Spring 2022 TRF TrailMagazine by Trail Magazine

Spring 2022 / Issue 19

The Trail Riders Fellowship Members’ Magazine

Crossing Oz Riding across the thick bit of Australia can alter your perspective

Bucklebury 57 Re-discovering a short lane with plenty of variety

Life’s Ups and Downs Important things to know before heading for the hills

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CHAIR’S REPORT TRF Chair and Northern Director Doug Cartwright considers the conflict currently facing Trail Riding and wider issues

he Spring edition of Trail is usually the time where we are all looking forward to better weather and get more time on the trails. This year I find myself observing world events and reflecting on our privileges, to live peacefully where ever we do and be able to go trail riding. I cannot claim to understand the conflict that is taking place on the borders of Europe, but it is truly awful to see the death and destruction, and I’m sure I can speak on behalf of all trail riders when I say our thoughts are with all those who have or are suffering in the conflict. Given this conflict it just seems selfish to discuss the challenges that trail riders in the UK are facing. The focus of TRF attention lately has been the Landscapes Review and I will not repeat that again as that has been well communicated to all of you with a request for action. A united team of LARA and the National Motorcycle Council along with their constituent members that include GLASS, ACU, BMF and ourselves are working in partnership to address this latest threat. The National Motorcycle Council recently attended Parliament to launch a Policy Programme on behalf of all forms of motorcycling. But, I repeat we all must play our part. The TRF has made great progress and continues to win cases that we have challenged. We hope to bring further good news on our progress but often the outcome of our challenges cannot be made public or published immediately for legal reasons…But watch this space! The TRF recognises too that this rifle shot approach to Road Conservation is not sustainable in the long run…We need to seek fundamental change. The TRF is now at an inflection point in our evolution. We are only a few members short of 7,000 – yes, you read that correctly – this is driven by the service provided by Team TRF, our Conservation of Green Roads, informing you where to ride and

historically we’ve see an uplift in membership when our pastime is under threat. We are no longer a small motorbike club of enthusiasts, but instead an inclusive, influential and substantial organisation. For the TRF to accelerate and become an even more substantial voice in the industry and bring about change we need to recognise this point and plan for it. We need to continue to build our position as the recognised body representing trail riding. We need to lobby local and central government both defending our rights and working with them where inclusive solutions are needed. This is where you come in. We are now vastly under resourced in terms of manpower, our road-conservation activities rely on too few people. Our organisation structure needs to grow and evolve and there is a need for people to drive and support this change. Traditionally we have relied on volunteer support, but we are now moving into an era of both paid and unpaid resources. If you want to be part of this, have a passion for, or at least an understanding of trail riding, just think what skills you can develop as a Director or a member of Team TRF and apart from the satisfaction of achievement it will bolster your CV nicely! Even if you are just thinking about it contact me on doug.c@trf.org<mailto:doug.c@trf.org>.uk for a chat about the art of the possible. Training will be provided! The Green Road Map is a key tool in all of this and we will look to evolve its reach and functionality to firmly establish it as the significant tool it can be in the conservation of Green Roads for all countryside users to benefit from. In the meantime, let’s hope that by the time this edition of Trail is published, conflict will have given way to discussion and peaceful engagement. Doug Cartwright

Trail is published quarterly and is designed and produced by Rick Kemp Media Services, for the Trail Riders Fellowship. The TRF is registered in England & Wales No.05884933 Registered Office, 218 The Strand, London WC2R 1AT. British Library Reference:007244108 All advertising enquiries should be sent to Editor@trf.org.uk The views expressed by individual members in Trail are not necessarily those of the Trail Riders Fellowship.

CONTENTS

Trail The Trail Riders Fellowship Members’ Magazine

British Library Ref No: 007244108 Contacts: Trail Magazine Editor: Rick Kemp Design: Andy Riley Editorial & Advertising: Editor@trf.org.uk TRF Membership Team: Membership@trf.org.uk T: 020 3855 5846 TRF Membership: Allen House Wetmore Road Burton upon Trent DE14 1TR Published by: The TRF Board of Directors Directors@trf.org.uk Front cover photo: Andrew Broomby

Join the TRF 02

It’s tough in the bush. Sometimes even the bikes need a bit of a lie down!

from the trail 04 view

news 09 group

Graeme Collins considers it vital that every trail rider in or out of the TRF treats every ride as a PR opportuniy

Here we highlight some of the many charitable events the TRF Groups have instigated over the past year

column 06 comber

20 gallery

Sean Comber reminds us that proper documentation can be used to ‘prove’ old green lanes are still in use by our members

More photographic evidence of the amazing scenery encountered by our members while out riding on the trails

voice 08 VInce’s

bucklebUry 57 24 reclaiming

Lifetime TRF member Austin Vince gives his pick of the top 3 motorcyle adventure films you should consider as must-see

Mike Wain and the crew from Loddon Vale & Bristol TRF get busy renovating a short lane with plenty of variety

Spring 2022 / Issue 19

techniques: blue remembered life’s ups and downs 58 hills 38 riding Jake and Carl Venter advise on controlled hill stops, hill recoveries and controlled descents

Alan Pemberton and his brother Gareth combine their interest in classic bikes with a bit of trail riding in the Surrey Hills

oz 42 crossing

rwanda 60ride

Andrew Broomby takes to the outback with the help of some trail-riding relatives to give guidance and perspective

Norfolk TRF member André Castle swaps East Anglia for East Africa and a long dreamed of adventure

dean allen 50interview:

Photo: Andrew Broomby

of law 30 point Andrew Dalton from White Dalton solicitors clarifies the position regarding the law and motorcycle insurance

Dean Allen from Somerset TRF talks about the rider training days he has been running for the last two years

mondo 54 mini

not so firma: part 1 66 terra

Nick Grant discovers that real-life biking adventures are still out there to be had and they needn’t cost a fortune either

Kelvin Varney ponders the friction coefficients of road surfaces which we might encounter on our travels

Photo: Kelvin Varney

THE EVENT 31 TRAIL: You’ve read the magazine, visited the website, now attend The Event at the ABR Festival, Ragley Hall,Worcs, in June

hobos 32 motoPhil Elston from Wiltshire TRF extols the virtues and practical aspects of DIY accommodation when out on the trails

Occasionally even the tarmac leaves a lot to be desired

66 03

VIEW FROM THE TRAIL Head of Marketing and GRM Project Lead Graeme Collins considers that in the current political climate trail riders need to be extra courteous to other green road users

Winning Hearts and Minds S

omeone put a post about access on Facebook recently. One comment suggested that it was their legal right to be on a green road and “since when was it a popularity contest?” While the first part might be true, I would take issue with the second. When it comes to dealing with the general public, a reasoned argument based on facts only gets us so far – perception and emotional response can carry a far more persuasive argument than facts alone. Look at Brexit. No matter which side of the debate you were on, the claims made by either side before the vote were hardly factual. The outcome was largely driven by how we had been made to feel about the subject. Trail riders are facing renewed challenges to the way we choose to explore and enjoy the countryside and winning the hearts and minds of the wider public will go a long way to achieving this. So, what are the key areas that influence the public perception of trail riders? Noise Although the countryside is far from a quiet place, with farming and forestry machinery generating more noise than many motorcycles, the way we ride, the exhausts we use and the size of groups we ride in, all influence the perception and reality of noise.

Speed Green roads are not a racetrack; if you have the need for speed, then go and have a blast on a track. Passing people at excessive speed can feel intimidating and cause fear in the wider public. Slow is the way to go; stopping for horse riders and dog walkers wins friends and influences people.

FACED WITH THE LATEST THREAT TO RETAINING ACCESS TO GREEN ROADS, IT IS VITAL THAT EVERY TRAIL RIDER, IN OR OUT OF THE TRF, TREATS EVERY RIDE AS A PR OPPORTUNITY Environment Normal tyre tracks are no different to foot or hoof prints and cycle tracks, but some will perceive a regular tyre track as ‘damage’, when it’s not. We have all seen the images claimed to be of damage caused by 4x4 vehicles and bikes that are clearly from farm machinery, but we should always consider the condition of the terrain we are about to ride and our impact upon it. There will be times when not riding a waterlogged road is the right choice, no matter how much fun it appears to offer!

Road-book Enduro Tours in France

DATES FOR 2022 Due to the ongoing situation please contact me for details of availability and restrictions that may apply

Appearance This is going to ruffle some feathers, and I raise my hand to being guilty of this one; if we look like ‘racers’ we are perceived as racers. The latest orange and pink outfit may look great to you (I thought I looked so-o-o cool!), but to others you look as though you are blasting around the countryside at speed. Same goes for race numbers on your bike. There has been many a debate on rider group size and my personal preference is now four; six maximum. Smaller groups are simply far less intimidating to the public at large. As I write this, I can hear the groans and accusations of being a FPO – Fun Prevention Officer – but faced with the latest threat to retaining access to green roads, it is vital that every trail rider, whether in or out of the TRF, treats every ride as a PR opportunity. Those who seek to deny us access are distorting the public’s opinion on the issue, and in turn they have the ability to influence the views of policy makers and our elected representatives. So, in reality it is a popularity contest on a very important level. It’s time to make yourselves popular trail riders!

All trips are priced at £590 (660 ) (payable to ABTA bonded and ATOL protected UK travel agency S&N Pickford). Price includes 3 days riding, 2 nights half-board accommodation, loan of road book and road book reader, support vehicle and driver, an opener and sweeper and a classy T-shirt. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like any further information.

Chris Evans, Sport Adventure Tel: 0033 662 487190 chris.evans@sport-adventure.com www.sport-adventure.com

VINCE’S VOICE Lifetime TRF member Austin Vince is well known for his long distance adventure motorcycle expeditions: twice round the world as part of the Mondo Enduro and Terra Circa trips, both of which were produced as TV documentaries. Here he gives us his pick of the best independent motorcycle adventure films out there

The Best Adventure Motorcyle Films T

his column should be preceded by a 10,000-word dissertation on the actual meaning of ‘Adventure Motorcycling’. But we ain’t got time for that! Every one of you will have your own film ranking and that list will be even more diverse if it includes the work of vloggers, who do short web-only bulletins. There’s no merit in me giving MY opinion, it’s too personal a thing. However, I can mention a few movies (sorry, not vlogs) that every trail rider should see before they die:

1.Twice Upon A Caravan – 1998 Certainly not the first time that long distance motorcycling has been filmed but surprisingly the first coherent Adventure motorcycle movie. Compiled from motion film footage shot by Robert Fulton Jr during his 1932–3 solo journey from London to Shanghai on a Douglas, it is astonishing at so many levels.

2. Cycles South – 1970 Less adventurous but nonetheless a delight to see three buddies ride from Colorado to Panama in chinos and open-face helmets with almost no luggage. The opposite of cinéma vérité, almost every scene is ‘staged’ to a greater or lesser extent. Bright Kodachrome colours only accentuate the retro perfection of this forgotten masterpiece.

3. MotoSyberia – 2004 A group of four Polish maniacs ride to Magadan in eastern Siberia, almost entirely off-road. Captained by Maciek Swinarski, arguably the world’s most fearless Adventure motorcyclist, the team travel light on Yamaha 600s relishing every swamp, dirt road and river crossing. This film is legendary because in an era before social media, these guys did it for real, not for likes, and they LOVED every minute of the rough roads. The 2010 sequel, MotoSyberia 2.0, seems surreal it is so extreme. So these are three recommendations – the Internet will help you find them – but the big news is a DVD that fell through my letterbox a few months ago… In 2017 five German artists (yes, you read that correctly) sourced three clapped-out 1980s Ural sidecar rigs. Originals, from the Golden Age of USSR awfulness, not the jazzed-up Seattle versions of today. They rode the outfits across Russia and Siberia and took on the Road of Bones. Not content with that, they sourced some enormous vinyl floats, attached bicycle drive chains to each Ural’s final drive and turned the sidecars into unsteerable ‘boats’. They piloted them up the rivers of north-west Siberia, leaving Magadan behind them and heading for the Bering Straits. They named their film after what they had experienced: 972 Breakdowns. Once you have seen this film, you will not be the same and, like me, you won’t stop talking about it.

GROUP NEWS MID WALES

Santa Run The 2021 Santa Run was in aid of the DPJ Foundation, a charity which supports mental health in the agricultural community

A CHANCE TO HAVE SOME FUN AND RAISE MONEY FOR A VERY WORTHY CAUSE. WHAT COULD BE BETTER?

ach year the Mid Wales TRF chooses a charity and raises funds by organising various events where entrants pay a nominal fee, which goes to the chosen charity. The charities are selected at the Group’s AGM each year and tend to be local charities, which landowners in the area will have heard of and will also support. Previous charities supported include the Brecon Beacons Mountain Rescue. The 2021 Santa Run raised funds for the DPJ Foundation. The Foundation was set up in July 2016 following the death of Daniel Picton-Jones. The DPJ Foundation aims to support those in the agricultural sector suffering from poor mental health. Daniel’s mental health problems went undiagnosed and unseen by many. Daniel was an agricultural contractor; he was part of a sector with the highest suicide rate in the UK. His widow, Emma, decided to set up the Foundation to support the mental health of those in the farming sector, those who feel just as Daniel did, providing them with the support that he

simply didn’t know how to get. The Mid Wales TRF organises the Santa Run to deliver tins of chocolates to farms and buildings close to, or on, lanes that many TRF members use in the area. This is a small gesture of thanks for any disturbances motorcyclists might make over the year, as well as a pro-active step to encourage positive attitudes towards local green laning. The Mid Wales TRF works closely with its neighbours, the South West Wales TRF, as they ride in the same area. The SWW TRF organised the Christmas cards that explain all about the TRF and the work that they do, while the Mid Wales TRF bought the chocolates to give out. The event is managed by Marianne Walford, the Group Secretary, who was able in 2020 to pass on £1,000 from previous events, match-funded by HSBC, leading to a total of £2,000. Those involved in 2021 aimed to add to this sum, although a reduced number of riders took part due to Covid restrictions. Marianne

GROUP NEWS: MID WALES

led one group of riders on the Saturday, and I joined the other group, the Newtown Santa Gang, on the Saturday and Sunday, led out by ‘The Welsh Wizard’ (Hywel to his friends). Klimmy, Your Lordship, Purvey and myself rode some amazing lanes and experienced fantastic views, as well as providing quite a bit of cheer to those both on foot and in their cars as a group comprising Santa and his Elf rode past on their various steeds. Meeting up with Steve Leonard and Emma from South West Wales TRF at Furnace, we made the best of the Welsh sunshine and spent the day riding around the Tal-y-Bont, Penybont, Salem, Capel Bangor and Nant-y-Moch area. Armed with fantastic local knowledge, Hywel led us along stunning trails and twisting narrow side roads. We ended up having lunch on a bank beside the top of a steep trail, looking out towards Aberystwyth and the sea to the west of us. I have to say at this stage that we were getting lots of waves and smiles as we passed through the villages that sprang up along our route – mainly directed at my brother, Chris, who was dressed up as a Christmas parcel wearing a chimney hat with Father Christmas’s legs poking out of the top of it. I am truly amazed that he didn’t get it ripped off by some of the low hanging branches we had to work our way through on some of the less-ridden trails. The owners of the Fuel Garage recognised our Welsh Wizard, despite his best efforts to disguise himself as Santa, and very kindly donated £20.00 to the charity. It was great to be recognised immediately as “the lads who raise money for local charities” by the owner of the garage. She insisted on making a

donation and taking our photo to add to their Facebook page. Trail riders are welcomed as valued customers in this area. On a personal note, following my recent knee injection, it was such a relief to ride without pain for the weekend – only the second time out this year on the 350 – although I did manage to break the side stand mount. This was ably repaired on Saturday evening by the amazing Wizard and Elf, Hywel and Ian, who drilled, tapped and repaired the mounting bracket for the side stand in the workshop before a well deserved Chinese takeaway and beers arrived to end the day. Sunday morning again saw the Severn Valley deep in mist. The day had an international flavour as local French member, Jean Claude (real name Charles), arrived with his 2002 smoking KTM 200 two-stroke. I believe it didn’t even have a battery – thank goodness for progress in the electric start world, as far as I am concerned! Arriving on his heels was ‘The Bear’ – enough said, a perfect description in both looks and riding style! Off we all went, and as we rode higher up into the hills the mist dropped below us and we entered yet another day of glorious Welsh sunshine. Surely nothing could stop us today! Five minutes into the ride, The Bear’s gleaming new Sherco was yelled to a stop by the Wizard. A strange green liquid was spilling (ok, dripping slowly) down the engine casing. “Bear, your bike is bleeding”, said the Wizard. “Oh, I never check a new bike over”, The Bear informed us, tightening up the almost hanging-off hose clip for the coolant. “At least it’s got some left in

Despite a multitude of mechanical mishaps fun was had by all

it, so let’s go!” And off we went – only to discover, as we pulled into our mate Steve’s house for a coffee, that my front tyre was as flat as a pancake. “Don’t worry”, said Hywel, and with a Wizard’s spell produced a spare KTM front wheel and tyre from Steve’s bike, which was in the garage as he wasn’t riding it. “Swap them back on your way home tonight”. What a wizardly wheeze. Ten minutes later, off we all went once more, although looking down at the front tyre I could see why Steve had told me as we left that he was thinking about changing it. There wasn’t much tread left, as I was to discover when squirming my way through the various muddy sections that we came across during the day’s ride.

