This Road I Ride is the second book by Juliana Buhring. In her first book, Not Without My Sister, she talks about the Children of God, the terrible religious community she was born into, and the appalling childhood of three sisters. Juliana later frees herself from this community and is now considered one of the world’s most powerful female ultra-endurance racers. At the same time, her books are now bestsellers. While also maintaining her Guinness Book of Records as the woman who cycled around the world as quickly as possible, she writes.
This Road I Ride describes Juliana’s record-breaking world tour. You have a delightful diary, from the hours she spent on the bike to all the countries she passed by. After reading why she was on such a tour, I thought whether I would do the same, but I gave up immediately after reading her experiences on the road. In fact, the first thing that came to my mind right after reading This Road I Ride was that this incredible woman was genuinely insane. She had neither much experience nor enough money to set off.
But Juliana is a person who doesn’t give up when she gets obsessed with something, and as long as someone says to her, “You can’t do this!” she sets her mind to do it. Her road also passes through Turkey on this tour, and I felt grateful for the fact that nothing has happened to her in the country I was born. However, as you read This Road I Ride, you will be shocked by what she experienced in some countries. I especially think that women should read this book; No one can tell us what we can and cannot do. This book is excellent proof of that. I’m sure many would enjoy reading This Road I Ride. Enjoy!
This Road I Ride
This Road I Ride: Juliana Buhring had been mired in a dark hole of depression after the death of a man she loved, and when an acquaintance suggested they honor his memory by biking across Canada, she thought, “Canada? Why not the world?” And why not alone.
She had never seriously ridden a bicycle before. She had no athletic experience or corporate sponsorship, but with just eight months of preparation, Juliana Buhring departed from Naples, Italy, in July 2012 aiming to become the first woman to circumnavigate the globe. She set out believing she might not ever return, but that she had nothing to lose. Over 152 days, Juliana’s ride spanned four continents and 18,060 miles.
She traversed small-town and big-mountain America, Australian desert expanses, South Asian rainforests and villages, and Turkish plains. She suffered innumerable breakdowns, severe food poisoning, hostile pursuers, and the international longing for a good Italian espresso. When she crossed the finish line into Naples before the end of the year, she officially became the fastest woman to cycle the world (beating prior men’s records, to boot).
Accomplishing what she never thought she could, buoyed by the outpouring of support from friends and strangers, Juliana rediscovered herself. In the process she proved that there are no extraordinary people—there are only people who decide to do extraordinary things. This is the story of This Road I Ride.
Juliana Buhring
In December 2012, Juliana Buhring became the first woman to set the Guinness World Record for Fastest Circumnavigation of the World by Bicycle. Her attempt was almost entirely unsupported, cycling 18,060 miles across four continents and nineteen countries in a total time of 152 days, 144 days of actual pedaling.
Juliana was the sole female to compete in the 2013 Quick Energy Transcontinental Race, Europe’s longest, toughest unsupported bike race from London to Istanbul, coming in 9th place.
In 2014, she won the first edition of the Trans Am Bike Race (women) and 4th place overall. In February 2017, Buhring won the women’s category and came third overall in the inaugural self-supported Bikingman Oman Sprint, riding 1,070 kilometers non-stop.
She started cycling for the first time in 2011 at the age of 30, and is considered one of the strongest female ultra-endurance cyclists in the world. A feature-length documentary, called Inspired to Ride was made about the 2014 TransAm Bicycle Race. In addition to several interviews during the race with Buhring, the documentary included a section where Buhring was interviewed and filmed riding in Naples, Italy.
Her first book, Not Without My Sister, published by HarperCollins in 2007, was an international bestseller making the list in the UK and Ireland for 15 weeks. It was translated into 11 different languages. The book is a partial account of Juliana and her sister’s lives being born and raised in the notorious cultic group Children of God. Her second book, This Road I Ride, published by WWNorton and Piaktus in 2016, describes her record-breaking journey around the world by bicycle.
Buhring is race director and founder of the Two Volcano Sprint, 1,000+ km biking challenge from Mt. Vesuvio in Napoli to Mt. Etna in Catania. The not-for-profit event raises funding for projects working towards environmental sustainability, eco-tourism and improving resources for underprivileged communities in south Italy. She has been interviewed by numerous media outlets including CNN World News, BBC, Sky News, Larry King Live, The Sunday Times, The Sunday Telegraph, The Daily Mail, The Independent, Women’s Cycling, Elle, Outside and Glamour magazine.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
