If the phrase “cycling memoir” makes you reach for your Oyster card, Go West might just change your mind. Steve Silk’s latest two-wheeled escapade – from London to the Welsh coast is less Tour de France, more “Have I Got News for You” on handlebars.
Over eight days and 300 miles, Silk swaps spreadsheets for saddle sores, proving that adventure doesn’t require a passport just a questionable sense of direction and a fondness for country pubs. His route meanders through Oxford, Gloucester, Monmouth and Carmarthen, with detours that include castles, canoeing, and the kind of B&Bs where Wi-Fi is a rumour and the loo is in the garden.
What makes this book sing isn’t just the scenery (though there’s plenty of that), it’s Silk’s dry wit, self-deprecating charm, and knack for turning a steep incline into a punchline. Even if you think a derailleur is a French cheese, you’ll be hooked. I was and I don’t even like bikes.
Perfect of course for cyclists but also those business travellers craving a mental getaway or anyone who’s ever fantasised about escaping the M25 with nothing but a map and a midlife crisis.
Published by Summersdale RRP £10.99 (paperback)