A Spanish woman who rode her Ducati Scrambler 15,000km through Africa has been honoured with the Spanish Geographical Society’s Journey of the Year 2018 award.
The Spanish non-government organisation provides humanitarian aid projects such as water supply and health care, initially in the Afar region of Ethiopia, but later extended to other African countries.
Alicia’s ride started in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, and crossed Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique and Lesotho before finally arriving in Cape Town, South Africa.
The only hiccup along the way for the Ducati ambassador was two punctures.
Round the world
It’s not Alicia’s first big adventure.
In 2011, she set off on her BMW F 650 GS on what would become a round-the-world ride that included Australia in 2012.
She rode from Spain to Asia, then Australia, North America down through South America and back to Europe in 2014.
Alicia became the first Spanish woman to circumnavigate the world on a BMW.
She has continued her travels through the Americas and Asia.
Other awards she has won include:
Illustrious Visitor of the City of Tarija, Bolivia;
The 2016 Penguin Honorific Award for “The Legend Continues”; and
In 2017, she took third prize at the I Madrid Motorbike Film Festival for “Adventure in India and Nepal” (below)
The Australian leg of the Women’s Riders World Relay 2019 has the most riders of any nation taking part, says Aussie relay ambassador Christi Hartwig (pictured above).
She says even though registrations have not officially opened for the relay which will pass through Australia in August/September, they already have 3500 Australian members.
The Women Riders World Relay is the idea of UK office manager and keen rider Hayley Bell, 27, to alert the motorcycle industry to the growing number of female riders.
Hayley Bell
“Women Riders World Relay is an opportunity to celebrate female motorcyclists and gain worldwide recognition, as well as to raise awareness of the fastest-growing segment of the motorsport industry,” she says.
It started at John O’Groats, Scotland, on February 27, 2019, and will be relaying a baton from woman to woman and from country to country over the next 12 months. More than 14,000 women have so far registered.
The women have since ridden through Scotland, Ireland, England, France, Portugal and Spain.
The baton arrives in Perth from Indonesia on August 25 and should receive a warm and enthusiastic welcome from Aussie women, says Christi.
“I have built a team to assist me, creating a route throughout Australia,” Christi says.
“I’m pleased it’s generating positive feedback. The women are excited, they want to ride!”
Christi last year became a moderator, team manager and tasker for the relay and is now the Ambassador for Australia.
“I’d like to unite, inspire and encourage female riders throughout Australia,” she says.
Relay with purpose
Hayley says she started the relay to show the motorcycles industry the female market that is “so blindly overlooked”.
“I’m tired of going into motorcycle stores and seeing four variations of pink leather jackets that look as though they have been thrown together as a half-arsed attempt after they have spent months creating fantastically designed men’s suits,” she says.
“I’m not preaching feminism, nor am I subjecting myself or our group to being labelled as ‘anti-man’.
Australian relay itinerary
Day 1: 25 August 2019, Perth to Norseman 772km;
Day 2: 26 August, Norseman – Nullarbor RH, 905km;
Day 3: 27 August, Nullarbor RH – Port Augusta,764km;
Day 4: 28 August, Port Augusta – Adelaide – Mildura, 702km;
Day 5: 29 August, Mildura – Bendigo – Melbourne, 553km;
Over 15 months, Heather travelled 42,000km through 19 countries.
The book is still on the Amazon best-seller list and includes an endorsement from Ted Simon author of Jupiter’s Travels which inspired Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor and Cheryl Strayed author of Wild.
Second book
Her second book, Timeless On The Silk Road: An Odyssey From London to Hanoi, is an extension of the African tour on the same Yamaha dirt bike.
After her African trek, Heather was diagnosed with HIV in London at the age of 30 and given five years to live. It was 1995 when death from AIDS is inevitable.
Instead of giving up, Heather rides along the fabled Silk Roads of antiquity to Australia, thinking it would be her last adventure.
From Chapter 15: A Moment of Madness, Uzbekistan to Tajikistan, while Heather was travelling with three Frenchmen from Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan.
