RiDE November 2022

'Two brilliant bikes topped the sheets' Welcome to a celebration of people power. We’re not the first magazine to host a Bike of the Year competition but we are the only title where the best is decided by the bike-buying public. From hundreds of readers, we selected a crosssection of British bikers to judge the best machines of 2022. The lucky readers each became RiDE's road-testers, riding all six of our shortlisted bikes on the same set course and the same roads as we test on. Each had to rate performance, practicality and value; it was a fascinating couple of days. Because of their feedback and scores, we know the two machines that have won RiDE Recommended triangles (awarded to bikes for the first time) are the best all-rounders. Both Suzuki's GSX-S1000 GT and…

Killough, County Down My dad Peter on his Honda Africa Twin accompanied me on a last ride with my 2010 Yamaha Ténéré XT660Z before I sold it and bought a new Ténéré 700 World Raid. Making use of some rare fair weather, we stopped off at Rossglass Beach in Killough to take in the stunning view of the Mourne Mountains before heading home. Charlie Watson Get your bike in RiDE & win a BikeTrac system Each month the Star Picture will win a BikeTrac security tracker with a year’s Bike Trac subscription. As well as helping recover your bike if it is nicked, it logs journeys and gives live battery voltage information, too. How to send us your photos Email your most inspirational biking photos to us at ride@ride.co.uk with 'Your Rides’ in the…

Ötztal Glacier Road, Austria On a recent trip to the Otztal Glacier Road, which at 2798m above sea level is the highest road in the EU, I caught my brother-in-law, Nigel Meson, lying on the floor to take a photo. He told me he was trying to take a picture from an unusual angle to get it included in Your Rides. I think my picture is better! Nigel Holmes Porthmadog, Wales This was taken during a fantastic four-day ride-out around north and mid-Wales. Here are my mate Bryan and my brother Neil stopped for a picture on the beautiful A496 between Porthmadog and Barmouth. Bryan's Aprilia is in front, Neil's Monster and my Tiger are bringing up the rear. Peter Bruce Glencolumbkille, County Donegal Living in London, I usually fly home to Ireland for the…

RIDE READER JOHN FRANKLIN RiDE reader John, 53, is a sociai/care worker and co-ordinator, has been riding since he was 16 and has owned everything from lairy two-strokes to Harley Sportsters. He currently has the MT-09 he’s brought out to play today, plus a Royal Enfield Himalayan for green laning and pottering round in the hills I'VE MET UP with John near his home and he's talking me through the route before we leave. “There are loads of great roads and places to visit round here,” he says. “But they won't fit into two hours, sadly.” I'd said we needed to keep it to a couple of hours as we don't have the space in four pages to do a longer route justice, and because stopping for photos and notes always means…

Best time to ride “Depends on what you're riding. On the Himalayan it doesn't matter; on the MT preferably not in the wet! Ideally in the week outside of rush hour so you can enjoy the roads.” The best bit “The A435 from Colesborne to Cirencester if you can catch it without traffic, because in between the long straights, there are sections of corners that just flow, i love seeing it in different seasons, with the leaves turning in autumn or the first snowdrops in the spring,” Be careful at… “Some of the steep descents and climbs, road surfaces and debris on the road can make them quite technical, particularly if it has rained recently." Best place for a cuppa “AV8 at Cotswold Airport - biker friendly and often other bikers to chat to. Cirencester is good…

RiDE INVESTIGATES ARGUABLY MOTORCYCLES HAVE never been safer and greener than they are today. And yet, some local authorities are reducing speed limits in the name of safety and to tackle noise pollution and climate change. But is this the right approach to the problem and where does it leave bikers seeking out new routes? The latest location is south and south-west Surrey, with the local County Council preparing to remove all 60mph limits in an area between the Mole Valley, Guildford, and Waverlev, Although some will become 40mph zones, a map given to RiDE by the authority shows a substantial amount of new 30mph and 20mph zones. "The motive is to reduce the risk and severity of road collisions, and to support people who are walking, cycling and riding horses," Project sponsor and Road…