The ride took us around the Newtown, Bishops Castle and the Knighton triangle, through some well-remembered trails. After a quick fuel stop in Bishops Castle, grabbing supplies from the garage shop, the day’s lunch stop was on a gentle bank in a sunlit valley somewhere near Black Hill. Time to revel in the glorious sunshine, much banter, and the knowledge that as we delivered tins of chocolates to various farms and houses near well-used green lanes, we were both building up the good name of the TRF in the area as well as raising funds for an excellent cause – and having a brilliant time riding amazing green lanes! With my front headlight playing up – I knew I should have checked the repair I made to the wires where it loops around the headstock, which had split a couple of years ago – I left the group at Knighton as dusk was falling to ride back on my own to Newtown. What a brilliant ride the B4355 is – a sinuous twisting roller-coaster of a road that would be a gem to ride on a road bike, although the 350 felt special giving it a handful of beans. My excuse, Officer, was that I was trying to get home before the light faded as my light had broken. Hmmm, don’t think I would have got away with it, do you? So, two days’ riding, in fine weather, with great company, banter, laughs, silly costumes and amazing countryside – and the bonus of raising £375 for the DPJ Foundation. Not bad in these Covid days. Hopefully the 2022 ride will see the numbers of those taking part back up to pre-Covid figures, as more TRF members take up the Santa Run Challenge organised by Marianne and the members of the Mid Wales TRF.

GROUP NEWS CENTRAL BRISTOL

City Night The Central Bristol TRF Group learning the importance of a good fit and looking sharp at the same time

e walked into the Helmet City Somerset shop last November seeking waterproof winter riding gear and soon realised the value of the ‘walking encyclopaedias’ that work there as salesmen and women. A quick coffee and chat later, with some of the excellent chocolate from the adjoining chocolate factory, and we had agreed that shop worker and trail rider Jay would be our speaker at the January CB TRF Club Night. Fast forward to the cold January night in question, and Jay from Helmet City turns up at the Nova Scotia pub in Bristol with his boss, Dean, and REV’IT! rep, Paul, for support. The room was full, with around 40 members present, eager and ready for the show. Gloves were provided for the monthly raffle along with plenty of shop stock to show off and illustrate

how trail riding gear has progressed. What’s new and what’s cool? As CB TRF Rights of Way Officer, Alcuin, noted: “I went along out of a sense of duty as I felt I was pretty much sorted for kit, but from the moment the team of three introduced themselves I was riveted, or should I say RE’VITed! Seriously, I would usually be catching up with something on my phone but the only thing in my Google search history for the evening was the spelling of the company REV’IT! It was clear the presentation team felt they got as much, if not more, pleasure from sharing and imparting knowledge and experience as they did from selling stuff.” Whilst Helmet City anticipates generating extra business from the Club Night, it was clear that their primary objective for coming along was their

ANDY NEWPORT - IT WAS MY FIRST MEETING. GREAT TO MEET NEW PEOPLE AND HEAR ABOUT UPCOMING EVENTS – I’M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE TRAINING EVENTS AS I AM COMPETELY NEW TO THIS

absolute passion for anything motorcycle-related. The discussion on helmet safety, for example, was absolutely fascinating. Jay outlined how helmets are designed in order to meet the relevant standard, but that this does not necessarily mean they are always the safest. He explained how part of helmet testing involves firing projectiles towards the helmet at certain points and then measuring the impact. This apparently results in some helmets having a thicker shell around these impact points only, rather than all over the helmet. Jay then weighed up the criteria for buying a safe helmet. Firstly, the importance of fit: a good fit is the no. 1 factor where safety is concerned. Bell helmets are more circular, whereas other brands are slightly longer front to back, rather than side to side.

He noted, “Some customers come in wanting a specific helmet, often because they have read the advertising, even though it is unlikely to be a good fit. The Helmet City team will try and meet the customer’s needs, but will always point out if a helmet is not the best and safest fit.” When Paul then showed off the trail-riding clothing, that resident Adonis within the Group, Mr Darth Speede, who had conveniently placed himself at the front, jumped up to model the REV’IT! Dirt Series Element jacket – which he clearly liked! Our Training Liaison Officer, Jon, thought the REV’IT! kit was not only technically good but also looked very casual. “It wouldn’t look out of place worn on a bike, for a stroll in the park, or down the pub.” So, during our Club Night we all learned a bit about the kit that keeps us safe and also had a fun evening, hearing about the exciting events coming up, such as our new rider training programme, the summer trip away, and a planned camping weekend with our pals in the Wiltshire TRF. Top quotes from the evening: Tom Tucker – “Busy, busy!” Andy Newport – “It was my first meeting. Great to meet people and hear about upcoming events. I’m really looking forward to the training programme as I am completely new to this. The Helmet City guys were brilliant, I learned a lot and they weren’t at all sales-y. Good job Darth was there as the catwalk model.” Raffle winners were: Chris Bennett, who won the bottle of fizz; and Alcuin Wilkie, who won the REV’IT! gloves.

GROUP NEWS EAST MIDLANDS

Charity begins at... An outline of the the East Midland Group’s fundraising activities carried out over the last few years

Blood Bikes presentation 2018

he Group started its fundraising activities in 2015. Our first recipient was the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Society (RABS), which helps to support farmers, landowners and their families in times of crisis. In the years that followed we have also raised funds for East Midlands and Rutland Air Ambulance, Blood Bikes, Birchwood School for learners with additional needs and, this year, Guide Dogs for the Blind. We also made a separate donation to Brain Tumour Research.

THE GROUP CONTINUES TO RAISE FUNDS FOR LOCAL CAUSES, BOTH FOR POSITIVE PRESS AND FOR THE GREATER GOOD OF THE COMMUNITY We ask members to donate during the Mince Pie Run, which traditionally takes place between Christmas and New Year. These funds are added to any others resulting from individual efforts as well as Group collections throughout the year. The charity

Guide Dogs for the Blind presentation 2022

selection is always a collective decision and members vote each year as to what charity should be supported. Each member can suggest a charity of their choosing as long as they can justify the relevance to Group activities. In September 2021 a prominent member of the East Midlands Group, Steve Hough, undertook a cycle ride with fellow member, Sean Harrop, from Ashbourne to Kirby Lonsdale over a four-day period. He set up a ‘just-giving page’ for Guide Dogs for the Blind and many of the members donated in this way. It was agreed to include that year’s Mince Pie Run contributions in the same pot as it supports his efforts further. On 9 February 2022 the East Midlands Group presented a cheque for £6,000 to a representative from Guide Dogs for the Blind at the Group’s monthly meeting. This sum was largely thanks to the efforts of Steve and Sean, who took on the challenge of push-biking all those miles. The Group will continue to raise funds for local causes, as it believes this increases the positive press about the actions of its members. Plans are being discussed for other events, which should help match the efforts undertaken by other regional Groups to ensure that trail riding makes a difference to the local community.

GROUP NEWS SOUTH WALES

Growth is Good What’s occurring in South Wales? Well, who is in a better position to tell you than Vice Chair Ian Elliott

ctually there’s a lot occurring in the South Wales Group of the TRF under the new Group officers led by Chairman Adam Hayes from Barry Island, or Barrybados as it’s locally known, home to the famous Gavin and Stacy series. The Group has grown in both numbers and activities during the past 18 months and seems to have capitalised on the Covid pandemic by using social media effectively to get itself known and attract new and returning members, even during lockdown. Group Officer Simon Thomas explained: “We always had a solid base of experienced riders, but it was difficult for newcomers to break in, and a lot of the rides occurred by word of mouth or at the local meeting, which had limited attendance. We now use Facebook and have built up a social media presence, started publishing a ride calendar and made ourselves increasingly inclusive and welcoming. The result of this can be seen in membership numbers with the Group growing from 85 to 390+ members over the last 24 months.” The Group needed increased organisation and administration to keep it developing and growing. Kelvin Varney and Adam Hayes have been part of the GRM testing group and recognised that to keep the membership actively engaged and enjoying legal green roads it required a framework. Adam Hayes was elected Chair and Kelvin Varney and Fred Jones became Rights of Roads Officers due to their extensive knowledge and collaborative attitude. The ride calendar was established and a grading system for riders’ abilities and rides was put together with standard responses for new riders and education on our code of conduct. However, to ensure success we needed to expand the number of rider leaders and tail enders. Many experienced riders have stepped forward and are now giving their time and expertise to create and lead rides. During the peak riding months in 2021, the Group was organising 8–14 rides per month. This has continued with January 2022 seeing 13 winter ride-outs and an excellent Xmas run with 70+ participants. Adam explained: “We wanted every new member to get on a ride in their first month with us. We wanted that experience to be welcoming, not exhausting, and we wanted to increase their confidence.” Simon added: “We also have many members with adventure bikes and now have a big bike section where we can help those with mid to big bikes experience longer, less technical runs, yet get their bikes dirty legally. We have

also seen our demographic change: we are now seeing younger riders and have increased our female membership, which is making us think and organise ourselves differently so as to have broader appeal.” We are fortunate that there are fantastic green roads in South Wales, which vary from parts of the TET to hardcore extreme trails and everything in-between. However, it also suffers from a lot of illegal riding and the Group has been working closely with Gwent Police to ensure that the police service is aware of what is legal and what what is not, while also ensuring that the Group is supportive in only advocating legal rides. A lot of the hard work involved in this exercise comes from Kelvin and Fred, who not only document the GRM, and explore and record the status of lanes in their monthly updates, but also check the proposed routes and GPX files against current TROs and status claims. Kelvin explains: “We are conscious that we are privileged to enjoy these remaining roads post NERC and we are doing everything we can to conserve them. Adam added: “Recently the Group had a volunteer day on Sarn Helen, working with GLASS representatives to repair and maintain the ancient Roman road against water erosion. We are conscious that we must be active, and seen to be active, in supporting our natural resources. Sarn Helen already has a seasonal TRO, so keeping it open for future riders is critical.” Just as the Group is protecting its external

THE SOUTH WALES GROUP KEEPS “A WELCOME IN THE HILLSIDES” AS THE SONG GOES...

resources, it also needs to ensure that its internal assets are taken care of. Adam pointed to the ride leaders: “The Group is keen to make sure that the ride leaders are confident in leading in all situations. To enable this the Group has acquired a Garmin and is providing monthly training for route planning. Then, to make it practical, we have ‘follow the leader rides’ where all members lead for a section of the trail, so they can get used to navigating while riding. To keep us moving forward and accommodating the growing membership, we need to continuously expand the number of willing ride leaders. To lead, you must be a competent rider, be able to adjust your route according to conditions and incidents, and be capable of reacting to all eventualities. Therefore, the ride leaders and tail enders will be attending First Biker on Scene training through Q1 2022, so that everyone is first-aid trained and can react to whatever the trail might throw at them.” As we exit 2021 and move into 2022 and whatever that might bring, Adam Hayes and the South Wales TRF Group is committed to building the Group’s identity and inclusivity. “We are in the process of building the SWTRF brand with various clothing ranges available to purchase. Certain Group members will provide a tyre changing service for new members, donations for which go to the TRF Fighting Fund, and we’re working with local motorcycle shops to provide discounts and support for them in equal measure.

One interesting aspect we are investigating is what can we do as a Group to become carbon neutral. It is especially important that we give back as a Group and support the communities and environment in which we live and ride. Whilst we are the South Wales TRF, we are conscious of being part of something much bigger and as such are building connections with other TRF Groups. We recently supported the Hereford Hospice Trail Ride, by providing ride leaders and tail enders, and we promote the TRF at local agricultural shows and events when we can. Groups have enjoyed riding in Devon, Bristol, Salisbury Plain, South West Wales and Hereford and meeting like-minded TRF members. We recognise that we are stronger together. “It takes a lot of work and time to make any group successful but when you ask the officers why they do it, it’s about the reward of seeing others enjoy our recreation,” said Simon. “The smile on the face of a new rider on the day they conquer a rut, climb a steep climb or cross a river is our reward. We remember how that felt and it keeps us all coming back for more. Reading the ride reports and seeing the videos and the good-natured banter recorded on the Facebook page shows we are doing something right.” So, if you are thinking of trail riding in South Wales, reach out to the South Wales TRF and find out what’s occurring. The Group ‘Keeps a Welcome in the Hillsides’, as the song goes.

GROUP NEWS DEVON

Money on the Moor Just after Christmas, 32 members from Devon TRF rode around Dartmoor in a fund-raising event for FORCE, a Cancer charity based in Exeter

rganised by Gav Brimacombe, the 80-mile route started and finished at Spreyton Village Hall. Groups of eight riders set off at 20-minute intervals along unclassified roads and byways. The route took in many local historic sites. From Spreyton the route went to the picturesque, fourteenth-century town of Chagford, and then on to Widecombe-in-the-Moor as in ‘Widecombe Fair’, the song. After that it was off to Bovey Tracey to fill up the

bikes and riders, then across the Moor to Manaton, North Bovey, Fingle Bridge and back to Spreyton. A good day’s ride raising over £1,000 for FORCE (Friends of the Oncology and Radiotherapy Centre, Exeter). FORCE has been a charity since 1987 and in 2004 opened a purpose-built Cancer Support and Information Centre as a result of almost a million pounds being raised. So well done all round.

