On the road again
The riding season has finally started (kind of), but a long break from riding means not everything is as before
As I sit down to write this column, I'm just back from my first proper ride since the lockdown began. I didn't want to go too far, just in case, but I did a lovely SO-mile loop round some winding country lanes to blow off the cobwebs. Something to ease me back into riding and life outside the four walls of my house.
If you've already been out on your bike since lockdown measures were relaxed, you know how great that felt - just leaving the house, blinking and dazed in the summer sun, was a thrill. But if you're anything like me, you probably also noticed how strange and unsettling that first ride felt, too.
For me, one of the striking things was that car drivers seemed to be divided into two groups: those who thought that a couple of months of not driving at all had somehow magically turned them into a Rally God, and those who had got so used to travelling at walking pace that they continued at the same speed even when driving. It was a case of being one or the other - frightfully fast and out of control, or painfully slow and nervous. Either way, using indicators, looking where you're going and paying attention to other traffic were all skills still on furlough. As motorcyclists we see this all the time, but it seems the lockdown has brought the issues into sharper focus.
However, it wasn't just everyone else that I was worried about. It was me, too. I had no problem physically controlling the bike (my muscle memory seems better than the old brain box), but my mind and eyes were struggling to keep up with everything they had to deal with: I wasn't looking far enough into the distance, I let my gaze fixate on the insignificant, I didn't spot everything I needed to spot - in short,
I was rusty, and I felt it. When you're travelling at 30mph and you feel like things are happening too quickly around you, there's no denying you're not at your best.
To help all of our readers get back on the roads as safely and enjoyably as possible, we have a couple of articles in this issue to help with those first rides back. There's advice on prepping your bike and yourself for the delayed riding season on page 74, and we take a look at the common problems people experience with their riding after a long break on page 80.
Given that you are most likely one of our lovely subscribers as newsagents are still closed and buying single issues isn't easy at the moment (by the way, if you want to make life easy for yourself and subscribe, visit www.classicmagazines.co.uk) you probably already know many of the checks, tricks and preps required to get you and your bike on the road-ready again, but I bet there are a few new tips for everyone in the articles. And if you can add some other bits of advice to the mix, let me know - it's always good to hear from you!
Fingers crossed we will soon be back to normal, or the 'new normal' - whatever that may be. As long as it allows us to ride freely again, I welcome it. Hopefully I'll see you on the road soon. Ride safe!
Mikko Nieminen, Editor