STORIES

All Posts
Your Community
Getting Started

Apr 5, 2019
3 min

Leaving on a series of jet planes

Today is my last day in the South African town of George - after arriving in an ambulance at midnight exactly four weeks ago. I’m itching...

170 views2 comments

Simon Weir

Mar 25, 2019
4 min

The Marmite pass

What is it about Stelvio that provokes such strong reactions? More than any other road I can think of, Italy’s highest pass polarises...

138 views0 comments

Simon Weir

Mar 25, 2019
4 min

Crasher’s guilt

I don’t often feel guilty about riding bikes. Okay, when I stood in the dock at Bristol Magistrates Court in 2004 to explain why I was...

218 views5 comments

Simon Weir

Mar 18, 2019
3 min

The 20 best motorcycle rides in Europe

I’ve been trying to come up with the definitive list of Europe’s greatest motorcycle rides, to stop myself going crazy as I lie in my...

1,217 views1 comment

Simon Weir

Mar 15, 2019
3 min

The kindness of strangers

Big boys don’t cry. Especially not big, macho, laugh-in-the-face-of-broken-bones, bike-riding boys like me. But it’s damn difficult to...

854 views8 comments

Simon Weir

Mar 5, 2019
4 min

Gear review: Interphone Tour

I've used a lot of different Bluetooth headsets over the years but this Interphone Tour is the one that's become my default – and it's...

814 views1 comment

Simon Weir

Feb 25, 2019
4 min

Monday commuting blues

Bob Geldof was right about one thing: I don't like Mondays. It's not that I don't enjoy work – even when I was a wage slave, I liked what...

73 views0 comments

Simon Weir

Feb 21, 2019
5 min

Gear review: Givi UT803

Before I dive into reviewing this 40L waterproof rolltop bag from Givi, I should explain two things. First, I didn't pay for it: it was...

635 views1 comment

Simon Weir

Feb 19, 2019
3 min

Northbound

It’s a greasy, slick morning to be out on the bike. There’s a flicker of orange from the traction-control light on the dash, a tiny but...

80 views0 comments

Simon Weir

Feb 15, 2019
3 min

Fit to ride

There's one thing about being a middle-aged motorcyclist with big plans: at the back of the mind is a horrible nagging doubt about...

86 views0 comments

Simon Weir

Feb 8, 2019
2 min

International driving permits

Have you got yours yet? Or are you still hoping that Brexit won't happen at the end of March and touring Europe won't be affected? Well,...

136 views0 comments

Simon Weir

Feb 6, 2019
2 min

Jab. Jab. Jabber...

My eldest child hates needles. I don't know where he gets it from. I've never been bothered by them – I don't mind injections. Which is...

26 views0 comments

Simon Weir

Feb 1, 2019
4 min

Winter riding

I admit, this site is largely dedicated to summer. It's all about thinking of the places you want to ride and experience - in the...

69 views1 comment

Simon Weir

Jan 28, 2019
2 min

Meanwhile, back in the real world…

Daydreaming about (I prefer the term "planning") the Big Stupid Trip of a Lifetime is all well and good, but there's plenty that still...

92 views0 comments

Simon Weir

Jan 25, 2019
4 min

The plan is… there is no plan

As I start the serious prep for my Big Stupid Trip of a Lifetime, people keep asking me about which route I'm taking. After all, putting...

107 views0 comments

Simon Weir

Jan 15, 2019
2 min

Unhappy endings, new beginnings

I used to joke that it was impossible for me to have a midlife crisis. After all, I rode motorbikes for a living and – intermittently,...

296 views0 comments

{"items":["5ca6d04f512c1b0014be234d","5c98b18f6ec7f8001c5bd2e0","5c9879a4591d47001c3def39","5c8f35e6a58585001b024570","5c8bf46af53fae001cace84f","5c7e807e73d70f001c4d7c9a","5c740ae97c7483001c08087a","5c6e9d7ea70174001c336bef","5c6bad7f99895d001c6a94da","5c66bec48c4a0c001c95a8a9","5c5d9f104a44220079be4ffb","5c5ae22e0a87a0001c47b424","5c54134ce4d4fb001c0a1a13","5c4ec8c7ba948f001c000662","5c4adfb62ce619001c9a4fd6","5c3deaeddadcce001c6c1a76"],"styles":{"galleryType":"Columns","groupSize":1,"showArrows":true,"cubeImages":true,"cubeType":"fill","cubeRatio":1.3333333333333333,"isVertical":true,"gallerySize":30,"collageAmount":0,"collageDensity":0,"groupTypes":"1","oneRow":false,"imageMargin":32,"galleryMargin":0,"scatter":0,"rotatingScatter":"","chooseBestGroup":true,"smartCrop":false,"hasThumbnails":false,"enableScroll":true,"isGrid":true,"isSlider":false,"isColumns":false,"isSlideshow":false,"cropOnlyFill":false,"fixedColumns":1,"enableInfiniteScroll":true,"isRTL":false,"minItemSize":50,"rotatingGroupTypes":"","rotatingCropRatios":"","columnWidths":"","gallerySliderImageRatio":1.7777777777777777,"numberOfImagesPerRow":1,"numberOfImagesPerCol":1,"groupsPerStrip":0,"borderRadius":0,"boxShadow":0,"gridStyle":1,"mobilePanorama":false,"placeGroupsLtr":true,"viewMode":"preview","thumbnailSpacings":4,"galleryThumbnailsAlignment":"bottom","isMasonry":false,"isAutoSlideshow":false,"slideshowLoop":false,"autoSlideshowInterval":4,"bottomInfoHeight":0,"titlePlacement":"SHOW_ON_THE_RIGHT","galleryTextAlign":"center","scrollSnap":false,"itemClick":"nothing","fullscreen":true,"videoPlay":"hover","scrollAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","slideAnimation":"SCROLL","scrollDirection":0,"scrollDuration":400,"overlayAnimation":"FADE_IN","arrowsPosition":0,"arrowsSize":23,"watermarkOpacity":40,"watermarkSize":40,"useWatermark":true,"watermarkDock":{"top":"auto","left":"auto","right":0,"bottom":0,"transform":"translate3d(0,0,0)"},"loadMoreAmount":"all","defaultShowInfoExpand":1,"allowLinkExpand":true,"expandInfoPosition":0,"allowFullscreenExpand":true,"fullscreenLoop":false,"galleryAlignExpand":"left","addToCartBorderWidth":1,"addToCartButtonText":"","slideshowInfoSize":200,"playButtonForAutoSlideShow":false,"allowSlideshowCounter":false,"hoveringBehaviour":"NEVER_SHOW","thumbnailSize":120,"magicLayoutSeed":1,"imageHoverAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imagePlacementAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","calculateTextBoxWidthMode":"PERCENT","textBoxHeight":0,"textBoxWidth":200,"textBoxWidthPercent":50,"textImageSpace":10,"textBoxBorderRadius":0,"textBoxBorderWidth":0,"loadMoreButtonText":"","loadMoreButtonBorderWidth":1,"loadMoreButtonBorderRadius":0,"imageInfoType":"ATTACHED_BACKGROUND","itemBorderWidth":1,"itemBorderRadius":0,"itemEnableShadow":false,"itemShadowBlur":20,"itemShadowDirection":135,"itemShadowSize":10,"imageLoadingMode":"BLUR","expandAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imageQuality":90,"usmToggle":false,"usm_a":0,"usm_r":0,"usm_t":0,"videoSound":false,"videoSpeed":"1","videoLoop":true,"jsonStyleParams":"","gallerySizeType":"px","gallerySizePx":940,"allowTitle":true,"allowContextMenu":true,"textsHorizontalPadding":-30,"itemBorderColor":{"themeName":"color_12","value":"rgba(247,247,247,0.75)"},"showVideoPlayButton":true,"galleryLayout":2,"targetItemSize":940,"selectedLayout":"2|bottom|1|fill|true|0|true","layoutsVersion":2,"selectedLayoutV2":2,"isSlideshowFont":false,"externalInfoHeight":0,"externalInfoWidth":0.5},"container":{"width":940,"galleryWidth":972,"galleryHeight":0,"scrollBase":0,"height":null}}

1 2 3