Lonely Planet Epic Bike Rides of Europe: Detailed Itineraries | Insider Tips | Explore Europe’s most thrilling cycling routes

I bought it as a gift for a friend, an excellent edition.

This is a great book for inspiration and dreaming! I enjoy that the descriptions and stories come from a variety of riders so there are many perspectives. There is enough practical info to point you in the right direction to get more info on each ride.

More of a coffee table book than a useful guide. What's good: If you're a bikepacker or a mountain biker, there are plenty of great ideas here and obscure routes to explore. What's bad: The very small sans-serif type makes for difficult reading. The book also omits some of Europe’s top rides: There’s not a single word about riding the Loire Valley in France, for instance, and the epic Rhine route is buried with a single paragraph. Some of the writers have little or no experience with cycling or seem clueless as to what to include. In a description of riding Europe’s most popular route along the Danube, for instance, the writer skips the start of the route from Passau, Germany and the magnificent monastery at Melk, opting to ride the dull industrial stretch toward Vienna instead. There’s zilch about the western end of EuroVelo 6, etc. That said, this book is a good idea-starter and has some excellent photos.