RiDE October 2020

…to the 25th anniversary edition of RiDE. A quarter of a century ago, founding editor John Westlake and his merry band were putting the finishing touches to a new mag, designed to be fresher, more down-to-earth and helpful than anything else on the newsstand. It was an instant hit and a measure of how strong the idea was is that what the 1995-spec RiDE stood for still holds true to this day. To celebrate, we look back at some of the iconic bikes of the past 25 years, from the 600 Bandit that championed good value in 1995 to the BMW R1250GS that tops the sales charts in 2020. And after riding them all, it’s fair to say we’re living though a golden age of biking. Enjoy the mag, EDITOR…

Scottish tour At the ripe (not old) age of 56, and having just passed my test, I treated myself to this fantastic Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade. After spending a week around my hometown of Nantwich, Cheshire, the following weekend I went on my first motorcycling adventure. I rode up to the Lake District before heading north to Gretna. From there I passed into Scotland over the Erskine Bridge, rode by Loch Lomond and then headed east to Inverness. The next morning I was up to John o’Groats and the NC500, then south towards Glasgow. Two long days and 1274 miles in the bag - brilliant. Gary Holmes Get your bike in RiDE & win a BikeTrac system Each month the Star Picture will win a BikeTrac security tracker with a year’s BikeTrac subscription. As well…

Ramshaw Rocks, Leek During an early morning ride on my Kawasaki Versys across the Cat and Fiddle to Buxton, then the A53 to Leek and I came across this chap at Ramshaw Rocks. Lovely chap, very quiet though… Mark Thomas North York Moors Taking advantage of a morning to myself, I set off early for a 200-mile lap of the North York Moors on my Triumph Explorer. Over the Humber bridge to Hole of Horcum for my first stop and then minor roads via Grosmont for a packed-lunch stop at the top of Rosedale Chimney. Afterwards, a short hop to Hutton-le-Hole for a coffee before heading back via Wetwang. A great boost for my mental health! Simon Tillett Valley of Fire, Nevada I had two days off work in Vegas, so I extended a day and rented…

‘I bagged this picture of my GS on the banks of Ullswater in the Lake District. Probably one of the best riding days I’ve ever had.’ Martyn Fordham ‘I’ve been to Scarborough many times but I haven’t been to Oliver’s Mount for a while. It was deserted and I enjoyed a couple of laps!’ Jon Ashley ‘As I was nearby, I thought I’d ride to the Keith Flint graffiti memorial in Peterborough. I was amazed at the quality and amount of work there.’ Andy Baynes ‘Outside the Tan Hill Inn, Britain’s highest pub. The weather was great, traffic lighter than expected and road surfaces fantastic.’ Riann van Deventer ‘I enjoyed a 140-mile father’s day ride with my daughter, Claire. It was fantastic - some of the best riding I do is with her.’ Martin Potts Sign up! www.facebook.com/groups/ride5000miles…

NEWARK-BASED SUZUKI V-STROM 1000 owner David Ayres has packed some stuff into his 59 years: he’s done a bit of flying, taken motorsports photos for a hobby, and now works in IT security He bought the V-Strom two years ago, after a Z1000SX. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep the Kawasaki so while I was working out what to do, I bought the Suzuki as a ‘that’ll do’ winter bike,” he says. “And I fell in love with it.” 12,000 miles later, the V-Strom has toured the Picos and Pyrenees, and with plans for the NC500 shelved this year, David is now aiming for the B500 in Germany. He also puts the miles in as an IAM instructor, as well as riding the V-Strom to work and for…

Best bit David is especially fond of the B1177 running off the A15 just north of Bourne to the A52, joining with the B1394 north to Heckington on the A17. “I use it for IAM training,” says David. “There’s so much going on with that road.” Be careful Beware blind crests along Bitchfield Road, one of which you have to take as a corner. Roadside debris bears testimony to mistakes. “If there was one bit I could iron out on the route, that would be it,” says David. Best place to eat David favours the Heckington Windmill café under normal circumstances. “But the McDonald’s on the A15/A17 roundabout is a sort of biking crossroads and it’s always a good meeting place for riders.” Also remember If you see fields, there’ll be farm traffic and the muck they leave.…