As seen in The Monmouthshire Beacon: Vanessa Ruck, aka @TheGirlOnABike, explores North Wales on a 4-day motorbike tour. Discover her Snowdonia adventure in Corwen Bay.
Vanessa Ruck, Monmouth’s renowned motorcycle competitor, also popularly known as @TheGirlOnABike, recently delved into the picturesque landscapes of North Wales. In a bid to emphasise that one doesn’t need to hop on an aeroplane to experience adventure and relaxation, Vanessa chronicled her refreshing four-day mini break in the Snowdonia area, specifically in Corwen Bay.
With the clear intent of “unwinding”, Vanessa and her husband were treated to a cornucopia of experiences. From feeling the crisp sea air on their faces on beautiful beaches, climbing ancient castle turrets in Conway Castle, a structure built in 1060, to tasting distinctive dishes from local eateries, the trip was nothing short of mesmerising. The couple’s venture through Snowdonia included breathtaking sights like the Penny Pass and captivating outdoor activities such as stand-up paddleboarding on Colwyn Bay.
Food, always a highlight for Vanessa, became an even more elevated experience as she utilised the Michelin Guide. Emphasising its value, she explained how it steered them to independent, high-quality restaurants instead of the more commercial chains. One particular hidden gem was a restaurant found up a dimly lit staircase, which offered a sumptuous seven to eight-course tasting menu. Another intriguing aspect was a menu that priced beverages based on their distance from the restaurant, an innovation Vanessa found fascinating.
Their exploration also led them to serene waterfalls and various adventure sports spots along the North Welsh coast. Using the Michelin Green Guide, they even chanced upon a splendid castle which allowed visitors to freely explore its historical architecture, offering panoramic views that stretched across the vast sea and surrounding landscape.
To add a twist of modern luxury to the rustic charm of North Wales, Vanessa chose the Michelin Porsche Taycan 4S, an electric car, as her mode of transportation. This choice led to many an admiring glance, not just for the car’s impressive aesthetics, but for its astounding acceleration – 0 to 60 in a mere 4.1 seconds.
For the rest of the Monmouthshire Beacon article see here.
If you’re new to my page – it’s more than just dirt bike riding, Harleys and racing, I’m on a mission to prove that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. See more about my story plus read about my life changing accident, which started it all.
As seen in The Two Wheels for Life: Experience the thrill of Day of Champions & British MotoGP™ weekend. An incredible £275k was raised for a noble cause. Join us now!
We are celebrating the generosity of MotoGP™ teams, riders and fans after a hugely successful Day of Champions & Monster Energy British MotoGP™ weekend at Silverstone.
An exciting weekend saw five thousand MotoGP™ fans enter the gates of Silverstone for Day of Champions, which added to the fundraising activity over the rest of the grand prix weekend raised an incredible total of £275k.
Two thousand fans entered the paddock and pits, with 150 taking to the iconic Silverstone track for one lap as part of the the annual Day of Champions Ride-In and countless more taking part in the raffle and auctions.
Other weekend activities including boosted the total including a Ducati UK dinner raising 10k, Moto X 2 rides raising 13k and tickets including paddock and pit access and ride-ins raising a fantastic 130k.
Incredible auction
The spectacular Day of Champions auction on Thursday hosted by racing commentator Michael Hill featured unique memorabilia and kind donations from teams and riders and alone raised over £90k. Highlights included a MotoGP Legends painting created by artist Rémi Bertoche and signed by many famous MotoGP™ riders that sold for £10k, a Jake Dixon helmet he was wearing when he took a recent Moto2 race win at Assen that went for £3k, a Jack Miller oil drum chair that raised £3k and a pair of signed Marc Marquez boots sold for £4.7k. A unique item of FIM gala dinner tickets for two that went for 4k. One stunning item was a large, hand-built display case filled with signed knee sliders from many of the top MotoGP riders which sold for £6k.
How the money will be used
Day of Champions and the British MotoGP weekend is our biggest fundraising event of the year and essential income for the charity that supports life-saving transport for healthcare programmes that operate across Africa, ensuring the poorest and most remote communities have access to vital health care and services. We are currently focusing on re-building a fleet of 100 motorcycles for the Riders for Health the Gambia programme in order to ensure community health workers in the nation can reach rural areas with vital primary health care services.
Ways to get involved
Day of Champions is over for this year but there are still lots of ways to get involved. Visit our online auctions throughout the year or sign up to our newsletter to find out about events, experiences, competitions and more!
For the rest of the Two Wheels for Life article see here.
If you’re new to my page – it’s more than just dirt bike riding, Harleys and racing, I’m on a mission to prove that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. See more about my story plus read about my life changing accident, which started it all.
As seen in The Monmouthshire Beacon: Join motorbike superstar Vanessa Ruck, thegirlonabike, in an unforgettable journey with Two Wheels for Life at Africa Eco Race.
WYE Valley biker Vanessa Ruck superstar, better known as @thegirlonabike, is set to join British charity Two Wheels for Life as an ambassador, offering her fans an unforgettable opportunity to experience a lifetime journey with her at the Africa Eco Race.
One of the most recognised personalities in the adventure biking and rallying scenes, Vanessa’s career began in 2014 after a car collided with her motorcycle.
As part of her recovery journey, the Monmouth biker set herself an ambitious goal, now a renowned professional rally rider and motorcycle adventurer.
She continues to inspire younger generations, often visiting schools to help children unlock their potential.
Vanessa joins a stellar lineup of ambassadors, including Isle of Man TT legend Peter Hickman, trials star Dougie Lampkin, and ex-500GP racer Randy Mamola.
The motley crew is dedicated to raising the profile of Two Wheels for Life, a British charity that works tirelessly to provide healthcare workers with reliable motorcycle transport, enabling them to reach isolated communities across Africa.
“By working with Two Wheels for Life I have the opportunity to give something back to the people in a part of the world where motorcycles and their effective use literally saves lives,” Vanessa shared her sentiments about joining the organisation.
As part of the partnership, Vanessa will meet the lucky winner of the Two Wheels’ “Win the experience of a lifetime at the Africa Eco Race” prize draw.
The winner will enjoy drinks and conversation with Vanessa about her experiences racing across Africa. This is all part of an all-expenses-paid trip to the finish of the Africa Eco Race in Dakar, Senegal.
Zoe Herron-Coleman of Two Wheels for Life expressed her excitement about Vanessa’s involvement, saying, “We’re really excited that Vanessa is joining us as an ambassador.
She’s an incredible person who has forged her professional racing career out of adversity and is committed to using her influence and experience to do good in the world.”
For just €10 a ticket, fans can also be in with a chance to win an ultimate rally experience with the Africa Eco Race and Yamaha.
For the rest of the Monmouthshire Beacon article see here.
If you’re new to my page – it’s more than just dirt bike riding, Harleys and racing, I’m on a mission to prove that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. See more about my story plus read about my life changing accident, which started it all.
As seen in The Cycle News: Join our sweepstakes for a chance to win an epic Africa Eco Race adventure with Yamaha and support healthcare in Africa. Only €10 per ticket!
The British-based charity Two Wheels for Life is currently running a sweepstakes to raise funds for its charitable program that brings health care to some of the poorest and most remote communities in Africa.
The winning prize gives the winner and their guest a rally experience with the Africa Eco Race and includes flights and five-star accommodations. Tickets are just €10, with no limit on quantity.
Entry for the contest closes on Sunday, November 26 at Midnight. Winners will be announced by Friday, December 1, 2023.
Africa Eco Race Prize Highlights:
Access to the end of Africa Eco Race podium at Lac Rose, Senegal 14 January 2024
Meet and greet with Yamaha Ténéré World Raid team
Drinks in Dakar with Vanessa Ruck ‘The Girl on a Bike’
Two nights bed & breakfast accommodation at 5* King Fahed hotel in Dakar, Senegal
Return flights to Senegal (up to the cost of £1500 total for 2 people)
Here is the official press release from Two Wheels for Life about the sweepstakes:
This year marks the 15th Africa Eco Race, a world-famous rally raid kick starting in Monaco and finishing 6,500km later in Dakar.
