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Two for the Road
In 2003 Melbourne couple Shirley Hardy-Rix and husband Brian Rix fulfilled a lifelong ambition of Motorcycling across the world.
In An incrediable 350 day journey, they would do everything they'd ever dreamed of as well as getting much more than they'd bargained for. Crossing 27 countries and covering 56,671 kilometers, they raced arounf the Isle of Man motorcycle circuit on 'Mad Sunday', survived Iran;s traffic and travelled through Taliban strngholds under armed guard. Shirley and Brian's story is an epic account of the ups and downs of seeing the world on two wheels- from frustrations of potholes and flat tyres, to the splendour of some of Europe and Asia's awe-inspiring sights.
In An incrediable 350 day journey, they would do everything they'd ever dreamed of as well as getting much more than they'd bargained for. Crossing 27 countries and covering 56,671 kilometers, they raced arounf the Isle of Man motorcycle circuit on 'Mad Sunday', survived Iran;s traffic and travelled through Taliban strngholds under armed guard. Shirley and Brian's story is an epic account of the ups and downs of seeing the world on two wheels- from frustrations of potholes and flat tyres, to the splendour of some of Europe and Asia's awe-inspiring sights.
328 pages, Soft Cover
First published January 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 16, 2025
Hello Friends,
There is a new addition to the Tiger Coward Adventure Motorcycle Library: Two for the Road by Shirley Hardy-Rix and Brian Rix.
This is a well-written account of a couple who, in 2004, rode their BMW GS for 350 days from Europe all the way home to Australia. This massive odyssey stands apart from many books in the collection because it’s achieved in a decidedly civilized manner. No deprivation, starvation, or self-recrimination—just an awesome ride around the world.
They stay in hotels (not always nice ones), eat in restaurants, and make new friends along the way. Honestly, what more could you want?
You may recognize Shirley and Brian as co-hosts of the Adventure Rider Radio RAW podcast. It’s worth listening to them there so you can hear Brian’s accent and fully experience Shirley’s sarcasm. Both voices resonated with me as I read this book.
Now, I love gritty tales of world travelers, but that’s not how most of us actually travel—especially when riding two-up. So it was refreshing to read about a journey that Tiger Barb and I could realistically achieve. You might feel the same way.
Here’s what I liked about this book:
The Journey
What a great ride. Ship the bike to the UK, visit Ireland, then head across Europe, Asia, and back home to Australia.
The best part is the vision. Brian and Shirley weren’t youngsters leaving the nest or searching for themselves. They weren’t fleeing bad relationships or trying to discover the meaning of life. They were two professionals who saved, planned, and executed an extraordinary journey. That’s genuinely inspirational.
The Writing
I’m assuming the majority of the writing was done by Shirley, largely because she’s a journalist—and it shows. The prose is clean, crisp, and a real pleasure to read. This book was clearly written by a wordsmith.
Comfort
Yes—hotels. Many around-the-world travelers treat hotel stays as a sign of weakness, as if “real” adventurers must camp, preferably wild camp.
That’s simply not true. This book documents a fantastic, fully camping-free journey—and never feels any less adventurous because of it.
Honesty
Tiger Barb and I have our share of trip fights (mostly my fault), so I appreciated the honesty here. Brian and Shirley are open about their disagreements, as well as their perceptions of roads, cultures, and even the treatment of animals along the way.
Most touching is their honesty, remorse, and inspiration surrounding the loss of their adventuring friend, Possum. When writers are this honest, their stories become far more relatable. I think you’ll agree.
The Bike
Today, the BMW GS might be the second-best adventure bike on the market—but in 2004, it was the choice for this ride, and it performed admirably.
Nearly 57,000 km, some of it abusive, and the only mechanical issue was an alternator belt. There were flat tires and a broken top-box bracket, but all easily dealt with.
I’m always amazed by folks who ride ancient bikes and rebuild them on the side of the road. That’s not me, and it was refreshing that mechanical drama never stole the spotlight from the story.
In Summary
This is a well-written book about an incredible journey—one that you or I could probably do, given the same planning, time, and effort Brian and Shirley invested. And I love it when a plan comes together.
If you’re buying this book in Canada, it’s about $10 cheaper at Indigo online than through Amazon.
There is a new addition to the Tiger Coward Adventure Motorcycle Library: Two for the Road by Shirley Hardy-Rix and Brian Rix.
This is a well-written account of a couple who, in 2004, rode their BMW GS for 350 days from Europe all the way home to Australia. This massive odyssey stands apart from many books in the collection because it’s achieved in a decidedly civilized manner. No deprivation, starvation, or self-recrimination—just an awesome ride around the world.
They stay in hotels (not always nice ones), eat in restaurants, and make new friends along the way. Honestly, what more could you want?
You may recognize Shirley and Brian as co-hosts of the Adventure Rider Radio RAW podcast. It’s worth listening to them there so you can hear Brian’s accent and fully experience Shirley’s sarcasm. Both voices resonated with me as I read this book.
Now, I love gritty tales of world travelers, but that’s not how most of us actually travel—especially when riding two-up. So it was refreshing to read about a journey that Tiger Barb and I could realistically achieve. You might feel the same way.
Here’s what I liked about this book:
The Journey
What a great ride. Ship the bike to the UK, visit Ireland, then head across Europe, Asia, and back home to Australia.
The best part is the vision. Brian and Shirley weren’t youngsters leaving the nest or searching for themselves. They weren’t fleeing bad relationships or trying to discover the meaning of life. They were two professionals who saved, planned, and executed an extraordinary journey. That’s genuinely inspirational.
The Writing
I’m assuming the majority of the writing was done by Shirley, largely because she’s a journalist—and it shows. The prose is clean, crisp, and a real pleasure to read. This book was clearly written by a wordsmith.
Comfort
Yes—hotels. Many around-the-world travelers treat hotel stays as a sign of weakness, as if “real” adventurers must camp, preferably wild camp.
That’s simply not true. This book documents a fantastic, fully camping-free journey—and never feels any less adventurous because of it.
Honesty
Tiger Barb and I have our share of trip fights (mostly my fault), so I appreciated the honesty here. Brian and Shirley are open about their disagreements, as well as their perceptions of roads, cultures, and even the treatment of animals along the way.
Most touching is their honesty, remorse, and inspiration surrounding the loss of their adventuring friend, Possum. When writers are this honest, their stories become far more relatable. I think you’ll agree.
The Bike
Today, the BMW GS might be the second-best adventure bike on the market—but in 2004, it was the choice for this ride, and it performed admirably.
Nearly 57,000 km, some of it abusive, and the only mechanical issue was an alternator belt. There were flat tires and a broken top-box bracket, but all easily dealt with.
I’m always amazed by folks who ride ancient bikes and rebuild them on the side of the road. That’s not me, and it was refreshing that mechanical drama never stole the spotlight from the story.
In Summary
This is a well-written book about an incredible journey—one that you or I could probably do, given the same planning, time, and effort Brian and Shirley invested. And I love it when a plan comes together.
If you’re buying this book in Canada, it’s about $10 cheaper at Indigo online than through Amazon.
December 28, 2011
Talking book (10CD) version. I like the topic and idea of long distance motorbike travel but a few things bugged me. When I hear whinging from what seems like the little things while travelling in a third world country the word "princess" comes to mind. The word princess came to mind a few times too often in this book but maybe that was a way of trying to emphasise differences from home. The authors mentioned one of my favourite websites from about ten years ago. Horizonsunlimited.com and to me this is a better source of travel information and reading than the book. So saying the book was finished in a week so obviously kept my interest to some extent
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews