21-year-old Ian Fletcher from Goodrich, Ross-on-Wye, is preparing to set off on a journey that he has been planning for more than two years; he will leave home on Sunday, April 9th, when he hopes to ride his motorbike around the world.

Ian told the Ross Gazette that he thinks he could be the youngest person ever to motorbike around the world solo. He said that he first started planning the journey after his friend, Billy Rudge, died in a tragic incident in February 2015, while working at his home farm.

Billy was only 20 years old when he died, and his death was a huge shock to his friends and family. It also came as a stark reminder to Ian that life is short, and it gave him the nudge he needed to plan the trip that has been a life-long dream.

For his trip, Ian has bought himself a 27-year-old Honda XLR motorbike and fully rebuilt the engine and the suspension. He also fitted it with a larger fuel tank, giving him a 350-mile range.

Ian will take his camera and his computer so he can document the journey along the route, to give his friends and family updates on his progress. He also plans to take spare parts for the bike, a spare tyre, and a tent.

He told the Gazette that he hopes to do his journey on a shoestring budget to show other young people that travelling the world can be done without endless funds. “It’s not such an impossible dream,” Ian said.

Ian, who had worked on Hildersley Farm since January 2014, had his last day on Friday, March 31st. While he was sad that chapter of his life had come to an end, he was looking forward to the beginning of an exciting new one.

Read the full report in this week’s Ross Gazette