Take a fly-ride adventure to get the most out of your big biking trip
Ride in some far-flung exotic location without spendimonths just getting there...
‘Village children were intrigued by a group of dirty bikers’ ‘Unless you know Pedro, you could be out in the cold’
You’ve got your motorcycle and you’ve explored your back garden, overdosed on your regular coffee stops, and exhausted every green lane within 100 miles. You’re yearning for more, but that three-month expedition to some far-flung exotic nirvana is just never going to happen. But you can cheat.
Targeting the fly-aways In a nutshell, fly-rides are package holidays for bikers, an all-themiles-you-can-eat buffet of globe-shrinking hedonism. Pick your destination, jump on a flight with your helmet and riding gear (you can even borrow the kit with many packages) – it really is that simple. Bikes, guides, and extraordinary rides await you. Some say its cheating, but in today’s busy world, finding the time to research every mile of a country thousands of miles away is no mean feat. You’re sat staring at a screen trying to evaluate all the roads with no context of what’s really rideable or safe. Desperately reading reviews on what to avoid, trying to get by in the local language and navigating the legal complexities on the ground. And that’s all before working out how to get your bike out to your destination without a re-mortgage. Even then you could still rock up to find that a bit of local knowledge would have revealed a mindblowing route that blew your researched into the weeds. Luckily, local knowledge can be bought. Tour me happy Take Bolivia. Well, you can’t – but you can borrow some bits of it. It’s one of the most diverse countries in the world in terms of landscape and terrain, offering jungles, the Alto Plateau and Andes mountains, Death Road, train graveyards, the world’s largest salt flats and more. But where to start? Without a guide, how would you know that you can buy sticks of dynamite from the local mine for $2 and blow them up later for a giggle?
As one of the poorest countries in South America, Bolivia certainly isn’t a hive of connectivity in terms getting things organised online. Many hotels – and I’m talking about the ones off the beaten track – while still acceptable by Western standards, are frequently booked via WhatsApp with the ‘guy in the
know’. Unless you know Pedro, you’re out in the cold.
Then there’s the legal issues. How would you know that certain remote villages do not allow passing travellers more than a few litres of fuel? Get that wrong and you’re pushing your bike a long way. But travel with the professionals who know the systems, and how to work them, and you’ll enjoy the trip of a lifetime, without a care in the world – other than worrying what that meat in the local street curry really is. We did Bolivia with Novo Adventures; they know the lay of the land and take you off the beaten path to see some of the very best that this land of geographical extremes and cultural diversity has to offer. Off the beaten track One magical highlight was rolling to an tiny village – the sort that no normal traveller would stumble across. Miles from any form of civilisation and existing off mangoes and coca leaves, it’s the sort of place that comes to define the experience. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced such a reception. Children crowded round, intrigued and excited by a group of dirty bikers arriving on massive Triumph Tigers. Within minutes we had fresh, thirst-quenching oranges to tuck into and were ushered into a local’s front room for hot chicken, rice and potatoes. No wear and tear Opt for a fly-ride and you’ll rock up to a fully-serviced, ready-to-go bike. If things go wrong it won’t be you spannering with sweat dripping in your eyes, swearing on the side of the road as the sun goes down. Tour companies generally have back-up bikes, support vehicles, spares and mechanics to hand. Grab a drink, enjoy the scenery and let them get you rolling again. And at the end, you simply hand the bike back. No maintenance, no servicing, no damage or depreciation to swallow. There are hundreds of fly-ride operators, offering street bikes, tourers, adventure and enduro. So do your research, read lots of reviews, talk to the operators and scope out the bikes and what is included. Also, never forget that ‘cheap’ isn’t always a good thing. Then it’s just a case of dusting off your passport and immersing yourself in the ride of a lifetime.