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Lone Rider: The First British Woman to Motorcycle Around the World
In 1982, at the age of just twenty-three and halfway through her architecture studies, Elspeth Beard left her family and friends in London and set off on a 35,000-mile solo adventure around the world on her 1974 BMW R60/6.
Reeling from a recent breakup and with only limited savings from her pub job, a tent, a few clothes and some tools, all packed on the back of her bike, she was determined to prove herself. She had ridden bikes since her teens and was well travelled. But nothing could prepare her for what lay ahead.
When she returned to London nearly two and a half years later she was stones lighter and decades wiser. She'd ridden through unforgiving landscapes and countries ravaged by war, witnessed civil uprisings that forced her to fake documents, and fended off sexual attacks, biker gangs and corrupt police convinced she was trafficking drugs. She'd survived life-threatening illnesses, personal loss and brutal accidents that had left permanent scars and a black hole in her memory. And she'd fallen in love with two very different men.
In an age before email, the internet, mobile phones, satnavs and, in some parts of the world, readily available and reliable maps, Elspeth achieved something that would still seem remarkable today. Told with honesty and wit, this is the extraordinary and moving story of a unique and life-changing adventure.
Reeling from a recent breakup and with only limited savings from her pub job, a tent, a few clothes and some tools, all packed on the back of her bike, she was determined to prove herself. She had ridden bikes since her teens and was well travelled. But nothing could prepare her for what lay ahead.
When she returned to London nearly two and a half years later she was stones lighter and decades wiser. She'd ridden through unforgiving landscapes and countries ravaged by war, witnessed civil uprisings that forced her to fake documents, and fended off sexual attacks, biker gangs and corrupt police convinced she was trafficking drugs. She'd survived life-threatening illnesses, personal loss and brutal accidents that had left permanent scars and a black hole in her memory. And she'd fallen in love with two very different men.
In an age before email, the internet, mobile phones, satnavs and, in some parts of the world, readily available and reliable maps, Elspeth achieved something that would still seem remarkable today. Told with honesty and wit, this is the extraordinary and moving story of a unique and life-changing adventure.
336 pages, Paperback
Published June 18, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 235 reviews
September 5, 2017
This book is not just a travel memoir but also a touching story told with vulnerability. I felt like Elspeth Beard was sharing not only her travel stories but also her genuine feelings with me.
I was sad about the reaction the author got from so many magazines. Patriarchal society shows up its head not just in the past but also today. Still, even though this is a story told late, I am so glad she got to publish her story at the end.
I was sad about the reaction the author got from so many magazines. Patriarchal society shows up its head not just in the past but also today. Still, even though this is a story told late, I am so glad she got to publish her story at the end.
September 17, 2018
Looking back on her trip from just over 30 years ago, Elspeth begins by taking the reader through the situation and circumstances which led to her making the huge decision to ride solo around the world. It was fascinating reading about her discovery of motorbikes, as she rebelled slightly from the norm and the high expectations her family had of her. Even whilst going through her education to become an architect, Elspeth managed to have more adventures on her BMW motorbike than I can even remember – including dashes into and around Europe as well as some time travelling around America with her little brother, who she clearly adores.
After a heartbreaking, and confusing end to a relationship which she was sure was ‘it’, and a gruelling slog through to her end of year architect’s exams dealing with her grief, she realises she needs to get away from everything, and everyone. Working all the hours under the sun at a local pub in order to save enough money to get her trip going, she plans and prepares to leave for New York, with the aim of riding to Los Angeles, flying her bike to Sydney, travelling across Australia, up to Thailand and Eastern Asia, over to India and then overland all the way home. In the eighties, when it was bizarre enough to see a female motorcyclist in the UK, let alone in some of the male dominant countries she was planning on visiting.
The things Elspeth had to go through on her journey were absolutely mind-boggling – from having to keep her helmet on and stay safer in people’s ignorance at assuming she was a man, to multiple attempts at sexual assault; breakdowns, accidents, border crossings – as well as her own internal conflicts. Coming to terms with the fact that her parents are so desperate for her to live a ‘normal’ lifestyle, she must accept their lack of faith and interest in the phenomenal adventure she is having as just the way things are. The constant battle between wanting to be on the road, alone, and the desperate loneliness that can bring, versus the convenience of travelling solo, against the security of being with someone else in dangerous situations… Trying to escape from heartbreak and disfunctional relationships, to only find the same pain and sadness crops up wherever you go in the world.
Don’t get me wrong – I’ve not met Elspeth myself but from reading this book and hearing about her from Dave, she is clearly not someone who needs any sympathy or pity whatsoever. Her book details the trip of an absolute lifetime, as she relished in the freedom her bike gave her, met incredible new people, aptly dealt with those who weren’t so great to say the least, and saw so many wonderful sights. I have so much admiration for anyone who can go on this kind of adventure, but to do it all the while the whole world, be it the motorcycle media at the time, strangers she met on the road, or her own friends and family, were waiting for her to change her mind, come to her senses and return back home, is beyond words.
Lone Rider is utterly inspiring, whether you’re ready to pack up and make your own way around the world, or if the most adventurous thing you are interested in is heading down to Cornwall for the weekend. It is of course an adventure travel book, but it is also about a different journey of discovery, of finding out who you really are, the rises and pitfalls if that someone steps outside the boundaries of normality, and knowing when to accept your differences, never settling for anything less than what is for you, perfect.