Together, the four of us walked into the Tajik border post, a small tin shack where it was standing room only. In the cramped confines, the heat was oppressive; none of the Frenchmen wore deodorant. A middle-aged man in a sweat-stained grey military uniform, the buttons straining across his round belly, sat behind the desk. Two other younger men in the same grey fatigues stood beside him. The only other item of furniture was a tall wooden cabinet. Behind the official was an open window, which framed a spindly tree. A small bird sat on a branch tilting its head inquisitively.
‘Passeports,’ he demanded, the sweat beading on his brow framed by a stock of thick greasy black hair.
‘You no cross. Pay one hundred dollar!’ he boomed.
‘We are transiting to Kyrgyzstan,’ Fabrice replied while Patrick and Frédéric vocalised their objection in French with a few phaws.
An evil smirk spread across the guard’s face that dropped as a series of folded bristly jowls onto his collar. ‘You pay. No cross.’
Fabrice stood his ground. Hands on hips. ‘We have permission to transit. We have a Russian visa.’ As if anything to do with Russia was still held in high esteem in this backwater of the former Soviet Union.
I kicked his foot and leaned close to whisper: ‘We must pretend we don’t understand.’
At this point, a vehicle pulled up outside in a cloud of dust. The Tajik border official and his two off-siders pushed Fabrice aside as they headed towards the door. We filed out behind them. The vehicle was a four-wheel drive with UNHCR emblazoned across its side. A huge man unfolded from the vehicle. He stretched to well over six foot and was enormous both in height and body width. Not obese, but his sheer size demanded instant respect. Proclaiming his support for refugees, he wore a black T-shirt printed with the words in white, ‘Einstein was a refugee’.
‘Where you from?’ he asked. We pointed to our motorcycles parked opposite saying France and Australia. ‘Long journey,’ he said nodding to me when I said I’d ridden through Africa. ‘I was in Rwanda. Very bad what happened there,’ he added and told us he was from Bosnia and stationed at Osh in Kyrgyzstan.
Since Soviet independence, Tajikistan had been gripped by civil war from infighting amongst its various clan groups, but foreigners were allowed to transit the stretch between Bekobod and Kulundu, a distance of about fifty kilometres. But we were not at this ‘official crossing’ for foreigners. Instead, we’d ridden over a narrow bridge to cross the Syr Darya and across a semi-arid plain; it was as if a finger of the Karakum desert had followed me all the way from Turkmenistan. I’d read that nearly 50,000 Tajik villagers had died from the fighting between the clan groups, leaving more than half a million refugees. Russia had stepped in, and around 25,000 of its troops were stationed in Tajikistan, effectively making it a Russian protectorate. This peacekeeping force also made it safe to transit into Kyrgyzstan as long as we kept away from the Afghan border where there were still skirmishes between the faction groups.
It made little sense as to why Stalin, back in the 1920s, had so unreasonably carved up the borders where three Central Asian nations met: Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. I could only assume it was to ensure the countries remained linked like the entwined fingers of lovers so they would forever retain a close and loyal bond.
‘Is there problem?’ the UN official asked the Tajik border guards.
‘Nyet. Nyet problem,’ the man in charge replied meekly.
‘It’s alright guys. You can cross.’ The Bosnian climbed back into his vehicle and with a wave, was gone just as suddenly as he had appeared. We all watched speechless as the vehicle disappeared in a trail of dust.
‘You pay,’ the lead official boomed from behind us. Then the three officials marched back to the tin shack. We followed.
‘Can you stamp our passports please,’ I asked in demure politeness pointing to our passports stacked on the desk.
‘No. You must pay five dollar.’
