Mike Carter - The Uneasy Rider
 

I'm wondering what happened to Mike Carter, author of Uneasy Rider and erstwhile member of this site.


I've just finished his book, and noted with interest that Horizons Unlimited got several mentions as being the finest resource for bike touters and also as a place to make contact with people.

I know he's not the only published writer to have popped up on the site at one time or another, perhaps before they've made their trips. I can think of the Tuk-tuk girls as well. I'd love to have the chance to find out a bit more from Mike, and the other authors too, and personally I feel it's a bit of a pity that they've dipped in to find out info without staying in to add in their own information.

Dan Walsh made a few comments in http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...160_AA115_.jpgand has had a cameo on here, but i'm sure he is otherwise engaged hooked up with some crack whore tooting Bolivia's best, way to go.

Had a chat over on ADVrider with the real "Boris"; good guy. It seems that Mike doesn't routinely belong to any of the internet communities. I enjoyed his book too.

I've got to ask this, did anyone who read this have an occasional urge to slap Mister Carter round the face and say "Pull yourself together man, you've got a free motorbike and a contract with the Observer for a weekly column?"

Or was that just me?

I enjoyed reading his book, but it didn't make me want to follow the route he took or the tank of a bike he used. Was it me or did he seem to consume a lot of beer along the way! But a good book to read in winter.

speaking of books, I am currently reading Ted Simons 'dreaming of jupiter'. I really enjoyed the 'jupiters travels.' Some how ( and I only half way through it) this is not so enjoyable. less excitement, almost melancholy.. I find I can put it down for a few days, unlike the first one. Usually it takes me a day or two to read a book, but this one has been hanging around for nearly three weeks :(
I get the feeling he is more going through the motions, rather than living it.
They say you should never try to go back and this has convinced me.

I agree about 'Dreaming Of Jupiter' I was expecting it to be written in the same spirit of 'Jupiters Travels' but at times I felt the trip seemed like a chore. I think he should have taken a totally different route or one with more of a purpose at least. His first book I must have read 6 times over the years. I've started reading Simon Gandofi book which is amusing. Motorcycle Diaries is a good read too because it has some adventure not just border incidents which aren't really incidents just par for the course...

I actually enjoyed the the melancholy of "Dreaming with Jupitor"..

I found Jupitors travels quite hard to read at times... Although It was certainly more of an adventure!

He was brave to go back to the same places. I think that is the whole point of his trip and the book.. A comparison of how the world has changed.

You know when they say "Never meet your heros, you will only be dissapointed", I found that he had this feeling going back to the places where he first had his adventures.

It was a good comparison to see how the world has shrunk incredibly with technology and the cheap plane fair. I felt sorry for him at times as he probably knew this was the last time he would ever see these places too.

I don't blame him for coming accross tired in places... Riding RTW is an exhausting thing to do for a man half his age.

Mike is still a travel writer at the Guardian.

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Sue and Jo in Mike Carters book
 

Hi,
We are Sue and Joe in Mike Carters Book!

It was great travelling with Mike...funny as a fit!

I believe he is writing another book now about a bicycle trip he did.

We send him emails every now and then...he is very slow to reply!

Must get sick of writing I guess!

Love to see him again and we hope he finds what he is looking for!

Cheers, Patrick and Belinda Peck and Miss Adventure II (XTZ750)
www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/peck:D

I don't think reading Dreaming of Jupiter would have inspired me to travel in the same way Jupiters Travels did 25 years previously, but having spoke to Ted about it I am not sure it was intended to inspire but let people know how the world had changed in that time from his perspective.

Uneasy rider has made me want to visit Albania:scooter:

I made custom earplugs for him which he promptly left at a petrol station very early on in the trip. Got a mention but not so much as a company name or plug. Not massively impressed TBH...

Not my fault the dozy codger can't keep his kit safe :)

Nice enough guy, ego big enough to fill the O2 - was going through / had just divorced IIRC

Don't know what became of him, hopefully good things.

Mike's doing really well and yes, he did write a book about cycling around the UK. I'm told that it's even better than Uneasy Rider. I didn't like him for the first couple of chapters of that book by the way, but then he seemed to get in the swing of things and the story racked up more than a couple of notches. I enjoyed it. If anyone would like to know more, or to meet him even, he's signed up to be book signing and to do a presentation at the HUBB UK. Nice.