After a heartbreaking, and confusing end to a relationship which she was sure was ‘it’, and a gruelling slog through to her end of year architect’s exams dealing with her grief, she realises she needs to get away from everything, and everyone. Working all the hours under the sun at a local pub in order to save enough money to get her trip going, she plans and prepares to leave for New York, with the aim of riding to Los Angeles, flying her bike to Sydney, travelling across Australia, up to Thailand and Eastern Asia, over to India and then overland all the way home. In the eighties, when it was bizarre enough to see a female motorcyclist in the UK, let alone in some of the male dominant countries she was planning on visiting.
The things Elspeth had to go through on her journey were absolutely mind-boggling – from having to keep her helmet on and stay safer in people’s ignorance at assuming she was a man, to multiple attempts at sexual assault; breakdowns, accidents, border crossings – as well as her own internal conflicts. Coming to terms with the fact that her parents are so desperate for her to live a ‘normal’ lifestyle, she must accept their lack of faith and interest in the phenomenal adventure she is having as just the way things are. The constant battle between wanting to be on the road, alone, and the desperate loneliness that can bring, versus the convenience of travelling solo, against the security of being with someone else in dangerous situations… Trying to escape from heartbreak and disfunctional relationships, to only find the same pain and sadness crops up wherever you go in the world.
Don’t get me wrong – I’ve not met Elspeth myself but from reading this book and hearing about her from Dave, she is clearly not someone who needs any sympathy or pity whatsoever. Her book details the trip of an absolute lifetime, as she relished in the freedom her bike gave her, met incredible new people, aptly dealt with those who weren’t so great to say the least, and saw so many wonderful sights. I have so much admiration for anyone who can go on this kind of adventure, but to do it all the while the whole world, be it the motorcycle media at the time, strangers she met on the road, or her own friends and family, were waiting for her to change her mind, come to her senses and return back home, is beyond words.
Lone Rider is utterly inspiring, whether you’re ready to pack up and make your own way around the world, or if the most adventurous thing you are interested in is heading down to Cornwall for the weekend. It is of course an adventure travel book, but it is also about a different journey of discovery, of finding out who you really are, the rises and pitfalls if that someone steps outside the boundaries of normality, and knowing when to accept your differences, never settling for anything less than what is for you, perfect.
January 4, 2021
The last 20 or so pages gave me a sense of why this book was written to an extent that the preceding 280 or so didn’t. I kept hoping for Beard’s revelations and self-actualization but it didn’t come until years after her journey around the world when she was able to reflect on it. Her ride around the world is inherently fascinating but her (essentially bullet pointed) recalling of events left nowhere to dwell on what she was experiencing or the effect it was having. It was all lists and extreme repetition which surely reflected what it felt like on her trip to some degree, but it made it hard to contemplate the horror of the numerous assaults she barely escaped, the excruciating falls from her bike and dozens of other life-defining experiences that she encountered because it was almost impossible to grasp the actual impact of these things in her as a person. I was also put off by her preemptive challenge to critics who read her thoughts on the “simplicity” of poverty as coming from a place of relative wealth and privilege. She mostly writes with a glint of annoyance, pity and bafflement when she describes people in countries wrecked by massive poverty, but when she reflects back at the end of the journey she seems to see them as happy, hard workers who understand gratitude better than westerners. It reads like cheap insight for such costly hardship that she mostly only witnessed and peripherally partook of as a kind of poverty tourist. She had numerous ways out that didn’t require pain if she wanted them. Undertaking a painful and life-threatening journey is bold and daring but not necessarily brave and heroic. Seeing what the trip meant in the context of her life afterward seemed far more enlightening than the quotidian recitation of mundane details that never strung together to tell a story of what the hell the actual point was in the first place. I wanted that wizened perspective and it only came at the very very end. I wanted to know what the trip was about not necessarily what happened on it. This autobiography gave heaps of the latter with merely a sprinkle of the former.
September 10, 2017
As a has-been mountain climber, runner, and cyclist, and a current adventure motorcyclist, I have read my share of "how I did it" books and, whilst enjoying them, I have always felt that they have a limited appeal; namely to other enthusiasts. Lone Rider, however, seems to me to be a book that has an appeal way beyond the adventurer community. It is beautifully written in flawless English, and is very difficult to put down. I read it in four days—very quick for me—and immediately felt like reading it again.
Even now, 33 years after the event, this is an extraordinary story; one of courage and tenacity, as well as some romance. It is amazing that, in 1984, the story hardly attracted any attention, with the result that the book has only been published this year. It is told in a wonderfully self-effacing way, without any attempt to sound heroic. In fact, she tells the truth quite brutally, not trying to make it sound easy.
Whether or not you think it is a good idea to ride a motorbike round the world (I do), this is a most entertaining book, and definitely worth reading.
Even now, 33 years after the event, this is an extraordinary story; one of courage and tenacity, as well as some romance. It is amazing that, in 1984, the story hardly attracted any attention, with the result that the book has only been published this year. It is told in a wonderfully self-effacing way, without any attempt to sound heroic. In fact, she tells the truth quite brutally, not trying to make it sound easy.
Whether or not you think it is a good idea to ride a motorbike round the world (I do), this is a most entertaining book, and definitely worth reading.
September 19, 2020
Most 23-year-olds these days have just emerged from university with a mountain of debt and not much in the way of prospects. Way back in 1982 when Elspeth Beard was 23, she was halfway through her architecture degree and feeling miserable after a relationship had failed. She needed something to distract her so decided to embark on an around the world trip on her trusty 1974 BMW R60/6. She approached various bike manufacturers and press for support and possible sponsorship, but no one was interested, in fact, they were quite scathing of her attempt. This made her even more determined to do it.
