Magazine of the Thames Valley HOG Chapter
Tales from the Riverbank Closing date for next months magazine Thursday 8th August
Its been a fantastic month for events and rides, I hope we have captured just a few pictures from each of the events in this month magazine. I hope to introduce our new editor in next months edition of Tales from the Riverbank and can I remind you we still have vacancy’s on the committee for a Membership and Activities officer. There must be some one out there who would like to give one of the positions ago. I would like to thank everybody who has sent in pieces for this months magazine, without you the magazine would look pretty bare.
Page 2/3
In This Month’s Magazine Birthdays And Celebra-
m the Riverbank
e for next months agazine
Pages 2 & 3 Start your Engines
hursday
Pages 4 & 5 Dons Words
h August
Page 6 LOH Sue’s Scribbles
Page 7 Club Nights
Pages 8 to 11 News and Updates
Pages 12 & 13 Birthday Bash
Pages 14 & 15 Calendar
Pages 16 & 17 World Ride
tions June & July
John Woodvine
Linda Friend
Mandy Mussong
Adams farm
Pages 19 & 20 World Ride 2013
August
Isle of Wight Tour
Page 20 & 21 School Prom Escort & One Day Poker Run
Pages 22 & 23 Miles for Fun & Blazing Cannons
Pages 24 & 25 SOFER
Pages 26 & 27 Safety First
Page 28 Meet The Committee
Sue Brown
Tony Ferrier
John Colyer If you have a Birthday or Anniversary and would like a mention please send the Editor an E mail.
Welcome to the July edition of Tales from the Riverbank. Well!! What a fantastic month its been for events and ride outs, starting with our 15 th Birthday party at Sportsable. 57 of our members attended the evening enjoying a HOG roast dinner with Jacket potato, salad and plenty of fresh brewed Italian Coffee. Robbie again supplied the entertainment for the evening and what a great job he did as always. Big thank you to the people responsible for organising such a great evening Pat, Barry, Lee and also Shirley & Pat for the Raffle well done all of you great celebration!! The World ride 2013 The ride out to Adams Farm and Stow on the Wold in the Cotswolds organised by our ladies was the start of the World Ride for Thames Valley. Fifteen Bikes and seventeen members joined the girls for the day, picies and a write up on page 16 & 17. On Monday, the chapter World Ride trip over to the Isle of Wight was again a great day out with 17 Bikes 23 members enjoying a ferry crossing over to the island, a picnic lunch at the needles and a tour of the island led by Paul H with Lee tailing. I don’t know the total mileage covered over the two days by our members as I haven’t had everyone’s totals sent in, from the ones I do have most people have clocked up around 250/300 miles over the two days. What I do have is the total clocked up from all the Chapters Worldwide which is a staggering
10018231, a fantastic final figure, and a great couple of days riding. Page 4/5
Rides On Friday the July 5th, 12 bikes and a very nice Ford Mustang from Thames Valley escorted Louis, Shirley’s grandson to his school prom at a hotel in Englefield Green, what a great entrance for Louis he definitely turned a few heads when we arrived!! We finished the evening in the garden of a local pub in Old Windsor. Thanks for the food and refreshments Shirley and thanks to all who made it happen for Louis. Eight bikes and nine members turned out for Nicks one day poker run on Saturday. The ride toured Berkshire, Surrey, Hampshire and Oxfordshire stopping at 2 airports, a wildlife park, Harley Dealership and an Ice Cream shop in Pangbourne, around 130 miles round trip in extremely warm weather. Mick and Linda Friend had to pull out of the ride late morning after suffering a rear wheel puncture. The results of the Poker run are being announced at club night. It’s the first time we’ve had an all day Poker Run, a great idea thanks Nick!! Pictures on page 21. SOFER The rally is getting closer only weeks away now, ticket sales have reached around 1600 to date I have only 3 left of our chapter allocation, if anybody still requires tickets. Online ticket sales closes July 20th, at this point there may be gate sales this year. Tonight at club night the list for gate duties and early arrivals to cover the gate are available for you to register, only those who put their names down for the early shifts on the gate will be allowed on to the site on Thursday. On Saturday evening there will be drinks and nibbles at the chapter Gazebo for all Thames Valley members and their families, please come a long and join the chapter for a social drink to celebrate 10 years of the South of England Rally. Events The Activities team are looking for ideas for rides and events for us to attend during the later part of this year and early next year, if you have any ideas or suggestions please contact Nick or Barry. End of Season Party or Christmas Party It is our tradition to celebrate the end of the riding season with a River Boat Shuffle around September or October time, we are looking to you the members to tell us what you would like to do this year, the suggestion so far are a River Boat Shuffle, a shared Christmas Party at a Hotel with or without a theme and join Bridgwater Chapter for their Christmas Party with overnight accommodation. If you have any Ideas or suggestions please drop the committee a note in the suggestion box, we would love to hear from you. That’s me done for another month, I’m off to Reading collecting for Sportsable, Ride Safe and Have fun.
