Thanks to Lois Price for here message.

Hi Pete,
Thanks for the message and the link. Looks like you've got a great trip ahead.
Good luck with it all and happy Manchester trails! I hope the other Manchesters have better weather!
Lois
x

If you have not read Lois on The Loose, or Red Tape, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ?

Even got my missus to read these two, then she took her CBT.... ready for DAS this summer.

Thanks Lois

See you on the road.

Hero's of the motorcycle travel world

Sam the man Manicom RTW biker and writer of some fine travel books. His latest Tortillas to Totems carries on his long long trip around the globe. I am in the middle of it..... so more later.
Under Asian Skies my fave' so far.

Here at the NEC Motorcycle show Birmingham earlier on this year.
If you want to ride the world or just learn a bit about life, visit http://www.sam-manicom.com/ also on Facebook.




Post Christmas fat Guy is me........ back on the diet after seeing this picture.
Talking of old gits !!!!!! (He won't mind)


Simon Gandolfi (right) another 'veteran'. At 72 years old he decided to ride a 125cc bike through South America. Old Man on a Bike, his 11th novel shows that age, bike and fitness don't matter.
What matters is determination.
Why I am sat on his knee.... is another story,

Travel, politics , religion, laughs...... all there.

Additional reading

Ted Simon and Jupiter Travels, & Jupiter Returns. The Bibles of RTW.

Lois Pryce, Lois on the Loose and Red Tape, showing that ladies can do it too.

Dan Walsh, . These are the days that should happen to you. One of my faves.

(RTW one of my shortened phrases, Round The World. Also see M/c as Manchester, and R2M need you ask?).

There are many more good travel writers that have done the 'Biker Thang' , sorry if I missed you out.

You may notice I haven't mentioned Charlie & Ewan and the Long Way Round/Down teams.

Well YES they have been an influence, and YES they get slammed for having support team, and multi million dollar backing.

Despite this, they produced a great series that put pictures to many places mentioned in the books above. They gave Charley Boorman a career, and Ewan another £m or so.

After only watching the whole series 10-15 times.......... I am a fan, and lets face it. ALL those that lampoon their methods, would have swapped places without hesitation.

As the Mercat says: "Simples"*****

BIG NEWS MANCHESTER

GREAT NEWS WOW,
Within the next 7 days, the final planning will STOP and re-start as there will be some awesome news about the trip. Can't say more at the moment, BUT IT'S FANTASTIC NEWS.
Happy Face..... 8-)
SSSHHH! 7 days and all will be revealed.

URGENT
The route between the towns called Manchester have to be 'looked at', and en-route 'things to see' places to visit, bike events, people to meet.
It's a long road, and this part of the 'plan' is what will make the video, book and blog worth it's salt.
If you live in the areas, near or on the route to Manchesters across the USA (see list) PLEASE send ideas.
FACEBOOK Roadto Manchester Twitter; @Road2Manchester or here on comments. E-mail Road2Manchester@37.com


SEE YOU ON THE ROAD.

Happy New Year

2011 arrived and I am a little sad.
It has been 3 years since the concept of taking this bike trip to Manchester was born.
I guess reading just about every motorcycle road trip book out there, added to the videos, the TV coverage and my head full of ideas, has created a monster.

On the bright side I have started Roadto Manchester on Facebook, and tjhe @Road2Manchester twiietr page now has almost 2000 followers.
Both media lines have brought Manchester based people to see the quest.
(Thoughts of Monty Python, Holy Grail... "What is your quest?").

So it;s 2011, No job, no income, business closed down, Christmas cost far too much, bike all wrapped up for the winter...... and still no positive GO GO GO! for the United States of Amaniac.

BUT, life goes on and despite this depressing blog today, I still have hope.
I have asked the Facebook foloowers in all the Manchesters across the USA to pass my on (as it were). The request for information about their town and maybe a bit of video put on facebook, is out there.

Fingers crossed. and as they say in the song. "the only way is up".


