Cycling & Martial Arts
Six Islands on Two Wheels: A Cycling Guide to Hawaii
(Honolulu: Bess Press, 1990)
This book is about being in a place at the
scale of the bicycle. It is about seeing Hawaii's incredible 
geography and cultural
diversity at a speed and in a way that makes the physical and social environment
accessible. Well mapped cycle routes and rides for each island are discussed in individual
chapters. Touring cyclists can plan for camping or hotel stays with data in the chapter
indexes. But kamaa'ina (old timers) and malahene (newcomers) alike will read about the
geology, botany, social and general history of the places along the routes described.
"Drives whiz along anesthetized, but cyclists traveling at ten to fifteen miles see
things others miss. They have time to wonder about why these trees look so peculiar, and
why that road is dotted with strange, statue-like stone figurines," the author says.
It offers to cyclists basic information on route choice and road conditions, where are the dogs and how to avoid the Honolulu rush hour. In addition, however, it offers as its major companion the islands themselves, their history and their geography bundled together in easy thirty to fifty mile stretches of cycling and island lore.
Six Islands on Two Wheels was a labor of love for its author, who while living in Hawaii was both the Hawaii Bicycle League tour director and an effective cycling instructor.
Reviews:
- "Whether you cycle on your own or join one of two tour companies, the book will be an invaluable companion . . . Koch has done his research and produced a top-notch guidebook. Moreover, he has made it easy to follow and easy to read." Joe Kula, Vancouver Province, 1990
- "This book has soul and sweat. . . . Koch writes with a detailed consciousness of the roadside environment, alone with great respect for the land, people, and history." Susan Manuel, Honolulu-Star Bulletin, 1990
- "The maps accompanying each ride are excellent and details of highlights and hazards have obviously been collected from personal experience." Laszlo Buhasz. The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada), 1991
- This book also can be ordered directly from the publisher, Bess Press: http://www.besspress.com
Articles: Cycling, Aikido, Misc.
- Down With Sensei! No more Shihan! Furyu Magazine In Press, 1998
- Teaching Tenkan as a Martial Technique Furyu Magazine.1997; 8:2.4
- Teaching Aikido to People with Disabilities. Aikido Journal. Oct. 1995
- Urban Cycling: A New Model & a Basic Topology. Published in R. Bovin and Jean Francois Pronovost, eds. The Bicycle: Global Perspectives. Montreal: Velo Quebec, 1992
- The Economics of Urban cycling. Published in R. Bovin and Jean Francois Pronovost, eds. The Bicycle: Global Perspectives. Montreal: Velo Quebec, 1992.
- Cycle Wars: The Business of Bicycling. Honolulu Magazine. Aug. 1990
- Creating a Cycle Efficient Toronto Toronto City Cycling Committee: City Hall, Toronto, Canada. 1992. A monograph on maximizing cycle use as part of the urban transportation system. Includes economic assessments and a model for a mixed mode approach to urban transportation. For reprints write to the Toronto City Cycling Committee, City Hall, Toronto.