In this world, very few people truly get to be trailblazers. Juliana Buhring is one of those few people. This Road I Ride tells the story of Buhring’s record-breaking round-the-world bike ride.
If you’re a man, you may not like me saying this, but Buhring is an exceptionally tough person – likely far tougher than what you or me could ever be. That toughness she displayed physically, but more importantly, also through serious mental strength.
Cult
Born into a religious cult, Buhring’s rebellious streak soon drew the ire of cult members, and the ordeal she went through could easily have broken her. Instead, she turned it into a forge, in which she smelted pain, suffering and deprivation into her immense inner strength.
Buhring was deeply harmed by her life in the cult, resulting in a person who couldn’t settle for simply anyone. No, she needed someone as exceptional as she is, and like two people born to meet, in the end, nothing could keep them from meeting.
Love lost
However, candles that burn at both ends seldom last long, and Buhring was devastated by the loss of a man who could only be described as the yin to her yan. That loss drove her to want to do something – anything – to escape her immediate life, and ultimately resulted in her becoming the first woman to circumnavigate the world by bicycle, following the Guinness World Record rules.
Most round-the-world cycling record attempts are extremely well-organised, with ample sponsors, and more. Such attempts can cost hundreds of thousands of Pounds. Buhring’s attempt was (predictably) entirely different.
Sponsor-free
For starters, besides the bike manufacturer who donated Pegasus, the white carbon-framed bike she rode, she had no corporate sponsorship. In fact, halfway around the world she was running out of money to buy food, never mind get a plane ticket out of Australia!
Her effort was supported through donations from people following her progress online, supported by friends and acquaintances and the kindness of strangers. That added what must have been enormous amounts of additional stress on her.
Against the wind
Despite all of that, all the headwinds she fought (she chose to cycle the “wrong way” around, against prevailing winds) and everything else she had to overcome alone out on the road, somewhere, she found healing.
Buhring comes across as a remarkably humble person, despite having achieved an extraordinary thing. When you read this book (and you really, really should) you will be amazed, and enthralled. A very talented writer, Buhring is very open about the challenges of her past, and the challenges she overcame during the ride.
Oh, and she only took up cycling some months before her record-setting ride! If you can’t go cycling around the world, you can at least read the story of when she did so. You’ll be glad that you did. You can get her book from here.
If you’re looking for more great books about cycling, or cycle touring, have a look here. Please note this and other reviews may include Amazon Associate links. Clicking such a link won’t cost you anything, but might earn me a tiny commission. I only recommend books I enjoyed reading, regardless of where you may buy them from.