Tag: chief observer

As has been the tradition for many years, we held the TVAM Observer Weekend in Llandrindod Wells recently. This weekend, held annually, is aimed at providing TVAM Observers with an opportunity to work on their observing and riding skills, catch up with the latest from the IAM and to share ideas.

The weekend is open to all TVAM Observers and Trainee Observers (TObs), and this year 40 of us enjoyed a weekend of glorious weather and the great roads that are such a feature of the mid-Wales location. One of several topics under discussion this year was the requirement for all IAM Observers to hold a professional qualification by January 2018. This is awarded at either Local Observer or National Observer level and involves an observing and riding assessment carried out by an IAM Regional Quality Manager for the National or a TVAM Assessor for the Local.

The standards set by the IAM for the National is higher than that of the Local but within TVAM we have taken the decision to only adopt the higher National Standard. We had anticipated that most TVAM Observers will choose to aim for the National and this seems to be the case. Currently we have 22 National Observers and several more in preparation, and for those electing to go the Local route we have a revised Local Observer Cross Check process so, with over 100 Observers in TVAM, we have lots to do!

In our role as Observers, one of the most valuable tools we have is the demonstration ride, whether this is a progressive run in the NSL’s or just picking our way through the traffic at 3mph, whenever an associate sees us ride it is, in effect, a demo ride. In the coaching world this is called modelling, and is how we all learned to walk and talk.

For this reason I have tried to increase the emphasis of the Observer Weekend on riding standards, and our openness to receiving feedback from each other. This year we all played the role of IAM Examiners conducting a National Observer assessment on another Observer with an IAM scoring sheet. The results of this exercise were collated and reviewed as part of a session titled Giving Bad News.

The next time you are feeling a little anxious with an Observer behind you watching every move, just remember, we know what if feels like.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved in making the weekend a success, especially Simon Whatley who co-ordinated the bookings, the TVAM Training Team and the team leaders, Nick Caiger-Smith, Graham Knight, David Robinson, Pete Dalgliesh and Dave Parsons.

Safe Riding!

 

Pat Coneley

Chief Observer

What do other road users think of us?

I was riding into London on the M4 on a weekday recently. I had joined the Motorway at J11 and by J9 the traffic was slowing as a result of a lane closure. Anticipating that this was going all the way to the M25 I settled into some filtering practice between lanes 2 and 3. Not being a regular commuter I tend to keep the speed well down when filtering on the basis that it hurts a lot less if it goes wrong. After a mile or so I spotted the single headlight of another bike behind me and started looking for a gap to slot into and let them pass.

As the rider, a courier on a well-used 1200 Bandit, passed me he stuck a leg out in a ‘thank you’ salute and went on his way. From my perspective this was a courteous, skilful example of a professional rider earning his living on a motorcycle, I wonder what the drivers around us thought?

The reason I pose the question is that from my experience of delivering Driver Awareness Workshops, the majority of drivers we share the road with have little idea of why we choose to ride motorcycles and many also believe that filtering on a motorway is illegal. This lack of knowledge is not helped by the fact that there is no compulsory motorway training in the UK. Annual statistics from the DfT show that motorcycles are around 1% of the total UK traffic, but we are grossly over represented at 19% of the fatalities. Because we are such a minority, most drivers do not expect us and therefore are not looking for us. Hence the high number of SMIDSY (Sorry Mate I Didn’t See You) incidents.

What can we do about this? Advanced riding standards help to mitigate the risks, but only if they are    applied consistently, which is why it is so important that we strive to ride to the best of our ability at all times.

Sadly, this is not always the case even on TVAM social rides, where a very small minority sometimes allow enthusiasm to overcome judgement causing concerns for their own and others’ safety. In the driver training world there is an acronym that could be applied here called SLAP:

Is it Safe?

Is it Legal?

Will it Achieve anything worthwhile?

How is it Perceived by those watching?

