Ross Noble talks about motorcycles and mental health
Geordie comedian Ross Noble reckons two wheels are better than a therapist’s chair, and science says he might just be right.
Ross Noble has always had a knack for spotting life’s absurdities. But when it comes to keeping his own head in check, the Geordie funnyman reckons there’s nothing funnier, or more effective, than the idea that a motorcycle is cheaper, and in many ways better, than therapy.
The 49-year-old comedian, who now lives in Australia, has just kicked off his mammoth Cranium of Curiosities tour, which will see him perform 56 shows over eight months across two continents. It’s a schedule that would leave most people frazzled, but Noble has already worked out how he’ll stay sane: by getting out on his bike.
Speaking on the Full Chat motorcycle podcast, he explained that riding gives him something therapy never could.
“Putting a helmet on is one of the few things that makes you really concentrate and keeps you present,” he said. “I spend all my time with my family, I love them to bits, but there’s something about motorbikes. On a motorway you go past a truck and get the wobble, or on a country lane you round a bend and there’s a crack in the tarmac or some leaves. Your brain is constantly making these decisions. You can still think your thoughts, but it’s subliminal. Motorbikes are brilliant for working out your s**t.”
And he’s not wrong. Research has shown that motorcycling can reduce stress levels by nearly a third in as little as 20 minutes, while boosting focus and alertness in ways comparable to light exercise. In fact, scientists say that getting out on two wheels releases a cocktail of feel-good chemicals (mostly dopamine and endorphins) that do wonders for lifting your mood in much the same way as a workout or meditation session do.
Noble describes that effect perfectly. Where some people swear by mindfulness apps or sitting quietly in a chair to gaze at the view, he admits his brain doesn’t work like that. “If I’m looking at the view, my head is somewhere else, I get lost in the noise,” he said. “On a bike, the noise is still happening but it’s pushed to the side because you’re actively riding.”
It’s the same principle researchers describe as “active mindfulness” – your brain is so occupied with riding that it has no choice but to live in the moment. In a world that constantly demands our attention, the throttle can act like a reset button. Riders know that feeling well: once the visor goes down, the rest of life gets left behind, and it’s just you, the bike, and the road.
Well, and that idiot in the Nissan Micra ahead who insists on driving 15mph below the speed limit…
There are other bonuses, too. Visordown has previously highlighted how riding exposes you to nature in a way few activities can. The smell of fields, the rush of fresh air, the change in scenery, it all acts as a kind of natural therapy, lowering stress and calming the mind. And unlike sitting alone with your thoughts, biking also offers a ready-made community. A nod on the road or a chat at a café stop provides an instant sense of connection, something Noble has experienced first-hand through his passion for trials riding.
He’s also a keen trail rider, and he sees parallels between the two activities. “With a trials bike, you can have an area no bigger than a couple of hundred metres. A bit of a hill and a couple of steps, and I could ride there for five to six hours. The petrol will run out before I do,” he laughed. Just as running gives him the chance to lose himself in repetition and rhythm, trials riding demands focus and effort. It’s a rare form of gentle exercise that keeps both body and brain firing.
For Noble, it all adds up to a compelling argument. “There’s an idea that motorbikes are a macho and tough guy thing,” he said, “but from a mental health point of view, you can read 100 self-help books and it won’t be as helpful. I would say it’s cheaper to buy a motorbike than it is to go and visit a therapist on a regular basis.”
It might sound like a gag from one of his shows, but it’s a point backed by science. Riding really does lift your mood, sharpen your focus, connect you to others, and give you an escape from everyday life. For Noble, and for many of us, it’s the most enjoyable therapy session money can buy.
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