‘Okay,’ I said. At least the Bosnian’s arrival had saved us each US$95. The Frenchmen nodded, and we filed out of the hut to retrieve the money from our money belts so their prying eyes would not see our booty, especially Frédéric. He had told me he carried US$5000 in cash strapped to his belly. Fabrice and Patrick, I imagined, carried the same. ‘Aren’t you worried you’ll get robbed?’ I asked in disbelief when he’d told me. ‘This never leaves me,’ Frédéric had said patting his round stomach, his money belt hidden under his T-shirt with it all held in place by a wide kidney belt. It not only protected his kidneys and vulnerable insides should he crash, but also gave no indication that he carried a small fortune in a country where the annual salary was US$600.
Knowing you are going to die does strange things to your way of thinking, namely in the risks that you’d otherwise never consider taking. In the weeks that followed my HIV diagnosis, I rode around London with no regard for speed limits, road rules and consideration of other road users. Perhaps those vodka-infused days in Turkmenistan where I’d nearly come to grief several times while riding inebriated were also part of this disregard for my own safety. This wasn’t a conscious decision. It was just what happened. I was beyond thinking I might get hurt or I might die. What happened next at that Tajik border post, I can only think, had something to do with this unconscious death wish that occasionally took control of my behaviour.
But it was also a desire to seek approval, seek forgiveness from my father. The offer of a gift that would please him. A parting gift that was so significant that it may even go so far as to nullify the perceived shame I’d brought on my family. These were my distorted thoughts on that day.
When I’d walked into the hut, a grey Russian army cap lay on the desk. I’d picked it up, saying, ‘I give you ten dollar.’ The official sitting at the desk snatched it from me and threw it behind the cabinet. When he’d gone outside as the UN vehicle pulled up, I’d quickly retrieved it and stuffed it under my kidney belt and zipped up my jacket.
We paid our five dollars and with our passports stamped, were about to file out the hut, when the border official in charge pulled out his revolver and pointed it at Fabrice’s head. I held my breath thinking he’d thought Fabrice had stolen the cap. Patrick and Frédéric stood motionless beside me. Fabrice turned white. The two other guards smiled as if they shared a private joke. The Tajik with the gun flashed a demented grin, his finger on the trigger. Then he turned and fired the gun through the open window at a small bird sitting on the branch. It looked like the same bird as before. Unbelievably, it did not fly away. Like us, I expect, it was too shocked to move. The Tajik fired off another four shots, deafening us all in the tin shack, and still, the bird did not move. Only when it was quiet, and the Tajik had returned the gun to its holster, did the bird fly away. Without a word, we slowly filed out of the hut then ran towards our bikes.
Just as I was about to hoist my leg over the TT, the Tajik in charge stormed out of the hut, pointing to his head, his two assistants closely behind. I knew exactly what he meant, but the Frenchmen looked at him dumbfounded. I rushed back inside the hut, the Tajiks following close behind, but I reached the doorway first and knelt down near the cabinet and pulled the cap from under my kidney belt dropping it on the floor. The Tajik in charge grabbed my arm lifting me off the ground and shoved me against the wall.
‘Your cap. There it is. Remember, you threw it behind the cabinet.’
‘Duzd, Duzd,’ he repeated his face contorted in anger as he squeezed my arm. I assumed this was Tajik for thief.
‘Fuck off, you bastards!’ I screamed pulling my arm away and pushing past the three men like a deranged woman. ‘Go! Go!’ I yelled at the Frenchmen who sat astride their idling motorcycles.
The TT fired first kick. Pumped with adrenalin, I dropped the clutch and opened the throttle. The bike launched itself and me to freedom leaving the three Tajiks standing in a cloud of dust. I fully expected a bullet to lodge into my back, but no shot was fired, and yet again I’d escaped a respectable death. As I followed the Frenchmen, I realised I risked pulling them down with me. For their own safety, it was time I moved on.
Elspeth Beard is much-admired among many adventurers. At a time when few women travelled or rode motorbikes, Elspeth achieved an impressive feat- when she was just 23 years old she embarked on a solo motorbike journey around the world and became the first ever British woman to do so.
Let’s have a look at this formidable traveller and her two-year journey that took her from New York City back to the United Kingdom, with 35,000 miles (56,000km) in between!
The Beginnings of A Life-Long Love
The first time Elspeth rode a bike was when she was sixteen, a short journey on the back of her friend’s Husqvarna. This was enough to catch the motorcycling bug. Her first bike was a Yamaha YB100, a run-around just to help her to get from A to B around London. Around a year later, she upgraded to a 250cc Honda and then a second-hand 600cc BMW R60/6 …
Elspeth talks about the immense sense of freedom she felt with her BMW and began to travel further and further afield as her confidence grew. She started with trips to Scotland and Ireland, and then went onto bigger adventures like a two-month trip around Europe and a road trip from LA to Detroit. Elspeth had an incredible appetite for exploration.
Around the World in 915 Days (Roughly!)
Sure enough, as soon as she finished her degree in architecture in 1982, Elspeth began preparing to embark on her historic two-year solo journey around the world.
Starting in New York, she travelled across the USA to Canada. Her next stops were New Zealand and Australia, where she encountered a road block – she’d ran out of money. After working in Sydney for seven months, she shipped her bike to Singapore and rode through Malaysia and Thailand. She had to turn back to Malaysia after failing to gain entry in what is now Myanmar, and instead she caught a boat to India. From Chennai she travelled to Nepal, then around India to Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Greece, Yugoslavia, Europe and back to London.
That’s an incredible 23 countries and 35,000 miles over the course of two-and-a-half years!
However, her achievements went unnoticed – very few women travelled at that time and rather bafflingly, it was almost seen as a blip in her life rather than an achievement.
Immortalising the Elspeth story
Thankfully, we’ve come a long way since then and Elspeth’s remarkable achievements are now celebrated. She enjoys the accolade of the first British woman to ride solo around the world on a motorbike, not to mention the fact she’s an award-winning architect!
It’s no wonder her story has now been immortalised in her memoirs, Lone Rider: The First British Woman to Motorcycle Around the World, and she has joined the ranks of the likes of Che Guevara and Steve McQueen to become an ambassador for iconic British brands like Belstaff, who are famed for their motorcycle jackets.
We’re sure this isn’t the last time we’ll hear about this incredibly inspirational woman and we look forward to hearing about the feats that Elspeth will no doubt continue to amaze us with!
If I pass roads with names such as Goat Track or Hell Hole Creek Road, it’s like a red rag to a bull and I simply have to explore it.
Sometimes these roads have warning signs that ban trucks or caravans, or warn of tight curves, gravel and other hazards.
It’s only more reason to explore further.
Road names
But it’s the road names themselves that sometimes give the best hint as to what lies ahead, especially if it includes of the following words.
Old, Historic, Heritage: if these words are present, it indicates the original road before bulldozers and surveyors with theodolites carved a straight line through the hills. These roads follow the natural contours, usually in a very entertaining fashion.
Way, Drive, Track: while you should avoid anything called a motorway or freeway, words such as Way, Drive and Track usually indicate much more fun. However, even some highways can be motorcycle roads. Anything called a street should probably be avoided at all costs.
Scenic, Vista, View: often these indicate roads that wind around a mountain, although they are also used by land developers to dupe buyers into purchasing a block which has much less than panoramic views.
Hill, Mountain, Ridge, Range: if any of these words are present in a road’s name, you have a pretty safe bet that it will be fun.
Valley, Gorge, Canyon: same deal.
Creek, River, Dam: ditto. The word “River” in a road’s name can even make a flat plains road interesting as rivers meander more through flat land.
Welcome to Hell Hole Creek Rd!
So, if you see a “Gravel road” sign on “Old Farmview River Track”, click down a gear and have fun. That’s a motorcycle-friendly road bonanza!
GPS to your aid
If you get lost you may eventually need to consult Google maps or your GPS to find your way home.
Each year, tens of millions of tourists visit New York City to take in the sights, experience the city’s melting pot culture, catch a Broadway show, visit one of the world’s leading museums, shop on Fifth Avenue, walk through Central Park, and so much more. In fact, there’s so much to do in New York City at all times that even if you lived there your entire life, you’d never be able to see or do it all. Still, that’s no reason not to try to do as much as possible! With so much to do in one city, you’d be missing out on a lot by sticking to just one or two areas. And that’s where traveling by motorbike comes in to help you see and do more.
