Our sister group Cambridge Advanced Motorists is hosting a Zoom meeting on Wednesday 17th March at 7:30pm with Vanessa Ruck, author The Girl on a Bike, and have extended an invitation to our members. Read about Vanessa’s recovery from a bicycle accident and subsequent embrace of motorcycling at her Girl on a Bike blog, or watch the YouTube video just below
To request the meeting credentials please contact our Club Secretary Graham Maile using this link
All Members & Associates will have received an email from club Secretary Graham Maile with links to reviews of 2020 from the perspectives of Chairman Mark Pawson and Events Coordinator Catherine Ryan. Links to these messages are reproduced below
Chairman – Remarks on 2020
Events Co-ordinator – Newsletter 2020
Committee members all join together to wish you all a happy Christmas. We all hope for good things in the New Year, and look forward to seeing you all in 2021
For the fourth year running members have the opportunity to finesse their riding skills on the MC1 & MC2 courses run by i2i Motorcycle Academy. In 2021 these will take place at RAF Coltishall, with dates provisionally set for Monday 21 & Tuesday 22 June
If we book before Christmas we can secure the 2020 price of £270 (£288 thereafter). To qualify for an additional 10% group discount, we need to book a minimum of 10 places (7 members already registered their interest!)
The CAM Committee is subsidising the 2-day course for members who have not attended previously, reducing the price further. With early booking, group discount & club subsidy, the cost to members is £213 per person for both days. Members who have previously received the subsidy are welcome to attend again, but will pay £243. To secure these dates & prices I will need to firm up numbers soon, so if you would like to attend please email me (Catherine) using this link
Find out more about i2i with these independent reviews –
With observed rides on hold, Associates may find the Motorcycle Masterclass series a useful resource. In 32 videos Dale, a retired police rider, explores the planning, positioning & observation which are the hallmarks of advanced motorcycling
Some videos focus on a particular skill, but all showcase outstanding riding and subtle roadcraft. The example below is from a demonstration ride for a friend returning to biking after many years away
Many thanks to Associate member Steven Libby who, having recently completed an IAM Skills Day on the Thruxton circuit in Hampshire, has written and shared a review of his experience. Read Steven’s account of his Skills Day here
Inspired by Steven’s review you may wish to sign up for a Skills Day at Thruxton, Croft or Mallory Park. A total of eight Skills Days were held between May and September this year, with one date reserved for female riders. The 2019 season is now ended, but we’ll keep you posted when the 2020 schedule is announced so you can get your name on the list at the earliest opportunity
Congratulations to Steve Rowdon, who recently completed a detailed training program and test to become a National Observer. Chief Observer Graham Scott comments –
Steve Rowdon today passed his National Observer test with flying colours after a grueling time under the close scrutiny of IAM Staff Examiner Pete Doherty
Steve joined IAM in September 2005, and has been a very active member since joining the Observer team. My records do not go back far enough to say how many Associates Steve has helped to full Membership, but I do know that some have gone on to become Observers themselves, cascading down the knowledge gained with Steve’s help
The 100% pass rate which his Associates have enjoyed bears testament to Steve’s abilities. I know that Steve derives much pleasure from his involvement with CAM and fulfillment from being an Observer, a role which lets him see first-hand riders develop with his guidance and encouragement. Steve will now help experienced riders within CAM to become Observers in their own right, as he has been nominated Local Observer Assessor to strengthen our team further
Well done Steve on your well-deserved success!
Many thanks to Associate Ian Dunckley for taking the time to share his reflections on the i2i Motorcycle Academy Machine Control course which he recently attended in York. Ian signed up for Machine Control on his own initiative, but note that CambsIAM negotiated a group discount & subsidised members’ attendance in 2018 and 2019
Read Ian’s account using the link below – if you like the sound of this unique course you can of course contact i2i directly. Alternatively, put a note in your diary and look out for an email towards the end of the year – we hope to offer subsidised attendance once again in 2020 for this outstanding motorcycle training
