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Way to Go: Two of the World's Great Motorcycle Journeys
A humorous travelogue of two epic motorcycle journeys, from Delhi to Belfast and Route 66
- GenresMotorcycleTravel
240 pages, Paperback
First published April 4, 2005
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33 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 13, 2017
Part one of the book was quite good; an interesting ride from Delhi to Belfast on a Royal Enfield that was manufactured in India. Part two of the book covered a ride on Route 66, from Chicago to LA, on a Harley, a story that was uninspiring and spoilt by the introduction of an imaginary rabbit on the pillion seat. Only recommended if you stop after part one.
May 22, 2024
Hello Friends, There is a new addition to the Tiger Coward Adventure Motorcycle Library: Way To Go by Geoff Hill.
This is an older book (2005) that was recommended to me by several members of Tiger Coward Nation (TCN), including Geoff Hill. You were all correct in telling me that this is a hilarious, well written book of motorcycle travel.
Of note, this is an award winning book and has been reprinted several times, or at least twice, so my review is completely unnecessary
.
My executive summary is that these are two great stories in one book. The first half of the book takes up 2/3 of the text and ADV purists say it is twice that of the second half of the remaining 1/3. I disagree, because that makes the first half 4/6ths which I believe is the same as 2/3. The numbers don't lie.
The cover of the book boastfully announces both halves as " Two of the World's Greatest Motorcycle Journeys", and to that, I agree. In the first story, Hill and a friend buy Royal Enfield motorcycles and ride them from India back to Britain. In the second, Hill rides a Harley Davidson motorcycle the entire length of the legendary Route 66 in the USA.
Both stories are irreverent, sometimes ridiculous and unexpectedly thoughtful. The stories are both great adventures, despite the critics in the Adventure Motorcycle community who believe that riding a motorcycle on paved roads in America doesn't count as an adventure. This, of course, is nonsense. Pollution, corrupt police, and food poisoning don't make an adventure, but even if they did, all of those can be found in the States. Plus, you are just as likely to be shot in the USA as anywhere between Delhi and Belfast.
Now you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, especially a boastful one, but I was at least a little swayed by this jacket. I really wanted to read this the book because the cover has a quote from Colin Bateman, who has surpassed Ben Elton as my favorite fiction author, so that was a good sign.
I also knew that it must be a great book because the paperback version of it was selling for $138 on Amazon. Now that was Canadian dollars, but still, at that price it must be great! Luckily, at the advice of the author, I found a used copy and had it smuggled across the border by a well meaning snowbird returning from the land of Ron DiSantis.
Additionally, I have recently read and reviewed books by several British authors who were quite short. Hill claims to be over 6' 6" and I wanted to add some diversity to my collection.
You are probably thinking this might be the best combination of reasons to read a book: a good cover, a tall author, a plug from Bateman, recommendations from both members of TCN, and scalpers selling copies online for $138, and you would be right.
Here are the 5 tops things that I loved about this book:
1. Funny
It is no wonder that Colin Bateman liked this book because it is as funny as his books. Way To Go had me smirking, smiling, giggling and laughing out loud. Hopefully, you will too.
2. The writing
The are some motorcycle travelers who write books. There are even some travelers who are great writers but there are few great writers who become motorcycle travelers.
Writing is Hill's profession. He is a travel journalist and his skill shows. This is likely why Hill and his books have won so many awards. Some awards that are an even greater honour than the induction into the Tiger Coward Adventure Motorcycle Library.
3. The friendship
There are lots of great books about solo travel but I really like a good buddy story. After all, isn't that what made Charlie and Ewan's journey so great?
In this story Hill and his buddy Patrick cross half the world together and their relationship grows with each kilometer. I came to love Patrick almost as much as the author. Maybe you will too.
4. The contrast of two stories
The two journeys in this book are completely different. The only common denominator is that Geoff Hill was riding a motorcycle in both.
