There is a very good article in this month's Ride magazine on motorcycling kit, what to look for and useful suggestions on how best to wear it, including some sensible suggestions on layering.
For many on the UKGSer site it will be old hat. However, for many newcomers it may well answer several of the questions we see posted here and in other sections of the forum. It's certainly worth a look.
Ride magazine has at last stepped away from the rather formulaic monthly articles on, 'How can I get best value from this rather crappy 15 year old Suzuki Bandit?' becoming much closer to the often excellent biking magazines sold on the Continent. Their suggested tours / 'What roads to ride' articles are well thought out, nicely presented, reasonably interesting and above all, clear. The free GPS downloads are a nice touch, taking a lot of the donkey work away. Anyone could, very easily, just read an article, copy a route and set-off without any difficulty at all. The most recent on Spain, is a very good example. For years, touring and route books have always concentrated on France, Germany the Alps and the Pyrenees; the Italian and Spanish peninsulas being all but ignored. It was easier to find suggested routes around Split in Croatia than it was around Seville or Naples. The free handout has gone some way to close the gap. Is it perfect? No, of course it's not. No 20 page magazine based article will ever list every great road from A to D via B and C. The only thing that comes close to doing so perhaps is John Herrman's bible of the Alps but that lacks the GPS downloads and it's a book. Ride's suggestions will though give anyone a good start, leaving the rider to find their own 'Special roads' when they are there. Don't forget your map!
For less than the price of a pint or half a packet of fags a month, it's worth a punt.
Richard
PS I download the magazine from Ride's much improved site. If nothing else it saves cluttering up your life with yet more paper. Had enough? Send it back to the Cloud, you can always get it back. I am looking at their past articles on France (and an electronic Michelin map) at 20,000 feet on my way to Stockholm, all on a iPad. Easy in the 21st century.
For many on the UKGSer site it will be old hat. However, for many newcomers it may well answer several of the questions we see posted here and in other sections of the forum. It's certainly worth a look.
Ride magazine has at last stepped away from the rather formulaic monthly articles on, 'How can I get best value from this rather crappy 15 year old Suzuki Bandit?' becoming much closer to the often excellent biking magazines sold on the Continent. Their suggested tours / 'What roads to ride' articles are well thought out, nicely presented, reasonably interesting and above all, clear. The free GPS downloads are a nice touch, taking a lot of the donkey work away. Anyone could, very easily, just read an article, copy a route and set-off without any difficulty at all. The most recent on Spain, is a very good example. For years, touring and route books have always concentrated on France, Germany the Alps and the Pyrenees; the Italian and Spanish peninsulas being all but ignored. It was easier to find suggested routes around Split in Croatia than it was around Seville or Naples. The free handout has gone some way to close the gap. Is it perfect? No, of course it's not. No 20 page magazine based article will ever list every great road from A to D via B and C. The only thing that comes close to doing so perhaps is John Herrman's bible of the Alps but that lacks the GPS downloads and it's a book. Ride's suggestions will though give anyone a good start, leaving the rider to find their own 'Special roads' when they are there. Don't forget your map!
For less than the price of a pint or half a packet of fags a month, it's worth a punt.
Richard
PS I download the magazine from Ride's much improved site. If nothing else it saves cluttering up your life with yet more paper. Had enough? Send it back to the Cloud, you can always get it back. I am looking at their past articles on France (and an electronic Michelin map) at 20,000 feet on my way to Stockholm, all on a iPad. Easy in the 21st century.
