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The IAM Aims To improve the standard of driving (and riding) on the UK roads. The Advancement of Road Safety.
sam
SOLENT ADVANCED M OTO R C Y C L I S T S
The Administration of an Advanced Test.
MAKING
progress
OCT 2010
INSIDE p6 Ripley Meet
p7 Rookie to Advanced
p9 SAM go to Dartmoor
p10 The Black Mountains
p11 New Zealand Tours Registered Charity No. 1097558
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October 2010
Canadian speed controls Speed controls being used in Canada ... How's this for effective speed control?
I don't know about you, but this would certainly slow me down!
This is an actual speed control device that is currently in use.
Pretty clever -- especially when they move them around every day.
People slow down and actually try to "straddle" the hole.
It is MUCH cheaper than speed cameras, radar guns, police officers, etc.
Isn't art wonderful?
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October 2010
CHAIRMAN’S chat SAM was declared the winner of the IAM prize for the best motorcycle group this year. had really been looking forward to the long hot summer of 2010 – and I’m still looking! Not a lot of great weather this year, but that hasn’t stopped SAM members and associates from getting out and about. We’ve had loads of good Sunday rideouts and I’ve heard quite a few tales of trips both home and abroad. We had a really good SAM trip to Devon at the start of summer but, sadly, the hoped-for SAM foreign trip is a non-starter due to insurance problems. But fear not, we will keep working to find a solution. The officers of the club held a strategy session in mid September and came up with a number of exciting plans
I
which will be advertised shortly. As you surely know by now, SAM was declared the winner of the IAM prize for the best motorcycle group this year which was a fantastic achievement and a huge reward for all the hard work of the observers and my predecessors on the Committee. A wonderful acknowledgement that SAM tries that little bit harder than other clubs. So the bar has been set high for us ‘new boys’, but we’ve already made a fantastic start. In August our pleas and negotiations paid off at the annual IAM conference when it was announced that the maximum associate contribution (basically the
petrol money that associates are asked to pay for each observed ride) was increased. Admittedly this puts up the cost of each ride by a little bit, but it goes a long way to making sure that our fabulous observers (who did so much to help SAM win that prize) are not out-of-pocket. Everyone who works so hard for the Club gives their time freely, but it is a different matter when it starts costing you money as well, so a special vote of thanks goes to Peter, our Secretary, for getting that implemented. Although the main purpose of the Club remains the training of skills to associates and members, it is
important that SAM is seen as a club that riders want to come to, and belong to. That means that we are looking to crank up both the further training for members and the social activities that the Club offers. As I said earlier, we have a number of ideas ranging from DIY rides to track days that we are looking to offer members. I was chatting at SAM Sunday this month and was saying how pleased I was that I’m getting to know you a little better now. But it was pointed out to me that I’m actually getting to know the 60 regular attenders at club nights, Continued on p4
YOUR COMMITTEE Chairman
Secretary
Treasurer
Vice Chairman & PR
Chief Observer
Membership Secretary
Club Night Organiser
Kevin White
Peter Curtis
Scott TurobinHarrington
David Forster
Alec Gore
Russ Clark
Wendy Peters
Group Rides Co-ordinators
Skills Manager
Tony Eaton and Colin Goble
Jeff Carter
Further Skills Administrator
MDU Manager
Alec Gore
Tim Bennett
Merchandising
Magazine Editor
John Parvin
Carey Wall
Officers, Committee Members and Helpers OFFICERS Chairman: Kevin White chairman@solent-advanced-motorcyclists.co.uk
Skills Manager: Jeff Carter skills@solent-advanced-motorcyclists.co.uk
Vice Chairman: David Forster
MDU Manager: Tim Bennett mdu@solent-advanced-motorcyclists.co.uk
Public Relations: David Forster public-relations@solent-advanced-motorcyclists.co.uk Secretary: Peter Curtis secretary@solent-advanced-motorcyclists.co.uk Treasurer: Scott Turobin-Harrington treasurer@solent-advanced-motorcyclists.co.uk
Further Skills Administrator: Alec Gore
Merchandising: John Parvin mechandise@solent-advanced-motorcyclists.co.uk Magazine Editor: Carey Wall editor@solent-advanced-motorcyclists.co.uk Website: Rui de Castro webmaster@solent-advanced-motorcyclists.co.uk
COMMITTEE MEMBERS Chief Observer: Alec Gore chief-observer@solent-advanced-motorcyclists.co.uk
VALUED HELPERS SAM Sunday Breakfast: Annie Spicer
Membership Secretary: Russ Clark membership@solent-advanced-motorcyclists.co.uk
Club Night Refreshments: Becci Lunn and James Norman
Club Night Organiser: Wendy Peters club_night@solent-advanced-motorcyclists.co.uk
Magazine Design and Publishing: Kim Formhalls
Group Rides Co-ordinators: Tony Eaton & Colin Goble group_rides@solent-advanced-motorcyclists.co.uk