Don Director
Doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun! One minute we are sulking about the bad weather and the next we’re having trouble fitting all the household chores in around the riding. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip to Adams Farm and Stow on the Wold which was admirably led by Sue Dodds and crewed by me and Pat Adams. It just goes to show that us girls can put a good ride on as well as the boys! The ride out was preceded by Fiona’s surprise birthday party, which although I wasn’t able to go to I understand was a huge success. Happy Birthday Fiona The sun came out too for the one day poker run . I have no idea how to play
poker. I still don’t! But I had a great ride and covered 170 miles door to door. Thanks Nick for leading what started out to be 8 bikes away from SportsAble. Sorry that Mick and Linda picked up a flat rear tyre, fortunately it was at low speed, but sadly they weren’t able to continue. A great days riding, I hope new member Dave enjoyed the day too. Any lady riders going to SOFER don’t forget it’s the LoH ride on Friday evening. Its always good fun to dress up (although it’s not obligatory). The theme this year is Liberty Belles. So interpret that how you like but it sounds American to me! The next ride out on Sunday 21 July is to Stratford Upon Avon. Dave is leading a scenic route through the Cotswolds stopping en route for elevenses at a lovely tea shop at Thrupp. Hope you can join us
Ride safe
Sue
LOH rep
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Dates for 2013
(and Magazine deadlines) August 15th
(8th)
September 11th
(10th)
October 17th
(10th)
November 21st
(14th)
December 19th
(12th)
2014 January 16th
(8th)
February 20th
(13th)
March 20th
(13th)
April 17th
(10th)
Harley Night At The Ace Cafe Shakespeare's Birth Place. To be or not to be !!
25th July
21st July Dave & Sue Brown are leading a ride to Stratford Upon Avon stopping for 11’s on the way
Plymouth Chapter Presents The Oggie Rally
Fenlanders Chapter.
19 - 21st July
21st Anniversary rally East of England Rally
The Hawke Conservancy Trust Andover. 28th July Tony Robson & Bulldog have organised a Sunday
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Sprit of Chapel Ash Rally. 9 - 11th August www.spiritofchapelash.com SOFER Rally 2 - 4th August Come and join your Chapter on the camping area for nibbles and a drinks Saturday evening from 6:30pm
Brackley Festival of Motorcycling. 18th August www.bfom.com
Dunedin Chapter Presents Thunder in the Glens Rally 2013 23 - 26th August
Sale on now! Now’s the time to grab yourself a bargain! We’re currently having a sale of all our current merchandise.
Chapter t-shirts
£18
Chapter China Mugs
£5
Chapter Flags
£20
Flag poles
£12
Buffs
£12
Contact Shirley or email mechadise@thamesvalleyhog.org.uk to place your orders for club Merchandise
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2013 Patch & Pin Design £5 the pair
New Thames Valley Merchandise. Strappy Tops £11 Fleece ( No Hood) £26 Sweat Shirt £18.50 Long Sleeved T Shirt £14.50 V neck T Shirt £13.50 Short Sleeved T Shirt £13.50 Hoodie Pull On £23 Zipped Hoodie £27 Varsity Jacket £25 I Phone Cover £10 Beanie £12 Key Rings £5 Coasters Set of 4 £7.50 Mouse Mat £7.50 Teddy £8.50 Clock £17 All merchandise available from Shirley at Club nights
Thames Valley Uk Chapter
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August Cont July
S.O.C.A Rally
Chapter Club Night.
