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Home > Riding Outside The Lines: International Incidents and Other Misadventures with the Metal Cowboy
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Riding Outside The Lines: International Incidents and Other Misadventures with the Metal Cowboy
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By Joe Kurmaskie
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 (18 Reviews)
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Publisher:
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Three Rivers Press
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Published:
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December 31, 1969 |
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Binding:
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Paperback
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Pages:
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272
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| Product Description: |
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Like a modern-day Don Quixote, Joe Kurmaskie?bike adventurer, writer, and twelve-year-old boy trapped in a man?s body?wanders the world on two wheels, often with hilarious results, in Riding Outside the Lines.
A jaunt through such far-flung locations as Ireland, Australia, Mexico, South America, and beyond, here is a collection of tales woven together with one central theme: the world is a much smaller place when you view it from the seat of a bicycle.
Whether he?s weekending in the buff after accidentally stumbling into a nudist colony wedding, knocking back red wine in tin cans with a gun-toting ex?bounty hunter, combing the countryside in a quest to find the all-girl bagpipe squad he met in his dreams, or playing a rousing game of ice golf on the frozen tundra, Joe Kurmaskie writes of his gonzo global trek in a spirit infused with insight, good humor, and optimism. Riding Outside the Lines encourages travel buffs and armchair explorers alike to get on your bike and see the beauty of our planet and the colorful souls who populate it.
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Customer Reviews:
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great short stories about cycling and life, March 7, 2004
By Jim (WanderingTheWorld.com)
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His first book, titled 'Metal Cowboy', was a collection of bike stories from his many road trips. With 'Riding', Joe's still has tons of hilarious stories to make you snort milk out of your nose laughing. It's not so much a book about cycling, but snapshots of this wonderful world in which we live in and those we meet along the way. This is some of the best short-story non-fiction I've ever read, ever! How's that for my Highest Recommendation!!!
4 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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Someday I'll Learn, July 25, 2003
By Larry Varney (Cold Spring, KY United States)
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Someday I'll learn not to read Joe Kurmaskie's books. Or his magazine columns, for that matter. I enjoy them immensely, they are funny, they are thought-provoking, they are much more than just descriptions of places visited on a bicycle. They let us see through his eyes, share his thoughts on travel, people, the past and the future. I find myself putting off reading the last few pages, because I want it to last. So why should I not read any more of Kurmaskie's stuff? Because I'm jealous. I would like to be out there riding the world, and writing about it. Why is he doing it, and I'm not? Because it takes not only writing skill, but the nerve to get out there and do it. I'm glad that he does it, though, and that he writes about it so well. Someday I may follow his advice of "on yere bike". But until then, I'll be reading about Joe's adventures.
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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It's the "why to" book of bicycle touring., June 16, 2003
By Chip Haynes (Clearwater, Florida)
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Joe won't tell you HOW to go bicycle touring, but his books sure show you WHY. His stories from almost every point on the globe have shown the best reasons to get out and get on your bike. He's not going to tell you what bike to buy or what equipment to bring, but you will learn the importance of getting a head start on chasing after all-girl bagpipe squads and maybe getting a second opinion before harvesting cantaloupe. Joe's world is an exciting place filled with wonderful characters and great places to be. After reading both "The Metal Cowboy" and this most recent work, "Riding Outside the Lines", I can't help but ask myself: "What am I doing here??" Get the books, read the books, GO FOR A BIKE RIDE!
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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More Than I Expected!, June 8, 2003
By John Dobbs (Sunnyvale, CA United States)
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Joe's first collection, "Metal Cowboy" showed us the makings of a rich storyteller. What stuck with me - his ability to put humor and inspiration into a barrel of adventures across America. What I hoped for in his next offering, his global trek, best case, much more of the wit and his eye for observational humor and quicky characters. I hoped for more Twain style tales like A Friendly Game of Darts - the sort that you have to imagine grow and expand inside Joe's head on quiet backroads and long days on the road. But Wow, the new book is more than I expected - I was laughing outloud during his Ireland stories, and South America gets way out there in a very ON THE ROAD way. In The Outback, When the bodybuilder with a thick accent wearing a kilt and driving a blue vestpa stands over a sleepy, out of sorts cowboy and the man is wearing a T-shirt that said "In case of the rapture I'll be off looting the homes of the righteous!" Joe had a reader for life. His writing has grown more subtle and definitely, definitely funnier.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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The Metal Cowboy's 2nd offering will not disappoint!, February 22, 2007
By Eric J. Olson (Chicago, IL USA)
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[...]
