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Riding Full Circle: What the World Taught Me About Motorcycles, Risk, and Someone I Barely Knew
428 pages, Paperback
Published November 11, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 28, 2026
From the very first pages of Riding Full Circle, I appreciated Heather Lea’s honesty about her lack of motorcycle knowledge and experience. So many adventure-moto books are written by highly seasoned riders who make the impossible feel… well, impossible. Heather does the opposite. Her vulnerability makes the journey approachable. It feels attainable. Motivating. Especially for novice riders who may be quietly wondering, “Could I do something like this?”
One of the most compelling (and unique) threads throughout the book is her transparency about riding with her new partner. The feeling of being left behind. Of watching taillights disappear and wondering if they’d even notice if you tipped over. That ache of riding not just through terrain, but through emotion. Those moments felt incredibly real to me — and deeply relatable. I’ve lived that dynamic. Many of us have.
There’s a powerful scene where they spend most of a day riding separately after an argument, emotionally disconnected. It’s raw. It’s painful. And it’s honest. I found myself wanting to linger there longer — to understand how those emotions evolved, how (or if) they resolved them, and how it shaped her confidence and experience on the bike. That relational tension is what set this book apart from other motorcycle adventure narratives for me, and I wished it had been explored more deeply. I was left wondering about the long-term impact of those moments — especially when, even toward the end, that dynamic still seemed present.
On a personal note, Africa — and Kenya in particular — holds a special place in my heart. I was hoping to experience more of Kenya’s culture and wildlife through Heather’s lens, but much of that chapter focused on the logistics of shipping the bikes. Completely understandable in the context of a global ride, but I selfishly wanted more time there.
That said, this is still a strong four (maybe even 4.5) star read. The book is packed with border crossings, bureaucracy, danger, grit, cultural immersion, dietary shifts, mechanical stress, and the thousand tiny logistical details that make long-term motorcycle travel both exhilarating and exhausting. Heather doesn’t shy away from the realities — including UTIs, missing female companionship, questioning her confidence, and navigating a partner who isn’t always eager to teach mechanical skills (same here, girl. Same.).
Toward the end, her reflections on what it means to undertake such an ambitious journey as a woman add meaningful depth. There’s growth there — quiet, hard-earned growth.
I highly recommend this book to adventurers — especially women riders, and honestly, men too. There is value here in understanding the unique emotional and physical landscape women navigate on two wheels.
I’m especially grateful this is the first selection for our SheADV Book Club, and that we’ll have the opportunity to speak with Heather directly. I may have a few relationship-and-riding questions ready… if they’re not too personal. 😉
One of the most compelling (and unique) threads throughout the book is her transparency about riding with her new partner. The feeling of being left behind. Of watching taillights disappear and wondering if they’d even notice if you tipped over. That ache of riding not just through terrain, but through emotion. Those moments felt incredibly real to me — and deeply relatable. I’ve lived that dynamic. Many of us have.
There’s a powerful scene where they spend most of a day riding separately after an argument, emotionally disconnected. It’s raw. It’s painful. And it’s honest. I found myself wanting to linger there longer — to understand how those emotions evolved, how (or if) they resolved them, and how it shaped her confidence and experience on the bike. That relational tension is what set this book apart from other motorcycle adventure narratives for me, and I wished it had been explored more deeply. I was left wondering about the long-term impact of those moments — especially when, even toward the end, that dynamic still seemed present.
On a personal note, Africa — and Kenya in particular — holds a special place in my heart. I was hoping to experience more of Kenya’s culture and wildlife through Heather’s lens, but much of that chapter focused on the logistics of shipping the bikes. Completely understandable in the context of a global ride, but I selfishly wanted more time there.
That said, this is still a strong four (maybe even 4.5) star read. The book is packed with border crossings, bureaucracy, danger, grit, cultural immersion, dietary shifts, mechanical stress, and the thousand tiny logistical details that make long-term motorcycle travel both exhilarating and exhausting. Heather doesn’t shy away from the realities — including UTIs, missing female companionship, questioning her confidence, and navigating a partner who isn’t always eager to teach mechanical skills (same here, girl. Same.).
Toward the end, her reflections on what it means to undertake such an ambitious journey as a woman add meaningful depth. There’s growth there — quiet, hard-earned growth.
I highly recommend this book to adventurers — especially women riders, and honestly, men too. There is value here in understanding the unique emotional and physical landscape women navigate on two wheels.
I’m especially grateful this is the first selection for our SheADV Book Club, and that we’ll have the opportunity to speak with Heather directly. I may have a few relationship-and-riding questions ready… if they’re not too personal. 😉
February 1, 2026
Hello friends,
There’s a new addition to the Tiger Coward Adventure Motorcycle Library — Riding Full Circle by Heather Lea — and it is an absolute beauty.
