The Trail and Adventure Motorbike Podcast

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The Sahara Raid Experience - Skyler Howes on Rally Prep, Pacing, Road Books etc.
Clive is joined by factory Rally Raid rider Skyler Howes, Anna Gilbert and Adam Burton.  Anna shares her perspective on racing with an autonomic condition and fundraising for POTS UK. Together, they discuss preparing for an introductory desert rally, pacing yourself over long stages, and navigating with a road book while staying safe. Skyler also talks about his new team arrangement with Joyride Race Services and ZX Moto, and shares practical advice on training, nutrition, protective gear, recovery, and adapting a bike’s suspension.
In this episode
Skyler explains how Joyride Race Services and ZX Moto are working together on a new rally program.
He discusses why seat time is the most important preparation for long days on a bike.
Skyler shares his simple “30 30 30” morning routine: 30 minutes after waking, 30 grams of protein, and 30 minutes of exercise.
Anna describes how her autonomic condition affects her energy, blood pressure, and heart rate—and asks how to manage fatigue during a rally.
Skyler explains why managing risk and avoiding mistakes matter more than trying to make up lost time.
He shares how he plans hydration and calories for long stages, including why liquid fuel can be easier to consume on the bike.
Skyler discusses rally gear, including airbag vests, hydration packs, desert goggles, earplugs, and chapstick.
He explains how to use other riders as a reference without losing track of your own navigation.
Skyler gives a road book primer, including how to stay ahead of the notes, use “pin drops,” and recalibrate your trip meter.
He outlines his stage-end routine: recover, prepare for the next day, and get to sleep as soon as possible.
Anna explains her fundraising effort for POPS UK and how listeners can find the donation link and prize details on her Facebook profile.
Skyler reflects on the value of taking on a difficult challenge for the memories, camaraderie, and personal growth.
Key takeaways
Prioritize seat time. Getting comfortable with long hours on the bike is central to rally preparation.
Test your fueling and hydration plan. Choose food and drink you can actually consume while riding, and find what works for you before the event.
Manage risk rather than chasing lost time. A mistake can’t be undone by riding recklessly afterward.
Stay engaged with the road book. Tracks can help, but following them blindly may lead you away from the route or a critical danger.
Use known points to reset. If you’re unsure of your position, return to the last point you know was correct and recalibrate.
Prepare for tomorrow as soon as you finish today. Recovery, gear prep, and consistent routines help make long events more manageable.
Make comfort the goal when adjusting a bike. Change suspension settings in small steps, and keep track of your starting point.
Notable quotes
“You either complete it or you quit.”
“Anyone could navigate. It just depends on how fast you can go while doing it.”
Listener note
Anna shares that she is raising money for POTS UK. She says the JustGiving link and details of the associated prizes are available through her Facebook profile @F'ootpegs
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Sahara Raid Experience: Rallying Made More Accessible
Clive is joined by Sam and Atlas to explore the Sahara Raid Experience, a Morocco-based desert event that aims to make rally riding more accessible without losing its sense of challenge and adventure.  They explain how this year’s event combines an untimed raid category for riders who want to enjoy the scenery with a new timed, roadbook-based rally category for those seeking competition.The conversation covers the route, bivouac experience, safety planning, bike and camping options, entry categories, and the event’s mission to make rallying more attainable—especially for Moroccan riders.
Key topics
Who organizes the event: Sam discusses his role as organizational director, while Atlas explains his responsibilities as sporting director, including route reconnaissance, roadbooks, timing, and leaderboards.
Raid or rally: Riders can choose an untimed category focused on riding and scenery, or a timed category with roadbook navigation and competition.
The route: The event includes a prologue and four stages, with varied terrain such as sand, rocks, canyons, and the iconic Plage Blanche.
The marathon stage: Riders head deep into the desert for a remote overnight bivouac before returning to the main camp.
A safety-minded terrain choice: The organizers have decided not to include dunes this year, while still offering plenty of sand riding.
The bivouac and community: The main camp is in El Watia. Staying there for most of the event means less daily packing and more time to relax, share stories, and connect with other riders.
Safety and support: The team discusses equipment checks, satellite trackers, emergency planning, and the support arrangements for remote sections.
Ways to take part: Riders can bring their own bike or arrange a bike and support through a provider. Camping and accommodation options vary by arrangement.
Keeping rally accessible: The event was originally created to give Moroccan riders a more affordable way to experience rally-style riding, and the team wants to preserve that welcoming spirit.
Categories at a glance
Raid: Untimed, for riders who want to enjoy the route and scenery without the pressure of the clock.
Rally: Timed and roadbook-based, for riders interested in competition and navigation.
Notable quotes
“Rally can be whatever you want it to be.”
“If you don’t want the pressure of the clock and just want to ride your bike in nice scenery and enjoy it, that’s why we wanted to keep the raid category.”
“We’re a bunch of passionate weirdos that like bikes and getting lost in the desert.”

