Hi there B2TB, I've just discovered your posts and already gleaned some really useful skills. I am, like yourself, a returned rider (29yr gap) and have realised my skills are very much lacking. So much so, that I signed up to IAM a month ago and have had my 1st observation ride out. What a heads up but so empowering too and I'm focusing on getting that 1st pass as you did (well done). I too believe in living out my Faith, learning daily to be evermore gracious & kind to those around me and indeed, myself. Keep up the great tuition Brother👍🙏
Great informative ride, even some history. I like your commentary style. As a rider coming back to bikes after a 35 year break I find that by using your tips it gives me something to think about when I am out. Some great tips thank you. 👍
@@Back2TheBike Some people in my family think I am crazy coming back to biking at 66 but hey I am retired and got the time. I have only got a two year old Burgman 400 for now but I thought maybe not go too big until I get my confidence back and then see or maybe just keep the Burgman. Not as much street cred as the machines you ride but hey I am old and at least the it gives the local speedfreaks someone to look down on and feel sorry for. 😂😂
Great ride with some cool tips.The one to take away for myself was,"present your vehicle". I had the exact problem that you talked about.The vehicle was a Range Rover behind a wagon and i had to choose my escape route quickly.Luckily it all went well but this approach is a must.Thanks for this informative video.
Neil. Great ride. I have watched most of your videos alongside Dale’s too. I am also recently back on two wheels after a long break. My last bike was a Honda 500 four. Really good content which makes me think as I am riding about. Ride safe.
Nice video and fantastic training. I liked the way you respected the. " Two second rule" in the Autumn not only can leaves be a problem, but when the leaves are covered in rain there is a wax that comes off them and can turn the road into an ice rink. Ride safe......:)
Hi B2TB I've watched with interest your journey from start to finish,choosing a bike etc to passing the iam test. I've followed a similar path and passed the test around 6 months ago. One thing all my observers told me never,never, do was to overtake in the areas of road junctions,particularly ones coming in from the right. Around 20min 30 secs in to the vid you passed 3 Van's. The first 2 were passed opposite junctions coming in from the right,all were clearly marked with advance warning signs. The Van's could have decided to turn right at short notice, no signal and your off to hospital. Just my thoughts and 2 peneth. Enjoy your vids and continue to view them all. Regards K
Hi Koala and welcome to B2TB. I judged I had sufficient time and space. The junctions to the right were tight, minor tracks so negligible risk there. To turn into them would require significant decelleration from 50mph and the vans showed no sign of slowing. The landscape was wide open and flat so i had checked the offside for traffic and could see nothing on those tracks. Each manoeuvre was deliberate and not rushed with a check before I committed. Id happily do the same again 😃
Hi Neil Just wanted to say I have missed your videos over the last few months. I hope you are well. Lockdown looks to be riding away so looking forward to seeing you on here. Take care Anthony
A great reminder of things to watch out for as winter approaches Neil. I do present myself in similar circumstances. It's something Mike Waite taught me years ago and I still do it today. I don't know what you think but I'm always looking to make sure that by doing so the car behind the lorry doesn't think I'm moving over to invite them through so rarely move over as far as position 1 especially as I get closer preferring position 2 i.e. where a cars left wheels would be so I still get the view without the car driver thinking I'm moving over for them. I'm with Koala on those 3 Van's Neil, the interesting bit is that you could have left both overtakes until after the vans had passed the junctions and still made it past safely so IMO you put yourself in potential danger for no benefit though if I uploaded my rides no doubt there would be things I could do better too. As ever thanks for posting and fair play to you for doing so. Ride safe
Hi Adrian. Interesting points you make here. I agree you certainly don't want to invite opposing traffic to overtake so your 'present' position has to be chosen carefully. Re my overtake, if you notice on Van #1 the manoevre is completed before I pass the first RH junction. On the first two vans both held a steady 50mph, and would have needed to slow by at least 35mph to make a turn into those narrow openings. I think my only regret is that by sharing them they may encourage it as normal practice to other riders, when for me it is a vary rare move. See also my discussion with Gordon. Could I have delayed the move? Clearly yes, but then how could I know whether there was a better chance ahead? Ive trained thousands of people in risk management, so assessing risk v opportunity is part of my psyche, a continual thought. I looked, assessed, decided and committed to it. As ive already mentioned, I'd repeat it in similar circumstances. Good debate! As I always point out, I'm not perfect, make mistakes, so its for everyone to decide how they'll apply anything i do to their own riding. Hopefully stirs the grey matter ... 🤔
@@Back2TheBike Thanks for taking the time to reply Neil. Yes I agree taking up position 1 can certainly confuse both incoming and following drivers-we know why we're doing it but I bet they don't so they can easily interpret why we're doing something incorrectly and think we're moving over to let them overtake. I guess the thing with the overtakes demonstrates we were both thinking about it which is what the IAM etc want and Gordon makes the point well about time spent completing the overtake. Many moons ago (in the early 80's 😱) I did the Star Rider course-anyone remember them? Our observer/instructor had a phrase he used all the time - get out, get past, get back in which I obviously remember to this day. Things are a bit different today but I always consider safety over legality and if it's possible to complete the overtake legally I will, but the flip side of that is I won't stay out there longer than necessary if that in itself puts me in potential danger. It's all a balancing act!
