Richard Evans
Tour Guide
I’ve been nothing short of obsessed with bikes (and cars) for as long as I can remember, taking every opportunity to test out my grandad’s Honda C50 from the age of 8. I simply couldn’t wait to turn 16 and get on the road. Eventually, the day came, and I found a Honda MT50 in a very poor state, which I brought back to life.
After Technical College, I joined the Royal Air Force and trained in avionics and surveillance radar systems. I passed my bike test at 17 and found a decent Suzuki GSX250. Soon after, I came across a Honda CX500 Eurosport, which I used to travel from Weston-super-Mare to Carlisle and back most weekends. A year later, in 1986, I bought a Yamaha XJ650 Turbo, an incredible bike back then and one I still own to this day.
In 1991, I moved from Northumberland down to Norfolk with the RAF. Always keen to improve my driving and riding skills, I joined the IAM and passed the car test in a Renault 5 Turbo and the motorcycle test on the XJ650 Turbo.
After 14 years with the RAF, I needed a change and started working as an engineer with Orange Telecoms. I took full advantage of all the overtime I could get, and the bikes came thick and fast. Having traveled all over the UK by bike, foreign trips became more frequent, especially long weekends at the Nürburgring. In 2005, two friends and I decided to go racing with BMCRC. I did okay, with some 5th and 6th place finishes, though I never managed a podium. A whistle-stop tour to the Ducati factory and regular tours to France, Austria, and Switzerland followed—not forgetting a three-week tour in the USA and a honeymoon by bike in New Zealand.
Ten years passed, and my career took me into national TV and radio transmission. Having raced bikes, I turned to car racing. Along with a friend, I built a decent car from a £250 MOT failure. We were very successful, accumulating quite a number of trophies over the years. I later built a 1996 BMW E36 M3 and raced in the Toyo Tyres Race Series. This proved to be much tougher, though I did okay and managed a few podiums. I also raced in the Armed Forces Race Challenge several times and even managed a win on Armed Forces Day—making it onto the telly as well.
I discovered Magellan while planning a tour down to Montenegro in 2017. I was very impressed with the level of organisation and the route that their Croatia tour took. One phone call later, and I was booked. From there, there was no going back. Having a bed booked for each night and the routes prepared was a revelation. I met some great people on that first tour and still regularly meet up with them. The following year, I booked onto the Picos and Portugal tour, and off we went again. It was during this tour that I set my sights on becoming a guide with Magellan.
Six years on, and here I am—a fully-fledged Magellan guide with over twelve tours under my belt. In my spare time, I’m a committee member of our local RoSPA group (Suffolk Riders), where I also maintain their website and tutor associate members for their advanced test. I pride myself on being handy with both a spanner and a Sat Nav (though not necessarily at the same time!), and I look forward to welcoming you on my next tour.
Check out Rich's three favourite trips