throughtheringer

bike touring books

I read <a href="http://www.throughtheringer.wordpress.com">you can't ride a bike to alaska. It's an island</a> a few years back and enjoyed it despite not being too well written. It's about a guy who rode from Montana to Alaska in the early 80's. Not sure if that's what you're looking for in this thread.

Playlist

During a bicycle tour across the US I listened to my Ipod on occasion. Most of the time I prefered to hear what was going on around me and really experience these new places, but sometimes you've seen enough desert or enough mountains or enough whatever and you want something else to entertain you. So this is the music I listened to the most and why and where I listened to it.

Bruce Springsteen- Born to Run (Georgia, Florida, Alabama) You notice a few quotes from this song in my journal there's nothing like the Boss to give you that feeling of Americana.

Leatherface- Springtime (Georgia, Texas) Reminds me of when I was younger and maybe a little more optimistic.

Johnny Cash- Folsom Prison Blues (Mississippi,Louisianna, Texas) Singing this song as I rode down the busy highways in the south I felt was a way to let the rednecks in trucks know that we aren't so different after all.

Willie Nelson- City of New Orleans (Louisianna, Texas, New Mexico) Not only is the chorus of this song "good morning America how are you, don't you know me, I'm your native son" and is about one of my favorite cities I visited on my trip but it also talks about rail road travel dying out which I was very aware of my whole trip.

Wu Tang Clan- Bring Da Rukus (Texas) I used to hate Wu Tang when they were really popular but I've really come to love them in the past couple years, and this song is great to climb hills listening to.

Willie Nelson and Ray Charles- Seven Spanish Angels (Texas, New Mexico) There's really nothing like riding through the southwest and fantasizing about cowboys and the old west.

Crooked Fingers- You Can Never Leave (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona) Sometimes when you're alone in the middle of nowhere all you want to listen to is sad love songs.

Burzum- Jesus' Tod (Texas, New Mexico) When the sun's setting in the desert and it's eeirily quiet you've got to scare yourself a little.

Bob Dylan- Boots of Spanish Leather (Texas, New Mexico)

Leonard Cohen- Chelsea Hotel #2 (New Mexico, Arizona)

Dinosaur Jr. - I Don't Think So (Arizona, California) Another sad song to listen to when you're alone.

Replacements- Can't Hardly Wait (Georgia,California) I think maybe because of the title of this song you only feel like listening to it at the beginning or end of a trip.

The Paragons- Tide is High (Mississippi, California) I guess maybe Reggae just makes you feel like being at the beach.

The Pogues- Sunny Side of the Street(Arizona,California)

Motorhead- No Voices in the Sky Motorhead- Ramones I only listened to Motorhead during fast downhills. But I have to admit there tribute to the Ramones is a little sad now that all but one of the guys from the Ramones is dead.