Gear: Books Is Good!

With clean, simple, straightforward writing, Kurmaskie presents a clear description of life on the highway's shoulder. He gets involved with town parades, rabid rednecks and dart-playing conmen; but, like most short-story collections, when read at length, Kurmaskie's tales can become repetitive. The Metal Cowboy isn't an eight-hour-flight time killer, but more of a daily reader, like a 307-page Bible for the cyclo-tourist.

If your schedule's a little too tight to allow a bike ride across the States or the Outback, pick up a copy of Metal Cowboy. It won't compare to an actual multi-week bike ride, but it might just be the next best thing. Even if you can't find the time to turn the pedals over, you can always turn a few pages. Before long, you'll have the best stories at the bar -- just make sure your audience hasn't read the stories before, and make sure Kurmaskie's face isn't in the crowd.