She serviced her bike and packed it up in a crate and sent it on it’s way to New York. She would be following by jet and a month later in October to begin her first leg across America. Riding out of New York was quite special, but she realised that she may have an issue being on a bike when she stopped for fuel and the attendants ignored her. It was only by taking her helmet off that they saw she wasn’t a troublesome biker and would serve her. Her route took her to Detroit and then south to New Orleans before heading west to Los Angeles. There were a few heart-stopping moments one in particular when four Hells Angels pull up alongside her, pure speed and excellent cornering ability of her bike meant she could get away.
Trying to get a visa into Australia was proving problematic, they wouldn’t let her have a working visa nor a tourist visa. Even flying to Hawaii to see if she could get a visa from there was to prove fruitless. Her bike went there and she ended up in New Zealand for a brief break and to meet up with a boyfriend from London called, Mark. A sympathetic official, who was a biker too, finally gave her the visa she wanted. Australia beckoned.
Please to be reunited with her bike, she needed to earn some money to fund the next stage of her trip. She had a contact with an architectural practise from London, so went to see them and they gave her a job; sadly they were much less bothered about paying her, so she ended up working in a bar in the evenings. She left the first place and they didn’t even notice, the second practice was much better and it gave her lots of experience and she saw some of her plans turn into real buildings. Six months had passed, she had built a custom set of aluminium panniers and it was time to hit the road again.
Her route around Australia would take her north to Townsville, before turning west and then south to pass Alice Springs and Ayres Rock and then west again to Perth. She was expecting to ride along dusty roads in the outback, but the time she was travelling through they had had tremendous storms and the road was flooded. She cadges a lift with a road train driver at one point as her bike can’t cope with the weather.
South-East Asia was next, her bike was shipped to Bali and she got on a plane to Singapore and this time was actually looking forward to seeing Mark. As much as she loved the place, this was the start of a small run of bad luck that caused little setbacks and delays, but she did make it to Bangkok safely. India beckoned.
As Madras emerged through the mist, it was exactly as she anticipated it would be, crumbling, chaotic, colourful and yet charming. Riding in this country would be a challenge and she had to reach Nepal so she could meet up with her parents for the first time in a long time, so had made the decision to take the train from Madras to Calcutta. It was a wise decision as it saved her at least two days travelling. Heading north from Calcutta, she realised how challenging it would be on the roads just to stay alive. Every time she stopped, especially in what seemed to be an empty part of the country, she was immediately surrounded by Indian men wanting to touch the bike. It was hard going, but she made it into Nepal. Mark arrived and they decided to take one of the organised treks up into the mountains.
Beard had now reached the final leg of her mammoth 35,000-mile journey, riding from Kathmandu all the way back to the UK. She was reluctant to head back to India but knew it had to be done, but before that, she had to carry out some urgent and necessary repairs on her bike. It was while doing this that she met another rider on a BMW. His name was Robert and he was Dutch. He had also been in Australia and was riding back home. Everywhere he went in Australia, he had heard about this lady riding a BMW around the world and had always hoped to meet her. They helped each other repair their bike and agreed to meet up in two weeks time at Agra.
Travelling through India was the toughest part of the trip, but having some company made things a little bit easier. There were a few delays in getting through the Punjab and into Pakistan, but they managed it in the end, but she was dreading crossing into Iran as she hadn’t ever got the correct paperwork because of the cost; she would have to try and blag her way in somehow. They made it, but she was wary of travelling through a country that had just had an Islamic Revolution and was at war with its neighbour. Before long they were in Turkey.
It was here that they suffered their first police hassle. They suspected them of carrying drugs, but a full search revealed nothing. This part of the trip felt like a small holiday, especially along the coast, where they spent time eating and swimming. They survived the road of death between Zagreb and Belgrade and they were finally into mainland Europe and then onto the terrifying system that is the German Autobahns. There was a brief detour to the Netherlands to meet Robert’s mother and then for the first time in 799 days, she was home.
For anyone to undertake a journey of this magnitude takes some doing, but to do it mostly alone in the age before modern and instant communication seems unreal now. Beard had to put up with hassle from men in most places she visited, but she was determined that this sort of behaviour would not be tolerated. Her tenacity meant that she kept going in what occasionally seemed to be overwhelming odds. She is one brave lady and this is a book that is well worth reading.
She serviced her bike and packed it up in a crate and sent it on it’s way to New York. She would be following by jet and a month later in October to begin her first leg across America. Riding out of New York was quite special, but she realised that she may have an issue being on a bike when she stopped for fuel and the attendants ignored her. It was only by taking her helmet off that they saw she wasn’t a troublesome biker and would serve her. Her route took her to Detroit and then south to New Orleans before heading west to Los Angeles. There were a few heart-stopping moments one in particular when four Hells Angels pull up alongside her, pure speed and excellent cornering ability of her bike meant she could get away.
Trying to get a visa into Australia was proving problematic, they wouldn’t let her have a working visa nor a tourist visa. Even flying to Hawaii to see if she could get a visa from there was to prove fruitless. Her bike went there and she ended up in New Zealand for a brief break and to meet up with a boyfriend from London called, Mark. A sympathetic official, who was a biker too, finally gave her the visa she wanted. Australia beckoned.
Please to be reunited with her bike, she needed to earn some money to fund the next stage of her trip. She had a contact with an architectural practise from London, so went to see them and they gave her a job; sadly they were much less bothered about paying her, so she ended up working in a bar in the evenings. She left the first place and they didn’t even notice, the second practice was much better and it gave her lots of experience and she saw some of her plans turn into real buildings. Six months had passed, she had built a custom set of aluminium panniers and it was time to hit the road again.
