Tag: chair

Welcome to 2021 and let’s hope we get more riding in during the coming season than we did last year!

Despite Brexit and COVID I’m personally looking forward to trips abroad, even if it’s only to Scotland… more seriously, I’m hopeful that after we’ve all been jabbed the government will allow us to re-start our monthly meetings at St. Crispin’s and all of those wonderful TVAM activities will feature again in the Club’s calendar. Whilst preparing for the AGM our Chief Observer pulled together a list of all the training activities we as a Club undertake and the list was daunting. In a normal year our volunteer coaches deliver around 11,500 hours of training for members. Around 5,500 hours of that is via club courses developed by members, such as Look, Lean and Roll, Advanced Bike Control courses, weekends away (remember 7Ws and 3Rs?) and Skills Days at Castle Combe. Roll on a COVID-free summer.

This will be my last ‘From the Chair’ piece as, after five years on the Committee, the last four as Chair, I’m stepping down. By the time you receive this copy of Slipstream we will have elected a new Chair and Treasurer and I offer both of them my congratulations and support.

The past five years have seen the Club membership grow by just under 20%, we undertook two membership surveys where a third of members participated which gave the Committee guidance on things that needed to be developed. As a result we created the Red Badge Zone to support Associates, started the RideUP sponsorship scheme for young riders, and held the annual MotoJumble on the day of the AGM. Hopefully, this will be a feature again next January. During this time lots of technical work has also been undertaken by the Committee which often goes unseen, including compliance with GDPR regulations, European Package Tour Directive, FRS102 financial reporting, and consolidation of our Charitable status and aims. My thanks to everyone involved with these complex matters and also the writing of the necessary policies to support them.

The past year has given us further opportunities for change. Whilst Committee meetings on Microsoft Teams can never replace face-to-face discussions, Zoom conferencing has allowed the Team Leaders to meet almost monthly during the various lockdowns. This created a forum for discussion and innovation as ideas were shared on how to keep the club active, including Observer swaps for Associates, how to manage bookings for social rides and tips on holding virtual team meetings. 

The restriction of only six on social rides has been an eye opener with many participants actually preferring smaller runs. As run leaders know who is attending they have been able to plan suitable routes and stopping places. Certainly six bikers arriving at a café causes less hassle than 26, and everyone gets served quickly so the ride can continue. I guess we may see some social rides continue to be offered with limited numbers going forward.

We’ve also seen a huge move towards online during the past year. With this in mind we developed the ‘Free Taster Ride’ offer on our website and open Facebook page following on from the Father’s Day offer. This is proving to be a popular way of attracting new members and has been a replacement for our St Crispin’s ‘Fluffy’ rides. Many thanks to the Observers who support these Taster Rides. It was with this in mind that the Committee approved the investment in a new club website. After 10 years it was time to refresh our online presence and hopefully you’ll approve of the new site due to launch this month. Read the article on the project on page 15. We’ve also just launched the popular BikeCraft course online with six online events over the coming weeks (see below). Thanks to the team for this development and I encourage members (especially Associates) to register for these highly informative sessions.

So all the very best for 2021 – keep the shiny side up and ride safe.

Andy Slater

(retiring) Chairman

For some, November signals the last few weeks of the biking season.  However, putting the clocks back at the end of October means that those early runs down to the coast for a Full English can continue to set off reasonably early but it won’t be long before even they become ‘Brunch’ rather than ‘Breakfast’ runs.

Many of us of course will continue to ride right through the winter and I’m sure it won’t be long before we start seeing questions about the merits of using ACF-50 or Scottoiler FS 365 posed in the All-Members message area. Riding in cold weather means taking a few extra precautions for yourself though. Clearly the summer airflow jacket and pants are no longer going to be the best option as an outer layer. Retaining body heat becomes vital to ensure you stay alert when riding, so heavy textiles with thermal layers underneath seem a better option. Just ensure you’ve still got good movement with all the warm kit on so you can actually ride the bike safely.

The other big change you’ll notice is the reduction in tyre grip as the temperature drops and road surfaces become less grippy. Tyres don’t warm up the same in winter so are less ‘sticky’ and wet or salt-treated roads, let alone any ice that might be about, means you probably won’t be troubling the edges of your tyres over the next few months – unless you’re very brave.

Light levels may also be lower under heavy skies and you may find yourself riding in the dark so make doubly sure all your lights are working and are clean and bright. Bikes are often lost in the confusion of headlights on busy roads at night so give other road users extra time to see you, and for you to take avoiding action if necessary.

