toad

Good to hear

@ bonio No such thing as a stupid question! The wordpress stats site is okay but doesn't tell you how long visitors spend on a page. All I get is views per day, countries, referrer and views per page. There must be a plugin available which collects the info you suggested. All I have to do is find it. Interesting is the fact that both the six day tour and the weekend appear to be equally interesting/appealing to the potential punter. Both google and bing ad "specialists" (read salespeople) told me to ditch the weekend

@ Six30 Deary my, Bavaria being a place where beer belongs to the staple diet you'd be really up shit creek here. However, the general quality is so good that hangovers invariably stem from digesting other alcoholic beverages such as Schnaps. And yes, they can be a real stinker...

No, it is not provided. Riders should have their own breakdown cover. If, for example, you hire a BMW for a grand a week it is included. If you hire a KTM or Kawasaki half or less than half that respectively you will have to fork out between £50 and £80 for your own (if you haven't got one already). Perhaps I should go over that site once more to make sure it is quite clear. Anyway, thanks for the thumbs up!

I like http://www.mycrocam.de/?lang=en However, if you want it to show people you are videoing them then a little think like that is not going to help...

Right, I've done a fair amount of work on the site. - struck all incl. prices, punter now has a choice of dealers and we organise bike - more details on tours, put prices, etc on tabs for respective tour - more details on "the team" - loads of other "little" stuff Was also on (yet another) first aid course yesterday. What I didn't know was that it is ALWAYS helmet off, so there. Good course and it was about time that I'm up to date again.

As long as you got Puntigamer Been out and about Saturday/Sunday. Weather is slowly getting there though still funny seeing people doing cross country skiing right next to the road

@ Ali in Austria Nice one! Been to Ramsau myself a couple of times, if only for a coffee on the way through. Some great riding round there! Dientner Sattel I always enjoy Checked your Fb page, liked it and sent a friend request... Next time I'm round your neck of the woods I'll be sure to drop in! @ Six30 Because we plan our tours on the fly rather than follow set in stone routes regardless of the weather we don't get the cheap hotel stuff (unfortunately!). Our aim is to be flexible, provide a great experience in fine weather on great roads - prices all inclusive apart from lunch/dinner. I've already amended the "roughing it" and camping bit to good B&Bs and hotels but also stated that we are not 5 star hotel folk. @ Joeman Too true. We also reckon that most people will hire a bike here rather than ride down themselves. Having said that, crime rates in Austria/Italy/Germany are truly negligible when it comes to bikes but we always pay attention to secure parking when out and about. Personally I always leave my gloves in my helmet which sits proudly on the right mirror. Nothing has ever happened. Ever. Wtf is an "Authority Site"??? Listening to it at the mo and hope to understand what they are on about. Many thanks for the hint! And since you do seem to be a potential punter, have a look at our season starter special @ Gerontius Yep, we expect people to fly to Munich. We pick'em up, take them to their hotel, spend the evening with them to talk about their hopes/wishes/expectations, give the some advice on how to ride safely in groups and get to know them. The next morning we get the bikes and off we go. No bother for them at all. Extra luggage will be stored in a safe place, we even provide weatherproof bags and straps for the bike if they haven't got it. @ raesewell Taken your thoughts into account and adjusted prices and accommodation stuff accordingly. Thanks for the tip!

Got all that - the weekend trip is all top accommodation, the 6 day tour decent with a really nice place at the end.

Well, we are flexible! Camping would be mobile homes, Alpine huts are basic but dead comfy. But let me ask you, what would you expect/hope for in terms of accomm? Since our prices are all inclusive and already pretty competitive compared to the rest of the market we'd have to up them for super comfy version...

Hm, nice places to stay... Our idea was two star like stuff with people sharing a room to keep costs down. Also our take was more "roughing it" with perhaps the odd campsite and Alpine hut rather than boring hotels. Adventure stuff like, finding good restaurants/pubs, not everything planned out and boring.

