TWO for the ROAD… An armchair ride around the world!
There are only a few things I enjoy as much as a great bike ride… Namely my children, the great outdoors, building something out of nothing, working on my bike and occasionally a good book… Not to mention catching up on the latest 'Rocket3' news and with some of the other captains on the Rat.Net Forum. But certainly not since Robert Pirsig's 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' which was first published in 1974 and which I read avidly as a teen (and I'm sure it really did change my life folks) had I even contemplated picking up a book with a motorbike on the front cover. But when you are at the airport and your flight has again been delayed and your good wife says; “you might be interested in this” and she hands you a book titled 'TWO for the ROAD… 56,671km, 27 countries, one dream' do you actually think there might be a God and is this a sign of things to come? Will she, is she, actually hinting at something here? Probably not, but what the hell I'll buy it and read it anyway.
Two for the Road, written by Shirley Hardy-Rix and her husband Brian Rix is a journey. And like most good journeys' it involves a motorbike (sorry guys and gals… it's a BMW not a Triumph), a lot of adventure with the destination being home. Shirley's T-shirt proudly displayed the quote, “Roads are for Journeys not Destinations”. I think a lot of us dream of taking off on that one big adventure, on our bikes, on the road, the wind whistling through the vents in the helmet (thank God for earplugs) and with no time constraints to speak of. Most of us just dream and occasionally make it away for a weekend ride or to a rally, where we can pretend we are great tourers and at least talk of someone who maybe has ridden off the radar so-to-speak. I admire anyone who takes a step out of the rat race and actually creates the time to fulfil his or her dream. I dare say I admire them more if 'they' as a couple share the same dream and take it together, especially two-up on something other than a Honda Gold Wing or other luxury touring machine.
I have had the great pleasure of travelling extensively throughout Australia, Asia, Europe and North & South America. More so with a backpack and less so on a motorbike. Although I once did own a Suzuki DR250 when I lived in Papua New Guinea and took the back roads whenever and wherever I could; and I have scooted around Rarotonga on a step thru Honda, three-up like the locals, with our then two year old tied between my wife and I with a sarong. I have also begged, borrowed and not quite stolen various motorbikes and scooters in Spain, Portugal, Germany and Uruguay of all places. So when reading 'Two for the Road' I did so with a hint of nostalgia, a little bit of reverence and whole lot of dream factor built in. Probably another reason I connected with the book so much was that Brian Rix often referred to his good mate 'Possum', who passed away on a mountain in the Himalayas while attempting to climb Cho Oyu, one of the BIG peaks and many a mountaineers dream. I too have climbed mountains in many of the places I have ridden and are aptly aware of the dangers involved with mountaineering. My wife only let me buy another motorbike when I agreed to give up climbing. At least on the mountain you only have yourself, the weather and the altitude to blame if something goes wrong. Not a million idiots in tin cans trying to send a text message while driving oblivious to anything else. Anyway, obviously Possum and Brian shared a spirit of adventure and it was genuinely touching to see the big fella reflect on this throughout the book.
Brian and Shirley start their adventure at the Isle of Man TT. This in itself is a dream for many riders. I've always wanted to attend the isle and Brian and Shirley get into the spirit. They head across to Ireland, into Europe (Twice) and eventually make their way down the Dalmatian coast, Greece, Turkey and onwards into India via Iran and Pakistan. While the book is not a thriller it is thrilling enough, and while Shirley writes most of the commentary, Brian tells it like it is… mostly the twisty bits, the bike and what pisses him off. More than once they have a near miss on the road and a few times they see the result where someone wasn't so lucky.
The main thing I take away from the book is the depth and variety of the friendships they make during their travels. I'm left with the feeling that these friendships will last a lifetime. Certainly they reiterate to me that riding a bike in a foreign land is 'the' icebreaker and will often knock down the barriers of religion, culture and language. Bikers universally are drawn to other bikers. I think we feel that just riding day to day in our home country when we make the wave or just nod as we pass each other on the road. I certainly feel it when I attend a ride day, a rally or a club event. It was also evident when, after Shirley and Brian eventually made their way to Darwin, a group of riding mates from their local touring club in Melbourne had ridden up to Darwin to meet them.
So yes, I'm happy to give up climbing mountains as long as I can ride through them. With Tasmania and New Zealand so near, with some of the best riding roads on the planet within or close to our shores. We don't have to ride all the way around the globe to have that big adventure. Well at least we can take it one step at a time. My advice is to grab a copy of 'Two for the Road' and get inspired. The authors were even kind enough to load the book with useful information including tips on shipping and packing. Ladies and gentlemen… Start your engines!
TWO FOR THE ROAD by Shirley Hardy-Rix; Brian Rix
Published Nov 2004 - Pan Macmillan (Australia)
SteveRed wrote this book review…
(Stephen Smith of Sydney Australia)
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