Three Men on Their Bikes

Harry, George, and Ian, three best friends decide to take a 170-mile cycling expedition. The main 'agenda' of this cycling trip is to try to save their friendship. Along their way, they meet a lot of people. There's Howard and Vera, the husband-wife pair on a tandem; Kath and Jenny, school teachers; Pete, Finn, and Colonel, who have been participating in the cycling expedition for ages now.


The story is a mixture of loads of fun with a wee-bit of philosophy. Harry, the arrogant, the one who always thinks that anything and everything in the world is a competition (his cycling competition with Finn is a good proof of it). Then there is Ian, the narrator of the story, the one who easily gives up and is overly loyal to his friends. Then comes George, the one who has planned this trip as the last resort to save their friendship. We all have at least one such friend in the group, don't we?


The book fits the genre of General Fiction and Humor. The author's writing style is informal. Although slightly British, the language is simple and easy to understand. And, I really liked the author's writing style. The conversations between the characters and the 'mental chitter-chatter' was Hilarious! Silly, but funny.


I loved the 'conversation' that the three had on the train. Ian and Harry play the alphabet game while George discusses their plan. Nobody was listening to him and yet he went on and on, yapping about the plan. One should read the book to understand the hilarious part of it.

The part where the trio came across scarecrows was hilarious. They see scarecrows that look like Boris Johnson, Simon Cowell, Piers Morgan, Nigel Farage, Theresa May and Donald Trump! These scarecrows were part of a festival, where, local villagers compete to make the most lifelike scarecrows that one can find. And not to forget, the 'encounter' with a bull, which turned out to be a friendly cow!


The book is a delightful read. If you are looking for some serious action sequence where a killer jumps out of the bush from nowhere or the villain paraglides and lands on the cycle, well, there's nothing of that sort in this book!


If you are looking for a light and funny read, I recommend Three Men on their Bikes.

Thank you Thistle Publishing and Net Gallery for this copy of Three Men On Their Bikes by Richard Mapes.

We all have been there. Friends set up trying to get together but life gets in the way like family, work and commitments. In this book we meet 3 guys Harry, Ian (the narrator), and George. They decide to get away and cycle many miles to keep up their friendship. They meet many people and ended up hanging with two girls who are cycling but for different reasons. I found some of this book laugh out loud funny and even reread those parts so I could get another chuckle. I can say Harry was not my favorite, very arrogant. Otherwise I liked this style of writing and characters. I would read more by Richard Mapes. If your looking for a fast read and many stop offs to view special places this would be the book for you. If it wasn't for Thistle Publishing I would of never known about this book.

Cherie'

Three Men On Their Bikes by Richard Mapes. Published by Thistle Publishing, July 2018

The humour is crafted into the story of three un-grown-up, unfit men deciding to go on a cycle tour around Lancashire. Three mischievous blokes on the cusp of life considering careers, commitments and beer gardens. This is a young man version of Last of the Summer Wine, but these are graduates, challenged by technology, officious railway personnel, bicycle clips and brightly coloured Lycra. They encounter cramped hotel rooms and sober women cyclists. They argue the merits of padded shorts over checked trousers belted above the calf. Short cuts and gut instincts sometimes win over GPS and Google searches. Their friendships and stamina go through the pain barrier in the hills and valleys of The Penines, and none are quite the same at the end of the journey.

About the author:
Richard Mapes is a writer of comic novels. Of his other books ‘Three Men on Tour’ was published in November 2015 and ‘Under the Night Sky’ was co-authored by Bethan Mapes and Juliet Beaumont and published in July 2016. He can be contacted on Facebook and Twitter and has author profiles on Amazon.co.uk and Goodreads.com

Meet the MAMLS- Ian, Harry and George. What’s that, you say? Oh, you know, MAMLS- Middle Age Men in Lycra.

I love these guys and I love their story. The three of them have been friends for fifteen years, but now life is changing for them as they enter their thirties and spend more of their time adulting. George convinces them to go on one last holiday, and he sets up a bike trip for them.

