Dear members,

Following the meeting of the HAB Committee that was held on Thursday 3rd August, I am pleased to inform you that Paul Dresser has agreed to take on the role of club secretary. Committee members are very grateful to Paul for being willing to undertake this important responsibility. We are pledged to offer Paul all the support that he may need.

Paul can be contacted via secretary@harrogateadvancedbikes.co.uk

I would also like to use this opportunity to thank sincerely Dave Dickinson, our former secretary, for his conscientious contribution to our work.

Sincerely,

Doug Masterton

Chair. Harrogate Advanced Bikes

This month’s weekday ride out starts and finishes at Café 59 (A59 just west of Bolton Abbey roundabout).

Meet from 9.00 for a 9.30am start.

From Café 59 the route goes passed Bolton Abbey then east to Pateley Bridge, turning north up Nidderdale to How Stean Gorge.

Coffee stop at How Stean Gorge Café

From Lofthouse we’ll take the minor road over Pott Moor to pick up the A6198 towards Leyburn then north west to Reeth.

After Reeth the route follows the minor road left of the B6270 and over the fells to Askrigg.

Lunch at the Crown Inn, Askrigg

The return journey will take us to Hawes then the Oughtershaw fell road down Wharfedale to Kettlewell before turning right near Grassington on the B6265, through Embsay and back to Café 59.

Length is about 102 miles.

The ride out will be lead by David Haywood.

Hope to see you there!

The family of Dave Dobson, whose funeral was held recently, have invited anyone who might wish to make a donation in his memory to do so in support of The Brain Tumour Charity.

Donations may be made via the Just Giving web site. To do so – Click Here

Sincerely,

Doug Masterton

Chair Harrogate Advanced Bikes

Post Script At their meeting on the 3rd August 2017, the HAB Committtee agreed to make a club donation of £100 to this charity in memory of Dave and in appreciation of all the valuable contributions he had made to the club over many years.

Dear friends,

Our monthly Sunday Ride Out on August 20th is going to try something that is different for us and I wanted to give you as much notice as possible. Please put it in your diary but also begin to prepare. It will take the form of what is termed a Navigational Scatter ride.

The idea is that you decide which part of North Yorkshire you would like to ride around, sort out your map and plot your chosen route. The ride will start at 9:30 a.m., at our normal rendezvous at Asda in Harrogate, then proceed via up to a maximum of 7 locations you choose from a list, including one on a list of compulsory places (shown as C1 to C4 on the map). You also plan to end up in the middle of the afternoon, (3:00 p.m. onwards), at the McDonalds’ café, St James’ Business Park just off the Harrogate by-pass where you will check in. The business park is next to the junction between the A658 and the B6164. The total mileage that you will cover will depend upon the route that you choose but is likely to be between 130 and 150 if you go for seven locations.

At the end of this pragraph is a link to a pdf file of the map showing the approximate locations and names of the places you can choose to visit. You can use whatever route most interests you and no account of the mileage you have covered or the time you have taken will be recorded or taken into account in order to decide the winner. This not a race. Your route must include stops for rest and refreshment. At the ride briefing you will be given a list of questions, one for each of the locations on the map. To find the answers you will have to stop and look round at each location you have chosen. The challenges will not be obscure and the rider with the most correct answers will be declared the winner. There will also be a similar question for each of the ‘compulsory’ locations. At the one that you choose to visit you will be able to find the answer. What you will also need to do is to have a scout around and, taking account of the kind of questions on the list, decide what other two or three questions might also have been asked for that spot and identify the answers. These will be used if a tie break is needed to identify the overall winner. The prize will be the fame and glory of having won!

Link to the Map August ride out

This ride out has been inspired by the way that the Welsh National Rally is organised, an event that Andy, Bob and I have enjoyed over a period of more than ten years. It is a super excuse to ride in beautiful countryside on interesting roads and I am sure it will be just as much fun in North Yorkshire. While it might not have the same camaraderie of our normal ride out it is great fun to go entirely at your own pace on a route that you have constructed yourself. It is also just the sort of ride that might tempt your erstwhile pillion passenger to come as well.

Please give it a try. Andy Pratt, assisted by Bob Hill, has planned this ride out and I am very grateful to them both for the hard work put in.

  I look forward to seeing you there.

Doug Masterton

Chair – Harrogate Advanced Bikes

Friends,

Please may I remind you that Sarah Sillars from IAM is to speak at our club meeting on Monday. I am sure that what she has to tell us will be thought provoking and that she will be able to address issues that you may wish to raise.

I hope that you can make a special effort to attend and that there will be a good turn out for this meeting. Please do your best to come. The meeting is at Bilton Cricket Club and starts at 7:30 pm.

Sincerely,

Doug Masterton

Chair, Harrogate Advanced Bikes

Please arrange to meet 9.15 for a 9.30am prompt start from Asda lorry park Harrogate (full tanks and empty bladders), From Harrogate we head north to Ripley then minor roads through Kirkby Malzeard, West Tanfield, Catterick Garrison and on to Richmond.

Coffee stop at the Seasons Restaurant in The Station complex.Continue north from Richmond crossing the A66 after Gilling West and on to Staindrop. West from Staindrop to pick up the B6278 over Stanhope Moor before arrive at Blanchland on the Northumbrian border. 

Lunch at the White Monk Tearoom in Blanchland 

Return journey heads north east from Blanchland to join the A68 heading soutth to West Auckland before joining the B6275 towards Piercebridge and the A67.Left on the A67 towards the southern outskirts of Darlington, taking the Croft Road then turning right to join the B1263 near North Cowton.Turn left on B6271 at Storton towards southern outskirts of Northallerton then south on A167 to Asenby and the Helperby road. Turn right before Thornton Bridge to Boroughbridge.

 Route finishes at Morrisons car park in Boroughbridge Total length:  167 miles approx.

 Fuel stop/s if required in Richmond (approx. 45 miles) and on the A68 (approx. 100 miles) 

Ride out leader:               David Haywood Tail End Johnny:               John Blanchfield

The midweek ride on Wednesday 12th July will once again be lead by John Blanchfield. 

Evening fellow riders John has kindly agreed to co-ordinate another midweek ride for those of you lucky enough to not be working on Wednesday. Meet at rear of McDonald’s at St James retail park Knaresborough then head off for coffee at Nunnington Hall. From there we cross the Howardian Hills to the lunch stop at Smiles cafe Pocklington. Return home skirting York, through Easingwold and back to St James retail park. Total mileage is approximately 110m.

Meet at 9.30am with a full tank and empty bladder for a 9.45 departure !

Don’t forget that you are welcome to put a ride plan together. If you require assistance or further info please speak to Andy Pratt or any of your committee

Dear friends,

Please remember to put our monthly meeting on Monday 17th July into your diaries. Sarah Sillars HAB Chief Executive has agreed to come and talk to us and I hope as many members as possible will be present.

Sarah asked if there were any issues that we wanted to raise and after taking soundings amongst the committee I have sent her the following:

1. The long-term future for volunteer observers delivering a flagship product like Skills for Life for IAM.
2. Strategies for volunteers to contribute to raising awareness among the younger generation of two wheel users.
3. Evolution of the environment of road usage if and when automated driving becomes widespread and, in particular, how attitudes to motorcycle use might change in such a scenario.
4. The growing community pressure to extend speed limits almost everywhere, whether or not they contribute to greater road safety.

I am sure that the meeting will give us the opportunity to talk about many key issues with Sarah even if she is unable to respond to all my suggestions.

Please do your best to come along to Bilton Cricket Club for 7:30 pm.

Doug Masterton

Chair

Harrogate Advanced Bikes

I have been in touch with Carole Dobson who has given me details of the funeral arrangements for Dave.

The funeral will take place on Friday 14^th July. There will first be a private service for immediate family members at Harrogate Crematorium followed by an event to which all friends will most welcome. This will be held at 1:00 pm in the Calder Room at the Pavilions of Harrogate located at the Yorkshire Showground. Carole and her family will be very pleased to see Dave’s friends and acquaintances from Harrogate Advanced Bikes.

Dave had a large circle of friends and colleagues from North Yorkshire Police, his interests such as HAB and his later work following his retirement. Carole is therefore concerned to receive some indication of the number of people who might attend so she can arrange appropriate catering. I would therefore ask that if any members of HAB intend to come to the celebration of Dave’s life at the Pavilions, to let me know by email using the address below. I will then inform Carole of our numbers.

It will be quite in order to arrive on our bikes.

While this will be a sad occasion, there is much to celebrate about Dave’s life and, in particular, the way he helped so many of our members improve their riding skills. I remember the advice I received from him which was always given with insight, humour and with an overriding concern for my safety. I will miss him.

Yours sincerely,

Doug Masterton

Chair – Harrogate Advanced Bikes

rdmasterton@btinternet.com

Rather late notice!

Tomorrows ride will be as follows Straight down the old A1 from Wetherby, cross country and then south in Derbyshire and along Snake Pass, back up to Glossop, up Holme Moss, through Holmfirth and stopping at The West Yorkshire Sculpture Park for afternoon tea.  The ride can end there, but if anyone wants to follow back to Wetherby services I will happily lead the way 

Morning stop is The Fox & Hounds at Newmillerdam WF2 6QQ. Lunch stop is at The Strines Inn, Bradfield Dale S6 6JE.  Time permitting, finish is at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, failing that a last stop at Wetherby services.

Plenty of opportunities for fuel top-ups, please let the ride leader know.  I’m not sure of the mileage yet, probably about 120 miles. 

Meet at the usual Dragon road lorry park next to Asda 9.15 am for 9.30 prompt set-off with full fuel tanks.