I like the expression 'stealing another day from Winter'. And despite the picked-up mud and need for a wash (the bike not me), it's all worth it to extend the season. Incidentally, I've now picked up 3 punctures in 18 months from screws and while that was inconvenient and expensive to sort, it set me thinking. The 'enemy' don't need to poison our reservoirs or bring down the power grid James Bond style. Just throw out handfuls of nails/screws over our roads. Or carelessly spill diesel onto asphalt onto motorways that then requires the entire road surface to have to be re-made to bring the country grinding to a halt!
Bike was filthy Kevin, still is actually! I sauntered home, meant to do Swindon and Oxford but was tempted by the Cotswolds so came up the Fosse Way, got lost after a road closure, 220 miles all in. Sorry to hear about your punctures 😕
Hi Neil how are the Halvarssons doing now you are back in the cool weather l am just looking for new wet gear thought I would ask as it’s been a while since you did the original review have purchased a pair of Held twin goretex see you have yours on they are definitely worth the money last course I did was four days of heavy rain and they were fine. Wiltshire looks a great place to ride must do it soon thanks for sharing your experiences riding through history is a great series to follow found it fascinating
Hi Nigel, the suit is brilliant. It still looks like new, keeps me warm as toast and completely dry. It's half the price of the more expensive versions, beautifully designed and comfortable too. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Some nice roads and scenery. Some mucky bits, so I guess you'll be doing another bike cleaning video soon? Still lots of good riding to be done through the winter, just have to deal with weather and road surfaces. I've had some really messy rides recently as it is sugar beet harvesting time around my area. Good to see the MissendenFlyer has sent you some of his vans. Not sure I'd have taken the first one where you did. Offside hazards. Discuss. Keep safe.
@@Back2TheBike All good here thanks. Still riding a lot and producing a few videos. Been trying to mix it up a bit with product and bike reviews as well as the demo riding. My one on wet weather overtakes certainly kicked off some discussion both on the video and places it was shared. We are currently not experiencing any extra lockdown restrictions, so I'll try to keep socially distanced riding until things change, if they do.
Great ride I was taking notes on roads thanks good positioning would of liked to have seen the O/T on the vans done a little sooner but hay ho, be carful on giving public advice on riding (yes I'm an observer) over all really good ride well done.
Thanks John. Seems like a long time ago now we're in lockdown again. I don't give advice as such unless directly asked. B2TB is more a diary of my journey and learning. Im happy to leave the instruction to those with more experience and talent ;-)
Hi Neil, Another great vid. Yes they are good roads aren't they. Wiltshire is great and I'm lucky to be just down the road in Hampshire so venture that way a lot. Always worth watching this type of vid because it makes me think. I've just had my IAM reassessed as it's needed for another little project I'm doing. As you say, always room to learn. The day we stop thinking that could be the day for the close examination of the underside of a truck..... Only one thing though (meant constructively): I'm finding the vid a little blocky on both PC and Smart TV. Is there a setting to tweak as I'm not seeing it on other vids?