A while back I reviewed Metal Cowboy by Joe Kurmaskie which I thoroughly enjoyed. Joe is an amazing writer with a flair for getting to the best of a situation or person and he always has a way of making me laugh out loud while reading his tales. After finishing Metal Cowboy I immediately went out and picked up the follow-up called Riding Outside the Lines.
In Riding Outside the Lines Joe tends to focus more on his international adventures which made for a nice change of pace coming off of the mostly U.S. centric Metal Cowboy. One line in and I knew I was hooked again. I wouldn't be able to put this book down until I finished it off.
The cast of characters this time around was impressive. I always wonder how he meets such interesting people time and time again. My favorite stories in Riding Outside the Lines took place in Ireland because I had spent a decent amount of time there and backpacked across the country with Laura (I hope to someday ride across Ireland but that's a whole other story).
Joe is a masterful storyteller and this book showcases that talent. His descriptions truly bring the people to life in your mind and you begin to feel like you are there with him every revolution of the pedals. In fact, I call Joe by his first name now as if I we were lifetime friends. It's pretty crazy!
From his run-in with the local lifeguard trainees in New Zealand to the the brush with death in Ireland that lead him to the best impromptu B&B in the country to the mountain biking trip that ends the journey in Mexico Joe shows us what it means to be alive and that people, while they have their problems, are generally good and kind. The book is a great read for cyclists and non-cyclists alike and I guarantee you'll become engrossed in Joe's stories within a page or two.
Needless to say I have since purchased Joe's most recent and third book called Momentum is Your Friend and am eager to read it. In Momentum Joe takes along his two young sons on the journey which should yield some interesting stories.
Why am I not jumping into that book right away you ask? Well, I picked up Miles from Nowhere by Barbara Savage which I am going to read first. I actually got the name of the book from the chapter in Riding Outside the Lines where Joe nominates people for cycling sainthood. Barbara is one of the nominees and in the paragraph about her Joe calls Miles from Nowhere the cyclists bible. After that kind of recommendation how could I not read it?
Please go check out Metal Cowboy and Riding Outside the Lines when you have a chance. They are top notch reads and will really get you thinking about what you want out of life. Ride on!
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Kurmaskie Does It Again!, January 22, 2004
By Joan Bellofatto (New York, USA)
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Riding Outside the Lines by Joe Kurmaskie If you liked Joe Kurmaskie's "Metal Cowboy" then you'll LOVE "Riding Outside the Lines." The rider, I mean reader, is immediately transported to destinations dear and far, fast and funny, and in a word, nay, with many of Kurmaskie's wonderful words--it's a remarkable journey. On Yere Bike, the opening chapter, is where you'll coast to a cozy pub tucked in Ireland, hob-knob with the locals, down a pint or two, and be able to kick back after a strenuous ride. All along you'll know that it's Joe's experience, but the way he tells the story, you're right there with him. Indeed, whether it's about the mad Scottish Aussie who rides a Vespa, or the Three (Unlikely) Amigos-"Riding Outside The Lines" is an armchair cyclist's dream adventure. Kurmaskie's writing style is humorous and philosophical simultaneously. Almost Naked Lunch, the chapter that he and his companions stop at a nudist colony is exactly where Kurmaskie's skillful writing brings comedy and profound thought in tandem. You'll laugh aloud at, "We stood around for a moment, like boys in a gym shower without the shower, trying to meet each other's gazes at eye level..." Then, reflect at the conclusion, "We hit the road, fully clothed, but each of us sporting an entirely new sense of freedom." Sure the writing is superb. But Kurmaskie's intuitive feel about life is what makes every story a gem. "Riding Outside the Lines" is bigger than the bike, it's about how to live. Bravo!
