In 2022 Markus André Mayer made a conscious decision to stop. After years of relentless riding, the adventures had started to feel like work. He stepped back deliberately — to recharge his batteries, refill his wallet, and figure out what came next.
It was his hardest year. Not because of storms or seized engines, but because of 200+ job applications and the slow grind of trying to re-enter normal life in Germany after years on the road.
On the weekend of September 4, 2022, Markus held his first ever presentation in the United Kingdom at the Overland Event in Oxford. In front of an international audience of overlanders and adventure travellers, he presented his 80 Days Around the World on a Vespa. It was also the weekend he met Ted Simon — author of Jupiter's Travels, the man who inspired a generation of adventure riders.
One scooter event in the entire year — May 28, 2022. He attended as a tourist, relaxed and without agenda. He described it as exactly what he needed.
Sometimes the bravest thing is to stop. To admit that you are tired, that your wallet is empty, and that you need to rebuild before you can ride again. 2022 was that year for Markus. It ended with plans forming for what would become the Penistour — 16,500 km through 17 countries in 2023.
Why did Markus stop riding in 2022? The adventures had started to feel like work. He made a deliberate decision to pause, recharge and reinvent himself — financially and personally.
Who is Ted Simon? Ted Simon is the author of Jupiter's Travels — the legendary account of his four-year motorcycle journey around the world between 1973 and 1977. One of the most influential adventure travel books ever written. Markus met him at the Overland Event in Oxford in September 2022.
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