Travel author chooses Avon bike tyres for European trek

Adventure bike rider and travel writer Sam Manicom has completed his latest trip across Europe to Sarajevo, Bosnia on Avon’s Gripster tyres. The author of four books on motorcycle adventures is a long-term user of the Gripster, which he says has allowed him “to ride in some of the most remote parts of our planet”.

Manicom explained, “Every year my partner Birgit and I head off on an adventure and this year we decided to do something that would inspire others to follow – something that was more accessible to people on two or three week breaks from the UK. We wanted to head towards Sarajevo as it is a fascinating city with a dramatic past.”

Riding ‘Libby,’ short for ‘Liberty’ – his 1992 BMW R80GS which now has more than 265,000 miles on the clock – Manicom was joined by partner Birgit on her 1984 BMW R80ST. Manicom enjoyed the whole month-long journey on Avon Gripsters, during which time the bike covered a further few thousand more miles.

“For many of my adventures around the world Libby has been shod by the very excellent Avon Gripsters,” explained Manicom. “These tyres have allowed me to ride in some of the most remote parts of our planet, with the dual purpose nature of the tyres enabling me to cover every form of terrain from the gnarliest dirt roads of Africa to the sweeping tree-lined bends of British Colombia.”

For this trip the pair travelled across France from Cherbourg to the south-eastern corner of the country. From there – and avoiding the major motorways – they rode into and across Italy towards Slovenia, stopping overnight in Trieste before crossing the border. They suffered an accident (no injuries) and a breakdown, but enjoyed much of the Croatian coastline.

Manicom added, “Sarajevo was a delight!  We were looking for adventure and we found it on a mix of roads from immaculate highway, to beaten up gravel cornered country roads to the potholes and heat heaves of Bosnian roads. As ever, the Gripsters did a brilliant job. I’ve tried just about every equivalent I can find and none do the job so well.

“The Gripster lives up to its name. When you are on a long distance overlanding adventure you need a tyre that’s going to give you good mileage and that will cope with as many of the road conditions you are going to come across as possible. That can range from tarmac to potholed tarmac, to gravel, sand and mud. No tyre is going to be perfect for all of those conditions, so you look for a tyre that will work for most of them. For me, that’s the Avon Gripster.”