I’m blown away to have been included in this list! WOW by Wheels and Hills

Extract from Wheels and Hills:

I invite you to the only such list of the twelve most-liked motorcycle filmmakers on YouTube. The ranking was prepared according to proprietary and proven ‘me like it’ methodology. 

Without further ado, here is a list of ‘The Dirty Dozen Wheels and Hills’ – or the top 12 motorcycle YouTube channels you need to know. Youtubers were presented in a non-alphabetical and random order.

Let me know in the comments if there is someone you did not know before, and what motorcycle YouTube channels you think are worth subscribing to.

4. The Girl On A Bike 

Her life changed in 2014 when she was hit by a car. Since then, after 7 surgeries (including shoulder and hip reconstruction), she has set herself the goal of getting the most out of her life. Addicted to motorcycles with a passion for seeking adventure and perfecting her skills. On YT you will find it in the garage or in the saddle. Vanessa from the UK is a strong player who always tries new things with a smile, travels, reviews and has the garage you’ve always dreamed of.

Others in the list include:

1. Cross Training Adventure

2. Cross Training Enduro

3. Megs Braap 

5. Itchy Boots

6. MOTOTREK

7. Enduro Krzeszowice 

8. Enduro KeX

…….

For the rest or the top 12 motorcycle YouTubers please head to Wheels and Hills here:

Here’s my most viewed YouTube video of 2021 too:

Check out my other media placements here.

“THE GIRL ON A BIKE” in Travel Pocket Guide

I had the honour of chatting to Skylar Grace at Travel Pocket Guide, here’s what she wrote:

Extract from Travel Pocket Guide:

Seven years, seven surgeries. After suffering from a car accident in 2014, Vanessa Ruck’s life, as she had come to know it, was changed. An on-going battle to recover her full fitness, Vanessa overcomes her suffering with an inspiring level of positivity and strength. Travel Pocket Guide spoke with Vanessa.

On an otherwise ordinary day, Vanessa was heading to the lake on a bicycle when the momentary lapse in judgement by one person to jump a red light dramatically changed her life. Struggling through mental and physical pain, Vanessa has powered through several surgeries, including the reconstruction of her hip and shoulder. After discovering the world of motorbikes both on and off the road, Vanessa Ruck started Youtube channel “The Girl On A Bike”, which is dedicated to motorbikes, travel and her experiences. I was fortunate to have had the chance to speak with this incredible woman and find out more about her gripping journey, as well as what’s to come in the future!

Hi Vanessa! First of all, thank you for this opportunity. I’d like to start this off by talking a little bit about your enthusiasm for motorbikes. How long after your accident did you discover the world of motorbikes, and what initially drew you to them?

Surprising to many, I didn’t grow up with motorcycles – I wasn’t a small kid ‘braaping’ around at an early age. I was into the world of four-legged friends and obsessed with horses.

Pre-accident, life was all extreme sports, kitesurfing being the main one. With my body ‘broken’ I had to adapt, but as my recovery continued, I sought more adventure. The road riding on my Harley-Davidson earlier in my recovery had me loving bikes, but I can’t emphasise enough how hard it was to get back out on the road after the accident. It was terrifying and a huge mental hurdle to overcome. But I fought on, determined not to let the accident in my past hold me back, on top of the physical injuries I was battling. Then over time, as my body recovered, I wanted more – the fun and the adrenaline. It was this that made me look to off-road riding. […abstract from Travel Pocket Guide]

For the rest please head to Travel Pocket Guide here:

I had the honour of chatting to Michael Satterfield at The Gentleman Racer, here’s what he wrote:

https://www.thegentlemanracer.com/2020/10/vanessa-ruck-girl-on-bike.html

Extract from The Gentleman Racer:

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Vanessa Ruck an amazing woman who turned adversity into motivation and now uses her story to help others while exploring the world on two wheels. In 2014 Vanessa was riding her bicycle which a car ran a red light sending her to the hospital and starting a journey of rehabilitation that inspired her to push beyond just recovering from her accident. Today Vanessa is an author, spokesperson, motivational speaker, and competitive motorcycle rider with the goal of inspiring others.

Michael Satterfield: Your love affair with motorcycles started before your bicycle accident, what got you interested in riding?

Vanessa Ruck: Surprising to many, I didn’t grow up with motorcycles, I wasn’t a small kid braaping around at an early age. I was into the world of four-legged friends, obsessed with horses.