If the overtake, or any other manoeuvre that we are planning, does not pass the SLAP test, then perhaps we shouldn’t be doing it. Please ensure that TVAM social rides are a safe, welcoming environment for all levels of ability.

On a much more cheery note, if you have not read the Spring edition of the IAM Advanced Driving magazine take a look at the piece by Tony Paz on commuting – well done Tony.

 

Pat Coneley

Chief Observer

It may not feel like it today, but Spring is just around the corner and the green shoots of a new biking year are appearing in the TVAM Calendar. Now is the time to plan that trip to the Alps or the Isle of Man for the TT Races. The hugely popular 7Ws is oversubscribed again with almost 100 members wishing to attend, so if you are one of the unlucky ones who didn’t get a place, remember that there will be another 7Ws in the Autumn.

On a personal note, Amanda and I have just returned from a week in Gran Canaria, biking with Canary Motorcycle Tours. Gran Canaria may be a small island but it has some fabulously twisty mountain roads and January temperatures in the mid-twenties. If this appeals to you, check out their website or see me for details, www.canarymotorcycletours.com

It hasn’t been all holidays however, the Training Team ran another successful Core Skills Days recently, where potential Trainee Observers attended a full day’s training to gain an insight into the skills needed to qualify as a TVAM Local Observer before taking their 1st Assessment with one of TVAM’s eight Assessors. Following the 1st Assessment they will be awarded a yellow TOb badge and start their live training under the watchful eye of their Mentor. We are now 12 months into the new TOb training process with 9 new Observers now qualified as IMI Local Observers, and the feedback from all those involved is excellent.

We are also preparing for the Observer Training Day on the 27th February with 90 Observers signed up so far.

The Green Team have also been busy refreshing the Social Run Course which has been rebranded as Group Riding Skills. Previously only open to Full Members, this course is now available to Associates providing they have the approval of their Observer. With both classroom and on-road content over a full day which will include Run Leading and Back Marking, it is hoped that more members will offer to lead a social run.

Leading or Back Marking a social run can be very rewarding and as with most things, the success lies in the preparation, so if you are a Full Member and would like to know more please speak to the Green Team Desk at St. Crispin’s or look in Slipstream.

It is becoming a tradition in this column to highlight one of the many who contribute to making TVAM successful and this month I would like to give a mention to our editor Salli Griffith who somehow manages to pull Slipstream together from wherever she is in the world.

Safe Riding!

 

Pat Coneley

Chief Observer

This will be my last column for 2015 and where has the year gone? You may have noticed that the clocks have changed, suddenly it is winter with dark evenings and wet roads covered in leaf litter, as was the case when I conducted a Local Observer Assessment (LOA) for Heather Smith recently. I am delighted to report that Heather not only passed as competent, she produced such a spirited demo ride in awful conditions that on one particular set of bends I was having so much fun I forgot I was doing an Assessment. I am sure there is an IAM ruling about that somewhere…

I am pleased too to report that Jim Bates also successfully completed his LOA with Richard Tickner recently so that will be two new Gold Badges for the Training Team to present soon. I would also like to give a mention to the two Green Team Support riders involved, they were Tony Paz and Andrew Wightman. Having a “real” Associate on an assessment ride is such an asset in that it means the Observer being assessed has some consistent and genuine riding behaviour to observe as opposed to inconsistent, artificial riding as was the case when we used to “stooge” the Associate role.

If you are a Green Team member and looking to do something a bit different or even considering becoming an Observer, this is a great way of keeping your riding  up to standard and even having some  fun!

As a counter to all this excitement Mimi and I recently attended the IAM Conference at Aston University. This is held every October over a weekend, with the car groups on Saturday and bikes on Sunday. The IAM do seem to be raising their game with the appointment of Sarah Sillars as CEO and Ken Kier as Chairman and a much higher media profile.

Sarah who has a long history in the automotive and bike industry speaks with refreshing honesty about the challenges facing the IAM.

She also gave a talk recently at Wey Valley IAM which was very well received so perhaps we should consider this for next year.

