A Bridget too far: US rider Bridget McCutchen is on track to become the youngest to lap the world

Back in January 22-year-old Bridget McCutchen set off from Wisconsin on her 2020 Kawasaki Versys-X 300, named Mab, aiming to become the youngest rider to circumnavigate the globe. MCN caught up with her as she completed a whistlestop tour of the British Isles.

Bridget arrived in Europe after spending the last few months riding through Central and South America where there were thrills, spills and an injury to contend with.

“For the most part, it’s been pretty decent,” said Bridget. “In Central America, we didn’t do a whole lot of off-road but in South America we did some more, and had some really cool trails.

“The Devil’s Trampoline in Columbia was crazy. There were a lot of trucks on it and they would pass each other, which was insane. 

“My riding partner ended up having a spill and her bike fell over and then traffic stopped. So we were trying to get it up and in the process I threw out my back. So that was not fun. It’s pretty fine now, but definitely not completely healed.”

There were, however, moments of bliss as Bridget found her dream road in Peru; Highway 106 through the Huascaran National Park.

“It was just this amazing mountain pass and it was just mountains everywhere. Pretty much the whole thing was unpaved and there was a lot of it that had streams going over and big rocks. 

“But it wasn’t crazy. There was not a lot of traffic at all, so you pretty much have the whole thing to yourself. It was really, really spectacular.”

After the mayhem of South America, Bridget and Mab flew to Europe riding to Madrid, Barcelona and Paris before hopping across the channel to reach the UK.

“I came across to England then went to Wales and then I spent some time in Ireland and Northern Ireland and then I went into Scotland for literally one day,” Bridget reveals.

While here she had a friend fix her crash bars before departing to Germany. The next leg will take her to Scandinavia before the plans get hazy due to the war in Ukraine/Russia, the availability of visas, import costs and legal requirements to employ a guide in Asia and the Middle East.  

But after the adventures so far Bridget is still on track to break the current world record for a circumnavigation of the world by motorcycle, set by British rider Henry Crew – who completed it a month shy of turning 24. In order to get the record she will need to end the tour in September.

“There have been times where it’s been perilously close to the window, but currently everything is still on schedule,” says Bridget.

To follow Bridget’s journey visit her website at www.two-wheels-round.com.