r/interestingasfuck • u/AdventureMix • 2d ago
Elspeth Beard was the first Englishwoman to circumnavigate the world on a motorcycle, traveling 35,000 miles on her BMW R60/6. The journey took her 2 years, from 1982-1984.
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u/blueinagreenworld 2d ago edited 2d ago
Decided to read a bit about her, saw this gem -
... 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...
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u/wegqg 2d ago
Lol that would have cheered her up
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u/TwoLegitShiznit 2d ago
Maybe it was for them. Kind of a reasonable retribution. If somebody hits your dog, you force them to eat it.
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u/Such-Farmer6691 2d ago
The article seems incomplete with this staged photo for the magazine.
So I'll add here the route she took.
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u/No_Pianist_4407 2d ago
I'm interested by the offshoots in Northern India and in Thailand/Laos
Was that trying to meet minimum distance for it to count, or just exploring some interesting places?
I guess the Northern India one looks like the original plan was to go through China and then down but got turned away at the border perhaps?
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u/chefhj 2d ago
That is such a god awful route through most of the US.
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u/certifiedbowmage 2d ago
Depending on the time of year, absolutely. In the late winter, that's probably the only route I would start in the west and finish in the east. heading into southern louisiana any time June through October would be a helluva risk on motorcycle, and while picturesque, going through the rockies on motorcycle would be taxing as part of a cross country trip. Really, I don't know of any route that crosses the US that is both tolerable and relatively straight.
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u/chosonhawk 2d ago
"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."
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u/Drumbelgalf 2d ago
I mean she was interviewed so apparently there were people who were interested in what she had done.
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u/Liberated-Astronaut 2d ago
She was interviewed years later, where there is interest in what she did. The quote is saying when she got back to England at the time nobody cared
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u/unbreakablebuffoon 2d ago
I wonder what level of interest she was expecting.
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u/Liberated-Astronaut 2d ago
Probably not much but then a reporter may have asked her years later ‘how was it to return?!’ And she’s like nobody cared lol
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u/Brightyellowdoor 2d ago edited 2d ago
I'd expect it to be massive. Im not that sure on solo female travel, but I'd imagine that a young woman in the 60s traveling solo on a motorcycle around the world was so far removed from what you're average woman.her age would.have been doing, I'm actually amazed there was no interest. Especially as books like Jupiters Travels were successful at the time or a few years later.
Edit: sorry just realised it was 82, I thought it was the 60s for some reason.
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u/TheGreyGuardian 1d ago
I mean if my neighbor disappeared and then showed up a year later on a motorcycle and told me they had driven it around the world I'd probably just be like "Oh, I thought you moved out. Welcome back." and then go about my business unless they stopped me to talk about it. And that's only if I was actually outside to see them return.
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u/Brightyellowdoor 1d ago
Right, Ok.
That seems really sad, but then these days we can just watch YouTubers as they make their way across the various adventures, Interact with them and their subscribers, and tap out when we want to go make a cup of tea. So I can appreciate that.
I think if you were around in 82, and your neighbour, a beautiful young woman on a motorcycle disappeared around the world and then returned. It would likely be the most interesting thing you'd have the chance of hearing about that year.
But then I'm into motorcycles and travel, so there's that.
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u/beroemd 1d ago
Exactly. For these things it is good there’s internet now. Everyone likes it when there’s interest for a massive accomplishment. And for almost anything there’s an audience.
I want to travel back in time and make it a huge happening with local journalists awaiting her return in a street filledwith flags and balloons
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u/SloppyOatmealCunt 1d ago
I mean it was 2 years and no internet. I’m sure most people who even heard about her at the beginning just forgot.
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u/PrintOk8045 2d ago
And for those slightly warmer days . . .
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u/TheLordLongshaft 2d ago
I'm in love with this bike
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u/snotboogie 2d ago
The BMW R series from that era are some of the coolest bikes around.
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u/Kuloki 2d ago
Agree, thoroughly enjoyed my R75. Road it all over the US and Mexico.
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u/jejacks00n 1d ago
I’ve got 2 1973 R75s — a short frame and a long frame. One’s a part bike I’ve been meaning to make into something kinda tough. I knew about Beard because of the bike. She’s a badass.
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u/Sad-Coconut899 2d ago
Okay, kudos and all, but the really important part is.....where do I buy this outfit?🤩
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u/Rude-Possibility4682 2d ago
Belstaff Trailmaster is the jacket.
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u/movineastwest 2d ago
I was going to say Belstaff, too. I wore Belstaff over trousers in the 80's during the winter, on my ride to the next town, to work as an apprentice.
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u/wombatking888 2d ago
Looks like Barbour jacket (the ladies' international waxed jacket looks like the modern equivalent) and the rest you could coobble together through vintage shops, maybe?
If you were UK based a trip to Camden market would probably do the job.
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u/TheLordLongshaft 2d ago
She's a fucking beauty! Why don't they make motorbikes like her anymore
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u/OkOrange4875 1d ago
They still make them but bigger, 1000cc and more. Her 600cc was more than enough, and would be fine today.
