Beard Elspeth (w2989)

Beard Elspeth (w2989)

Alias-Pseudonimo-Pseudonyme: Lone Rider
Nationality-Nazionalità-Nationalité: UK, Inglese, Anglais
Birth/death-Nascita/morte-Naissance/mort: 1959-
Means of transport-Mezzo di trasporto-Moyen de transport: Bike, tricycle-Bicicletta, triciclo-Vélo, tricycle
Geographical description-Riferimento geografico-Référence géographique: Around the World-Giro del mondo-Tour du monde
Internet: https://www.elspethbeard.com
Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23901568
Additional references-Riferimenti complementari-Références complémentaires: Lone Rider: The First British Woman to Motorcycle Around the World, Autobiography, 2017, ISBN 9781782438045

Beard learned to ride a motorcycle on Salisbury Plain at the age of 16. She began her global journey in 1982, after the third year of her architect training course, using a BMW R60/6 motorcycle. She added soft panniers, a tank bag and an extra bag lashed to the pillion seat before she embarked on the trip. She began her journey in New York City, United States, having shipped the bike from the United Kingdom. From there, she motorcycled to Canada and Mexico and back to the US before shipping her bike to Sydney, Australia.

In Sydney, she spent eleven months working as an architect before motorcycling across Australia. In Townsville, Queensland, she had an accident which left her hospitalised for two weeks. Afterwards, she travelled to Singapore, where she spent 6 weeks replacing important documents and gear after they were all stolen; then she travelled into Asia. In Thailand, she collided with a dog and recuperated with a local family who fed her the remains of the dog she had crashed into. At the time of the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the entire Punjab state was closed. Beard forged the necessary permit to get out of the Punjab region and travelled into Pakistan before riding back into Europe via Turkey. She arrived in the United Kingdom in 1984, having travelled 35,000 miles (56,000 km). In doing so, she became the first Englishwoman to motorcycle around the world.

When Beard returned from the trip, there was a lack of interest for what she had accomplished, as she stated in an interview: "After I got back and nobody was interested in what I'd done, I just shoved everything into the back of the garage. I just kind of moved on with my life."

Her 2017 autobiography Lone Rider chronicles the circumnavigation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elspeth_Beard 


Rest not
Life is sweeping by
go and dare before you die.
Something mighty and sublime,
leave behind to conquer time.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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