Once the presentation slides from the conference are released I will post them on the TVAM website where they can be downloaded. A couple of notable statistics from the conference were that the ratio of IAM bike membership is 20% compared with 80% car and that IAM total membership is increasing and is currently at 92,500 members. TVAM are about 1% of the IAM and the largest group. Another statistic which will come as no surprise is that the average age of membership is 56.

On a very different topic, have you ever wondered what happens to the yellow copy of a TVAM Run Report Form? Probably not but they are all keyed into the TVAM database and the person who enters every single one is Greg Ward’s Mum. If you don’t know Greg, he looks after our Lotus Notes database and the server that it is held on and I recently discovered that his Mum, Vickie, is TVAM’s data entry person. Vickie must have keyed thousands of these over the years so I think a big thank you is in order. I did ask Greg if she would come to St. Crispin’s but Greg feels that it is not her cup of tea so I’ll be visiting her with a bunch of flowers sometime soon. There is a message here to all Observers and Trainee Observers. When you are filling in RRF please give a thought to Greg’s Mum who will eventually have to read it.

Before I sign off for the year I would like a add a heartfelt, personal thanks to all the Observers, Training Team, Committee, Green Team and all who give so freely of their time, tyres and fuel to make this such a great bike club.

Safe Riding

Pat Coneley

Chief Observer

Firstly this month, my congratulations go to Clive Marsden and Chris Brownlee, Clive achieved a Masters Pass with Jon Taylor the IAM Staff Examiner and Chris was awarded National Observer status with Craig Gande the new IAM Quality Manager for this region. I look forward to handing these awards out at the next St. Crispin’s so a big cheer please. The IAM Masters award is designed to be the equivalent of a Police Class 1 Standard but at road legal speeds. If you are interested in finding out more have a chat with Clive or Andy Wedge, our two current Masters, or see the IAM website.

You may have noticed at St. Crispin’s recently an increase in the number of newcomers turning up to see what TVAM has to offer. Some of these will have been referred to us from the IAM’s BikeMoments promotion. They will have responded to the IAM’s marketing and their details forwarded to us. As you probably know, most of our membership comes direct to us so it is nice to see the IAM promoting TVAM.

On the subject of newcomers I would also like to highlight the great job done by our Meet and Greet Team. The first visit to St. Crispin’s can be a daunting experience. Newcomers are often surprised by the sheer number of bikes and people who all seem to know each other, let alone the thought of having their riding assessed by one of those scary Observers! Having someone in a red t-shirt or a ‘Friendly Face’ say hello and tell them what we are all about can make or break a newcomer’s first opinion of TVAM and we all know the importance of first impressions! So well done.

My thanks also to Simon Whatley for responding to an invitation from the VMCC (Vintage Motorcycle Club) to visit them at their local meeting and conduct some observed rides. As a result seven of us met at the Englefield Social Club on a damp Tuesday evening and after some brief introductions in the car park I found myself chasing a very sprightly octogenarian on a seventies Honda twin across the Oxfordshire countryside. I had expected to see a range of old British iron but the majority of the bikes present were early Japanese and how nice it was to see them being used as they were intended. It gave me reason to reflect on how much power we really need as I watched an experienced rider on an old 400cc Honda with maybe 30bhp and skinny tyres executing well-timed overtakes on full throttle. It just goes to show as we always say “It’s not what you ride, it’s how you ride it”. The VMCC guys seemed to enjoy the ride-outs and have asked us back next year so maybe an opportunity to drag that classic out from the back of the garage next year?

Finally this month, on behalf of the Committee, I would like to welcome Mimi Carter Jonas to the post of Events Co-ordinator. Mimi brings a wealth of ideas and
enthusiasm to the Committee so watch this space on the social side of TVAM.

Safe Riding

Pat Coneley
Chief Observer

Hi everyone,

I would like to start this month with a big thank you to all for dealing with the number of newcomers and Associates wanting an Observed ride at Crispin’s last month. This, again, fell on Father’s Day. which always presents us with a challenge and this year was no exception. I think most of the available Observers, including myself, managed to accommodate two Associates, but apologies go to the few who did not get an Observed ride.

