Calgary woman writes

about cycling adventures

The Canadian Press

ST. JOHN'S, NFLD.

Turning 50 does crazy things to some I people. Some buy sports cars. Others have plastic surgery. Not Marg Archibald.

She mortgaged her home, hopped on her five-speed Sears bicycle and pedalled around the world.

"It triggered in me an inner journey that was more rich and rewarding than I ever imagined," said the Calgary author during a visit to St. John's.

"Let's face it, the value in society of a single woman over 50 goes way down, and I just wasn’t going to let that be me. There's a sense of responsibility that holds us back. But when you let that go, there's nothing to hold us back"

With little formal preparation, the single mother of one grown daughter left in July 1997 and returned a changed woman in February 1998. Her personal discovery took her to Russia, Belarus, Poland, France, the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Cyprus, Turkey, New Zealand, Singapore, Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand.

Encouraged by her friends, Archibald decided to write a book about her experiences.

Cycling Into Your Soul is a thoughtful and humorous look at the world and at herself. The book reads more like a diary than a guidebook and it's full of interesting anecdotes, like the tale of her hysterical screaming match with a drunken Turk who climbed onto her hotel balcony one night, or her showdown with a Russian hotel clerk who tore up her registration form because she wrote in English.

This isn't her first foray into publishing. Archibald, who owns B small Calgary advertising firm, first wrote Excellent Cycling Adventures in Southern Alberta, based on 15 years of puttering around on her bike.

The easy-to-use guidebook is full of maps and information and includes useful details on the best way to cycle from town to town.

She has also written Excellent Cycling Adventures in Niagara and will soon release a similar guidebook on the Ottawa area. The Southern Alberta and Niagara regions are two of the best places to start exploring the world on a bicycle, said Archibald. The roads are paved, travel is safe and food, accommodation, currency exchange, bike repairs and directions are easy to come by.