“The only limits are the ones we set for ourselves”
Are you ready?
The adventure starts now…
“When you reach your physical limits. When your body begs you to quit, and your mind takes over, you go beyond your limits. It’s more than a revelation. It’s enlightenment.”
— Excerpt from Two Wheels and Will
Have you ever dreamed of climbing a mountain, running a marathon, racing in the Tour de France, competing in an Ironman, or just taking your bike for a multi-day ride away from it all?
You’ll love reading Two Wheels and Will.
Two Wheels and a Will
The motivational story of ultra-cyclists exploring their limits on the ultimate bikepacking adventure
Cyclists, endurance athletes, travelers, and vicarious adventurers alike will love Two Wheels and a Will. This compelling introduction to ultra-endurance cycling and bikepacking follows five cyclists with varying experience as they attempt to complete a daunting multi-day race across the breathtaking yet intimidating French Pyrenees.
But this book is about more than the race itself: it’s a travel adventure, a self-discovery quest, and an informative dive into local French geography, history, culture, and cuisine.
Most importantly, it’s about the inspiring mindset of those who show up on the start line even when they aren’t sure they’ll succeed. Those who know that you don’t have to cross the finish line to be rewarded with an immense feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction. As in life, it’s what you experience during your journey, when you explore your physical and mental limits, that will transform and enlighten you.
Let me know where to send you the first chapters:
Cyclists of all levels and disciplines will gain insight into preparing for their first (or hundredth) mountain ride;
Tour de France fans will recognize many of the race’s legendary climbs as they cheer on the five ultra-endurance participants; and
armchair thrill-seekers and virtual travelers will marvel at the rich details of new destinations steeped in old-world charm.
“These five ultra-cyclists would push their limits beyond their wildest imagination. Regardless of whether they crossed the finish line or not, all five participants’ journeys, experiences, and achievements will inspire you. This is their story.”
— Excerpt from Two Wheels and Will
“It is when I explore my limits that I feel most alive. It is when I go beyond what I even thought possible that I better understand who I am as a human being.”
— Excerpt from Two Wheels and Will
“It’s difficult to describe how many emotions we experience during an event like this one. From the lowest moments and deepest levels of pain to the ecstatic, euphoric highs, it’s almost like squeezing a full year of adventure and human encounters into a few days’ timeframe.”
— Excerpt from Two Wheels and Will
“Self-sufficiency and a never-stopping clock… No massage. No salary. No prize money. No podium… Just sheer mountain beauty and pain.”
— Excerpt from Two Wheels and Will
Two Wheels and Will - Excerpts from the book
2020 - Guillaume and Alex. Col du Soulor, Pyrenees.
“The Tour de France, known as the world’s toughest race, is beyond grueling: 21 days during which the world’s best professional endurance athletes battle it on endless mountain roads. It’s so epic that millions of fans from all over the world come to witness it live and cheer the living legends that push their bodies to unimaginable pain levels.
Imagine a cycling event covering a similar distance with three times the elevation gain and half the time to accomplish it, with a fully loaded bike.”
— Excerpt from Two Wheels and Will
“In an ultra-bikepacking event, from the start, you carry with you any pieces of equipment, clothing, or supplies you think you may need. There are no organized feed stations. There is no assistance team. No private resupply. No private lodging. Support vehicles aren’t allowed.
The greatest challenge is that the clock never stops. Once you launch from the start line, the event will only stop after you cross the finish.”
— Excerpt from Two Wheels and Will
2020 - Chris, Yvonnick and Pierre. One day before the start. Bagneres, Pyrenees.
Free-roaming horses grazing in the Basque Pyrenees.
"Bikepackers are a new breed of ultra-cyclists looking to explore their physical and mental limits and push beyond.
Bikepacking is cycling in its purest form. Like an artist, you craft your life with each pedal stroke. Ultra-cycling is your masterpiece. It combines the sport of cycling with extreme endurance, travel, and adventure: many of the things that have driven my life. It’s the essence of freedom."
— Excerpt from Two Wheels and Will
“Packing for an ultra-cycling event is an art.
…If participants don’t take the right tool or spare parts, they may be stranded. Not enough clothes, they’ll freeze; not enough food, they’ll run out of energy. …weight will affect their progress and the future will tell us if the 2020 cyclists packed wisely.”
— Excerpt from Two Wheels and Will
2020 - Yvonnick, before sunset on Col d’Agnes, Pyrenees.
2020 - Pierre climbing up to Iraty, Basque Pyrenees.
“These were the most amazing moments of my life as a cyclist! Forever etched in my memory.”
— Pierre Charles
“I didn’t think I would have to face so many mountains: it never stopped.”
— Yvonnick Brossier
“The full Ultra Pursuit course is a staggeringly challenging ride to complete. …One of the most beautiful? Well, that is unquestionably correct.”
— Chris Jackson
At sunrise, local fans are waiting to cheer up ultra cyclists.
Are you living the life you’ve always wanted to? Or are you living someone else’s life?
Do you really know who you are and what you are capable of?
What are your dreams? Have you realized or even attempted to realize them?
“The Ultra Bike Pursuit, or any ultra-endurance challenge, may be the best doorway to your own life’s pursuit and to answer all your questions. Don’t hesitate. Hesitation is the difference between the doers, finishers and winners and the others.
All you need is Two Wheels and Will and the world is yours. Just try it!”
The Author
Colin Hunter
Jean-Philippe Soulé is the award-winning and bestselling author of real-life adventure and travel memoirs published under his full name. He also writes in different genres, using pen names to differentiate among them. Colin Hunter is his pseudonym for cycling books.
Bikepacking combines his passion for ultra-cycling, travel, and adventure. He is the organizer of the Ultra Bike Pursuit bikepacking events that cover the entire mountain chain of his native Pyrenees.
Jean-Philippe inspires people with his true-story books.
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Other books from the author
“Jean-Philippe’s life is like the ultimate ultra-marathon, where hope, perseverance, and grit determine the outcome.”
— Dean Karnazes, ultramarathoner and NY Times bestselling author.
“The adventure begins as soon as we start dreaming it”
—Jean-Philippe, I, Tarzan: Against All Odds, 2021
From the award-winning author of Dancing with Death comes an epic memoir that will delight fans of The Glass Castle, Wild, and Unbroken, as well as Educated and Can’t Hurt Me. The gripping I, Tarzan is a deep journey into the author’s innermost secrets that will have you questioning your own self-understanding and life goals.
