TRAVERSE 178
Riding Route 66:
Finding Myself On America ' s Mother Road
Henry Cole 2024 ISBN 978-1-5294067-0-2
Henry Cole’ s Riding Route 66 promises an intimate, saddlelevel view of America’ s most mythologised road, and in many respects it delivers. Cole has an easy, conversational way of pulling the reader into the ride— you can almost feel the heat rising from the asphalt, the dust settling on your visor, the neon motels flickering in the twilight. For anyone who has ever dreamed of tracing that famous highway from Chicago to Santa Monica, the book offers a vicarious escape.
Yet, for all its charm, the book occasionally struggles under the weight of its own narration. At times, Cole comes across as a little self-important, as though reminding us just how significant this particular ride is in the grand scheme of motorcycling and adventure. It doesn’ t ruin the story, but the tone can occasionally grate, especially when the personal reflections begin to feel like pronouncements.
Structurally, the book often feels like a collection of blog posts stitched together rather than a cohesive narrative. There are stretches where the flow falters, meandering into tangents that have little to do with Route 66 itself. Politics, personal musings, even everyday grievances sometimes take up more space than the road, the people, or the ride. These digressions might work in a casual online diary, but in a book they dilute the momentum of what could otherwise be a focused and compelling travelogue.
That said, Cole’ s enthusiasm for the open road is undeniable, and when he sticks to the ride itself— the diners, the encounters with locals, the beauty of the American heartland— the book shines. It’ s in those passages that you feel the real power of Route 66, not just as a road but as an idea: the embodiment of freedom, nostalgia, and discovery.
Riding Route 66 is worth a read for motorcycling fans and those who crave road-trip narratives, but be prepared to wade through a fair bit of rambling along the way. At its best, it captures the magic of the Mother Road; at its weakest, it feels like you’ re being dragged into a conversation you didn’ t quite sign up for.
TRAVERSE 178