Not sure about the video problem Kevin. Seems fine on my Android tablet, phone and PC. I shot this @50fps which is the PAL rate too. YT can be idiosyncratic though. A thought, it may be the dirty lens which smears the image somewhat?
Great ride. Alert, smooth and disciplined. Overtakes well planned and executed. I know you were out doing a video and being very good but certainly on the first two overtakes i would have given it more beans and generally too out in the nationals but without being an idiot. Of course perhaps you removed the bib for the ride home. All the best.
@@Back2TheBike I would definitely have gone... just a bit quicker in getting past. I see there has been a bit of 'traffic' about offside hazards but you had the best view, and obviously scanned ahead. The Monster would have had you past in a heart beat and would have mitigated the other risk of the van turning right at the very last minute for the first overtake anyway. A bit tighter on the second...
@@gordon4221 Just watched this section of film again and under the same circumstances I'd do it again. Van #1 was passed before the first RH junction and showed no sign of slowing from his 50mph. To turn right there he'd have had to drop to >20mph. Similar for Van #2 but this RH turn was even more narrow, meaning he'd have had to slow more. As you say, with the power of the R I could easily have zipped past. I could have gone even faster but was monitoring their progress/course and aiming to keep it legal!
Nice vid Neil - except the overtakes on the two vans across junctions. I’m watching on a phone so your view would be so much better than mine but I and most other riders have had van man decide to turn right without indicating (right as you are overtaking). You have a very fast bike and could have cleared those junctions then ‘fired’ past!!
It felt safe enough Gary, see my comment to Koala below. I dont normally o/t opposite a junction, never have in fact, but on Salisbury Plain you get these tiny lanes everywhere. I judged the van would have needed to slow considerably to make a right, and I was well placed and at the right speed to observe and manage it.
Hi Neil, can you tell me which helmet cam you use. Thanks for the videos I’m where you were 2.5 years ago and have enjoyed all you videos more than once.
Nice ride, nice attitude. Those digital speedos get my ocd going when trying to keep a steady speed, I'll just keep setting cruise 😂 You sound like a copper! 😉 😂
Thanks Russ, that's high praise from someone who knows what they're talking about. I'm semi OCD too and one of my drills is trying to keep within 1 mph of the speed. Sound like a copper? I certainly hope to ride like one! 'Evening all ...' 🚔
That's a good call Chris. The RT is certainly more comfy but the cornering and acceleration of the R is in a different class. I had to change the RT after a major heart incident as it was too heavy for me.
@@Back2TheBike All is well Sir Neil, the Harley's caked in mud from the recent farming activities but apart from that, nothing to report. Best wishes to you and yours :)
Hi there B2TB, I've just discovered your posts and already gleaned some really useful skills. I am, like yourself, a returned rider (29yr gap) and have realised my skills are very much lacking. So much so, that I signed up to IAM a month ago and have had my 1st observation ride out. What a heads up but so empowering too and I'm focusing on getting that 1st pass as you did (well done). I too believe in living out my Faith, learning daily to be evermore gracious & kind to those around me and indeed, myself. Keep up the great tuition Brother👍🙏
This was great, very cathartic to watch. I miss riding
Never too late to climb aboard again Pat!
Great informative ride, even some history. I like your commentary style. As a rider coming back to bikes after a 35 year break I find that by using your tips it gives me something to think about when I am out. Some great tips thank you. 👍
Thats good John. The aim is to stir the grey matter although ive got plenty of room for improvement 😀
@@Back2TheBike Some people in my family think I am crazy coming back to biking at 66 but hey I am retired and got the time. I have only got a two year old Burgman 400 for now but I thought maybe not go too big until I get my confidence back and then see or maybe just keep the Burgman. Not as much street cred as the machines you ride but hey I am old and at least the it gives the local speedfreaks someone to look down on and feel sorry for. 😂😂
Beautiful country side and great riding. Keep warm and dry as you start to approach your winter months. As always, enjoyed your video, thank you 👍
Thanks Peter. Yes it was a brilliant day, only wish I lived a little closer.