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For years, Clive had been trying to get two friends — Lewis and Paul — onto the podcast. Between work, kids, broken bikes and life generally getting in the way, it never quite happened. But one evening, with the garage doors finally shut and the kids in bed, the three of them sat down to talk about something that resonates with a lot of riders: what it means to be a young dad who still loves motorcycles.
It’s a familiar story. You spend your twenties and early thirties riding whenever you want. Weekends disappear into trails, trips, tinkering and the occasional questionable decision. Then life shifts. Kids arrive. Work gets serious. Time becomes something you negotiate rather than own.
And yet — the bikes remain.
The Engineers Who Ride
Lewis and Paul aren’t ordinary riders. Both work in motorcycle engineering — Lewis at Royal Enfield, Paul in another corner of the industry — and both have the kind of technical insight that makes their riding stories even more interesting.
Lewis came into motorcycling almost by accident. After studying mechanical engineering, he worked in oil and gas before realising he’d made a mistake. A job at Triumph changed everything. “If you rode a Triumph,” he laughs, “you could park right outside the design office instead of walking ten minutes from the car park. So I took my test and bought one.”
Today he works in studio engineering, helping shape the earliest stages of new Royal Enfield models — the sketches, the clay, the concepts. He’s the person who tells designers what’s possible, and tells engineers what’s actually achievable. A kind of creative referee.
Paul’s route was different. He’d been a road rider for years, owning big adventure bikes like the KTM 1290 and 890, before discovering off‑road riding. “I got bored of the road,” he says. “I wanted something more adventurous.” Iceland changed everything. After a two‑week trip with Lewis, both men downsized to lighter, more focused machines — Lewis to an AJP PR7, Paul to a Kove 450 Rally and a trials bike.
The Iceland Moment
Their Iceland trip became the spark for something bigger. Paul wrote a journal while he was there — partly because he forgets everything, partly because the experience felt important. When he turned it into an article, ABR Magazine published it under the title “That’s Why Dads Go to Iceland.”
It struck a nerve.
Because for a lot of riders, especially dads, adventure riding isn’t just about bikes. It’s about identity. It’s about having something that’s yours. It’s about coming back home a better version of yourself.
The Time Trade
Both men talk openly about the guilt that comes with riding when you’ve got young kids. The negotiation. The balance. The compromise.
Paul’s wife, Danica, sees his riding as something that makes him happier — and therefore makes family life better. “She told me to stop feeling guilty,” he says. “I come back nicer. More engaged. More fun.”
They have a simple system: they trade time. Paul gets a weekend here and there. Danica gets her own adventures — bikepacking, running, whatever she wants. They each have their own bank account for hobbies, so money doesn’t become a source of guilt either.
Lewis has a similar arrangement. “We’re sensible about it,” he says. “We don’t disappear for whole weekends. We meet Friday night, ride Saturday, and I’m home for bedtime. Or we ride after work. You fit it around family life.”
Both men agree on one thing: kids aren’t a burden. They’re brilliant. They’re the best part of life. But riding gives them something that makes them better dads — a reset button, a breath of fresh air, a reminder of who they are outside of nappies, school runs and sleepless nights.
The Bikes That Make Sense Now
Their bike choices reflect their lives.
Lewis rides an AJP PR7 — light, capable, occasionally temperamental. He spends more time fixing it than riding it, but when it works, it’s magic. He rides technical trails in Wales, ACT routes, and the occasional North England loop.
Paul has gone full off‑road: a Kove 450 Rally, an old Africa Twin, and a trials bike. “The Kove is awful on the road,” he laughs. “I rode it to Whitby once. Hated it. Got a van now.”
Both men have learned the same lesson: lighter bikes mean more fun, less stress, and fewer injuries — especially when you’re riding on borrowed family time.
The Young Dad Reality
The heart of their conversation is something a lot of riders feel but rarely say out loud.
When you become a parent, your time stops being yours. Your energy stops being yours. Your weekends stop being yours. And yet, the desire to ride doesn’t disappear. It just becomes harder to justify.
Lewis and Paul have found a way to make it work — not by riding less, but by riding smarter. Shorter trips. Earlier returns. Mid‑week blasts. Shared responsibility. Mutual respect.
And the truth is, they’re not riding instead of being dads. They’re riding because they’re dads — because it keeps them grounded, happy, sane, and connected to the part of themselves that existed before parenthood.
Why This Matters
Adventure riding magazines often focus on big trips, big bikes, big landscapes. But the real stories — the ones that resonate — are often smaller. They’re about people trying to hold onto something meaningful while navigating the chaos of modern life.
Lewis and Paul aren’t influencers. They’re not chasing sponsorships. They’re not trying to be famous. They’re just two young dads who love bikes, love their families, and are trying to make both fit into the same life.
And that’s a story worth telling.

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Support the show
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/borders
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/iros-young/a-perfect-day
License code: FOOTKTRUKPPKRCAR

Send us Fan Mail
Support the show
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/borders
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/iros-young/a-perfect-day
License code: FOOTKTRUKPPKRCAR