"World's Toughest Motorcycle Riders"--long-distance motorcycling is not a pastime but an obsession. In this candid, eloquent, sharply observed book, Melissa Holbrook Pierson introduces us to this strange endeavor and the men and women who live to ride impossibly long distances, eating up road, almost without cease. And who find it nothing but fun.
Perhaps the most determined of them is John Ryan, a magnetic, enigmatic man who loves nothing better than breaking records of amazing distance--at no small risk to himself and his health. But why? Pierson, who rediscovered the joys of motorcycling in the midst of a personal crisis, puts on her helmet and joins Ryan in his element in order to understand his singular desire and discipline, his passion and his obsession.
The Man Who Would Stop at Nothing offers an intimate glimpse of an unusually independent yet supportive community as well as a revealing, unforgettable portrait of its most daring member. In electric, pitch-perfect prose, Pierson gives us rare insights into not only a subculture but also the deeply human craving for something more that drives it.
Publishers Weekly,Pierson's (The Perfect Vehicle) marvelously engaging account of her resumption of long-distance motorcycling after years of hiatus proves pure pleasure for the aficionado. A divorce (from writer Luc Sante), along with persistent goading by a new acquaintance, a revered member of the elite Iron Butt Association (IBA), John Ryan, prompted this 50-something former rider to consider getting back on the bike,. Ryan sponsored Pierson's initiation- the grueling SaddleSore, a 1,000-mile journey from Erie, Pa., to Spartanburg, S.C., in under 24 hours. He acted as her "portable witness," showing her the ropes, such as refueling in four-minutes tops and eating while "on the slab." Pierson infiltrates this select, loyal group of long-distance riders, like those determined numbers who join the periodic Iron Butt Rally, the 11-day, 11,000-mile trek that crisscrosses the American continent (including Alaska), and during which the riders gain bonus points the more remote their GPS tracking. Long-distance trips are punishing ("this near to hellfire"), requiring superhuman reserves of self-discipline, stamina, and sleep deprivation, and Pierson continually marvels at why people like Ryan do it. Her stately, lyrical prose, profound respect for the machinery, and sympathy for the extreme adventurers will transport even the most unlikely readers. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