Great ride with some cool tips.The one to take away for myself was,"present your vehicle". I had the exact problem that you talked about.The vehicle was a Range Rover behind a wagon and i had to choose my escape route quickly.Luckily it all went well but this approach is a must.Thanks for this informative video.
Good stuff. As always these tips aren't my idea but from my bike sage SeaFlyFisher. I just parrot his advice 😄
Great ride for sure.training tips are top shelf.
Glad you enjoyed it Jim 🙂
Neil. Great ride. I have watched most of your videos alongside Dale’s too. I am also recently back on two wheels after a long break.
My last bike was a Honda 500 four. Really good content which makes me think as I am riding about.
Ride safe.
Thanks Andrew. It was a fun day out. I'm now into winter mode and thinking about the next ride out !
Nice video and fantastic training. I liked the way you respected the. " Two second rule" in the Autumn not only can leaves be a problem, but when the leaves are covered in rain there is a wax that comes off them and can turn the road into an ice rink. Ride safe......:)
Cheers Colin. Good tip. A lot of mud and gravel around too!
Hi B2TB
I've watched with interest your journey from start to finish,choosing a bike etc to passing the iam test. I've followed a similar path and passed the test around 6 months ago.
One thing all my observers told me never,never, do was to overtake in the areas of road junctions,particularly ones coming in from the right.
Around 20min 30 secs in to the vid you passed 3 Van's. The first 2 were passed opposite junctions coming in from the right,all were clearly marked with advance warning signs. The Van's could have decided to turn right at short notice, no signal and your off to hospital.
Just my thoughts and 2 peneth.
Enjoy your vids and continue to view them all.
Regards
K
Hi Koala and welcome to B2TB.
I judged I had sufficient time and space. The junctions to the right were tight, minor tracks so negligible risk there.
To turn into them would require significant decelleration from 50mph and the vans showed no sign of slowing.
The landscape was wide open and flat so i had checked the offside for traffic and could see nothing on those tracks.
Each manoeuvre was deliberate and not rushed with a check before I committed.
Id happily do the same again 😃
Hi Neil
Just wanted to say I have missed your videos over the last few months. I hope you are well. Lockdown looks to be riding away so looking forward to seeing you on here.
Take care
Anthony
Thanks Anthony - I've missed them too ;-) One we get through this lockdown nonsense I'll be back to the bike again ...
A great reminder of things to watch out for as winter approaches Neil. I do present myself in similar circumstances. It's something Mike Waite taught me years ago and I still do it today. I don't know what you think but I'm always looking to make sure that by doing so the car behind the lorry doesn't think I'm moving over to invite them through so rarely move over as far as position 1 especially as I get closer preferring position 2 i.e. where a cars left wheels would be so I still get the view without the car driver thinking I'm moving over for them. I'm with Koala on those 3 Van's Neil, the interesting bit is that you could have left both overtakes until after the vans had passed the junctions and still made it past safely so IMO you put yourself in potential danger for no benefit though if I uploaded my rides no doubt there would be things I could do better too. As ever thanks for posting and fair play to you for doing so. Ride safe
Hi Adrian. Interesting points you make here.
I agree you certainly don't want to invite opposing traffic to overtake so your 'present' position has to be chosen carefully.
Re my overtake, if you notice on Van #1 the manoevre is completed before I pass the first RH junction. On the first two vans both held a steady 50mph, and would have needed to slow by at least 35mph to make a turn into those narrow openings.
I think my only regret is that by sharing them they may encourage it as normal practice to other riders, when for me it is a vary rare move. See also my discussion with Gordon.
Could I have delayed the move? Clearly yes, but then how could I know whether there was a better chance ahead? Ive trained thousands of people in risk management, so assessing risk v opportunity is part of my psyche, a continual thought. I looked, assessed, decided and committed to it. As ive already mentioned, I'd repeat it in similar circumstances.