Friday 9th - Sunday 11th
Sportsable 7:30 - 10pm
Chapter Club Night
Thursday 18th
Thursday 15th
Plymouth Oggie Rally
Meet from 7:30 - 10:00
Friday 19th To Be... or not To Be...
Old School Rally
Ride to Stratford Upon Avon
Towcester Rugby Club
Sunday 21st
Friday 16th
Meet Sportsable 9 for 9:30
Brackley Motorcycle Festival.
Fenlanders East of England Rally
Sunday 18th
Fakenham Racecourse, Norfolk
Times TBC
Thursday 25th - Sunday 28th
Poker Run 5
Ace Cafe Harley Night
Wednesday 21st
Thursday 25th
Location TBC
Hawk Conservancy
Thunder in the Glens
Sunday 25th
Chapter Ride to Aviemore
Meet Sportsable Times 10 for 10:30
Thursday 22nd TBC
August
Thunder in the Glens Aviemore
South of England Rally
Friday 23rd - Monday 26th
Chapter Attending Rally
Bisley Shooting Ground Friday 2nd - Sunday 4th Committee Night
Mystery Sea Side Ride Sunday 25th Times TBC
Tuesday 6th
Cancelled Page 14/15
Events, ride outs and activities Details correct at time of going to print. Check the website for updates and amendments
Late Summer Bank Holiday
Blazing Cannons Rally
Monday 26th
Friday 27th
Harley Night Ace Cafe Thursday 29th
September Committee Night Tuesday 3rd Poker Run 6
Chapter Ride to Rally Times TBC Goodwood Revival Sunday 29th Times TBC
October
Wednesday 11th
Committee Night
Location TBC
Tuesday 1st
20th Ace Cafe Reunion
RTTW 6
Sunday 15th
Saturday 5th
Times TBC
Times TBC
Club Night
Poker Run 7
Sportsable
Wednesday 9th
Thursday 19th 7:30 - 10:00
Venue TBC
Cop Hill Climb
Club Night
Hill Climb Event
Thursday 17th
Sunday 22nd Times TBC Harley Night Ace Cafe Thursday 26th
British Summer Time Ends Sunday 27th Halloween Sunday 31st
Adams Farm Oxford
Sue briefing the ride at Sportsable
The ride gathers at Sportsable
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Feeding Time at Adams Farm
The group of 15 bikes and 17 riders braved the weather and made their way from Sportsable and Chieveley services to start the ride out to Adams Farm (the country file farmer). As we made our way to Burford, Oxfordshire the weather was quite threatening. We arrived at Adams Farm, but with an entrance fee of ÂŁ8.50 I am sorry to say there where not many takers, although the cafĂŠ serving food and drinks was very acceptable. After a short stay we rode on to Stow on the Wold. Some lovely country lanes and excellent
scenery, the whole route was a joy to ride, Well done to Sue
Dodds for picking the roads and leading, Pat Adams for tailing and Sue Brown for marshalling.
Day Two A Tour of the Isle of Wight & Picnic Lunch
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WE ARE SAILING.......over to the Isle of Wight. After meeting at Chieveley Services, 17 bikes & 23 riders are on their way to the Isle of Wight, and after a stop at the Southampton dealership, we have picked up 3 more people and 1 more bike. The 12.00 ferry (Red Osprey) is waiting, and after a short wait we are on and parked up. Going up on deck, we can see that the sea is like a mill pond, which will make the crossing a good one. The Queen Mary 2 is in dock and is due to leave this afternoon. We are waiting for the small chain link ferry to go across to East Cowes, no problems there and we have all made our way towards The Needles and Alum Bay to stop for lunch. The weather is not too bad, the odd dark cloud, but we have managed to avoid the raindrops. The packed lunches have been eaten, the photos have been taken and we are back on our bikes making our way to the next stop. The scenery is breath taking, with lots of twists and turns on the roads. We have stopped in the car park overlooking Black Gang Chine ( an old amusement park). Plenty of people taking photos as well as a very inviting looking ice cream van. Further twists and turns have bought us back to the ferry, just in time for our 5.30 crossing with a couple of minutes to spare. We are up on deck, the wind has picked up a bit, but not too bad. The Queen Mary 2 is leaving port and she sails right past the ferry, what a magnificent ship. Yet again we have avoided the rain. Refuelling has taken place, goodbyes have been said and we are all making our way home, Thanks Paul, Lee & Don a very good day has been had by all.
