{"product_id":"the-road-gets-better-from-here-a-novice-rides-solo-from-the-ring-of-fire-to-the-cradle-of-civilisation","title":"The Road Gets Better From Here: A Novice Rides Solo from the Ring of Fire to the Cradle of Civilisation","description":"\u003cp\u003eNew  revised edition!  With virtually no experience and absolutely no support  Adrian rides a basic stock motorbike 20 000kms across nine countries in three months to fulfil a lifelong dream. He sets off from the bleak  windswept former gulag gateway city of Magadan in a remote corner of Siberia  but before the day is out he crashes badly  breaking his bike and seriously injuring himself. He is completely alone. He struggles on through swamps  bogs and mud tracks and nearly drowns in the icy rapids along Stalins infamous Road of Bones. Although it is summer in Siberia  it is freezing and the driving rain is relentless. When the sun does appear  he is attacked by fierce squadrons of giant mosquitoes and  with wild bears roaming  he cannot stop  often riding for days at a time. Sheer physical strength saves his life on numerous occasions. He battles on deep into central Russia  across the vast Steppes of Kazakhstan and on through the scaring Taklimakan Desert in remote western China. He scales the breathtaking Pamirs and rides across the roof of the world before entering the fabled Silk Road cities of Samarkand  Bukhara and Khiva. He scurries across oddball Turkmenistan  and on across ancient Persia before finally arriving at his destination  exotic Istanbul.  At every turn  Adrian is adopted by a vast array of characters  each with stories to tell and who  extraordinarily  expect nothing in return; tough Siberian truck drivers  frontier road workers  border guards desperate villagers  drug-addled soldiers and crazy modern-day traders  each insisting that he join them in their homes to share their lives and most of their provisions. It is these encounters which provide such a rich and compelling subtext to his extraordinary journey.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44984629657653,"sku":"ByrdShop_1602641862","price":32.14,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9781602641860.jpg?v=1770839885","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-road-gets-better-from-here-a-novice-rides-solo-from-the-ring-of-fire-to-the-cradle-of-civilisation","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}