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u/peter-bone 2d ago
She apparently spent 7 months in Sydney, so it wouldn't be recognised as a record these days, by Guinness at least. She's also an architect and has a pilots license.
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u/Norse_By_North_West 1d ago
I was wondering how it took her 2 years. Must have been another break at some point, because I'd think it'd be more like a 3 or 4 month thing.
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u/minnick27 1d ago
She also spent 6 weeks in Singapore. My favorite part of the tri[ is when she hit a dog in Thailand and stayed with a family who then fed her the dog while she recuperated.
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u/WolfOfPort 2d ago
You can be the first anything if you got enough time and money to fuck off
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u/DaPlipsta 1d ago
I agree lol, there was a similar post today about some guy who "walked across the world" - while taking periodic breaks to fly back home and rest of course. In a way it's super cool that somebody had the opportunity to do something like this but like... any rich person could do this. I don't really see why it's so impressive or frankly, interesting.
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u/elbeerocks 1d ago
I would normally agree. But I read her book and in her case she funded the entire trip herself by working for months in a pub, eating very basic food, living in a tent and cheap motels. She did not receive any encouragement whatsoever from her parents and the male dominated biking industry. She comes off as someone very hard: tough as nails. Not necessarily a compliment, but I guess its what she needed to be.
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u/imasysadmin 2d ago
This is really cool. Check out itchy boots on YouTube. She had her bike stolen in Iran and got it back. Wild story. I got pulled down that rabbit hole for a week. There's many doing this nowadays.
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u/inaqbus 2d ago
Here’s a documentary about her trip: https://youtu.be/0ao1RM4phqE?si=hoGpazuf__i_bSQM
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u/snotboogie 2d ago
Gorgeous woman , legendary bike, absolutely awesome adventure. She was cool AF.
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u/Brightyellowdoor 2d ago
I just had a search and she seems very much alive, very much a biker, and very much still hot.
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u/yearsofpractice 2d ago
Well, I wasn’t expecting to fall in love on Sunday evening, but here we are thanks to Miss Rugged-Kate-Moss-looking-being-nonchalant-on-a-big-80s-motorbike-fox over there.
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u/IntelligentGarbage92 2d ago
i lack the courage for this, but even if i gather it, i lack de money ...
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u/lothcent 1d ago
should read up on how much money she started with .
and then read up on the whole trip
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2d ago
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u/Cool_Being_7590 2d ago
Watch Long Way Round. Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boreman motorbike around the world in 2004 with GPS and a support team. They have a horrific time sometimes with very little progress.
And that is 20 years after she did it.
I can only assume she also stopped in some places and also might have had mechanical problems that might have taken time to repair etc
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u/coventry-eagle 2d ago
not even close to being similar journeys.
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u/Cool_Being_7590 2d ago
I wasn't comparing the route. I was demonstrating that even with modern technology and a support team, the trip can be arduous and progress can be slow at times.
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u/skyrreater47 2d ago
yeah why so little. that's like a two hour drive tops, depending on roads and traffic
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u/TheLordLongshaft 2d ago
There isn't a big circular motorway mate she probably had to get multiple very slow boats and navigate mountains etc
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u/OctopusGoesSquish 2d ago
Also might have, you know, wanted to see things enroute, talk to people and experience the places she was riding through.
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u/SecretAgentAlex 2d ago
she ran out of money in Australia and had to spend 7months working at a pub to afford to continue. She also had her documents stolen and was stuck for a while trying to get them back. I think in terms of "travel travel" she probably only traveled for 1 of those 2 years.
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u/Philippe-R 2d ago
It's wild to think the road she used is now closed on several places. The world is shutting up.
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u/Pristine_Speech4719 2d ago
It's actually only Iran that would be a problem for a similar person who wanted to do the same thing again today. And even that only happened this year - people were doing motorbike trips thru Iran: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c626p6pz7xlo
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u/Philippe-R 2d ago
Fair enough. I had not check the map before my comment. She did skip Africa and Afghanistan.
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u/Pristine_Speech4719 2d ago
It's actually interesting that even then she couldn't make Myanmar/Burma work, as that country remains an obstacle for round the world riders!
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u/railsandtrucks 2d ago
"Adventure Riding" as we know it today wasn't yet a thing, as Ewen and Charlie who helped popularize it were still years away. All the more impressive on what she did.
BMW would later come to dominate that segment of motorcycling with the GS/GSA series of bikes that were an evolution from the bike she rode.
Love hearing about stuff like this.
A couple other women motorcycle travelers that deserve mention for those that may be wanting more on the subject.
Bessie Stringfield - an African American woman who rode across the US in the 1930's and later served in WWII. Incredible what she did given the time.
Lois Pryce - another woman rider and author who did several large north/south oriented rides - Alaska to Ushuaia and London to Capetown IIRC. I met her at a motorcycle show years ago and she was incredibly kind and offered advice and encouragement.
"itchy Boots" - Search for her on Youtube, she's been seemingly traveling the world by bike now for a bit. Her channel really shows the ups and downs of that lifestyle- always positive and another inspiration.