GROUP NEWS NORTH YORKSHIRE

Bottle Drop The aptly named Mr Brew has been orchestrating the distribution of seasonal cheer for our Friends in the North Photos: Nigel Leicester

ith the help of other TRF members we delivered a Christmas ‘bottle drop’ to 10 farmers, gamekeepers and trail-side residents last December. Other members of the North Yorkshire TRF Group delivered to a further 10 farms in the Dales plus we had a team that delivered around our neighbouring the North York Moors National Park, so around 35 farms in total. The NY TRF has been doing bottle drops for many years now – no one seems to be able to remember just how long! – with Dick Brew, our Vice Chairman, ROR Officer and all round good egg, coordinating the drops over the last four years. It doesn’t cost our Group much money (we budget for around £10 per farm) but the goodwill we receive in return is immeasurable. We usually manage to have a chat with the farmers/recipients and it also gives them the opportunity to update us on any issues with trail users from their perspective. One delightful lady in her 80s, who lives in a static caravan in the woods close to a popular trail, told us that she likes to see us ride past but doesn’t like the mountain bikers much! We always try to deliver by trail bike, so they associate our bikes with the delivery of Christmas gifts and friendly faces. We bubblewrap the glass bottles well and share the precious cargo around our delivery team, so that no one is carrying too much in their backpacks and panniers. Stuart Lowther prints off

excellent NY TRF stickers, which we put onto our gifts. By coincidence, and two years’ running, we literally placed a wine bottle on the kitchen table of a remote farm in the Dales just as the farmer sat down to eat his Sunday roast with his family!

GALLERY

Taken back in August 2003 on the southern section of Sarn Helen, west of Resolven,Wales, at OSGR SN 807 034 looking NE using an Olympus mju300.Yes, I do still have the same bike, a Beta Alp 200. Photo: Charlie Morriss.

A regular feature in Trail celebrating the amazing sights that get captured out on the trails. To get your photos featured in the next issue, email them to editor@trf.org.uk. Please ensure the files are high resolution and include a caption and photo credit

Well earned rest to appreciate a gorgeous sunset,Ystrad Mynach, Glamorgan Photo: Phil Bullen

Imposing monument to shepherd Pastor Bardenero at one entrance to the Bardenas Reales desert park, north-east Spain Photo: Andy Marsh

GALLERY The Bardenas Reales desert park is vast, with 45,000 hectares to explore Photo: Andy Marsh

Pausing on a section of the UK TET Photo: Reuben Alcock

Dorset TRF ride out, stopping halfway down Stinford Lane (9896) to check it out before riding back up it Photo: Ant Harradine

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CONSERVATION

Bucklebury 57

A lane reclaimed – Loddon Vale and Bristol TRF Groups re-discover a short lane with plenty of variety. Mike Wain gets his chopper out

Above: After all the hard work Mike and Chris went to try out the newly restored Bucklebury 57. Below: The lane before work started

n May 2021 I took Julian Challis of Bristol TRF on my newly plotted tour of Bucklebury (using the newly released GRM!). The ride went really well all the way through the Marlborough and Lambourn Downs, past Chieveley and onto Bucklebury Common, but I found myself feeling somewhat foolish in front of the one of my primary Group’s committee members as my Viewranger was telling me that this was a BOAT. I’m generally quite confident if challenged by the public for riding on what’s “obviously a footpath”, but I didn’t quite feel up to arguing this one as there was no sign of any sort of path or track whatsoever. So we worked round it, assuming that I had made some sort of error with my route plotting. However, on getting home I found that our GPS track was bang on for the end of Bucklebury 57 and emailed Mark Bullen (Loddon Vale RoWO) as follows: “Bucklebury 57 is on the GRM and OS but does not appear to exist in any kind of reality, except at the N end. From the S end we couldn’t find an entrance at all, have checked my GPS plot against the route and maps, and am sure we were looking in the right place. From the N end we found a signed entrance but the well-used track turns E along a bridleway before

Another ‘before’ shot. See if you can spot the trail. No? We couldn’t either

If you saw byway signs at either end of the commonly used purple route (mostly bridleway and all quite uninteresting), and there was no sign of the actual red route at all, wouldn’t you ride the purple one?

A quick briefing from Patrick before we started

November, after a number of telephone calls and emails, he had already established rough plans for LVTRF (Loddon Vale TRF) to put together a working party to undertake the clearance. However, he then needed to move up another gear as the WBC wildlife consultant advised that the window of opportunity would close in February with the commencement of bird nesting. It was clear from discussions that WBC initially did not want 57 opened to 4x4s. The southern end is clearly completely unsuitable without major works that would completely alter the character of the lane. On close inspection it was apparent that the entire lower valley area, along with significant areas further up, had been devastated when 57 was in use. Winter TROs have already banned 4x4s from general use of the other byways on the Common, and WBC wanted to avoid the expense of taking out a specific TRO for this one, so Patrick devised a plan which opened up the route in a limited way to walkers and riders only. An accurate GPX plot was produced by checking against maps going back to 1900 in WBC records. When plotted on the ground, the route was able to avoid the largest heavy fallen trees with less than the 5m deviation from the route that WBC allowed. Before Christmas a video walk-through of the proposed route was submitted to WBC with a detailed proposal, including risk assessments, for a clearance

joining up with BOAT Bucklebury 59, which should be a dead end. It looks like everybody has been riding the wrong route for so long that the correct one has completely disappeared! I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but there is no warning on the GRM.” Mark acknowledged this, and then three months later replied: “I finally got around to checking out Bucklebury 57. OMG, you’re right. It’s clear it’s not been used for a decade. I walked it and basically there is evidence (old tyres, 4x4 tracks) but there are so many fallen trees, overgrown bushes etc. It does seem that 4x4s are using bridleways around there. I’m in touch with West Berks Council, so I’ll send them an email and suggest we do a clearance job on it (for motorcycles :)” Shortly after this Patrick Puxley was out on his bike looking for the byway that he had seen on OS but, like me, couldn’t locate on the ground. He was leading a TRF-organised Bucklebury Common PROW Education Day with WBC (West Berkshire Council) and the Police, including some discussion and viewing of 57, when he met Mark quite by chance. Such was Patrick’s interest in the lane that Mark was able to talk him into not only joining the TRF, but also taking over responsibility for setting up the clearance with Sallie Jennings of the WBC PROW team, with whom Mark had already had some preliminary discussions. So it was straight in at the deep end for Patrick and by

CONSERVATION: BUCKLEBURY 57

Donna cutting back the holly with her pruning shears

on 23 January 2022. It specified clearance, with hand tools only, of overgrown shrubbery and small standing and fallen trees, to a limited width. It would leave in place trees that kept the width narrow and the very large fallen trees, in particular one that completely blocked the route to four-wheel vehicles at the southern end, but was still traversable by all other users. Approval was given shortly after Christmas and LVTRF was able to use its monthly meeting, Facebook page, forum and newsletter to drum up a group of | volunteers, including myself. I contacted Patrick and he seemed unsure if we could complete the job in the four-hour slot allocated to us, but I was not in the mood to fail and spent a few hours sharpening a two-handed felling axe I keep in case my runner beans get out of control! A last-minute objection by one of the commoners (not the landowner) threatened to derail the scheme. The complaint took a dual approach. Firstly, that the clearance required the landowner’s permission (to which WBC responded that it did not), and secondly that a full Biodiversity Survey was required because of the risk of disturbing hibernating reptiles. To its credit WBC immediately referred this to its wildlife consultant, who stated that if none of the larger fallen trees were disturbed then the clearance could go ahead. As they were already excluded from the plan that was no problem either. On the day of the lane clearing Chris Barrable joined me for the drive over from Bristol with our bikes, two axes, two bow saws, a spade, loppers and secateurs. On arrival we met Patrick and Mark, who had marked the route the day before. We walked through it to

judge where the large axe would be most needed. On the way we met a dog walker who asked what we were up to, but was really supportive when we told him, welcoming the possibility of a new lane to take his dogs along. By the time we returned, the remaining local volunteers had arrived, laden with more tooling: Mark Barrett, Simon Harrison, Simon Futter, Andy Aveneil, Dave Smith, Donna Heath, Nigel Godden and Pip Davidson. After a quick Health and Safety briefing by Patrick to back up the excellent risk assessment we had all been sent [Brief.jpg], we started walking the route, with Patrick allocating people to sections of the trail depending on the suitability of their tools. Those with bow saws got the fallen trees with air under them and

Notching a log too deeply buried to be moved

Digging ditches to try and drain the bog we found. See right...

AFTER SOME STANDING AROUND AND SUCKING OF TEETH IT WAS AGREED MORE OF THE BOG NEEDED TO GO, AND WE WENT FOR IT WITH GUSTO The other really big job, reserved for the five people with spades, was to sort out the bog that had formed over the original gravel bed near the junction with the bridleway, just south of the old fish ponds. The small stream above it was dug out to allow upstream water to drain away properly into the fish ponds below, rather than percolating into the bog area. The top coat of mud was removed at the bog outlet and further drainage was dug through it. By this time all the minor brush removal had been completed and smaller logs moved around to mark the edge of the byway, so that users would not stray off into the woods. Chris and I unloaded our bikes and gave 57 its first run through – it must have been closed for a lot longer than the single decade Mark had originally supposed!

Donna and I got a short section with two fallen logs that were too close to the ground for a bow saw. Donna cut back the holly trees with her pruning shears while I made short work of the 10cm log with one bow-saw cut at the higher end and half a cut at the other, followed by four axe blows. The larger log only required one cut as we just needed to cut the end off. It was too big and deeply embedded to be sawn, but only took a few more blows with the axe, so I was quite pleased with the results of my U-Tube guided axe sharpening the week before! On the large tree crossing the entire lane width, which Patrick had decided to leave, I cut a bike-width’s notch in the upper surface to bring it down to a height more suited to novices or mountain bike riders.

CONSERVATION: BUCKLEBURY 57 Riding the lane after the work was done was a much more pleasant experience

I’m pleased to report that we did not actually cut down anything more than a sapling, so the route is actually very pleasant to ride. It has a quite individual character as it meanders through the trees and climbs up the small valley over a variety of minor lumps and bumps and a permanently installed tree over which to bunny-hop! Maybe next time I’ll ride the main trunk rather than the axed-out easy option we both took, as you would with so many onlookers, their cameras at the ready, just willing us to fall off! As it was we were happy to declare that no more work was needed apart from the boggy section, in which we had sunk, making a bit of a mess. After some standing around and sucking of teeth, it was agreed to remove a lot more of the bog that had formed over the original gravel lane and the spade team went for it with gusto. After a second run through of that section, now with good grip, Patrick and Mark declared the job done and much socially-distanced virtual back-slapping ensued. As we had finished the job in two hours there was plenty of time in which to take Chris on a guided tour of all the other excellent lanes between Aldermaston and Chieveley, before returning to Bristol for tea and cakes before dark!

RIDING THE LANE LVTRF is allowing drainage to occur until the boggy bit has dried out. Therefore 57 has been marked on the GRM as temporarily out of use. Please respect this for the time being, but make a note to give it a go in the summer as it will need some riding then to bed it in so that the route is not lost again. It’s hoped that it will be sustainable with no further surface work once dried and packed down a bit. Although the clearance uncovered some existing RoW signage LVTRF have also highlighted the need for some correction and improvement in their report to WBC on the days activity, which should also help. We ask all readers to check and amend any gpx files they hold, whether personally or on TRF websites, that may have the incorrect route for this lane.

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POINT OF LAW

Andrew Dalton

Making sure you’re covered Andrew Dalton from White Dalton Motorcycle Solicitors clarifies the travel insurance position

f you are anything like me, the Trans Euro Trail is a massive draw. I have done the Finnish, Swedish and Portuguese TETs in their entirety, and I have done big chunks of the French and Spanish – which get ever longer, and more expansive. Not that I am complaining! But if I were to come to grief on my bike, would standard travel insurance cover me? Almost certainly not. First things first – an EHIC card, despite Brexit, is still largely valid. Check out the UK Government’s website on https://www.gov.uk/ guidance/uk-residents-visiting-theeueea-and-switzerland-healthcare, which in turn takes you to the EU page for the relevant country. As a pretty good rule of thumb, your EHIC or its replacement, the GHIC, will cover you for state provision of emergency healthcare. Get one. Not getting one is just foolish. Before you rely on any travel policy, check out the “restricted activities”. This can be a massive pain in the backside… I have tried to find the restricted activities for a couple of well-known travel policies online and I know most of them contain specific exclusions for motorcycles. Sadly, these are not readily available. In my opinion, the most dangerous travel policy to buy is the cheapest one from a comparison website. The cheaper the policy the harsher the terms and, as a general rule of thumb, the wrigglier the insurer when you come to claim. The usual exclusion for a powered two-wheeler is no claim at all if injured; a very limited capacity machine might also be covered. Some policies have cover for an injury arising out of a hire bike but not your own. Others have cover if you set off and return on the same motorcycle (and they will want a

ticket for your bike for the ferry) but will not have cover if the bike goes out in the back of a van. Added to which you would also have all the fun of getting a bike in a van through the Russian roulette of French customs without a carnet. Only one chamber has a round in it, but if you are the poor bugger who French customs decides is importing a motorcycle into the EU, your holiday has become a lot less fun. For others, an arbitrary capacity cap is applied. You need to read your “excluded activities” very carefully. They are not written in complex language but you will need to wade through quite a lot to get to the relevant sections. Pretty well all competitive use of a motorcycle is excluded on every policy. Some of the big bike brokers offer motorcycle specific, short trip or annual coverage policies. The specialist policies are clear. You are covered for injuries arising from a motorcycle collision or accident. All those I have seen require the use of an approved helmet. One policy requires the use of “suitable clothing” but does not define it. None that I have seen exclude use of untarmacked roads. When my whole family was insured I used one policy for us all and the insurer gave me specific authority to use a motorcycle of less than 1,000 cc, which was my own machine. This was a clause specific to me, redacting the use of a motorcycle from excluded activities. The insurer insisted I wore a helmet and had a ferry ticket for my bike. Bearing in mind I won’t ride any motorcycle without at least protective boots, gloves and a jacket, this was no hardship. Now my kids are eventually getting off the payroll, I buy one-off cover for any overseas bike trip I do. I am specifically forbidden from recommending any cover under my

Andrew is a long qualified lawyer, originally a barrister but now a solicitor and senior partner of White Dalton Motorcycle Solicitors. He is a keen trail rider having ridden from the Sahara to the Arctic Circle on various adventures. He is recognised by the leading guides to the legal profession as absolutely expert on matters of tort law involving motorcyclists. He has been involved with the TRF and providing legal support to the TRF for many years.

professional rules, so I am limited to general pointers. As already advised, do not get your policy from a comparison site. It will probably exclude the use of any middleweight or larger motorcycle. Go to a specialist motorcycle broker for their travel policy – unless you want to spend hours reading through excluded activities and finding out you are not covered for a motorcycle. Check the feedback and the forums to see how people have had their claims dealt with. Go for a name you recognise and a policy underwritten in the UK. If you already have a travel policy, your underwriter may well remove motorcycling from the list of excluded activities. Mine did, without fee or fuss. Ensure you answer every question put to you honestly. Insurers love excluding liability on the grounds of a reckless misstatement or a misleading answer. So, if you are on statins, and you are asked if you are on medication, say so. If you have had a history of depression, say so. Listen carefully to any question. Answer it truthfully and overshare rather than understate. Check that the answers on the proposal are correct and make sure to keep a copy. To finish on a positive note, my experience in dealing with dozens of cases of injured British motorcyclists is that travel insurers really do try to help and are a lot less tricky than the regular insurers. I am pleased to say I have no horror stories to share.