Gianna Bellofatto, columnist of "Life is a Bike"
January 2004
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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way beyond cycling, August 24, 2003
By Martin R. Kimeldorf (Tumwater, WA United States)
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Kurmaskie may not have ridden in the Tour de France, but like Lance Armstrong, he pedals in a world where "it's not about the bike". This charming collection of tales from outside the lines adds depth to the carnival of characters Joe K. portrayed in his first book. This time the stories seem to have more suspense, and the characters speak more deeply about life. His story about the dumpster diver is a keeper, the riveting story of the ex-green beret working in South America could be a novel in itself, and the last chapter about his father is worth the price of the book. Bravo Mr. Kurmaskie, you are a tour de france winner on my bookshelf!
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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riding outside the lines, July 25, 2003
By Ted Meckler
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I read his first book - Metal Cowboy - on a lark and found its stories to be interesting, funny, well written, and at times even poignant. This second collection of stories is more of the same. It's great if you like to ride a bicycle. But even if you do not the stories have a charm of their own for which the bicycle is merely the vehicle to get you there (no pun intended.) The guy can write. His stories make for very good reading.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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 I Was Expecting Too Much!, May 31, 2003
By mason sinclair
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No mistake about, Kurmaskie has those vital writing skills. He has also been there, done that, seen that, etc. I think his first book was really outstanding. A make you grab your bike and go for the gusto! His style in this second book gets a little too breathless for me. Maybe I will change my mind after going for a second reading of between the lines!
1 of 4 people found the above review helpful.
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 Not much of an adventure., January 3, 2008
By Justa Rider (GA)
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If you love biking adventures you will hate this book. I just rambles about with very little concerning biking of any kind. My trips as a preteen were were more interesting. Also, the author tries to hard to be witty.
1 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
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The Metal Cowboy's 2nd offering will not disappoint!, February 22, 2007
By Eric J. Olson (Chicago, IL USA)
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[...]
A while back I reviewed Metal Cowboy by Joe Kurmaskie which I thoroughly enjoyed. Joe is an amazing writer with a flair for getting to the best of a situation or person and he always has a way of making me laugh out loud while reading his tales. After finishing Metal Cowboy I immediately went out and picked up the follow-up called Riding Outside the Lines.
In Riding Outside the Lines Joe tends to focus more on his international adventures which made for a nice change of pace coming off of the mostly U.S. centric Metal Cowboy. One line in and I knew I was hooked again. I wouldn't be able to put this book down until I finished it off.
The cast of characters this time around was impressive. I always wonder how he meets such interesting people time and time again. My favorite stories in Riding Outside the Lines took place in Ireland because I had spent a decent amount of time there and backpacked across the country with Laura (I hope to someday ride across Ireland but that's a whole other story).
Joe is a masterful storyteller and this book showcases that talent. His descriptions truly bring the people to life in your mind and you begin to feel like you are there with him every revolution of the pedals. In fact, I call Joe by his first name now as if I we were lifetime friends. It's pretty crazy!
From his run-in with the local lifeguard trainees in New Zealand to the the brush with death in Ireland that lead him to the best impromptu B&B in the country to the mountain biking trip that ends the journey in Mexico Joe shows us what it means to be alive and that people, while they have their problems, are generally good and kind. The book is a great read for cyclists and non-cyclists alike and I guarantee you'll become engrossed in Joe's stories within a page or two.
Needless to say I have since purchased Joe's most recent and third book called Momentum is Your Friend and am eager to read it. In Momentum Joe takes along his two young sons on the journey which should yield some interesting stories.
Why am I not jumping into that book right away you ask? Well, I picked up Miles from Nowhere by Barbara Savage which I am going to read first. I actually got the name of the book from the chapter in Riding Outside the Lines where Joe nominates people for cycling sainthood. Barbara is one of the nominees and in the paragraph about her Joe calls Miles from Nowhere the cyclists bible. After that kind of recommendation how could I not read it?
Please go check out Metal Cowboy and Riding Outside the Lines when you have a chance. They are top notch reads and will really get you thinking about what you want out of life. Ride on!
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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More fun with Joe, March 9, 2010
By markb (Great Lakes area)
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Joe Kurmaskie brings you along in his panniers when he writes of his adventures; self-effacing, he does what so many of us only wish to do. He gives you a taste of it, and makes you smile at the experience.
