When I started to write my book Mockers after watching the Bikeriders starring Tom Hardy in August 24, I was already looking forward to the trip of a lifetime touring the Wild West on a Harley Davidson in the Spring of 2025. Little did I know, at that time, that my determination to write a story about Mods and Rockers, in an effort to capture the mood of the early sixties and the creativity of that counterculture which kicked started the huge changes that shaped the second half of the twentieth century, would become an obsession. Although the film Bikeriders was authentic in following the records from a diary kept at the time, I left the cinema disappointed that motorbike enthusiasts in clubs or chapters called Hells Angels, were depicted as killers, drug barons and everything antisocial. There is no doubt that some, even a large number of them in the States were in fact all of these things. But many were genuine free spirits that loved; the open road, the wind in their hair and the freedom that riding a beloved motorcycle offered.
It was with that in mind that I committed to my biker mates that I would write a novel that tried to capture another side of that period in the UK which would reflect the creativity of a post war generation. Yes, there was violence, risks and a sense of the old giving way to the new. But, the music, the fashion and the daring that came from that generation set the tone for a period that became known as the swinging sixties. For almost eight months I worked almost twenty-four seven on the project in an effort to get my novel ready for a soft launch ahead of my departure to the States on the 24th April 2025. This piece is not, therefore just about Mockers, but more about the excitement and pure joy that I enjoyed riding over 2,900 miles in fourteen days with fourteen other riders and subjecting them to a daily dose of Mockers marketing as we rode together out there on the highways of the Wild West.
Day 1
My biker mate Rob, (who is the inspiration behind a character nicknamed Jokerman in the Mockers novel), and I met at Heathrow terminal 5 excited that the day had finally arrived when could set off on a trip of a lifetime. We had failed to persuade our other biker mate Ken, (the inspiration behind the character nicknamed Nester in the Mockers novel), to join us, but as we are all well over seventy, we understood his reticence concerning the physical demands of fourteen days on a bike.
Having checked in we were subjected to a six-hour delay to our flight due a technical fault with the plane. The downside was that we would miss the briefing with our Tour Leaders and meeting our fellow riders in a detailed orientation meeting that evening. The upside was that we both received over £500 compensation from British Airways for the delay. We were told to check in at the Hilton LAX Hotel close to LA’s International Airport as soon as we arrived and report for breakfast at 7am the next day for a slimmed down briefing and to meet our fellow riders.
Day 2
After breakfast we set off to transfer to Eagle Rider in LA to pick up our bikes, but not before I was able to introduce our Leaders; Steve and Chantel and our fellow riders from Holland, Australia and Germany to my newly released novel Mockers. I committed to award a signed copy after a draw at the final dinner of the trip.
Collecting our bikes was a smooth exercise. I had selected a Harley Davidson Heritage Softail and after posing for a picture astride the chopper from the movie Easy Rider we set off southwest eventually riding the winding mountain road down to Lake Elsinore.
After lunch we wind our way up more mountainous roads into San Bernardino National Forest, skirting the slopes of San Jacinto Mountain. The views were spectacular, the bike was good and for the first time I wanted to pinch myself. Fourteen more days of this I was living the dream. As we descended into Palm Springs the air got warmer and we enjoyed a welcome dinner together chatting bikes and all things American.
Day 3
I woke full of excitement. Today this was one of the places I had dreamt of visiting, Joshua Tree National Park. After a hearty breakfast and lots of banter particularly from the Dutch, two couples who were extremely good riders, had latched on to my book committing to buy a copy after lots of leg pulling and understanding where the name Mockers originated. In the Beatles film “A Hard Days Night” Ringo Star was asked by a journalist if his hair style was that of a Mod or a Rocker he replied “neither it’s a Mocker” it never stuck as a label but seemed an entirely appropriate name for my novel.
Joshua National Park was extraordinary full of bizarre looking desert trees as we looped through the park struck by the unbelievable rock formations. We left the park and descended into Twenty-nine Palms dropping into the vastness of the Mojave Desert. My breath was taken away and this was only day three. Then just as I was thinking things could not get better, we entered on to the Historic Route 66 and the famous Roys in Amboy. We stayed on Route 66 for the rest of the day crossing the desert into the State of Nevada arriving in Laughlin for the night. If someone had said, “that’s it you are going home now” I would not have complained having been blown away already by the experience.
