Presenters | The Overland Event

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PRESENTERS

Presenters for the Overland Event 2020 were a sterling bunch. Changing Government guidance meant being dynamic to adapt and they certainly were!

(click each image for more information)

Travelling extensively overland by motorbike since his first 6-month tour of India back in 1986, Gordon May has a penchant for older machinery. The slower pace perhaps? Maybe it's the straightforward maintenance. Either way he's ridden a WW2 Matchless to Vietnam, a tiny BSA Bantam to Egypt, an Enfield to India and has just completed a trans Africa trip. As soon as Covid has passed he's off again. Find out where when he presents! He's a prolific author too and is now the official historian of Royal Enfield.

At the age of 21 Glynn broke down on his first trip abroad in Italy. No return ticket, next to no money (not even for a prized sticker for the bike), he rode the 1,500 miles back in four days at 30mph to save fuel money, living on 30 pears and a homemade loaf of bread!

The experience didn’t deter him, but rather it gave him the confidence to take on more adventurous challenges and trips, culminating in a 3 year round the world ride 6 years later.

In 2018 he made an impromptu trip to visit his niece in Mongolia on his 37 year-old BMW R80 G/S.
He’s continued the breakdown theme over the years, breaking down on every continent, narrowly making the trip home from Mongolia last year.

Glynn’s presentation is not an A to Z on how to do anything. But he does have some photos and a bunch of slightly bonkers stories from his trip to Mongolia and back.

Lisa and Simon Thomas

Since 2003 when they first left the UK on a BMW R1150GSA and an F650GS, Simon and Lisa Thomas have ridden something like half a million miles through 78 countries, breaking records and more than a few bones along the way.
In 2016 their original bikes were upgraded to a BMW R1200GSA LC for Simon and an F800GS for Lisa, which they’ve been riding around Mexico, Canada, Alaska, and the USA. But now they’re briefly back in the UK to see their families before continuing their quest to ride through 122 countries and on all seven continents.

We’re thrilled that they are to be part of the Overland Event this year and Lisa will be cooking up something really special: an on-the-road cookery workshop!
Find out more about their mammoth trip here

Mark Holmes is a former businessman, but after heartbreak and financial ruin he set off from London on 1st. April 2017 to ride the world’s largest production motorcycle – his 2,300cc Triumph Rocket X – around the world. This 5-continent, 500-day ride led him to a new life and his aptly named first book ‘REBIRTH’. He deals honestly with loss, grief and love, as well as the daily difficulties of achieving his goal. Not to mention illegally entering the United States.
You might be familiar with his writing style if you’ve been reading Overland for a while.
It’s a great story that shows how no amount of planning can account for serendipity; he now lives in Lyon and is married to Dalila… Read the book!
Last year he was involved in an accident just before setting off to The Event, so had to leave the damaged bike and fly. It's all repaired now though and will be a feature in the Bike Show.

Matt and Reece (AsSeenFromTheSidecar)

Matt and Reece are back from their circumnavigation of the globe on a scooter with a sidecar. For those of you who haven’t checked in with their progress since they left from the 2017 Overland Event, you’ll be surprised to hear that the lads made it to Paris and much, much further. They even organised the wonderful Armchair Adventure Festival back in April during Covid lockdown.

We welcomed them home at January’s Winter Warmer where attendees were treated to Russian caviar as the guys talked about the coldest stretch of their trip back from Vladivostok to the UK.

This summer they will be talking about the whole trip, but so much more! Matt will be launching his new book about the whole affair and Reece will be screening what will be their brand new film. We can't wait and you can join us for the premiere!

He’s Ted. He’s Jupiter. He really needs no introduction, but he and his Triumph are the reason thousands have saddled-up and set off to explore the world.
If you haven't read 'Jupiter's Travels' or 'Riding High' about his 4-year RTW ride in the 1970s, you really should...