School Prom Escort for Louis
Louis’s chauffer driven Mustang Waiting to make our grand Entrance
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Nick’s All Day Poker
2nd Card at Blackbush Airport
A drinks break on Hungerford Common
Ice creams all-round
Micks Friends rear Tyre
New for 2013 we’re launching our very own Frequent Rider
QUALIFYING RIDERS/PASSENGERS Riders qualify by reaching the destina-
Programme, which is designed to en-
tion of an official club ride out on a road-
courage attendance at club ride outs
worthy and road legal motorcycle (this
and recognise both riders and pillions for
can be their own, someone else’s, or a
regularly
rental / loan motorcycle).
supporting our rides. Passengers qualify by reaching the destination of an official club ride out as a All you have to do is register, which
pillion on any road legal bike, regardless
costs £1 per person for the whole year
of who the main rider is and whether
and start attending qualifying rides (see
they are in the scheme.
below).
RECORDING YOUR RIDES QUALIFYING RIDES
Participants in the scheme can obtain a
All official club ride-outs qualify so long
record card which they must present for
as they are in the ride
signature by the leading Road Captain
schedule and
advertised either in the club magazine or
on arrival at the ride out destination.
For safety reasons, it is preferable to do any admin of the scheme AFTER the ride -out has arrived at its destination. This means that the leading Road Captain is not bothered by administration tasks and hence free to put all of his/her concentration into ride safety
before de-
parture.
REGISTRATION / CARDS There is a £1 annual registration charge to participants. If any participants fill the first card they can request subsequent cards free in the same year.
REWARDS
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It has been a long cold winter and most of you will know by now that the condition of many of our roads can be shocking! Pot holes are causing damage to motor vehicles across the country and we all need to be
prepared to take evasive action when out riding.
Here are a few tips to help avoid becoming a statistic...
Leave a slightly larger gap between you and the
vehicle
in front. This will buy you a second or two to manoeuvre clear of any last minute hole or obstacle.
Watch the vehicle in front, often a bump will be visible via its effect on the vehicle in front.
If riding in a group, make sure you leave enough room between yourself and the bike in front (especially when the ride slows down) to allow him/her and you to ride around any pot hole.
When riding in a group you can signal to the rider that there is a
behind
dangerous pot hole or object by pointing at
the hazard (to the left with your hand or to the right with your foot). If someone in front of you does this, you know there is a hazard and you should move to avoid it and pass the signal back if it is safe for you to do so.
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Another hazard which has a particularly high impact on motorcyclists is diesel on the road. Often riders can SMELL the fuel on the road before they see it so learn to trust your nose. Spilled diesel can be as slippery on dry roads as it is on wet roads so use all your senses to try to detect it early. Spills are often due to larger vehicles, like Lorries, who overfill their tank. This means that fuel will spill out when they take a corner, at roundabouts and particularly near to filling stations.
Finally, a brief reminder to check fluid levels before a ride. You need to check oil and brake fluid levels as well as fuel. Make sure your tyre pressures are correct and at least every month check the tread on your tyres around the entire length of the tyre. A great time to check this is when you are cleaning the rims. Have a look at the brake linings while you are cleaning to ensure you have sufficient pad to the journeys you have planned. Ride safe ‌. Nick West (Safety Officer)
Don Wibberley
Pat Adams
Colin Wilkins
Sue Moyler
Chapter Director Email:
Assistant Director
Treasurer
Secretary
director@thamesvallyhog.org.uk
Email: assistantdirector@
Email: treasurer@
Email: secretary@
Fred Cotsford
Nij Jones
Membership Officer
Head Road Captain
Email: membership@
Email: headroadcaptain@
Sue Brown Ladies of Harley Email: ladiesofharley@
Lee White Webmaster Email: webmaster@
Nick West
Barry Adams
Safety Officer & Historian
Activities Officer
Email: historian@
Email: activities@
Email: safety@
Bernie Meson
Position Vacant
Photographer
Editor
Email: photographer@
Email: editor@
facebook.com/groups/
youtube.com/user/ tvwebmaster1
Linda Friend
Shirley Churchill
Photographer
Merchandise
Email: photographer@
Email: merchandise@
Club Venue: SportsAble, Braywick Sports Ground, Maidenhead,