As the 1990s turned into the 2000s, Austin Vince was in what he described later as a “a joyous rut—a rut of long-distance adventure motorcycling.” After his 1995-1996 round-the-world trip with friends, all aboard Suzuki DR350s, he’d put together the made-for-TV Mondo Enduro film, which played all over cable TV in Europe (but not in North America, alas! Read all about it in the Summer, 2021 edition of ADVrider’s print mag—Ed.). The Mondo team had done what the naysayers reckoned impossible, hustling their small dual-sports around the world on a tight timeline, but one incident bugged the riders for years afterwards. After considerable trouble in Siberia, they’d had to abandon their efforts to push through the forest tracks (the “Zilov Gap,” they called this area) and put their bikes on the Trans-Siberian Railway to make the coast on time.

So, in 2000, the Terra Circa expedition headed out, with Mondo riders Austin and brother Gerald signed up, intent on riding through the Zilov Gap and ultimately around the world once more. This time, the expedition itself was organized by Dave Greenhough, who was inspired by his brother Clive’s adventures on the Mondo Enduro trip. Matt Hill, Charlie Benner and Joe McManus also came along for sections of the ride. Once again, the team set out to not just battle the elements and the logistical challenges of long-distance motorcycle travel; they also filmed the expedition. The Terra Circa mini-series is the result. You can see the trailer below—alas, there are only low-resolution versions uploaded online.

When it came out after the trip, Terra Circa played as a six-episode mini-series on the Men & Motors TV channel in the UK. Now it’s available on DVD. The episodic storyline also plays nicely as a film you can complete in a single setting, coming in around 1.5 hours (episodes are 22 minutes apiece). I’d seen it a couple of times before, but pulled it out again this winter for a watch-through with some moto-friends. They were a bit hesitant, and might have preferred watching something like the always-reliable On Any Sunday. But, 90 minutes later, I had converted them to the Gospel Of DIY Adventure, thanks to Terra Circa.

What’s to like about the Terra Circa mini-series? First of all, it’s cracking fun. Although I’d be the first to say I love motorcycling solo, only worried about my own schedule, there’s also an intangible yet undeniable appeal to group riding. Every time I’ve seen this DVD, I’ve enjoyed watching the Terra Circa team act that out, working together throughout the whole trip towards their mutual travel goals. They put in truly extraordinary effort to move the entire group forward, even in the face of injuries. You’ve got a broad variety of characters here—elder statesman Gerald, goofy Austin, plucky Matt Hill, and so on. Just like the Mondo Enduro film, the ongoing gags are enough to amuse even a non-rider.

地球大约is also a throwback to the earliest days of the Information Age, when most of us still didn’t have cellphones. Even though the Vince brothers had ridden through much of this terrain before, this is still very much a journey of discovery, and they’re positively joyous to have an adventure in the countries once shut off by the Iron Curtain. They’re almost giddy when they move on to the unexpected wonders of riding in Japan. It was enough to make me nostalgic for a world without the omniscient Internet constantly at our fingertips. In a 2021 interview, Austin told me they’d been so cut-off from the world while riding through the Zilov Gap that they never found out about the 9/11 Twin Towers terrorist attack until much later, when the team landed in Japan. He saw footage of the terror attack playing on a screen in a television at an electronics store, and realized the world had changed. These days, you could get that news via a SPOT satellite message within minutes of the disaster, but we are not any happier for it.

地球大约is also a very practical look at the realities of DIY moto travel on a budget. How do you afford food and lodgings while you’re on the road? Simple: You cook for yourself, and sleep where you must. This is where teamwork can really come in handy, with one rider tasked to scout ahead for a campsite, another rider set to supper duties and another rider set to perform bike maintenance at day’s end. If you want to travel on the cheap, you can pick up some tips from Terra Circa. Remember that Austin and Gerald Vince had already done this sort of thing on Mondo Enduro, and they had their no-nonsense roadcraft skills down topractically a science在这次旅行的开始。地球大约is a great primer on what you need, and what you don’t, for a low-funds trip around the world. Granted, it was a very different time, but the teammates accomplished this trip at a price of £9,000 apiece, which was an astonishingly low sum even 20 years ago.

Buy it online

地球大约used to be readily available throughAustin Vince’s websiteas well as the Adventure Spec webstore and the Aerostich catalog, but that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. You can still find copies in stock atAmazon’s UK storeoreBay(Mondo Enduro availablehere, Mondo Sahara availablehere).

When you find it, it’s generally going to be priced around £18 ($24 USD, $30 CAD). These are Region 0 DVDs, so they should work in all players.

Almost a decade after I first watched this mini-series/film, I still think it’s the best of Austin Vince’s movies—more polished than Mondo Enduro (although still quite homespun in its presentation), more carefree and a grander adventure than Mondo Sahara. I’d go so far as to say it’s my favorite motorcycle film of all time, and if you can find a copy and sock it away for a rainy/snowy day next winter,

One final note:Make sure you read the picto-booklet included with the DVD. Mondo Enduro also had its accompanying trip diary published, and it’s a long but fascinating read. Terra Circa did not have the trip diary published, but the little pamphlet included with some editions of the DVD has color photos and anecdotes from the trip that add to the story.