Perks of Touring New York by Motorcycle
Over the years, motorcycles haven’t really been the transportation method of choice for New York visitors or residents, even though there are many benefits to choosing motorcycles over other options. In a congested city like New York, traveling by motorbike will inspire you to check out all of the five boroughs — instead of just Times Square, which is where tourists usually stick to — and unlock a world of excitement. You’ll be able to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge or Highline, visit the Natural History Museum, and catch a Yankees game, all in one trip. It’s also cheaper than taking cabs everywhere, and more scenic than traveling around by subway.
Looking for more sights to check out? Here are a few other places you should visit when touring New York City by motorcycle:
Coney Island
Traveling by motorcycle might take you about the same time as traveling by subway, but it’ll be a far more pleasant experience — and more scenic! You’ll get a nice shot of the Manhattan skyline as you head into Brooklyn, and you’ll get to see how the neighbourhoods change. Once in Coney Island, you should set some time aside to lounge on the beach, hit up the amusement park (including the Cyclone, one of the oldest wooden roller coasters in the US), and stop by Nathan’s for one of their world-famous hot dogs.
Getting to Flushing by taxi or subway can be nearly impossible sometimes — many taxis won’t leave Manhattan, and there are frequently long train delays or other issues. Luckily, you can avoid all of this when traveling by motorbike. Flushing is home to some of the best Chinese food you’ll find in New York. You’ll also find plenty of other great food in the area (and nearby) such as Mexican, Greek, Thai, Japanese, and so much more.
If you’re looking for more food options, head to the Queens Night Market nearby where you’ll find food from more than 80 countries. There’s also live music and plenty of art to check out. When you’re done, head to the Queens Museum for visual arts exhibits or Flushing Meadows Corona Park for a stroll.
The Met Cloisters
Located in Washington Heights’ Fort Tryon Park along the Hudson River, this is a must-visit museum for medieval history lovers. The museum features art and architecture from medieval Europe, in additional to beautiful gardens. The Met Cloisters also features rotating art exhibits and numerous events, including concerts.
Once you arrive here, you’ll forget you’re in New York City. This zoo is one of the largest zoos in the the US at 265 acres. Millions of people from all over the world visit the zoo every year to see the zoo’s extremely diverse collection of wildlife. It’s so big in fact that you’ll have a difficult time seeing the whole place, so it’s best to pick a few areas that you want to focus on and stick to those. If you’re able to, try scheduling a trip to the Bronx Zoo on the same day as a ball game in Yankee Stadium since they’re in the same borough.
There are just a few of the sights you should check out with touring New York by motorcycle. If you really want to make the most of your trip, be sure to plan out your visit and routes ahead of time so you don’t miss anything!
Despite a broken wiring loom, Lithuanian motorcycle adventurer Karolis Mieliauskas has successfully competed an epic ride to the coldest place on earth on a Yamaha Tenere.
We published an article in late January about his plans and many readers thought he was crazy to ride 1000km across Siberia in temperatures down to -60C.
Some even suggested the oil in his suspension would freeze!
However, Karolis emailed us to say he had completed the aptly named The Coldest Ride from Yakutsk to Oymyakon, one of the coldest habitable places on earth.
Mind you, it wasn’t -60C, but a relatively balmy -56C!
The Coldest Ride started on February 04, and was scheduled to finish on February 10.
However, Karolis reached his destination two days ahead of schedule, and celebrated with a dip in a frozen river, despite temperatures of -45C.
The endeavour was filmed and will be featured on the BBC Travel Show later in 2019.
Mind games
Karolis says his journey on a single-cylinder Yamaha Tenere across the Road of Bones was a research exercise into what he calls “active meditation”.
Basically, it’s a way of forcing the mind to meditate by subjecting the body to harsh conditions; in this case, the cold.
