India Ride: Two Brothers, Two Motorcycles, One Incredible Adventure

by Ryan Pyle, Colin Pyle

When Canadian brothers Colin and Ryan Pyle finished their record-breaking motorcycle adventure around China in 2010, they promised themselves that it would be their last such venture. Of course, they were wrong. Back in the saddle again, Colin and Ryan have set out to tackle the diverse country of India, and they had no idea what to expect! Whether it was monsoon rains, crashes in Mumbai, the claustrophobic roads of Kerla or even a brutal paragliding landing in Manali; nothing could stop these two adventurers as they triumphantly completed a 54 day―14,000 km―motorcycle circumnavigation of India. In an Indian expedition of un-foreseen extremes, Colin and Ryan battled the Rohtang Pass in a rainstorm, made a pilgrimage to the most visited holy site on earth in Amritsar; they also jumped off a perfectly good mountain and learned how to make the perfect cup of Indian tea in Darjeeling. If that seems like a lot, all of this was done while traversing over isolated mountain passes, blazing a trail through the roasting hot deserts and battling the insane traffic of Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata. In their book The India Ride, Colin and Ryan take us with them as they make their way through the remarkable and stunning landscapes of India. In the end, the brothers had learned what it takes to succeed as a team as they had circumnavigated a billion people, pushed themselves to new limits, and shared in an adventure that most of us will only ever dream of.

280 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 2013

About the author

Ryan Pyle is an adventurer, television presenter, producer, public speaker and award-winning photographer. His career has spanned over a decade in some of the most exciting places on the planet. Ryan strives to shed light on locations and situations that are often kept in the dark. Prior to 2010 Ryan was an award-winning photographer for magazines like the New York Times, TIME, Newsweek and Fortune. Since then, he has enhanced his story-telling abilities by making adventure travel television programs that take place in remote parts of the world. Ryan is available for lectures, public speaking, television interviews and everything in-between.

Ryan is currently a regular contributor to the world's major international publications, such as: Time, Newsweek, Fortune, Forbes, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Spiegel, and the Sunday Times Magazine. During the last nine years, while pursuing journalism stories in some of the most interesting corners of China, he has built up a significant amount of "on the ground" experience that has transferred well into television and the academic community.

Recent Awards
2010 - PDN Photo Annual - Winner
2009 - PDN 30 - Emerging Photographer
2009 - Magenta Foundation - Flash Forward Emerging Photographer

Television Series
2014 - Sacred Mountains: CHINA - Presenter / Producer
2013 - The India Ride - Presenter / Producer
2013 - The Middle Kingdom Ride - Presenter / Producer

Publications
2014 - Chinese Turkestan - Photography Book
2013 - The India Ride - Written Book
2012 - The Middle Kingdom Ride - Written Book

Affiliations
The Asian Institute - Affiliate Member
The Explorers Club - Member
Guinness World Record Holder - Endurance Motorcycle Riding in China

Reviews

[Lisa Kearns · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second adventure of the Pyle brothers I've read, the first being their Middle Kingdom Ride. I lived in India as a young teenager (in the mid 1970s), and was looking forward to reading this book to see how things had changed or were the same. India left a permanent, wonderful mark on my soul, and I think anyone who has lived there for a decent length of time feels the same.

There were so many parts of this book that were so familiar to me - the crazy traffic, cows and people wandering out into the road, the head waggling gesture, the ancient temples and the romantic Taj. It was a very crowded country even 35 years ago, so I wasn't surprised to read that it's even more populated now.

I remember our first six months living in New Delhi - culture shock almost paralyzed us, and we didn't like it or want to stay there. Every thing we were exposed to was foreign and wore on our bodies and minds. We had dysentery several times before we adjusted to the food and water. But once we adjusted, we didn't want to leave. We came to love the food, the music, Bollywood movies, the weather, and the people.

The brothers' ride was 54 days of pushing hard to meet a schedule and keep costs from going over, and I'm sure culture shock was part of the reason this book seemed more negative than the China ride. They did stop to visit temples, wineries, factories and other attractions, but always with the next day's goal in mind. They didn't mention much about the foods they ate other than to say they planned to eat vegetarian to avoid illness. Just the variety and spices in the food in the various regions could have filled chapters, as could the wildlife and vegetation in the wilderness areas. They didn't mention the marigold necklaces and incense in the temples, or the colorful saris on the women and the kohl rimmed eyes even seen on small children. Life moves at a slower pace there, and it would take months longer to really see and appreciate the culture and beauty.

I did enjoy this book, especially reading about the closeness between the brothers and about the many helpful and friendly locals they met along the way. I felt sorry that the brothers spent their trip while suffering culture shock, while on motorcycles trying to meet a deadline. That's no way to explore a new country, and I hope looking back they have some good memories of their trip. I haven't heard whether this trip will be made into a DVD, but I'd love to see footage of things that weren't in the book.

[Liquid Frost · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, don't take this book as a travel guide or anything remotely in that vein. If the formula holds true with the authors' Middle Kingdom Ride, this book is a companion piece with a DVD as well as a print-layout filled with photography from the journey. The India Ride feels rushed when compared with The Middle Kingdom Ride and lacks the same passion I sense on their China experience.

In a nutshell, two brothers and two motorcycles (along with a support vehicle) navigate around the bulk of India for a 54-day ride mixed with scenic and historical locations, some rain, and a lot of traffic and terrible road conditions. In fact, when we in the U.S. talk about failing infrastructure, it is minor, comparatively speaking, to India. At least that is my feel after reading this book. I have not been to India, but this book sort of turns the reader away from planning that trip.

Where I enjoyed The Middle Kingdom Ride book and DVD (not so much for the print layout), I found The India Ride read to be average and not very engaging. I'm still surprised the two survived both trips. I'm letting this read slightly effect my view of India, but I'd still like to visit someday.

Read March 2015; Copy supplied by author/publisher for review.

[Jada Ryker · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Where are you from? Where are you going?"

Siblings Colin and Ryan Pyle travel India on their motorcycles. The most frequent questions they hear are: "Where are you from? Where are you going?"

The brothers chronicle their journey. The color photographs act as illustrations of the trip. Interestingly, they learned an important lesson. Each country has its own challenges.

Ryan Pyle is also the author of Chinese Turkestan: A Photographic Journey Through an Ancient Civilization, which is a great collection of photographic art.

[Marina Quattrocchi · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've never been to India and want to get a feel for the country, this very readable book is a great option. Unique in the fact that it is written by two brothers Ryan and Colin Pyle who take turns describing their harrowing trip around India on motorbikes. I'm really looking forward to purchasing their DVD's of the trip which will further bring the book to life.

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have never been to India but this book needs less judgement of a foreign culture. No matter how valid, the complaining made the book less enjoyable.