I sat down and read Free Ride: Heartbreak, Courage, and the 20,000-Mile Motorcycle Journey That Changed My Life from cover to cover. Just like that. Unstoppably. This is more than a travel memoir—it’s an unflinching, personal dive into the thoughts and struggles that shaped the tough, smiling YouTube personality we know as Itchy Boots.
Summary
Without wanting to give away too much detail, Noraly sold everything (including her Ducati Monster) and flew to India, where her journey begins.
Now Basanti, her Royal Enfield Himalayan, may only have one cylinder, just over 400cc, and a modest 24 horsepower, but this story is by no means sloth-like. It’s a whirlwind of gargantuan proportions.
This epic adventure starts in the Himalayas on a rental. Then, there’s a traditional Indian wedding, new friends, the purchase of Basanti, and wads of cash being exchanged for a carnet in a restaurant. From that moment on, Noraly is driven by an insatiable appetite to explore and, more importantly, to keep going.
I’m not going to reveal exactly where she went, but suffice it to say that her anticipated end-stops became waypoints as the journey unfolded across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe—22,370 miles (35,792 km) in all.
What works?
Noraly is bold. And brutally honest. She tells a bloody good story. And she is humble. Before this expedition, her riding experience was limited to wrestling her Monster through the urban jungle. Boy, did she have a lot to learn when the asphalt disappeared.
People skills isn’t something you can just acquire overnight. Noraly is a natural, and fearless when it comes to opening conversations with people who speak foreign languages she doesn’t understand. We’re drawn right into the daily rhythm of her encounters.
The writing is almost conversational. If you could close your eyes, Noraly might as well be sitting in the same room, enthusiastically telling one story after another. And the conversational aspect takes the book to another level because, just as in real life, her mind occasionally wanders and she calls on the past to explain something that’s happening now.
Riveting? Hell, yeah. As I said, I opened my pre-pub PDF and read it from cover to cover.
Personal connection. Who should read it?
A good book can be informative, amusing, thought-provoking…it can be so much. Free Ride is all of that and more. But is it only for motorcyclists eager to become the next Long Way to Somewhere? I don’t think so.
I can relate to Free Ride because of its simplicity. We’re talking Royal Enfield one-pot thumper. Essentials for survival and a huge portion of enthusiasm. Where skill and experience were lacking, humour and endurance prevailed.
So who is the audience? Experienced and novice overlanders alike. But also anyone still stuck on the couch wondering how to start an expedition should pick up a copy of Free Ride—it doesn’t matter if you want to walk it, ride it, or drive it. Free Ride is inspirational because there are no hi-tech bells and whistles that cost an arm and a leg. Noraly buys a solid piece of simple engineering, dresses up in her riding gear, and goes.
Just to be clear, this book is about getting out and doing stuff with the bare minimum of everything. Ok, Noraly stays in hotels. But come on, in certain parts of the world, that’s the best choice for a solo female traveller on two wheels.
I drive a 1963 Land Rover. You can’t get much more basic than that. So when I listen to Noraly, I can certainly identify with her motivation.
Criticism?
I really can’t fault the book at all. Except that it ends with the promise of a future instalment, and I’m left waiting…impatiently.
This may be Noraly’s first attempt at putting ink on paper—her blog never achieved the success of her YouTube channel (2.8 million subscribers!)—but it works. The prose is honest, compelling, and refreshingly free of kerfuffle. So no. No criticism.
Bottom line?
I can’t say much more without giving anything away. So, if adventure and travel inspire you and you enjoy a good read, buy Free Ride. Then clear your schedule—you won’t want to put it down.
ISBN-13: 978-1668092491
