This motorcycle blog tells my story as a biker in London, from learning to ride to now a seasoned city commuter and lover of motorcycle adventures further afield.
Read on and watch my videos about the lessons I’ve learnt, tips I’ve picked up, reviews of my kit and stories of amazing rides around the globe.
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There are many great roads up into the Scottish Highlands, but planning a manageable loop from the Central Belt that fits into a day is harder than you first think. The landscape and mountains force you to follow a limited set of main arterial roads that are full of slow tourists and camper vans. Many quiet side roads I’d normally try to opt for simply come to a dead end up long valleys. As such, you’re forced into either shorter loops through some of the low lands, or very long loops North around huge mountain ranges.
This route is a loop North from Bridge of Allan to Fort William and back via Aberfeldy and is on the longer side at ~220 miles but is a great loop you can fit into a day. Albeit a longish day with about 5-6 hours of saddle time, plus stops.
The first leg takes us up through Callandar and Cranlarich to a pitstop at The Green Welly Stop in Tyndrum. The section of the A84 & A85 from Callander to Mid Lix is a great set of twisty roads skirting the side of Loch Lubnaig and then climbing up to Glen Ogle Viaduct. It can get busy with tourists peek season and the A84 is often policed, so take it steady. The A85 from Mid Lix to Tyndrum is all average speed cams, not particularly exciting, so just sit back and enjoy the scenery of Ben More, they’ll be time for more progressive riding further on.
What does every biker Dad want on Father’s Day? Answer: Decent weather and a pass to head out on their motorbike for the day.
The first you can’t really guarantee delivery of, the second is doable and might not even cost a penny. But for those days when the weather is a bit naff and your biker Dad is needed at home to watch the kids, a subscription to RiDE magazine will undoubtedly be appreciated.
RiDE magazine is currently running a special offer of 6 mags for £14.99, and £4.30/month recurring thereafter (offer ends June 19th). Great value, as the mag is over a fiver on the high street and a perfect gift for this Father’s Day.
When we review motorcycle clothing for this blog, we usually only evaluate how well it’s made, how comfortable it is, how well it functions daily and stands up to the weather. However, we don our motorcycle gear for one primary reason – to protect ourselves if we crash. To gauge how well something will protect you in a crash we just rely on various certifications and tests manufacturers place their garments through. This requires lots of specialist equipment and avoids risking the health of a motorcycle blogger.
However, I recently had the occasion to put my gear to a real-world test. Not exactly planned and caused by some misjudgment on my part, but I found myself locking the front wheel at around 60 mph and sliding down a tarmac road for some distance. I began the slide on my front but later rolled over, thankfully, I didn’t come into contact with anything else and just slid to a halt. I couldn’t tell you exactly how long or far I was sliding, I forgot to count/measure in the heat of the moment…
Firstly, everything performed well, I was able to get straight back up and only had a slight ache in my knee and thumb for a couple of days later. No breaks, no grazes, no skin broken, not even any visible bruises in the days following.
Had I only been wearing shorts, t-shirt and bare hands, things would have been quite messy.
So, in that sense, everything here gets top marks. After a breather, I was able to jump back onto the bike and continue riding. But let us take a closer look and see how well all my gear held up.
Here’s a short little motorcycle ride-out route for you. Perfect for when you’ve just got a couple of hours to kill or an evening ride once the nights get shorter.
We start off from the Wallace Monument in Stirling, a lovely place for a walk and a great view out over Stirling and Bridge of Allan all the way out Ben Lomond and Ben Vorlich near Lochearnhead. There’s a decent cafe here, so you can get your espresso shots in before you set off!
It was that time of year again for the Scottish Motorcycle Show, a yearly event that is eagerly awaited by motorcycle enthusiasts from all over Scotland and beyond. The show is a celebration of all things two-wheeled and motorized, bringing together manufacturers, dealers, and riders from across the country. With the Birmingham Motorcycle Live show being so far away, the Scottish Motorcycle Show held in Edinburgh is the only convenient show to get to, even if it is a bit smaller than other shows.
One of the most significant attractions of the Scottish Motorcycle Show is the sheer number and variety of bikes on display. From classic, vintage models to the latest sports bikes and touring motorcycles, the show has something for everyone. Manufacturers such as Harley Davidson, Indian, Triumph, Yamaha, and Royal Enfield all have a significant presence at the event, showcasing their latest models and allowing visitors to get up close and sit on new bikes. Unfortunately, there were still a number of omissions from key manufacturers (like last year), no presence from BMW, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki or Suzuki.
