Howard Gilbert
Tour Guide
I have always loved travelling on two wheels. As a child, I spent most of my free time on a bicycle, discovering the country lanes of Oxfordshire, often in trouble for cycling miles from home where I shouldn’t have been. Ever the explorer from a young age!
My first motorised two-wheeler was a Honda Super Cub 50cc, ridden while I was studying in Japan. When I hit 21, I did my direct access and progressed through a Honda CB1100 and then a CBR600F, perfect for London and the surrounding country roads. In 2005, I was living in Cartagena, Spain, where a GSX600F became my passport to the sweeping landscapes of Murcia and Andalusia.
After one too many long stints in the saddle, including an almost non-stop five-hour blast home from the Lake District, I traded the CBR for a far more comfortable Yamaha FJR1300, which I’ve had for a few years now. The FJR is so capable that I can ride all day, for days on end, and I try to do exactly that as often as possible.
I’ve ridden across many parts of the UK, and in Spain, Norway, Thailand, Japan and Australia. In 2022 I passed my IAM test and have since organised group rides for friends. Riding gives such a sense of freedom and connection with your surroundings. There really is no better way to see a place.
When I’m not on the bike, I work as an osteopath, teach Japanese in the evenings, serve as taxi driver to two teenagers, and attend to the demands of two cats. I have also been known to attempt the bagpipes. Cover your ears!
Check out Howard's three favourite trips