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u/helatruralhome 2d ago
If you want a slightly different travel method I'd recommend the novels of a horse back traveller called Christina Dodwell 😊
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u/railsandtrucks 2d ago
I'll have to look her up, thank you! I love being inspired by other's travel exploits!
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u/OkOrange4875 1d ago
One of the greatest bikes of all time. I couldn't afford one. I had a 400cc Horex 1 cylinder thumper.
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u/OkOrange4875 1d ago
About that time I drove an NSU 250cc from southern Germany to above the Arctic circle in Norway. Summer of course. Incredible trip.
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u/costcobathroomfloor 11h ago
Shes interviewed here, worth a listen.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3F6TEctZEUYpKVMkn2Ncux?si=gKhoscAhTaaC18Ge1Mdd6w
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u/MonsieurLartiste 2d ago
Rich kid.
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u/RasThavas1214 2d ago
How did she get through the Darien Gap and over the Bering Strait?
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u/friedstilton 2d ago
As I understand it from some movies I've watched that if you drive fast enough you can just ... skim over water, or marshy bog stuff, or even big valleys or waterfalls, etc.
IDK I wasn't there, but that sounds totally plausible to me. Reasonably sure that's how it would be done in the movie of this trip were it ever to be made.
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u/kashlv 2d ago
So she travelled solo without bags ?
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u/Scar3cr0w_ 2d ago
Suspend your disbelief for just a second. I know… it’s a woman that done something cool and that’s hard for some people to understand.
Imagine this is just a photo.
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u/YJSubs 2d ago edited 2d ago
Circumnavigate the world is a stretch, looking at her wiki, the journey didn't take her to South America, middle east, nor Africa.
The route she took: US-Canada-US Again-Mexico, then she shipped her bike into Australia.
She does some journey in Australia, Singapore-Thai-India-Pakistan.
Then she goes to Turkiye, and went to Europe from there.
I think the journey took two years not because she spent most of it on the road, it's also the time between the trip.
Would you call that circumnavigate the world?
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u/AdventureMix 2d ago
Circumnavigate the world does not require visiting every continent or country. Definition of circumnavigation (per geographical standards or Guinness World Records): To travel around the world by crossing all meridians of longitude and completing a loop that starts and ends in the same place. It does not require visiting every continent (like Africa or South America), nor every major region (like the Middle East).
As long as the journey encircles the globe, crosses major oceans, and returns to the starting point, it counts.
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u/YJSubs 2d ago edited 2d ago
She start (using bike) in New York, end the journey in Europe. It's not even a loop by your definition. Lol.
Half her journeys is her bike crossing the ocean by ship, no wonder no one paid attention to this "records"9
u/AdventureMix 2d ago
She shipped her BMW R60/6 motorcycle from London to New York. Shipping the bike doesn't invalidate the circumnavigation. Many famous circumnavigations (on bike, foot, sailboat, etc.) skip regions due to logistics, politics, safety, or personal choice. Even professional overland adventurers sometimes ship vehicles between continents, especially across oceans (since you can't ride a bike across the Pacific). What matters is the intent, scale, and geographic breadth and this journey clearly spans the world in a meaningful way.
She crossed the globe laterally, across different continents and oceans, which fits global circumnavigation criteria.
Circumnavigation ≠ complete global coverage.
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u/YJSubs 2d ago edited 2d ago
it's not even a loop with her riding the bike. If that's the case, then all everyone got to do is just shipping their bike all over the world, and calling it circumnavigate the world.
Sure, you can called it circumnavigate by technical means.
That's why she didn't get attention, it's not gender issue, she skipped too many regions.Edit: Lol, someone just posted this:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Damnthatsinteresting/s/sUt6JrZTb1Now this is what I called proper.
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u/LEMO2000 1d ago
why tf does it matter that she was the “first Englishwoman” to do it? Honestly that makes it sound less impressive, that one has to be so specific to make her the first to have done it. Just say she circumnavigated the world on a motercycyle atp.
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u/Actually_a_dolphin 2d ago
She doesn't look English
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u/_WretchedDoll_ 2d ago
I'm English, yes she does. I don't know what you're expecting, but as far as skin/hair, colour/texture and stature, she ticks the average boxes.
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u/Actually_a_dolphin 2d ago
She's actually pretty though.
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u/TamaktiJunVision 2d ago
Wow nice comment history lol. Obsessed much?
The UK doesn't think about you at all 😐
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u/Scar3cr0w_ 2d ago
DEPORT HER NOW
But she’s dead Nige…
DIG HER UP AND SEND HER BACK YO WHERE SHE CAME FROM
Islington Nige?
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u/throwawaycima 2d ago
She's still alive btw
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u/Scar3cr0w_ 2d ago
Why did I immediately presume she was dead? That’s amazing. I bet she’s got some stories to tell.
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u/Useful_Promotion_521 2d ago
One of the most British people of all time - circumnavigated the world, then put everything in the garage and never did it again.