The trip is not just a leisurely Sunday pedal to the local pub. They are going to ride cross-country on a coast-to-coast cycle route through Yorkshire and Lancashire. As they say, Hilarity ensues as they join up with “scary looking cyclists in matching team colors and not enough body fat between them to fry an egg.”

The narrator, Ian, is witty, droll and accommodating. George is a thinker and a learner, and Harry is an alpha male, charging ahead through life. How they handle the literal ups and downs of cycling, and their adventures with the friends they make is entertaining and delightful. The three learn about pelotons and teamwork.

I do wish they had spent more time at some of the sites they mentioned, as it seems like a fascinating area of the UK. (I’m American, so I would have loved to learn more!)

“We were together again. Suddenly the holiday didn’t seem like such a terrible idea after all.”

At times comical, and at other points contemplative, this is a good story. “There’s all the time in the world. The only thing that changes is the number of choices you have on what to do with it.” I agree and I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thistle Publishing for a review copy.

Written in the style of Jerome K. Jerome, this is a contemporary version of Three Men on the Bummel. I wouldn't call it comic novel, but it is a very light and easy to read story, which happens to be funny sometimes.

I have to admit that I the more I read, the more I disliked Harry. Spoiler alert! Harry is a terrible friend, and no, coming back after leaving Ian is NOT a redeeming moment. He left his friend behind trying to win a race he could obviously not win. I'm sorry, but he's simply an idiotic and horrible human being who in ruining everyone else's time. And why is everyone humoring him
as if he were an 8-year-old?

Ian (the narrator) is mostly whining and trying to put some perspective into his life, but his character does not evolve at all during the book. I feel the book needs a couple of more chapters so it can actually have a real ending.

I liked everyone else, especially the couple riding the tandem. The book gives you a nice feeling about cycling holidays and the cycling community. I think it captures the spirit of
hiking/cycling tours and having some healthy fun.

Thank you NetGalley and Thistle Publishing for the eARC.
3 Friends, Harry, Ian and George, men who haven't fully grown up yet, still living like they're in their 20's, decide to take a 170 mile biking trip. It's meant to save and cement their friendship before they tackle the reality of adulthood.
It's an amusing read with several good laughs. It appealed to me because I once had dreams of biking through Europe or the UK. The writing flows easily, but I found Harry annoying, he's not a friend I would tolerate for long; a selfish and arrogant manchild. But the other characters, especially some of the other cyclists they meet, are appealing and all in all this is an easy, quick read that will lighten your mood.

Three Men on Their Bikes by Richard Mapes is about three long time friends, George, Harry & Ian, attempting the Coast to Coast ride from Morecambe to Bridlington.

None of the three are experienced cyclists and this adds to the humour within the book as they reflect on how their friendship has and will change.

The book is a light read but no less enjoyable for that fact and the main characters along with most of the supporting cast are distinctive and add to the story.

Overall an enjoyable read.

An absolute doozy of a book about three friends Ian, Harry, and George, one on the verge of married life and the other two not sure yet about their route, but one thing is clear they are going through a pre-midlife crisis I believe. Going on a bike holiday not only helped to motivate them in their need to become fitter but also help them to forge stronger friendship bonds. A fun and enjoyable read that took you on a tour of the friendship lines, it led them on a journey giving them a sense of direction to what is most important in their lives.

What a fun read! I may not know anything about the English countryside, but I know the pain, humility and humor that comes from riding a bike. Richard Mapes captures it all in this tale about three middle-age men off on a holiday before one gets married. Along with the comic mental picture of guys in lycra comes a message about finding one's self during the ups and downs of a bicycling adventure.

A light and enjoyable read inspired by J.K. Jerome. It's well writtten, entertaining and it made me laugh out laugh.
I hope to read soon other books by this author because I really liked the style of writing and how he developed the characters.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Thistle Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC

I must admit that my opinion of the book changed about half way through and indeed the more I read the more I became rather encaptivated by it. From the first few pages I thought that this was rather a superficial book about three thirty something middle class men having jolly childish japes as they embark on a hundred and seventy mile cycling holiday from the west to the east coast through the north of England. Amusing with one or two hit and miss funny stories put probably nothing more. However as the reader will discover this is bit more profound and poignant as the book looks at how with the passing of time friendships can change and what once seemed permanent relationships set in stone can quickly dissolve.

