Throttled

I can promise you, it is rarely that warm due to the wind chill and shade and in any case, when you sleep and do not move, the body needs more warmth. Plus, even on a decent sleeping mat, there is heat loss due to being so close to the ground. It will be more like single figures for the temperature and that sleeping bag is for high teens and twenties.

Unless you know Skin So Soft works for you, I would not waste taking two. The only guaranteed way is to cover up and get a midge head net, for about £2. I lived in Argyll for years, tried the lot and only the net really works.

The sleeping bag is rated for temperatures of 15 to 25 degrees. You will be very cold and I would recommend something that can cope with just above freezing.

The scooter lot seem to take more risks than bikers. They seem to think a scooter is just a step up from a bicycle. I know scooters are not the quickest, but they will still easily out run a professional cyclist, so coming off at 30-40mph and putting your bare hand out to protect you is going to hurt a lot. Also, scooters are a lot heavier than bicycles, so wearing shoes is nuts if you have a low speed fall and the edge of the scooter lands on your foot/ankle. Out and about yesterday and today I saw scooterists whose only protective gear was a helmet. All the bikers had their kit on.

I have another nomination. The Missenden Flyer Youtube bike blogger who has posted a video of a road test where he can be clearly seen doing 61mph in a 30mph limit. I like his videos and accept that is not like him, but still, that is a licence losing speed, as Rio Ferdinand has just found out as he has been banned for 6 months for doing 85mph in a 70mph limit.

I nominate .... myself. I believed the weather app that said 10% chance of rain and ignored the clouds in the distance and went out in my armoured denim....and got absolutely soaked. Thank goodness the latest bank notes are plasticy, my wallet is wet through. It was biblical at one point, with the road more like a river.

I have used both my phone and a car sat nav I was given, in waterproof holders and they were fine. It was only when I got a bike specific sat nav that I found the difference in screen visibility is HUGE! The phone in a holder was a struggle to see at times, but the bike specific one is easily readable all of the time.

Thanks a lot for this, it's a very good point regarding the insurance; I'll make sure of that. I would have been super happy to put it in my parking spot with a ground anchor, was it not for the fact that it's 10 meters away and not in the camera field of view Also get a quote without any security devices. When I parked mine on the road it made very little difference to the quote if I declared no security devices than if I declared top end chains. That way if I was out and about and only put a disc lock on I wasn't in breach of my insurance by not using the declared security, gave me a bit more flexibility and no way they can back out. Obviously when I parked up overnight I had two disc locks, two chains chained to a telegraph pole and a cover on the bike. I have heard of, but never known if it has actually happened, that non-use of a declared security device can affect a claim. I presume it would not be an issue if you use a specific ground anchor security set up, as you clearly are not going to take it with you.

Im not entirely sure that there is a huge correlation between what happens in the continental USA and what happens here. Why would crashing a motorbike in the USA be different from the UK? If you hit tarmac at 40mph, does it matter if it is American or British? The argument is not to spend nothing on trousers or jacket, it is to spend proportionately more on gloves and boots.

This video explains what new, but I would argue all riders should spend their money on when buying kit, based on crash statistics from 1.2 million accidents held by the CDC (US health department). 1 - boots. I have been saved twice from no more than a sore ankle by decent boots, as low speed spills (57% of all accidents) risk lower leg and ankle injuries due to the weigh of the bike ending up on the lower leg. 66% of all broken bones are from the knee down. 2 - gloves. 47% of accidents result on fractures to the hand and wrist as we naturally bring our hands up to protect us. 3 - the rest. Other injuries are head 28%, front body 27%, spine 14%. Obvious the head is the most risk of a fatality, so a helmet is a must and due to changes in how helmet safety is measured, they are going to get safer still. What is interesting is how few fatal accidents are due to other parts of the body being injured, the thorax 4%, abdomen, lumbar and spine together 4.5%, shoulders and arms 0%, hips and legs 0%. Road rash is sore, but it rarely kills. Skin heals faster than bone. The conclusion is that after you get your helmet, you should push your budget towards decent gloves and boots and not worry so much about trousers and jackets, as they are more about comfort and weather, not safety.

Which is why I am slow into bends and often keep the rear brake on.

Insurance wise, I do not know how a theft would be dealt with if you anchor to a lamp post, rather than a specifically designed ground anchor. I would recommend reading through the insurance quote site drop down box that lists security devices to see what they are happy with. I have a Kryptonite ground anchor specific chain and disc lock called a New York Noose.

After years of parking a bike outside & commuting all year round, I have found that a cheap light cover is better than an expensive heavy duty cover, especially ones that are elasticated around the bottom. Cheap light ones, whilst not the most waterproof, also let the damp out and you can park the bike wet. A heavy duty cover traps the moisture. I would recommend this as it also has a vent & starts at £23 for the smallest (125cc) size; https://www.ghostbikes.com/5132-10213-black-sonar-motorcycle-cover-small-(mc-300).html

We need a vid of this shit! It has been known to let a little fart out whilst performing said manoeuvre, but so far, no shit.

We go away for a short break at a cottage in a couple of weeks time, by which time I will have worked 24 weekends in a row.

I face the bike and put my right leg over the saddle, toe pointing up heel down, and then hop forward till I clear the other side.

Adjusted the chain and set up the sat nav and airhawk seat pad ready for tomorrows first proper run of the year.

Now you have gone, the sun is out and we are having a little heatwave.

If you can find them, Trekmates Flameless cooking is the most compact, safest and cleanest way to cook. There is a mug and a medium sized tin that are heated with power packs that are like teabags and they react with water to produce heat. The mug will heat water to make a decent coffee, but not boil it for tea or it will heat a thinner soup, like a basic chicken soup, but not a thick veg soup. I used the cooking tin to heat up tinned curries and chili con carne, but it is not enough to boil rice or pasta.

Some of the science behind road rage;

This weekend I am working. It is my 22nd weekend in a row working with Community Meals since this virus thingy started. I will make it to 24 in a row, and after that booked in to a cottage for a short break at the end of the month. That is assuming no local lockdowns between now and then.

I would ride without a helmet, but just local trips in the 30mph zone. I used to have a container at a yard and worked on bikes there and we would ride around without helmets. It is without a helmet that you realise how much even the best ones restrict your view.

I have taken an 18 st pillion on the back of the Kawasaki Versys 1000 with no issues. Between us the bike was carrying 34 st. Friends who between them weigh over 30 st have used the Versys 1000 for long trips with no issues. I had a hire of a Harley Road King and took the 18 st pillion on that quite happily. I thought the lower centre of gravity over the Versys would make a difference, but it was not noticeable.

Rest and be Thankful closed by a landslide, just in case you thought about going back via Inveraray.

I read that they have also lost 85% of the country's grain supply, most of Beirut's windows and the explosion was heard and felt in Cyprus. They are going to have to do rescue work, knowing it will cause a spike in the virus and with the damage to hospitals in the city and 4000 injured, they will not cope. Here, people packed into a pub in Aberdeen are now moaning that the city has been put back into lockdown. We need to get a grip.