Blog
REGISTER NOW
Thirty Three Cyclists: Daredevils, Visionaries & Adventurers
We sat down with author, musician and cyclist David Houghton to talk about his newest book – Thirty Three Cyclists. David, who completed three tours with TDA – 2005 Tour d’Afrique, 2012 Doomsday Ride and 2017 Magical Madagascar as well as the 2007 Race Across America, explained why he decided to take a unique approach to telling the story of cycling and what he discovered in the process.
TDA: How did this book come about?
David: In 2017, I wanted to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the bicycle by taking two hundred rides on different bicycles in different locations. I also wanted to write two hundred blog posts during the course of the year. After about a hundred blog posts I really had to start digging into some obscure information to find interesting things to write about. I went way down the rabbit hole! That’s what led me to discover a whole host of cyclists I’d never heard of, and I wanted to share their stories in much more detail in this book.
TDA: Tell us about a few of the cyclists in the book.
David: The first is Karl Drais, a German inventor who really just wanted to make his job as a forestry administrator easier. So he created a running machine, which was a bicycle with no pedals and no drivetrain. He wheeled his running machine through the forest and showed it off to the locals. It took a long time for his proto-bicycle to evolve into the bicycle we know now. The book features some well-known figures, like Albert Einstein, the Wright brothers and Freddie Mercury. But it also features some very obscure people who did incredible things on a bicycles. Like Anthony Pizzo, who rode across the United States handcuffed to his bike. Thomas Orde-Lees, a trick cyclist who took his bike to Antarctica on Shackleton’s expedition. Jose Meiffret, who was hell-bent on hitting 200 kilometres an hour on his bike. Gerhard Schönbacher, whose goal was to finish last in the Tour de France. Nelson Vails, who went from being a bike courier in Manhattan to a medalist at the Olympics.
TDA: And one chapter features our own Henry Gold!
David: Henry and I have connected many times over the years since I participated in the Tour d’Afrique in 2005. I was shocked when I heard that he’d been trampled by an elephant in India and I met with him a few times during his recovery. His story underlines what an incredible journey he’s been on since creating the TDA. I think Henry probably experiences more in a year than many people do in a lifetime.
TDA: So do you have any conclusions after putting this book together?
David: For the past two hundred years, cyclists have either wanted to go faster, go further, or do something crazy on the bike. Some lucky devils have managed to achieve all three.
Thirty Three Cyclists is available through Amazon worldwide, or you can ask for it at your local bookseller.
Leave a Comment for "Thirty Three Cyclists: Daredevils, Visionaries & Adventurers"