Publisher's Synopsis
This book is a collection of cycle tour stories based on tours that I have made in the Alps alone and with friends over the last few years, covering Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia, Germany and Austria. All these tours were done on my Giant XT 660 which started life as a mountain bike. Accompanied by maps of each stage, photos and watercolours made along the way, the reader is left with a vivid impression of these fascinating routes. The author has tried to complement the usual routine of cycle touring with a parallel theme specific to each tour with the aim of giving the reader a bit more of an feeling for the places that I've been cycling through. This isn't just about long strings of tarmac but about places with often rich, fascinating histories. Cycling gives the rider a far better appreciation of places than say a car or a train, as the rider is more part of the environment and a rider is more approachable than someone encased in a metal box. So these accounts are an attempt to bring the places to life for the reader. The Alps are a wonderful playground for cyclists, not just because of the natural beauty, the diversity of cultures but because they can really test a cyclist's mettle. I've provided maps of my individual stages so that anyone inclined to follow these routes can use them as an inspiration.