You think you’re tough? Just because of that thousand-mile shot you did in a torrential downpour with no rain gear? We all have our tales, but you ain’t heard nothin’ until you’ve stepped into Glen Heggstad’s size 13s and saddled up for an eight-month, 25,000-mile South American hell ride.

You can do so (vicariously at least) via his riveting account, Two Wheels Through Terror. What this man endured redefines dedication to the sport. And that’s just the riding conditions, to say nothing of the weeks of starvation and torture that were inflicted upon him when taken hostage by a leftist rebel faction in Colombia. Not exactly your average motorcycle journey.

Heggstad is an adventure motorcyclist, a martial arts champion, a former Hell’s Angel, and a fiercely passionate guy. His writing deftly captures everything from the delicacy of the South American jungle to the horror of having an AK-47 stuffed up his nose (an amazingly frequent occurrence). He is also very frank and insightful about his emotional state, which is rightfully a tenuous roller coaster. The very concept of embarking on a trip like Heggstad’s guarantees you’ll face a nightmarish and potentially fatal set of circumstances. Bon voyage!

An oddly likable man, Heggstad relishes his experiences, no matter what the conditions. In fact, there were many less-harrowing sections of the ride that I envied while reading the book. For anyone who loves motorcycling and adventure, or perhaps is considering a similar assault, this book is a must. Despite suffering a staggering assortment of calamities, Heggstad completed the ride and looks back on his experience with poise. By the way, as I write this, he is in the midst of a two-year, two-wheeled tour of the world.

Still think you’re tough? RB

SOURCES

Two Wheels Through Terror
by Glen Heggstad
$24.95
Whitehorse Press
Available through www.greaserag.com