2nd Jan 2011 Manchester UK (Man1)

Many thanks from Chris in Manchester Montana USA

Merry Christmas

Seasons Greetings to anyone watching. I have had some success with Facebook
Roadto Manchester with photos coming in from new friends in Manchesters across the US. (see below).

Xmas Eve tomorrow and with 9 for dinner on Christmas Day, the prep starts for the big one.
The bike has been relegated to the garden and fully sheeted up against the freeze that continues. Minus 13.5 this week, is pretty much a record for Manchester (1) and the ice has not melted for 3 weeks now. Not rare, but unusual for us.

This Christmas is a low profile one as our pockets are bare (as they say).
Work dried up in November and the lack of funds means a quiet, low spend Xmas this year. This also does not bode well for the trip of a lifetime, which is fast becoming a road to nowhere.

Still, Rome wasn't built in a day.

Merry Christmas (Happy Holidays for the US) and looking forward for a better 2011 all over.

Manchester Montana yesterday. Cool

Trip by Twitter

Having just read a web report about a guy that travelled the world, through help from twitter followers, the seed has been planted.
If a man with no transport, money or maps, can get around the globe, then surely I can get support from this media and facebook, to get to Manchesters 2 to 36.

The 'as the crow fly's' mileage has been calculated at 8976 (US) which in real terms could be 12,000 on the road. (250-300 per day = a month on the road).

@Road2Manchester on twitter is heading for 1000 followers and following 2001 (limit for Twitter until I get 2000 followers) I am still looking for methods of getting contacts in the USA Manchester's This is a slow process.

Contacted Manchester.com today to seee about a new e-mail address ending in @Manchester.com. Thought process for the 'who@' being, road2@manchester.com. Comments please.


Big Plan: It seems daft to transport my GS to the USA and add $000's to the costs. So idf I can get enough media coverage, I will approach Harley, Triumph, Victory, BMW for a free loan bike.

The Film.
The video camera bought off e-bay is not quite as good as the advert stated.
Digital.... its the future.
As my aging ACER laptop has just about died after 5 yrs of abuse, coffee spills, drops, cat sitting on it to keep warm, memory full, a new one is on my xmas list.
The trip has to happen now, the problem is the cost. I have had no work for 6 weeks, the crappy UK weather has put a stop to the already crucified building sector as the UK's economy hit a lifetime low (My lifetime certainly). Christmas is just 10 days away, and I have never been so broke, and know many friends and family that are having money trouble.
Bad times, but this makes me more determined to get this project 'on the road'.
Two years ago I thought of the idea, the time is right.

The Manchesters

Other than adding Manchester, Mexico, the route from East Coast USA to West coast via 32 towns called Manchester, continues as a PLAN. Add Manchester UK (Man1) and the route is still unclear. I am looking for an on-line mapping / route maker that wuill allow 32 addresses to be added and routed, without paying for a new program. The sponsorship SEARCH CAME TO A HALT a few months ago. it would seem the world economy does not allow for the 'small' NON celebriry endorsed films. not sure some time in the lime-light or infamy makes it more suitable. still looking for information regarding the Manchesters. Some are small groups of houses, some towns. do you have any info about the following: Manchester Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
Manchester, IA 52057, Manchester MO,
Manchester, TN, Manchester, AL 35503 , Manchester, GA
Manchester, IN 47041, Manchester, CT, Manchester, MA 01944
Manchester, PA, Manchester, AL 35976
Manchester CA , Manchester, IL , Manchester, IN 47933
Manchester, KS 67410. Manchester, LA 70647, Manchester, MD Manchester, Manchester, NC
Manchester, OH 44319, Manchester, SD 57231
Manchester, VT, Manchester, WI 53946, Manchester, KY 40962, Manchester, ME 04351 , Manchester, MI 48158
Manchester, Sun Prairie, MT 59404, Manchester, OH, Manchester, OK, Manchester, TX 75412, Manchester, WA
twitter; please add me to your followers list at road2manchester