SAM Buddies: Nick Bubb and Sue Demain-Stone sam-buddies@solent-advanced-motorcyclists.co.uk
MDU Towing: Jack Laverick
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October 2010
Continued from p3
but not the other 200 who rarely turn up. So I’m hoping to entice you (you know who you are!) back to club nights and out on your bikes next year. If you don’t currently get SAM Announce-ments by email please let the membership secretary (Russ) have your email address. Otherwise you could be missing out on some cracking rides and events.
Stay shiny-side-up Kevin
WHOS WHO? can you guess? CHIEF OBSERVER’S REPORT Sept 2010 recently been joined by two Observers, one from TVAM and one from MAM who live in our area, so welcome to Liz and Andy. ince the last edition of Making Progress, SAM has been awarded best motorcycle group in the IAM for 2009-10, complete with trophy and a much-welcome boost to our training funds of £1,000. It's a close run thing, with several other keen groups very interested in what we do. Of course, it doesn't stop us sharing ideas and materials with them. We had two Senior Observers from the East London group, ELAM, attend our Observers' Meeting in July and share ideas from the workbook they use with their Associates. We have shared material with the Devon group and received graphics for our new Observers' manual from the Middlesex group, MAM. And this is one of the little-considered advantages of being part of a national organisation like the IAM, not just a local bike club. We have
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The IAM award is the result of a lot of hard work by many people within SAM, not just on the training side. Points are awarded for having a good website, sending representatives to conferences and doing returns on time etc. However, as Chief Observer, you would expect that I acknowledge the tremendous effort put in my all the Observer Team. SAM's Observers are organised into cells for mutual development and support. These are coordinated by Senior Observers and we congratulate and welcome the latest two Senior Observers who passed the rigours of the Staff Examiner's Senior Observer Test, namely Mike West and Colin Backhouse. Well done, indeed! As I write this, there are eight Associates, mostly in the Portsmouth and Fareham areas who are queuing for a place with an Observer. This is because SAM
Sundays and Club Nights still provide a fertile ground for people interested in improving their riding. We don't have enough Observers considering the size of our membership and the 100 or so Associates we have at any time. Please, if you ride to a decent standard and believe you could pass on the sense of fun and achievement that comes with advanced riding, please do contact me regarding becoming an Observer; it really is one of the most rewarding ways of pursuing your motorcycling hobby! The other side of people having to wait for an Observer is that those Associates who do have places should be making full use of them: If you cannot commit the time and effort to completing your training, then please ask to be "pooled" so that someone else can take advantage of the place you have.You cannot do advanced motorcycle training on a whim and then assume it will just happen for you: I'm disappointed, for instance, that recent theory evening sessions
were poorly supported or that people can book scarce places on slow riding training and then not show up on the day. I want you all to succeed in becoming advanced motorcyclists. I would welcome the headache that would be created for the Observer Team if the 40% who join and don't pursue their training through to test actually decided it was the right thing to do! Anyway, moan over.There is still too much that is good in SAM to dwell on the challenges over much. Congratulations to all who have passed their tests so far this year and to the batch that are working their way through now. Test dates are usually about 2-3 weeks after application at this time of year, so plan yours accordingly and keep in touch with your Observer, even though you have done your checktest ride with a Senior. Keep making progress and striving for that evermore safe, smooth and systematic ride. Regards
Alec Gore
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October 2010
Practice, practice & more practice ... but make it smart practice! Do you want to become an expert motorcyclist? Regardless of the dream, the method is the same: Practice, a lot of practice. In fact, 10,000 hours of practice is what it takes to become an expert at any given field. So do you have what it takes? 