However, riding during the winter can be rewarding on those bright sunny clear days when you can see for miles, the coffee and burger taste so much better at the halfway stop, and you get to spend time with your mates. All valuable things for your mental health in these difficult lockdown days.

Of course, many will choose to lay-up their bike for these colder months. There are multiple guides on the best ways to do this as simply throwing a cover over it after the last autumn ride and then expecting it to come out all clean and shiny next spring is probably being a bit optimistic. Look out for a guide to laying-up your bike in Slipstream next month.

As a Club we continue to be active at all levels despite not being able to meet as a Club. The Local Teams are doing a great job organising social runs on a regular basis and also Observer swaps for Associates. We’re also having a rush of test passes as Associates complete the Advanced Rider Course. Chris Brownlee is making test pass announcements on the St Crispin’s Zoom call each month. Last month he announced 6 test passes, 1 Masters and 4 Observer validations. Also we had 131 riders participate on 24 social runs that were reported using the Social Run form on the website.

Finally, after five years on the TVAM Committee, the last four as Chairman, it’s time for me to step down at January’s AGM. This of course is only possible if there’s a volunteer willing to take up the reins of Chair so I’m pleased that we already have a member who’s stepped forward agreeing to be nominated. If anyone else feels they would like to consider the role do please feel free to contact me at chairman@tvam.org for some background to what’s involved.

Keep safe in these difficult times

Andy Slater
Chairman

Hi everyone

This year has probably been the most challenging for the Club since our foundation 22 years ago. The Spring of 2020 started almost immediately with a lockdown of all riding activities for three months and since then we’ve been restricted to gatherings of 6 riders. And of course we’ve not been able to hold our monthly St Crispin’s meetings.

But TVAM’s Members are not easily restrained or held back – after all we’re bikers!

In the past two months lots of Club activities have been underway and I thought I would share a few numbers to reassure you that we’re still a very active and thriving Club, despite everything going on around us.

During July and up until the 25th August there were 206 Observed runs with Associates, 31 Cross Checks, 28 IAM tests, 4 National Observer validations, and 28 Trainee Observer runs.

In the same period there were 75 social run reports submitted with a total of 430 riders recorded as participating. I’m sure there were quite a few other social rides organised in addition and I know of members travelling further afield for weekends away around the UK with partners or small groups to comply with the social guidelines.

Membership has also been busy with 32 new members joining the Club during the past two months. A few are returning to biking as a means of getting to work rather than using public transport and want some coaching. The Club currently has a healthy total of 1,052 members.

We are also getting an increasing number of requests for ‘Introductory Rides’ from prospective members. This follows up on the Father’s Day voucher scheme and replicates what we normally offer at St Crispin’s. If you know of a mate who’s interested in joining but hesitating to take the next step get them to contact membership@tvam.org to request a free ride-out with an Observer.

So, if by any chance you’ve been sitting home-alone wondering if TVAM membership is really worthwhile, get onto the Club’s groups.io pages and ping your Local Team to see what’s going on. If you’re an Associate phone/email/badger your Observer and get them to take you out on another run. If you’re a Full Member why not organise a social run of your own and take 5 mates out to your favourite café via those roads you love. It’s the best way to ensure you’re on the run!

Team Leaders will help you organise the run registration process. Just email them (email addresses at the back of Slipstream) or ask your local team online how to do this and help will be forthcoming. What we’ve seen is that these smaller runs are very popular with members who’ve not led runs before and the participants. Knowing the run is restricted to 6 riders makes life as a run leader so much easier as you don’t have to book stops/cafes ahead but just turn up as most can handle 6 customers at a time. Just remember to complete a Social Run Report when you get back (www.tvam.org/social-run-report).

And if you are missing the St Crispin’s banter and announcements then join the St Crispin’s Zoom call on Sunday morning. Everyone is welcome and it’s another chance to ask questions and find out what’s going on.

Happy riding…..

Andy Slater
Chairman

What does the ‘New Normal’ look like as lockdown restrictions are relaxed? Well, as a biker you’d think our PPE means we’re already pretty well protected. What virus can fly at 70mph to catch you then penetrate a full face helmet with visor, gloves and leathers? However, I guess it’s the same old story, it’s the stopping which can hurt.

The new rules mean we can now have lots of social runs with up to six riders present – that’s people not bikes, so a bike with a pillion counts as two. Of course if two households get together there could be more on a run but I don’t know of many households with three bikers in them – mind you their garage would be interesting….

So we can do Observed Rides, with a Trainee Observer involved too, as that only makes three. Cafe’s now being open means we can start to frequent the stopping places we all know and love, which is when the ‘new normal’ catches up with us. Social distancing still applies. 1m Plus really means 2m if possible, so maybe stay outside to drink the coffee and anyway as an Associate you don’t want your debrief in front of an audience listening-in as the music has now been turned down low.

When at the petrol station keep your gloves on when using the pumps. If you haven’t tried the payment Apps that Shell, BP, and others have launched, now might be a good time to try them. It means you don’t have to go in to pay, wait in a queue behind someone who has also done their weekly shop, be tempted by chocolate bars, to then shout loudly at the grumpy man behind the plastic screen who’s operating the till whilst you still have your earplugs in and helmet on. You can just ride off knowing the payment has been authorised by those little men in the Cloud.

As we can’t, as yet, hold a St Crispin’s with 200+ bikers present, or run any of our courses it means most of the social activities of the Club are being organised by local teams. This is a real opportunity for you to get involved with your local team if you haven’t already. Apply to join any of the local team’s groups.io areas to find out what’s being organised.

With social runs being much smaller it might be more the size of group you’re happier riding with. Most of the social runs are using the Buddy System to keep the run together so the complexity of the Marker System isn’t there if you were at all concerned about being ‘dropped’ as a marker and sending everyone the wrong way – much to the annoyance of the Back Marker. There are many anecdotes of runs being ‘fragmented’ (substitute a stronger word of your choice) by a well-meaning marker. All that disappears with the Buddy System, though I guess someone will still get it wrong by forgetting to wait until the next rider is in view at some junction….

Hotels are starting to open and even the possibility of going onto the continent, which means that bike tours with a couple of mates might be on after all. Fire up the Sat Nav…..

Observers will know that for Father’s Day this year we ran a special offer of a Free Observed Ride with TVAM for anyone who applied. With St Crispin’s not being held for several months we were keen to raise the Club’s profile and possibly recruit some new members along the way. The offer was pushed out on social media and we had 13 riders apply. The nominated Observers are in the process of arranging the rides and so far around half are joining up. Added to the steady flow of people who are joining via the website, we’ve gained over 20 new members in June, with a week still to go.

So there’s lots going on in the Club even if you may have to look a bit deeper at the moment to find it. But most importantly, stay safe and I hope to see you all soon.

Andy Slater
Chairman

In the March edition of Slipstream I wrote “It’s always dangerous, …to look forward to the start of the new riding season. The daffodils may be out but last year we had the ‘Beast from The East’ in March and we all sat in St Crispin’s that month watching the snow come down.”

And so it has proved to be again this year. Another ‘Beast from the East’ has descended upon us. This time we can’t see it but its effects have been much more deadly with a huge impact particularly on Club Members who work in the NHS, Care Homes, supermarkets, or any of the front-line jobs that keep our society running. On behalf of all TVAM Members can I say ‘Thank You’ to all of you.

Thanks also to every Member who has resisted the strong urge we’ve all had at some point to go for a quick blast. A chance happening with another road user through no fault of your own could tie up the emergency services for hours when they really do have better things to be doing just now.

It was of course with great sadness that we heard that Club President Sir Stirling Moss had passed away over Easter. He was more closely involved with the Club in its early years but remained a figurehead for the Club throughout the time of his association and he will be a difficult act to follow. There’s a lovely tribute written by the editor on page 20. Needless to say the Committee has discussed who could be a successor and I hope to be able to report progress over the coming months.

So just what do you do when the sun’s out yet you can’t ride your bike?

Well, having read Nick Tasker’s article last month and being a BMW rider who, having bought new, has now gone through 26k miles I thought I’d better have a go at some unusual & infrequent maintenance. The bike’s been around Europe two or three times, does 5 or 6 IAM Skills Days at Thruxton each season and is ridden all-year round, so it’s definitely not been a ‘Sunday afternoon’ bike.

So off came the rear suspension linkages to see if they were worn or just needed a bit of TLC.  After all Nick was concerned that long-term reliability isn’t always a priority for the original manufacturer so I was expecting to find a few bits that would be seized or gasping for a drink of grease.

Thankfully all the bolts came undone, though they have high torque values so well-fitting quality tools are a must. There were no signs of corrosion as all the parts are alloy, plated or stainless steel, which is hopefully a good sign. The seals of the four separate bearings that make up the linkage mechanism were all covered externally with a combination of dried chain lubricant, presumably flung off the chain (yes XR’s still have those) and road dirt. Sitting above the exhaust they must get a little warm. However they all cleaned up with a bit of white spirit and were in good condition. It was then possible to disassemble and inspect the bearings themselves.

