Month: March 2023

Castle Combe Skills Day September 2022

Posted on | by Salli Griffith

I had the great pleasure of taking part in the Castle Combe track/road skills day in September 2022.

I was aware that road-skills based track training helps build machine and self-confidence immensely but most of the track based training providers were either quite far from where I lived or too expensive. When the TVAM Castle Combe track-based skills training was published for September, I turned into a keyboard warrior and booked a space within seconds. The training was not only closer to home but also lighter on the wallet.

I had quite a few questions in preparation for this event and I must say the organizing team answered all of them with patience and empathy.

I chose to stay the previous night at Chippenham which allowed me to be fairly fresh for the training. The day starts at 7.15am and I was at the track by 7.20am. Registration, indemnity declaration and collecting wrist band took about two minutes followed by noise test. My bike was fine and I got the coveted ‘all clear’ sticker. The noise test was followed by an introductory welcome from the organisers, discussing some cardinal rules for tracks like no turning around and no stopping etc., followed by guidance for intermediate and advanced riders. In the end, around 6 TVAM circuit guides spoke to the novice 1 and 2 groups about what to expect during the day, the track marker system etc.

There are 4 levels at the Castle Combe event: novice 1, novice 2, intermediate and advanced. Each level has a maximum of 12 riders, so in total 48 riders excluding the TVAM guides. Given that this was my first track experience, and what a wreck I am on corners and bends, I registered for the novice 1 level.

The novice groups 1 & 2 each were further split into 3 sub-groups. So 6 sub-groups in total. Each sub-group had 4 riders and was led by one TVAM guide. Each group from novice to advanced is allocated a quarter of the hour. And this remains consistent through the day. For example, our novice 1 group was allocated 45 minutes past the hour and that remained consistent. We had 7 turns in total starting at 9.45am, all the way to 4.45 pm. Each turn, we got about 4 to 5 laps of the circuit. Lunch break was from 12.30pm to 1.30pm and there is a nice café on site serving your regular pub-grub.

The first two turns were more about conditioning around the track. Our track guide would lead and we would try to emulate the positioning and apply the IPSGA system. I was so bad that after a couple of turns when our guide referred to the cones on the track, I was thinking, “what cones?”. It feels as if a lot is happening around you but the key is to be patient as things do start to fall in place. After a few laps with our track guide, I ventured on my own, at a speed comfortable to me but also consciously applying the IPSGA system. With each lap, I gained more confidence in turn increasing the speed but also getting smoother around the bends and corners. The feedback from our TVAM guide was quite positive after the 4th turn and the rest of the day, I just kept pushing myself a bit more to test the boundaries. You do have the choice of riding with the guide through the day if there are specific areas you want to concentrate and improve upon.

The day ended at roughly 5pm and I was really happy with all the time spent on the track. If I have to summarize the key learnings, they would be:

  • An opportunity to apply the IPSGA system in a controlled and safe environment
  • A better understanding of my machine’s capabilities and that I can push my machine further
  • I was able to challenge my mental boundaries like leaning in the direction of the bend, being comfortable at high speeds etc
  • Using the entire width of the available space to prepare for and execute manoeuvres
  • Forward planning when approaching bends and corners

It’s been a few months since I attended the track skills day and I can confidently say that my observer as well as I have seen a major difference in the way I position myself on the road and the confidence with which I deal with bends and corners at speed.

Definitely a day well spent with some really helpful and supportive TVAM guides and lots of other enthusiastic riders. If bends/corners are weak spots, I would strongly recommend attending the TVAM Castle Combe training.

Shiva Kumar

First published in Slipstream March 2023

Never Say Never!

Posted on | by Steve Dennis

I finally committed myself into taking up biking 10 years ago knowing that it was now or never. Some 30 years ago, during my Army service, an opportunity had arisen to attend a one week course in Aldershot so getting my licence at a time when I was in-between postings abroad. Fast forward almost 20 years before I would next ride a 125 of indeterminate origin in Wau, Western Barh el Ghazal, South Sudan. This was at the time of transition to independence and I hared around a circuit in the heat and dust with a couple of colleagues for some much needed recreation while puzzled Dinka tribesmen looked on as their children chased along, shouting ‘khawajat, khawajat!’ Thus my enthusiasm to get riding again was rekindled!

That was in 2010 and I had long since retired from active service. So I took the plunge and promptly bought an unseen BSA C15 that caught my eye on an online auction site and was delivered to my front door when I got home in 2012. I was, to all intents, a total newbie and I arranged a three hour session with a riding school based in Basingstoke who turned up on an adventure bike that dwarfed mine. I couldn’t start my C15 (the penny was beginning to drop) and the instructor suggested it was the type of bike which, way back when, I’d have asked a mate if his mum wouldn’t mind warming up the battery in the oven before we set out for a ride! Undeterred he suggested I follow him to the school in my car where he would fit me out with something more appropriate. The rest, as they say, is history and through a process of trial and error during the next three years I miraculously survived, changing bikes twice more but was struggling to understand what it was all about until one rainy Sunday in the spring of 2015 three bikers stopped outside my house for a break and I took the opportunity of walking across to join them. They looked wary at first, possibly suspecting that I was about to ask them to move on, but soon realised that I was simply curious. One of them produced a TVAM card et voilà! Dave Simmons came round a couple of weeks later to size me up and I then had the good fortune to be allocated Simon Hanlon as my Observer, who by dint of both his skill and encouragement, by night and day, through fair weather and foul coached me to pass my advanced test.

