The Arctic Rider

Let’s get something straight right away: you don’t need to grow a beard, sell all your worldly possessions, buy a 300kg adventure bike, and ride around the world for 12 months to have a proper motorcycling adventure. Don’t get me wrong—those long-haul, “Quit my job to find myself” trips are epic. But they’re not the only way to ride adventurously. I’ve got a full-time job, a family, bills to pay, and the same 24 hours in a day as everyone else. And yet, I’ve ridden across the Arctic Circle, blasted through freezing wind stroms, and explored some of the most remote parts of the UK and beyond—all without needing a sabbatical or a divorce lawyer. Myth: You Need a Year Off to Be an Adventurer Reality: You Need a Week. Or Less. Adventure isn’t measured in miles or time off. It’s about mindset. I’ve had more meaningful experiences on a long weekend trip than some people get on a year-long cruise around the planet (and I bet my dinner stops were better, too). Take my 10-day 4,000 mile b...

Let me start this article with a bit of bitter honesty: I am not a Keis ambassador. In fact, I applied to be one and was politely turned down. (Their loss, really—I look great in a heated vest.) So rest assured, this isn’t a paid ad. It’s more like a mildly obsessed love letter to a piece of gear that has literally kept me alive. I’m talking, of course, about the Keis Heated Body Warmer. This unassuming bit of kit might not look like much on the hanger, but out on an Arctic ride, it becomes your best friend, your personal sun, and—on particularly miserable mornings—your reason to keep going. I’ve taken it through snowstorms, biting headwinds, and the kind of freezing fog that makes you question every life decision that led to that moment. And the Keis? It just keeps on glowing, keeping my core warm while my brain tries to remember what toes used to feel like. Seriously, before I started using it, I’m not sure how I survived. I think I must’ve just relied on blind optimism and adrenalin...

Well, here we are. A revamped website. A digital home for my stories, scars, and slightly suspect roadside snack recommendations. If you’ve stumbled across this page looking for luxury motorcycle travel, polished influencer poses, or people who only ride when the weather’s dry—this probably isn’t the place for you. But if you like tales of muddy roads, blown tyres, spontaneous roadside friendships, and camping in a tent with a cat on it… welcome, my friend. You’re in the right place. Who Am I, and Why Am I Always Cold? I’m The Arctic Rider—motorcycle adventurer, charity fundraiser, and man with a habit of going very far north on not-so-fancy bikes for reasons that seem sensible at the time. Since 2011, I’ve been raising money for causes close to my heart—Cerebra, Tiny Lives Trust, the National Autistic Society—riding thousands of miles in sometimes questionable weather, all inspired by my younger brother and my kids. This site is where I’ll be sharing my stories. The good. The bad....

 Hello, Welcome back to The Arctic Rider blog. We've had some very Arctic weather in the past few weeks here in the UK with lots of snow, ice, and wind. The weather has been a constant reminder of my mission to ride my motorbike across the Arctic Circle in every country possible, and has had me pining to get back on the bike and be riding in the remote wilderness at the top of our of planet.  As I said in my blog a few months ago, the continued restrictions caused by the global pandemic are making it rather tricky to plan my next multi-country Arctic ride to Russia (with no-less than 13 border crossings). In the past 2 months since my December blog, while the world has been making progress with vaccines and restrictions, the steer I'm getting from the media and some well informed professional connections is that restrictions are unlikely to be fully lifted any time soon and that 2021 is going to be very tricky logistically. On top of that, I also have my family and home r...

 Hi there, Its been 8 months since I last blogged about The Arctic Rider project, which has been on-hold due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As with most things in life at the moment my next planned Arctic trip to Russia is on-hold. As I said in my blog in May, a 2021 trip is still in-doubt until more is known about what the 'new normal' will be for the world and especially cross-border travel (I have no fewer than 13 border crossings as part of the route).  Even with vaccines now being distributed, the prospect of 2021 being anything like the world we once knew looks slim. All UK government advice is still currently against travel abroad, Russia's visa programme is virtually locked down, as are it's land borders. There is talk of vaccine passports, ongoing quarantine periods, and negative tests before being allowed into a country. All in all the logistics of Russia being my destination in 2021 look low. Exploring Northumberland's gravel roads rather than Russia t...

Welcome to the latest Arctic Rider blog, Today was the day I was meant to be hitting the road bound for Arctic Russia on my latest charity motorbike challenge. Like with almost everyone , my plans have been impacted by the Coronavoirus pandemic which swept across the world in a matter of weeks.  Not long after picking up my new Vstrom 650XT, the bike to take me thousands of miles across Europe and into Russia on tarmac and gravel, it started to become clear that my trip might be in doubt. First it was Russia suspending its Visa programme. Then, in the blink of an eye, the whole of Europe was in lockdown and the realistic prospect of doing my trip in 2020 was finished.  Like most, I've spend the past few months trying to come to terms with what this whole situation means for me as a person, and for The Arctic Rider project. While I've had knock-backs before, crashing in Sweden in 2011, cancelling my Alaska trips with just weeks to go before departure in 2018, this time it diff...