We are still hoping that Ted will be able to join us again at this year’s Overland Event. He calls it his favourite travel event of all and we usually ensure he's accompanied by both of his round-the-world motorcycles, which take pride of place in the spot-lit Bike Show. Given the current COVID crisis and considering his age and the international travel necessary for him to attend, there's a chance he'll only be able to join us by video link. But let's wait and see!

Three years ago Louisa hadn’t ridden anything bigger than a 125. She wasn’t confident going faster than 50mph and didn’t like corners. Now she’s ridden the US, sailed from the Caribbean to New York, ridden across Europe and in north Africa, organised the Italian leg of WRWR, has begun guiding tours in eastern Europe and perhaps her greatest feat; has become a regular columnist in Overland Magazine. Achieving all those things meant overcoming one huge obstacle: fear. But when she speaks at The Overland Event she’ll be doing so as UK speed record holder and will have been to Bonneville Salt Flats to attempt a land speed record. Yes really. Riding at 240mph is quite a leap in 3 years. If you are worried about doing that trip you always traced on a map, you need to come and hear Louisa speak.

When filmmaker Daniel Rintz left his home, job, family and friends to embark on a journey around the world, he didn’t know exactly what he was looking for. He took a chance giving in to a deep longing of an indeterminate nature. Coming out of university, lacking any savings, he decided to work along the way, which forced him to immerse himself in foreign cultures. This subsequently transformed his view on life. He met the love of his life “Joey” on the road. But when he returned after six years of travelling he made the most valuable discovery… Daniel will be presenting and talking about his two award-winning films. Catch a trailer here.

Known to thousands of social media followers simply as ‘RTW Roxy’, Roksana Kielkowska started travelling as soon as she was 19 and passed her A2 motorcycle test, saddling up her Suzuki GSX650f for a 2,500 mile ride from Scotland to visit some family in Poland. The bug bit her badly.
A few months later she rode down and around the Pyrenees and Alps, before heading north to Scandinavia and up to Nordkapp. Turning 21 meant another test to get a full "A" unrestricted licence and with it her first Honda Fireblade 900RR. It didn’t take long until she was off again, riding the ‘Blade from Scotland through Asia to Australia where her trip has been temporarily paused due to Covid-19.
Of course the inconvenience the pandemic caused her has been our good fortune as she is able to come to The Overland Event and talk about her choice of bike, saving enough money to go in only 8 determined months, and some of the most memorable adventures she’s had so far.

Helen spends most of her time travelling. Even when she’s working to save up for the next trip, she maintains the freedom of an itinerant lifestyle by residing in her van.
For her first big overland journey, she cycled from the UK to Cape Town. Since then she’s pedalled down North and Central America and across Asia, pack-rafted in Nicaragua, bought and ridden a horse in Kyrgyzstan, and paddled a pirogue down the Niger River in Guinea.

After a winter cycling in Siberia(!), she finally upgraded to a motorbike and hasn’t looked back. She has since returned to Africa and ridden the length of it on her XT225 Serow; ridden it across Europe twice and spent last summer exploring Iceland’s remote highland trails, which is what she’ll be talking about at The Event.

After some 85,000 kilometres of abuse in Helen’s hands, the little bike was in a sorry state, but she rejuvenated it and had set off for Australia when Covid struck, forcing her to turn back while in Europe.

She has written regularly for Overland, and has published 3 books – Desert Snow (cycling Africa) A Siberian Winter’s Tale (about crossing Siberia in winter) and her most recent - Iceland Serow Saga - about her months spent ride exploring Iceland.

Katy and John had only known each other a year before they set off on an 18,000 mile ride from Europe to Japan, roughing it through Russia and off-roading over Central Asia and Mongolia.
It all began with a post on Horizons Unlimited when John was looking for a travel partner. A young woman called Katy replied and when they first met they knew that they were about to embark on the journey of a lifetime.
Their adventure included several mechanical breakdowns but it was these motorcycle repairs and unexpected situations which lead Katy and John to the most ingenious, resourceful and hospitable people who kept their wheels rolling east.
They have now documented the journey through a 30 minute film which John will be discussing before premiering at the Overland Event. It showcases how Katy and John’s relationship grew between them and the world they were exploring.