Her route around Australia would take her north to Townsville, before turning west and then south to pass Alice Springs and Ayres Rock and then west again to Perth. She was expecting to ride along dusty roads in the outback, but the time she was travelling through they had had tremendous storms and the road was flooded. She cadges a lift with a road train driver at one point as her bike can’t cope with the weather.
South-East Asia was next, her bike was shipped to Bali and she got on a plane to Singapore and this time was actually looking forward to seeing Mark. As much as she loved the place, this was the start of a small run of bad luck that caused little setbacks and delays, but she did make it to Bangkok safely. India beckoned.
As Madras emerged through the mist, it was exactly as she anticipated it would be, crumbling, chaotic, colourful and yet charming. Riding in this country would be a challenge and she had to reach Nepal so she could meet up with her parents for the first time in a long time, so had made the decision to take the train from Madras to Calcutta. It was a wise decision as it saved her at least two days travelling. Heading north from Calcutta, she realised how challenging it would be on the roads just to stay alive. Every time she stopped, especially in what seemed to be an empty part of the country, she was immediately surrounded by Indian men wanting to touch the bike. It was hard going, but she made it into Nepal. Mark arrived and they decided to take one of the organised treks up into the mountains.
Beard had now reached the final leg of her mammoth 35,000-mile journey, riding from Kathmandu all the way back to the UK. She was reluctant to head back to India but knew it had to be done, but before that, she had to carry out some urgent and necessary repairs on her bike. It was while doing this that she met another rider on a BMW. His name was Robert and he was Dutch. He had also been in Australia and was riding back home. Everywhere he went in Australia, he had heard about this lady riding a BMW around the world and had always hoped to meet her. They helped each other repair their bike and agreed to meet up in two weeks time at Agra.
Travelling through India was the toughest part of the trip, but having some company made things a little bit easier. There were a few delays in getting through the Punjab and into Pakistan, but they managed it in the end, but she was dreading crossing into Iran as she hadn’t ever got the correct paperwork because of the cost; she would have to try and blag her way in somehow. They made it, but she was wary of travelling through a country that had just had an Islamic Revolution and was at war with its neighbour. Before long they were in Turkey.
It was here that they suffered their first police hassle. They suspected them of carrying drugs, but a full search revealed nothing. This part of the trip felt like a small holiday, especially along the coast, where they spent time eating and swimming. They survived the road of death between Zagreb and Belgrade and they were finally into mainland Europe and then onto the terrifying system that is the German Autobahns. There was a brief detour to the Netherlands to meet Robert’s mother and then for the first time in 799 days, she was home.
For anyone to undertake a journey of this magnitude takes some doing, but to do it mostly alone in the age before modern and instant communication seems unreal now. Beard had to put up with hassle from men in most places she visited, but she was determined that this sort of behaviour would not be tolerated. Her tenacity meant that she kept going in what occasionally seemed to be overwhelming odds. She is one brave lady and this is a book that is well worth reading.
January 10, 2021
As a fellow twenty-three year old woman on a long distance, solo motorcycle trip (albeit significantly less than 35,000 miles), it was unlikely that I wouldn't enjoy this book. However, I didn't expect to enjoy it quite as much as I did. It was the intimacy, vulnerability, and rawness of her memoir that engaged me, and I really identified with Elspeth's character in a way that I hadn't expected to. I often find it difficult to stumble upon women like her, and I think that part of the reason I was so enthralled with her story was the headstrong and unapologetic way she responded to what were often devastating and incalculable challenges.
Lone Rider has really encouraged me to pursue the aspirations I hold dear to me even in the absence of support. It's so hard to find other female motorcyclists - let alone ones that have undertaken a journey as monumental and gruelling as hers - and the feminist in me was galvanised in a way she hasn't been for a long time. Elspeth's story was a stark reminder that the best adventures are not necessarily the ones that will feel worth it every step of the way, and it certainly underlined the importance of having conviction in your own decisions.
Thank you, Elspeth.
Lone Rider has really encouraged me to pursue the aspirations I hold dear to me even in the absence of support. It's so hard to find other female motorcyclists - let alone ones that have undertaken a journey as monumental and gruelling as hers - and the feminist in me was galvanised in a way she hasn't been for a long time. Elspeth's story was a stark reminder that the best adventures are not necessarily the ones that will feel worth it every step of the way, and it certainly underlined the importance of having conviction in your own decisions.
Thank you, Elspeth.
April 24, 2019
Reading this book made me angry, sad, furious and disappointed in the world. The author did something not many people did in the beginning of the 80, something not many people do even today when they have mobile phones, gps and all possible comfort to make travelling around the world easier and it took 30 YEARS for anyone to recognise it, to take any notice that wasn't drown in sexism.
I remember how it made me feel when everyone around seemed uninterested in my stories when I came back from travelling to Cuba for only 2 weeks. It was my long lasting dream and I finally did it and no one seemed to care. I can only imagine the magnitude of shock and disbelief she must have felt when home.
I loved the writing style and the book was very difficult to put down. It also made me want to finally get my lazy butt on my little 125 and start riding it.
Elspeth, if you ever stumble upon this, THANK YOU so much for writing this book, even if it took three decades to get any interest in your awe-inspiring story. You are a massive inspiration to all women worldwide!
I remember how it made me feel when everyone around seemed uninterested in my stories when I came back from travelling to Cuba for only 2 weeks. It was my long lasting dream and I finally did it and no one seemed to care. I can only imagine the magnitude of shock and disbelief she must have felt when home.
I loved the writing style and the book was very difficult to put down. It also made me want to finally get my lazy butt on my little 125 and start riding it.
Elspeth, if you ever stumble upon this, THANK YOU so much for writing this book, even if it took three decades to get any interest in your awe-inspiring story. You are a massive inspiration to all women worldwide!