I had to take a break during this period when I found myself travelling again to work for 18 months in the British Embassy in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It wasn’t realistic to continue developing my riding skills in that environment where a ‘mondele’ in a vehicle, let alone on a motorcycle, can be vulnerable on roads when anything goes and things have a habit of unexpectedly kicking off! I brought back two AK-47 bullets as souvenirs that came uncomfortably close, both of which I was able to retrieve; one that impacted the wall outside my bedroom window one night with a loud bang and the other from the golf bunker I was in when all hell was let loose between two rival political factions in the middle of town one Saturday morning. On the plus side this led to a great opportunity to get to know other players in the competition during a lockdown of several hours in the clubhouse once we had managed to hard target our way back across the course for shelter!

A steep learning curve seems an understatement looking back and during the process, in support of Simon’s teaching, I also decided to throw myself into everything that TVAM could offer through the various training activities as well as Thruxton skills day, St. Crispin’s observed rides and 3Rs to Wales together with a multitude of group and T-runs where I would make new friends and be met, mostly, with supportive encouragement and wise advice which I would soak up.

As with any new venture you expect there to be bumps in the road and maybe I don’t fit the persona of a typical biker although I have found it in general to be an inclusive and broad church bonded by a common passion. It did come as a surprise, though, when one Observer I barely know made his prejudice clear by announcing in front of me ‘There are too many public school voices here’! Whilst I well know that this is not representative I believe that TVAM deserve better than this. I AM SAFE provides a comprehensive checklist on a rider’s fitness; you would hope that tolerance towards others was a given.

I think, after a further three bikes plus a wardrobe that has expanded exponentially, that I have now found my ‘comfort zone’ and although not to everyone’s taste (what bike is?) she does everything I need, providing fun, reliability, performance and range together with a belt drive! Not helped by the pandemic interregnum, combined with a couple of health issues, I realistically accept that bike time is no longer on my side so ambitious dreams of continental expeditions look more likely to be confined to Wales and the Isle of Wight. But that, together with some lovely rides in this part of the country, is fine by me; I am just grateful to be able to do it. I have also tried to give back something where possible supporting on occasion the toy run, ABC and as a GSR which is a win-win benefiting the role play ‘Associate’ as well as the TObs.

So I am indebted to TVAM/IAM RoadSmart for coming to the rescue and opening up a new world and community as an alternative to fishing or golf. It has also provided both physical and mental benefits as well as concentrating the mind with the occasional adrenaline rush reminiscent of looking into the dark void of night as the cargo ramp opens preparing to free fall parachute from a C-130 Hercules at 20,000 feet! And my driving has also received a long overdue wake up call to put it mildly! It may be a case of an old dog and new tricks but I have yet to get my head round mastering bike satnav; ironic from an airborne pathfinder in a past life. So, for the time being, I will count on trusty companions as well as a map and prismatic compass for backup!                                                 

Peter Mills

First published in Slipstream March 2023

From the Chair (March 2023)

Posted on | by Barrie Smith

I always find the start of the year strange, in that it seems to take us forever to get through January and then February goes by in a blur. Maybe, because of the colder, damper conditions we’re just not out on our bikes as much enjoying ourselves. It’s hard to believe that we’re now well into March and springtime is beckoning us to uncover the bikes that we carefully put away for the winter (those that didn’t ride throughout), give them a dust off, a really good clean and check them over before firing them back into life.

For those people that did mothball their bikes over the winter months, it’s worth taking a look at an article that Pat Coneley wrote in Slipstream back in April ’13 (page 21). You can find past copies of Slipstream on groups.io under ‘files’ in the ‘all members’ section.

It’s important to check our bikes regularly, particularly after lengthy spells of not riding. The Advanced Rider Course (ARC) talks about pre-ride checks and Roadcraft specifically uses the acronym POWDDERSS to work around your machine. Most of us like to add another S (self) to the end, ensuring that we’re also ready to ride the bike. We carry out these checks to assist in preventing incidents happening. That said, when incidents do happen it’s important that we reflect on what happened, why it happened and see if there is anything that we could have done differently to change the course of events. It’s then really good practice to let the Club know about the incident.

Nick Edgley has written a piece for this month’s Slipstream that looks at an incident and the importance of reporting it. I would urge you all to read this and please do let the Club know about any incidents that you may be involved in. We only use the data to enable us to build courses to learn from each other.

Looking ahead to getting out and riding, the calendar does seem to be filling up nicely with many social rides. It seems that with many of the social teams offering regular social rides, pretty much every weekend in the calendar has a ride, or a choice of rides, that you can take part in. We also have our training and social riding weekends starting.

The fantastic 7Ws takes place on the 21st – 23rd April in Llandrindod Wells in Wales and is followed two weeks later, on the 5th – 7th May, with the 3Rs weekend at the same venue. These are weekends with an emphasis on training, however they have social riding elements built into them. 7Ws is geared at Associates and 3Rs is geared at Full Members. The feedback that we received from participants on these weekends in 2022 was overwhelmingly positive in relation to the organisation, location, venue and structure of the events. We carefully review all feedback and make changes as necessary.

For members that wish to have a social weekend in Wales, Welsh Wanders is also taking place in Llandrindod Wells on the 21st-23rd April. So, what better way to kick-start the 2023 riding season than riding arguably the best roads in the UK and socialising with large groups of friends in these three weekend trips.

A couple of items for Observers to note. Adrian, our Chief Observer, has published the list for Aardvarks on groups.io, so please try to find your riding buddy and get these booked as soon as possible. The earlier you book, the better the chance of getting the best dates to suit you both. The Observer Weekend is also running again in Llandrindod Wells from the 30th June – 2nd July and booking for this is now available on the TVAM Webshop. An early bird discount is available.

Spring is looking like being really busy for TVAM members so have fun and stay safe everyone.

Barrie Smith
TVAM Chair