The prize will see the winner and their guest experience the excitement of the race event for themselves, with a chance to get up close to the racing and including flights and five-star accommodation.
One ticket costs just €10 and there’s no limit to the number of tickets you can purchase. Bundles are available to make buying multiple tickets a great deal with more chances to win.
This amazing prize also includes a meet-and-greet with the Yamaha Ténéré World Raid team with commemorative photo, plus drinks with racer and Instagram celebrity @thegirlonabike,Vanessa Ruck, where they will hear her stories fresh from competing in the desert race!
We are able to offer this unique prize thanks to the generosity of our friends at the Africa Eco Race, Motor Sports Travel,Yamaha Motor Europe and Vanessa Ruck “The Girl on a Bike”.
For the chance to win this once in a lifetime experience, simply enter at yamahamotorforriders.com, and help the charity reach a three-year €100k fundraising target!
This latest prize draw has been developed as part of Two Wheels for Life’s three-year partnership with Yamaha. All funds raised will help save lives in remote communities across Africa, through the incredible Riders for Health programs we support.
If you’re new to my page – it’s more than just dirt bike riding, Harleys and racing, I’m on a mission to prove that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. See more about my story plus read about my life-changing accident, which started it all.
As seen in The Ross Gazette: Join guest reporter Jack Bishop as he follows ‘Girl On A Bike’ Vanessa Ruck on her thrilling journey through the Qatar desert rally. From her initial hurdles of a non-starting bike and a leaking tank to tackling the dunes with Michelin Desert Tyres, experience Vanessa’s resilience and determination as she powers through the challenges. Discover how she overcomes mechanical issues and finishes strong on day three, securing a 28th place finish out of 55 riders.
GUEST reporter Jack Bishop follows Vanessa Ruck (The Girl On A Bike) as she procedes through her second rally in Qatar.
The Girl On A Bike starts her three day desert race and exploration of Qatar. Monmouth-based racer “Girl On A Bike” started her journey if in Qatar with an immediate set back. After the 3-4 week boat trip from the UK her bike wasn’t starting. Luckily this was only small set back as it was down to the battery not being reconnected properly after being disconnected, due to safety reasons, for the boat trip. Her trip continued to get worse as after finding a leak on the tank.
Once again Vanessa was lucky enough that it could be easily sorted by changing a bolt. She later chose her tyres for the race and decided on Michelin Desert Tyres as their hard exterior and easily glide through the sand as well as keep enough grip, hoping that this decision would make her the favourite out of the 52 racers.
After a quick walk around she could see she wasn’t the only one to make this smart decision as the majority of the bikes had chosen the same or similar tyres. The Girl On A Bike later went to the prologue which started with a huge opening ceremony where Qatar welcomed all the racers from around the world.
After meeting a few travelling. After a rocky start with some mechanical issues the first day in Qatar the day ended well. With excitement and hope The Girl On A Bike can move forward to day two. -With the second day underway Vanessa (The Girl On A Bike) got straight into getting her bike ready for the race however she couldn’t be too early or too late as she would receive a time penalty.
Vanessa started well but 25k in she raced into a problem. The electrics kept fusing, luckily she found a quick fix and managed to keep racing until the fuel stop at 124k. After stopping at the final stop for the day Vanessa had time to take a look at her bike to find where the problems were. She found problems with the stella and road book. The stella was the reasoning for her fuse tripping and needing replacing.
The road book also needed fixing as the bolts came loose and was it was becoming harder to read, luckily this stop only took around 5 minutes so Vanessa didn’t lose too much time.
Day 3 got underway and went quite well with no problems with the bike and a clean finish. Day 3 ended with Vanessa finishing in 28th out of the 55 riders. Vanessa did exceptionally well especially with the problems she faced and ended her trip with a well deserved relaxing trip to the beach.
Watch the action here:
If you’re new to my page – it’s more than just dirt bike riding, Harleys and racing, I’m on a mission to prove that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. See more about my story plus read about my life changing accident, which started it all.
