"World in the Tent"

by Stefan Thiel

The 23rd German meeting of the internet community Horizons Unlimited gathered over 120 visitors near Worms on the first weekend of November. The "Motorcycle Scene" was present at the meeting of the travel madmen.

World in a tent Sippersfeld. The rain is always drumming on the small circus tent. It is cold. So cold that the breath condenses and little clouds form over the omnipresent cups of hot drinks. However, none of those present is disturbed by the unfavourable conditions. Rather, the undivided attention is paid to one of the many travel reports that will be presented this weekend in multimedia form at the Horizons Unlimited Traveller meeting.

Horizons Unlimited is by far the biggest internet community when it comes to motorbike travel. Horizons Unlimited was launched in 1997 by Susan and Grant Johnson, both passionate motorcycle travelers. From its simple beginnings of sharing experiences, Horizons Unlimited has evolved into an active and global community. The 69,000 registered users have posted more than half a million articles and published numerous travel and experience reports in the forum. The topics range from workshop recommendations and biker-friendly accommodation to assistance at border crossings and other bureaucratic obstacles. For a long time no question or call for help remains unanswered, no matter from which remote corner it comes. The helpful and friendly attitude of the forists has long since left the world of bits and bytes. Besides the traveller meetings, like this weekend at the camping site in Sippersfeld, there are over 800 local communities in 115 countries. They help free of charge travellers who are travelling in the respective country. A bed for stranded motorcyclists? The best pub in town or a place to buy the CDI? No problem, the locals know their way around and take care of each other - after all, they all share the same passion for motorcycling.

Jens Ruprecht, organiser of the German meetings, can also report on the uncomplicated attitude. Experienced circumnavigators, weekend tourers or absolute newcomers - there is no ranking depending on the experienced countries. One meets casually on the Traveller meetings. Personal exchange of experiences, motorcycle and travel workshops and of course countless travel stories at the campfire or on the screen are the focus.