You’ve read the magazine, visited the website, now attend The Event!

he Trail Riders Fellowship is delighted to announce Trail: The Event, in partnership with Adventure Bike Rider, at the ABR Festival 24–26 June 2022. In recognition of the Fellowship, the TRF Village will occupy a prime location next to the lake in the magnificent grounds of Ragley Hall in Warwickshire. A members-only camping area will include private toilets and showers. The Village will also be home to the TRF Stage, with a schedule of talks and displays including presentations on the vital Green Road conservation work carried out by the organisation, along with special guest speakers. Members will also enjoy a FREE hog-roast on the Saturday evening. In addition, the weekend will feature members-only full and half-day ride outs on the

Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This year’s ABR Festival is set to be the UK’s greatest ever celebration of Adventure and Green Road riding, with a host of on-and-off bike activities and festival entertainment. You can discover more at abrfestival.com Limited Free Trail Pass for TRF Members The 20km Adventure Trail winds its way through the spectacular grounds of the Ragley Hall Estate and can be explored on road-legal trail and adventure bikes. What makes it even better is that it’s FREE for TRF members to explore! We will be announcing further exciting news about the event over the coming weeks and hope you can join us to celebrate your membership of the Trail Riders Fellowship.

How to book your tickets Visit the dedicated TRF Trail Event ticket page. Choose the ticket type you want – weekend is best! You will need to enter your TRF membership number to be validated. There’s no need to book a free Trail Pass – just present your ticket at the TRF marquee and tuck into the hog-roast! Tickets are available in three options. Weekend Tickets – Valid for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 24-26 June, including camping and adventure trail access. Day Tickets – Valid for Friday 24 June or Saturday 25 June, adventure trail access included on both days. Ticket Add-Ons include the Thursday night VIP party and for those of you not on two wheels there’s a car, van or camper van supplement available. Every ticket comes with a goodtime guarantee (subject to Ts & Cs!).

MOTORCYCLE CAMPING

Moto-Hobos Phill Elston from Wiltshire TRF extols the virtues and practicalities of DIY accommodation when out on the trails

I’ve owned a fair few types of motorbike during those years, from two-stroke 50cc mopeds up to 1300cc V4 tourers. Currently, my road bike is a 1200cc flat twin Adventure bike and, whether I’m carrying a pillion or not, it’s easy to get pretty much everything I need for camping ‘comfortably’ on that – up to and including a tripod barbeque set-up! Recently I’ve done the North Coast 500, the Outer Hebrides, the Ardennes, the Netherlands and central France. On all these trips I’ve enjoyed the experience of camping over that of ‘arranged’ accommodation. A year or two ago, my two best motorcycling touring companions (who are in their 30s–40s) and I were taken on a TRF taster ride by a member of Oxford TRF – on GSAs with 50/50 road/trail tyres – on the Lambourn Downs (AKA grass/chalk) in the rain! Despite a few slow speed, zero-damage spills, we were all hooked. But I was loath to risk my GSA further, no doubt showing my age! I went and found myself a secondhand (2015) KTM 350 EXC Factory Edition, as I’d been tipped off that they were good. Once my mates had tried it off-road, they both went so far as to trade in their GSAs against brand new 350 Six-Day KTMs! Our days out from then on were as much fun as

Sleeping kit is incredibly important. Shivering in a tent after a day out on the trail is absolutely no fun at all...

’m nearly 62 and I’ve been riding motorbikes since I was 16. I’ve loved camping all that time too, but until about six years ago, I’d rarely combined those two interests – except, perhaps, in my late teens at old-school motorcycle rallies (AKA getting drunk in a field and sleeping pretty much where I fell…). On the left side of the bike I have the Kriega US20, which holds my tent, sleeping mat, sleeping bag and bivvy bag

as being “100% waterproof” and when bought new, they come with all the straps you need to secure them to a bike. But on a plastic-slab-sided bike, with no rack, where and how do you secure things? I spent some time trawling the Internet and found a whole raft of solutions. Most of these I discounted immediately because they were racks that bolt to the bike or had to be imported from the US. I didn’t want to wait the length of time required or pay the price of carriage/ import. Also, once the baggage was removed, I wanted my bike to be back in enduro trim. For my requirements, and with the kit that I already had, the answer again was Kriega and its OS BASE. This is effectively a harness that lies over the rear of the bike. It is tensioned between the frame and two mounting points, which have to be drilled into the rear fender but are almost invisible once the harness is removed from the bike. This harness then provides a

before but a lot muckier, with a few spills here and there. However, they were just ‘days out’. We now started looking at ways to extend our trips. Yes, we could factor B&Bs or hotels into our ride planning, but we enjoyed the experience of sitting round a fire with a beer (or two) at the end of a good day, re-living the highs and lows. We realised that, with the right kit, we could still do that – even on green lanes. We would need smaller, lighter weight kit than we’d had before, and we’d need a way of strapping it onto our bikes so that they were still capable of negotiating the trails, thus becoming the ‘Moto-Hobos’ that we’d dubbed ourselves. There’s a lot of kit available out there, good and bad, expensive and cheap. For my part, I already had the basis of a capable set-up. To provide extra space, on my road bike I had a pair each of Kriega US20 and US10 bags (for when the ‘Long-Haired Admiral’ was accompanying me). These are incredibly robust as well

MOTORCYCLE CAMPING: MOTO-HOBOS The only other bags I carry fitted on the bike are my tool bag, a Kriega US5 strapped to the front mudguard and a homemade bag that I strap to the handlebars. In that bag I keep my USB power bank, which I keep charged up while I ride by running a lead from it to the USB socket that I’ve fitted on the bars. Having sorted out the available space, the next question was how to keep my kit compact enough, while remaining comfy enough when camping? A fair bit of trial and error then followed, working out how I would carry what. I looked for the smallest/lightest packing items available, while some of the kit that I already had would work on a 5–6 day trip. I whittled it down to a list of essentials and how/where to carry them:

Having dry clothes to change into at the end of the day is also very important, along with gear to keep you warm should the night be colder than anticipated

multitude of positions for a range of bags to be fitted. I set up my bike, using a Kriega US20 bag on each side and a US10 at the rear of the saddle. Other makes/models of bag can be fitted, but I was going with what I already had. If necessary, I could swap the US10 for another US20, but even with the smaller set-up, I can pack all the stuff I need to camp in relative comfort for five or six days.

Kriega US20 (left-hand side of bike) Shelter: tent/footprint, sleeping mat, sleeping bag/bivvy bag. My tent of choice is an MSR Elixir 2. These tents are roomy enough for one (with gear) while being light and packing up very small. When not in use, I store the tent in a waterproof ‘canoe’ bag – this keeps any moisture away from the rest of the stuff in this bag. I extended the standard footprint to cover the two entrance ‘vestibules’. That way, I can keep my dirty riding kit in the dry overnight without it filling the living area – or stinking it out! For a mattress, I went for a Sea to Summit Etherlight XT. Not the cheapest mattress out there, but very comfy, well insulated and it inflates in seconds. The sleeping bag is one I had already: an OEX

I’VE ALWAYS LOVED MOTORCYCLING AND CAMPING AND SIX YEARS AGO I THOUGHT, WHY NOT COMBINE THE TWO? Evolution Fathom EV400. Being allergic to feathers, I can’t use the most compact of sleeping bags – down filled ones – but this one is almost as compact and, as a four-season bag, has always kept me warm enough camping on the trail. In case the temperature really dips, I also carry a compact Gore-Tex bivvy bag. Everything other than the sleeping bag goes into the Kriega in its respective carry/storage bag, and then the sleeping bag gets stuffed in to fill the voids. I carry the tent poles in a separate bag, which straps alongside the top bag.

Kriega US20 (right-hand side of bike) Washing items: a microfibre towel, travel-size bottles of shower gel and shampoo, a travel-size tube of toothpaste and a little folding toothbrush (although this season, I’ve changed the way I carry some liquids in that I’ve sourced some ‘bottles’ that are more like bags with screw tops). Clothing: jacket, footwear, shirts, trousers, socks etc. My choice of clothing would include a RAB Nebula Pro Insulated Jacket, which stuffs away into its own, large pocket and fills the role of ‘pillow’ at night. For

footwear, a pair of Merrell All Out Blaze sandals, as these are light, very comfy and being at least in part neoprene, they also handle getting wet if that’s required. Then a pair of lightweight flip-flops. These take up almost no space and, I feel, are worth carrying if only to protect your feet when going for a shower. A pair of ‘zip-off’ Crag-Hopper trekking pants gives me the option of trousers or shorts. Next a long-sleeved Crag-Hopper shirt and a short-sleeved microfibre T-shirt. A pair of socks, plus spare MX socks, and two pairs of underpants, together with spare ‘impact pants’, completes the essentials. The shoes go into light plastic carrier bags, and the clothes go into waterproof ‘canoe’ bags. Although not clothing as such, I also carry in this bag a 3 x 5m piece of waterproofed nylon fabric. Strung between bikes\tents\trees, this provides extra shelter if the weather is inclement. All these items pack down more squarely and to a narrower gauge than the other US20 bag, so my logic says that it is the better bag to sit above the wider (exhaust) side of the bike.

MOTORCYCLE CAMPING: MOTO-HOBOS

The kit pictured below covers most eventualities, a trail side brew-up to a full meal.You will also need the necessary hardware for charging all electrical devices

Kriega US10 (tail of bike) Bike maintenance kit: I change my oil at 15–20 hour intervals, so a 5–6 day trip, for my bike, necessitates 1.2 litres of oil; oil filter; and a very useful little aluminium funnel that screws into the oil-filler hole. Cooking appliances kit: the Sea to Summit X-Set 32 comprises a pan and kettle, which effectively collapse into themselves and stow in a frying pan. They’re probably bigger than I need when just catering for myself, but I do like to fry some bacon in the mornings, so this set works for me. A 100g gas canister is more than enough for the few meals we will cook over the days that we are away, as well as any trail brews we may make. A folding aluminium windshield for the stove is essential together with a steadying base for the gas canister and a tiny titanium burner top. Kept within these cooking appliances, I pack a collapsible silicone drinking cup and packed alongside them is a melamine plate. Next comes a 1-litre aluminium water

bottle, as I generally have an isotonic in my hydration pack. An MSR Ultralight Kitchen Set provides all the utensils I need other than a knife, fork and spoons. I also pack a very sharp (fish filleting) knife and a handy dispenser for salt/pepper. This all crams into the bag The Kriega OS Base supplied by MSR with the kitchen set. Small zip-lock bags contain tea/coffee/sugar. I use a couple of very small plastic bottles to carry washing-up liquid, laundry liquid and cooking oil (again, this year, I’ll be using those ‘bag-bottles’ mentioned earlier as they pack down better). A small lighter for the stove goes in last. A compact set of USB connectors and a folding 3-pin mains charger ensure that, when necessary, items can be charged when and wherever we stop. A head torch and a small power bank/tent light are also useful. I carry my cooking stuff in the Kriega US10, so that if we decide to stop on the trail for a brew, I can easily get to the stove. Kriega R20 backpack Other than these bags, when riding I wear a Kriega R20 backpack with a pair of Kriega Trail Pockets. In this set up goes a 10m length of 1in webbing for use as a tow rope (or with the tarp, when setting up a shelter). Other kit that goes in the backpack includes spare gloves, my 2-litre hydration pack, wet weather gear and some toilet paper and wet wipes in plastic bags. Food for a couple of days (either military ration packs or Wayfarer packet meals), a 100ml bottle of milk (for brews on the trail, kept next to my hydration pack so that it remains as cool as possible) and a handful of cereal bars and/or Snickers bars complete the contents of the backpack. I will sometimes take my iPad in an armoured casing, so that I can Vlog or Blog day to day. Strapped on the outside of the backpack, I carry a Fiskars SW75 Xtract Garden Saw, which telescopes away when not in use and easily cuts even green wood, allowing us to get past most tree falls that we are likely to find on lanes or for burning on a camp fire in the evening. In case you were wondering, I am not a representative for MSR, Kriega or any other manufacturer’s equipment, nor am I sponsored by them, I just find that the equipment mentioned fits the bill for my requirements perfectly!

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unique opportunity to attend one of Europe’s premier trail riding events – the Very Interesting Navigation Challenge Event (V.I.N.C.E) – this September in Spain. It is to be held in northern Aragon in the Catalan Pyrenees 13-16 Sep 2022. Lifetime TRF member and all-round good egg, Austin Vince is offering TRF members a saving of £60 per person at this year’s trail-riding knees-up! To discover more there is a series of videos you can watch including an explanation of the event, it’s history and the itinererary you will be riding. There is also a useful video on how to prepare for the event. You can find out more about the event here https://trail.trf.org.uk/2022/02/08/the-vince-22/ You can enter in teams of two, three, or four riders (no solos) for reasons of safety and there are two classes for this year’s event; paper map only, in the

true spirit of the event and GPS-assisted. The rate for this event for the general public is £350 but TRF members only have to cough up £290 which, for a team of four, represents a saving of £240. You can book your place via the link above but make sure you add your TRF membership number to the relevant field, otherwise the discount will not be applied.

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RIDING TECHNIQUES Jake and Carl Venter from Technical Enduro Skills advise on controlled hill stops, hill recoveries and controlled descents

LIFE’S UPS AND DOWNS

Using the rear brake for holding your bike on a hill stop is by far the best option

any helpful details are included within this section. Visualising these skills beforehand can help you put them into practice when you are out on the trails.

1: Controlled Hill Stops When out and about on our normal rides on flatter terrain, most of us will come to a stop by pulling in the clutch and using the front brake. This is usually adequate for general flat riding in higher grip situations (such as on tarmac or easy flat trails) but when the need arises to do a controlled stop on steeper terrain, like an uphill, the controls needed are very different. When riding up an incline you need to remember that the front wheel is higher than the rear wheel, so weight distribution between the wheels changes. There will be less weight on the front wheel and more weight on the rear wheel when the nose of

the bike is pointing upwards. And the opposite is true when riding downhills but we’ll come back to that later. When the front wheel has less weight on it, the front brake will be less effective for both stopping and also holding your position on the hill once you are static. So, if you deploy the same stopping techniques on a hill as you would on flat ground it will quickly lead to problems. Most riders will still be able to come to a stop – the hill helps with that – but as soon as they come to a standstill using the front brake, the bike will start sliding/rolling backwards uncontrollably, which almost always leads to an awkward backward crash! The simplest way to fix this is by using the rear brake to stop on the hill. More weight on the rear wheel means the rear brake will very happily hold your position, allowing you to decide what to do next: either attempt to continue onwards or otherwise recover downwards, and try the hill again. There are other methods of holding yourself on a hill, which might be required if you need your right foot for balance. You need to be ready to apply the alternative techniques when required without delay. You can either maintain your bike’s position with the clutch/engine, holding the bike on the clutch bite point. Or, worst case, stall the bike – with the clutch lever OUT! And sit there using dead-engine braking. Regain your balance, apply the rear brake, and then move into recovery. It is also important when stopping on hills to use the terrain to your advantage. One way is to spot high points on the ground on which you can plant your left leg when stopping. We use the left leg specifically because your right foot will be covering the rear brake. This way you won’t struggle for footing and are less likely to fall over. You can lean the bike ever so slightly to the left to reduce the risk of it leaning to the right, which would require you to remove your foot from the brake. An important side note: if you have a Rekluse auto clutch on your bike this WILL NOT work, as Rekluse auto clutches do not allow dead-engine braking. You will need to use the secondary rear brake to hold yourself on the hill.

