Author: Andy Slater

As an Observer you know when your Associates have really ‘graduated’ to become Advanced Riders when they start doing things you haven’t quite got round to. One of mine, who only passed his DVSA test 6 months before passing his IAM Test, has since gone through the California Riding School syllabus and now owns a dedicated track bike – sending back photos from open pit days in sunny Portugal whist we shivered in the rain.

Another is now organising TVAM weekends away and leading runs. It was he who encouraged me to sign up and attend a Biker Down course run by Bucks Fire and Rescue at the Marlow Fire Station a couple of Saturdays ago.

Now I’ve done all sorts of First Aid courses, including Off-shore First Aid for my commercial sailing ticket, which meant I could play with Class C prescription drugs, but the Biker Down morning covered far more than First Aid. Having the skills to be able to step forward and manage a crash scene when others around are possibly in shock can make all the difference to the eventual outcome. Around 40 years ago when I was a new (young) driver I came across a head-on accident between two small cars on a fast A road in a National limit. Both drivers were still in the vehicles and a small crowd of people were mingling around shaking their heads but no-one was tending to the drivers who were both unconscious, very pale and possibly not breathing. Could I have helped? I have to admit back then I didn’t have the confidence to step forward and I sometimes wonder what happened to those involved?

The Biker Down course is not just about motorcycling but is applicable to any road traffic collision and I would like to think I now know how to make the scene safe and how to administer First Aid if required until help arrives.

The course also covers things such as when, and how to, safely remove a crash helmet and how drivers may see us on a bike and which Hi-Vis actually works and why. The courses run all through the summer so I would encourage you to sign-up and learn some new skills. https://bucksfire.gov.uk/roads/biker-down/

There’s a rumour going around that spring is here. The other week when temperatures hit 27 degrees I was hunting around for the airflow jacket and summer gloves which were buried at the back of the cupboard. Whilst I haven’t been able to keep them on with more unsettled weather returning, it reminded me that other riders will be getting their bikes out and fettling them for the first time since last autumn. Just like my summer gear I guess their riding skills may just have got a little buried over the winter and need to be dug out. It may not apply to yourself but be aware of other riders who may be out for their first Sunday ride in six months when they come blasting by. Give them space and take your time to get back up to the pace you had last summer.

The TVAM calendar is beginning to bulge with club activities, plus of course those organised by the local teams. Last year we ran a Slow Riding event, and yes, we’re going to do it again after the St Crispin’s meeting in August. The format will be slightly different from last time. Firstly, we’re not inviting the Wey Valley mob (who embarrassed us all by winning everything last year) and so secondly the courses will be much less ‘It’s a Knockout’ in format and more about developing and demonstrating slow riding skills. Maximum participation is hoped for with £5 off food for those who take their bikes around the course. More details will follow but reserve the afternoon in your diary for some fun in the sun (hopefully).

Whatever your plans this coming season, round-the-world tour or dashes to the coast for breakfast, ride safe and come back smiling.

Who said January and February were the quietest months for bikers? It seems the mild weather has made riding a pleasure on some days and the amount of things going on in the club has meant that both of these winter months have been busy. The AGM and Moto-Jumble in January was swiftly followed by the formation of a working group to analyse the feedback we received from the Membership Survey and local teams have been meeting to discuss some new ideas.

The ten members of the Survey Working Group met for the first time in early
February and had a lively discussion, adopting some great ideas suggested by members as well as coming up with a few ideas of their own. This generated the Membership Survey Report, which is available to download from the website library. Now comes the hardest part: moving from talking about it, to doing it!

The first, and probably most difficult initiative, is to create a ‘Buddy’ system for new club members to not only help them understand the processes around St Crispin’s but to introduce them to a few people to help reduce that daunting feeling many have about coming along after they’ve first joined.

We thought that these ‘Buddies’ would best be Full Members, including those who may have only recently passed their test. We estimate we will need around 50 volunteers to support the system so
this is no small undertaking. Sarah Chandler, Green Team leader, has started to gather names of those willing to be a Buddy and to co-ordinate the process with Peter Brown of pairing up people over the next few months. If you fancy helping a new member by riding to St Crispin’s with them and showing them around for a few meetings please contact Sarah on the GT sign-in desk at St Crispin’s or via email at fullmembers@tvam.org.

The Red Zone, which we established as a meeting place for Associates, will also be developing. Can we move it to be closer to the Meet & Greet Team desk? Would short presentations about Advanced Riding by an Observer or maybe a chat about the new run report form be of interest to Associates? We hope to test these over the coming months.

Slipstream, this wonderful publication, came in for some comment with suggestions it would be even better with more varied content, some of it perhaps more technical. Last month we started the Dealer News page which we hope will continue to advise on the latest offers and events around the TVAM area. This month there’s the first of a series of short articles on the more refined aspects of Advanced Riding. Things you might have forgotten, never knew, or rarely actually do! Slipstream depends on member contributions so if you have some skill or knowledge you want to share let Salli know and get writing.

