10 Years on 2 Wheels: 77 Countries, 250,000 Miles

by Helge Pedersen

It may well be a cliché to talk about learning through the University of Life, but this is just how Helge Pedersen has matured and developed his personal philosophy over the 10 years it has taken him... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0944958389
• ISBN13: 9780944958384
• Release Date: June 1998
• Publisher: Elfin Cove Press
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 2.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 8.4" x 12.1"

Customer Reviews

Amazing journey, incredible photographs

Helge is one of those amazing people who can precisely capture a moment on film - whether it's a remarkable shot like that of Olga in a tiny canoe, or his own profile, snapped with one hand as he rides along in the desert, he puts us right there with him. He's a remarkable man, who spends a goodly amount of time leading groups of people on motorcycle tours all over the world. If we Seattle-ites are lucky, he'll then come back and put on a slide show presentation a local BMW shop._10 Years on 2 Wheels_ is the story of his incredible journey around the world on his bike. He suffered through truly horrid conditions; multiple feet of snow, scorching hot sun, abysmally wet days and nights...he's given new meaning to the term "gut it out." This book takes you to all of the places he went, and shows many of the adverse conditions he went through. Viewing the photographs, and reading the accompanying texts, the reader is indeed present during Helge's travels. We see unspoken details of people's lives in countries we may never travel to ourselves, the splendor of some of the world's best scenery, and more.I recommend this book highly to anyone who appreciates fine photography, travelogues, or motorcycles. You'll be shaking your head in amazement throughout the book.

Up Close and Personal

"Up close and personal" is how I'd describe Helge Pedersen's collected tales of his 10 year solo peregrination around the world on motorcycle back. How does Mr. Pedersen tell the monumental story of quarter of a million miles on the road? By treating us to vignettes in words and pictures that embed colorful memory bits in the traveler's psyche. Without totally covering us with the mud and exhaustion that undoubtedly filled many of his waking and sleeping hours, Mr. Pedersen instead treats us to slices of life we'd never in a million years be able to experience. He cleverly weaves a Scheherezadian tale full of people and politics, nature and native customs, friendships and hardships, and with each chapter leaves us begging for more. Each photograph is also a journey in itself, giving us an angle of view that makes us feel we're right in the action as it unfolds. The "Geographic" quality photos are further enhanced by the creative graphic design of the book which sets the dramatic stage for us to enjoy Mr. Pedersen's adventures to the fullest.

Brilliant photos of riding around the world !

The first time I saw this book it was only available in Norwegian. Then the author, Helge, came to the US while I was there, to present a slide show of this travels. Ah, not just any slide show! Not only did Helge give a splendid presentation that I believe convinced many in the audience to plan their own long motorcycle travels, but he brought along some copies of the English-language version, which is every bit as fine as the original. Helge is not just a rider, but an expert photographer, certainly qualified to grace the pages of magazines such as National Geographic. The large format of 10 Years on Two Wheels makes it an excellent gift.

World class photos, exciting story, charismatic author

Helge Pedersen is one of the most traveled and internationally-known professional touring motorcyclists in the world, and well-known to the world's motorcycle press. His book is beautifully done- world class photos. And Helge's story is extremely entertaining. He is both humorous and humble as he relates anecdotes of his travels-definitely not a 'tour guide' view of the world. Helge's portraits of people show such sensitivity and elegance. It's very obvious how much he respects his subjects. His photos of the landscapes are dramatic, different. It's an easy read. I love this book.

World wide trip with breathtaking photos & amazing stories.

Pedersen's quarter-million mile journey around the world on an on/off-road BMW motorcycle ranks among the most amazing travel experiences ever. He set not just to go around the world, but to see and photograph the world, and that's what he did in his decade-long trip through 77 countries. When he was done, BMW traded him a brand new bike for his old one so that they could put his in their museum. The author is a photojournalist, and the book includes many stunning images from the trip. The dustcover photo alone is breathtaking -- a shot taken from the back of a dugout canoe in the Panamanian jungle, looking forward towards the motorcycle wedged amidships. The book differs from Ted Simon's classic tale of world motorcycle travel, Jupiter's Travels, in being more photo-intensive and in the sheer scale of Pedersen's journey -- six times the number of miles that Simon covered in going around the world on a Triumph motorcycle in the 1970's. The text is well written, and gives a good sense of the author's state of mind and philosophy on travel as well as the ups and downs of spending ten years on the road. For anyone who's ever fantasized about riding a motorcycle through distant lands, this book is particularly appealing, but you don't have to be a motorcyclist to appreciate the scope and detail of Pedersen's story as presented in Ten Years on Two Wheels.