I like to think that the driving force behind my blog is the celebration of getting older. Embracing health and fitness, grasping opportunities and living the best life possible. I climb mountains, run obstacle courses and lift heavy weights. In the last year I have been to the opera (never again) and the ballet (maybe), kayaked on the Thames (definitely) and qualified as a Professional Coach. But I did not rebuild a forty-five year old moped, stick a £12 Tesco tent into its pannier and ride it across mountains down into Spain. On my own. That would be my brother. So this week I’m going to devote my blog to him.  

My brother, Phil, is two years younger than me. He is a whisker away from being fifty-eight years of age. But annoyingly he looks a lot younger. And whilst I have a rack full of medals just for showing up and getting across a finish line he is a two times British grasstrack champion. This suggests he was first over the line. I’m usually back in triple figures. 

We are different in many ways but what we have in common is the love of 70s music and our own company. The latter being quite useful when you are planning a 1300 mile road trip that most people of a certain age would view as completely bonkers. 

So what was his motivation? What were the best bits? What wasn’t so good? And what next?

‘My inspiration came from reading motorcycle travel books. I always wanted to get involved and as I had two old mopeds rotting away in the back of a container I came up with the idea at the start of the winter of making a travel bike out of them. I have a love for the 1970’s sports moped and as the Honda SS50 is the most reliable that had to be the bike.

I started planning around November but because the bike was old some parts were very hard to get, some bits impossible, so it was very time consuming. I had planned to road test the bike before the trip but because the petrol tank was so rusty inside it kept breaking down. I only managed one test run a week before the departure date.



I set out on 4th July. There were two things on my bucket list that I wanted to include in the trip. The first was a visit to the war graves of the Orient footballers on the Somme. The second a meet at Marmande floodlit grass track. I managed both. 

I spent a number of nights in my Tesco tent. On one occasion after travelling 175 miles to Jardins d’Imbermais. All the hotels were fully booked so I had to spend the night in a farmer’s field.

The most difficult part of the trip was getting the little bike over the mountains in Spain. As it’s old and small I needed to keep it going. I had about 4 or 5 breakdowns, but nothing major, and all fixed at the side of the road.

I finished my trip in Bilbao where I caught the Bilbao to Portsmouth ferry. Twenty- five hours later I was back on home soil. 

I may return to Bilbao to carry on along the coast down to Portugal. I loved finding towns and villages that are real, no tourists. But next year, once the little Honda is fully serviced I plan to ride it to the Isle of Man to watch the TT.’

What an amazing trip. I’m so in awe of him. Makes the Norfolk coastal walk I’m planning a little tame. 

If you want to follow his future adventures his Instagram is @midlifecrisisrider