Richard and Mopsa English

A remarkable couple, Richard and Mopsa English rode their Triumph sidecar outfit around the world in the 1980s and did their utmost to remain patriotic throughout, but times were changing. The factory they bought their bike from went bust while they were on the road and parts became increasingly difficult to get. Wars ensued and empires shrank still further, but their story is a brilliant one and the book it produced – Full Circle – is superb.

As well as having some great tales to tell, they will be accompanied by Tommy, their poor abused Triumph. Come and meet all three!

Tiffany Coates is the world’s foremost female motorcycle adventurer, having travelled over 300,000 miles crossing every continent, some of them several times. Each year she heads off on new adventures. She discovered motorbike travel by accident after several years of backpacking. Her initial two-wheeled adventure involved riding overland to India when she set off two-up on a BMW R80GS alongside her best friend, with just two months riding experience between them. Overland Magazine has featured some of her stories from those early journeys and she'll be talking about 22 Years of Travel: The Trials & Tribulations – Scary Moments as A Motorbike Traveller. In other words all the risky episodes that she doesn’t tell her parents about: stuff from every continent.
Remote riding adventures remain her passion, something she now shares with others in her role as freelance motorcycle guide, working with the biggest names in the industry.

At The Overland Event this year Jocke will be sharing his knowledge about maintenance, emergency repairs, tools and other tidbits, because he believes that everyone is capable of servicing and maintaining their vehicles.

He’ll cover situations you need to expect (puncture, fall, water ingestion), how to prop your bike up on the trail as well as servicing on the road and how to build the right toolkit. But he might include some other packing tips-n-tricks at the end.

Jocke has been tinkering with mechanical things all his life, be it bicycles, mopeds, motorcycles or cars. He loves sharing his knowledge and has been writing several online pieces about motorbikes, kit, tips and travel. He’s also a regular contributor to Overland Magazine!

The best thing he knows is just getting on his motorbike to head wherever the curves take him. He’s been skulking around Europe for 20 years, be it Nürburgring, Portugal, The Alps, Eastern Europe or the Nordic countries. The feeling is even better when Caz, his fiancé, is riding nearby.

Between 1955 and 1975 the Ho Chi Minh Trail was used by the North Vietnamese Army to transport supplies, troops and munitions from north to south Vietnam and Dave has been discovering abandoned sections of the trail for years. Listen to Dave’s account of how he took his 250cc motorcycle and unearthed more than he bargained for as the forgotten trail got the better of him.
He’s become so attached to Vietnam and has now visited so many times it’s like a second home. There are few people that sing its praises so highly, or know so much about riding there!
In fact Overland has teamed up with Dave and his company RAMS Adventures and he'll be leading an 'Overland Explore Vietnam' tour in November 2020

Elspeth Beard was the first British woman to ride solo around the world on a journey that began in 1982 when she was just 23.

Her 35,000-mile adventure on a 1974 BMW R60/6 covered North America, New Zealand, Australia, South East Asia, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and Europe. The BMW will be on display in the Bike Show at this year’s Event.

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, Lone Rider is the extraordinary and moving story of a unique and life-changing adventure. Elspeth will be signing copies in the Authors’ Tent at the Event and will be engaged in a Q&A on the main stage.

We first met Ken about 10 years ago in his native Ireland when he was about to set off east on a GT550 Kawasaki, because it’s the bike he had at the time. He consequently wrecked that machine in the Kazakhstan desert while racing to make a presentation to the UN. Yes really… Since then he’s travelled where and when he can and his current bike, an Africa Twin, is actually waiting for him to return near the Colombian/Ecuadorian border. Ken is a copper and what you’ll realise during his presentation is that it's a career that teaches you many things, like knowing how to get un-arrested from the most bizarre situations. On almost every continent it seems. Sure what’s travel if it’s not a bit of craic?

