Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • A Highly Unlikely Bicycle Tourist

  • An Astonishing Story About a 350-Pound Middle-Aged, Disabled, Working-Class Husband and Father and His Thirst for Adventure
  • By: Stephen John Peel
  • Narrated by: Aaron Smith
  • Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (8 ratings)
Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
A Highly Unlikely Bicycle Tourist cover art

A Highly Unlikely Bicycle Tourist

By: Stephen John Peel
Narrated by: Aaron Smith
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £14.99

Buy Now for £14.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

One Man and His Bike cover art
Coffee First, Then the World cover art
North to Alaska cover art
Through Sand & Snow cover art
On Roads That Echo cover art
Mud, Sweat and Gears: Cycling From Land's End to John O'Groats (via the Pub) cover art
Riding with the Rocketmen cover art
Wild Winter cover art
Hit the Road, Jac! cover art
The Great North Road cover art
Did Not Finish cover art
Trans-Africa by Motorcycle cover art
Travel Seekness cover art
Kangaroos and Chaos cover art
Around the World on a Bicycle cover art
Venture Into Russia cover art

Summary

A highly unlikely bicycle tourist

Many an incredible story may have been told about young courageous men and women cycling the globe in search of adventure, covering vast distances at speed each day with not a care in the world, sleeping wherever they could pitch a tent or find someone willing to give them a free meal and bed for the night.

Well, this incredible story is a little different. It is a story about a 350-pound middle-aged, disabled, working-class husband and father. I was never a regular cyclist, and I knew nothing about bicycle maintenance and repair. And yet, without a single day of bicycle touring practice, I loaded up my shiny new bike with everything I thought I’d need and cycled out of Cheshire to see the world. Solo, self-financed, with no support network and without any fixed route plan other than, “I’m going that way.”

What could go wrong? I wondered.

Bicycle Touring

Bicycle touring is often referred to as cycle touring, bike touring, and bikepacking. However, bikepacking usually involves travelling ultra-light. Bicycles and other pedal-powered vehicles, as well as electric-assist, 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 organized tour group or partner. On a shoestring or healthy budget. Travel as your fitness will permit, for as far and 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.

Info

Fourteen chapters about a far from typical bicycle touring adventure

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

Kindle and Paperback versions with 70 high-resolution images are also available

©2021 Stephen John Peel (P)2021 Stephen John Peel

What listeners say about A Highly Unlikely Bicycle Tourist

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    5
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    5
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    5
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Listener received this title free

Thoroughly enjoyable listen

From the beginning I really felt drawn into Stephen's story, and all the twists and turns of his journey. As a fellow touring cyclist, I could relate to dealing with the issues he had, even though some were far worse than I'd ever encountered. But it also showed me that all things are possible when you add humour to the mix!
I also felt he absolutely hit the right balance between giving a travel narrative of the places and people he met, and the technical in's and out's of cycle touring on this scale. His comments about the latter apply for both beginner tourers - which is what he was when he set off - and for more experienced riders who have "been there, seen that".
As someone who has listened to a lot of audio books, I was initially concerned the narrator wouldn't be up to scratch like some I've come across, but Aaron Smith seemed to immerse himself in the storyline, but not take it over with any strange accents or distractions; in fact his reading style just added to an already great story.
Overall I really enjoyed this and would happily listen to more by this author.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable and inspiring!

I did put it down and came back to it, a likable fellow, I'm glad he gave a good account of most of the people he encountered, I've cycled in Thailand, blooming hot , well done 👍🏼

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Spoilt

I really liked the story but sorry thought the narration was awful - robotic and monotone.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Quite a trip

enjoyed it but wish there was more about the places and the interactions and less about frustrations

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!