Iceland

New DVD from Helge Pedersen reveals country in a two wheel way

As beautiful a place as it is, Iceland is not the most formidable country for motorcycles.

For starters just getting there with a bike can involve lengthy amounts of paperwork and protocol not to mention the expense of shipping.

The fact is, few of us will ever travel to Iceland by motorcycle, but for Helge Pedersen that dream became a reality in 2002 and together with his GlobeRider counter parts, Chris Poland and Sterling Noren, the three captured the trip through photos and video, assembling a travelogue of the trip onto DVD.

Selecting the best weather window from August to mid-September, Pedersen and company criss-crossed the land mass several times logging in over 3,000 miles each. Beautiful waterfalls, deep river crossings, 500 types of moss and massive glaciers make up the wonder of Iceland. Noren's videography captures much of what the area is about.

Throughout the DVD Pedersen narrates informing viewers about the history, the culture, the people and the geology that make Iceland one of the most unique countries on earth. At times he speaks seriously, but manages to become comical at others such as when he reveals the GPS coordinates to a stash of tires the team leaves behind.

Making deep river crossings is something few of us will ever do. For the trio it was a regular part of the day, tallying more than 20 crossings on certain days. Although it has happened to others, the GlobeRider team managed to make it through the trip without losing a bike during a crossing.

Roads in the interior are often nothing more than dirt trails marked with flags. A GPS becomes essential in the event of missing flags.

Iceland is a geo-thermal paradise, with hot water shooting up all over the landscape. This made for some well deserved natural spa visits after a long day in the saddle and often the crew was able to camp close to such a pool which is well documented during the program.

Technically, each rider rode a BMW F650GS and outfitted them with heavy duty off-road Metzler tires once in Iceland, foregoing the standard 80/20 configuration that ships with an F650GS. Pedersen outfitted his bike with an 11 gallon fuel system made by Touratech which provided needed fuel to both he and the other two riders when they hit the boonies. It's all a real feat when you consider the photo and video equipment that had to be transported throughout the trip as well. River crossings and thousands of dollars in high tech gear just don't seem to go together, but the GlobeRiders crew seemed to keep things dry.

As for the videography, Noren's pans of huge waterfalls and vasts landscapes are as good as it gets, often giving one the feeling they're watching Discovery Channel. The moving shots are often done by Noren riding two up with Pedersen. At times the camera is a bit shaky, but more recent innovations will allow the team greater flexibility and stability with the shots in upcoming Globerider video presentations.

Pedersen's photography is always top notch and a special feature of the DVD is a slideshow featuring more than 25 photographs.

As you watch each chapter you are returned to a map/menu before being able to move onto the next chapter. What seems annoying at first is critical to understanding which region the trio is in next.

Audio quality is top notch, making full use of surround sound and features local Seattle artist, Ela Lamblin, best known for playing more than 150 one-of-a-kind instruments he created himself.

So if you're staying inside because of the weather, warm up a pot of good coffee, flip on the DVD and take a wild trip to Iceland. You'll be glad you did. SR!

PT/Winter 2004

To purchase the Iceland DVD visit the Sound RIDER! Store