As seen in The Forest Review: Join Vanessa, also known as ‘Girl On A Bike’, as she overcomes initial hurdles and triumphs in her quest to conquer the Qatar rally. From a bike that wouldn’t start to a leaking tank, follow her inspiring journey filled with determination, resilience, and a love for adventure. Get inspired and cheer her on as she tackles the dunes for a second pass at the rally.
Day 1
Monmouth-based racer “Girl On A Bike” started her journey in Qatar with an immediate set back. After the 3-4 week boat trip from the UK her bike wasn’t starting. Luckily this was only small set back as it was down to the battery not being reconnected properly after being disconnected, due to safety reasons, for the boat trip. Her trip continued to get worse as after finding a leak on the tank. However once again The Girl On A Bike was lucky enough that it could be easily sorted by changing a bolt.
She later chose her tyres for the race and decided on Michelin Desert Tyres as their hard exterior and easily glide through the sand as well as keep enough grip, hoping that this decision would make her the favourite out of the 52 racers. However, after a quick walk around she could see she wasn’t the only one to make this smart decision as the majority of the bikes had chosen the same or similar tyres. The Girl On A Bike later went to the prologue which started with a huge opening ceremony where Qatar welcomed all the racers from around the world. After meeting a few travelling fans, The Girl On A Bike made the 8km ride to end the prologue as well as the day.
After a rocky start with some mechanical issues the first day in Qatar the day ended well. With excitement and hope The Girl On A Bike can move forward to day two.
Day 2
With the second day underway Vanessa (The Girl On A Bike) got straight into getting her bike ready for the race however she couldn’t be too early or too late as she would receive a time penalty. Vanessa started well but 25k in she raced into a problem. The electrics kept fusing, luckily she found a quick fix and managed to keep racing until the fuel stop at 124k. After stopping at the final stop for the day Vanessa had time to take a look at her bike to find where the problems were. She found problems with the stella and road book. The stella was the reasoning for her fuse tripping and needing replacing. The road book also needed fixing as the bolts came loose and was it was becoming harder to read, luckily this stop only took around 5 minutes so Vanessa didn’t lose too much time.
Day 3
Day 3 got underway and went quite well with no problems with the bike and a clean finish. Day 3 ended with Vanessa finishing in 28th out of the 55 riders. Vanessa did exceptionally well especially with the problems she faced and ended her trip with a well deserved relaxing trip to the beach.
For the rest of the Forest Review article see here.
If you’re new to my page – it’s more than just dirt bike riding, Harleys and racing, I’m on a mission to prove that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. See more about my story plus read about my life changing accident, which started it all.
As seen in The MSL Magazine: Experience the thrill of the Africa Eco Race with Two Wheels for Life and Yamaha. Enter for a chance to win the ultimate rally adventure and support a British-based charity.
This year marks the 15th Africa Eco Race, which kicks off in Monaco and finishes 6,500km later in Dakar.
Two Wheels for Life are offering one winner and their guest the chance to experience the excitement of the race event for themselves, with a chance to get up close to the racing and including flights and five-star accommodation.
The prize can be entered with a minimum ticket price of €10. There’s no limit to the number of tickets you can purchase. Bundles are available to make buying multiple tickets a great deal with more chances to win.
The prize also includes a meet-and-greet with the Yamaha Ténéré World Raid team with a commemorative photo, plus drinks with racer and Instagram celebrity @thegirlonabike, Vanessa Ruck, where they will hear her stories fresh from competing in the desert race!
The prize is offered in collaboration with the Africa Eco Race, Motor Sports Travel, Yamaha Motor Europe and Vanessa Ruck “The Girl on a Bike”.
This latest prize draw has been developed as part of Two Wheels for Life’s three-year partnership with Yamaha. All funds raised will help save lives in remote communities across Africa, through the incredible Riders for Health programmes we support.
For the rest of the MSL Magazine article see here.
If you’re new to my page – it’s more than just dirt bike riding, Harleys and racing, I’m on a mission to prove that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. See more about my story plus read about my life changing accident, which started it all.
As seen in The Two Wheels for Life: Experience the thrill of Africa Eco Race & Yamaha rally! Get up close to the racing action, flights, and 5-star accommodation included.