Good debate! As I always point out, I'm not perfect, make mistakes, so its for everyone to decide how they'll apply anything i do to their own riding. Hopefully stirs the grey matter ... 🤔
@@Back2TheBike Thanks for taking the time to reply Neil. Yes I agree taking up position 1 can certainly confuse both incoming and following drivers-we know why we're doing it but I bet they don't so they can easily interpret why we're doing something incorrectly and think we're moving over to let them overtake. I guess the thing with the overtakes demonstrates we were both thinking about it which is what the IAM etc want and Gordon makes the point well about time spent completing the overtake. Many moons ago (in the early 80's 😱) I did the Star Rider course-anyone remember them? Our observer/instructor had a phrase he used all the time - get out, get past, get back in which I obviously remember to this day. Things are a bit different today but I always consider safety over legality and if it's possible to complete the overtake legally I will, but the flip side of that is I won't stay out there longer than necessary if that in itself puts me in potential danger. It's all a balancing act!
Thanks for sharing your ride Neil. Looks a nice bike that 👍
The R is the perfect ride. A bit muddy right now 😃
I like the expression 'stealing another day from Winter'. And despite the picked-up mud and need for a wash (the bike not me), it's all worth it to extend the season.
Incidentally, I've now picked up 3 punctures in 18 months from screws and while that was inconvenient and expensive to sort, it set me thinking. The 'enemy' don't need to poison our reservoirs or bring down the power grid James Bond style. Just throw out handfuls of nails/screws over our roads. Or carelessly spill diesel onto asphalt onto motorways that then requires the entire road surface to have to be re-made to bring the country grinding to a halt!
Bike was filthy Kevin, still is actually! I sauntered home, meant to do Swindon and Oxford but was tempted by the Cotswolds so came up the Fosse Way, got lost after a road closure, 220 miles all in.
Sorry to hear about your punctures 😕
Hi Neil how are the Halvarssons doing now you are back in the cool weather l am just looking for new wet gear thought I would ask as it’s been a while since you did the original review have purchased a pair of Held twin goretex see you have yours on they are definitely worth the money last course I did was four days of heavy rain and they were fine. Wiltshire looks a great place to ride must do it soon thanks for sharing your experiences riding through history is a great series to follow found it fascinating
Hi Nigel, the suit is brilliant. It still looks like new, keeps me warm as toast and completely dry. It's half the price of the more expensive versions, beautifully designed and comfortable too. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Some nice roads and scenery. Some mucky bits, so I guess you'll be doing another bike cleaning video soon? Still lots of good riding to be done through the winter, just have to deal with weather and road surfaces. I've had some really messy rides recently as it is sugar beet harvesting time around my area. Good to see the MissendenFlyer has sent you some of his vans. Not sure I'd have taken the first one where you did. Offside hazards. Discuss. Keep safe.
Discuss?!
Sounds like my old history teacher Mike 😦
@@Back2TheBike Ha ha. Mine was an old science teacher. He also always wrote "good effort" regardless of what you had done.
With me it was 5/10 could do better 😃 Hope all is good with you Mike.
@@Back2TheBike All good here thanks. Still riding a lot and producing a few videos. Been trying to mix it up a bit with product and bike reviews as well as the demo riding. My one on wet weather overtakes certainly kicked off some discussion both on the video and places it was shared. We are currently not experiencing any extra lockdown restrictions, so I'll try to keep socially distanced riding until things change, if they do.
@@mikeroberts Absolutely. Two metres should make for interesting footage 😄
Great ride I was taking notes on roads thanks good positioning would of liked to have seen the O/T on the vans done a little sooner but hay ho, be carful on giving public advice on riding (yes I'm an observer) over all really good ride well done.
Thanks John. Seems like a long time ago now we're in lockdown again. I don't give advice as such unless directly asked. B2TB is more a diary of my journey and learning. Im happy to leave the instruction to those with more experience and talent ;-)
Hi Neil, Another great vid. Yes they are good roads aren't they. Wiltshire is great and I'm lucky to be just down the road in Hampshire so venture that way a lot. Always worth watching this type of vid because it makes me think. I've just had my IAM reassessed as it's needed for another little project I'm doing. As you say, always room to learn. The day we stop thinking that could be the day for the close examination of the underside of a truck..... Only one thing though (meant constructively): I'm finding the vid a little blocky on both PC and Smart TV. Is there a setting to tweak as I'm not seeing it on other vids?
