You and a Bike and a Road

A two-wheeled journey across the landscape of America, and through the heart and mind of an artist.

Publisher Marketing: "Eleanor Davis's bike tour from Tucson, Arizona to Athens, Georgia is a quest of epic proportions -- not just geographically, which it surely is, but inwardly as well. While facing off formidable headwinds, drivers with reckless abandon, and screaming knee pain, the author confronts an even greater challenge -- her own mind. Life on two wheels teaches her many lessons, and she narrates them with keen observation and self-deprecating candor through a series of funny, touching vignettes. Companionship from fellow travelers and the generosity of colorful strangers propel Davis along the open road. A tale of serendipitous encounters, surprising friendship, perseverance, and tenderness, Eleanor Davis's You and a Bike and a Road reveals the power, and truth, of the most efficient mode of human transportation -- a bicycle."--Publisher provided description. Review Quotes : Although Davis's cycling journey takes place in the spring several years ago, her descriptions of nature and the nature of the trip itself have that end-of-summer feeling to them that make you want to grab a bike and go.--Ania Hull "Santa Fe-New Mexican" Review Quotes : Davis's comics have an immediacy that pulls the reader in. That even these on-the-go comics demonstrate her mastery of line and shape is testament to how superb a cartoonist she is.--Zainab Akhtar "The Guardian" Review Quotes : You and a Bike and a Road is a lovely, slow book about going on a journey -- not an epic, world-dominating circumnavigation, but something quieter and more intimate.--Jon Day "The New York Review of Books" Review Quotes : You and a Bike and a Road is Eleanor Davis' personal exploration of roadside America, US immigration politics, and the autobiographical comics form.--Chris Gavaler "PopMatters" Review Quotes : [ You and a Bike and a Road is] done in beautiful and simple graphite illustration, and captures day-to-day moments touching on border patrol and racism, mental and physical health, and the kindness of strangers.--Colleen Kolba "Entropy" Review Quotes : Sometimes, it's the small things that count, and Davis' travelogue of a cycle trip between states -- from her parents house back home, off-road and by bicycle -- is a celebration of that impulse, focusing on the tiny triumphs (The kindness of strangers, the surprise of riding further than expected on a given day) and the frailties of us all in such a way as to turn a specific experience into something universal, and charmingly heartwarming.--Graeme McMillan "The Hollywood Reporter" Review Quotes : Ultimately, Eleanor Davis gives us a quiet reminder that women can execute big plans for themselves, push their physical limits, and come back home to their perfectly unconventional lives. This feels like a big deal in the midst of the exhausting, continuing political debates that afford us less agency than most children.--Jennie Law "Women Write About Comics" Review Quotes : Everything Davis put out in this decade demands attention, but her personal connection to You and a Bike and a Road sets it apart.--Oliver Sava "The A.V. Club" Review Quotes : Full of hope and anxiety and the desire to grind the badness out of your own head by brute force, You and a Bike and a Road is a testament to the human spirit.--Alex Hoffman "Solrad" Review Quotes : You and a Bike and a Road offers a refreshing take not only on long-distance cycling, but also about the psychological benefits of doing hard things and getting out of your rut.-- "The Arts STL" Review Quotes : Davis' use of perspective makes for an engaging read as we're left to study the nuances and charm of each page. The townsfolk, bikers, and other people we meet are interesting windows into the vastness of the American south. It's all so rich that you might consider taking a bike ride of your own across the country.-- "The Beat" Publisher Marketing : Eleanor Davis's bike tour from Tucson, Arizona to Athens, Georgia is a quest of epic proportions -- not just geographically, which it surely is, but inwardly as well. While facing off formidable headwinds, drivers with reckless abandon, and screaming knee pain, the author confronts an even greater challenge -- her own mind. Life on two wheels teaches her many lessons, and she narrates them with keen observation and self-deprecating candor through a series of funny, touching vignettes. Companionship from fellow travelers and the generosity of colorful strangers propel Davis along the open road. A tale of serendipitous encounters, surprising friendship, perseverance, and tenderness, Eleanor Davis's You and a Bike and a Road reveals the power, and truth, of the most efficient mode of human transportation -- a bicycle.

Format: Hardcover | Pages: 172 | Publication Date: 2024-07-02