About the prize
Our 2023 prize draw will see the winner and their guest experience the excitement of the race event for themselves, with a chance to get up close to the racing and including flights and five-star accommodation. This amazing prize also includes a meet-and-greet with the Yamaha Ténéré World Raid team with commemorative photo, plus drinks with racer and Instagram celebrity @thegirlonabike, Vanessa Ruck, where they will hear her stories fresh from competing in the desert race!
This latest prize draw has been developed as part of Two Wheels for Life’s three-year partnership with Yamaha. All funds raised will help save lives in remote communities across Africa, through the incredible Riders for Health programmes we support. Thanks to the generosity of our friends at the Africa Eco Race, Motor Sports Travel,Yamaha Motor Europe and Vanessa Ruck “The Girl on a Bike” who are making this prize possible.
How to enter
For the chance to win this once in a lifetime experience, simply enter at yamahamotorforriders.com, and help the charity reach a three-year €100k fundraising target!
One ticket costs just €10 and there’s no limit to the number of tickets you can purchase. Bundles are available to make buying multiple tickets a great deal with more chances to win.
For the rest of the Two Wheels for Life article see here.
If you’re new to my page – it’s more than just dirt bike riding, Harleys and racing, I’m on a mission to prove that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. See more about my story plus read about my life changing accident, which started it all.
As seen in The Drive Torque Podcast: Join PetrolPed and JoeAchilles1 in the Drive Torque Podcast powered by Michelin. Hear Vanessa Ruck’s incredible story of triumph after a life-altering car crash, rising to the top in Enduro bike racing.
In this episode @PetrolPed and @JoeAchilles1 head to the Bike Shed Show with Michelin and talk to a very special guest, Vanessa Ruck also known as @TheGirlOnABike shares her incredible and inspiring story of facing up to the challenge and adversity of a huge car crash that left her learning to walk again to competing at the highest level in Enduro bike racing. Welcome to the Drive Torque Podcast, join @PetrolPed and @JoeAchilles1 to talk all things Automotive, we will bring you two episodes per month, special guests and live shows too!
For the rest of the Drive Torque Podcast listen here.
If you’re new to my page – it’s more than just dirt bike riding, Harleys and racing, I’m on a mission to prove that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. See more about my story plus read about my life changing accident, which started it all.
As seen in Concept Carz: Team Williams emerges victorious at the inaugural Scottish Summer Hill Rally in Lauder. Read about their challenging triumph in the beautiful setting of Thirlestane Castle.
Over the weekend of the 17th and 18th June, the UK Tata Elxsi Defender Rally Series competed at the inaugural Summer Scottish Hill Rally based at the beautiful backdrop of Thirlestane Castle, with stunning competitive stages across the eastern border region of Scotland.This event represented the first Hill Rally in Bowler’s 2023 UK Rally program. Hill Rallies are designed to be tough and provide drivers with all-new challenges not yet experienced with gravel and comp-safari stages.
The weather leading up to the rally was perfect with sunshine, hot temperatures, and clear skies. However, this compounded issues for drivers, with pervasive dust affecting visibility. Additionally, drivers were confronted with extremely slippery terrain across the field and hills, and brutal ground conditions in the technical areas. Overall, it was the exact challenge that a traditional Scottish Hill rally is renowned for and a perfect test for our teams as they experienced the wide range of rally disciplines that our Series is designed to provide.
The challenging, harsh terrain led to several retirements due to mechanical and racing incidents, but despite this, the Bowler team’s Defenders finished every stage and continue to impress with the performance, durability, and robustness of a production road car.
The Scottish Summer Hill Rally was designed with a total of 17 stages over two days. With service times limited to as little as 20 minutes and Park Fermé rules mandated, this provided additional challenges to the drivers, co-drivers, and support crew. With such limited times and harsh conditions, repair time from impact damage was highly restricted. This led to the highly experienced and specialist support teams being pushed to the limits to check, maintain, and repair cars as they returned from the pounding they were incurring on stages. The ability to soak up the punishment they were being subjected to is a testament to the design of the standard Defender and the specialist engineering and racing pedigree of the Bowler team. For his sterling work in the service periods, experienced rally competitor and one of JLR’s Chief Engineers, who was working as a technician at the event, was presented with the Spirit of the event by the Bowler team.