There are few things more heart-sinking than being sat on your motorbike miles from home to find it no longer starts up. At first, you’re in denial and keep jabbing at the starter button, but it just generates more clicks as the starter motor refuses to kick in. You then have to consign yourself to the fact, you’re not going anywhere in a hurry.
This happened to me a few weeks ago on a cold ride up to Dunkeld. It was one of those beautiful winter days where it was bright and sunny, but cold with frost and snow surrounding the main roads. I had just stopped by the roadside to take some snaps of an ice-covered loch but found myself stuck on a bike that wouldn’t start. Thankfully, my daughter was with me pillion and was able to bump start the bike to get us moving again.
A few miles down the road I got an engine management light on the dash and a code 46. This indicated a low battery/charging system issue. After another bump start, we continued homeward bound. Close to home, the battery went completely flat, I lost the dash and lights, but the bike kept going so we persisted. But, eventually, it died as we came to a halt at a junction, though thankfully only a couple of miles from home and not too much hassle to get family out with some jump leads, charge the bike and get me home. Then began the multi-meter fun diagnosing the faults.
Recently, I signed up as a Blood Bikes Scotland volunteer and after some onboarding, I undertook my first shift. I had been thinking of volunteering for a few years, but finally took the plunge last year after being approached by a local rep at an IAM meet-up. It felt like a worthwhile cause, a good use of my advanced biking skills and a great way to get out and do more biking.
Have you thought about volunteering as a Blood Biker? Have you ever wondered what it is like? Read on if you’d like to find out more about what Blood Biking involves and how my first shift went.
Blood Bikers provide a free-of-charge transport service to the NHS run by volunteers in their own time. They deliver small urgent items between NHS sites or to patients’ homes in the community. The service runs in all weathers and supports teams in primary and secondary care including GPs, District Nurses, Care Homes, and Community Hospitals.
This service is 100% run by volunteers and is reliant upon charitable donations and the free time offered by members. It can save the cash-strapped NHS a lot of money and help the day-to-day running of care the NHS provides, which ultimately helps patients in need.
There is nothing quite like the experience of riding a motorcycle in the open air. With the pleasantly warm weather and clear roads these days, we can’t blame you if you suddenly consider buying a motorcycle. But what is the best motorcycle to buy, I hear you ask. First of all, there is no such thing as the best motorcycle for beginners! Let me explain.
Every experienced motorcyclist knows how important it is to choose a motorcycle that suits his/her riding style, his/her build, and most importantly, his/her ability. In order to choose the best entry-level motorcycle, we should familiarize ourselves with the different types of two-wheelers on the market.
Before we start our guide of motorcycle choices that are beginner friendly, we would like to take a moment to explain briefly how to bet on Motorcycle racing.
Happy Christmas!
Take it easy, folks, we’re still going through tough times, and the Christmas spirit is in short supply (budget cuts, austerity etc). So stress not on all the whirlwind of consumerism and obligated gifting. This year, the well-being of family and friends is the greatest priority. A simple catch-up and blether over a wee drink is worth more than some hurriedly purchased tat online.
We’ve all had greater struggles recently, be it physical or mental health, finances or work stresses. Many are still dealing with the fallout from Covid, rocketing inflation has hit some more than others, and work is certainly not getting any easy. I wholeheartedly support those striking over crap conditions and pay. My wife has been dealing with some shocking stuff as a Nurse at the Forth Valley NHS Trust. It is just one example of tough times many people everywhere are going through, which left unchecked can severely affect health and well-being.
So check in with those close to you and especially those you haven’t heard from in a while who aren’t joining in with activities they previously enjoyed. The quiet isolation of a once close friend can be the first sign of mental health deteriorating. It affects huge numbers of us, yet is still a taboo subject less spoken of for fear of shame. Suicide rates are depressing high, with 5,583 recorded in 2021 in the UK (10.7 in every 100,00), around three-quarters were male and the highest in those aged 50 to 54 years. However, the biggest increase was in females under the age of 24, a scary trend and possibly linked to Social Media and unrealistic expectations.
Do you have a biking buddy you haven’t seen out for a while? – Now is the perfect time to check in with them and see how they’re doing.
The weather may be rubbish, daylight hours short and not much opportunity for biking – which we all know does wonders for stress, but hang in there, we’ve just crossed the winter solstice, and the countdown to better biking days has begun. Look after yourselves this Christmas and New Year, and see you on the flip side.
If you want more help on mental health, for you or someone you’re worried about, get in touch with:
Things have been a bit quiet here at Beginner Biker Adventures, lots of non-biking things going on that haven’t left me with much time, to be honest. Sometimes it is not all fun on the bikes. This blog is only a hobby and far from a full-time venture. So here is a quick catchup, just to fill you in on the random other stuff I’ve been up to recently.