The shafts showed a little sign of wear but none were pitted, scored or worn through the case hardening. The needle-bearings were unworn but in need of some fresh lubricant. After this the re-assemble was quite straightforward (once you’d remembered which way round the three-way alloy casting went) then it was just a matter of torquing up those bolts – after all one of those coming out at speed would be interesting…

And whilst I was down there I found I was missing a circlip off the near-side footpeg pin. That would have been another interesting part to lose on the motorway…

I would therefore encourage you to take this time of lock-down to take a longer look at your bike. Which bits haven’t you really looked at since you bought it? Mine was a morning well spent.

Andy Slater
Chairman

It’s always dangerous, when writing for the March Slipstream edition, to look forward to the start of the new riding season. The daffodils may be out but last year we had the ‘Beast From The East’ in March and we all sat in St Crispin’s that month watching the snow come down. Still one brave rider made it in on a mini bike!

So I won’t go on about the weather warming up and for many riders that will mean wheeling out their trusty steed after a winter in the garage or under a tarp. Of course there’s no need to mention the POWDDERSS checks that they will all be carrying out before blasting off on that first run down the lanes, as being Advanced Riders they will be conscious their own skills will have gone off a little – just like the pressure in those tyres. So take it easy, warm up yourself, and stay safe, there’s a whole season of riding to come.

What I will write about though is a dusty corner of the TVAM online filing system which can be found on groups.io/allmembers/files/database. This is where the cafe database can be found with a list of cafes and lunch stops which are biker friendly. There’s even a map so you can use them to plan a route, or just pop over with a mate to check them out.

There’s a few missing, such as Saddleback Farm Shop Cafe just south of Wantage on the B4494 which has become popular with members over the past few years. A great farm shop serving bacon sarnies and a selection of lunches with great views over the Wantage Downs but often missed by bikers blasting down that wonderful road. Also new ones have opened, for example the Rosebourne Garden Centre Cafe at Aldermaston, which has a great selection of drinks and cakes with easy parking.

Probably my favourite though is The Pantry at Yattendon. Frequently passed by those using the lovely B4009 road out from Newbury towards Reading via Hermitage. Yattendon is that slow bit as you ride through the narrow village but why not stop and have a break? Parking is a bit tight outside the village shop but the homemade cakes are to die for and you can sit outside in a little garden enjoying the sun whilst they prepare your drinks. The database needs your input. If you know of a great little place that welcomes bikers, that isn’t in the database yet, let others know about it by emailing Keith Miller at cafedatabase@tvam.org giving details and he will enter it into the database for you.

So on the promise the weather is going to be great this season – get out and try some new stopping places with a few mates.

Keep the shiny side up.

Andy Slater
Chairman

Happy New Year everyone

As I sit here writing this just before Christmas it’s tempting to look forward to the New Year and riding season with some excitement. The short, grey, wet days will be banished along with the Winter gloves and thermals. Already I’m hearing of trips being planned for the summer, some to favourite haunts on the continent, usually involving mountain passes, others to those wonderful roads in countries within the UK (which still includes Scotland!). Some brave souls are even considering much more adventurous journeys to Asia riding hired Royal Enfields. Sounds more like Top Gear or The Grand Tour than TVAM but I look forward to seeing all the photos.

For many though the challenge of passing the Advanced Test will be focusing the mind for 2020. Getting those Observed rides in with good marks on the run report form. The Cross Check then the Test itself. On the way the popular Look, Lean and Roll and Advanced Bike Control courses will build skills and confidence, as will an occasional Track Skills Day. As always our Observers are here to help, as will many other members willing to share their expertise. The Club remains a centre of excellence in the training we offer and it’s the many volunteers who make all this possible.

Whatever your personal riding goals are for the coming year I hope you’re successful in achieving them and most importantly have loads of fun in getting there. Along the way you’re sure to meet new people and make lots of new friends.

New Year is also a time to reflect on the past year. The Club’s annual report is now available from the groups.io/allmembers files. There are many highlights covered in the various reports and I would encourage you to take a dip into the file to read about what’s going on in your Local Team and the Club in general. I can’t encourage you enough to get involved with your Local Team to get the most out of your membership.

2019 was the seventh successive year of membership growth with 1,063 members registered at the year-end and we also recorded the Club’s 2,600th Test pass in October. We remain by far the largest IAM RoadSmart Group which enables us to run courses and events other Groups are unable to resource. We also ran the RideUP Scheme for young riders where we sponsor possibly the most vulnerable group of riders through to their Test and on to a Track Skills Day. We’ve now had 31 Associates on the scheme meaning that as a road safety charity TVAM is demonstrating we are delivering on our aims, and hopefully making it fun at the same time.