Day 1 saw very close competition between Miles Williams with co-driver Andy Dennis against new owner and competitor Richie Wynn Williams and Matt Lowe. A puncture on stage 8 ultimately hampered the new pairing. Remaining very close to them was the pairing of Jorma and Janne Jokela, who were taking on their first Scottish Hill rally, which is at opposite ends of the rallying spectrum from their Finnish roots. Adapting to the challenging environment, Vanessa Ruck and Chris Cuming quickly moved up the field, overtaking several competitors through tenacity and good reading of the terrain. By the end of day 1, they were leading the class. All the teams were adapting well following the initial shock of the gruelling Scottish environment, and thanks to the mentoring of the Bowler team, who have years of experience in these events, the pace was increasing with every stage. The new pairing of Andrew Burgess and Daniel Hutchings settled into the conditions and terrain now presented to them, adapting their styles to manage the car and achieve some impressive results.
Day 2 saw the competition between Bowler teams intensify as familiarity with the cars and terrain grew. Ruck/Cuming dominated the first few stages of the day, which took place around Thirlestane Castle, where they repeatedly achieved top 10 stage time placement. A minor roll incident hindered their performance, and they weren’t able to recover the deficit. Team Jokela/Jokela entered day 2 mentally prepared for the stages ahead, and their timings progressively improved. Jorma commented: ‘Hill Rallies require all-new thinking as conditions barely relate to the snow or gravel I previously experienced.’
Newcomers Paul White and Pete Wilson showed that they are ones to watch next round, working well together and getting progressively quicker. Furthermore, with provenance in circuit racing, White will be applying wider experience on the faster gravel tracks. Christina Dobloug/Dave Hooper ran a consistent race as they develop their in-car partnership to fulfil Christina’s long-term aspirations of competing at Dakar. Andrew Burgess and Dan Hutchings’ target was to drive in a highly considered way to develop further cross-country experience with full support from the team. Their aspirations are to develop in readiness to compete in 2024.
Year 1 graduates Frazer Williams and Mark Acher fought very hard, taking 40 seconds out of Williams/Dennis on one stage alone. However, they weren’t able to recover the gap. If not for their 11-minute time penalty, the pairing would have achieved 2nd place in the Bowler standings. Team Williams/Dennis ultimately maintained a consistent pace and prevailed over the stages for day 2, consistently achieving stage time results within the top 10 of the overall event. If not for their 4-minute time penalty, Williams/Dennis would have positioned 5th for the overall Hill Rally Event.
While the rally was being hosted alongside the Thirlestane Castle Classic car show, Bowler was able to provide some high-energy test rides on one of the official weekend rally stages once the main competition had passed through. Understandably, the smiles and shock on the faces of the lucky participants were obvious to see, and we are grateful to the organizers for helping to share the excitement of a Scottish hill rally with some very happy people.
Dave Marsh, Head of Motorsport, commented: ‘Hill Rallies are a vital part of the Bowler syllabus and the program of training. They are tough on teams and cars but provide an essential experience required by competitors as we develop the widest possible foundation of rally skills in preparation for future Rally competitions. Feedback from clients and event spectators has been incredible, with appreciation of the Defender’s versatility and capability and an appreciation of the skills needed to complete these events. The closeness of the competition demonstrates the benefit of a closely controlled One-Make series where it really is down to the skills of the driver pairings.’
Calum McKechnie, General Manager, comments: ‘This rally has been a huge success for the team against a fantastic backdrop. We could not have hoped for a better inaugural Hill Rally event, and thanks to the organizers for putting on what was a simply superb event. We hosted several sponsors and guests this weekend who were supremely impressed by the Bowler team and our cars. Despite the challenging nature of the event, our customers experienced something very special, and we are looking forward to returning next year with another larger group.
For the rest of the Concept Carz article see here.
If you’re new to my page – it’s more than just dirt bike riding, Harleys and racing, I’m on a mission to prove that nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough. See more about my story plus read about my life changing accident, which started it all.
