Eat, Sleep, Ride : How I Braved Bears, Badlands, and Big Breakfasts in My Quest to Cycle the Tour Divide

For Paul Howard, who has ridden the entire Tour de France route during the race itself—setting off at 4 am each day to avoid being caught by the pros—riding a small mountain bike race should hold no fear. Still, this isn’t just any mountain bike race. This is the Tour Divide.Running from Banff in Canada to the Mexican border, the Tour Divide is more than 2,700 miles—500 miles longer than the Tour de France. Its route through the heart of the Rocky Mountains involves more than 200,000 feet of ascent—the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest seven times.The other problem is that Howard has never owned a mountain bike—and how will training on the South Downs in southern England prepare him for sleeping rough in the Rockies?Undaunted, Howard swaps the smooth tarmac roads of France for the mud, snow, and ice of the Tour Divide, fending off grizzly bears, mountain lions, and moose. Buzzing roadside fans are replaced by buzzing mosquitoes. Battling bad weather, drinking whiskey with a cowboy, and singing karaoke with the locals, Howard's journey turned into more than just a race — it became the adventure of a lifetime. Armed with wit and humour, an internationally acclaimed cycling writer tackles the longest mountain bike race in the world. For Paul Howard, who has ridden the entire Tour de France route during the race itself--setting off at 4 am each day to avoid being caught by the pros--riding an adventure cycling race should hold little fear. Still, this isn't just any mountain-bike race. This is the Tour Divide. The Tour Divide race follows a fixed course called the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, crossing the Continental Divide from Banff, Alberta, through Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and ending in Antelope Wells, New Mexico. The Great Divide route is more than 2,700 miles: 500 miles longer than the Tour de France and involves more than 200,000 feet of ascent--the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest seven times. The other problem is that Howard has never owned a mountain bike--and how will training on the South Downs in southern England prepare him for sleeping rough in the Rockies? What's more, the efficient backup team that helped Howard in the Tour, his dad, will be absent. Undaunted, Howard swaps the smooth tarmac roads of France for the mud, snow, and ice of the Tour Divide, fending off grizzly bears, mountain lions, and moose. Buzzing roadside fans are replaced by buzzing mosquitoes. Worse is the unshakeable fear that he might have to earn his wild west stripes by drinking whiskey with a cowboy. Entertaining and engaging, Eat, Sleep, Ride will appeal to avid cyclers, ultra cycling fans, and readers of adventure travel narratives with a humorous twist. For a man who has ridden the entire Tour de France route during the race itself—setting off at 4 a. m. each day to avoid being caught by the pros —riding a small mountain-bike race far removed from cycling's European heartland should hold no fear. But, although there may only be a dozen or so participants, this isn't just any mountain-bike race. This is the Tour Divide. Running from Banff in Canada to the Mexican border, the Tour Divide is, at more than 2,700 miles, the longest mountain-bike race in the world. Not only is it 500 miles farther than the Tour de France, its route along the continental divide goes through the heart of the Rocky Mountains and involves more than 200,000 ft. of ascent—the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest seven times. The other problem is that Howard has never owned a mountain bike, and even when he does finally get hold of one, how will training on the South Downs prepare him for sleeping rough in the Rockies? What's more,... SPO110000,book For Paul Howard, who has ridden the entire Tour de France route during the race itself—setting off at 4 am each day to avoid being caught by the pros—riding a small mountain-bike race should hold no fear. Still, this isn’t just any mountain-bike race. This is the Tour Divide . Running from Banff in Canada to the Mexican border, the Tour Divide is more than 2,700 miles—500 miles longer than the Tour de France. Its route along the Continental Divide goes through the heart of the Rocky Mountains and involves more than 200,000 feet of ascent—the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest seven times. The other problem is that Howard has never owned a mountain bike—and how will training on the South Downs in southern England prepare him for sleeping rough in the Rockies? Entertaining and engaging, Eat, Sleep, Ride will appeal to avid and aspiring cyclers, as well as fans of adventure/travel narrative with a humorous twist. "Armed with wit and humour, veteran sports writer Paul Howard tackles the longest mountain bike race in the world--the Tour Divide. Covering five geographical regions along the Continental Divide and featuring nearly every type of terrain imaginable, the race is no small feat for Howard, who has never owned a mountain bike before. Testing the limits of his physical training, his fear of bears and his comfort zone, Howard experiences culture shock at every turn, bonds with his fellow riders and describes the ever-changing surroundings with a mixture of tourist's awe and dry British wit. Eat, Sleep, Ride is a hilarious account of the world as it can only be viewed from a bicycle."--Page 4 of cover

Armed With Wit and humour, veteran sports writer Paul Howard tackles the longest mountain bike race in the world-the Tour Divide. Covering five geographical regions along the Continental Divide and featuring nearly every type of terrain imaginable, the race is no small feat for Howard, who has never owned a mountain bike before. Testing the limits of his physical training, his fear of bears and his comfort zone, Howard experiences culture shock at every turn, bonds with his fellow riders and describes the ever-changing surroundings with a mixture of tourist's awe and dry British wit. Eat, Sleep, Ride is a hilarious account of the world as it can only be viewed from a bicycle.