In a worst case, stall your bike and use dead-engine braking to hold the bike in a stationary position

2: Hill Recoveries When recovering after a stop on the hill, you will need to decide whether it’s worth trying to continue up to the top or go back down to the bottom and have another go. We often see novice riders make bad decisions in stressful situations, wasting time and energy struggling with the controls. For example, some attempt to get moving by spinning the rear wheel and possibly falling over in the process, whilst the intermediate/expert rider accepts their fate, simply turning around and attempting the hill again in order to be successful. Taking a few seconds to sit there while static, evaluate the situation and make a realistic plan can help prevent injury, save energy and lead to a more positive riding experience. To turn the bike around on the hill, patience and controlled movements will go a long way to ensuring first time success. Try to keep movements small and follow a specific process, as follows: Come to a stop seated on the bike whilst covering the rear brake and/or stall the bike on purpose with the clutch lever OUT. Look around to see what is behind your rear wheel and plan your reverse route. Turn your front wheel to the left (this is very important because if you turn your wheel to the right,

To turn your bike safely on a hill, come to stop covering your rear brake. Turn your front wheel to the left, check behind you for obstacles and roll back using your clutch and brake to control your progress...

IF YOU DEPLOY THE SAME STOPPING TECHNIQUES ON A HILL AS YOU DO ON FLAT GROUND IT WILL QUICKLY LEAD TO PROBLEMS...

RIDING TECHNIQUES

3 your right foot will likely require dabbing on the bank and thus you won’t be able to control the rear brake) and lean the bike very slightly to the left to reduce the risk of it low-siding to the right. Use the clutch and rear brake together to reverse slowly in a controlled way. It helps if you can maintain body weight on the seat so the suspension is not moving too much. Be careful, when taking some of the bike’s weight onto the left foot, that you don’t take weight of the seat. This will maintain traction and the wheels will roll, rather than slide downwards. When the bike is perpendicular to the hill, then turn your wheel right and roll down the hill whilst using the downhill techniques discussed later. You can also wiggle your handlebars left to right while being perpendicular to the hill, which will allow the front wheel to work its way downwards a little quicker.

3: Controlled Descent On downhills a lot of the overall weight of the bike will be on the front wheel and so we need to use a lot of front brake for effective braking. The rear wheel will be light – even the smallest pressure on the rear brake could lock it up – and the rear will simply slide. There seems to be a myth surrounding downhills that you should only use the rear brake, which is completely untrue. Even in immensely wet circumstances we use the front brake but we shift a focus/bias more to braking evenly with a 50/50 split whereas in the dry it will be a case of 80–90% front

If you feel a hill is way out of your comfort zone, walk the bike down the hill

3 brake and 10–20% rear brake. When approaching the verge/edge of a downhill, it is very important you reduce your speed, especially if you are riding unknown terrain. The next step is to shift your body weight back while standing up (this also applies when doing a seated descent). Put the bike in first gear (the gear with the most engine breaking) and then add the front brake progressively as the gradient steepens. Also, apply the rear brake minimally. It is important your rear brake pedal sits level with the foot peg, or

The stance shown here, as described below, will get you safely down all but steepest hills with little drama

higher than the foot peg if you ride very steep terrain, so that you can heel it with your boot while your weight is far back on the bike. Remember, our boots don’t allow a lot of ankle articulation on purpose! You should always strive to use both front and rear brake and apply them as smoothly as possible, minimising suspension shift. Try never to lock the front wheel/brake because the wheel will just slide and is more likely to fold. Equally, in high grip situations it could throw you over the bars and cause you to crash. But just because there might be that risk doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use it. The front brake is extremely important on descents. These techniques will work on virtually any downhill, no matter how long or steep, where the bike needs to remain under control for the duration of the downhill. But approach the downhill as slowly as possible, otherwise the bike will gain too much speed, get out of control and cause a high-speed crash. If you approach a downhill that is obviously too steep, too technical and obviously beyond your comfort zone, there is another option to help you get to the bottom safely: walk the bike down the hill. The main technique we use here is that of turning the bike off and putting it into first gear to manipulate the clutch as a ‘rear brake’, thereby using dead-engine braking. Grip is added to the bike by standing next to the back, pushing the seat into your armpit and leaning the bike slightly towards you. As you go down the hill, modulate the front brake and clutch (using it as a rear brake) and try to look out for good

LIFE’S UPS AND DOWNS

footing on the way, so you don’t slip. Once you have made it to a comfortable place on the hill, you can get back on the bike and ride the remaining section. A little ‘pro tip’ for getting back on the bike: move to the right-hand side of the bike and throw your leg over the front of the seat instead of over the back, as you would normally do on flat terrain. We do this because when the nose of the bike is pointing downwards, the seat is lower at the front due to gradient. It’s much easier to remount this way as it requires a lot less groin flexibility!

Team Venter

We hope this helps. You can contact us on our Facebook page, Technical Enduro Skills Training, to join one of our training sessions or to ask for advice. carlventer@enduroskills.com https://www.facebook.com/technicalenduroskillstraining https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGplMioNKHMmjmfp0OQd9Yg/videos41

FEATURE It’s not everyone’s can of lager to ride across the thick bit of Australia but if you’ve got trail-riding relatives who live there that can alter your perspective, according to Andrew Broomby, Chair, Cumbria and Craven TRF

Crossing Oz W

Photos: Andrew Broomby

ith Arran riding pillion, we circled Perth on the CRF250L, heading towards the motorcycle hire shop to collect his DR650 for our three-week ride across Australia. Nick, Richard and Harry were in front of us on WR250Rs. Slowly Arran and I ground to a halt on a hill, the WRs disappearing over the crest. Not the best start to an 8,000km ride. The idea of a trans Australia adventure was born on a previous European bike trip. Having two keen biker cousins (and nephew) resident in Australia made such an ambitious route seem possible, with vital local knowledge to assist with planning and logistics. The aim was to ride from the most westerly point to the most easterly point of Australia. Harry (my son) and I had flown into Perth a few days earlier and enjoyed a bit of sightseeing while we recovered from jet lag. Harry (19), a late addition to the trip, spent a nerve-racking few months getting through his A2 tests, finally passing a mere three weeks before our departure from the UK. It was his hastily purchased bike that had clutch failure on day 1. We located a Honda dealer, the bike was dropped off and we experienced our first delay while a new clutch was sourced and fitted; better now than later. The sixth and final rider, Glenn, arrived on his SWM 650 Superdual to complete the team; we were ready to hit the road.

After two days Glenn was finally reunited with his lost ukelele. Much to his joy and less enthusiasm from the rest of us...

FEATURE: CROSSING OZ

Our revised start point outside the Shark Bay Hotl

The journey begins Steep Point, the most westerly point of mainland Australia, 1,000km up the coast from Perth, was to be our planned start. To get there we endured two days of challenging weather conditions – storms, downpours, high winds and lightning –before reaching the Overlander Roadhouse. Once dry, we decided to tackle the 140km out to Steep Point before heading east on our adventure proper. Just getting to the start was proving difficult, as a precautionary call to the local ranger before setting off warned us that the clay roads to Steep Point were completely impassable to 4x4s, never mind motorbikes, due to intense flooding. Plan B was put into action and we headed to our revised start: Shark Bay and the coastal town of Denham from where, after a quick glimpse of the dolphins at Monkey Mia, we promptly spun round and set off east. With a mere 25k of tarmac under our wheels, the flat, wide, mud roads of Western Australia were beckoning. Despite an improvement in the weather, however, the roads remained puddle-ridden, so vigilance was paramount, the road surface changing from hard mud to soft sand in the blink of an eye. The going was good as we rode into Meekatharra in the dark, to be followed the next day by our departure towards the Carnegie Homestead before tackling the infamous Gunbarrel Highway. After two long days in the saddle, we wild-camped just short of the Homestead. Things were about to become more challenging. Gunbarrel Highway After an early start, and with just 60km of easy road to cover, we soon reached the Carnegie Homestead. Our arrival was met with a warm welcome, coffee on tap and the chance to fill our water bottles, an essential requirement for the Gibson Desert. It was also to be our last fuel station for 500km and incidentally, the most expensive of the entire trip. To start with the roads were wide, flat and hardpacked making the going swift. Bush became desert

as the road turned into a twin track, the hard mud slowly acquiring a coating of loose sand, which became deeper and deeper; the going got tougher. Ploughing through deep sand now at lower speed, the bikes meandered back and forth across the track with Glenn struggling to avoid the bushes. Welcome to the Gunbarrel Highway! The SWM sustained a cracked clutch reservoir and began to lose oil after colliding with an unforgiving bush and Glenn’s treasured ukulele became a victim of the rough terrain and it fell by the wayside. A sigh of relief from the rest of the team, but not from Glenn. As the going was slow we decided to camp in the ‘wup wup’ (middle of nowhere) with 212km of the highway still to complete. Next day we were back in the sand, but 9km down the track the DR650 had a final lurch and came to a standstill; another clutch gone with 250km to the next town. The emergency plan kicked in and the Garmin

The deep sand made the going a bit tough

WHAT JOY AS WE PUMPED THE FRESH BORE WATER OUT OF THE GROUND; HOW GOOD IT TASTED AND HOW QUICKLY WE REHYDRATED After running a little low the fresh bore water never tasted so good!

dingoes all around us. After a hastily eaten muesli bar, we packed up camp. After 10km of relentlessly deep sand, we had unwittingly split into two groups as we pushed on to find water. Nick took a turn riding the heavier SWM to give Glenn a break. The track eased and we located the water hole off the main highway. What joy as we pumped the fresh bore water out of the ground; how good it tasted and how quickly we rehydrated. Thankfully the remainder of the Gunbarrel Highway was hard-packed and rocky with less sand. As we turned onto the Heather Highway, deep gravel made riding tricky and Harry took a tumble at high speed, flipping the bike. Fortunately, there were no injuries, only twisted handlebars, which were soon straightened. A 4x4 caught us up on a long straight and flagged us down. He had been following our tracks for two days up the Gunbarrel and reunited Glenn with his ukulele! That night in Warburton we were treated to a ‘tune’ round the BBQ.

inReach satellite communication devices came into their own. Following text conversations with friends in civilisation we devised a strategy for self-rescue. We laid the bike on its side and removed the clutch without letting any sand into the engine. We then took a metal plate, cut it in half, folded it over and replaced it, then topped up the oil. Bingo! We had an operational Suzuki again. The question was how long for? We endured another 90km through deep sand with water running low and dusk fast approaching. The Suzuki suffered a puncture; it was time to stop. It was another night in the ‘wup wup’, with very little water between us. We set up camp, lit a fire and shared a single portion of dehydrated camp food to conserve water. Our map showed a possible bore hole in 27km, but we were unable to verify that it was still operational, so had no choice other than to cross our fingers and hope. We woke at 5.00am to the unsettling sound of

FEATURE: CROSSING OZ Our first encounter with the Olgas

Yulara or bust Before setting off up the Great Central Road we needed to change the oil in the DR650 and order new clutch plates. Luckily Richard managed to organise replacement plates to be flown into Yulara, which was 600km ahead of us but still on route. The Great Central Road was busy and wide but still with deep sand and gravel ruts; giant road-trains kicked up tons of dust and pick-ups flew past us causing chaos. Hats off to the cyclist with a trailerful of water and kit who was battling along the road, which became ‘corrugated’ for miles on end – very uncomfortable and tiring. Trying to get the perfect speed to smooth out the road surface always felt a little too fast for comfort. The day was shortened as we passed over a timeline and the clocks moved forwards 90 minutes. We camped behind the fuel station and shop at Warakurna, where the dingoes were never far away. The next day we needed to collect the clutch plates in Yulara and also fit in a bit of sightseeing. On the way to the state border the going was rough with deep sand and gravel, but as we crossed into the Northern Territory the roads had been graded, thankfully making progress faster. We first encountered the Olgas (Aboriginal name Kata Tjuta), fantastic, rounded rock structures rising

out of the desert floor, followed by the iconic Ayers Rock (Uluru). Richard collected the clutch plates and we left town to search for a camp site. After an 80km ride in the dark, we managed to squeeze onto a site in Curtin Springs (a busy little spot due to the proximity of that famous nearby rock). There was a bar on site and the cold beer was sweet, especially as we’d been denied a beer since day two due to the strict alcohol restrictions in the outback. A relaxing morning was spent changing oil and filters on all the bikes and replacing the clutch plates on the DR. Getting back to the dirt roads A day on the tarmac was ahead of us as we made our way to Marla. I swapped bikes with Harry and we rode through the wide open desert under clear blue skies. Mount Conner came into view, a welcome break from the flat, monotonous landscape, as we passed quietly into South Australia. The CRF had the smallest tank and at the time I wasn’t carrying any spare fuel, so when I stopped to take photos I was left behind, which meant the inevitable happened – I ground to a halt with 8km to go. Thankfully it wasn’t too long before I was missed, and fuel was relayed back to me. After a cold night we woke to frost on our bikes, which necessitated extra layers of clothing as we rode

The Lake Eyre Yacht Club gets water once every two or three years

As we sped on towards Marree, passing the salt flat, Lake Eyre South, the deep rutted gravel, corrugations and excess speed put the WR250 into a bit of a ‘tank slapper’. Having survived the near miss, we ‘sailed’ into town past the Lake Eyre Yacht Club, which believe it or not gets enough water every two or three years to be able to go boating.

The undrinkable mineral-laden water in the springs looks enticing...

into the low sun. Soon we were back on the dirt, heading for the infamous Oodnadatta Track. The dust hung in the air as there was no wind, but the going was quick and fun. Lunch was eaten at the Pink Roadhouse before we pushed on towards William Creek, where we met up with David Halliday, a longstanding friend of Nick and Richard, who was joining us for a couple of days. A substantial meal and refreshments in the local pub led to a well-earned sleep. The track was following the original route of the old Ghan Railway, and in the days of steam the engines were able to top up with water from the natural pressurised source below ground. The undrinkable, mineral-laden water also produces natural springs in the desert forming small oases; it’s well worth a visit.