Not sure about the video problem Kevin. Seems fine on my Android tablet, phone and PC. I shot this @50fps which is the PAL rate too. YT can be idiosyncratic though. A thought, it may be the dirty lens which smears the image somewhat?
@@Back2TheBike Hi Neil, Thanks for response. Yes it could well be the mucky lens. Not much you can do about that!
Great videos mate, just subbed. Are you from Northampton?
Thanks and yes.
@@Back2TheBike i am in NN3 👍🏻
Great ride. Alert, smooth and disciplined. Overtakes well planned and executed. I know you were out doing a video and being very good but certainly on the first two overtakes i would have given it more beans and generally too out in the nationals but without being an idiot. Of course perhaps you removed the bib for the ride home. All the best.
Hi Gordon. Those overtakes seem to have stirred up a debate! To go, or not to go, that is the question ...
@@Back2TheBike I would definitely have gone... just a bit quicker in getting past. I see there has been a bit of 'traffic' about offside hazards but you had the best view, and obviously scanned ahead. The Monster would have had you past in a heart beat and would have mitigated the other risk of the van turning right at the very last minute for the first overtake anyway. A bit tighter on the second...
@@gordon4221 Just watched this section of film again and under the same circumstances I'd do it again.
Van #1 was passed before the first RH junction and showed no sign of slowing from his 50mph. To turn right there he'd have had to drop to >20mph.
Similar for Van #2 but this RH turn was even more narrow, meaning he'd have had to slow more.
As you say, with the power of the R I could easily have zipped past. I could have gone even faster but was monitoring their progress/course and aiming to keep it legal!
@@Back2TheBike Agreed
Nice vid Neil - except the overtakes on the two vans across junctions. I’m watching on a phone so your view would be so much better than mine but I and most other riders have had van man decide to turn right without indicating (right as you are overtaking). You have a very fast bike and could have cleared those junctions then ‘fired’ past!!
It felt safe enough Gary, see my comment to Koala below.
I dont normally o/t opposite a junction, never have in fact, but on Salisbury Plain you get these tiny lanes everywhere. I judged the van would have needed to slow considerably to make a right, and I was well placed and at the right speed to observe and manage it.
agree with Gary looked a little dangerous to me ,I always ask myself would i do it on IAM test and I dont think i would have done those overtakes
Hi Neil, can you tell me which helmet cam you use. Thanks for the videos I’m where you were 2.5 years ago and have enjoyed all you videos more than once.
Hi Jason. Its a Shoei Neotec.
We'll have to catch up when we are out of lockdown :-)
Thanks for watching. It was a great day in the saddle.
Nice ride, nice attitude. Those digital speedos get my ocd going when trying to keep a steady speed, I'll just keep setting cruise 😂
You sound like a copper! 😉 😂
Thanks Russ, that's high praise from someone who knows what they're talking about.
I'm semi OCD too and one of my drills is trying to keep within 1 mph of the speed.
Sound like a copper? I certainly hope to ride like one! 'Evening all ...' 🚔
Good vid but I tho you need the rt back you seem out of breath on that
That's a good call Chris. The RT is certainly more comfy but the cornering and acceleration of the R is in a different class. I had to change the RT after a major heart incident as it was too heavy for me.
Oh no didn’t know that. Hope your ok now.
@@chrisowens3781 Trundling on Chris ♥️ Here by the grace of God.
Sweet
Dale's having his hair done? Which one? :)
Good question M'Lud. I'll ask him😄
Hope all's well with you and your good lady.
@@Back2TheBike All is well Sir Neil, the Harley's caked in mud from the recent farming activities but apart from that, nothing to report. Best wishes to you and yours :)
@@HepcatHarley Cor, knighted. Wasn't expecting that ⚔️
Usually love your stuff, but that audio man! Couldn't finish
Still looking to perfect the audio. Ill keep working at it 😱
@@Back2TheBike you will smash it pal. Ride safe