Since her big send-off from the Ace Cafe in London five years ago, Steph Jeavons has travelled around the world on her Honda called Rhonda and ridden on all seven continents.

Steph will be telling the story of that incredible adventure at this year’s Overland Event.
With any luck her amazing book about the whole experience will be available too. An inspirational, and incredibly entertaining, presenter you won't want to miss.

Paul Cottee and Holly Waller

Paul and Holly love climbing, but when they heard about the Mongol Rally they just couldn't resist. As bike engine size is limited, they thought using using 125cc machines would be a montain they should tackle. They chose the ever-capable Sinnis Terrains and it seems it was a wise choice.
Although Paul had travelled widely Holly was new to biking. What could go wrong? Come and hear their story.
The plucky 125cc Sinnis Terrains will be in the show area to so you can see what damage 13 accidents can cause

Chris Donaldson

Chris Donaldson set off from Belfast in 1979 to get away from The Troubles and ride to Australia. He went the wrong way. Instead, serendipity took him and his Moto Guzzi Le Mans (yes really!) down Africa overland, back up to Europe oversea and then down the Americas overland again until his health and money was exhausted. Setting off just after Ted Simon got back, the world was a rapidly changing place and he had one hell of an experience. Chris and his bike (which he still uses and has ridden to Russia since) will be at The Event and you can hear all about his youthful exuberance and his brand new book ‘Going the Wrong Way’.

Frequent traveller and new writer, Christian Brix is recently back from a 1-year trip across Africa and Asia, completing 30k miles, through 33 countries on his trusty XT660Z Tenere. He will be talking specifically about his time in Africa and the mental difficulties he faced riding solo, as chronicled in his book ‘The Unseen Walls’. Employing a style of writing which is more about the mental journey, less the physical one, he chronicles the road of the mind – the highs, lows, confusion, doubt and the fear – which most overlanders choose not to elaborate on. Currently he is writing up the second part of his trip, centred on Asia, and will be launching his new book 'East to Zero' at The Event this summer!

Derek Mansfield

Derek Mansfield never fails to surprise. He’s a man of many talents with a remarkable history and a thirst for the completely irrational; he travels with a Moto Guzzi. An experienced traveller throughout the former USSR and beyond, he is the ultimate aesthete, shunning weather-resistant riding gear for comfortable jeans and a stylish leather jacket, worn with the quiet confidence of one who is ever the optimist. His two recent books ‘Notes from the Road Volume 4’ and ‘Volume 3’ are observational classics, his acerbic wit pin sharp. He’s an integral and highly prized part of the Overland team and yet we cannot pretend that we know exactly what it is he shall be talking about, but come along to hear just what can happen when you climb aboard a Moto Guzzi and head for Mongolia. And if you want to know anything about visiting the Ukraine, he’s definitely your man.

Matt didn't have a proper motorbike licence when he decided to ride from New Zealand to the UK. Some would argue he still doesn't.
Leaving a comfortable life in Middle Earth to join the great unwashed on the road was supposed to be the culmination of a long-held dream. The reality was a mismanaged farce that illustrated the best way not to travel.
He'll tell the story, but be warned, he can do things with a flip-flop that you wouldn't imagine...

Paddy is the editor of Overland Magazine and founder of the Overland Events. Born amid the incessant rain of County Fermanagh in north west Ireland, he has been travelling in search of sunshine ever since, which is odd given his pale complexion.

His first road trip took place during the hot dry summer of 1976, across North America as a 6 year old, with his mum and big sister. He first combined motorcycles with travel while at university in England and set off on a woefully unprepared CG125cc Honda in 1993 to try and see as much of Europe as he could in 4 weeks. Being arrested just seemed to add to the adventure, and the whole thing sowed the seeds of a plan for a two-wheeled global assault, which has been undertaken in sections ever since.

He has been a columnist and feature writer for publications on both sides of the Atlantic, an English teacher and University lecturer and remains an advisor to the Ted Simon Foundation nurturing new writing talent. Paddy is an author, editor and proof-reader and will be running various publishing and writing workshops at this year’s Overland Event.

