I first read Magnuson's article on "how to lose 70 pounds... the hard way" in Bicycling magazine back in the summer of '02, shortly after I got serious about cycling. Since then, he's done several other articles about his biking adventures in various places, some of which are expanded on in Heft on Wheels.

Magnuson teaches creative writing at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, and uses his writing as a form of catharsis in changing and evolving in his new, fitness-oriented lifestyle. Therefore, Heft on Wheels is just as much about obsessive/compulsive behavior as it is about using cycling to create a healthier human. It didn't hurt that I'm a bit of a clydesdale myself, but it was a bit inspiring to see what this guy was able to muster the mental discipline to do. And I especially enjoyed his description of the cycling community in Carbondale. Favorite character would have to be Saki, the local bike shop operator, and his little philosophies... "Ride within yourself, and you'll always finish with the pack," and his mantra, "Ride together."

I liked the book immensely, and re-read it from time to time. Based on its viewpoint, it's probably much more appealing to guys, but the ladies can get a lot of good from it as well.

Tom