Ian Chappel - Adventures on Two Wheels

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As from 2005, I'm uploading stuff as Google Earth files, so if you haven't already, installing Google Earth is a great idea. It's free!
And as from 2008, I'm uploading photos to flickr - nice!

Here are a few trips, listed in reverse chronological order (most recent first):


Horizons Unlimited Mountain Madness! - July 2008

We (The "Two Ian's") returned in 2008 to a harder competition. There number of entrants had increased five or six-fold, with a few on full enduro machinery. Unfortunately events conspired against us on the first day - I made a poor navigation decision to our first checkpoint, due to the way I'd [mis]-arranged my maps, and then late in the day the rear spindle came loose on Iain's Africa Twin at a very precarious spot, throwing the chain - and unfortunately he'd lent the correct spanner to a mate! And to top it all we rode our final 25 miles back on the road to the hotel behind a police car - not daring to overtake as we were unsure of the speed limits, and getting 'stopped' would have been fatal to our efforts. So we arrived back at 2018hrs (18 minutes late) resulting in a 100-point penalty.

This was to prove our undoing, as we had a very good Day 2, achieving a total 3136 points over the two days, and to my surprise would have retained our title had we not incurred the time-penalty on Day 1. The winners managed 3118, and the runners-up 3079, leaving us in third place. Iain and I rode back up through France together with his friend Matt Pope who was part of the team winning the first ever road event, stopping off to take a look at the spectacular Millau Viaduct which coincidentally we'd all wanted to see.

There's an event report here (click "More Information" under "2008 Event Report"). I've uploaded a Google Earth file and Google Map.

Photos on Flickr - Thumbnails, Details, Map, and Slideshow.

We're hoping to be back with a vengeance in 2009! The event will however be different in a couple of ways - new location for a start, but the biggest change is that we'll only get the roadbook and map at the event at eleven o'clock in the morning the day before the ride. There will also be two off-road classes, split at 645cc - although the jury's still out on whether smaller or bigger bikes are best for this event.
 

Horizons Unlimited Mountain Madness! - September 2007

Not really a "trip", but a long weekend. Organised by the organisers of the World's No.1 adventure motorcycling website, Grant and Susan Johnson of www.horizonsunlimited.com in conjunction with Austin Vince and Lois Pryce. A none-too-serious motorcycle orienteering event in the Pyrenees, 2007 being the inaugural year.

There's an event report here (click "More Information" under "2007 Event Report"), and I've uploaded a Google Earth file and a Google Map. Iain Woolley from Telford (Africa Twin) and I teamed up as "The Two Ian's" and were quite surprised to win, having hit all 36 checkpoints and coming in early!

They're holding the event annually from now on, with a road-only class in addition from 2008.

Photos on Flickr - Thumbnails, Details, Map, and Slideshow.
 

Trans-Americas: Prudhoe Bay to Tierra-del-Fuego (September 2006 to February 2007)

I've recently returned from The Big One!

28,500 miles over 5½ months. Full Story Here
 

California, on FOUR WHEELS (October/November 2005)

Doesn't really belong here - a family driving holiday - but it was too good to leave out!
 Google Earth : Route and Photos  (single 7.6 Mb file).
 

Djanet, Algeria - the geographical centre of the Sahara (was planned for Spring 2003)

I was hoping to have a go at this one soon, after catching the "Africa Bug" in Morocco! There is tarmac all the way to Djanet now, some 1400 miles by road south from Tunis. The ferry for Tunis can be boarded in either Marseille or Genoa.

However this trip is currently on indefinite hold, due to various groups being kidnapped. However all were released, except for one woman who sadly perished in the harsh environment.
 

Morocco, south to the Mauritanian border (September 2002)

Italy & Sicily (May 2002)

Scandinavia - Denmark, Sweden, Finland, & Norway (August 2001)

Other Stuff


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