Ian the narrator, George and Harry have been going on a regular "boys" holiday for many years but with Ian soon to be married and Harry consumed with the responsibilities of his new management job it becomes gradually clear that this may be the last one. This is particularly on the mind of George who sees that the commitments of his two friends will inevitably take its toll on their relationships. It is somewhat like one of those American coming of age films where the teenager goes to the last summer camp or family holiday to the cabin by the lake. The ending is quite moving and I would be most interested to read a sequel and meet up again with the characters.

Apart from the psychological stuff this is also a fun story of how three cycling novices manage the journey through some strenuous hilly terrain. Personally I found my favourite amusing moments were when they became terrified in a field when mistaking a rather harmless cow for a bull and their night out at a ghastly "music tonight" event in the upstairs room of a pub. Although to Ian's chagrin there was less sightseeing than expected we nevertheless got a flavour of the countryside and some of the towns and villages they passed through or stayed overnight at. If you like meeting quirky characters and can identify with MAMLS (middle age men in lycra) then I think you will enjoy this but I only hope that I never have the misfortune of being behind them while in the car on a long and winding road as I fear I could be there for a long time.

George, Harry and Ian. Three men moving into their thirties and growing up (maybe) at last. Ready (maybe) to put away childish things and take on the responsibilities and commitments of relationships, family and work. But will this diminish their carefree friendship? Time for a holiday together to cement the bonds that unite them. And why not a cycling holiday? That should do it. This is a light-hearted and amusing tale of three guys on a cycling holiday with all the pratfalls and mishaps that might be expected. Nothing, of course, goes smoothly, and there are some laugh-out-loud moments. Comparisons with Jerome K Jerome’s Three Men in a Boat are inevitable and in fact it doesn’t stand up too badly. Light-hearted yes, but not without its darker side, which makes it a more interesting read than just a madcap adventure tale. Men’s friendships can indeed be put under strain by growing responsibilities. Friendships do indeed change. Work and career often become more difficult to cope with. So the book isn’t just a superficial romp, and although the three of them irritated me at times, I felt for them and hope this won’t be their last holiday together.

This is the fictional account of three out of shape men in their 30s on the cusp of embracing adulthood who decide to tackle a 3-day bicycle trip. What could possibly go wrong? We have Harry, a sales manager who thinks he's amazing. Ian, the narrator, a writer struggling to live up to his past achievements. George is trying to hold together a friendship in the face of major life changes. While this book is listed as general fiction/humor. While there are funny moments, the story also focuses on the friendship, how it has changed and the work involved in maintaining it (or not). Overall, this was a mostly fun journey. I do love the idea of adults taking up a new hobby and challenging themselves. I never was won over by Harry though - I just didn't think his character was written with enough positive qualities to give the other two reason to want to continue the friendship.

Thank you to Richard Mapes, Thistle Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. All comments are my own, unbiased opinion.

Good book with some laughs. 3 friends that have lost contact decide to take a road trip together via bikes. Their adventures both good and bad add to the story. They also learn something about themselves on this trip. Good light-hearted read that is fun to read. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book. Although I received the book in this manner, it did not affect my opinion of this book nor my review.

Or what a joy it was to read. I have not read Jerome K Jerome's 'Three Men In A Boat' but I've seen the Russian movie version of it. The movie was done so well and the actors (all stars) did such a great job that quotes from the movie became vernacular among population. I myself use quite a few quotes from this move.

The book my Richard Mapes is no different. It is funny, light, entertaining and insightful. You get to know three main characters with all their flaws and weaknesses. You get to know a bit about biking and English countryside (things you would not get to know if you are not on a bike).

Three Men On Their Bikes is a story of three friends whom life is pulling apart. Three day bike holiday is their chance to catch up and to renew their friendship. Will it work? Will they enjoy the holiday? Will they survive?

Well, I guess you have to read the book. Beware, you will laugh out loud in quite a few places.

A joyful and restful read.