Bring your own bike, write a nice article, get the word out and we can talk about it

All brilliant stuff! Well get to work right away...

Hi there, I'm in the progress of building a motorbike touring business in the Alps and wanted to tap into your cumulative competence as to where to advertise. Hope this obvious plug and cry for help abides by forum rules. If not feel free to delete As I spent the last 17 years in Germany I'm pretty out of touch with biking stuff in UK, having put all my energy into the Alps and neighbouring countries. I've done some work on my website and do internet advertising on google and bing but apart from the odd visitor who does scroll through the whole site there isn't really a lot of customer generation (mind you, only been doing it for a couple of weeks). Now the question comes to mind whether to advertise in UK mags and if so, in which ones? I'd also be most interested in any other tips you lot may have. Many thanks in advance for your advice and your time! Cheers, Ingo

Hm, it's got a decent range which is important and apparently is capable of up to 15 participants which would result in talkture Anyway, enjoy the snow

@ onesea Have you managed to sort it yet? I'm ambivalent... On the one hand you can go and spend wads of cash (£300 +), on the other these things go dirt cheap (£30). Add to that that you don't always get what you pay for and you don't always pay for what you get. If anyone knows of a system with a decent range, say half a mile, which is easy to use and manages a whole day, say ten hours, on batteries then I'm in! SatNav instructions are par for the course I reckon. Oh, and should be under £100. I'm still looking.

Yep, Bosch blue range or Makita. Pricey but worth it in the long run.

Thanks for the heads up, Hoggs! Yep, based in Germ and at the beginning of each season I take on of those advanced courses just to get back in the mood. I know nothing about France but could activate a mate. Might take a while but there you go. But back on course - the ADAC offers all sorts of motorbike trainings from beginners to advanced, from track to dirt. Let me know if there is anything in particular you are after and I'll be happy to point you in the right direction! Have fun

To answer the thread title - a good attempt at dodging traffic which really does get in the way sometimes. These car "drivers" sometimes do think they own the road and are far too busy on their mobiles instead of paying attention to their surrounds. I for one endorse any means possible to remind them that they are not on their own and don't really see the need abide by their half baked rules which are made to enable them to ride like zombies. As long as you see three accidents ahead and manage to avoid all of them you're alright. AFAIC you can give it some. You are riding far too defensively. Overtaking has to be a quick and decisive manoeuvre, something to work on Note: Only do shit on your own. When in a group it is an entirely different kettle of fish. Have fun!

Grr, if it were decent weather it'd be a ride and a half with the South Downs, North Downs and the Chiltern Hills in the way. I'd take the M11 rather than the M1 'cos it is not likely to be so busy but then again my info is old, ancient, primal... All the important things have been said. Stay dry, stay warm and relax. Don't stress yourself. A decent cup of coffee every now and then to warm up again and always look forward to that well earned pint at the end of it all!

Booooring

Been to France but reflective patches on helmets??? Never seen it in my entire life! Having said that it's not such a bad idea. After all, they do like to mow people down (and with "they" I mean people in cars...)

Moin Frank, you being an ITK with experience others don't amass in a lifetime may just have an idea or two for http://www.themotorbikeforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=93&t=62181 Basically our great and ever benevolent Stu wants to collect info for those from London (and other parts of the UK, if there are any and if there's snow, will be snow or has ever been snow they ain't bloody part of it) who, and we shall promise not to mention Brexit as they promise not to mention the war, cannot resist the urge to venture further than Old Blighty. I with my meagre experience of the Alps contributed with some touring info that came to mind and whatever the ADAC has to offer. Perhaps you could spare a wise word or two. Sorry, I shall never have another pint in my whole life again Ever - fact. PS: I don't really want to diss London, spent a major part of my life in and around Finsbury Park and fecking loved it.

Corrected that for you @ Stu And thanks for not mentioning the war

It appears we were talking cross purposes here. I thought winter and snow. My road tyres are wicked on water