Finally, it’s unusual for the Chairman not to attend an AGM but unfortunately the NHS has decided that it wants to perform open heart surgery on me three days before our meeting this month. I know it’s a poor excuse, but assuming it’s not cancelled in the meantime, I’ve offered my apologies for not attending to the Secretary and he and Chris will I’m sure run the meeting perfectly. I hope to be back at St Crispin’s in February, though probably not on the bike!

See you in 2020

Andy Slater
Chairman

I’ve just got back from the last IAM Track Skills Day of the year which was held at Thruxton. It was a great day with most of the riders present being TVAM members taking the opportunity to brush-up their cornering skills on the lovely flowing, grippy track and to explore parts of their tyres not normally in contact with tarmac.

This was the first year I’ve instructed for these events throughout the season, meaning I saw around 450 riders go through the process from track familiarisation to independent riding under supervision over the 6 sessions on track. With a focus on accuracy and smoothness the progression of exercises encourages riders to experiment with braking harder than you would on the road, just to see how quickly our bikes can slow, to maintaining positive throttle through corners and accelerating away. The day isn’t about speed but smiles – and there was lots of those around yesterday despite rain in the afternoon sessions.

Demand for these special skills days has been growing over the past few years as the IAM recognises there is a demand for events using the safe environment of a race track but which aren’t out-and-out track days with screaming 600’s and 1 litre bikes ridden by power-ranger clad racers going for a lap time. Dates are already being negotiated with circuits for 2020 and these will go on sale from the first day of Motorcycle Live 2019 in Birmingham on 16th November. Whilst we will continue to organise our own TVAM days at Castle Combe if you want to ride Thruxton you will need to book these early through IAM RoadSmart as the track’s owners will only deal with them. As more details become available we’ll push a note out on the ‘all-members’ Club groups.io forum.

Just occasionally one of our number distinguishes themselves through quiet perseverance and by ‘just getting on with the job’ of training riders to be safer on our busy roads. Every month we recognise our Observers who have successfully guided another Associate through their Advanced Test. One of our Observers though has now decided it’s time to hang up his gold badge having moved to Poole and bought a boat. With 48 test passes and having been an active club member for many years (decades) quite a few know Colin Wheeler for his sense of humour, fun, and healthy scepticism for bureaucracy. I understand Colin will be at St Crispin’s this Sunday and I’m sure we will all want to wish him well for the future.

Andy Slater
Chairman

One of the most rewarding moments of being an Observer is when, at the end of a ride, your Associate pulls off their helmet, there’s a broad grin on their face, probably followed by, “Wow, I had no idea you could do that!” or something similar. It’s known as the  light bulb moment’. I had such a moment with a new Associate a couple of weeks ago and I know he’s still smiling as we’ve just done a second run together this morning. An already seasoned rider, joining TVAM has opened a window to a world he just didn’t know existed and I’m enjoying showing him around. If you’d like to become a Club Observer see the Training Team at St Crispin’s and see how much fun you could bring to other members wanting to achieve Advanced Test standard.

Across the Club members are always learning new skills, especially with the summer we’re having. Even crusty old Observers can discover a new way of explaining something that suddenly opens up an aspect of biking for an Associate, or a member discovers a few more degrees of lean at Castle Combe or Thruxton on a track skills day that they’ve never experienced before. It’s what makes our sport challenging but also possibly the best fun you can have in leather. Bring it on.

At the same time many members are off exploring new lands, new roads, mountain passes, cols and cafés. Facebook photos of groups waiting at the ferry or channel tunnel terminals make us all slightly envious – I know – that’s exactly why you posted it! But by the time you read this we’ll have posted our own photos from the David Jacobi Müllenborn trip which I’m impatiently looking forward to. The bike’s got new brake pads, fluid, and rubber, and I’ve even booked the service for when I get back as an oil change will be due within a few hundred miles. I’m packing the top box as I write this….

So here’s another edition of Slipstream. As members we’re probably pretty used to a copy plopping through the letterbox a few days before each St Crispin’s. However it’s only when you speak to some new members do you realise just how good this monthly journal is. Some IAM Groups only get a newsletter every other month, or even quarterly, but each month Salli and her team pull together this little gem, packed with details about what’s going on in the Club, reports of members trips, bike show reports, and riding tips. I’d like on behalf of all of us members to say a big ‘Thank You’ to Salli and everyone else who contributes articles. Please keep them coming…..

Enjoy the summer, keep safe

Andy Slater
Chairman