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Welcome to chapter fifty of our ‘Ready To Ride’ short stories series.

These are five quick snapshots of what we do, where we ride, the laughs had, and the general shenanigans and goings-on, while riding together over the Himalayas & through South India.

I’m posting these every Friday, and they’re an easy read; a few minutes are all you need.

Enjoy!

Alex Pirie
Founder & Lead Rider

We made it!

Yesterday we reached the highlight of the adventure – yes, you guessed it – Mount Everest Base Camp.

Despite a long journey to get here, the mountain still makes you wait for that perfect photo opportunity, reminding us once again that nature waits for no one. But once you see it, you can’t take your eyes off it.

We spent the night watching the sun set, followed by some local cuisine around a yak-dung fire with great company and a few drams of whisky, before getting our heads down in fully heated, authentic Tibetan-style tents.

There was no lying in, as it was an early start to catch the sunrise over the peak.

It’s safe to say that memories to last a lifetime were made.

If you can picture yourself here, don’t wait too long!

Finish the sentence…

“You must remember to…”

“The more I looked at what Nomadic Knights had to offer, the more they appealed.

I wanted an authentic tour operator that was based ‘in country’ and that wasn’t just about the riding. Most others I looked at were travel agents and middlemen, and not based in India.

Nomadic Knights is more than just a business; it’s a way of life for Alex and his team.

He’s passionate about the country, knows it intimately, and is happy to share that knowledge. He’s a real India expert.

The Roof Of India adventure was everything I could have wished for, and more.

Alex has a great team around him, and the bikes are extremely well-maintained. Any maintenance required is carried out that evening. Every morning, the bikes would be lined up perfectly, and also started and warmed up, ready for us to ride.

You decide how you want to ride. Alex leads, team members mark turning points, and there’s a back rider to ensure no one’s left behind. You have freedom to stop, take pictures, ride as a group or solo. It’s that flexible.

The adventure was full of laughter, stories, fun, exhaustion, selfies with friendly locals (and even officials), amazing food, tingling fingers from altitude and being constantly amazed at how well the Himalayan 450 coped with everything thrown at it.

It’s not a case of why would you choose Nomadic Knights, it’s more a case of why wouldn’t you choose them” – Roger, June ’25.

The penultimate ride of the year…

Yesterday, we finished our September Rode To Everest adventure.

Of course, it wouldn’t be an adventure without a few obstacles in the road, both literal and metaphorical.

And it’s safe to say this ride definitely brought us some curveballs.

But we made it.
Victory belongs to the most persevering, after all.
Kudos to our riders for bringing their grit and determination, and to the team for all their dedication.

Thanks also for the snapshots from the adventure!
The fun doesn’t stop here.

We’re gearing up for our final ride of the year to Everest Base Camp.
If there’s one way to finish a year of riding, this is it.

A real-life time warp…

As we cross into Andhra Pradesh and continue across the Deccan Plateau, we avoid the busy highways, taking the lesser-known routes and riding deeper into South India’s heart and farmland.

It is a lonely, vast and desolate landscape, full of contrasts.

The most striking is the juxtaposition of rural farming villages and modern-day reminders. One moment, you may see oxen pulling carts past shops made of banana leaves, and the next, you are riding past enormous wind turbines and fields full of solar panels.

It feels almost like being in a time machine, thrown through different centuries within minutes.

It’s incredible, and a powerful reminder of just how diverse and enormous India really is.

Enjoy the ride.

I’ll see you on the next one.