But for others it is an enlightening experience. Some even refer to an out-of-body experience when the mind takes control of the pain and discomfort, divorcing the rider from their body.
This is not his first or most epic ride in the cold.
In July 2016, he rode 11,000km from Vilnius to Vladivostok in 12 days and in March 2017 he rode 785km across the ice of Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world, with our support, camping gear or a satphone.
What better way to see the scenic Adriatic country of Croatia but with a local couple who have more than 20 years of motorcycle experience!
Robert and Andrea Vrabec of Moto Tours Croatia have planned a 2400km ride through their home country which, as the map shows, is dominated by a rugged coastline, multitudes of islands and craggy mountain ranges.
Unforgettable Croatia
“The nature, the sea and the cities we will go through, with their history and culture, will make this trip unforgettable,” Robert says.
“Some parts of the routes we ride are truly spectacular and majestic“.
“The cities we will visit like Rovinj, Zadar, Dubrovnik count among the most beautiful tourist destinations, while islands like Cres, Mali Lošinj, Hvar will leave you breathless.”
They promise that their customers will truly “feel Croatia”.
Their tours range in price from €2990 for a rider and €2290 for a passenger for the eight-day Feel Croatia Small tour to €4290 and €2790 for the 14-day Croatian Island tour.
Price also depends on the type of motorcycle hired. Robert says they only use high-high-performance KTM and BMW motorcycles.
Tours run from May to October, but not the hottest months of July and August.
Riding passion
“It is difficult to explain even to ourselves, from where we draw such will and passion to go along the same road, same curve, to sit in that same coffee bar,” he says.
“There are no special words to describe it; just that sense of freedom, contact with nature; that smile on our faces when we meet those wonderful people who share the same and true passion for motorbikes, nature, travel, adventure.”
Robert and Andrea have worked in real estate, so they know the best places to stay and eat in no less than four-star comfort.
“After an exhausting ride, dinner will be served,” says Robert.
“For this we will also choose the places whose food and wine offer follows the customs of their geographic location.”
Moto Tours Croatia plan only small groups so they can devote their attention to each guest.
“Whenever we travel, we always find a new curve and pass the old ones with a smile,” Robert says.
“We plan our trips with a lot of attention to details and we also know that mileage is not the only purpose of travel. Therefore, the journeys we plan for you will always have additional content, depending on whether we are on the sea side where we will sail to a hidden cave, or we are on a hill where we will try zip-lining, or we will simply enjoy a glass of Croatian wine and watch the sunset.”
“These tours are ideal for romantics who love the sea, scenic coastal roads and impressive sunsets, as well as for gastronomes and fine wine devotees,” he says.
Moto Tours Croatia also organise tours through the mountains in neighbouring countries such as Slovenia, Italy and Austria. They can even arrange a unique, customised tour to your requirements.
Guided tours include:
Late-model BMW and KTM motorcycles with lockable hard luggage and tank bags plus a third party liability insurance and comprehensive vehicle insurance;
Experienced motorcycle guide;
Support van for luggage and 1 or 2 passengers;
All accommodation in mostly four-star hotels and apartments;
All buffet breakfasts;
All dinners, mostly in traditional local restaurants (except on rest days);
All ferry rides and tolls (according to tour program);
All fuel during the tour;
All entrance fees for national parks and museums (according to tour program);
Airport transfers on arrival day or one day before and on departure day;
All maps with marked routes for the region being toured;
Extensive tour booklet; and
GPS with all the routes uploaded.
Not included in the price: Airfares, dinners on rest days, most lunches, drinks, personal spending and tips.
Most riders love a good round-trip, but there are many dead-end routes that can be just as rewarding for motorcyclists.
I’ve been riding with people who never venture down a road that says “No through road”.
They figure that it will be like doing the road twice.
Yet I’ve ridden on famous motorcycling roads such as Mt Glorious Rd, the GOR, Putty Road, Big Sur (USA), etc, in both directions and it feels almost like two completely separate trips.
