Like many who write, I am an avid reader. This has been a serious condition for me since I was very young. Apparently, I was told by my parents, I learned to read a bit early. There is a great little red school involved in that story, somewhere, though not here. Since I am a part of the motorcycle riding community and I do some writing about it as well, I do tend to read plenty of moto-related books and publications. One recent addition to my list of completed books is the work of Mark Gardiner, a motojournalist who, if you are reading this, you have likely read in the pages of bike magazines many times before. He is "Riding Man", or at least that is the title of the book in which he details his personal Isle of Man TT challenge. The book also had some parts of it printed in Motorcyclist, Red Rider and on RoadRacerX.com. His ‘TT journal’ from his experience at the 2002 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy (TT) became the book as we know it and was actually printed in 2006. I came to it through my own blog when noting that he was heading this way on a book tour for "Riding Man." Gardiner made an appearance at one of my local dealers, MotoCorsa in Portland, and I managed to get myself there that night.
Arriving just a bit late to the event - not unusual here - I missed just a few minutes of Gardiner’s PIC on this tour, one Ed Milich. Said author’s work, "Wrenched: Man and Machine", a book of moto-poetry - also sounded quite good, even if thinking critically (I hope to be reading it soon), but my wallet was and is currently on a strict diet and it hurt my non-generic cereal purchase for the next few weeks just to pick up "Riding Man." After listening to both of them speak, and grabbing a cup or two of coffee, I was excited to get reading. I also did get the chance to meet and spend a very brief time speaking with Mr. Gardiner; even got an autograph…can you make that out to “eBay Customer”? He was an easygoing guy and reminded me in some strange way of Neil Hodgson, only a bit shorter. That’s supposed to be a joke…aren’t Canadians usually blessed with a great sense of humor?
His tone in "Riding Man" will certainly give you that impression. His often self-deprecating humor really lets you see some of your own 
doubts in his prose. And, he is fearless – though he claims otherwise – in just about every aspect here; he tells the reader almost every detail of his adventure, and he rides in the TT(!). This is one of the methods he uses to draw in an audience who may have some familiarity with his quest – even if you have only thought of it as a fantasy – and put you there on the Isle of Man in 2002. He is honest in his writing without being self-conscious and allows you to take in what he sees as a product of his experience. Much of the time judgment, if it is absolutely necessary, is left to the reader. And, I found most effective the way Gardiner explains moments in time using creative metaphors to which all of us can relate. Putting that living paddock smell in your nose takes some skill.
At first the story jumps around a bit, but for good reason as it helps bring together his character for the reader. I like that he started it off with the very beginning, his birth, and how he came across his first recognition of the Isle of Man - a map in an encyclopedia. Not many of us come across this place in such a way. He then fast-forwards to his first trip to the TT in 2000 where he nearly gets an abrupt end to his journey before it even really gets started; all thanks to an unknown rider who manages to save both himself and Gardiner. Finally, after the hoof and mouth disease non-TT year that was 2001, he sells just about everything he owns and heads to the Isle of Man at 47 years-old. Taking on such a dragon as a real roads race like the TT is like actually trying to slay a dragon – you will likely die if you get something wrong at the right (or wrong) time. There is no reset button when you are there for real straddling a CBR600 F4i (F4 Sport in the UK) at 150MPH+ on a road with no run-off and ancient stone walls, houses, trees, telephone poles and phone booths everywhere.
His success at this incredibly historic and important event actually makes it seem possible for a mere mortal to challenge the Mountain. Gardiner manages to bring many friends and other interested people together to help him take his attempt at the TT. If you are going to use his book as a roadmap, pay close attention to the fact that Gardiner is a very friendly and decent person which accounts for the people who surround him. (Being confident is important, but being egocentric is a one-way ticket to doom on the TT course.) In fact, one of those friends believed in him so much that Gardiner’s TT life was the subject of a documentary film. The movie, “One Man’s Island”, was created by Gardiner’s friend, Peter Riddihough, who joined him on the Isle of Man shortly before Practice Week and filmed many events also recorded in the book. Seeing it up close in the film really brings the story alive and makes it real. Taking the two mediums together will give any TT wannabe some insight into the whole journey from idea to planning to execution.
To learn how it comes out, you really need to pick up the volume for yourself (you can do that here). Gardiner does survive his TT trip in order to tell the tale, obviously. And he learns some important lessons along his way – like a bildungsroman of the Isle of Man TT; Gardiner growing into the rider who could conquer the Mountain. Plenty of people race in the TT now, but very few for the first time with the background he had going into it. Pick yourself up a copy and spend some quality time in the world he wrote about. You will enjoy it and may even learn something about yourself and the dragon you want to conquer. There is no doubt that reading it was worth eating lightly crunchy cardboard in milk for a while. When you consider the risk taken by Gardiner to actually have something to write about here, you have to be thankful that he went through his trial by fire for us to enjoy. I do so hope that you get your hands on this book before it’s too late – everyone needs a journey like Gardiner’s in our short and often alienating lives. You absolutely need to be ALIVE to ride the TT, and being the slightest bit crazy certainly doesn’t hurt…