August 13, 2020
I wanted to like this book so much more. I usually love travel writing especially from the female perspective and especially when there is some outrageous goal in mind. It is an impressive achievement - even more so knowing how much bad luck and suffering the author experienced along the way. I can't pinpoint why, but I just never connected to the author. Perhaps the disconnect lies in the era her journey occurred in and judging her decisions and interactions through modern eyes. Maybe reading it during Covid times brings up existential dread about whether such a journey will ever be possible again. It could also be that I just don't care about motorcycles, but it does seem a small failure that by the end of the book I don't appreciate motorcycles any more than I did before reading it.
February 28, 2018
Although Beard has some amazing experiences, and returns to London profoundly changed, overall this trip doesn't sound like a lot of fun. Heat, cold, floods, bureaucrats, illness, mechanical difficulties, and a huge wodge of sexism before she even leaves the UK.
It's a hell of a ride: through the US and Australia then across India before returning to western Europe through Turkey, for a total of 35,000 miles. I might not have envied the trip but I was very interested to see how bike and rider coped with it.
It's a hell of a ride: through the US and Australia then across India before returning to western Europe through Turkey, for a total of 35,000 miles. I might not have envied the trip but I was very interested to see how bike and rider coped with it.
September 18, 2018
Well written account of an incredible adventure. Elspeth Beard's determination got her around the world on a motorbike in the early 80s - while an amazing adventure, it was also full of challenges, often amplified because she's a woman.
The book is a good mix of the adventure itself, the motivations that drove her to go, her emotional and personal journey which is openly shared though not overdone, her technical knowledge of the bike and cannyness repairing it which is essential and impressive.
Definitely recommended for adventure lovers.
The book is a good mix of the adventure itself, the motivations that drove her to go, her emotional and personal journey which is openly shared though not overdone, her technical knowledge of the bike and cannyness repairing it which is essential and impressive.
Definitely recommended for adventure lovers.
March 3, 2022
Maybe because I ride, maybe because I'm a female, i couldn't help but think Elspeth was naive and under-prepared for both the ride and the writing!
February 10, 2019
Beard made this pioneering two-year trip at a time when women were not traveling by motorcycle, and the out-and-out hostility she gets from daring to travel this way in the 1980s, even in the USA, is jaw-dropping - and something I have never experienced as a motorcycle traveler or solo traveler sans bike (and I'm so glad). I admit to almost giving up on the book in the first 80 pages because I couldn't believe how she treated her ride in the USA: just something to get through as quickly as possible, with constant annoyances. The USA is an amazing country to tour by motorcycle, and was so in the 1980s, but you would never know it by reading Beard's book. In those early pages, she also talked more about her failed relationship than anything good she might have been experiencing as a motorcycle rider, and I thought, if the entire book is this way, I'm not going to be able to get through it. The first 80 pages just weren't at all a book about an adventure motorcycle rider. But after she gets to Australia and works to get enough money to continue her travels, the book improves drastically. The book is more about the challenges Beard faces on the road (accidents, breakdowns, bureaucracy, extortion attempts) than the sights she sees, and there are times when I was thinking, Why are you doing this? What about any of this is enjoyable? Are you ever happy? Are you ever going to have a good day? Her book is rather light in terms of describing awe-inspiring moments (an exception is her account of trekking through the Himalayas) or places you might want to visit if you are in the same places she was. But, still, I really enjoyed reading how she problem-solved, I deeply admire her persistence, and I am inspired by her determination. I don't want to spoil anything in the book - part of the enjoyment is reading about the challenges that come up and how she addressed them, over and over and over. But I will say that the challenges are intense, beyond the capabilities of most motorcycle riders I've ever known - and beyond what I could handle. I really cannot gush enough about how Beard handles a myriad of dire circumstances. She doesn't seem to think it's any big deal that she keeps overcoming these challenges, nor that she built her own panniers or that she constantly repaired her own bike on the fly - I read those accounts and thought, geesh, you are Wonder Woman on a motorcycle and you don't know it. And, despite my feelings for those first 80 pages, I ended up liking that she shared so much about her intimate relationships - I've found it refreshing to hear a traveler talk about love on the road - and the aftermath, because it IS something to consider if you are going to invest in a lot of time away from home in any circumstances. I do wish she'd talked more about how she chose her routes, how she chose where to stay, etc. She also rarely talks about how she secured her bike for the night - this is a big concern for most motorcycle travelers, and it would have been nice to have heard her advice on the subject. The amount of sexual harassment and attempted sexual assaults she experiences in every country, including the USA, Australia, and all over India, is something that few world travelers, whether motorcyclists or humanitarians, will talk about, even though it remains a reality to this day - and it's something I have experienced as well, so I appreciated her openness about this. I'm not sure her book will inspire many people to take up motorcycle travel - the constant difficulties she experienced make it sound like a fight to survive every day, and it's not like that for all travelers now. But she's not exaggerating: in the 1980s, this is what she experienced, and her abilities to overcome those challenges are nothing short of amazing. I hope Elspeth Beard finally gets the recognition and admiration she deserves. And I'm so grateful she shared her adventure at last.
September 10, 2025
Je arhitektka - relatable
Šla je z motorjem okol sveta - ne morm relejtat, ampak legenda
Skos razpreda o svojih bivših pa nekih ljubezenskih problemih - relatable
Šla je z motorjem okol sveta - ne morm relejtat, ampak legenda
Skos razpreda o svojih bivših pa nekih ljubezenskih problemih - relatable
June 29, 2021
Why is this book so highly rated? This is the only book I have ever regretted reading. It offended me on every level...as a reader, as a motorcyclist, as a man and as a citizen of Earth. If I had done these events depicted in this book, I would have told absolutely no one. She seemed to literally hate every culture/person she encountered on her trip. She didn't embrace the differences, she viewed them with contempt.
If you're looking for a story of a vulnerable women conquering the world, keep looking. She literally destroyed a fellow rider along the way. The ending of this story was a real gut punch.
In addition to this, she leaned heavily on him when crossing the non-English speaking parts of the Earth and found precious few good words about him. She goes over the top describing how angry and short tempered he was but them describes him as a man who wanted to continue traveling the world indefinitely. I find it hard to believe that a man who has such a short fuse and violent temper would want to spend the rest of his days traveling the world on a motorcycle.
This book read like a spoiled rich girl doing something to annoy her mom whom she seemed to resent. Case in point, when she met up with her parents, she dragged them out of the "nice part of town" and showed her the slums in an effort to show her how tough and brave she was for enduring such conditions.
Slum tourism. Sheesh.
Horrible book and a writer with questionable motives. Hard pass.
If you're looking for a story of a vulnerable women conquering the world, keep looking. She literally destroyed a fellow rider along the way. The ending of this story was a real gut punch.
In addition to this, she leaned heavily on him when crossing the non-English speaking parts of the Earth and found precious few good words about him. She goes over the top describing how angry and short tempered he was but them describes him as a man who wanted to continue traveling the world indefinitely. I find it hard to believe that a man who has such a short fuse and violent temper would want to spend the rest of his days traveling the world on a motorcycle.
This book read like a spoiled rich girl doing something to annoy her mom whom she seemed to resent. Case in point, when she met up with her parents, she dragged them out of the "nice part of town" and showed her the slums in an effort to show her how tough and brave she was for enduring such conditions.
Slum tourism. Sheesh.
Horrible book and a writer with questionable motives. Hard pass.
November 6, 2021
While Elspeth Beard goes aroubd US and Oceania everything is pretty much fine. Little difficulties here and there, but even almost being attacked my riders in East cost doesn't cause much commotion. From the moment she enters Asia, though, I felt all she does is complanning about the country she's in. She complains about people, about hygiene, about the food (say she lost so much weight because she eats only rice and vegetables and food is scarce), about burocracy, about the road qualities, and goes on and on and on. The part about India is the worse! It made me sick, sounded f* racist to me! She went for the trip completely closed mind; few are the encounters she mentions with local people and I don't see any effort at all in trying to adjust or learn about the culture and its history of places she's in. The Iran part is also ridiculous and the writer doesn't mention how things could possibly have changed in those 30 years that have passed (she was there just after Iranian revolution, a very specific time), and same for Turkey. Any Western/woman who read her journal and have not been there would be completely frightened to even attempt! I don't know why to even bother to go to an around the world trip if you want to find everything exactly the same as it was back home.
January 17, 2021
Excellent account of an epic journey
Ms. Beard's account of her arts motorcycle trip kept me interested and a bit on edge throughout. I think the tale was all the better for having been written so long after the events took place. There was closure for the reader.
Ms. Beard's straightforward account of all the difficulties encountered provide a realistic feel for just how difficult such a journey really was. I get the feeling Ms. Beard was urged to provide perhaps more personal details than she would have preferred, but the book is better for it.
Ms. Beard's account of her arts motorcycle trip kept me interested and a bit on edge throughout. I think the tale was all the better for having been written so long after the events took place. There was closure for the reader.
Ms. Beard's straightforward account of all the difficulties encountered provide a realistic feel for just how difficult such a journey really was. I get the feeling Ms. Beard was urged to provide perhaps more personal details than she would have preferred, but the book is better for it.
April 21, 2025
I really enjoyed the book; the protagonist's stories were so vivid and relatable that I could truly immerse myself in her experiences. Her adventures around the world were exciting and impressive, although at times I found myself a bit impatient with her and her decisions. What I found particularly interesting was the perspective of traveling without cell phones – relying on maps and public phone booths instead. It’s hard to imagine that today, and it made the adventure even more intense and tangible. Overall, it was a captivating and enjoyable read that I’m glad I picked up.
April 30, 2022
This is one of the best books I’ve read in a while. You feel like you are riding with Elspeth the whole time. Your enduring her trials and tribulations. She doesn’t white wash anything. The just after you’ve followed her journey around the world,she invites you into her personal life afterwards. Again she doesn’t hold anything back as she tells the story of unrequited love. If you don’t have a tear in your eye after reading this,check your pulse.
February 20, 2019
A wonderful book, Elspeth. Thank you for sharing.
March 19, 2019
Rated 6/10 for book group.
Really interesting story told in rather a frustrating way.
Really interesting story told in rather a frustrating way.
July 25, 2019
This has been one of the most influential books I have read to date. Elspeth's recounting of her trip was the final push for me to purchase a motorcycle. Definitely a must-read!