This superbly written book tells a pre-pandemic, around-the-world motorcycle adventure that has everything a blockbuster should have: love, drama, tears, vivid descriptions of exotic places, wonderful people (and a few not-so-wonderful ones), strength, illness, plus amazing motorcycles, broken motorcycles, and crashed motorcycles.
Heather Lea — the author and hero of our story — and her boyfriend Dave Sears set out on a two-year motorcycle journey covering the length of the Americas, crossing Africa, spanning Europe and Asia, before finally returning to Canada. And here’s the kicker: this all begins just months after Heather and Dave meet online… in the same year they buy their first motorcycles.
So much to love about this book
Heather is a professional journalist, and her storytelling is compelling and addictive. This is literally a book I couldn’t put down.
Heather and Dave were adventurers long before they were “adventure riders.” As the story unfolds, we learn that beyond being a successful business owner, publisher, and journalist, Heather has also been a backpacker, hiker, whitewater rafting guide, and accomplished mountain climber. None of this is presented boastfully — it just quietly reveals itself until you realize she’s not only the hero of this story… she’s kind of a hero in general.
The writing is stronger than much of what you’ll find in the genre, but what truly stands out is how raw and honest the story is. This isn’t a fairytale. Two years on the road is grueling for the most hardened rider. For a brand-new rider in a brand-new relationship? It would be insurmountable for most.
Heather also provides an excellent portrayal of the struggles faced by female riders in what remains a male-dominated world. I’m distinctly unqualified to speak on that experience, but I do believe everyone in our sport — especially men — should listen and learn. She’s never preachy; it’s simply an honest thread woven into the journey.
Here are the 5 Things I loved about this book:
1. The Writer
I’m in awe of people like Heather Lea. Her strength, bravery, and grit are qualities we can all learn from. She was already successful in business, but when she wanted more adventure from life, she went and got it.
So many people live with regret because they don’t commit to their own ambitions or happiness.
I’m not saying everyone should live like her — but I couldn’t stop hearing the Canadian rock legends Trooper while reading:
If you don't like what you got
Why don't you change it?
If your world is all screwed up
Rearrange it.
Raise a little hell.
There’s a resilience deficit in the world today. Hopefully some of Heather’s grit rubs off on all of us.
2. The Writing
Heather Lea has published over 60 articles in publications including Canadian Geographic, and her skill shines through.
The story flows effortlessly, pulling you into both the journey and her inner world. Her descriptions of beauty and love are vivid. Her portrayals of pain and ugliness are just as powerful.
The most captivating moments come from her in-helmet reflections — the triumphs, the self-doubt, the insecurities. Those honest thoughts make this larger-than-life rider completely relatable.
3. The Spontaneity
Trooper songs were playing in my head the whole time I read this book. Maybe it’s the West Coast connection, but more likely it’s because their music — like this story — is hopeful, fun, and a little wild.
We’re Here for a Good Time (Not a Long Time) could easily have been this book’s subtitle.
Seriously — who sells their business, all their belongings, and says goodbye to friends and family to ride around the world with someone they just met?
Someone who’s here for a good time.
Someone willing to raise a little hell.
This book ROCKS.
4. The Commitment
Two weeks into the journey, an event happens that would have ended the trip for most people.
Not for Heather.
Then come the classic long-term adventure challenges: corruption, theft, brutal roads, mechanical failures — including one motorcycle that enters palliative care. But these dragons are slayed by Heather the Great (with some help from her friends).
Then, just two weeks from the finish line, another event strikes that should have ended the trip.
But she finishes what she started.
And if that’s not heroic enough, read the Afterword — you’ll discover just how much of a champion she truly is.
5. The Bikes
This is a motorcycle journey, and the three steeds in this story are stars in their own right. I won’t spoil it, but:
One bike doesn’t make it
One new bike takes a beating
The third does brilliantly… until it doesn’t
Heather’s relationship with her machines is something only true riders fully understand.
And let’s not forget Dave Sears — his mechanical skills were absolutely critical in getting those bikes around the world.
Final Thoughts
This is a beautifully written account of a two-year, round-the-world motorcycle odyssey that has everything I want in an adventure riding story.
I highly recommend you get a copy — and give a copy.
There’s a new addition to the Tiger Coward Adventure Motorcycle Library — Riding Full Circle by Heather Lea — and it is an absolute beauty.
This superbly written book tells a pre-pandemic, around-the-world motorcycle adventure that has everything a blockbuster should have: love, drama, tears, vivid descriptions of exotic places, wonderful people (and a few not-so-wonderful ones), strength, illness, plus amazing motorcycles, broken motorcycles, and crashed motorcycles.
