Simon Parker is an Oxfordshire-based travel writer, newspaper columnist and broadcaster who has reported from over 100 countries. He s sailed and cycled from China to London for the BBC, cycled the length of Scandinavia for Amazon Prime, and hiked every known route to Machu Picchu for The Telegraph.
If you've recently bought a 'lockdown bike' and realise you've not been using it enough, this inspirational, down-to-earth and touching book may give you a few ideas. * Tom Chesshyre * Simon's cycle ride around his own country is a fine demonstration that adventure and transformation begins on your own doorstep. * Alastair Humphreys * [Riding Out is] both hugely inspirational yet still relatable... Simon's vulnerability at times will show many readers - myself included - that they aren't alone in feeling lost these past 18 months. How he has managed this vulnerability with humour throughout the book drew me in, as did his ability to capture the spirit of the people he met along the way. His ability to describe challenging moments with honesty makes it feel like you're hearing an old friend regale the trip over dinner. * Alex Outhwaite * A truly inspiring journey that celebrates the healing power of adventure. A must-read. * Levison Wood * In Riding Out, Simon Parker holds a humane mirror to a fractured Britain as it adjusts to a strange, isolated new world. * Jon Dunn, author of The Glitter in the Green * Wonderfully relatable on so many levels. Simon's wanderlust, mental roller coaster and reactions to a fast-changing world had me enthralled in his journey, but very much reflecting on my own over the past few years. A brilliantly crafted book which holds a mirror up to the world we live in. * Mark Beaumont *