May 27, 2021
I cannot understand why this book hasnt been transformed into a movie yet! A truly phenomenal story of an incredible adventure. I was riveted to the book, essentially finishing it in two sittings
May 29, 2023
ostsin selle raamatu autori enda käest pärast seda, kui ühel motomessil ta esinemisele sattusin - ta rääkis väga hoogsalt ja meeleolukalt ära selle loo, kuidas ta 22-aastaselt endale (tolle aja kohta) võimsa mootorratta ostis, seda parandama ja hooldama õppis ja sellega siis ümber maailma sõitis. nagu raamatu pealkirigi ütleb, esimese briti naisena.
ausalt öeldes mootorrattaparandamise osad ongi raamatu kõige huvitavamad osad (ja ma ei ütle seda irooniliselt) - minu meelest päriselt ka nt kõige parem lugu oli see, kuidas Elspeth kuskil Austraalia outbackis koos ühe autoelektrikuga oma tsiklile terve uue elektrisüsteemi ehitas. või äkki hoopis see, kuidas ta mingi teise maailmaränduri juhendamisel mingis Sydney garaažis endale ise tsiklikohvrid kokku keevitas (õhtuti ja nädalavahetustel, sest nädala sees töötas ta arhitektina, raha saamiseks ja oma haridustee lõpetamiseks).
reis ise... muidugi polnud sel viga, aga eks neid mootorratturite ümbermaailmareisilugusid ole ennegi raamatutest loetud ja telekast nähtud ja sotsiaalmeedias jälgitud, ja kuna maailm on sama, siis on nad ikkagi üksjagu sarnased omavahel. maailm aastal 1982 oli... ka ikkagi sama, kuigi internetti oli vähem ja arveldada tuli reisitšekkidega (ok, ausalt öeldes ma ei ole kunagi päriselt teadnud/aru saanud, misasjad need reisitšekid olid ja kuidas töötasid). aga muidu ikka... Austraalias kehvad treppisõidetud teed, kängurud ja aegajalt üleujutused, Aasias räpasus ja ahistamine ja varastamine ja ka üleujutused, Ameerikat lihtsalt liiga palju ja igal pool maailmas suur hämming selle üle, et OMG NAINE MOOTORRATTAL KUIDAS ON SEE VÕIMALIK.
noh, ja siis on siin suhtelood. Elspethi ja ta pere suhe - aegajalt mulle tundus, et kogu selle reisi eesmärk oli vanematelt tähelepanu ja tunnustust saada, aga ei saanud. Elspeth ja kõik need poisid ja südamevalud. ta oli ainult 22! kas keegi ei öelnud talle, et see on normaalne ja et ei pea kohe esimese peikaga abielluma (ja teisega ammugi mitte)? lugu Robertist, kes ei teadnud ise ka, mida ta elult ja suhtelt tahab, läks lõpuks üldse päris nukraks. ja üldse oli raamatu lõpp kurb ja mul oli täitsa hea meel, et olen oma silmaga ära näinud, et lõpuks läks tal kõik hästi - arhitektikarjäär sai tuule tiibadesse ja lõpuks ometi on hakanud ka tema omaaegne reis kedagi huvitama (enne minekut ja päras tagasitulekut ei õnnestunud tal sellega kellegi tähelepanu pälvida).
igatahes kokku oli siin raamatus lugemist küll ja veel. väga häid fotosid on ka juures, mul alati hea meel, kui selgub, et ka 80ndatel keegi ikkagi viitsis kaamerat kaasas vedada ja pilte ilmutada ja on need siiamaani alleski hoidnud. aa, ja raamatu lõpus on lisadena ära toodud ka tsikli hoolduspäevik ja alates Malaisiast (Elspeth tegi oma ringi lääne suunas, st Ameerika-Austraalia-Aasia-Euroopa) ka kõik tankimised koos hindadega. kogu Iraani läbimiseks kulunud kütus (151.3 liitrit) maksis kokku 8.3 dollarit! mis tol ajal ilmselt oli suurem raha, kui see praegu oleks, aga nii ühel pool Pakistanis kui teisel pool Türgis oli bensiin ca 10 korda kallim samal ajal.
ausalt öeldes mootorrattaparandamise osad ongi raamatu kõige huvitavamad osad (ja ma ei ütle seda irooniliselt) - minu meelest päriselt ka nt kõige parem lugu oli see, kuidas Elspeth kuskil Austraalia outbackis koos ühe autoelektrikuga oma tsiklile terve uue elektrisüsteemi ehitas. või äkki hoopis see, kuidas ta mingi teise maailmaränduri juhendamisel mingis Sydney garaažis endale ise tsiklikohvrid kokku keevitas (õhtuti ja nädalavahetustel, sest nädala sees töötas ta arhitektina, raha saamiseks ja oma haridustee lõpetamiseks).
reis ise... muidugi polnud sel viga, aga eks neid mootorratturite ümbermaailmareisilugusid ole ennegi raamatutest loetud ja telekast nähtud ja sotsiaalmeedias jälgitud, ja kuna maailm on sama, siis on nad ikkagi üksjagu sarnased omavahel. maailm aastal 1982 oli... ka ikkagi sama, kuigi internetti oli vähem ja arveldada tuli reisitšekkidega (ok, ausalt öeldes ma ei ole kunagi päriselt teadnud/aru saanud, misasjad need reisitšekid olid ja kuidas töötasid). aga muidu ikka... Austraalias kehvad treppisõidetud teed, kängurud ja aegajalt üleujutused, Aasias räpasus ja ahistamine ja varastamine ja ka üleujutused, Ameerikat lihtsalt liiga palju ja igal pool maailmas suur hämming selle üle, et OMG NAINE MOOTORRATTAL KUIDAS ON SEE VÕIMALIK.
noh, ja siis on siin suhtelood. Elspethi ja ta pere suhe - aegajalt mulle tundus, et kogu selle reisi eesmärk oli vanematelt tähelepanu ja tunnustust saada, aga ei saanud. Elspeth ja kõik need poisid ja südamevalud. ta oli ainult 22! kas keegi ei öelnud talle, et see on normaalne ja et ei pea kohe esimese peikaga abielluma (ja teisega ammugi mitte)? lugu Robertist, kes ei teadnud ise ka, mida ta elult ja suhtelt tahab, läks lõpuks üldse päris nukraks. ja üldse oli raamatu lõpp kurb ja mul oli täitsa hea meel, et olen oma silmaga ära näinud, et lõpuks läks tal kõik hästi - arhitektikarjäär sai tuule tiibadesse ja lõpuks ometi on hakanud ka tema omaaegne reis kedagi huvitama (enne minekut ja päras tagasitulekut ei õnnestunud tal sellega kellegi tähelepanu pälvida).
