Cycling the Katy Trail
A Tandem Sojourn Across Missouri

Cycling the Katy Trail is the definitive guide to a crown jewel in the American rail-trail system. Providing more than simply a list of milestones along the trail, this book shares the trail from the perspective of the touring cyclist. Award winning author Neil Hanson provides a thorough trail guide and description for the cyclist who plans to ride the Katy Trail, then, in quintessential Hanson style, he serves up a journey story that magnifies his ride along the trail into a delightful tale of discovery that everyone will enjoy.

“A rich and nuanced perspective on the Katy Trail experience.”
—Jim Sayer, Executive Director, Adventure Cycling Association

Rambling into Madness

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) fried Emmett’s memories and shredded his normalcy. Haunted by lurid hallucinations but determined to put his life back together, he rambles along a dangerous precipice, balancing between the normal life that he craves and the murky sea of mental illness that colors his existence.

This book is amazing! It’s great storytelling combined with honest and straight-forward insight into real mental illness. Chris Feld exposes the good, the bad, and the ugly of living with mental illness, pulling no punches, omitting any superfluous drama.

Pilgrim Wheels
Reflections of a Cyclist Crossing America

Pilgrim Wheels reveals an inspirational story of journey, discovery, and place, told from the saddle of a bicycle on a journey across America. It’s part one of the two part “Cycling Reflections” series by Hanson, this first book covering the western half of the ride, and the second book (Pilgrim Spokes) covering the eastern half.

More than just a travelogue of a bike ride across the country, Hanson’s delightful and beautifully written story takes the reader on a journey that is engaging and insightful, often hilarious, sometimes poignant, and always inspiring. It’s a must-read adventure that will stir your soul.

Pilgrim Spokes
The Journey Continues

The second book in the “Cycling Reflections” series, Pilgrim Spokes tells the story of the eastern half of the trans-American trek, continuing the saga begun in Neil’s award-winning previous book—Pilgrim Wheels—which reconnoiters the western half of the journey.

Like Pilgrim Wheels, this is not simply a description of a bicycle ride, but rather a reflection upon the journey itself, the people Neil meets, and the places he travels through. The story is deeply personal at times, describing personal joys and gremlins side by side in an invitation to readers to share the reflections on how to live life more fully and joyfully.

The Pilgrim Way
A Cyclist's Guide to Ultralight Touring

An essential guide for cyclists planning long-distance touring in general, or a cross-country trek specifically. Written for the cyclist considering unsupported long-distance touring without a mountain of gear, The Pilgrim Way describes a minimalist approach to bicycle touring, focusing on the enjoyment of the ride more than the schlepping of gear.

  • Detailed route,directions,and descriptions for a cross-country tour
  • Preparation and training
  • Bicycles and gear
  • Provisions and fuel for the body
  • Riding alone

Peace at the Edge of Uncertainty

An inspirational story of one man’s journey to the end of life with his father. Filled with beautiful introspections into the nature of family and relationships, Hanson pulls no punches when questioning the struggles of difficult life and death decisions.

Most of us will face difficult and wrenching decisions at some point: When does life begin and end? What are the complexions of distinction between bare and primitive “life” on the one hand, and “human-ness” on the other hand? Where and when and how do we “play God” with our life support decisions? How do we face these questions, and work our way to effective answers?

Woven through the story are descriptions of magical and mystical encounters that inform and guide the life of the narrator, helping to open honest questions about how religion aids and obstructs the journey through faith that most of us explore.