“Small bikes can do big things”

For many riders motorcycles are as much a leisure pursuit as they are a means of transport. But in Africa bikes can be much more important than that, and are the perfect dependable, affordable and versatile way for doctors and other healthcare workers to reach far flung communities that would be difficult to reach quickly by any other means. And we’re not talking the big, expensive premium adventure bikes popularised by the likes of Charley Boorman and Ewan MacGregor and now the go-to choice for many European hobbyists. Instead, healthcare workers and those supporting them depend on smaller, cheaper and simpler bikes that can survive on basic maintenance in the toughest of conditions.

Tying these threads together, Brighton-based rider training outfit RideTo will be riding a trio of small, sub-125cc bikes the 800-plus miles from Brighton to John O’Groats next week to raise money for a charity called Two Wheels For Life and prove “small bikes can do big things”, whether that be start you on your personal journey on two wheelers or deliver life-saving care to remote communities.
The riders comprise RideTo founder James Beddows, motorbike influencer Levana Wolf and Kane Avellano, the youngest person to have circumnavigated the world on a motorcycle. Their choice of bikes will be suitably eclectic, James telling us he’ll be riding the Vespa that helped kickstart his own two-wheeled awakening while all the bikes will be sub-125cc style machines any beginner can ride on a basic CBT test and L-plates with the kind of training RideTo offers at its centres around the UK and has informed the new rider advice pages here on Autotrader. The journey will be documented on RideTo’s social media channels, with daily videos and more besides.

Money raised from the ride will be used by Two Wheels For Life to help source suitable motorcycles for the medics who depend on them in Africa, as well as go towards the rider training keeing them safe as they do their rounds in the most challenging conditions imaginable. Two Wheels For Life’s work also includes training up mechanics to help prepare the motorbikes used in the field, and keep them running so the healthcare workers can get to the communities they serve. This also helps create skilled jobs in the areas in which it operates, in a further positive demonstration of what bikes can do.
You can keep track of the RideTo team’s progress on their social channels, and if you feel motivated to show your support and help Two Wheels For Life in its vital work there’s a JustGiving page here. Good luck to all involved!