Father and daughter leave stress behind on annual trip

A motorcycling father and daughter have enjoyed their sixth annual tour together exploring the Isle of Wight and the east coast as they pile on the miles.

Martin Potts, 57, and Claire Potts, 26, began their yearly tradition after Claire decided she wanted to learn to ride in her late teens. The pair have only missed one year due to university study.

“My son wanted to ride a bike when he was 16, but I point-blank refused,” #ride5000miles member Martin explained. “The following year, Claire said she wanted to ride. I said ‘no’ and she just said ‘you’re either helping, or you’re not!’”

This year’s trip was devised by Martin, who chose locations the pair had visited when Claire was a child. “Every year we go for three or four days and it always involves camping. This has been the first year where we haven’t been at least partially rained out!

“This year, I didn’t tell her where she was going. We went to the Red Shoots Camping Park in the New Forest, which was a place we took her as a little girl. On the first day, we took the bikes 150 miles from Hythe to Swanage for fish and chips.”

As well as exploring the coast, the duo also headed over to the Isle of Wight, which was a first for daughter Claire.

“The island was brilliant to ride around,” she told MCN. “It was fun to explore a route we haven’t been on before.”

Alongside trying a car ferry for the first time, Claire was riding her uncle’s Suzuki V-Strom 650, the most powerful bike she had ever ridden, having sold her own GN250.

“Even when we’re just sat around the teapot, we talk in a way that we wouldn’t at home, because there’s no phones or telly,” Martin said. “I always get home feeling so chilled.”

Next year, Martin plans to take the trip to Scotland, with Claire finishing her university study this year, allowing for a longer ride.

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