Demand for track skills days, courses, and trips remains high and we’re trying to address these with additional dates and more trips away. We’re also moving from a first-come, first-served, basis for bookings so we can more fairly balance the allocation of places to Associates and those who haven’t done the course/trip for some time. So no more using LL&R to scrub-in new tyres!

Finally, the Green Team monthly meeting and ride-out on the last Saturday of the month will be changing. Following the survey feedback the GT have decided to try moving their ride around each month. Local Teams will be asked to host a GT monthly run by providing a Run Leader and Back Marker. The start location, time, and destination of the run will be publicised in advance in Slipstream and on the calendar so look out for a GT run near you soon, or choose to ride some different roads by going along to one in a different area. GT runs are open to all Full Members, including Observers.

As usual in TVAM there’s lots going on, lots changing, and the season is only just getting started. So keep reading and ride safe!

The Summer of ’17

How subtle the change in weather is. Through balmy June, July and August we get used to tee-shirts, summer gloves and, if you’re lucky enough, even airflow jackets. Then one day it’s a bit cooler and the long-sleeved shirt goes on, then it’s raining so the waterproof gloves come out and the airflow gets left behind.
Suddenly it’s a colder, misty ride to St Crispin’s and you realise the summer textiles will not be coming out again until next year.

Where did the summer go?

Great rides with great mates. Maybe nights away watching the sun go down with a beer or glass of wine with the buzz of the bike still in your ears as you share that ‘great’ overtake story. Laughter with mates over dinner, maybe in a warm market square in some foreign town. Sharing pics and banter on Facebook with those who aren’t there (to make them jealous? – surely not). The LLR, ABC or Track Skills day where you discovered things about your bike and yourself that you just didn’t think were possible! A Yorkshire foray…

That was the summer of 2017.

And then came 7Ws and Castle Combe……and so it goes on through the Autumn and Winter. TVAM is an all-year round club. Our Autumn seminars are coming up, firstly with Steve Parrish in early November, Austin Vince in late November, the AGM and MotoJumble in January, and so much more.

What, lay-up your bike for Winter? That‘ll be for those fair-weather riders, we’re Advanced Riders and we do it safely, systematically and smoothly – All Year Round. Only with more clothes on.

However, we shouldn’t move on without a big ‘Thank You’ to everyone who contributes to TVAM in offering their time and effort to bring all the things we’ve enjoyed this summer to fruition. The teams that run Look, Lean and Roll; Advanced Braking; Meet and Greet; Motorcycle Maintenance; the Observers and Observer Training Team and all the local Team Leaders who give of their time to keep things moving forward. And of course the Slow Riding competition, Rutland Rally, Team Challenge, 7W’s, Track Skills Days, and the numerous tours abroad.

There’s so much done by so many in such a short time.

Finally, I’d like to welcome both Sarah Chandler and Chris Brownlee who have been co-opted onto the Committee. Sarah as Green Team Leader is keeping us engaged with all the developments taking place in the team, including the new Ride On programme. Chris as Training Team Leader is, by default, Deputy Chief Observer so it’s important he’s involved with all the plans we’re laying for the future.
So have you bought your ticket for the Steve Parrish evening yet?

Andy Slater

Chairman

By tradition, the summer months are the busiest in the riding calendar. Trips to the coast, ferries to far-off places and nights with mates drinking the local produce and eating generally superb food. Well, for Committee members it’s the same, off, away, outta here, not a care in the world, where’s the airstream jacket and sunscreen? Except that means of course doing the monthly committee meeting on Skype from hotel bedrooms, your sister’s study, or just before a business dinner complete with collar and tie. So just what has happened since the AGM in April? Quite a lot really…..

The most eye-catching was probably the Slow Riding event organised by David Jacobi in May. That was a fun day and the first event held at St Crispin’s on a Sunday afternoon. Well done David and all who competed, only next year make sure we don’t let those imposters from Wey Valley leave with the trophies.

The Green Team has just announced the Ride-On scheme, now in trial phase, which will enable any Full Member to continue to develop their riding skills. It’s seen as a real alternative for those who don’t have the time or inclination to be an Observer at this point.

We’ve announced that the price of club membership will drop by £1 for those paying by Direct Debit from November – our new financial year. Alright, it’s only four cups of coffee at St Crispin’s but what else of importance is going down in price just now?

We’ve had our first pass on the young riders Ride-Up scheme, where the club is sponsoring young riders to go through the Advanced Riding Course and take their test. This was our first attempt at putting back some of the club’s assets into helping those who we feel are most vulnerable on the road. We’ve also got a candidate who’s passed cross check, so expect a second pass to be announced soon.

The club is increasingly being asked to speak on motorcycle issues by the media, and we’ve appeared on the BBC South Today programme talking about potholes and twice now on Radio Berkshire.

We’re strengthening our relations with the motorcycle dealers in the area to raise awareness of who we are and what we do. We convinced the IAM to fund the Advanced Riding Course for the head of BMW Maidenhead, and in return they are now including the club’s flyer in every bike sales pack. We’re repeating this approach with independent dealer Hatfields of Crowthorne, who will also be present at St Crispin’s soon.

Chris Brownlee has been developing our relationship with Bucks County Council and their Be a Better Biker events, in conjunction with Bucks Fire & Rescue. The last event led to a request from the Reading Harley Owners Group to run a session just for them. In addition, Chris is coordinating our relationships with Bucks Fire & Rescue, Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue, and with the Metropolitan, Thames Valley and Hampshire Police Forces on the Police BikeSafe schemes.

Our Chief Observer Pat Coneley, the Training Team and numerous Observers have been working hard to qualify as either National or Group Observers. The momentum is really high as we move to the cut-off date at the end of this year for all Observers to be IMI qualified (Institute of the Motor Industry).

And we’ve just doubled the capacity of the very popular Look Lean & Roll course thanks to a new team of trainers.

Finally, we’ve agreed to bring forward the club’s next AGM from April to January. This means it will be only 3 months after the year-end, which is much more timely. It does mean though we’ll need the Team Leaders to produce their annual reports at the end of October so they can be included in the club’s annual report.

So thanks to everyone who’s supporting the club in which ever way you do. Enjoy the sun, the rides, the company, and come back safe.

Andy Slater

Chairman

I’ve been really lucky this last three weeks having been on a road trip around the western region of the USA. From San Francisco to Yosemite National Park, then across to Vegas and back to the coast via parts of historic Routes 66, 1, and 101 to Monterey.

What strikes you when driving in this part of the US are the contrasts. Between roads that could be in Wales with hills on both sides and glorious hairpin bends, to ones that go die-straight to the horizon; temperatures in the hills of 94F that dive to 58F at the coast just 10 miles away (I know, they use old money for temperature); living for a week at 6,000 feet in the high desert which is dead flat, surrounded by snow-capped mountains, then diving to 150 feet below sea level in Death Valley with a luna landscape of salt flats and heat haze.

Some of the roads are a biker’s dream – I remember 50 miles of perfect tarmac up a gradient with a never-ending series of long constant-radius curves going left then right, then left and right, with dreamlike views opening up across valley’s and mountains as we headed into Yosemite.

Then the nightmare of a 230 mile detour as the Tioga pass was closed due to snow and a 103 mile to-the-horizon dead-straight road on Interstate 395. Can you imagine driving the length of Wales without a bend or bump in sight?

Which brings me to Harley-Davidsons. Probably 9 out of 10 bikes we saw on the road were HDs. Now I’ve never really got Harleys before I did this trip. But in their natural environment, where the high street is the width of the M4 and the interstate goes on forever, they really are the machine of choice. Yes, we saw other types – BMW GSs were there in pairs, mainly ridden by guys in grey biker gear packing panniers and that round-the-world steely look. And a few sports bikers in leathers out for a ride in the hills before brunch. But when it came to rolling up to the Union Hotel, parking your ride and grabbing that cool beer, the mount of choice was most definitely the Harley.

Wherever you’re off to this summer, on whatever kind of bike, enjoy the ride and the companionship of your mates.

Be Safe

Andy Slater

Chairman

Well, I guess it wasn’t really a surprise that I found myself appointed Chairman at the end of the AGM last month. My past year as Vice-Chair supporting David Jacobi opened my eyes to all the great work that goes on within TVAM, and yet there still seems to be lots to do. The club is always moving forward and evolving, which is how we keep it fresh and interesting. 

I’m keen this year for the club to give more back to Full Members. They make up the largest single group within the club and, whilst ensuring that there is plenty for this group to engage in, that there is also help to retain and improve advanced riding skills beyond social runs. Sarah Chandler is taking over the Green Team and she has some great ideas for things she wants to introduce and I’m sure we’ll hear more from her soon.

One of the few things I expected within a couple of hours of becoming Chairman was to receive a letter of complaint from a member of the public about the riding standards displayed by one of our social rides. He’d been passed by 8 or 9 TVAM bikers who were apparently overtaking on blind bends and crests in the road. Not something he thought we should be doing as an Advanced Group.  And, yes, it was a TVAM run as the back marker was wearing a TVAM vest!

Having spoken with the run leader and knowing a number of the people on that particular ride I was somewhat surprised as none of them ride recklessly or unsafely, indeed the opposite could be said. What we determined was the particular road in question is undulating and has low hedges and banks down the sides. The height of adventure-style bikes gives a view from the saddle that is very different from that of the average car. Indeed, combined with the performance these bikes now have, an advanced rider could have the view and have completed a safe overtake before the car driver has even got a view of the road ahead. What we seem to have is a case of perception; that what was happening appeared to be unsafe, probably heightened by 8 or 9 bikes all roaring past with little separation.

The lesson here is probably that what is safe and perfectly normal for us on our high performance and, possibly loud bikes, can be perceived to be aggressive and unsafe by other road users. Our aim is to make progress without inconveniencing or upsetting other road users. Perhaps we need to have in mind how others might perceive our riding as we wind our way through traffic as a group on our next social run. Let’s be proud to be TVAM!

Enjoy the ride, be safe.

Andy Slater

Chairman