Heather Lea — the author and hero of our story — and her boyfriend Dave Sears set out on a two-year motorcycle journey covering the length of the Americas, crossing Africa, spanning Europe and Asia, before finally returning to Canada. And here’s the kicker: this all begins just months after Heather and Dave meet online… in the same year they buy their first motorcycles.
So much to love about this book
Heather is a professional journalist, and her storytelling is compelling and addictive. This is literally a book I couldn’t put down.
Heather and Dave were adventurers long before they were “adventure riders.” As the story unfolds, we learn that beyond being a successful business owner, publisher, and journalist, Heather has also been a backpacker, hiker, whitewater rafting guide, and accomplished mountain climber. None of this is presented boastfully — it just quietly reveals itself until you realize she’s not only the hero of this story… she’s kind of a hero in general.
The writing is stronger than much of what you’ll find in the genre, but what truly stands out is how raw and honest the story is. This isn’t a fairytale. Two years on the road is grueling for the most hardened rider. For a brand-new rider in a brand-new relationship? It would be insurmountable for most.
Heather also provides an excellent portrayal of the struggles faced by female riders in what remains a male-dominated world. I’m distinctly unqualified to speak on that experience, but I do believe everyone in our sport — especially men — should listen and learn. She’s never preachy; it’s simply an honest thread woven into the journey.
Here are the 5 Things I loved about this book:
1. The Writer
I’m in awe of people like Heather Lea. Her strength, bravery, and grit are qualities we can all learn from. She was already successful in business, but when she wanted more adventure from life, she went and got it.
So many people live with regret because they don’t commit to their own ambitions or happiness.
I’m not saying everyone should live like her — but I couldn’t stop hearing the Canadian rock legends Trooper while reading:
If you don't like what you got
Why don't you change it?
If your world is all screwed up
Rearrange it.
Raise a little hell.
There’s a resilience deficit in the world today. Hopefully some of Heather’s grit rubs off on all of us.
2. The Writing
Heather Lea has published over 60 articles in publications including Canadian Geographic, and her skill shines through.
The story flows effortlessly, pulling you into both the journey and her inner world. Her descriptions of beauty and love are vivid. Her portrayals of pain and ugliness are just as powerful.
The most captivating moments come from her in-helmet reflections — the triumphs, the self-doubt, the insecurities. Those honest thoughts make this larger-than-life rider completely relatable.
3. The Spontaneity
Trooper songs were playing in my head the whole time I read this book. Maybe it’s the West Coast connection, but more likely it’s because their music — like this story — is hopeful, fun, and a little wild.
We’re Here for a Good Time (Not a Long Time) could easily have been this book’s subtitle.
Seriously — who sells their business, all their belongings, and says goodbye to friends and family to ride around the world with someone they just met?
Someone who’s here for a good time.
Someone willing to raise a little hell.
This book ROCKS.
4. The Commitment
Two weeks into the journey, an event happens that would have ended the trip for most people.
Not for Heather.
Then come the classic long-term adventure challenges: corruption, theft, brutal roads, mechanical failures — including one motorcycle that enters palliative care. But these dragons are slayed by Heather the Great (with some help from her friends).
Then, just two weeks from the finish line, another event strikes that should have ended the trip.
But she finishes what she started.
And if that’s not heroic enough, read the Afterword — you’ll discover just how much of a champion she truly is.
5. The Bikes
This is a motorcycle journey, and the three steeds in this story are stars in their own right. I won’t spoil it, but:
One bike doesn’t make it
One new bike takes a beating
The third does brilliantly… until it doesn’t
Heather’s relationship with her machines is something only true riders fully understand.
And let’s not forget Dave Sears — his mechanical skills were absolutely critical in getting those bikes around the world.
Final Thoughts
This is a beautifully written account of a two-year, round-the-world motorcycle odyssey that has everything I want in an adventure riding story.
I highly recommend you get a copy — and give a copy.
January 26, 2026
Riding Full Circle is fantastic, it’s an incredible, inspiring true story that’s beautifully written. It’s very adventurous while also being highly relatable, and takes you on a journey full of ups and downs from start to finish. I would highly recommend it to everyone, but maybe especially to adventurous women.
Fantastic, Thank you, Heather!
Fantastic, Thank you, Heather!
March 3, 2026
The descriptions of the scenery and places are fine, but her judgemental nature where other tourists are “ignorant” and where she assumes that people without a passport are “too scared to travel” got to me. Maybe other people simply cannot afford to travel or are content with where they live? She projects her own fears onto others. Plus, the poor editing (“reins” are how you control a horse, “reigns” is what a monarch does over a population) made it painful to read. I threw the book in the trash when I was finished and regretted the purchase and supporting the author.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews