Category: Riding

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Riding

How to Stop Helmet Fogging Up & Visor Steam Up

How to stop visor steaming up
Visor fogging-up nightmare!

As the weather turns cold and we have more wet days, the bane of all bikers strikes – a motorcycle visor steaming up. And if you wear glasses, they’ll mist up too, double trouble. Visibility drops to zilch and riding becomes a nightmare. The simplest solution is of course to stop breathing. However, I tend to find this detrimentally affects my riding, especially on long rides…

Stop helmet fogging – the cause

Cold air, wind chill and rain dramatically reduce the temperature of the inside surface of your helmet visor and your glasses, such that moisture in the air you exhale condenses on these surfaces causing them to mist up. This condensing moisture forms tiny water droplets that scatter light and reduce the ability of a visor or glasses to transmit contrast.

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Riding

Riding Out of the Sun

RidingOutOfTheSunThe summer has most definitely long gone, now replaced with some glorious (and not so glorious) Autumn sun.  This mild weather is a boon to us bikers, but be mindful of the low sun blinding other drivers and masking your presence. Like the fighter pilots of old who surprised their targets by flying out of the sun, riding West in mornings and East in the evenings could potentially see you surprising fellow road users.

Bear the sun in mind, the scope for SMIDSY’s is even greater. Anticipate drivers pulling out, even when looking directly at you. When filtering, drivers may only see glare in their mirrors, or your headlights may blend into the setting sun. Take it steady and don’t assume others have seen you (even less so than normal).

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Clothing/Protection Riding

Motorcycle Winter Preparation

Cold Wet Weather

We may be having a particularly warm and dry autumn so far, but it won’t last long. So now is the time to start thinking out your winter preparations. At Beginner Biker Adventures, we’re not fair-weather bikers,

we’re not fair-weather bikers

it’ll take some pretty extreme weather to stop us from riding and we use our bikes to commute year-round. Granted, in London, the weather rarely gets too bad and very few roads will be impossible to ride in the winter, nonetheless, good motorcycle winter preparation ensures safe riding throughout the winter months. Check out these useful tips to prepare.

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Riding

Evie’s First Long Ride Out

Finchingfield, Essex

On Sunday, the weather was dry, sunny and perfect for a ride on the bike. We set out early, to make the most of quieter roads and avoid the unbearable midday heat and set off into deepest Essex.

This was Evie’s first proper ride out, having only been on short journey’s around local streets to get used to riding pillion. Decked out in a Hein Gericke textile suit with armour, RST boots and Caberg lid, she was more than prepared. We briefly stopped at the High Beach tea hut, but got bored waiting for it to open so dashed off straight to Finchingfield, via Ongar, Leaden Roding and Great Dunmow, a popular run for all bikers. Evie was a good pillion, quickly got the hang of leaning with me around all the twisty bends. Just a bit wobbly as she was looking around lots.

In Finchingfield we popped into the Bosworth’s Tea Rooms for a quite bacon buttie and coffee, Evie had a sausage sarnie and juice. Very nice and far better espresso than High Beach. Fed and watered we set off home and were back for noon. There’s definitely plenty of good arguments for an early Sunday morning ride out.

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Riding

My First Ride on the Motobike

I was a bit nervous at first but when I started moving, my belly was aching with laughter! I went round the block 5 times (It was really fun!) Once I had to get off I begged Dad to go once again but he said NO. After that me and Dad got an Ice-cream, It was the best day EVER. A week later I went again to brownies and back! When everyone was jealous, then before we went I waved.

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Riding

Fazer Evening Ride For Chippie Tea

It was a lovely sunny summer evening, I Managed to blag leaving work earlier, a night free from kids and my Fazer had a full tank of fuel. I really fancied a chippie tea and the Fazer Owner Club – Unofficial  were riding into the far reaches of Kent. Like planets falling into alignment, everything was all set. I left central London, down A2 via Blackheath and on to Nell’s Cafe in Gravesend for the rendezvous, where I had a good natter to some of the Kent branch of the IAM (really must do that some day soon). A quick blast down the M2 took us deep into Kent, where top chap Steve led us along some nice twisty country roads before stopping off in Herne Bay for our chippie tea. Not the cheapest Fish’n’Chips, but a decent one it was, and great to sit by the sea eating whilst the sun slowly came down.

FazerRideOut-HerneBay-July14

Once sated, onwards we rode along some great minor roads and twisty country byways skirting Canterbury and Dover, before finally calling it a day when we had exhausted all daylight.

Big thanks to Steve for leading this ride.

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Riding

Enforcement of Advanced Stop Lines (ASL)

ASL-EnforcementIf you’ve ridden a bike in London in the last year, you are probably more than aware that Advanced Stop Lines (ASLs) are now being enforced and any motor vehicles crossing them after lights have turned red will pick up a fine (Fixed Penalty Notice). This is still very much the case, with almost every junction on Mile End Road being policed today, although no one broke the rules on this occasion.