Still heading east After lunch we explored the historic rusting trains and sidings of the Ghan Railway, before fuelling up and heading for the Strzelecki Desert. It was over 500km to our next fuel stop at Cameron Corner, so with as much fuel and water as we could carry, and hoping to avoid a repeat of the Gunbarrel Highway, we set off. Nick picked up a slow puncture after 155km, so we decided to call it a day and pitch tents. The next morning we celebrated Richard’s 54th birthday before setting off at a steady pace to conserve fuel. The desert road was smooth going yet as we turned onto Corner Road, the conditions changed once again with more challenging sand, but we were no longer fazed – we were becoming quite proficient. We tackled dozens of sand dunes, each one needing cresting and cruising down, making the ride an absolute joy and with enough fuel to relish some of the best riding of the trip. Cameron Corner is situated on the border of three states: South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales. It’s a fantastic oasis in which to camp, eat great burgers, refuel and, of course, play a round of golf at Tri-state Golf, a unique desert golf course covering all three states. The aptly named Dune Road was our way out as we headed towards Tibooburra, a small outback town where we decided to stay at the pub, a luxury, with the first bed since we left the west coast! We gained altitude as we headed towards the impressive Great Dividing Range. Mornings were colder, the sun was

FEATURE: CROSSING OZ Golf anyone?

shining, and dust hung in the windless air as we pushed on east towards Louth. Steve, another family friend, joined us at Wanaaring. A puncture slowed us down, forcing us to camp near the very welcoming Shindy’s Inn. After another early start, cold and dusty once again, our goal by nightfall was the opal mining town of Lightning Ridge. There were plenty of sightseeing opportunities en route, looking round the old river ports with their wooden bridges and aboriginal fish ladders. Our journey-weary bodies were treated to a relaxing dip in the local natural hot springs. Whilst Glenn found a mechanic to remove and replace the subframe bolt, which had sheared on the SWM, the rest of us toured the opal mines and explored the town. After a short afternoon ride we reached Narrabri for the night. Imposing mountains lay ahead, and it was definitely getting colder; the landscape became more bush and forest than desert as we rode up to the summit of Mount Kaputar (1510m). Riding through forests as we climbed the mountainside was fantastic, the views were unbelievable, and the roads were exhilarating. What could possibly go wrong? Maybe we were getting a bit complacent, as Arran then had a hard fall on a forest track and the gravel got the better of Harry again. There again, perhaps it was fatigue as we had been riding now for 19 days solid. Another welcome bed for the night followed, this time at David’s house in Guyra. The next morning was spent in Armidale purchasing oil and filters, which were changed at David’s, while Glenn rode to Tamworth to repair his leaking clutch reservoir at an

SWM dealer before we all hit the road again, travelling through the high ground of NSW. The next two days saw us riding through some fantastic scenery in the valleys of the Great Dividing Range over countless clear flowing rivers. Platypus Flats was to be our camp site by a river in the middle of thick bush. We had the site all to ourselves with wildlife all around us – including platypi. The next morning we took the ‘short cut’ through the bush, which ended up being a spectacular and technical ride. After a quick stop in Grafton for supplies we set off on the old Grafton Road, ending up by the Guy Fawkes River for the night. It was ‘bath night’, so a quick wash in the river was followed by a warm-up by the camp fire. The evening was cold followed by a hard frost in the morning. Nearly there On our last full day on the bikes, we travelled through quiet valleys with spread-out communities, war memorials and home-made jam for sale by the side of the road. Some of the best narrow, twisty lanes I have ridden anywhere in the world were ours, with no other traffic. Steak and red wine were purchased for our final evening meal at McSweeney Ranch camping

Journeys end at Byron Bay

ground. Tomorrow we would see the sea again! Spirits were high, as we set out early to ride into Byron Bay, all on tarmac now as we filtered through the town and out to the lighthouse, the most easterly point of Australia; how beautiful the sea looked with migrating whales passing the headland. We were met by Nick and Richard’s family, who welcomed us as we rode into the car park. Journey’s end, and a great team effort. After all the photographs we headed back into town for a celebratory breakfast, followed by warm showers and the cleaning of equipment. We had just completed an epic ride and come out unscathed. We felt quite elated. After a couple of days of much needed rest, the team headed their separate ways. I headed north to Queensland to see college friends not seen in 30 years, Harry flew to Melbourne to see some school friends, while others headed back to Sydney and beyond.

just five days riding round Scotland. Still, an excellent ride, all things considered. My current bikes are a Honda CRF1000L, Moto Guzzi V50 and a Yamaha WR250R.

Who’s writing I am 55, living in the Lake District. I have been riding for 20 years and have ridden in the UK, Ireland, Australia, Vietnam and Spain as well as joining the Gibraltar Race in 2017. My aim is to try and fit in a memorable trip every year, although 2020 comprised

When to ride We rode this route in July, which is Australia’s winter. Temperatures in the desert were up to 30 degrees but cold at night. The summer months would make the desert routes impossibly hot and you would struggle to carry enough water on bikes.

Bikes and riders Richard Lemon, Nick Lemon (brothers and also my cousins) and myself were riding Yamaha WR250Rs with 18-litre tanks and upgraded suspension. Harry Broomby was riding a Honda CRF250L with a 12-litre tank. Arran Lemon (Richard’s son) was riding a Suzuki DR650 with large tank, which was hired for the trip. Glenn Cameron was riding his trusty SWM 650 Superdual. All the bikes coped with the trip easily, the 250s were incredibly capable over such a great distance. I have since added a WR250R to my stable back home.

INTERVIEW

Training Days The man himself, Dean Allen, weaving through the undergrowth, showing how its done

Dean Allen from Somerset TRF talks about the rider training days he has been running for the last few years. Photos by Rob Perkins Q. How and why did you get into rider training? A. There are several reasons but the two main motives were firstly to raise funds to pay for the running of Group events, and secondly to give less experienced riders the skills needed to participate in rides. Some people in the Group at that time were being excluded, as their riding skills were not perceived to be adequate. I thought that was a bit unfair, and that training would give them the skills needed to help them become better riders and so be able to join in on all the Group rides. At Somerset TRF, rides are posted on the Group forum under the categories Novice, Intermediate and Advanced. It’s a system that works really well. Q. How long have you been doing training days?

A. I’m into my eighth year now. For the first five years I used TRF insurance while the last three have been organised through the ACU system, initially as a Provisional Coach and now as Level 1 Trail Coach. Q. How has the ACU affiliation helped with your training days? A. It’s been brilliant in one way and a massive learning curve in another. The brilliant part is the official ACU paperwork, the insurance and the way the ACU operates. This gives you the reassurance that you’re doing things correctly and that the landowner and yourself, as coach, are covered in the event of an accident. The learning curve for a humble plasterer was the admin required and the things that, as a coach, you

As easy as hopping over a log. Until you try and do it, of course

Dean is always on hand to help with the trickier moves

have to put in place to satisfy the ACU and yourself, which is of the utmost importance as the consequences of not doing so can be severe. To help me manage I’ve always had an assistant. Historically this was Byron Williams. Now it’s Rob Perkins, who helps with the signing-in process and keeping order out on track. He also helps with the admin, answering all enquiries, sending out emails with instructions and so much more. We need to have a plan in place in the event of an emergency and an extra pair of hands is vital – without them it would be so much harder to operate. Q. All your training days are sold out with a maximum of 10 riders. You cater for Enduro, Trail and big Adventure bikes and you often handle all three categories at the same time. How do you do that?

developed a programme that suits all abilities and all bikes. I can crank the levels up or down on the various skills I teach but to be fair, the proof is in the results I see, and it works. It’s important that you come over well and teach with confidence. After all, you can’t expect a trainee to copy you if you can’t actually do the task yourself! I begin each session with a small track. My assistant Rob leads the group round while I have a roll-up and observe everyone’s riding. This way I can assess fairly quickly everyone’s ability and begin to formulate what’s going to benefit each rider the most. Also I get a fair idea of how difficult or not that’s going to be. I then go through a fixed series of relevant bike skills. I’ve put a lot of thought into the skills I choose to teach and again I can crank them up or down. Every task is demonstrated by myself and then I walk amongst the group and give individual coaching, which really helps – it’s constant and demanding on everyone involved, and includes a lot of leg work by me. While the trainees have lunch, I set out 4–5 observed sections, all of which contain one or more of the skills learnt in the morning. This is the fun part, as apart from watching Kickstart when they were young, most have never done a Trials-type ‘section’ before. The trainees are now using the skills they have acquired, which I think is a brilliant way of teaching, with visual results in real time. I have had many reviews over the years, all of them good, but I think the one that stands out the most was from a chap who had been really struggling for quite some time. He even had a mini tantrum in front of everyone, kicked his bike and was just really annoyed by falling off all the time. Needless to say, by the end of the day he was a completely different rider and his review read, “I don’t know how you have done this, but I’m now calling you Mr McGee”. It’s easy to become an ACU coach but to actually be able to coach is a different matter.

A. That’s a really good question, bearing in mind these are paying customers who expect value for money and good tuition. So over the years I’ve

Dean taking some time to discuss the finer points

INTERVIEW: TRAINING DAYS Dean is keen to involve everyone in the training both riding and assisting others

GETTING DAVID KNIGHT TO COME TO SOMERSET TRF TO ASSIST FOR THREE DAYS TRAINING IS DEAN’S FAVOURITE MOMENT OF 2021 Q. What have been your best achievements and lowest times regarding training? A. Ah, that’s a tricky one to answer without coming over as big-headed, which I don’t think I am, but I’ll give it a go. I think the number of TRF members I’ve helped is up into the 400s now and good money has been generated for the Group, so that’s a good feeling, you’re putting something back. Also, seeing people out at LTD events that they wouldn’t have done before training is very satisfying. But I think my crowning glory for 2021 has to be getting David Knight (‘Knighter’) to come to Somerset TRF and acting as his assistant for three days’ training. The look on everyone’s faces when the reality that David Knight was actually going to be there actually sunk in was awesome, and the fact that he had such a great time, and is coming back, is the icing on the cake. Q.What does the future hold for you and Somerset TRF training days? A. More of the same but with a bit of a difference for 2022. We kicked off with hill climbing, an up-anddown day at a new venue in Somerset, back in January. To be followed by four training days in February, March, April and May, again at a new venue in Somerset. At the same time I’m starting a new venture with a chap called Fred Adams. This will enable us to travel to your area and coach at your own venue. Fred was 2017 British Extreme Enduro Champion, Scottish Six

Day first-class finisher seven times from seven starts, 2021 BMW GS Trophy winner and he’s in the 2022 GS team. So we have all the tools to walk the walk and the experience to teach efficiently with confidence at all levels and on all classes of bikes, including the big ones. On top of that we will be offering assistance and guiding Adventure tours in the UK and abroad, so exciting stuff ahead. Be safe and look after each other.

Motor Cycling Adventures in 2022/23

Our 2022/23 calendar reads Land’s End 15-16 April 2022 The 120th Anniversary 3-Day Trial 24-26 June 2022 The Edinburgh Trial 7-8 October 2022 The Exeter Trial 6-7 January 2023

FEATURE

Mini Mondo Nick Grant discovers that real-life biking adventures are still out there to be had and needn’t cost a fortune and involve a return journey by air ambulance

n 2018 Austin Vince came to a TRF night in Blaydon, Newcastle, to present a whole evening of adventure travel and to promote future events. One thing that got me immediately interested was this Mini Mondo thing. Ooh, I liked the sound of that… A couple of years later, and now retired, I get an email, out of the blue, all about the Mini Mondo for 2021. Oh my God, I can do this now, I thought. Without much hesitation I got straight in touch. There was one space left … and it was going to be mine. Austin makes it very clear in his bumph that this is not for you … it is hard, it is dangerous, you must work

for the Group, you sleep outside, we feed ourselves, you will get wet, you will get hot, you will ride all day. A real sales pitch… But, if you are willing and able, and adventurous, you will ride some of the best trails the world has to offer, and get a real-life experience of a Round The World (RTW) trip, distilled down to five days of learning. Yep, that’s for me, I thought, and I got my deposit to him asap to guarantee my place. The plan ‘Failing to Prepare is Preparing to Fail’, Elvis once said. To prepare myself for this event, everything I needed was to be found in my regular Trail and ABR magazines. Here was advertised two days of Honda Off Road Training, and then the three-day Adventure Bike Festival with 20km of off-road trail riding. That should do me, I thought. I am lucky enough to have both the CRF250L and CRF1000 Africa Twin in my stable and have attended most TRF annual ride-outs with both Northumbria and Yorkshire TRF Groups on the smaller bike. My thinking was that if I could get some off-road experience on my big Africa Twin (AT), then this would also help to improve my skills on the smaller bike. I needed a plan … and this was it: 1. Have two days at the Dave Thorpe Honda Off Road Centre, riding The Big ATs 2. Do the Adventure Bike Rider Festival and as much off-road riding as I can 3. Join Austin Vince’s Mini Mondo in the Spanish Pyrenees This would hopefully lift my riding status from incompetent to competent. A positive uplift.

Meals cooked over an open fire. Real latter-day cowboy stuff

I could keep up. Whether it was the venue, the tyres, the weather, or just using the company bikes, or all of those points, my confidence grew and grew. I ended the second day riding up and down the most severe woodland the area had to offer, and there was nothing I wouldn’t try or couldn’t do. I just loved it. So I was absolutely buzzing at the thought of getting back on my own AT and on with my next little adventure.

Dave Thorpe Off Road Centre So off to the Dave Thorpe Honda Off Road Centre in North Devon. I think it was given this name to make it sound as though there was a real person behind the whole thing, a bit like Disney. I also think the venue was selected to be far enough away, so that just getting there would be a recognisable achievement and worthy of some sort of certificate – which reminds me, mine still hasn’t arrived. This would weed out all but the most serious numpties. The first job was to divide us up into competency groups, which meant that I was put in the lower ability group (story of my life), which of course made perfect sense. The key thing I wanted out of these two days was to get to know what both the bike and I were capable of, and since I have the DCT version, it was this bike I booked for the two days. Although the 2021 bike has many more upgrades on the tech side than my 2017 model, it was still fundamentally the same. The training and riding were just great. I learned so much on the first day that I requested to join the more able riders (the Big Boys) for the second day, convinced by my new-found skills and confidence that

Camping conditions were spartan but that’s all part of the experience

FEATURE: MINI MONDO

I WANTED THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING A LATTER-DAY COWBOY, RIDING THE LANES AND FIELDS OF A DIFFERENT COUNTRY. IT CERTAINLY DELIVERED Adventure Bike Rider Festival Knowing that the festival had 20km of off-road trails was, for me, the key to going there, as I wanted to ride both my bikes in a ‘safe environment’, before going out on my own. I reccied the course initially on my CRF250L, again just to build my confidence before riding my AT. There was only one area where I thought the AT might struggle, and that was a fairly deep bog at the foot of a hill section. Lots of big bikes were getting stuck. I got through several times on the smaller CRF250 with no problems but thought better of attempting this on the big Africa Twin. I removed the screen from the AT as a precaution, so I didn’t whack myself in the face when going up hills etc. This turned out to be a good idea. I rode the 20km trails six times, I think, three on each bike, and as the trails got drier it got much easier – or was I just getting better? Another huge plus was that I hooked up with not only some of my new buddies, who would be doing the Mini Mondo, but also with Austin himself. Both Austin and Dai, his partner in crime, were at the festival, with

their own set up under a huge tarp, and this is where we met for the first time. Austin is such a force of nature and so enthusiastic about off-road riding. He gave several talks at the event, and he was bloody hilarious in all of them. I couldn’t wait for Mini Mondo… Mini Mondo I know I must be getting old as I chose not to ride 1,400 miles on my CRF250L just to get to the Pyrenees and back for the Mondo; instead I trailered my bike there behind my camper van. However, most of my new buddies did indeed ride there, via various routes, and I am in awe of these guys. The real deal adventure bikers. I wanted the experience of being a latter-day cowboy, riding the lanes and fields of a different warm country and wild camping at some amazing places. And it certainly delivered. In a largish group of participants, you simply must be well organised, and to this end, the entire week was mapped out by Austin and Dai, with everybody’s job/task allocated so that you, and only you, were responsible for your given activity. With military precision everybody took up their individual responsibilities with enthusiasm, committing wholeheartedly to the group effort. My specialist subject turned out to be making fires, and I was lucky enough to be the fireman twice. This meant building a ring of stones suitable for the griddle to sit on, collecting all the wood, of which there was plenty, and starting and

keeping the fire going all evening to the satisfaction of the ‘chefs’ cooking on it. Make no mistake, this event isn’t a holiday. This is for the experience. I joked that it was “living like a criminal on the run”, riding the backroads and trails hidden away from society. I learned a lot about myself and about wild camping, such as setting up my tarp, sliding off my ill thought-out inflatable mattress, early morning dew, and the dreaded toileting in the woods. All I can say is thank God for biodegradable wet wipes. Other things I learned included the fact that in a large group of blokes, there will be some whose snore is like a chain saw. I appear to need absolute quiet to sleep. So on the second night I had ear plugs rammed into my lugs, and bingo, problem solved.

Mercifully, all of us got on really well and having a great laugh around the campfire of an evening was “such fun”. At the time of writing, we still had to do stuff with PCR tests and Lateral Flows, which was a total pain. I was up at 3.00am in our hotel on the last night trying to figure out exactly how to do it, and what was needed to complete the online locator forms. The Government online form proved absolutely pathetic. On my drive back to Bilbao I was entertained by a blue bottle fly – you know, the ones that enjoy a poo platter. This little chap happened to be a beautiful iridescent metallic green. He sat next to me on the passenger seat, obviously thrilled by doing 120kph, and started doing back flips, one after another. The little fella was really enjoying himself – certainly I would struggle to do back flips on my passenger seat. We’re all good at something. I thoroughly enjoyed the ferry trip back to Portsmouth, being gently rocked to sleep, and spotted 12 wales and a pod of dolphins. Awesome. All in all, it was “A real-life adventure, worth more than pieces of gold”, as David Bowie once sang.

