Sandraiders is a motorcycle rally. It is adventure, adrenaline, passion, freedom - so the website says. It was founded by Pep Segura and a team of experienced rally experts, most of whom have competed professionally during the legendary early days of the Paris-Dakar event. That is the inspiration. But this one is not for the pro's. It is not a race, and is aimed squarely at the enthusiastic amateur rider who wants a taste of Dakar dust.
There are 2 events - one in Morocco that has run multiple times, and a new event for 2023 in Tunisia that I have entered. I wanted the Morocco 2024 event to be my goal, but that was fully booked and for some odd reason the Tunisia one was not.
WHY?
Why not? Without knowing the task at hand, if you say to me something involves adventure, pushing your boundaries, a hint of danger, learning new skills, mental and physical input, some teamwork / camaraderie and it all takes place somewhere I've never been before......well I'd probably put my hand up, Throw in the words motorcycle and desert, and I'm all ears.
I rode motorcycles in my teens and 20's but as many a biker will tell you, other life events often cause you to leave it behind. Now, aged 51, with the career stable and the family able to function perfectly well without me around for a few days (insert your own quip here), it's time to re-scratch the biking itch. But that said, the thought of road riding in the UK didn't really excite me. You simply can't get near the edge of a bikes performance on UK roads (weather, speed cameras, too much traffic, road conditions etc). Yes, there are a few lovely blasts if you get away into the hills, but where I live in the Midlands, I probably have a 2 hour ride just to start enjoying some of those nicer areas of the country. So not the road. Track days are an option - you can certainly get near the limit, but really I don't have the talent or balls to push a bike that hard.
Why the desert? It's hard to explain. I've spent some extended time in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain during my career and something just connects. I know what hard work in oppressive heat feels like, so that doesn't scare me. Some people love the vistas of the Alps or the moors and I understand that, but in the desert there is a vulnerability in the vastness, and a certain serenity in the sand. I love it.
So off-road it is. Generally lower speeds; a new skill to learn (I'm under no illusions that off-road style and technique is very different); you are - I think - nearer to the edge all the time and it is on the edge that the fun happens; and I haven't found out for sure yet, but if the option is a 50 mph slide down the local road, or a 50 mph dip into the sand dune, I'd rather get sand up my nose.
There are a few snags to overcome however, mainly that I've never tried it and I don't have a bike. So this blog and this adventure is the story, if you wish to follow, of going from off-road newbie to hardened Dakar-like pro! The event, the training, the logistics, the bike, the injuries and hopefully - if I get there - the event itself.
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