Gareth Jones is the milkman from Barry in South Wales who rode a modified 1951 Harley-Davidson Panhead around Southern Africa on what became known as his Pan Without A Plan adventure.

Without the benefits of rear suspension, an electric start, any kind of back up, and definitely no real plan, Gareth’s six-month solo journey covered 20,000 km through 10 countries. In the process he fulfilled a lifelong ambition and collected a wealth of memories. He’ll be sharing his story at the Overland Event.

Jacqui Furneaux

In the summer of 2000, Jacqui Furneaux began what became a seven-year journey around the world through 20 countries on a 500cc Royal Enfield Bullet. That was seven years without a plan.

Hit the Road Jac! tells the story of that life-changing adventure. Ted Simon called it, “much more than an absorbing book, this is a manual for self-discovery.”

She hasn’t stopped travelling though and has just returned from a 6-month ride in Australia, still using her Enfield.
Jacqui will be signing copies of her book in the Authors’ Tent at this year’s Event, and her Enfield will be on display in the Bike Show.

EmmaLucy had no interest in motorcycles until she saw Steph Jeavons present in 2018. Inspired by the opportunities for a woman to travel and connect with local culture in a different way, she picked up a 900cc Triumph Street Scrambler the same day as passing her test, and then wobbled the 150 miles to the Overland Winter Warmer next morning. Spurred on by the Overland community she met there, she decided to fly to Egypt, rent a bike, and ride across part of the South Sinai Peninsula (where she previously lived for 2 years with a Bedouin tribe). With only two months’ experience of riding, in 38 degrees and on an ancient CRF250 with an unreliable kick start, the journey was short but challenging! Since then – in absence of international travel due to restrictions – EmmaLucy has been discovering how riding a bike can prompt unexpected opportunities, challenge our boundaries, and develop valuable connections.
EmmaLucy will talk about why taking on challenges as a new rider is important, share stories and lessons from the past year, and discuss what she will definitely do differently when preparing for future international travel!
Writer, speaker, and explorer EmmaLucy Cole is now based in the South West, having lived and worked internationally for more than 2 decades. She is a PhD researcher on travel writing and co-director of the Vicarious Festival of Travel Storytelling. She is an ambassador for MetalMule, and Renntec Motorcycle Luggage systems.

Overlander and self-confessed gadget and IT freak Sam Berlyn, has been one of the team behind the AV at all the Overland Events so far. This year, he’s again stepping out of the shadows to take the stage and grab the mic himself. He’s an IT manager by profession but an overlander with passion. Who better to discuss all things tech on the road?
He’ll be covering:
– Comms and staying in touch (phones, satellite trackers etc.)
– Tech on the road (cameras, computers, GoPros etc..)
– A little bit on security (data / privacy rather than physical!)

Ruth Budge & Leon Ferreira

Ruth and Leon first met 12 years ago when they hopped on the same minibus to the border of Thailand and Laos. A few weeks later they bought their first bike together, a Honda CB150 which took them around Vietnam and across Cambodia. Ever since then they have dreamed of travelling the world by motorbike. For a long time, it remained just that, a distant (and slightly terrifying) dream. But in early 2019 they quit their jobs, sold their things and set off on a 13-month journey, from the UK to South Africa. For anyone who wants to know what it is like to spend 13 months living in a leaky tent in West Africa during rainy season, Ruth will be sharing stories from their trip at the Overland Event.

Immersed in motorcycling since she was 17, Barbara is Secretariat to the Parliamentary Motorcycle Group, and helps run the charity ‘Motorcycle Outreach’. Travelling on her own, or as a guide for GlobeBusters, her biking horizons have taken her across Europe, North America, the Sahara and into West Africa on her BMW F650 Twin; her most exhilarating trip however, was 100 miles across Cornwall on Simon Milward’s old Triumph Trophy, known locally as the ‘Torrey Canyon’. She agrees with Tolkien, that “not all those who wander are lost” and will be talking about riding in Ladakh