10,000 hours, the magic number Many studies(1) have been done on the topic of becoming a professional sports player or a great musician. Almost all of them have concluded that the magic number is somewhere around 10,000 hours of practice.Work it out: If you practice your riding for two hours a day you are going to get in 730 hours of practice per year. At that rate it will take you 13 years to reach the 10,000 hour mark. Imagine you start a little late in life, say around 40. If you put in the work, perhaps practise every day and more at weekends, you will be an expert by the time you are 50. It doesn’t seem so bad when you put it like that. After this you will have the rest of your life to ride like a pro. Why 10,000 hours? Good question. It does seem a little random. But the more you look at it the more you start to see it is true. Most people need to continually work at something for around 10 to 20 years to become great at it. And the studies done on this topic have shown that it is usually around the 10,000 hour mark that they “graduate” from amateur to professional or from good to great. Not everyone needs 10,000 hours Not everyone needs 10,000 hours to become expert. You might have grown up in a family which exposed you to motorcycling from an early age, which might mean that you have a more “natural” propensity for it. It might take you a lot less time to catch on. Or the opposite
might be true, you might have a physical or mental block that requires you to put in a lot more time to become an expert. Good genes v. practice: the ongoing debate Many people think that the deciding factor is genetics, not practice. There are those depressing people who would have us believe that not everyone can become expert in any field. However, it is usually all sorts of emotional blocks that prevent us from advancing. And that is more to do with conditioned behaviour, not genetics: Because we may have had poor learning experiences in the past, we believe we can never learn well at it. Genetics is a head start but it is by no means the final stretch of the race. I would much rather be the one with no “natural” advantage and a good practice discipline than the naturally talented one who doesn’t think he needs to work. Scientists now talk about genetics as a potential but not a deciding factor. The factor that will determine whether or not you become great at something is practice. Over 10,000 hours worth. Do you have what it comes to become great? Some tips. The question is not whether you have the potential to be great but whether or not you have the motivation and determination. Do you want it and if you do, will you put in the work? Now that you know you need to practice hard, will you shy away from the task? If you believe you have the stomach for greatness there are a few tips you need to know in order to get to your goal: 1. Routine is your only friend When it comes to practice there is only one word you need to know – routine. You need to make a regular time for your practice sessions and stick to it. As soon as you miss a session you will find reasons to miss another and before you know it a whole week has gone since you practised. That time starts to add up. Make a routine and stick to it.
2. Define a solid goal with a time line Do you have a goal with a timeline? Do you know where you want to be in ten years’ time? If your dream is just some vague hope then it will never get done.You need to lock on to a target and fix in your mind what you want to achieve and when.Without that timeline you are fooling yourself. Add a timeline to that goal, however, and you have a good chance. 3. Micro steps towards the goal So, now you have a goal with a timeline. How are you going to get there? What steps do you need to take to make sure you are in the right place at the right time? Here is an example. Let’s say you want to be an expert motorcyclist by the year 2020. First, you need to become good (advanced). Then you need to become really good (advanced plus) with elements in your ride that set you apart from other riders. Then you need to be acknowledged as such by accepted experts in the field (IAM staff examiners). At the same time you may have invested in a series of graduated track-riding levels, e.g. California Superbike School. Perhaps you will develop off-road riding skills as well. That might mean using up holiday time to pursue your dream. These are all steps you could take to achieve your goal. Write them out too. Make them specific. 4. Reinforce good habits These are things you need to pay attention to, e.g. eating healthily, avoiding excessive alcohol, sleeping regularly and sufficiently, keeping reasonably physically fit etc. All are essential for your long journey to becoming an expert. You have to give yourself every advantage and without these “extra” bits you are going to find it tough. Practising every day, even just revising theory, is hard if you haven’t had a good night’s sleep. 5. Get an inspiring mentor Almost all good behaviour is learned. You get better at riding by riding with better riders. You get
