FEELING THE COLD?

Dear Mikko, I believe your December editorial on the above topic raises a corollary regarding those riders who have no choice in the matter. I don’t refer to those privileged professionals that you allude to, or even the majority of us who at least have some form of a choice. I imagine even the multi-layered pillion you describe was voluntarily accompanying her partner! No, I refer to, in the majority, the youngest, most poorly equipped, inexperienced and therefore most vulnerable members of our movement, the learners, often 16-year-olds, our interest’s future life-blood, who I strongly feel justify supporting.

Those of us in the three-score-plus-ten age bracket, or even from the following couple of decades, will surely identify with acquiring a powered two-wheeler as the only means of available personal transport at the time. This was for employment, further education, socialising, possibly even romance. Sure, we then got to appreciate personal freedom, independence, performance, economy and possibly all things mechanical, but it was ‘assisted transportation’ as opposed to the limits of pedal power that was our initial goal. The same necessity facing some of the current younger generation, an objective that is also required all-year round, in all weathers, if not in some cases 24/7.

As an example of this, following retirement, I was involved in voluntary work with the then Youth Offending Service and was a supporter of the Wheels For Work scheme that helped provide transport, that could include use of a moped, to assist employment prospects.

I don’t profess to know the answers, and I appreciate there is an idiot criminal element, as there is in all areas, but my heart goes out to the clearly inexperienced riders I see riding in the worst of weathers and conditions, very possibly even encouraged by their motorcycling elders for all the right reasons. I pray they survive.

Years ago I was paid to ride a motorcycle with a white fairing equipped with blue lights. I made it my business to stop and advise any powered two-wheeler rider not wearing gloves or without a rearview mirror, especially those displaying ‘L’ plates. This was some years prior to the introduction of CBT which, effectively, replaced the time-honoured RAC/ACU scheme many of us benefitted by, but which surely failed to incorporate it’s benevolence, replacing genuine organised amateur assistance with a big-brother legal requirement.

Therefore, in answer to your question as to reasons why I don’t ride all through winter, pick any of your own suggestions and add: despite my experience and hopefully expertise, the general poor standard of driving and those drivers who apparently wish to kill me, especially in the dark, but please remember the far more vulnerable and inexperienced amongst our ranks that have no choice, and assist them whenever possible.

Phil Rich

Hi Phil, thanks for the note. You make a good point, the youngest of riders are often the most at risk. I like your way of thinking.

Mikko Nieminen