Day 4
We continued on Route 66 into Arizona riding into Kingman considered to be the heart of the “Old Mother Road” Route 66. From Kingman we headed for Seligman on one of the longest surviving stretches of Route 66 heading off on a Northern Loop through the Hualapai Indian Reservation. After lunch we continued our ride towards the majestic Grand Canyon and one of the greatest sights I have ever seen. By the end of this day I had gained the reputation of “an old Rocker” regularly breaking out into sixties songs and testing my companion’s knowledge of good old sixties Rock and Roll, not to mention selling the attributes of my book.
Day 5
If things seemed that they could not get any better, we swapped our bikes for an unbelievable helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon with fantastic views. By now all of us were on an incredible high from the first five days and the helicopter experience. We swapped the helicopter for our bikes and cruised along the south rim of the canyon leaving the Grand Canyon National Park at the East Entrance heading towards the incredible Monument Valley. This is Navajo Country with classic Wild West landscape of stark sandstone buttes and forbidding pinnacles of rock, poking from an endless expanse of drifting red sands. I felt dwarfed by the vastness of the scenery although I was thundering along on my Harley, I imagined I was John Wayne on a film set riding my steed. It’s only when you ride into Monument Valley that you realise how much your perception of the Wild West has in fact been shaped this one spot.
After dinner that evening, we rode into the park, swapped our bikes for a pick-up driven by a Navajo guide, descending into the valley as the sun set, our guide sang native songs as we went. Magical does not seem to be enough to describe this moment. I felt the true spirit of this nation through the chanting of our guide and the reflection of the giant monuments a soft pink in the sunset.
Day 6
As we rode from Monument Valley we stopped at the exact spot that Tom Hanks as Forest Gump stopped his epic run with his followers to go home because he was “tired now”. This backdrop is a favourite for the tourist and selfies. We rode on past sleepy Mexican Hat a frenzied gold-mining camp and then past the valley of the Gods where much of the movie Thelma and Louise was filmed. We crossed the mighty Colorado river where it pours into Lake Powell. Our ride continued along the southern tip of Capitol Reef National Park and finally on to Bryce Canyon. Two days of unbelievable scenery, great riding and my head hit the pillow thinking it doesn’t get better than this!
Day 7
Well, I was wrong!! Bryce Canyon sucked the breath out of me, such incredible colours, rock formations and just plain beauty. If there is anywhere on the planet better than this, I thought, then I will be amazed. Again, how wrong I was. We rode into Zion Park where the rock formations got even better and the riding with gorgeous switchbacks brought a big grin to my face. This was riding heaven. Finally, we made our way to that human made gambling oasis Las Vegas.
Day 8
A day free to rest my butt from the intense wonderful hours in the saddle of my Harley Davidson. Being a Triumph disciple, I had resigned myself to tolerate these American machines and not complain or even fret over not having my beloved Triumph Rocket 3R with me to ride. Curiously, however, I was gaining some affection for my HD Heritage Softail as we had covered well over a thousand miles together in 7 days. Anyway having visited Los Vegas before I had little desire to do the tourist stuff so Rob and I drank some beer and chilled under the glittering lights and sounds that only Vegas has on this planet.
Day 9
Back in the saddle, patting the tank of my steed as if it was the mane of a horse we set off for Death Valley – one of the hottest places on earth. Nothing in the days before could prepare us for the unbelievable day ahead. Death Valley is vast a space that only by seeing it and feeling can you comprehend what the early settlers endured as they made their west for the promised land! We spent almost ten hours in the saddle in the blistering 40 degrees C as we crossed through the heart of the valley itself riding a series of mountain curves and descending below sea level. Continuing West we are winding through dramatic desert terrain before climbing out of the valley towards the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Finally, we make our way to Bakersfield a vibrant city known for its country music heritage. What a day! Exhausted I flopped into my hotel room thinking, what would my biker characters in my novel have made of that incredible ride.
