I’m a General Manager for Whitbread Restaurants, and have been managing a pub in Harrogate for the last 18 years, having been with the Company for the best part of 30 years. 

My first foray into biking was at aged 20 when I bought a second-hand Suzuki RGB125 Gamma from a friend of a friend, in order to facilitate a commute to work – with no instruction (I only had my car license at the time) and even less mechanical skill, I’m afraid my relationship with that bike was short-lived, and so began a rather large break from biking! 22 years later my girlfriend really wanted to ride, so we both completed a CBT together, and I fell back in love with riding. 

The purchase of a Derbi Terra Adventure 125 ensued to build our “biker sense”, and 6 months later I had my full A license.  My first “big bike” was a 2002 VFR 800, and as much as I loved that bike, the riding position wasn’t for me, so when the time came to change, I went for a brand new Tiger 800 XRT, and have recently progressed to a Tiger 900 GT Pro. 

As we both live where we work, riding is purely for pleasure, whether that be in the form of a midweek ride out (in between school runs), or a longer tour a little further afield. In terms of further learning, a few years ago, at the suggestion of an old scuba diving buddy (your very own Richard Stembrovic), I completed the Bike Safe course, and have since also completed Machine Control 1 & 2 with i2i Motorcycle Training in York. 

I’m really looking forward to developing my skills with HAB in order to keep both myself and other road users as safe as possible, whilst maximising the enjoyment I receive from my machine.

For this ride you ride leader will be Paul Dresser with Martin Pettitt as tail ender. The route has been done before and is one of our longer ‘all day’ rides. Unfortunately the most efficient way of getting to the lakes and doing it within the day is to go straight out on the A65.

For now and until further guidance number limited to 6, will advise if this changes.

There has already been significant interest in this ride. I will be running a recce ride on the 12th September so would be happy for a limited number of qualified Advanced Riders to join me. It would be hoped that some people wanting to come on the ride would join me on the 12th freeing up space for associates and other members on the 27th, Please contact me at pjd0568@gmail.com to let me know.

If we set off at 9.30am then we should hit the Devils Bridge first stop for 10.30 am. There is a coffee/sandwich van and toilets over the Bridge. A popular bikers stop so there should be a few bikes there. If anybody wants to meet us there they can join the ride from that point. Please let me know.

Next stop is Lakeland Motor Museum, it’s a short hop from Devils Bridge and we should be there before noon. This will give us enough time for a walk around the museum before lunch in the excellent cafe. Entry to the museum is £9 (https://www.lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk/). There is advanced booking only to the museum so numbers will need to be advised in advance.

From there we head up around the back of Windermere towards Ambleside, running back down the other side, through Kendal, Sedburgh to Hawes, re-fuelling just outside Windermere. Due to the length of the ride I plan a rest/toilet stop at Hawes.

From there we head back through the Dales via Ribblehead viaduct, Horton In Ribblesdale, Grassington, Pateley Bridge, finishing the ride at Ripley around 4.30 pm.

GPX File : Here (click this link and in the new page right click on ‘lakes-ride’ and save link as)

[osm_map_v3 map_center=”autolat,autolon” zoom=”autozoom” width=”100%” height=”450″ file_list=”http://www.harrogateadvancedbikes.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Lakes-Ride.gpx” file_color_list=”#000000″ control=”fullscreen,scaleline,mouseposition” map_border=”thin solid blue” file_title=”Lakes Ride” bckgrndimg=”GDPR_bckgrnd.png” ]

After being a pillion for many thousands of miles I finally passed my Mod 1 and 2 class A last year age 58. I then shipped a Honda CB500X with my partners Triumph 800XC to New Zealand. We arrived 30th November and spent 4 months and for me 7000 miles (Clive did 12,000) travelling the North and South islands. I am currently riding a Kawasaki Z250SL and have also bought a DR350 and done a couple of easy green lanes. So much to do so little time! I am looking forward to gaining more experience and meeting up with club members. The photo is South Island on the way to Mount Cook.

Cheers, Amanda

Hi

I had a short spell with a moped while a student in London many years ago and reaching my 50s revisited the freedom of 2 wheels, passing my test 3 years ago. My current bike is a Triumph Tiger 800 although I’m rather a “fair-weather biker” managing only 3/4K miles each year.

I’m currently a consultant in Intensive Care Medicine and Anaesthesia in Bradford and provide roadside pre-hospital emergency care support to the TT and Southern 100 motorcycle races on the Isle of Man.

