Coming:
3rd September
2020
The Limey Project: a long, weird British cycling odyssey into the heart of the USA by Adam Stones is a comic, surreal and eye-opening true story capturing a 4,500 mile cycling adventure across the USA by two school friends, accompanied by an invisible, talking bear.
The book’s descriptions of the people and places you’ll find in roadside America capture an intimate portrait of a country at an incredible time in its history. And the exploration of our individual motivations for adventure reveals a universal truth about being much more able than we often think we are. At the heart of the book is a message about the incredible power of the humble bicycle.
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The Limey Project is an incredible adventure into the heart of America and into the self. Two young Brits plan to challenge themselves and cast off their youthful anxieties by cycling across the country twice; traveling from Seattle to Miami, via San Diego. With paper maps, free from phones, wearing baggy shorts and old tennis shoes, astride overloaded bikes and heading into winter, they naively but eagerly set off.
They journey through deserts, mountains and forests, pausing to be drawn into the darker nightlife of the cities. They are harassed by felons, guzzle a gazillion gas station coffees, and their food is stolen by the beasts of the wild. They encounter Hollywood millionaires, homeless dreamers, 103 dead roadside pets, ecosystems on the edge, and an alarmingly large number of people with guns. Access to this diverse, yet intimate, America is afforded only by the extraordinary power of the humble bicycle.
They encounter a nation trying to find its identity, at an extraordinary time in its history. As the journey goes on, significant global events unfold with a strange serendipity, and daily experiences take on a surreal nature. When their closest friend becomes an invisible, talking bear they start to worry they are losing their minds. But when the tyres hit the beach after 4,500 miles, they realise it was all real and that they - and the world - will never be the same again.
From the back cover
What other people say
“Frequently hilarious, often informative, sometimes surreal, this journey of discovery across America - that intimately reveals the land and its people - is only made possible thanks to the power of the bicycle to enrich ourselves and connect with others. Cycling is transformation.” - Maud de Vries, co-founder of BYCS, the global cycling change agency
“An enjoyable and well-researched read, offering a true slice of American ideology and culture. Two friends with the combined cycling experience of a tortoise take off on an adventure of discovery across America. Like a modern day Lewis and Clark they discover the landscapes and people that make up this vast collection along the west and southern boarders. Ride with them with each turn of the page and discover America without the saddle sores.” - Tom Kirkendall, author of Bicycling the Pacific Coast
“What happens when two comically under-prepared young Brits try to cycle across America, pursued by gun-toting rednecks and protected only by an imaginary bear? The Limey project is a brilliantly wild, fantastic and big-hearted adventure, a love letter to the joy of taking on something much, much bigger than yourself. An amazing journey and an equally great book. Loved it.” - Nick Parker, author of The Exploding Boy, founder of That Explains Things
“It's really good. Very witty, pacy, well-crafted writing with a nice balance of cheeriness and irony and some excellent flashes of observation and insight.” - James Spackman, Profile cycling Books
"I really enjoyed going ‘on the road’ with Bone and Killer, a couple of endearing, witty Brits. The Limey Project is both a timeless, coming of age adventure and a poignant record of the unfolding, wild America of George W Bush at the beginning of this century. It’s a funny, fresh story that reveals the incredible things that can happen when you just ride your bike.” - Roos Stallinga, author of Ride With Me cycling guide series
“This incredible and timeless journey - completed with unrivalled, naïve enthusiasm, and with zero technology for navigation or communication - will alight your wonder and inspire you to take to the road on your own bike. It’s an important reminder that we are all much more capable of great things than we deem ourselves to be.” - Lee Feldman, co-founder of the global Bicycle Mayor Network
Photos of the journey
About the author
Adam Stones is an award-winning writer and communications consultant. His work focuses on supporting organisations addressing social and environmental issues, and on building the skills of changemakers. He grew up in Sherborne, Dorset and read Classics at Birmingham University. He is also the author of ‘And other stories’, a collection of flash fiction. After nearly a decade in London, in 2016 he moved to Amsterdam - the city of bikes - where he lives with his wife, son and an invisible bear called Brian. He continues to ride his bike every day. Even when it rains.
To visit Adam's business website, head to adamcomms.com
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