Day 10
Leaving Bakersfield, we headed north to the majestic scenery of the Sierra Nevada. I had long given up anticipating what was ahead. My mind was blown away already by the experiences so far. I was not alone our group of riders were bonding and feeling a fellowship that only bikers on the open road feel. Well, hold on to your hats we rode through the infamous Tioga Pass, I was as high as a kite with the excitement during this ride. Nothing can prepare you for this experience. Tioga Pass the gateway to Yosemite National Park. We rode through winding granite canyons; the rode demanded our full attention with muscle-flexing turns for the first several miles. Then suddenly, the landscape changed and unfolded into a breathtaking masterpiece of towering cliffs, cascading waterfalls and ancient majestic ancient redwood coniferous trees. Our hotel was just outside the park with a raging river running past the patio of my hotel room. We persuaded our leader, Steve, to take us back into the park the next day to take in the breathtaking El Capitan a 3,000 feet vertical rock formation. A huge attraction for adrenalin junky free climbers, unbelievable.
Day 11
After our quick return visit to El Capitan, we headed towards San Francisco. We descended into Gold Rush country. My mind switched to imagine the pioneers that made it through the hostile countryside, battling the elements, the natives and of course Death Valley to their destination to strike it rich. I had a magnificent motorcycle to carry me through the wild west they had wagons and horses! We pass through the small mining towns before the mind-blowing ride of the winding roads of Old Priest Grade. This is a roller coaster of a ride with dangerous bends and the steepest descent in the area. Finally, we get a glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge the most famous landmark of San Francisco.
Day 12
A day off in the magnificent San Francisco. A city full of funky people, the wonderful cable car and the vibrant waterfront restaurants. Along with Sydney and Cape Town I think San Francisco is my favourite sea front location for that great sea food experience. A weird experience was ordering a Waymo, which is a driverless Jaguar Cab. It arrives, in you get and off it goes with the steering wheel turning as if driven by the invisible man. The car manoeuvred through the traffic with ease and after thirty seconds I felt completely at ease with this weird ride.
Day 13
Before heading to the legendary Pacific Coast Highway, we took the opportunity to ride across the legendary Golden Gate Bridge an unforgettable experience. We hugged the rugged California coast of the Pacific Ocean. This was the beginning of one of the best motorcycle rides in the world. Breathtaking views of coves and inlets as we made our way to the seaside town of Monterey and the famous “Cannery Row”. This is Monterey’s iconic waterfront district the history here is real pirate stories and a blend of adventure, relaxation and history.
Day 14
We continue our ride on the scenic Highway 1 along the edge of cliffs of the Big Sur Coast, 90 wild and undeveloped miles of rocky cliffs form a subline landscape where redwood groves line river canyons and the Santa Lucia Mountains rise out of the blue-green Pacific. We stop to observe an Elephant Seal Rookery and then wind through Cambria and Morro Bay to finally arrive at Pismo Beach. Truly a great day’s ride.
Day 15
Our last day riding, we take Highway 1 towards Los Angeles with the Pacific Ocean to our right and coastal mountains to our left. We begin riding through vineyards that make so many great California Wines. We cruise through Santa Barbara hugging the coastline straight into the famous Malibu area. Next, we rode through Santa Monica LA’s oldest and biggest resort. Finally, we arrived at Hawthorne where Eagle Rider’s headquarters are located to return our bikes and transfer to our Hotel for a Good-bye dinner with group.
By now my head was swimming with any number of memories. The ride was demanding but fun. We covered over 2,900 miles and apart from a few sore butts we were all in one piece. The farewell dinner was full of exchanges about our epic journey together, the bond between bikers is extraordinary and that was true of our group. Rob and I kept shaking our heads at how quickly our ride of a lifetime was over. But over it was, and we celebrated a wonderful experience with our comrades. I was able to award a copy of my book Mockers to the German guys who won the draw despite leaving us at Las Vegas. I promised to post them a copy when I returned to the UK. We did another draw and our Swiss friends who had joined at Las Vegas won my only copy of Mockers which I signed. We parted better for sharing such an amazing experience. The rest of the group committed to buy a copy of Mockers, a story about Mods and Rockers in the sixties full of fashion and music that shaped the swinging sixties. Well, I suppose they had no choice I had sold the book every day and sung many of the songs from the period featured in the book. They humoured and even tolerated me pretending to be some kind of swinging sixties rock star and I won’t forget the experiences we shared together on the open road in the Wild West.