This all changed when I lived in The Bahamas in my early 20s for 1.5 years, here on a remote island transport was difficult. I couldn’t afford a car, so I bought a Chinese Lifan Enduro 250 motorbike and had it shipped in. There wasn’t a single other bike on the island and I’d never ridden a bike before, but that didn’t faze me. Others can ride bikes, how hard can it be?

 I was however rather shocked when it arrived part assembled in a box! Yikes. Thankfully a trade for a bottle of rum saw a local bush mechanic put it together and I was on my way. I never remember ‘learning’ to ride. I just did it as it was the only way I could get around the island. I was very soon found exploring the remote island of Eleuthera, where I lived, with my spear and fins strapped to the side for spearfishing beach adventures.

Michael Satterfield: What was your first bike?

Vanessa Ruck: So my first bike was quite an adventure, lots of sand and track riding. A Chinese Lifan Enduro 250 in The Bahamas. I then came back to England and realized that it was about time I actually got my full license…I immediately passed my full access license but years went by without having a bike. I guess early in my career and post-university I couldn’t see the financial commitment of a second vehicle as feasible when a car was vital.

Years on, I was living in the UK working 9 miles from home and so I commuted by bicycle. However, this all changed with my accident taking my strong body away from me [read more].  In the years post my accident I was unable to do my commute cycling and thus was driving in our 3.5 liter V6 Mercedes-Benz Viano….which drinks petrol back and forth to work. Once physically able I decided to get a bike, the Suzuki Bandit, to skip the traffic and save money. This was really the first catalyst for bikes taking over my world following the accident. Then came a Harley-Davidson aka a bike comfortable sofa to cruise. 20k miles of touring around Europe….

For the rest please head to The Gentleman Racer here:

I had the honour of writing a piece for Dainese following joining their Expedition Masters

Extract from Dainese:

It’s ironic how you feel most alive when your heart skips a few beats. We’d been warned during the morning’s training on some rocky terrain with a mix of deep sand, hard cracked slabs and loose stone that it might be tricky at times. But as my eyes skip ahead reading the terrain, I knew I needed to focus. A deep breath as I calmed my mind, relaxing into the bike’s rhythm and powering on. The deep sand laces its fingers through the Ténéré’s wheels, like a million little sand hands all desperate to guide me away from my chosen path.  

I roll on the throttle, throwing my 62kg weight as far back as possible to let the Ténéré’s front wheel float through the shifting sands. Our rhythms settle and it feels like we’re part gliding, part surfing. My peripheral vision captures flashes of the sea crashing down below the jagged cliff tops just metres from the track as I try to keep my focus on what lies ahead. My senses are in override – but I’m feeling smooth. And then ‘bang’ – we hit the hidden slabs of bedrock like icebergs in a sea of sand. The front wheel jumps up towards me as the suspension compresses, quickly followed by knees, and we absorb the shock like one long spring. It’s awesome riding here. 

Pulling to a stop a mile later, my heart is racing, breath coming fast and deep, and a smile spread across my face as wide as the expansive views. I was just delighted to still be upright, and the adrenaline fuelled smiles of the other riders with me told the same story. A glance over my shoulder reveals that not all the others following have been quite so lucky. I spot two bikes laying down in the deepest patch of sand. Bars dug in, bikes a dead weight.  

Watching the riders as they draw on their strength and training to lift them free of the sandy embrace, feet struggling for traction, I was very grateful to be watching and not down there with them.  

The full adventure package  

On a trip designed to deliver awesome adventure riding and training in one package, it’s becoming clear why it’s such a winning concept. We’re in Sardinia with Dainese’s Expedition Masters team, riding a lap of the island on a fleet of Yamaha Ténérés, soaking up as much training as our tired brains can absorb, while riding through some of the most incredible mixed riding terrain on Earth. […abstract from Dainese]

For the rest please head to Dainese here:

Check out my other media placements here.

Following living with a skin condition vitiligo since the age of 13 it was an honour to talk to Real People Magazine about how my accident helped me realise that my skin was far less of a concern than I once though.

Vitiligo is a challenging condition to live with, changing ones appearance on an ongoing basis, always changing and spreading. But with the trauma of my accident, it made me realise that the colour of me skin is nothing of importance compared to the battles life can throw as us. Real People Magazine helped me share my story.

My accident made me realise that life is too short!

For more on vitiligo see my other vitiligo articles here.

More from Real People Magazine here.