On Vélo chronicles Maine’s hapless bicycle trip across the English Channel with his friend Maggie, a romantic optimist “born 30 years too late”.
The two concoct an ill-prepared cross-country journey into the heart of rural France in a quest for freedom and adventure, dragging their bunch of motley international friends along for the ride.
Maine’s observations on humanity while smoking his way through the countryside, and the group’s Beat-generation lifestyle, makes On Vélo a captivating portrayal of longing and timeless friendship in the formative years between youth and adulthood.
Praise for On Velo -
“This story of four friend's European bike trip perfectly captures the essential joy of spending time with those deep, life-long friends. As someone who's never been to Brittany or France, Michael paints an attractive and complex portrait of rural decay, urban night-life and sweeping bike trails. I'll never ride from Bristol to Bordeaux, but, here, I caught a glimpse of what the trip could feel like.” Goodreads review.
“I loved this. I felt like I was there with the writer and he cruised around the French countryside. It took me back to my wild days and made me think, why don't I do more of this again? He takes wonderful pictures in your head and turns them into bold masterpieces. An absolute joy.” Goodreads Review.
About The Author
Michael's love affair with travelling began when he and a friend breathed new life into an old Honda Prelude and preceded to clock up over 10,000km traversing the Australian outback. It became their ticket to personal freedom, as they threw off the shackles of modern, first-world rights-of-passage and delved deep into a life of unplanned, unfiltered and socially-engaging experiences.
Their desire to disregard the rule-book led them to rural parts of Australia, and then onward to Asia, Europe and Africa, as the two ground out a hand-to-mouth existence through unconventional work, with the primary focus set on forging new relationships with their global neighbours.
Mike's obsession with writing and all things literary soon took on a new shape, as he began writing short stories about his experiences and sharing them with the wider community.