Big Sur
As they say, motorcycling is not about the destination, but the journey.
Who cares if the journey doesn’t have a destination, at all?
In fact, most destinations are a return to your home, anyway.
Dead-end paradise
Umm, it’s a dead-end that way!
MBW reader Tee Jay summed it up perfectly in this Facebook post:
If you think riding up and down the highway is freedom and it doesn’t get any better, then think again. SEQ’s (South East Queensland’s) back roads and dead ends are where the proper motorcyclists go.
The same goes for just about anywhere in the world.
Our tip for great rides is to look for dead-end valleys.
We recently used our TomTom Rider 550 GPS units to navigate three valleys south of Laidley in SEQ which go nowhere.
Stunning bike, stunning scenery!
However, the deeper we rode into the valleys, the closer the mountains and stunning scenery became.
And more importantly, the roads get twister and twister.
For those who know the area this is the Ropeley Rockside Rd
If you’re game, there is often a dirt road that will wind over the hills near the end of the valley to link to the next valley.
These SEQ valleys are only 40 minutes from the city, yet you feel like you are a million kays from home.
We were surprised at what we saw along the way: pecan plantations, camels, scenic creeks, stunning rock formations and more.
The things you see on a hump-day ride!
If you plan to do this ride on your own, wth friends or a group, you can stop for lunch at the pubs in Mulgowie (McGrath Crossing) or Upper Tenthill.
Tee also supplies this tip for those who don’t want to venture too far from the city.
“Go where the wealthy folks live. Their roads are brilliant. From Dayboro you can spend an hour going down two roads that end in dirt and return for coffee. How convenient is that? Do it before 10am because the sunshine through the trees is just; well it’s all part of the experience.”
I have another nearby favourite that I use to test the suspension on bikes I have for review: Upper Brookfield Rd.
It’s only 10 minutes from home and it winds through some very wealthy areas.
The road is tight and twisty, it has concrete dips that cross creeks, there are on-and-off-camber corners, the greenery is stunning and there is hardly any traffic.
At the 60km/h posted speed limit it’s still great fun.
Upper Brookfield Rd is a gorgeous dead-end!
As Tee says, “dead-end roads are excellent, less traffic, terrific scenery and all so close to town”.
Tell us about your favourite dead-end ride? Leave your comments in the section below.
The cafe had been ideal situated on the twisting hot mix just south of Kenilworth, but the property owner wouldn’t extend the lease.
So leasee and bike fan Peter Cusack moved to Carters Ridge, just off Skyring Rd.
His cafe sells great coffee, wholesome food, fruit and veg and has a stack of bike magazines for the patrons.
On the Mary Valley Country tourist map, it’s almost dead centre in the region, so it’s an even better spot to base yourself to explore.
And there’s plenty of great roads to ride, no matter whether you like fast, open bends, tight hairpins, hot mix, scenic back roads, formed gravel or Conondale National Park forestry trails. The area simply has everything to suit every rider’s taste and bike style.
Peter shoved the tourist map in front of me and began introducing me to roads I’d passed, but never ventured down.
On the Harley, they were a barrel of fun, challenging, bumpy, twisting and scenic.
Two great roads I’d never tried before are Moy Pocket Rd and Cooroy Belli Rd. I’ll certainly be back to do them again, although Peter warns that Moy Pocket Rd is busy with cement trucks on weekdays.
He recently did a big trip with his wife on their Triumph Tiger 1050 which suits 99% of the region’s roads.
Today, I’m on the Street Glide Special, which looks commanding and handles the winding roads surprisingly well, but would be a handful on the gravel.
Here is a list of some of the lesser-known, but superb tarmac roads in the region which the Harley handled well so they should suit just about any motorcycle: Moy Pocket Rd, Skyring Rd, Blad Knob Rd, Hovard Rd, Obi Obi Rd (up only, down section is still gravel), Reesville Rd, Postmans Track/Aherns Rd, Bellthorpe Range Rd, Eastern Mary River Rd and Lawnville Rd.
