The University of Gravel Roads: Global Lessons from a Four-Year Motorcycle Adventure.  Written and narrated by Rene Cormier, founder of Renedian Adventures.

Pull up a chair around the fire and settle in to listen to a mesmerizing tale as Rene Cormier brings you along on his round-the-world motorcycle trip. Never one to get bogged down in excessive details, he does it the old-fashioned way: no sponsors, no support vehicles, and no idea about what he is going to learn along the way.

Published in 2011, UGR highlights Rene’s four-year solo-motorcycle journey that took him around the world.

At the end of a great day of riding and exploring, have you ever wanted nothing more than to fall asleep, exhausted from new experiences, only to wake up the next day and do it all again? And again? And again?

Join the adventure as 33-year-old Rene Cormier politely removes himself from the working world and cashes in what few possessions he has to finance a three-year-long motorcycle journey around the world. Never one to let excessive planning get in the way of a good ride, Rene runs out of money half way through the tour. Ultimately he takes five years to cover his 41-country, 154,000-kilometre (95,000-mile) route.

Written with equal measure of cultural insight and travel logistics, this captivating story brings you alongside Rene as he pulls off the ride of a lifetime, doing it the old-fashioned way; no sponsors, no support vehicles, and no idea about what he is going to learn along the way.

About the Author

At age 33, Rene Cormier cashed in his physical world to finance a five-year around the world motorcycle tour. The travelogue of that ride, The University of Gravel Roads won the Bronze medal in the 2010 Independent Book Publishers awards. The book was also the winner of the 2011 DaVinci Eye award, and a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Award for Short Prose and Independent books.

Rene and his South African wife Colette split their time between their home in western Canada and guiding motorcycle tours in southern Africa, Mongolia, South America and Canada. He joined the Ted Simon Foundation's Committee of Advisors in 2012.

Reader Feedback

Reading The University of Gravel Roads by Rene Cormier will change your life...if you let it. It is a must read for every adventurous soul. As I finished the final words my hands lingered before closing the book and I sat wondering...what are my dreams? If failure is not possible, where would I go? ... what would I see? ... what would I do? Without another thought I ordered 3 more books, one for each of my adult children. May the pages, may the journey, may the tales Rene tells inspire each of them to reignite their BIG dream too. Louise Smith, Dec, 2021

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