igatahes kokku oli siin raamatus lugemist küll ja veel. väga häid fotosid on ka juures, mul alati hea meel, kui selgub, et ka 80ndatel keegi ikkagi viitsis kaamerat kaasas vedada ja pilte ilmutada ja on need siiamaani alleski hoidnud. aa, ja raamatu lõpus on lisadena ära toodud ka tsikli hoolduspäevik ja alates Malaisiast (Elspeth tegi oma ringi lääne suunas, st Ameerika-Austraalia-Aasia-Euroopa) ka kõik tankimised koos hindadega. kogu Iraani läbimiseks kulunud kütus (151.3 liitrit) maksis kokku 8.3 dollarit! mis tol ajal ilmselt oli suurem raha, kui see praegu oleks, aga nii ühel pool Pakistanis kui teisel pool Türgis oli bensiin ca 10 korda kallim samal ajal.
January 14, 2023
One of the most inspiring books I've ever read. Elspeth Beard is unlike a lot of the other 'world travelers', for one she's ridiculed, sidelined and does not write with any pomp or fanfare about her achievements.
Then there is Beard herself. She displays an honesty and grit that should humble any reader. Her writing is not particularly vivid in it's descriptions but the way she spins her narrative, revealing her slowly to herself and the reader why she is doing what she is doing is captivating.
But it is the section that charts her return that sells that real life is not easy and it's where I think her story really shines.
This is an inspiring heartbreaking book about a young woman proving herself in a world that constantly belittles her.
Lone Rider charts a global trip of beauty, love and often survival. Amongst the endless trials and struggles Elspeth captures a beautiful moment in her youth when she could do anything and she did everything.
READ THIS!
Then there is Beard herself. She displays an honesty and grit that should humble any reader. Her writing is not particularly vivid in it's descriptions but the way she spins her narrative, revealing her slowly to herself and the reader why she is doing what she is doing is captivating.
But it is the section that charts her return that sells that real life is not easy and it's where I think her story really shines.
This is an inspiring heartbreaking book about a young woman proving herself in a world that constantly belittles her.
Lone Rider charts a global trip of beauty, love and often survival. Amongst the endless trials and struggles Elspeth captures a beautiful moment in her youth when she could do anything and she did everything.
READ THIS!
June 24, 2024
Elspeth "Lone Rider" is an exhilarating memoir about her solo motorcycle ride around the world. She covers her encounters with diverse cultures and landscapes while shedding light on the bureaucratic challenges and corruption she faced, especially in less-developed countries. Beard's honest account also touches on her personal struggles, including financial constraints and relationship issues, making her journey both inspiring and relatable. With clear and understandable language she captures the thrill of adventure and of an amazing ride around the world on a what we would now consider a rickety old bike, which at the time was her reliable and solid German made work horse pushed to the limit.
Ps. The lack of recognition after completing this 3 year adventure by all her friends and family is one many people can relate to, and I'm really glad she wrote the book for us who understand and appreciate.
Ps. The lack of recognition after completing this 3 year adventure by all her friends and family is one many people can relate to, and I'm really glad she wrote the book for us who understand and appreciate.
September 30, 2022
One of the highlights of a festival I went to over the summer was a talk by Elspeth about her 2-year bike journey across the world back in the early '80s.
It's really hard to believe such a remarkable feat received little to no recognition until decades later. That said, I'm grateful she put the story down in her words as she's an excellent writer.
This book provides a really insightful and meaningful account of hard travel, particularly travelling through developing countries during the 80s - as a solo traveler, as an adventure biker, as a woman. Reading it is an experience, I loved it.
It's really hard to believe such a remarkable feat received little to no recognition until decades later. That said, I'm grateful she put the story down in her words as she's an excellent writer.
This book provides a really insightful and meaningful account of hard travel, particularly travelling through developing countries during the 80s - as a solo traveler, as an adventure biker, as a woman. Reading it is an experience, I loved it.
June 1, 2024
At age 23 in 1982 Elspeth rejects her families’ and societies’ expectations by setting off too motorcycle around the world on her own. Pretty badass. Especially without the help of the internet. This book is interesting in terms of what the world looked like, through a woman’s eyes in the 80s.
It was a little unstructured and diary like in places for me but it was still inspiring. But in other ways this story is profoundly sad. I appreciated the way the book did not end at the end of her journey. But she discusses how hard it is to come ‘back to reality’ after doing something that no one else really understands. When she spoke about feeling more lonely at home than she had at any point when she was actually alone on her two year journey.
It was a little unstructured and diary like in places for me but it was still inspiring. But in other ways this story is profoundly sad. I appreciated the way the book did not end at the end of her journey. But she discusses how hard it is to come ‘back to reality’ after doing something that no one else really understands. When she spoke about feeling more lonely at home than she had at any point when she was actually alone on her two year journey.
August 3, 2024
A passionate account of the author's 'around the world' motorbike tour in the early 1980's as a 23 year old. Her achievement without publicity or recognition until years later is remarkable in many ways. One could gripe about aspects of her privilege but that is far from her whole story. She writes well, with honesty and without ego. It's a great read.
July 25, 2024
Brilliant read, thanks for sharing your experience, highs and lows.
January 5, 2024
A well written travel adventure, that leaves you with a longing to pack up and explore.
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