The first is a buddy story of struggles across Asia and back to Europe on a finicky bike. This entailed multiple countries, languages, culture, currencies and border crossings. The Adventure Bike nerds will consider this a proper adventure.
The second story is a solo trip down Route 66 on a Harley. This is an epic motorcycle journey, but the ADV Nerds will be rolling their eyes at this. But who cares! I see a trip down ROUTE 66 in my future and it will be an adventure.
These are both epic trips and the contrast of the stories just demonstrates how diverse motorcycling and the world can be. I loved reading about them both. So much so that I broke my rule about not reading the same author twice in a row. At the end of this book, I immediately started reading The Road to Gobblers Knob.
5. The bikes
A Royal Enfield and a Harley Davidson. Both historic manufacturers of two wheeled propulsion and both ridden in their natural habitat. That is pretty special and a stark contrast to books from Round the World Travelers who ride one bike and often become romantically attached to their machines. Good on Hill for saddling dissimilitude mounts for different journeys.
In conclusion, I am not going out on a limb here, but I recommend this award winning book from this award winning author, but I don't recommend paying $138 for it.
Ps. I am currently reading The Road to Gobblers Knob by Geoff Hill.
This is an older book (2005) that was recommended to me by several members of Tiger Coward Nation (TCN), including Geoff Hill. You were all correct in telling me that this is a hilarious, well written book of motorcycle travel.
Of note, this is an award winning book and has been reprinted several times, or at least twice, so my review is completely unnecessary
.
My executive summary is that these are two great stories in one book. The first half of the book takes up 2/3 of the text and ADV purists say it is twice that of the second half of the remaining 1/3. I disagree, because that makes the first half 4/6ths which I believe is the same as 2/3. The numbers don't lie.
The cover of the book boastfully announces both halves as " Two of the World's Greatest Motorcycle Journeys", and to that, I agree. In the first story, Hill and a friend buy Royal Enfield motorcycles and ride them from India back to Britain. In the second, Hill rides a Harley Davidson motorcycle the entire length of the legendary Route 66 in the USA.
Both stories are irreverent, sometimes ridiculous and unexpectedly thoughtful. The stories are both great adventures, despite the critics in the Adventure Motorcycle community who believe that riding a motorcycle on paved roads in America doesn't count as an adventure. This, of course, is nonsense. Pollution, corrupt police, and food poisoning don't make an adventure, but even if they did, all of those can be found in the States. Plus, you are just as likely to be shot in the USA as anywhere between Delhi and Belfast.
Now you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, especially a boastful one, but I was at least a little swayed by this jacket. I really wanted to read this the book because the cover has a quote from Colin Bateman, who has surpassed Ben Elton as my favorite fiction author, so that was a good sign.
I also knew that it must be a great book because the paperback version of it was selling for $138 on Amazon. Now that was Canadian dollars, but still, at that price it must be great! Luckily, at the advice of the author, I found a used copy and had it smuggled across the border by a well meaning snowbird returning from the land of Ron DiSantis.
Additionally, I have recently read and reviewed books by several British authors who were quite short. Hill claims to be over 6' 6" and I wanted to add some diversity to my collection.
You are probably thinking this might be the best combination of reasons to read a book: a good cover, a tall author, a plug from Bateman, recommendations from both members of TCN, and scalpers selling copies online for $138, and you would be right.
Here are the 5 tops things that I loved about this book:
1. Funny
It is no wonder that Colin Bateman liked this book because it is as funny as his books. Way To Go had me smirking, smiling, giggling and laughing out loud. Hopefully, you will too.
2. The writing
The are some motorcycle travelers who write books. There are even some travelers who are great writers but there are few great writers who become motorcycle travelers.
Writing is Hill's profession. He is a travel journalist and his skill shows. This is likely why Hill and his books have won so many awards. Some awards that are an even greater honour than the induction into the Tiger Coward Adventure Motorcycle Library.
3. The friendship
There are lots of great books about solo travel but I really like a good buddy story. After all, isn't that what made Charlie and Ewan's journey so great?
In this story Hill and his buddy Patrick cross half the world together and their relationship grows with each kilometer. I came to love Patrick almost as much as the author. Maybe you will too.
4. The contrast of two stories
The two journeys in this book are completely different. The only common denominator is that Geoff Hill was riding a motorcycle in both.
The first is a buddy story of struggles across Asia and back to Europe on a finicky bike. This entailed multiple countries, languages, culture, currencies and border crossings. The Adventure Bike nerds will consider this a proper adventure.
The second story is a solo trip down Route 66 on a Harley. This is an epic motorcycle journey, but the ADV Nerds will be rolling their eyes at this. But who cares! I see a trip down ROUTE 66 in my future and it will be an adventure.
These are both epic trips and the contrast of the stories just demonstrates how diverse motorcycling and the world can be. I loved reading about them both. So much so that I broke my rule about not reading the same author twice in a row. At the end of this book, I immediately started reading The Road to Gobblers Knob.
5. The bikes
A Royal Enfield and a Harley Davidson. Both historic manufacturers of two wheeled propulsion and both ridden in their natural habitat. That is pretty special and a stark contrast to books from Round the World Travelers who ride one bike and often become romantically attached to their machines. Good on Hill for saddling dissimilitude mounts for different journeys.
In conclusion, I am not going out on a limb here, but I recommend this award winning book from this award winning author, but I don't recommend paying $138 for it.
Ps. I am currently reading The Road to Gobblers Knob by Geoff Hill.
January 31, 2024
A book of two halves
This is two stories, the first entertaining and interesting. The ride from Delhi back to Northern Ireland on an Enfield.
The second half of the book was unfortunately very dull, a motorcycle trip on a Harley, following Route 66. Each town seemed excactly the same, very dull and now entertaining stories.
I even skipped quite a few pages
This is two stories, the first entertaining and interesting. The ride from Delhi back to Northern Ireland on an Enfield.
The second half of the book was unfortunately very dull, a motorcycle trip on a Harley, following Route 66. Each town seemed excactly the same, very dull and now entertaining stories.
I even skipped quite a few pages
August 24, 2020
Mich like others have written part one is the better part of the book. That said I still thoroughly enjoyed the read and can highly recommend it, takenit for a spin, and laugh at someone else's tribulations...
February 7, 2019
Enjoyable travel story
Really enjoyed the tales of Geoffs travels on his motorbike so bought a second book by him to enjoy more stories.
Really enjoyed the tales of Geoffs travels on his motorbike so bought a second book by him to enjoy more stories.
September 12, 2012
Non-fiction, but definitely humorous. Geoff Hill is a newspaper humorist in the UK, and his experience comes through Way to Go. He had me chuckling often, partly because I have experienced some of what he did on two wheels, but hadn't quite seen the humor in it at the time. Like another reviewer, I thought the first of his two accounts was better than the second. I began to think that he might have a little chip on his shoulder about the U.S. and its culture...that came through in the occasional snide remark. For the most part though, I enjoyed his style, and it made me want to get back out on the road again.
April 24, 2008
OK, so I enjoyed Geoff Hill's book The Road to Gobbler's Knob enough that I had to go back and read his previous book, Way To Go. In this one, he covers two different trips, the first from India back to Ireland on an Enfield, the second along Route 66 on a Harley. I definitely enjoyed the description of the first trip more than the second, possibly just because it was more exotic. Also, there wasn't as much complaining about loss fo local color in the American landscape. Still he's fun to read, and now I can get on with the rest of the stack of books I have here...
July 9, 2013
Well that's a few hours of my life I'll never get back lol. Am sure he had a great story to tell but unfortunately I didn't like the way he told it, especially the second part.
January 6, 2015
Geoff Hill writes with wonderful humour, insight, and sharp observation. This is an easy read and, just like the author's motorcycle journeys, the book is over too soon.
December 17, 2016
Wonderful turn of phrase... lovely book... only not a five cause of American bit tacked on at end
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews