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Simon Clode
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Last Flight of the Pigeon: A Journey Across China By Bicycle Kindle Edition

by Simon Clode (Author), Chris Cantrill (Illustrator) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 61 ratings
This is the story of a 5000km bicycle ride across China. A journey from the manic streets of the most populous nation’s capital, all the way to Kashgar, near its most westerly edge in the province of Xinjiang. Over mountains, through deserts, and along the Silk Road; the author encounters wild dogs, furious sandstorms and too many pot noodles.


After moving to Beijing, Simon Clode went in search of the world's most popular bicycle - The Flying Pigeon PA-02. The PA-02 is the bicycle that features in millions of images of China in the 1970s and 80s. Yet, despite being the most produced model of bicycle ever and being made within 100 miles of Beijing, he couldn't find a new one anywhere.


Eventually, thanks to a man in Barcelona, he managed to find one of the last remaining models, which was still in the Flying Pigeon factory in Tianjin. Ignoring all advice about the unreliability and general awfulness of the bicycle from the management team, he then cycled it 140km home to Beijing in a moment of sporting endurance heroism to rival all others that also involve regular stops for Snickers.


Following this triumph and in advance of Flying Pigeon’s 65th birthday, he planned to ride the Pigeon 5000km across China from Beijing to Kashgar. He trained for three months and meticulously planned a route along the one road west from Beijing.

He then promptly failed in this endeavour before lunch on the very first day by destroying the bike's back wheel with the combined weight of the luggage and himself.


Despite killing the Pigeon, fearing this would be his last chance to do something as exciting, he took on the remaining 4950km on the Pigeon's modern day successor - a nondescript £175 Giant mountain bike.


This is the story of that journey: through sandstorms; police evictions; and thousands of questions about why he was wearing shorts in April.


After Beijing, his route saw him ride through six provinces. First, he passed through industrial Hebei, the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, agricultural Ningxia and Gansu before the road disappeared. He was forced to take the road south into the barren no man's land of northern Qinghai province in order to rejoin the southern branch of the Silk Road in Xinjiang, which finally leads him to his destination.


This book contains rude words.
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  1. Print length
    288 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Accessibility
    Learn more
  4. Publication date
    3 Jun. 2016
  5. File size
    3.4 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product description

About the Author

Simon Clode was born in Shropshire, UK and spent his entire childhood there. He spent most of these formative years kicking footballs against walls and over fences. He studied Law at Cardiff University, where he won a pool tournament. He followed this up with a Masters in International Affairs at Exeter University, this time triumphing in a competition on Michael Palin's website and winning a T-shirt. He then joined the UK Civil Service where his career highlights include: being bundled to the floor by the Turkish President's security team; being locked out of the Mexican Presidential Palace before talking his way back into it; and offending an Emir by not standing in his presence. Currently, Simon lives in Beijing with one too many bicycles than is necessary for cohabitational bliss.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01DKOBZB0
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon Clode
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 3 Jun. 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.4 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0995461512
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 61 ratings

About the author

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Simon Clode

Simon Clode

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Simon Clode was born in Shropshire and spent his entire childhood there. He spent most of these formative years kicking footballs against walls and over fences. He studied Law at Cardiff University, where he won a pool tournament and then followed this up with a Masters in International Affairs, where he won a T-shirt from Michael Palin.

He then joined the UK Civil Service before moving to Beijing for four years.

He now lives in London.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
61 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book to be an amazing journey with lots of interesting information about China. Moreover, they appreciate its wit, with one customer mentioning it made them laugh out loud.

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7 customers mention ‘Readability’7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable and entertaining, describing it as an amazing journey.

"...A great story and an even better laugh, this book had me literally laughing out loud, which is rare for a book! A really enjoyable read!" Read more

"Came across this book by chance but glad I read it. An entertaining read...." Read more

"...An amazing journey, which you are drawn into via the informal racconteurship of the author...." Read more

"Very witty and very well written. Really enjoyed it." Read more

4 customers mention ‘Information quality’4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's informative content about China, with one customer highlighting its historical anecdotes and another noting its entertaining cultural comparisons.

"This account of a trip across china by bike... just because... is realistic and illustrative, whilst being sneakily informative with historical..." Read more

"A very entertaining read with lots of interesting information about China...." Read more

"...engaging traveling companion , who comes across as well read and knowledgeable." Read more

"Enjoyed this book. Interesting background re. China. Useful insight into cycle touring through the country...." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Wit’3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book witty, with one mentioning it made them laugh out loud.

"...A great story and an even better laugh, this book had me literally laughing out loud, which is rare for a book! A really enjoyable read!" Read more

"Very witty and very well written. Really enjoyed it." Read more

"A good book by a funny interesting writer, it nearly got a 4 but he castigated old top gear and is a fan of the EU !..." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

Top reviews from other countries

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable read.
    Reviewed in Australia on 22 May 2018
    Verified Purchase
    A good read for wet winter days when you can't get out and cycle. Well you could if you don't mind cold riverlets down your back or round your ankles into your shoes.
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  • Jaroslaw
    5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book!
    Reviewed in Canada on 5 December 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I have read a lot of cycle touring books and this one is easily in the top five. This is a very interesting story and the author has a hilarious sense of humor which I really enjoyed. However for me the best thing about the book was the author's perspective on China and it's people. This book put a very human face on the country for me which I had been lacking and made me want to visit it in the near future. I highly recommend it.
    Warning: do not read in bed with your spouse unless they don't mind you laughing out loud!
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  • Anthrojan
    5.0 out of 5 stars If you ride a bike or not, if you know China or not, either way, a must read
    Reviewed in the United States on 31 July 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Even though I'm not British and a lot of the cultural references went over my head, I got the gist. The experiences that Simon had, especially with the authorities, are pretty common and I found myself nodding in agreement many times (I lived & taught English in Xinjiang for eight years). The fact that he braved the roads shows that he really is nuts or brave or clueless!! Worst drivers in the world. Loved every minute of it. He painted a true picture of a foreigner trying to understand Chinese culture and he did it on a bike! Thanks for sharing the trip.
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  • Wesley A.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fun read!
    Reviewed in the United States on 15 March 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Fun read!
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  • Daiho
    4.0 out of 5 stars Imagine Douglas Adams writing a book about cycling across China
    Reviewed in the United States on 28 August 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Imagine Douglas Adams writing a book about cycling across China. Then tone down your expectations a couple of notches and you’ll have a fair idea of what you will encounter in this hastily-edited book from a 30-something Brit who in 2015 rode 5000km from Beijing to Kashgar (at China’s western border).

    The author-cyclist writer makes no claim to life-altering insights, he’s not out to break any records, contribute to debates in Sinology, or to raise money for charity. As he notes near the end, “I just wanted to go on an amazing bike ride.” Which is absolutely all the reason you need to do this kind of thing, though doing it for other reasons are perfectly fine. Someone who did it because she was at the end of her emotional tether can be found in Buhring’s “This Road I Ride,” an exceptional story of crushing one’s despair with an impossible physical challenge.

    The Last Flight of the Pigeon is somewhat deceptive in that the eponymous bird never really makes a flight at all. The pigeon in question is Flying Pigeon, a storied Chinese bicycle manufacturer that churned out millions of cheap commuter bicycles during an age when China relied more on people power rather than combustion engines. The author indulges the romance of riding one of these cross-country and spends the first couple of chapters outlining Chinese bicycle manufacturing history, as well as his efforts to purchase what is now essentially a bicycling relic. Apparently, a few models are still made for export to Africa and after managing to acquire one, the author proceeds to outfit his for his cross-country journey. As he soon discovers, though, the Flying Pigeon is not up to the task and it is replaced within a few hours of leaving home with a more reliable but somewhat less romantic Giant mountain bike.

    Unlike some long distance accounts that get bogged down in detail (Stanoyevitch’s “A Westerner’s Bicycle Tour in China”), or try to impress with a collection of major insights into human existence (Holl’s “Downhills Don't Come Free”), Clode seems more interested in telling tales and keeps the story moving with plenty of self-deprecatory humor. To wit:

    “The city was under endless blue skies, which were complemented by the kind of wind chill that caused me to dedicate an unusually large amount of time to wondering where my testicles might be hiding.”

    Jibes at countrymen:

    “Shortly after we parted, I was flagged down by a young couple proffering two cans of Red Bull as a gift. I tried to only accept one but turning down a gift from a Chinese person is harder than extracting one from a Yorkshireman.”

    As well as his hosts:

    “There are still hotels in China that foreigners aren't allowed to stay in. A rule that is a throwback to the days of being an old-fashioned authoritarian country, as opposed to a modern authoritarian country.”

    He even includes useful bicycling advice:

    “Finally, if I could give you one piece of genuine advice, it would be this: old style sandpaper, glue and patches repair kits are vastly superior to the self-adhesive circles of Sellotape that some plonker has decided are a good idea. Take the extra five minutes to use the old puncture repair kits that your dad taught you how to use and save yourself hours in the long run. Let’s bankrupt that sadist’s solution together. Then afterwards we can burn the factories producing Presta valves to the ground.”

    If you would prefer a preview of the book before buying, have a peek at Clode’s website, which you can find searching the author’s name and/or book title. The online photo gallery makes a great companion to the book, which contains only a handful of images – but gobs of spelling/typographical errors.
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