A lesson for us all...

Beautiful sunshine & blue sky today (the first day of Summer Time), however I needed to get out on the push bike to build up my miles in preparation for my upcoming C2C ride.

So I'm coasting the last 10 yards home when one of the neighbours pulls out of the back street opposite on his Blackbird.

The events immediately following went something like this:

Good hand-full of throttle

New rear tyre meets iron manhole cover

Bike "highsides", throwing the rider to the floor

All of this happened at walking pace.

The rider is wearing good quality riding kit, but was riding with his Shoei Multitec flip up open (contrary to all instructions) and the impact with the road introduced his nose and teeth to the tarmac.

The rider was very stunned and covered in blood... the first aid training kicked in and the scene was managed. The rider ended up needing to be hospitalised for head and neck checks - all from a 10 mph minor spill.

So the morals of this story:

New tyres need to be treated with respect.

A flip-up won't protect you if it's flipped - keep it closed when you're moving.

and, don't underestimate the benefit of some first aid training.

First 2012 Rideout

18 bikes set out on a glorous March day - warm weather, blue ski & sunshine - for a run down to the Yorkshire Dales.

Unfortunately, one of the riders suffered a misshap en route which necessitated an unscheduled stop in Richmond to regroup & coffees. The drop off system worked well, with the ride leader running out of "droppers" at Richmond!

The ride out re-started from Richmond Station and headed through Catterick & Masham to our cultural destination, a visit to the Leeds Pals Memorial in Colsterdale.

After taking in the historic surroundings and the fantastic views we ran up to the Manor Cafe at Bellerby for a refreshment break.

Post butty break we headed back North through Richmond and Scotch Corner to finish the run at Bradbury Services.

A very civil 115 mile round trip, good weather, good roads and good company.

Breathalysers in France.

From the AA website:

From 1 July 2012 all drivers in France are likely to be required to carry one or more portable breathalysers in the car.

The French government hasn't published detailed regulation changes yet so we can't confirm what type of device or how many must be carried, nor can we confirm the actual implementation date.

It is likely - as was the case when requirements to carry reflective jackets were introduced - that there will be an advisory period before on-the-spot fines apply.

We expect more detail in March sometime.

Early warning for next winter. From 1 January 2013 all drivers and passengers of a motorcycle over 125cc or a motor tricycle over 15 KW/h must wear reflective clothing when riding their vehicles and in the event of an emergency stop/breakdown.

Clothing must have a minimum reflective surface of 150cm2 (approx 23in2), either in one piece or in several pieces, and must be worn between the neck and waist.