Much of this was written whilst on holiday in France with twelve other TVAM friends enjoying the roads and hospitality that are typical of rural France. The time away gave me an opportunity to reflect on how the biking scene has changed. Of the 13 bikes on the trip only 2 were Japanese. All the rest were European and the UK was well represented with 4 Triumphs – 3 Explorers and a Sprint present. A few years ago it would have been all Fireblades and GSX-R’s. Have we all fallen out love with sports bikes or can some of us no longer fit on them? I think it is likely that more of us are touring these days and need the luggage capacity.

If you have never taken your bike abroad then do consider joining one of the trips advertised in Slipstream but, be warned, it can become expensively addictive!

The contrast with riding in the UK is also noticeable with most French drivers seeming to be more bike aware, often moving over to the extent that they will place two wheels in the grass in their haste to let us pass. Occasionally this happens in the most inappropriate places such as on blind bends and the drivers involved seem surprised when we don’t take the opportunity to overtake!

On the subject of overtakes, the scarcity of traffic on most French roads did tempt me to start overtaking from too far behind. It is important not to make the overtake decision until you have caught up with the target vehicle, assessed its speed, along with all the other information about the road ahead before moving into an overtake position.

I was reminded of this when I had to abort an overtake at the last second, giving the ABS more exercise than I would have liked. This was simply because I had been drawn in to the overtake as soon as I saw the vehicle. I was reminded of the sage advice on 3-stage overtakes offered on page 74 of ‘How to be a Better Rider’. The Police BikeSafe trainers also have a catchy expression for 3-stage overtakes which is self-explanatory. They call it, Catch, Match and Dispatch.

With great weather and the biking season in full swing the DfT Road Casualty Statistics for 2014 were released last month showing an increase in fatalities of 4% (1775) compared with 2013.

Motorcyclists made up 19% (339) of the these which, given that we represent only 2% of the total traffic, is a salutary reminder of what TVAM is all about and the inherent risks involved in this passion that we share.

Safe Riding
Pat Coneley
Chief Observer

Hello All

This is my first column as Chief Observer so I just wanted to thank everyone who voted at the AGM for giving me the opportunity. There have been some changes to the committee with David Jacobi now elected as Chair. I am looking forward to working with him as well as getting to know more of our members. I continue to be amazed at the levels of commitment and professionalism shown by everyone. We are without doubt the best bike club bar none. We are also the largest IAM group, car or bike with 870 members, something we can all be proud of.

The training Team have just held another successful Core Skills Day (formerly known as the TOb Induction) at Marlow Fire Station. This is proving to be a great environment for the training as although the station is uncrewed (I was going to say unmanned but this is frowned upon by the PC Police!) they always manage to arrange the dispatch of a Fire Appliance at some point during the day. Our thanks go to Keith Wheeler of Bucks Fire and Rescue for the use of this facility.
We had 11 TObs and Potential TObs complete the day and begin the new TOb training process. They will be assigned Mentors and will continue their Observer Training under the guidance of an experienced Observer as opposed to the previous system where we all had to flog through the infamous “yellow card”.

Just as new Associates continue to be the life blood of TVAM, new Observers are equally essential. Becoming an Observer is a challenging but hugely rewarding way of sharing what we all love best – riding bikes and riding them well. If you are thinking that observing might be for you, then have a chat with one of the Training Team.

Plans for the Observer Training Weekend in Llandrindod Wells are well under way and this year there will be change of emphasis from coaching skills to riding skills so if you are an Observer or TOb clear your diary for the 5th – 7th June and book your place.

Sadly, I will miss the May St.Crispin’s having previously arranged to be in Northern Ireland for the NW200 so my thanks go to David for standing in with the announcements and Guy Lipscomb for doing the allocations.

Keep it shiny side up

Pat Coneley
Chief Observer