even better by learning specifics from an expert. And you stay on the path by being reinforced and inspired by a good mentor. Now, a mentor does not have to be someone you have personal contact with (although that is preferred). You might just pick a great rider like Valentino Rossi and try to emulate them by copying their sense of discipline, work ethic and training routines. That is a good start. You will need this inspiration when you don’t feel like getting out in the rain and riding, just riding. SAM can offer you a “Buddy” to help you along the way. 6. Train smart Imagine you have cracked the art of clean overtaking. Yes, it’s enjoyable, but why spend your valuable time practising what you are already good at? You need to push your comfort zones and improve on your weaknesses. Perhaps, go out and practise those long sweeping bends you haven’t quite got yet. That’s what great riders do; they find their weakness and then they train in those areas so they have a complete ride. Conclusion As you can see, becoming an expert rider (or great at anything) takes a lot of time. But it also means a lot of other things like being in the right place at the right time, having a disciplined practice ethic and being mentally tough when obstacles arise. I wonder how many people would be put off by the idea of putting in 10,000 hours of motorcycle riding. Does it seem like a lot to you? Or has it inspired you to know that there is a specific target to aim for? Like getting around to putting in the required practice to achieve a really good result in your IAM Advanced Motorcycle test!
(1) References: Malcolm Gladwell: Outliers: The Story of Success. Geoff Colvin: Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else
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October 2010
The 10th Annual Horizon’s Unlimited Meet at Ripley By Carey Wall When Nigel enthused about this meeting of bikers who travel I got carried away and signed up. As the date got nearer I began to worry about not having a bike, about not having travelled further than Bruges, about camping again, about the inevitable ‘Smoke on the Water’ by every band in the beer tent… hen I explained to Nigel about the lack of bike he said, ‘So? Hire a sodding car’. Sodding car and I travelled up on the Wednesday afternoon to pitch the tent in peace before the crowds arrived. I needn’t have worried as there was no beer tent.
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I was totally smitten by how friendly and welcoming everyone was. There was a lot of sitting in the sun and chatting, beer in hand. As the weekend progressed it got busier and louder – but still no beer tent! The Hampshire contingent of 9 campers was a comfortable base from which to go and explore the talks, seminars and other crowds, although Wendy and Lilian were down the road in real beds. Wendy brought her ‘She-Wee’ to show off. Thank you Wendy! I was expecting a burger van and smelly portaloos so the smart conference centre was a delightful surprise. I was impressed by the quality of the menu and cooking as catering for masses of people often lowers the quality, but not this time. Some people cooked for themselves by opening a tin and slinging the contents into a billy can. There were others who took pride in the dishes they could produce using a camping stove. One group even brought an oven. There were often groups sitting around tents chatting, mostly about bikes. Any stranger was welcome to come and join in. Bikes were shown off, modifications explained. The whole weekend was steeped in bikes. Wendy and Lilian gave excellent talks and Nigel was a whizzy tekky on support of various speakers.
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Simon Gandolfi turned up to give his talk, presented him with a map and asked him to show it on the wall. Our intrepid Tekky put the map on the floor, took a photo of it and used the photo as a backdrop to this memorable talk. I was sad that Sam Mandicom was not there as he’d had an operation but I was awed by the famous authors who were there – Ted Simons, Simon, Lois and Austin and they lived up to expectations. Austin presented the USA by Ural trip that Lois had given SAMs earlier in the year. Although Austin had lots of laughs, I think that SAM had the better talk. Wendy and Lilian did us proud with their talks too. There were other people there prepared to talk about their travels – Peter and Kay Forwood on visiting all 193 countries of the world on a Harley, including the obscure Pacific ones, Tiffany Coates on her Mongolian Mayhem journey and many, many more and all of them entertaining. My favourite was Tony Woodhams who was to talk about the Darien Gap but wandered off to Africa and back. There were seminars on bike and personal maintenance and GPS. On how to leave your family behind – park the bike and visit them for a couple of months – to how to travel really light – drill holes in your toothbrush. There were talks on how to change a tyre, take a photo and how to fund your trip on tax refunds. Apart from the organised sessions there were traveller’s tales in the sun over beer or in the bar, road kill cooking by the fire and gadgets galore. There were high-tech
gadgets and home made ones too, the owners so proud and happy to show off both. The atmosphere was relaxed, friendly and welcoming, wherever you went. It made the rest of the world feel as though it was just down the road, waiting for me to get on my bike and visit. I think Susan and Grant can be justly proud of the community of travellers they’ve built. As someone
said afterwards, ‘It was tough today, heading home. All I wanted to do was go for the mainland ferry - and just keep travelling... ‘ Will I be going in 2011? Of course! Austin Vince and Lois Pryce are planning a pre-Ripley warm-up Film Festival in Devon, which appeals too! Check out: www.horizonsunlimited.com for pictures and more details.