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For the free cyclist, May 16, 2007
By Melalvai (Kirksville, Missouri USA)
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I was laughing so hard reading this that my husband came in to check on me because he thought I was crying.
Having read all 3 of Joe's books, I was inspired to check out his website and find out what he is up to now (he is running Camp Creative to rescue America from the couch).
Cycling will save America, and these books are what will bring the rest of my family (somewhat taken aback by my recent cycling obsession) over to Our Side.
I'd recommend this one for the single cyclist, Metal Cowboy for anyone, and Momentum is Your Friend for the cylist with family.
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Fantastic, February 10, 2007
By Reinout Vogt (Chicago, ILL, USA)
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Joes adventures are fantastic. The story telling is good and I like particular the mix between meeting people, funny situations, and the bicycling itself. That makes the book a great travel book, a great cyclo touring book and, just as important, a real funny book. Highly recommended!
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He knows something and he's willing to share it with us...., February 7, 2007
By Team Shamu (Ottumwa, Iowa)
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I bought this book about 2 days after starting "Metal Cowboy." Joe Kurmaskie's storytelling makes something so foreign to most of us (bike touring in the extreme) seem so possible. Why not get on a bike and ride to the coast? Why not chase a bagpipe troupe across Ireland? Now, I'm not going to start wearing a "What Would Joe Do?" bracelet or sell my earthly possesions to take his message to the streets, but I am challenged to try something a little outside my everyday existence.
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metal cowgirl, December 13, 2005
By metal cowgirl (stillwater, mn)
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Joe Kurmaskie you have done it again! I loved the first book that Joe wrote, "Metal Cowboy", so I just had to read the sequal. As a fellow metal cowgirl, I can relate to Joe's love of biking down that long and winding road. The way he weaves his stories of the people he meets along the way is what keeps me reading his books. The chapter that I just loved and had many laugh out loud moments is "Sign Language." The great mishaps of bulletine board messages are a great way to pull in all the unique view on a bycycle. If you are a biker , this is a must read.
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i want to ride my bicycle, January 31, 2004
By Anni Maver (Boulder Creek, CA USA)
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i've thoroughly enjoyed both of joe kurmaskie's books. the vignettes from the author's numerous bicycle travels touch me on so many levels. i applaud his obvious love of words and the poignant, often humorous way he uses them to transport us to a time, a place, the soul of cycling. i would often find myself laughing out loud at some clever twist of phrase or zany escapade. the stories reminded me of why i love bicycle travel so much: the joy and freedom i feel on my own bike as i let go of the past and future, and live in the rhythm of each pedal revolution. as much as i was enjoying reading the book, i was often possessed by an impulse to put it down and pedal myself on down the road for my own adventures! alas, the book ends too quickly, but hopefully there will be more tales from the metal cowboy to look forward to. bravo, joe!!
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Review form a Mountain Biker, September 8, 2003
By Wayne Lankford (Hoover, AL United States)
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There is this thing, the human heart, that for most of us does little but pump our blood around. Too few of us have employed its power to connect us more deeply to our own unique purpose in life and further connect us to our souls and our purposeful abilities. If good- natured-ness is an attribute that might be mapped out one day as a component within the human geneo, then research scientists locked in study of Kurmaskie's DNA might discover out of proportion helpings of that and other qualities so well demonstrated here in Joe's newest offering, Riding Outside the Lines. That said, the next and best thing I can tell you about this book comes in Joe's own words.
"There's lots of talk about riding fearlessly and dominating the space, but how many people actually get on the bicycle with a sense of authenticity and gratitude each time out? Not greeting-card gratitude. An appreciation for cycling as a way of life, a meditation-a vocation, even - is a damn noble and hard-fought place to arrive at. But until you can absorb the white noise and effortlessly shed the emotional and physical turbulence that creeps in, until you ride like it's the last time you'll ever own a pair of legs, then you're destined to watch the art and beauty known as the economy of movement pass you by."
Plenty of reviewers of this book speak effortlessly about how much fun Joe's adventures are to read. To me, the reason they are so much fun and poignant at the same time is simple. It's right there in the map of his DNA.
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