Some of you may already know Lois Pryce, otherwise known as “Lois on the Loose,” (the name of her first book). She’s the energetic and adventurous fiery red-head from England who’s become known in motorcycling circles for her courageous solo motorcycle tours of the world, including politically dangerous countries like her most recent trip to Iran.
Lois is back from that 3000-mile trip of Iran and in a newsletter to her fans that I received she reveals, “I have recently returned from another trip to Iran. The popular image of Iran here in the West is of course, hardly welcoming, and I admit I set off with some trepidation. Was it really wise for me to ride a motorcycle alone in this pariah nation of Islamic extremists, with all its gruesome facts and figures surrounding women’s rights, free speech and treatment of political prisoners?”
We’ll have to wait for more details when she releases a book about her journey. In the meantime, here’s a 4-minute video she put together to tease us.
Lois Pryce is a pioneer of today because she doesn’t let fear get in the way of seeing the world and its people despite tremendous obstacles including negative news headlines. And experiencing new cultures on a motorcycle, as we know and she knows, can be a great way to break down barriers.
Lois was invited to be the keynote speaker at the AMA Women and Motorcycling Conference in Keystone, Col., in 2009, where she and I first met. She kept the crowd of mostly women motorcyclists on the edge of their seats sharing her story of realizing the fate of her life when staring at the walls of the cubicle in the office where she worked. She wanted so much more for herself than a 9-to-5 workday life. Thus began her journey of learning to ride a motorcycle and shortly thereafter venturing on her own from Alaska to Argentina.
She chronicles that adventure in her book “Lois on the Loose.” Her next book, “Red Tape and White Knuckles,” is the nail-biting, rip-roaring tale of her solo African adventure, riding from London to Cape Town, crossing the vastness of the Sahara desert, the lawless jungles of the Congo and the minefields of Angola.
Lois plans to write a book of her Iranian motorcycle adventure, and in February 2015 she heads to the U.S. to begin a speaking tour that starts at an event in Maryland. Hearing Lois speak should be on your list of things to do as a motorcyclist.
Visit her website, LoisOnTheLoose.com, and check out her photos of Iran. And be sure to buy her books. This is how Lois makes a living—writing and speaking about the daring motorcycle expeditions that inspire us all.
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Thank you Lois for being brave and open. I miss Iran so much. Your video is so genuine. Traveling is such a human thing.
My family lived in Iran for three years, just before the Shah fell. We had many Iranian friends. Many of those folks preferred to call themselves Persian. Even then, there were sharp contrasts and polarities to the rich human depth of Iranians and the building pressures between theology and government. So many of the Iranian folks we came into contact with were kind, sensitive, intelligent, and deeply heart centered. Lois on the loose brought back so many fond memories. Iran taught me it’s wise to look past conflicting political/religious policies and to look into the heart and eyes of the person in front of me. Travel is a gorgeous way to challenge prevailing ideas that just might not serve the greater good.