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October 2010
Rookie to Advanced Instructor By Lilian Hobbs My journey begins on July 4th 2005 when for the first time in my life I decided to ride a motorbike and passed my CBT. A keen mountain biker, I was fed up of only being able to ride to Romsey. I needed to go further and thought of motorcycling. y first bike was a Honda CBR125R, which I pushed around the corner to take out on my first run. I was having a great time until I got to a junction in Chandlers Ford and dropped the bike! I couldn’t pick it up, but no worries as another motorcyclist came along and then took me into Waitrose car park to pass on some riding tips, how friendly I thought, you don’t see that with car drivers, they just yell at you!
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Having also been yelled at by my CBT instructor for getting stuck at the traffic lights in Bitterne because I could not get the bike into gear, I decided not to do Direct Access and teach myself as I needed more time. On a lovely sunny day in November I passed my test and took great delight in removing the L plates and riding home along part of the M3 because I was now allowed on the motorway. I realised that it would be a good idea to get some proper instruction and that brought me to SAM. Secretary Rex was very helpful, but explained that I couldn’t join with a 125. The local Suzuki dealer was very helpful, and in January 2006, I picked up a restricted Suzuki Bandit 650, and an instructor who took me out for the day. It was my first time on a big bike but I really enjoyed it. David Spicer was my Observer, and I will forever be grateful to him because everything he taught me has been the foundation for my riding. I even got trapped underneath the bike once, but it didn’t put me off, I kept practising and eventually passed my IAM test on a day when it rained so much, that there was about a foot of water across the Stockbridge road at the Crawley turn off. I noticed a distinct lack of lady motorcycle instructors so David
David Spicer was my Observer, and I will forever be grateful to him because everything he taught me has been the foundation for my riding. once again took me on to train me as an Observer. I qualified and Anne was my first test pass. Other training included the Somerset & Avon Ride to Arrive weekend, California Superbike School and all this on my restricted Bandit. Getting into motorcycling also introduced me to touring. My first trip with Wendy was to Wales, followed by trips to Lake District, Belgium, Germany, Florida, New Zealand and Scandinavia. My Honda Deauville took me over the Hardknott pass in the Lake District which was fun until I had to stop for a 4WD driver that would not more over..... A day at J2 Honda promoting SAM saw me leaving the proud owner of a Honda CBR600RR, that’s my fun bike. Now I don’t know about you, but I begrudge paying £60 to stand all the way to London. Hence a trip to Bahnstormer to purchase a low 650GS for commuting. All this from a person who never filtered until Wendy kept taking me into Gosport in rush hour. I continued to develop my riding skills by taking the BMW Off Road weekend course. Its a good job you do it on their bikes because I got the nickname of crasher as I kept coming off.... That 2 day course did wonders for my slow riding skills and gave me even more confidence riding into London and it prompted the
purchase of a Kwakaski 250 off road. There is a lot of satisfaction in being a SAM Observer and helping people improve their riding skills, so I decided that I would like to get a DSA recognised advanced instructor qualification, the RoSPA Diploma. Its a week long course where our instructors role played certain types of characters, one of mine was a boy racer, complete with his baseball hat on the wrong way round. The final day is all exams which includes 1.5 hr theory, another 90 min test on the road, observing and riding and a presentation. After 8 days I received an email saying that I had passed. A
few weeks later I passed my IAM Senior Observer test, which isn’t easy either. Its amazing to think that in less than 5 years, I have gone from this lady riding a 125 who was only ever going to go shopping on her bike to someone who now rides a BMW K1300R and next year will be spending her birthday riding to the bottom of South America. Its been a great journey and I would like to extend a big thank you to everyone who has helped this rookie become an advanced instructor and I look forward to helping many of you pass your green badge or follow me and become an Observer, it is very rewarding.