I’m keen to enhance my motorcycling skills and to explore some of the Yorkshire Dales with the Ride Outs

Having just retired I’m looking forward to spending far more hours on the bike than I’ve been able to over the past 40 years. I started riding in 1980 when I passed my test on a single cylinder Honda RS250. Over the following two years both I and the bike survived one or two relatively minor accidents before graduating onto a Honda CB750 which, together with the subsequent Triumph Trophy and Honda Blackbird, carried us on  many summer trips throughout Europe. As the Blackbird is now 20 years old I thought it was time for a reliable back up so, late last year, acquired a ubiquitous BMW R1250GS with which I now look forward to riding whilst going through the Skills for Life training. I trained for, but sadly failed, my Advanced Test with Cleveland Advanced Bikes about 25 years ago so I’m now looking forward to correcting my record.

Joe Biggs.

Here is a picture of me and my bike from this last weekend. I road out to Hawes and back seen as we had some good weather. 

I have had my full licence for 2 years now but only been riding on a regular basis for the last 12 months since I moved back to Harrogate from London. 

I am fairly competent  on the bike but and keen to build confidence at higher speeds and progress my skills to the next level. I hope to eventually do longer trips / adventures which this will help with. 

Thanks 
Patrick 

Hi Everyone

No, this is not an account of my walk in the wilderness but my need to make contact with members that I haven’t been in contact with for a long time now.

I have to confess to having become somewhat insular and reclusive, mirroring current restrictions on travel and meeting and I don’t like it. I’m beginning to feel a little better now with limited meeting of the family and being able to travel as far as I like. I expect we’ve all now been out on our bikes and what a wonderful feeling of freedom that gives to help shake off the blues. Despite all this lockdown business I’m delighted to say that we have had a good number of new Associates join us recently and Bob Hill is very busy meeting and greeting them and hopefully will be able to get them all off training with an Observer quickly. If you come across a face you don’t recognise at a ride out or meeting please introduce yourself to them, make them feel welcome and let them know we’re a friendly bunch. Other Associates’ training has resumed and some tests have been booked.

The Committee have been unable to meet but with the use of electronic communications we have been able to keep things going pretty well.  Ride outs have resumed but unfortunately with some restrictions. As a responsible official organisation it is important that we abide by these rules and remain ambassadors for bikers. The IAM quickly interpret Government guidance and send us updates on how this translates to our activity.  I appreciate that restricting ride numbers to 6 can be frustrating but this is only a temporary situation and I feel sure this will be increased soon so long as the Covid situation continues to improve.  Additionally members can always make their own arrangements for rides outside HAB to supplement Club rides. Please feel free to let us know how you are getting on, any news of your rides or new bike changes; anything vaguely interesting on the biking front.

We’d  like to know what you’re up to.Email any stories to our Secretary Paul Dresser at pjd0568@gmail.comI hope that you and your families are all well and stay well and that we can all be back meeting and riding together soon.Stay safe. 

Best wishes John Blanchfield

Chairman Harrogate Advanced Bikes

Paul is a new Associate Member. Give him a welcome when you see him. 

My current bike is a BMW R1200R. I had a couple of trials bikes (BSA Bantam and Dalesman) in my teenage years but went onto four wheels when I was 17 and never rode on the road on two wheels. Around twelve years ago I decided that I should get riding again, took my bike test and was given a Kawasaki GPZ500s to cut my teeth. This gave me a good start on the roads and I bought my BMW around eight years ago. I ride throughout the year and regularly ride with Mike Fourie with Ilkley U3a. For the last six years a group of four friends have travelled to Europe, usually to watch a MotoGP event and enjoy some great rides. I’m 63, retired and looking forward to improving my skills and fixing any bad habits.  

Temporary Suspension of HAB Activity

It is with great regret that, following Government and IAM Roadsmart advice on restricting the spread of Coronavirus, we have decided it will be necessary to suspend all HAB organised Ride-Outs and meetings until further notice. Obviously individuals are free to make their own arrangements outside the scope of HAB to ride; pay at the pump fuel and picnic on the moors which has been suggested as a potential way of still riding and self isolating. We will continue to monitor the situation and look forward to resuming our activities again once this beastly business is over. Please try to keep in contact with each other by safe means throughout this difficult period and hopefully we can remain a cohesive group until we can return to normal. Stay safe.

John Blanchfield

Chairman

Harrogate Advanced Bikes

Hi, Please see message below sent into our group email. May be of interest to combine a tour with Advanced Riding Instruction.

I am a retired West Midlands Police traffic officer who has moved to France. I run a small tour and training company aimed at improving the skills of advanced riders in the wonderful French countryside. If any of your members are interested they can get details at www.advancedmotorcycletours.com. If you have other contacts with other groups I would appreciate you passing it on. Thanks in advance, Regards Kelvin Street.

Paul.