Although MAG have been campaigning for some time, motorcycle are not allowed to cross the first solid white line and enter the blue cycle box. This is a real shame as it can often lead to bikers stuck beside other vehicles, often not visible (especially if beside a truck or coach) and then unable to get away safely from the traffic as light turn green, due to the throng of cyclists in front. I honestly think the situation needs rethinking to allow cyclists and motorbikes to share the area in from of the ASL, where they are both visible and can safely pull away. Possibly with left reserved for cyclists, the right for motorcyclists. Both groups of cyclists have been sharing bus lanes (with buses and taxis) without issue for a number of years now.

If you also believe pedal and motor cyclists should be able to wait beyond the ASL, you may like to sign this petition on the UK Gov website.

Update:

I have since discovered that a split bicycle/motorbike advanced stop line box is currently on trial over near Stratford, London.BicycleAndMotorcycleASL

Check it out in more detail on Google Maps here. Note the feeder lanes each side, cyclists on left, bikers on right.

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Riding

Prom Night Ride

A couple of months ago a 16 year old kid, also named Arthur, posted on London Bikers, requesting an escort for his upcoming school prom night. Not really needing much of an excuse for a ride out, a large group jumped at the opportunity with one prominent forum member offering a pillion seat on his swish Ducati Pangile 1199. Last night was Prom night and what a night it was.

PromNight-PickingUpArthur

PromNight-Arrival

Around 30-40 bikers descended on Arthur’s house, where his family fed us all tea and biscuits. We then set off for a brief ride out around Epping forest with a quick stop at the high Beach Tea Hut, before continuing to the hotel hosting the prom night, for our big entrance. We arrived in force, made loads of noise and had few burn outs all to the cheers of the Prom school kids. We definitely went down as one of the more memorable Prom arrivals.

We then returned to Borough Market for the weekly London Biker meet, then finished the night off with a pit stop at the Blackheath tea hut. I hear Arthur pulled a couple of girls at the Prom, so all in all, a great fun night to be had by all!

Update: Check out this video compilation of the Prom Night ride, thanks to Sam Bird:

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Riding

RRL Bike Tour Event in Paris

RideRalphLaurenRRL-33On Sunday 25 May, Paris bore witness to an unusual sight: 200 motorcycle riders revving their vintage and customised bikes through the streets, leaving the city with a noisy crescendo that turned the heads of all around.

It was a one-of-a-kind event organised by RRL – Ralph Lauren’s denim line inspired by Americana and authentic, traditional workwear – in conjunction with Paris’ own resident hipster bike mechanics from Blitz Motorcyles.

The route was 99 km and lasted for three hours, heading in a loop through Versailles, the Chateau de Dampierre and Saint Cyr l’Ecole, before finishing at the Ralph Lauren flagship store on the Boulevard St Germain, which had been decked out in vintage petrol pumps and bales of hay, to help add to the sense of adventure.

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Riding

Midnight Ride Out

The Mall

LB-MidnightRide-May14-3The other night The London Bikers organised a night to remember, a midnight ride ride across the city hooning past all the sights. What made it special was the immense turnout (over 50 bikers), the gorgeous warm evening and amazing atmosphere from fellow bikers and the crowds spectating and cheering us all on. With Miss Plum getting everyone organised and leading the ride, we all had a top night we’ll always remember.

Our ride started at Oval Motorcycle Centre, then on out across Battersea Bridge into Chelsea and Knightbridge, before whizzing past Wellington Arch, Buckingham Palace before a quick pit stop on the Mall overlook St James Park. Then on past Trafalgar Square and looping up round into Soho via Frith Street, before heading down past Downing Street, the Cenotaph, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey and across the river for a second stop by Waterloo and the London Eye. Back in the saddle we went North of the river again, zoomed past Aldwych and Royal Courts or Justice, down Fleet Street and our third stop outside St. Pauls cathedral, for a perfect photo opportunity. Off again, hanging a right by the Bank of England and South over London Bridge, past Southwalk cathedral, Borough Market, the Shard and then crossing the river again over Tower Bridge, lit up beautifully.

… a stop at the wonderful 24 hour Beigel shops for some much needed sustenance and a mix with Shoreditch hipsters leaving their night clubs and bars.

We continued North weaving through the streets and up to Brick Lane and a stop at the wonderful 24 hour Beigel shops for some much needed sustenance and a mix with Shoreditch hipsters leaving their night clubs and bars. To finish off, we continued East onto the Isle of Dogs and took a tour through the ghostly skyscrapers of Canary Wharf all lit up and towering overhead. The original plan was to continue on to Greenwich, but alas the Blackwall tunnel was shut for maintenance.

All in all, it was a wicked night, it was great to get out with Mary pillion (sorely missing a bike of her own) and great to see all of London’s landmarks lit up. Everything went swimmingly, even if group of us sometimes got separated momentarily.