A doctor was addressing a large audience in Oxford... "The material we put into our stomachs should have killed most of us sitting here, years ago. Red meat is full of steroids and dye. Soft drinks corrode your stomach lining. Chinese food is loaded with MSG. High transfat diets can be disastrous and none of us realizes the long-term harm caused by the germs in our drinking water. But, there is one thing that is the most dangerous of all and most of us have, or will eat it. Can anyone here tell me what food it is that causes the most grief and suffering for years after eating it?" After several seconds of quiet, a 70-year-old man in the front row raised his hand, and softly said, "Wedding Cake."
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SAM DIARY OF EVENTS FOR 2010
S A M S O L E N T A DVA N C E D M OTO R C Y C L I S T S S A M S O L E N T A DVA N C E D M OTO R C Y C L I S T S May 2010
January 2010
We need Green Badge holders to volunteer to lead group rides on vacant dates. Please contact Group Rides to arrange one, and also training if needed. Note also that a filled date can take more than one group ride, providing each is a different Grade.
See the updated Group Rides programme at: http://www.solent-advancedmotorcyclists.co.uk
All rides will be conducted in line with SAM guidelines as per Docs. 010GG and 011GG.
Alternatively, contact the run leader; or Tony Eaton or Colin Goble via the website.
Full details of each run will be announced before the run, via e-mail on SAMannounce. Details will also appear in the Calendar of run/events on the website.
DATE
RUN LEADER
MEETING / DEPART TIME
DESTINATION
Sun 17 Oct
Andy King
08.30 Sainsburys Fareham
Early Bird Morning Ride
Sun 24 Oct
David Charlton
10am Ower
‘Four Counties Tour’
Fri 29-31 Oct
Nigel Grace
13:00 Ower
SAM Camping Weekend in Wales
-
2/3
Sun 31 Oct
Mark Sabin
TBA
Ride with Gloucester AM Group
-
2
Sun 7 Nov
VACANT
SAM SUNDAY
Sun 14 Nov
Alec Gore
10 – 10.30 Wickham Sq
Cunning Man PH, Sheffield Bottom
Sun 21 Nov
Mike West
TBA
TBA
Sat 27 Nov
Lilian Hobbs
10.30am Ower
Sweeney & Todd Pie Shop Run
100
1/2
Scott Arms, Kingston Nr Corfe Castle
186
?
?
?
Sun 28 Nov
Colin Hitchcock
9 for 9,30 Winchester
Sun 5 Dec
VACANT
SAM SUNDAY
Sun 12 Dec
VACANT
Sun 19 Dec
Vince Hall
9.30am Ower
DIST. 120
Mystery Tour
*For information only, not classified as a SAM event. NOTE. New issues of this list are produced from time to time. Always check that you have the latest issue.
camping trip will be in Wales
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2/3 3
1 120
2
-
-
SAM would like to thank each run leader for the time and effort they will be devoting to the organisation and planning of their runs Participants are reminded that they must be familiar with SAM Doc. Number 011 and that riding decisions are theirs and theirs alone We wish you an enjoyable and, above all else, a SAFE ride with the group of other SAM riders We cannot guarantee that details of runs will not change before the event. However, every effort will be made to adhere to them.