CLASSICS

Blue Remembered Hills I

first tried my hand at pre-65 trials riding about 30 years ago on a Triumph Tiger Cub but basically I wasn’t skilful enough and seemed to spend every other weekend getting the frame straightened and welded. I ended up part-exchanging the Cub for a 500cc 1953 AJS 18CS. This had been a scrambler in its hey-day. I first got it up and running on the road and then started a bit of local green laning. As anyone who has ridden these machines will know, they pull like steam trains, so provided I kept it upright and retarded the ignition it could get me out of trouble most of the time. When I first crested a stony and rutted icy track leading up onto Ranmore Common I was elated but inevitably, when exploring muddier routes, the machine would sometimes slide away from me and it was just

Alan Pemberton and his brother Gareth have always been very into their motorbikes and now combine their particular interest in classic British bikes with a bit of trail riding, mainly in the nearby Surrey Hills. Alan Pemberton reports

too damn heavy to lift up each time. So I had to look for something a bit lighter. By pure chance, as I was putting the AJS through its MOT one year, another chap was in the garage with a 1962 Triumph T100SS. We both liked the look of each other’s bikes and to cut a long story short in the end did a straight swap. Like the AJS, the Triumph had also started life as a scrambler (supplied to H J Gifford Ltd of Basingstoke). Over the years it had acquired more modern forks (I think, like the yokes, they are Metal Profiles), a Japanese front hub and a twin plug head, as well as being registered for road use. It was only set up to fire on the standard plugs when I first got the bike, so I rigged up a pair of twin-lead sports coils triggered by the contact breaker in the distributor and all four plugs now seem to fire well. Apart from tidying up the bike cosmetically, I have fitted a modern flat slide carb, sturdy bash-plate and decent tyres. Gareth’s BSA C15T is from 1964 and, as is usually the case, started life as a road model. It was partially converted to trials trim with the addition of an alloy tank, off-road tyres, alloy guards and Renthal bars when he acquired it, and he has completed the conversion with further modifications to the swinging arm to relocate the spring mounts and allow the fitting of the correct BSA trials hub with bolt-on sprocket. The bike also features rear-set footrests, electronic ignition and of course a bash-plate. He recently fitted a Keihin carb to improve starting and slow running, putting the Amal Monobloc away in a safe place so that it can always be re-fitted. We mainly use the bikes on a series of BOATs running from just south of Leatherhead, along Admirals Road, Polesden Road and Hogden Lane to Ranmore Common and then on to Newlands Corner or Leith Hill. There are several options coming off

WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING OUT A BIT MORE ON THESE TWO 1960S CLASSICS, SO IF YOU SEE US OUT THERE IN THE SURREY HILLS. GIVE US A WAVE Ranmore, either Sheepwalk Lane or the perilously steep and slippery Beggars Lane down to the A25. These tracks can be quite busy with dog walkers and horse riders, the later invariably being very friendly towards us. No doubt shutting down the engines as soon as we first catch sight of a horse helps here. We also spent a couple of great days linking up a series of green lanes with quiet country roads down in the South Somerset area and Gareth has taken his BSA up over Salisbury Plain a few times. Clearly these bikes have their limitations compared to more modern machinery and they can be a bit temperamental – the carburetor on mine had just started flooding when we took these photos, so that cut the day short. The two bikes also have different characteristics. Gareth’s BSA is definitely the more nimble of the two but has limited front fork travel and suffers from a wear-prone gearbox layshaft bush that no doubt struggles when transmitting power to the chunky rear tyre. With more modern forks and rear spring units, the Triumph has better ground clearance and is obviously quite a powerful machine but it is quite heavy and I think I might at some stage try to do another swap for something like a Greeves Scottish. In the meantime, we’re looking forward to getting out and about a bit more on these two 1960s classics, so if you see us out there in the Surrey Hills, please give us a wave.

FEATURE

Ride Rwanda Norfolk TRF member André Castle swaps East Anglia for East Africa for a long dreamed of adventure So fast forward 20 months and having completed two weeks’ training at a new Power Station in the southeast on the Burundi border, I hot-footed back to the city to connect up with Flavio, one of the owners of the tour company, for a ‘no holds barred’ trip using mainly tracks and trails, probably 80% trails and 20% road. What could possibly go wrong? Well, quite a number of things … My levels of fitness before lockdown were much better Malaria tablets make me dizzy, nauseous and have other amazing night-time side effects My off-road experience was somewhat limited compared with Flavio’s pedigree ‘motocross competition background’ Most of Rwanda is some 1,500m to 2,500m above sea level Then the UK added South Africa and other random African countries to the Covid-related Red List of travel restrictions But, I said to myself, “Come on, everything will be ok, you wanted an adventure, so just shut up and ride the bike!” So there I was, sitting on the SWM 650, waiting for the ‘thumbs up’.

early two years ago, whilst working in Rwanda, I managed to squeeze a short one-day bike trip into my weekend off. The ride was mainly on tarmac with some short sections of dirt roads and single tracks, heading north-west towards the area made famous by Gorillas in the Mist, near the volcanoes on the Congo/Uganda border. The day trip with Africa Adventure Motorcycle Tours whetted my appetite and I promised I’d go back but I had no idea how long it would be before I could return.

Day 1– the idea was to take it gently and head up | to the mountainous northern region of Musanze. We travelled some 250km entirely on dirt roads, only crossing one tarmac road all day. The road surface is of rock or compacted mud, with a fine layer of gritty volcanic sand in some places. The main challenge here are the slopes – just bear in mind that Rwanda is called the ‘land of a thousand hills’ for a reason. The slopes have gullies formed by the rain water and weave randomly across the track, creating a mini ravine in places up to 300mm deep, just wide enough for a front tyre ... if you get my drift. The slopes also consist of washed-out rock sections, which add to the fun of maintaining momentum on a 160+kg bike. I was watching Flavio’s line carefully and trying to keep up, as I think his ‘forced’ break from tour riding led to a more spirited ride! I can’t say I particularly like Ruhengeri (the capital city of Musanze). Like a lot of tourist hot spots, it seems to have become rather spoiled. It’s Gorilla Central, so it would usually be full of rich tourists willing to pay

View of the volcanoes near the Congo/Uganda border

£1,500 to go and sit with a gorilla for two hours. We stayed in the same hotel as Dian Fossey, the conservationist who campaigned for the protection of these majestic beasts.

Day 2 – this saw us head out of town to hook up with the Congo–Nile Trail. When your guide says, “Shall we go this way?”, that means you stand a 60% chance of getting through this section. But I thought, “I came for an adventure, so let’s try it”. What Flavio perhaps did not make clear was that most of the bridges had been washed away back in April and they were unlikely to have been repaired. We looked at the first washed-out crossing and seriously thought about turning back, but then the lads from the nearby village turned out to egg us on and attempt the crossing. Basically they threw rocks up out of the river bed to make us a small ramp. We then we slid the bikes down into the river, started the engines and rode up the opposite bank, powered by Rwanda’s finest pushing

from behind. For this service francs were exchanged with the village elders and off we went. The lads ran off ahead of us and Flavio started to shake his head, as we were now trapped – the boys clearly know this as ‘check mate’! So for each of the next five crossings we had a new challenge: bridges were made from a few logs, or bikes were physically dragged up the banks by the lads, singing their hearts out knowing it was ‘pay day again’. After three crossings I lay beaten on the side of the track, only to be told by Flavio I had no choice but to ride out of this section or it would be dark! But adventures are made of this stuff, and we made it through a total of six crossings – 200km duly completed.

FEATURE: RIDE RWANDA Overlooking Lake Kivu

Day 3 – After yesterday’s Jeux sans frontières (It’s a Knockout), it was music to my ears to hear Flavio say, “Let’s do some road work today”. And what an amazing day it was. We followed Lake Kivu south, on the Rwandan side, which meant getting close to Congo/Uganda borders on occasions, sometimes a bit too close. I’d been told not to bring any camouflage clothing and I began to understand why, as the borders are patrolled by rather grim-looking soldiers stationed on the edge of the rain forest. The road was truly stunning. Built by the Chinese it smoothly follows the contours of the lake, rising and falling over the headlands like some crazy Chinese dragon, offering stunning glimpses from high above its glistening waters. But beware, this lake has a hidden danger. Lurking within this tranquil setting, Lake Kivu is a melting pot of natural chaos. It is known as the world’s most dangerous lake, due to the under-surface volcanic activity that could lead to

the escape of poisonous gasses or even a tsunami if the volcano erupts underwater! This simply amazing road would bring tears to the eyes of any biker. It’s not over tight, just a continuous flow of magical bends that are seamless and never ending. Along the way we had a short interlude and broke off down a 3km track to visit a Coffee Washing Station, to see where the magic bean begins its journey. The Rwandans are very proud of their coffee heritage, and rightly so. Our journey continued – with a break for coffee – as we headed east into the Nyungwe National Forest. The temperature dipped a few degrees as we climbed steeply, gaining altitude with every twist and turn in the road. The extra challenge here were the local black and white colobus monkeys that frequent the road side and the steep banks of rainforest that tower above you. Trying to spot monkeys brings a new distraction as you try and remain focused on staying on the road, which weaves along the border through the impenetrable rain forest. There’s also a lot of military presence here and these guys melt into the jungle in front of you. Flavio’s advice was “Keep focused on the road, don’t make eye contact and don’t stop to take any photos!”

My bike for the journey – the SWM 650R

All aboard for the Congo Nile Trail

Rhino Lodge on the very edge of the plains of the Akagera National Park. This area is massive, with a huge lake in the centre of the valley, and it is home to many wild animals including Africa’s top five. Considering it’s less than two hours from the airport, this is quite amazing. Apparently the reserve doesn’t let bikers in to ride around, something to do with the leopards liking the crunchy outer coating of bike armour and the soft squishy bit in the middle! The SWMs are quick but I don’t fancy my chances of out-manoeuvring a hungry 60kph pussy cat! It was later that evening that we broke another simple rule. Never drive in the dark in Africa. Oh my word, this brings a whole new dimension to your observation skills. Try driving into the local town where no one (not even Police cars) have lights. The cyclists and local ‘taxi bikers’ are completely mad and seem to drive with little regard for any traffic rules. I have never been so glad to see a hotel car park. What a nightmare – that’s one rule I need not break again!

Day 4 – this was our penultimate day. Another epic day unfolded, albeit a mixed bag. We started off on some really tough and aggressive sections of poorly maintained track, and then broke out onto a road section where the Chinese have set about building a dual carriageway from east to west across the centre of the country. We had the luxury of some fine tarmac that swept away into the distance across the open plains, or savanna. We stopped on one section that reminded me of the first Mad Max film. Here we could get to grips with riding huge areas of soft sand at speed … it’s just stopping that’s an issue! The simple advice here was keep up the pace and keep accelerating – don’t slow down. Our destination for the night was the rather plush

Day 5 – our last day took us full circle and back to the capital, Kigali. We road through the valleys, across bridges, and one deep, wide river crossing. Our journey took us through the rice paddy fields, which are extensive, and as ever we were greeted with a wave and curious glances as we passed by. Whole villages would erupt with whistles and shouts, and the ever-hopeful chance that you might wheelie through it (definitely not me). We finally tightened up as we penetrated the city roads, where every sense is on high alert as you jostle for position and progress is measured in inches. Finally we arrived back at HQ for Africa Adventures and remarkably we were both still in one piece. Stupidly I had managed to allow the sun to burn my neck by not ensuring I was fully covered up, while Flavio’s SWM had a fork seal leak, but it didn’t seem to phase him that he had hardly any front brake! The SWMs are very capable for the tracks and roads of Rwanda and offer a good all-round ride. Speaking as a six-footer, I found the bike perfect and rode most

FEATURE: RIDE RWANDA Road section in the Kisagara Reserve

One of the locals washing his pushbike in the river

The support crew, helping us up one of the tougher trails

of each day standing, as it offers a better view of the road ahead. The bikes came with luggage, as we were to be self-sufficient while completing a circular route over the five days. Fuel was a similar price to back home and we were filling up once or twice a day, at about 20 US dollars (some £15) a time. Handy hints Since my last trip there are many more speed cameras. I’m not quite sure why speed is the primary concern, when most vehicles are so poorly maintained and generally couldn’t make the speed limit unless going downhill. The fines for speeding are considerable, reportably 50,000 francs or about £35 a time. To the locals this is perhaps a month’s wages. If you’re thinking of stopping for a quick bite to eat, forget it. You need to allow a minimum of an hour to

get a coffee, and two to three hours for a three-course meal! We ordered as soon as we got to our hotels and made sure that the kitchen knew when we wanted to be served. “This is Africa” was one of Flavio’s favourite sayings, with a shrug of the shoulders. As he says, “In Europe you have the watch, in Africa we have the time”. You are never alone. What’s remarkable about Rwanda is that the 12 million population is thinly spread across every square metre of this landscape. Stop your bike and within seconds one or two locals will remarkably appear, to stand and watch. Stop for a few minutes and the ‘jungle telephone’ is ringing hot. Within 10 minutes most of the village has rocked up, just to come and be part of the occasion. Throughout the trip your eyes will be on stalks. You really don’t know where to look next, there is always something interesting to look at, someone to wave to, or a new hazard approaching! Going for quick pee in the woods is a complete no-no; it would instantly become a spectator sport! Kids seem to spend most of their day in the roadside drainage ditches and heads pop up from anywhere

Day 5, riding into Kigali

NEVER DRIVE IN THE DARK IN AFRICA! OH MY WORD, THIS BRINGS A WHOLE NEW DIMENSION TO YOUR OBSERVATION SKILLS and everywhere as you pass. This is not a country where it would be safe to ‘blast along’ – you literally need to plan for anything, and I mean anything: suicidal goats, chickens, pigs, cows as well as the locals just wandering about. Bicycles are the main form of heavy goods vehicle in Africa and these guys push stunningly heavy loads up hills and then roll down the other side using their feet as brakes. After a few days you become complacent – there is clearly nothing you can’t put on a push bike. The weather in Rwanda is temperate, being 100 miles south of the Equator. Generally the temperature is in the mid-to-high 20s C and if it rains it’s a heavy, sudden downpour. They do have a wetter season, but it’s not significantly different, from what I can understand. In my experience it’s often overcast, but the sun can still catch you out very easily. The cities for us westerners are quite heavily polluted with exhaust fumes, but apparently it’s nowhere near as bad as other cities. The west of the country is verdant with crops growing everywhere in perfect conditions, while the east is more the sort of savanna that you would imagine of Africa.

has rides to suit everyone’s needs. I had a strict budget and kept costs down by choosing hotels that ranged from 25 to 50 US dollars (about £20–40) and you can get a reasonable B&B hotel for that. Rwanda is a very safe country. It’s had a troubled past but the general ‘feeling’ is positive and full of hope for a bright future. The whole country is spotless with no litter and no graffiti; everywhere is stunning. There are many museums if you fancy delving into the country’s history but very little tourism except in the volcano area and the national reserves. Most of the people here are self-sufficient, farming small areas around their houses. There is very little ‘big industry’ as such, with tea plantations probably the biggest industry you will see. Big bikes are very rare in Rwanda, so you are always sure to attract a lot of attention from the locals. There are thousands of bikes used as ‘moto taxis’ but the majority of theses are usually Chinese 125s. Finally, you need to go to Africa with an open mind. Do not try to compare or contrast Africa with how we live, accept that there is another way, another attitude, and immerse yourself in it. This is Africa

