Welcome to Thoughts from the Road. Here’s Tom Randall on what it’s like riding a motorcycle around the world with your dad…
Thoughts From the Road is a corner on Mad or Nomad for motorcycle travellers to share short stories from their experiences travelling the world. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion.
By Tom Randall
RTW motorcycle traveller
Father and son, Tom Randall, 30, and Clint Randall, 56, from Gloucestershire, UK are travelling around the world on a variety of motorcycles.
To save cost on shipping they have used a mixture of bought bikes and long term rental. They left the UK in March 2025 and plan on returning home in April 2026.
Follow their awesome adventures here:
Facebook: Randall’s on the Road
Father and Son Around the World
A deep and fast-flowing river blocks our path. We had just ridden a long dirt path to get here and now we’re stopped in our tracks. It doesn’t look safe to cross, so instead of making a plan, the idiot in front of me just wheel-spins in the soft dirt, spraying me with sand and cow muck. Great.
That idiot is my dad. I’m Tom Randall, and I’m riding around the world with him – despite the cow muck. As a kid, I grew up hearing my old man’s tales from the round the world motorcycle trip he attempted back in 1992 with my mum.
Unfortunately, they were knocked off their bike in Turkey. My mum was understandably shaken by this and made the decision to fly home and end the trip there. My dad rode their BMW R65 back from Turkey to the UK in a few days and had to put a pin in his RTW dream.
Life kept getting in the way and years flew by without him getting the chance to complete the trip he once started…
Our turn
Growing up, I knew that one day I would ride around the world. But I led a troubled lifestyle in my teenage years into my mid-20s, and the idea of actually doing it started to look like an old dream.
My relationship with my old man was very rocky growing up. So, in an attempt to bridge the gap between us, he bought a motorcycle project for us to work on. This became the new beginning of our relationship – and my passion for motorcycles.
After going on a few riding trips around Europe together we decided that we would do our own round the world bike trip. The planning was minimal, and we both agreed that our route would avoid the expense of carnets and visas. Fortunately for us, we are both extremely tight with money.
We also decided on using two of the same bikes to limit the spares and tools we had to carry. But, the most important part was that we would both be dealing with the same discomfort, and be happy riding the same speed and distance per day as each other.
Life on the road
The best thing about my dad teaching me the ropes of motorcycle travel, is that he basically moulded the perfect travel companion for his style of travel.
Life on the road for us has been fantastic. The places we’ve ridden and the friends we’ve made along the way are memories that will stay with us forever.
And it’s not just the good stuff. We’ve overcome problems and the challenges of the road together – as a team – and that has truly reinforced our relationship like nothing else could.
When we had a difference of opinion, or a sense of humour failure, we just had to get through it. If I were travelling with friends, I think I would have split from them when times get tough and frustrating. But having a travel companion you share blood with means that going separate ways simply isn’t not an option. We’re in it together.
Perhaps the most bizarre thing is, we’ve both started to think the same. And I really do mean the same! We can be riding along and he will say something over the intercom that I was thinking at that exact moment.
Sometimes it’s not even related to the riding or the surrounding scenery. I yell “Get out of my head!” and we both laugh at how weird it is that we’ve become so similar.
This trip has been utterly brilliant, we’re nine months in and still have three months left until we return back to the UK. Through the ups and downs of the trip I know I will be going home with countless stories, memories of the most spectacular riding imaginable and a newfound appreciation of the UK – but most importantly, I’ll return with a best mate who happens to be my dad.
Tom Randall
Randall’s On The Road
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Share your thoughts in the comments below…
Great stuff….. Th eHorse is still fine as well – so don’t panic. Look forward to some stories when. you get back !!
That’s THE horse – Not eHorse btw….
I’ve really enjoyed your updates. What a brilliant thing to do with your dad.
Enjoy the next three months. What a wonderful life experience.
Great write up, thanks for sharing. Hope to hear/see more about the trip!