A Taster - Nigel's next
GRADE
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October 2010
Camping trip with SAM Group to Dartmoor Saturday 17 July 2010 – By Nigel Grace Good morning, it’s 8.30am and the sun has nearly risen over the tree line and started to dry out the tents after a very wet night…. e left Ower yesterday (4 bikes) and drifted down to Dartmoor, nothing too hurried or rushed but the Friday night traffic helped slow us down. Only a slight shower as we arrived at Betty Cottles Inn on the western edge of Dartmoor just south of Oakhampton.Two riders (Mark and Ron) had already arrived. We quickly set up the tents and off to the bar for a lemonade or two and a good meal… Whilst trying to locate my tent on the way home I only just managed to miss the heavy downpour that lasted most of the night….
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The site is good and not too many people here – we do have two tuktuk type vehicle drivers travelling from the Algarve to Weston-SuperMare for charity…. Such small engines 50cc with a top speed of 30mph…. very nice lads and a great effort – their web site is www.justgiving.com/strollingbones-tour - if you also want to donate.
Just as I was writing this and commenting on the sun – it clouded over and is now raining… Some of the guys are hanging around waiting for the breakfast to be served.. 9.30 !!! - so late. Some of us have already cooked ours and feed the flock of ducks too…. As there is no plan – it was agreed that we should ride down to Adrenalin Quarry near Liskard and try the ride out. A gentle trip down to the Quarry www.adrenalinquarry.co.uk and a
good view of the proceedings – just two brave riders stepped forward to try out the longest zip wire in the UK – Simon and I…. unfortunately due to a weigh issue we were not allowed to both ride down at the same time !!! Simon leaped off first and managed to get into a spin half way down… I was next and within 20m of leaving terra firma the rope twisted me around and I spent the rest of the ride travelling backwards. It was a brilliant ride though. Still too early
to return back to camp so we rode down to the town of Looe for a visit. Then back to Betty Cottle’s and a visit to the bar - again. We were now joined by Lyndsey and David who had just arrived from Gosport. We were also joined by a pedal cyclist riding for charity on his way to John-a-Groats from Lands End – poor bugger – no engine !!! Now unlike me he was travelling very light !!! I promise to review my packing and take less next time.
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October 2010
Ride on and pitch up in the Black Mountains
by Simon Gardiner
Having gone through the camping experience from hike tent to frame and trailer versions and everything in between, with Scouts and youth groups and long suffering growing families over the course of 30 plus years it was time for Neil and I to cast off families and others and head for the hills – with bikes and tents.
Offa's Dyke is a linear earthwork which roughly follows the Welsh/English boundary. It consists of a ditch and rampart constructed with the ditch on the Welsh-facing side, and appears to have been carefully aligned to present an open view into Wales from along its length. The Dyke appears to have been constructed in response to events in the border region involving the Princes of Powys, but whether it was intended as an agreed boundary, as a defensive structure with long lost additional fortifications, or for some other use, is not known. It is thought to have been started in about 785 AD and to have taken several years to build.
Coming full circle you might say, hike tents is where we started, the Scout’s 6 mile hike when you are 11 is a right of passage. It’s better combined with a bike, we’ve earned it by now surely. Wives and children shaking their heads with bemusement watch us set off (what’s wrong with B&B they enquire, not understanding) and with panniers full to bursting we find ourselves on the edge of the Black Mountains near Hay on Wye and in the lee of Offa’s Dyke.* Now they would know, if they appreciated nature and solitude and good walking, and a village pub. If they cared not for 240 volts or shops or sofas or TV. If they wondered about the night sky or the rolling scenery – and could enjoy fine sweeping roads astride a bike through the Gospel pass. Surely this is one of the finest scenic biking routes you could ask for (what to do – enjoy the ride or the view?) It all came back without thinking, the pitching, the water carrying, the breakfast bacon, the chilly nights,
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the striking camp and leaving not a trace. The map and compass, the unfolding scenery, the view from the top. So if you are for the great outdoors, get your little tent and your walking shoes, and combine a great ride with a great walk and the
luxury of accommodation.
your
own
And should it rain or blow, the stories after get more elaborate in the telling, and friends and family think you’re crazy, but they have a sneaking envy... Route - Southampton – Devizes –
Gloucester – Abergavenny – Hay (Longtown) – Chepstow – Aust crossing – Bath – Southampton Camping at Longtown £5 per tent per night. Plenty of walks and good rides Simon – Sprint 955i, Neil BMW R1200RT.