Africa Adventure Motorcycle Tours I would highly recommend Flavio and Africa Adventure Motorcycle Tours, an absolutely faultless service from the very start. The team worked closely to make sure I truly had a trip of a lifetime, every detail was perfect. The company operates in Ethiopia and Rwanda, and

FEATURE PART 1

Terra Not So Firma

In the first of a two-part feature Kelvin Varney from South Wales TRF ponders the friction coefficients of the various types of road surface we’re likely to encounter

ome 30 years ago I did a season of sporting car trials, which taught me a lot about tyre pressures, throttle control and braking. In one of the Group’s newsletters a member had written an article on types of mud and other off-tarmac surfaces. I was quite taken by the article but as is always the way, I can’t find it now that I want to refer to it. So I thought I’d write one of my own, which may be of some use to trail riders out there. What qualification do I have to write such an article? Well, nothing

academic. I’m not a geologist or Earth scientist, just a regular guy who has ridden motorcycle trials and trails for 40-odd years. Now at this point, if you’re a hardened trail rider with years of experience, you might feel you won’t learn much. But then again, you just might … This isn’t intended to be a how-toride guide, although I may have slipped in a bit of advice now and then; more a summary of the types of terrain surface you may find under your tyres on a trail ride. Most of us are familiar with our local trails, but

what about all the other surfaces you might encounter? Here are some of the most common (and less common) surfaces you may find whilst out on a trail ride. Tarmac – You’ll find a lot of it in-between green lanes in the UK. It forms the principal surface on which you’ll be riding on a typical trail ride. Some 120 years ago the first tarmac road was laid at Radcliffe Road in Nottingham. Back then motorcycle reliability trials were all the rage on basically dirt roads. Over

the decades that followed, roads gradually became surfaced and sealed. Some roads, however, were never sealed, and some sealed roads today are gradually reverting to their natural state. Broken tarmac is often found where roads have fallen into disrepair and the elements and nature have started to bite. Some significant steps can form where the sub soil has been eroded away by running water, or by use or both. Normally tarmac will provide plenty of grip, assuming it is not covered in any other substance such as mud, water, ice or diesel! Watch out for highways that are being prepared for resurfacing, as the scarifying process to key the surface can make motorcycle tyres wander disconcertingly. As tarmac or asphalt is based on bitumen, a by-product of crude oil distillation, it is ironic that the industry is now on the hunt for a more environmentally-friendly method of ‘green’ road manufacture. Something we as trail riders often encounter in both tarmac and green lanes are cattle grids. They can be flat or curved upwards. Being made of metal, like manhole covers, they can be very slippery if wet. They are best coasted across with the bike in as near a vertical position as possible. Concrete – Less common than tarmac, concrete can also be found on some normal vehicular highways, farm tracks, in farmyards and also as the basis for fords. In fords it can be

extremely slippery with algae, so be careful with the throttle. If dry, concrete is usually grippy. It is more durable than tarmac, hence its use to support agricultural vehicles and cattle movement. In main road use it can be quite noisy, due to the joints and slightly rougher surface than tarmac. Until I looked it up I didn’t know where the term ‘metalled roads’ came from. ‘Metalled’ comes from the Latin metallum, meaning ‘quarry’, as in the cement, concrete or coal tar used in roads. Coal tar was gradually phased out in the early 1980s. Mud – This is soil, either clay, sand, silt, loam, peat or chalk (or a combination of all six) mixed with water. It usually forms after rainfall or

near water sources. Ancient mud deposits harden over geological time to form sedimentary rock, such as shale or mudstone. There is an infinite range of mud, and hence grip, mostly dependent on the water content. It can be as hard as rock in dry seasons (as my ribs will testify) or liquid as found in opaque trail puddles. It’s possibly the most common terrain you will find on trails, depending on which part of the country you ride. A dictionary definition of mud is ‘soft, sticky matter resulting from the mixing of earth and water’. It can pose problems for all forms of wheeled, foot and hoof traffic when moisture is present. Every wheel, foot or hoof movement that changes direction or speed relies on friction between the tread/shoe and the road surface. So a layer of mud on the surface of the road or tread/shoe can cause skidding or slipping. One of the slipperiest forms of mud is frozen ground, where the top layer is just thawing. The viscosity of mud can be altered by adding water such as rain, rivers or streams, or by removing water through evaporation. Its uses are endless. A 400-year-old farmhouse in Devon that I used to live in was made from it, together with horsehair and stone, commonly called cob. A lot of wild and farmed animals love it and use it for various purposes. Farm animals, horses,

A very slippery concrete-surfaced ford in the Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales

Joe Stephens and Andy Pitt on a broken tarmac road in Gwynedd, Mid and West Wales

FEATURE: TERRAIN – PART 1

I’M NOT A GEOLOGIST OR EARTH SCIENTIST, JUST A REGULAR GUY WHO HAS RIDDEN TRIALS AND TRAILS FOR 40-ODD YEARS walkers, agricultural and other wheeled vehicles and cycles create it unintentionally in wetter climates purely by ground pressure. The Urban Dictionary informs us that ‘Mud was first “invented” by homo habilis as a defence against unwanted female attention. He found if he flung it at them, he could ward them off. This ultimately proved contrary to his survival, so he began flinging it at those who encroached on his females … occasionally

excreted matter was added, for the sake of odour.’ Hmm, nice! Mud can prove difficult to get out of if you get stuck. If you find a trickle of water, or a very small stream, running through mud, this will usually have washed down to reveal a harder surface beneath. If you need better grip, that is usually the route to ride or walk if it is not too rough. Watch out for animal-made mud in the form of cow pats and farmyard slurry. If you get it on your gear or bike, it can stain

An arty-farty boot cam view of Wyegate Lane, Gloucestershire

– and your ride buddies will keep their distance, or worse ridicule you! Nowadays, mud is often seen as an obstacle to be avoided, especially by vehicular traffic. Nonetheless, it is still enjoyed by recreational traffic whether travelling by wheel or on foot, on both rights of way and green roads. It’s pretty magnetic to young children too! What was it the hippopotamus said? ‘Mud, mud, glorious mud…’. Bog – This is a poorly drained, usually acidic area rich in accumulated plant material or peat. It is frequently found surrounding a body of open water, having a characteristic flora such as sedges, heaths and sphagnum moss. Bogs are well known for hiding their depth. They can be a few inches or several feet deep. The top surface growth can often hide what is underneath. It is usually very difficult to traverse by any means without causing damage. However, they often self-repair over time. Bogs are more dangerous than quicksand because you can sink deep into them. Apparently, you can even drown in a peat bog, its deep patches of water covered with vegetation on top.

An old Roman road near Pontypool, South Wales

Loam – Often found in forests, loam is a deep, dark soil made of silt, sand and clay with a hefty dose of decomposing plant material. The knobs of your tyres reach their full potential here, digging in to allow controlled grip and braking. Make sure you stay loose and ready, as loam usually involves roots as well. Leaves/pine needles – Autumn and winter seasons in broad-leaf deciduous tree areas see a blanket of leaves, slowly decaying on the ground. Wet leaves with a hard surface underneath and a change in direction can be a recipe for pitching you off on your ear if you are not paying attention. Dry leaves on top can be hiding wet leaves underneath, so caution is needed, as above. Dry (and wet) leaves can be hiding a multitude of surfaces underneath. Maybe a ditch, a hole, mud, water or rocks. Typically, where the wind has collected them into one area, it’s best to expect something underneath. Fully decayed leaves eventually turn to soil as the organic growth cycle evolves. Over hundreds of years the cycle can result in a significant increase in the soil level if left undisturbed. It is partly the reason why sunken lanes appear sunken relative to the surrounding land. The other reason for apparently sunken lanes is the passage of people, vehicles, animals and the action of running water. If unsealed these lanes can still be active in eroding the terrain. Pine needles themselves are normally free-draining on their own but sitting on top of decades of de-

cayed pine needles and a covering tree canopy can mean the area is moisture retentive. The soil can be friable and lack grip, especially if the top surface has been disturbed. Rocks and stones – One loose rock, hit at the wrong angle with your front wheel, can significantly raise your heart rate. A whole green road full of them can be like traversing marbles. An incline or descent makes the situation worse. An eagle eye, concentration and the correct amount of momentum, brake and throttle application will see you through. Stones and rocks can be all sizes and shapes and formed from a variety of minerals, anything from sharp fractured flint to smooth pebbles. Pebbles are usually, but not always, formed from naturally occurring rock that has been worn smooth by the action of water on beaches, lakes or rivers. Pebbles can also be formed from artificial material such as concrete, bricks and glass. These surfaces are difficult to deal with because the rocks and stones are movable and therefore can’t be trusted. Check your tyres after riding rocks and stones as they can slash and wreck them. Drystone walls that often line green roads are made from local stone, usually found lying on the surface. Boulders – Technically a boulder is a rock fragment bigger than 256mm or 10.1in. Boulders can often be mixed in with rocks and loose stones and can provide a little more stability, depending on their shape and size. They can, however,

Mike Wain and Co. near Keynsham, North East Somerset

act as a barrier to progression if spanning the width of the track. Boulders can be loose or set firm in the ground. They can also be massive, like those Toni Bou [Antoni Bou, Spanish trials rider] pogos on…

Cobblestones – These are smaller versions of boulders, not unlike pebbles. Cobblestones are a strong, natural material, originally collected from river beds where the flow of the water made them round. When set in sand or bound with mortar, cobblestones once proved perfect for paving roads. With the strength of cobblestone, no ruts developed in the streets. However, wet smooth cobblestones can be extremely slippery. Dry cobbles, or setts, provide a good level of grip to the average tyre. There are a few green roads left that still have intact

FEATURE: TERRAIN – PART 1 sections of cobbles or setts. The third image on the GRM front page is one close to me. Whilst people often confuse setts and cobbles, the main way in which cobbles differ is that they are rounded whereas a sett is square in shape. Setts are often quarried from granite and hand-formed. If you’ve walked along a cobbled beach or a cobblestone path, you will know that natural cobbles are also extremely difficult to walk on. Lava – Okay, so lava is not very common in this country but it is quite common elsewhere in the world where folk often ride. It is solidified magma, pushed out of the earth’s surface by volcanoes, and is incredibly grippy wet or dry. You can buy ground-up lava to use as an alternative to road salt in some countries. Lava is porous – think solidified sponge – hence it is very

An extreme example of water erosion on a green road near Cwmbran. This unclassified county road still has a national speed limit road sign at the south end

The author on the pebbles of Morfa Bychan beach on the TETie, South West Wales

free-draining. In my ‘yoof’, with a number of other students, I once took a London Transport bus on a lava track up the side of Vesuvius. What an adventure that was. The insurance wasn’t cheap! Sandstone – This offers loads of traction in most dry conditions. Add a layer of dust, moss, algae or mud to the equation and things can get slippery. Want to ride some world-class sandstone? Check out the Moab desert area in the United States. A sedimentary rock, sandstone is formed by the compaction of sand, held together by silica. Natural sandstone is hard and tough. Limestone – Limestone is also a sedimentary rock, composed principally of calcium carbonate. It commonly comprises tiny fossils, shell fragments and other fossilised debris. Limestone is usually grey, but it may also be white, yellow or brown. It is used extensively in road and building construction, and is a material found in aggregate, cement, building stones, chalk and crushed stone. Slate – We all know what slate looks like but did you know it is formed from clay, or volcanic ash, and low-grade regional heat and/or

The Open University

pressure over geological time? It can be in slab form or smaller loose debris from quarrying and is used in domestic or commercial paving. Granite – This is a coarse or medium-grained igneous rock that is rich in quartz and feldspar. It is apparently the most common plutonic rock on the earth’s crust, formed by the cooling of magma (silicate melt) at depth. You’ll find granite in Devon, Cornwall, Cumbria and Scotland. As well as flooring and gravestones, granite is also used for paving and bridges.

EVENTS

Jubilee Trial Somerset TRF is now running the Historic Jubilee Trial for 2022 – on 29 May – the PlatinumYear The Jubilee Long Distance Reliability Trial in West Somerset has been running since 1977 but from this year onwards Somerset TRF is running this classic event as the previous organisers did not have the resources. The Trial is for bikes only, with 75 miles of Green Roads, Restricted Byways, Bridleways, Footpaths and private forestry and farmland (with a little bit of black roads thrown in). There are 25 trial sections, a special test and a graded hill climb. The event is run under ACU permit and Motorsport UK sanction and all riders require an ACU Trials Licence to enter (£15 a year). Entries are limited to 170 and applied for online on the ACU website. The route of the Platinum Jubilee on the Brendon Hills and Exmoor takes you to places and on routes you simply could never get to other than on this event with Landowner and Council permissions in place. The trials sections within the route are observed by enthusiastic volunteers and will not only range in

technical level to allow everyone to have a great day but will also test the best. Bike classes include Trail, Enduro and Twin Shock. This is an event to remember and definitely one to put in the calendar for every year. How to apply for an ACU licence as a TRF member You will need your ACU (Auto Cycle Union) affiliation code before you can get your licence renewal. This is available from the TRF link below as one of your member benefits at no extra cost. For those not familiar with the system, if you want to enter an ‘ACU permitted’ events such as Trials, Long Distance Trials or Enduros you need

https://www.acu.org.uk/events/May-2022/Trail-Riders-Fellowship/Trials/RaleighsCross-Brendon-Hill-Somerset-ACU62658.aspx

Red, Black and White Ride We hope that after a two-year break, we will hold a Red, Black and White ride for riders of Himalayans, Honda CRF250Ls, 300Ls and Rallys. The dates for your diary are Friday and Saturday 16th and 17th September, going from Staylittle, SY19 7BU. See below for the nearest places to stay. There will be choice routes. Scenic: A very scenic longer distance minor road route with

easy gravel, suitable for standard bikes and riders with no off-road experience. Novice Friendly: For riders who have some experience and may have slightly modified bikes but do not class themselves as experienced, or who prefer not to ride the most challenging routes. Experienced: For those who regularly ride green roads and enjoy a challenge (will include Happy Valley, and may include Strata Florida)

to have an ACU competition licence for the discipline you are entering. The licence runs from 1 January to the end of the year, You need to complete an online form and submit a photo that gets included in your licence. A trials licence is only £12 a year. Once you have your profile set up on the ACU website, entering events on line is very easy and renewing licences each year is also made simple. Long Distance Trails are a great complement to Trail Riding as they are generally set up for trail/enduro style road-legal bikes, they are very sociable and fun, and you get the opportunity to ride on tracks and trails normally out of bounds for us. You don’t have to be a ‘Trials God’ to do them. Have a laugh and have a go. Links to a range of typical LDT events https://www.actc.org.uk/events/202 1-e/ Link to getting your TRF - ACU affiliation Code: https://trail.trf.org.uk/.../acu-joininginstructions.../ Link to getting an ACU licence https://trail.trf.org.uk/.../acu-joininginstructions.../ Link to a LDT Facebook group; https://www.facebook.com/groups/l ongdistancetrials/?ref=share

I can supply an accommodation list. During 2021 Wales was very popular and accommodation became hard to find, so book early! Just make sure that you can cancel until a few days before, because we will not ride if there is a named storm with very high winds. Our routes are between 200 and 560m high and often exposed, so it gets too dangerous. Contact: marianne@trailrideswales.com

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