was telling me just the other day that I needed to read Miles from Nowhere so I'd love to have that one too.  I am not sure how to contact you so here is my email address: bruce.lellman@gmail.com

Thank you for being so ruthless in your housecleaning and so generous as to offer these books to others.  

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3 years ago
Kathleen JonesTo Bruce Lellman

Hi Bruce,

I'll be glad to send those books. I'll be emailing you.

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3 years ago
John PescatoreTo Kathleen Jones

Thanks for the Bicycling the Oregon Trail book, Kathleen - I really enjoyed it. Will now pass it on to a friend who biked Trans America 20 years ago or so and then flew his homebuilt plane from Maryland to California and tried to follow the Oregon Trail  west of Missouri. He and his wife could see the ruts in some places, but forest fires in Oregon caused them to detour south to California.

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3 years ago
Scott AndersonTo Bruce Lellman

Oh, good.  I used to have this Dervla Murphy book, and it was amazing.  I almost asked Kathleen for both of these books myself, but they’d just go into our storage unit.  I’ll borrow your copies some day when we’re in town and I want to reread them.

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3 years ago
Bruce LellmanTo Scott Anderson

Yes, of course you can borrow them.  I haven't read them yet but they are both in my queue of books to read.  So nice of Kathleen to send them.  I offered to pay for postage but she declined but said to pay it forward and donate to some cycling charity of some sort.  So nice!  

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3 years ago
Scott AndersonTo Bruce Lellman

Hey, we’re a cycling charity!  You can just give it to me when we borrow the books.  Sort of a reverse lending fee.  I’m pretty sure you owe me a cup of coffee anyway.

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3 years ago