Lessons in Storytelling: Belstaff and Biking Round the World
An amazing video created by a world class British sportswear and motorcycle apparel brand, depicts a lawyer leaving his career in order to reinvent himself in a round-the-world bike journey.
The video was produced by Belstaff, a world class British sportswear and motorcycle apparel brand, that has been worn by great adventurers like T.E. Lawrence and Amelia Earhart, and it’s a great example of storytelling done right.
Penn cycled nearly 25,000 mile over the course of three years. “It’s not about riding fast,’ he explained, “it’s not about getting there; it’s about the journey to get there. It doesn’t matter when you get there or indeed even if you ever do, but keeping going on the road – that’s the bit that counts.”
Penn describes the “meditation in motion” achieved while cycling long distance. Like other endurance sports, many athletes achieve a sense of clarity that’s hard to reproduce. It’s the sort of thing creatives dream of, although the three year break isn’t exactly feasible for everyone.
Since leaving his job, Penn has made a career out of journalism, with cycling a favorite topic of his.
“I’ve always enjoyed trying to interpret what a bicycle means to me, so that means writing and riding a bicycle have always gone hand-in-hand,” he explains. “How you interpret that experience and how you make it resonate for as long as possible after you’ve got back is a really important part of the journey.” He’s also a motivational speaker, and is the subject of the documentary “Ride of my Life: the Story of the Bicycle.”
Be sure to check out some of the other awesome Belstaff Adventures and follow them on Facebook. These guys are the coolest!