Back on the (Bike) Saddle and off the Bookshelf

For those of us in the Midwest, warm spring weather appears to finally be here for good. Whether we're ready to spend most of our free time on the trails or because we want to save at the pump with a cycling commute to and from work, people are pulling their bikes out of storage, checking their gears, and they're ready to ride.

Current and future users of Nebraska's Cowboy trail, which stretches from Norfolk to Valentine and when completed will reach Chadron, should pick up a copy of our new guidebook. Author Keith Terry describes flora and fauna along the trail and also advises the hiker, bike rider, or horseback rider on food, lodging, and camping. View the Table of Contents and read an excerpt from Nebraska's Cowboy Trail.

Cycling enthusiasts will also enjoy Daryl Farmer's memoir, Bicycling beyond the Divide: Two Journeys into the West. Farmer intertwines the stories of his first bike trip from Colorado to the West Coast in 1985 with the one he took 20 years later in 2005.

Another speedy bike read is Need for the Bike by Paul Fournel, translated and with an introduction by Allan Stoekl. French writer Fournel gives us a mix of his memories and thoughts spanning his 40 years of cycling.