This heartwarming collection of true stories reveals the thrill and the freedom of traveling America's back roads on a bicycle, and the joy of discovering unforgettable characters along the way.From the moment he borrowed his big sister's banana-seat bike and careened down the neighborhood hill at the age of five, Joe Kurmaskie has known the intoxicating freedom and power of the bicycle. In this big-hearted collection of stories, Joe -- dubbed the Metal Cowboy by a blind rancher he encountered one icy morning in Idaho -- tells of his whimsical, wild adventures through the American landscape.

Like a modern-day Don Quixote, Joe Kurmaskie—bike adventurer, writer, and twelve-year-old boy trapped in a man’s body—wanders the world on two wheels, often with hilarious results, in Riding Outside the Lines. A jaunt through such far-flung locations as Ireland, Australia, Mexico, South America, and beyond, here is a collection of tales woven together with one central theme: the world is a much smaller place when you view it from the seat of a bicycle. Whether he’s weekending in the buff after accidentally stumbling into a nudist colony wedding, knocking back red wine in tin cans with a gun-toting ex–bounty hunter, combing the countryside in a quest to find the all-girl bagpipe squad he met in his dreams, or playing a rousing game of ice golf on the frozen tundra, Joe Kurmaskie writes of his gonzo global trek in a spirit infused with insight, good humor, and optimism. Riding Outside the Lines encourages travel buffs and armchair explorers alike to get on your bike and see the beauty of our planet and the colorful souls who populate it.

Most people bring their inner child on an epic adventure. Joe “Metal Cowboy” Kurmaskie actually took his two kids along. For a 4,000-mile bicycle ride across America, Joe’s seven-year-old son, Quinn, rides a tagalong bike attached to his dad’s; and behind that is five-year-old Enzo in a bike trailer. Our hero the Metal Cowboy answers the question “What are you, crazy?” with a resounding and cheerful “Yes.” Unassisted—with no support crew except his boys’ comic relief and the periodic kindness of strangers—he pedals hundreds of pounds of gear and offspring over mountain passes, across the wide plains, through thunderstorms, and into the heart of what it means to be a dad. Along the way they encounter everything that makes up America—small-town kindness and inner-city heart, wild horses and highway roadkill, a bitter Vietnam vet and a hopeful young inventor, grizzly bears and bison roaming free, cyclists and monstrous RVs, a very peppy cheerleader and a visitation from the ghost of the author’s father, horrible traffic and serene dirt roads, a monastery and a distillery, baseball, and yes, lots of pie. By the time they reach Washington, DC, two months after leaving Portland, Oregon, they’ve bonded in a rare way. Kurmaskie writes, “We share a secret, the three of us; one permanent summer in our hearts now, where we’re never apart.” Praise for MOMENTUM IS YOUR FRIEND “Give Huck Finn a bicycle, give Lance Armstrong a sense of humor and give Jack Kerouac a good editor and you have Joe Kurmaskie’s latest road trip. Hilarious. A one-of-a-kind voice in the travel world.” —Tom Lang, author of Coffee, Cat, and Mrs. Claus “With his two sons in tow providing moral support (and comic relief), Joe Kurmaskie treats us to a reader’s trifecta: a humorous travelogue, a stirring adventure tale, and a touching family story.” —Bart King, author of The Big Book of Boy Stuff “A witty, whacky, and pensive midlife adventure with the Metal Cowboy and his two sidekicks. Joe rode the sort of miles we all wish we had. A highly entertaining read.” —Andrew Pham, author of Catfish and Mandala “Joe Kurmaskie is the real deal and Momentum Is Your Friend is true to the man himself. Intimate, ironic, worldly, wise, and most of all, fun. It reads like a wild, downhill ride with lots of switchbacks, hanging on for dear life and enjoying every bump. Read it.” —Robert Ferrigno, author of Prayers for the Assassin and Horse Latitudes “As Melville is to the sea, Mark Twain to the raft, and Kerouac to the car, Joe Kurmaskie is to the bike. It is the great gift of Momentum Is Your Friend to follow that essentially American, writerly imperative: to go, to go, to go! An absolutely gobsmacking beauty of a book.” —Andrew Lewis Conn, Author of P and The Last American Novel “Joe Kurmaskie is a supercharged storyteller for the new millennium, and I would cross the desert sands and climb the Rockies to listen to him tell his tale.” —Jay Atkinson, author of Caveman Politics, Ice Time, Legends of Winter Hill, and City in Amber

Book 5 in the Spikes & Spurs Series 'Tis the season for... •A matchmaking grandma on a long-distance mission •Mistletoe temptation in every doorway •A sexy cowboy with a killer smile When Gran Presely agrees to sell Creed Riley the Rockin' C Ranch for a song at Christmastime, he can hardly believe his good fortune. There's just one little catch—her tantalizing granddaughter Sage is part of the deal. Spikes & Spurs Series Love Drunk Cowboy (Book 1) Red's Hot Cowboy (Book 2) Darn Good Cowboy Christmas (Book 3) One Hot Cowboy Wedding (Book 4) Mistletoe Cowboy (Book 5) Just a Cowboy and His Baby (Book 6) Cowboy Seeks Bride (Book 7) Praise for Darn Good Cowboy Christmas: "A story with a cowboy always hits the target, but add a little Christmas flair and a saucy heroine and you have a winner."—Long and Short Reviews "This fast-paced holiday romp brims with music, laughter...and plenty of Texas flavor."—Library Journal "Full of sizzling chemistry and razor-sharp dialogue."—Night Owl Reviews, Reviewer Top Pick, 4 1⁄2 Stars

"The English-language debut of "one of the most original and entertaining voices in contemporary Mexican literature (Revista Gatopardo): a collection of ironic and madcap stories about the comedy and brutality of life in Mexico." -- page [4] of cover.

Lester “Les” McCoy is a retired cowboy who now lives in the city, working days at the Ranch and Feed. He loves his country music. Not so his tenant, Damien Ridley, who lives downstairs in his duplex and works evenings at the gym. ”Metal boy,” as Les likes to call him, prefers to listen to all things rock and metal at decibels that make his ears bleed. Damien is attracted to Les, which he makes abundantly clear with those translucent gray eyes and his hot, kissable mouth. Problem is, although Les is in lust with Damien, he's an old prairie bachelor and sees his metal boy as too young for a roll in the hay. He'd rather be put out to pasture. Enter a friend who's gay-bashed and a co-worker who kicks his head out of his ass, and Les reconsiders whether a heavy metal dude can help an old cowboy with the blues.

Originally published: Portland: Cadence Press, 2010.