Bicyclists indulge: a new Northwest guide book has charted more than 1,500 miles of paved trail traveling through eight counties and 80 different communities, all accessible within an hour of Seattle.

The book provides a two-wheeled platform for discovery with each of its 50 rides. All you have to do is get on your bike and pedal.

Along with a brief overview of what to expect, each route is categorized by difficulty, mapped out turn-by-turn and travels toward some sort of scenic, quirky or notable destination.

“(But) it’s not all about the destination, it’s often about the trip,” said seasoned cyclist Bill Thorness, author of “Biking Puget Sound: 50 Rides from Olympia to the San Juans.”

“It was amazing to me that I found so many great places to ride,” he added. “The Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas have a lot of great riding. And some of that was really a discovery for me … and for me, it’s all about the discovery.”

It’s a decent wager that many bike riders — beginners to veterans — will find some sort of revelation in where to ride within the pages of Thorness’ book. Cyclists can pick the brain of the man himself at his upcoming appearance at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 16 at the Bainbridge Island Eagle Harbor Book Co.

There, Thorness will be making a slide show presentation, offering his travel photographs along with what one might find following the directives of his book. The event is free and will be followed by a question and answer session and a book signing.

“At 10-15 mph, you see the country from a much different perspective,” Thorness said. “Biking is the perfect speed for really appreciating the region — from the flowering trees to the steepness of that hill.”

The rides charted in “Biking Puget Sound” vary across the difficulty spectrum with an emphasis on safety, Thorness said. From a possible five-day excursion in the San Juan Islands, to a metro ride through downtown Tacoma the scenery is equally diverse.

In Kitsap, Thorness has mapped seven routes across the county including one from Bremerton to Seabeck and back down Anderson Hill Road, a loop around Bainbridge and another ride from the Southworth ferry terminal along the waterfront all the way to downtown Port Orchard.

Listen to Thorness speak on those rides and his book, accompanied by a slide show of photos at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 16 at Eagle Harbor Books — 157 Winslow Way E. on Bainbridge. Event: Free. Book: $16.95. Info: www.eagleharborbooks.com or call (206) 842-5332.