Africa, Asia & beyond with Blazing Trails

We’re delighted to welcome guest speaker Damon l’Anson of Blazing Trails Tours: from despatch rider to adventure tour guide, few can have enjoyed such a varied motorcycling career! Damon became RiDE Magazine’s deputy editor before moving on to edit Performance Bikes. Freelance since 2002, Damon has ridden four continents and 30+ countries. In 2005 Damon made a 16,000km ‘lap’ of India on an indigenous 150cc bike and returned in 2006 to set a solo bike altitude record and win the seven-day Raid-de-Himalaya. He has worked with Blazing Trails ever since.

“Blazing Trails run a number of tours in Asia, Africa and occasionally Europe. From huge adventures like riding the world’s highest road at over 19,000ft, to the green mountains and tropical beaches of Kerala, the company offers routes to suit all levels of riding ability and adventurous intent.”

Members Evening with Damon l’Anson from Blazing Trails
Over Community Centre   |   Starts 7pm    |   Monday 10th February

Guests welcome – click here to request your place(s)

February 2nd – Join Keith & Steve on a ride south

Photo by Splash Pic on Unsplash

Leader Keith Tremeer & tailer Steve Rowdon are not promising the weather for their rideout next Sunday, but participants can be certain of a challenging ride on country roads (and that their bikes will need cleaning afterwards)! Keith explains …

Departing Tesco Royston at 9:30, we’ll head for Golf World Stansted in Elsenham. The route heads through Barley and then south through Dassels to Ware, where we turn eastwards through Hatfield Heath before swinging north to Takeley. We pass north of Stansted Airport before reaching our breakfast stop
Unfortunately there won’t be time for anyone to try out the driving range or 9-hole golf course before we head back through Thaxted, Dunmow & Blake End, turning north towards our final destination at Fourwentways, passing through Great Bardfield & Moor End on the way

This ride takes us along predominantly country roads (a couple of which are single track with passing places), and there is a high likelihood that they will be somewhat muddy. This information is provided as a warning to those who are thinking of washing their bike prior to the ride that they’ll likely have to do it all over again afterwards!

Departs            Tesco Royston, SG8 5UA    what3words 
Breakfast         Golf World Stansted, Elsenham CM22 6FL​    what3words
Ends                  Fourwentways Services, Cambridge  CB21 6AR     what3words

Riders should arrive fully fuelled and in good time for the 9:20am briefing
This ride is limited to 12 participants in total. Click here to request a place

Helite presentation: postponed until April !

The very wintry weather is the prime suspect, but whatever the the reason there’s been a low take-up and we have taken the decision to postpone the Helite presentation – and therefore there will NOT now be a Members Evening this Thursday (16th January). Everyone who had requested a place has been informed of the rescheduled date – Thursday 17th April. We’ll send out an email reminder nearer the time, but once again all will be welcome at the rescheduled talk!

January 19th – Sunday ride to Pearce’s Farm Shop & Café

Mark Fox & Graham Maile shepherd our Sunday ride on 19th January. Mark provides the following description:

“ Starting from BP Arrington near Wimpole, we head west through Dunton and into Ashwell, then cross the A505 to Sandon & ride south through Walkern towards Watton-at-Stone. Turning east to Dane End & the wonderfully named Nasty, we emerge on the A10 and Pearce’s Café & Farm Shop
After breakfast we cross Puckeridge then head through Little Hadham to Clavering. Continuing north we eventually join the B1039 to head home via Great Chishill & Therfield to our journey’s end at Royston McDonalds
As befits a winter ride the route isn’t too technical, but a reasonable amount of country roads will keep the average speed down but hopefully the smiles up! ” 

Briefing  9:20am                    Ride departs  9:30am
Total distance  69 miles       Maximum number of participants  10      

Departs               BP Arrington, SG8 0AD    what3words
Breakfast            Pearce’s Café & Farm Shop, SG9 9ND    what3words
Ends                     McDonalds Royston, SG8 9NT  what3words

Request a place here

Request a place now on January 15th’s mid-week rideout

9:30am Wednesday 15th January: on our first mid-week winter rideout of 2025, which is open to full Members only, Paul Norman sets out from Shell Fourwentways on an all-day ride into Suffolk. Paul stops at Needham Market for a short coffee stop, before continuing across to Wickham Market, Aldeburgh and onto The Kitchen@Thorpeness for lunch

The return route heads through Diss, then back down to Bury St Edmunds to finish in Newmarket at around 3.30pm

Photo by Josh Howard on Unsplash

Total distance ~135 miles             Ride limited to 6 bikes + Ride Leader
Email Paul directly to request a place

CANCELLED – Sunday ride Willow Tree Farm

The snow on the ground has left Patrick & Dave no choice, and they have now cancelled the ride they were due to lead & tail today to Willow Tree Farm. The café remains a very nice spot for breakfast, however, and is sure to reappear as a Sunday Ride destination later in the year. Hope to see you then