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October 2010
South Pacific Motorcycle Tours Christchurch – New Zealand Hi, I know, as a former member of the IAM (Chelmsford Chapter), you may be interested in running this article in your magazine, we are originally from the UK but have been living in motorcycle heaven, South Island New Zealand for the last 7 years, where we run a very successful motorcycling touring/rental company South Pacific Motorcycle Tours www.motorbiketours.co.nz. little bit about myself, my name is Mike Lester, born in Romford Essex, and I have been riding bikes for as long as I can remember, after spending around 5 years apprenticeship messing around, building bikes, fixing bikes, eating bikes and sleeping bikes, to ride around the fields and quarries (and sometimes roads), you could find an old frame in a ditch, acquire an engine and build a track bike in them days, and have some fun and do the same again a week later, I passed my test in “1966” on a LD150 Lambretta, it’s what you rode in those days if you were a “Mod”, but soon learnt the errors of my ways, bought a leather jacket and grew my hair long and moved on to a Triumph Speed-twin (they were faster) and joined the “59” club and hung out at the “Ace Café”. Over the years I have owned dozens of bikes from Vincents, Triumph, BSA, Matchless, Sunbeams and I even owned a Honda at one time, now days I’m spoilt for choice with a whole fleet to choose although I do have a particular favorite in the Triumph Thunderbird!, or is it the BMW 1200GSA !!! oh I don’t know!, it changes from day to day, I don’t think there has been a moment in my life when there has not been a bike or two in various states of repair somewhere around me. I joined the IAM in about 1995, I think
A
and soon passed my advanced test and regularly enjoyed the ride outs with the club. I met my wife, Carole, in 1999 and moved to New Zealand in 2001, taking a couple of bikes over with me as you do, and soon recognised there was a market for an up market touring/rental company here in NZ, and so the South Pacific seed was sown, we are now in our 8th season and have a collection of new and late 2-3 year old, BMW, Harley, Ducati, Honda and Triumph bikes for hire, (new bikes arriving for the 2011 season). South Pacific Motorcycle Tours cater for individuals, couples and small groups seeking superior comfort throughout their motorcycling vacation. Oceans, rain forests, glacier capped mountains, alpine lakes and majestic waterfalls are all wrapped with a ribbon of motorcycling roads considered to be the best in the world. New Zealand’s diversity in landscape over such a short distance and its overwhelming beauty must be seen with the feel of warm wind and fresh smells all around you. I do hope this article is of some interest to you and you are able to run it in the magazine we have attached our poster for you to print out and stick up in the club room and a special offer we hope to be of some interest, and above a link to our website.
South Pacific Motorcycle Tours cater for individuals, couples and small groups seeking superior comfort throughout their motorcycling vacation. WE HAVE ALL READ MANY OF THEM BUT IT IS STILL A GREAT FUN RE-READING THIS! ENJOY! Wonderful English from Around the World In a Bangkok temple: IT IS FORBIDDEN TO ENTER A WOMAN, EVEN A FOREIGNER, IF DRESSED AS A MAN. Cocktail lounge, Norway: LADIES ARE REQUESTED NOT TO HAVE CHILDREN IN THE BAR. Doctor 's office, Rome: SPECIALIST IN WOMEN AND OTHER DISEASES. Dry cleaners, Bangkok: DROP YOUR TROUSERS HERE FOR THE BEST RESULTS. In a Nairobi restaurant: CUSTOMERS WHO FIND OUR WAITRESSES RUDE OUGHT TO SEE THE MANAGER. On the main road to Mombassa, leaving Nairobi: TAKE NOTICE: WHEN THIS SIGN IS UNDER WATER, THIS ROAD IS IMPASSABLE. On a poster at Kencom: ARE YOU AN ADULT THAT CANNOT READ? IF SO WE CAN HELP. In a City restaurant: OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AND WEEKENDS.
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S A M S O L E N T A DVA N C E D M OTO R C Y C L I S T S
October 2010
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