Riding Out: A Journey of Love, Loss and New Beginnings

I met Simon on his ride across the U.S. in 2016. I never got the opportunity to truly know him or know what he was about or dealing with. Riding out I got to see what Great Britain is like and to know who Simon is. His writing style shows me why he is an award winning writer. Simon gives a good personal view of what others were feeling, thinking and their fears during the biggest world wide pandemic since WWI. He learns his strengths and his weaknesses during his epic ride allowing him to become able to make himself who he wants to be.

I bought the book expecting it to focus on the logistics of bicycle touring. It ended up being so much more. "Riding Out" highlights the mental and societal challenges during the pandemic that were rarely discussed. Simon talks about his experiences across the UK and documents each conversation with respect and nuance not seen on social media. He repeatedly shares the kindness which he experienced and proves that you can have once-in-a-lifetime trips without traveling to the next hemisphere. This book is a must-read for bicyclists and non-bicyclists alike.

I neither read many books nor write many book reviews however felt compelled to draft something as a gesture of appreciation for how much I valued this one. I found the extent of the adventure within the confines of the UK truly addictive. The journey is both a remarkable physical feat as it is an unpredictable and fascinating expedition. The dogged determination displayed throughout could only be conjured by the challenging emotions presented. The authors openness made for a real heartfelt connection and personal experience whilst reading. I came away feeling like I'd love to have shared some of the ride (and emotional burden!) with Simon but value the essence of the trip as a solo voyage, so a nod out on the road one day will do! Congratulations on your journey, an excellent book and thank you for sharing!

Wow! You MUST read this book! What a physical, geographical and emotional journey. The author shared enough of his life in the first twenty pages to get me tearful, but then went on to describe his journey through the people and places he experienced with interesting snippets reminiscent of Bill Bryson, but totally unique. The run up to the finish at Lands End trying to beat Covid lockdown on a bike falling to pieces under him is agonising and riveting. Hope the author will share other epic trips and his mental wellbeing journey with us in the future. I learnt a lot. Recommended.

Riding Out is a wonderfully honest account of a journey undertaken by the author, from one end of the British Isles to the other, for the sake of his mental health. When his successful career as a travel journalist came to an abrupt halt when the first lockdown was announced in March 2020, Simon Parker was overwhelmed with anxiety. As soon as it was possible, he did the only thing that would alleviate his symptoms and took to the road. No stranger to long distance cycling trips, he heads for the northernmost point of the Shetland Islands, Muckle Flugga lighthouse, and begins his long journey towards Lands’ End.Travel writing can sometimes be a bit dry, but not Riding Out as I found this very readable and got halfway through in one sitting. There was a vicarious pleasure in reading about this trip, allowing me to experience something I could never actually do. Along the way, I revisited lots of familiar places and saw others for the first time. I was in awe at what he put his body through, and the distances he managed to cover in a single day. It was heartwarming to read about the many people following his progress and offering hospitality to a stranger.Over the course of his journey, he highlights the plight of small businesses and freelancers that were in real trouble financially when the country went into lockdown, as they slipped through the net and and did not qualify for any financial help. He paints a disturbing picture of the NC500 route around the north of Scotland. It has attracted thousands of tourists into an area that does not have the infrastructure to cope with the increased numbers. I am familiar with this beautiful part of the country, and I felt sad that people were behaving in this way. At times, I felt he put himself under too much pressure to cover the extra miles, but it is amazing what the human body can cope with. Over the last few years, with the world in lockdown, I have found myself reading more travel writing. Riding Out is the book I have enjoyed the most, and I hope there will be another by Simon Parker in the not too distant future. I look forward to reading it.

Reading the narrative of this event was as hard a slog as the actual ride, I usually read two books a week, 'Riding Out' took me about two weeks! The author depicts himself as being riddles with angst & born as a male devoid of any common sense (no female would behave as he did). There are several geographical errors i.e. he is cycling past Taunton Cricket Ground towards the river Tone (that would be St. James Street), then he is cycling along the tow-path of the Bridgwater to Taunton Canal which, starts 11 miles prior to where he now is! As a former 'Club' Cyclist & experienced Cycle Tourist, I cannot understand why the author fails to make use of the excellent (inexpensive) network of Youth Hostels throughout England & Scotland & makes no mention of either the YHA or, SYHA? Glaring omissions include; essential excursions to 'Cape Wrath' & the 'Isle-of-Wight'. Being personally familiar with, almost, all the routes & places passed through, I am glad that I purchased this book & would recommend it to any cyclist (or, former cyclist) who will, almost certainly, have experienced similar discomfort & fatigue! So buy this book.

I do enjoy a cycling travelogue. Tim Moore has written some really enjoyable books of this type. I may have been mistaken in expecting more of the same here, and to be fair, it is pretty much as described; a journey dealing with personal issues on a ride through pandemic Britain. What quickly became apparent to me is how much I'd prefer to forget about the misery of those two years. I wasn't hugely affected personally, but looked-back upon it now, from even this short period afterward, it seems like a period of collective madness. What were we thinking? As I say, a time I'd prefer to forget.Otherwise, the book is well-enough written, but you'll really have to care about the writer's struggles to enjoy it. I'd preferred the book to have focused more on the physical journey rather than the personal one.