Confidence builder extraordinare

Mostyn is indeed a magician!
“There is no harsher critic of myself than me”- I think those words would be etched on my gravestone if I hadn’t already decided I was being cremated. Added to which the grammatical use of “me” rather than “I” would probably make me roll in my grave😂

But you get my drift – I am and always have been incredibly hard on myself. I keep pushing to see what I can achieve. So when it comes to riding my motorcycle I want to get it “right” which, for me,  boils down to being smooth, riding corners well, making “steady progress” 😉 and without crashing. Not much to ask really!

For those who don’t know I came late to riding. I was 32 before I rode a bicycle and then two weeks later took my CBT. I’m not naturally gifted at all – as can be shown by the amount of times I fell off during training, including ending up on crutches. But I’m fascinated by biking and when I want to learn something I really do persevere until I feel I’ve got it right!

So what’s with the confidence problem? Let me paint you a picture. At the time I’d been biking for more than 16 years (now 18), which involved four bikes, the odd tour abroad, a track day, three accidents (numpty drivers not me!) and all kinds of weather except snow! I lost my mojo back in 2016. Between that and the lost Covid years, I barely rolled the bike around the garage yet I couldn’t part with it.

Then 2023 hit and I had a moment when I thought “What the heck! time’s a wasting!” Of course by then I literally had seized up, second guessing everything I did so I could barely get out the driveway – we’d moved to a house which was now a hazardous (to me) deep pit of gravel rather than a tarmac’d drive😱. It was a small celebration to get down the driveway, but every ride ended in overwhelming relief that I’d got back safely rather than enjoying the ride. I’d really lost my love for it and felt like I was wobbling on CBT again rather than the many years of experience I have under my belt.

But that little imp of stubbornness that resides me in was not giving in. At first I tried my local RoSPA but unfortunately after covid they were a bit thin on the ground with instructors/observers. But they very kindly pointed me in the direction of a man who shall forever be considered by me to be a magical being – Mr Paul Mostyn of Paul Mostyn Training.

I learn best with one to one training, so I don’t have to feel like an idiot for asking questions everyone else seems to know the answer to. I also don’t have to worry about monopolising the attention of the trainer whom other people have also paid to teach them.

As a trained police motorcyclist and driver Paul is extremely experienced, having ridden and driven in the UK and abroad for more than 33 years and has over 30 years of policing experience. That includes an impressive 28 years of driving and riding at police response and advanced levels. His pedigree is high, having been trained by the Hendon Driving School, worked in advanced training with the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and BMW.

As if that wasn’t enough Paul was the creator of BikeSafe, something I’ve attended twice in my years when I was a London biker, first on my Kwak GPZ500 and then on my Yamaha FZ6s.

Meeting Paul was probably the best thing I’ve done for myself and my biking, – along with a relaxing hypnotherapy session for the gravel. From the moment we spoke on the phone, he had my measure – apparently I think too much!!
When a man, other than your husband, tells you to “stop being a Princess Prendergast and just get on with it”, you know he understands you😂😂

On the plus side apparently I also ride quite well!  He reassured me he was going to stay behind me at all times and would guide me through any tricky situations, so I could just concentrate on riding.
After some time watching me as we moved through built up roads to country ones, Paul told me: “Prendy, you’re a good rider – I’d ride with you without hesitation, whereas there are people I do take out for training and have to tell them they’d be better off not being on a bike!!” High praise indeed from the Master.

My problem is that I don’t just accept a thing is a thing, and go with the natural flow. I want to know WHY is a thing a thing AND a thing? Yes I was that irritating child that constantly asked that question and I still do it today.
Paul calls a spade a spade which is a relief and keeps his language short, sweet and to the point so I completely understand.

For a woman who’s ridden round France, Slovenia, and Italy quite comfortably, it’s clearly a case for me of “if you don’t use it, you lose it”.
Food for thought is that I drive regularly and often do things in different ways to which I was taught, and don’t bat an eyelid about it. But for some reason, I treat as gospel everything I was ever taught during my motorcycle training. I think this is possibly because I never had a bicycle as a child so was never fully aware of what you can physically do/not do on one.
But as Paul points out – that DAS training is to get you through training to pass a test and do so safely. From then on it’s about real life and experiences and adapting until you feel comfortable and safe with it.

He took a guiding hand where needed, and using (single way) intercom guided me, tweaking my road positioning,  explaining the mysteries of easing off and pushing on the gas for different types of corners (I never properly understood that apex thing until now), and above all reminding me to RELAX. After just one three-hour session with him, I felt more in control, understood where my bad habits had crept in, and had a handful of things to practice before our next meeting like the approach to roundabouts and preparing/looking far far earlier than I had been doing which then made it soooooo much easier to ride them.

That weekend I went out on my bike with my husband, and led the way. About 40 mins after setting off we rolled into a petrol station for a fill up. Chef parked up beside me and the first thing he said was: “Well that was money well spent. It’s like chalk and cheese between now and the last time we went out on our bikes”.
To say I was pleased was an understatement.

I’ve had several more sessions with Paul just to focus on things that were annoying me, like turning right out of a junction. Been doing it fine for years but all of a sudden I’m all over the place as if I’d forgotten what to do. ( Turns out it was a combination of not enough power, too much back brake and above all not looking where I wanted to go – proper newbie stuff!).

Being given permission by Paul to relax and trust in my own experience has set me free – nowadays every ride is actually a disappointment to realise I’ve got home as I want to keep riding. I’ve recalled my love for biking, the open road, the twisties and the joy of it all. In the last seven months I’ve put just over 3000 miles on my bike having fun. That compares to the previous two years when I barely did 900 miles in total!

Now I can’t stop grinning whenever I ride!

So if you want one to one training, whether IAM, RoSPA, tackling bothersome issues, or just someone to hold your hand, I can thoroughly ONE HUNDRED PERCENT recommend Mr Mostyn to you.

Ride safe, I’m off to enjoy some biking😉

Prendy

“Hear ye, hear ye! – Listen up if you want to protect your hearing”

16 years ago I bought my first pair of custom made earplugs from Ultimate Ear and as I’ve taken delivery of my fourth and latest pair, I think it’s safe to say I think they’re an awesome product and I’m a devoted customer.

One of the first things I was ever told on CBT was that I should wear ear plugs on the bike to protect my hearing. Otherwise before I ever got to be an old lady I’d either be as deaf as the proverbial door post or worse, develop tinnitus. Ok maybe the instructor was exaggerating, but it wasn’t a risk I was willing to take and duly found myself buying shed loads of squidgy plug things trying to find comfortable ones.

The trouble with those is they always seemed to pop out of place if I even so much as yawned and definitely came out when I pulled my helmet off. So I moved onto ear phones from various websites including ones you cut down to fit your own ears. These were a disaster as I have never felt anything so painful.

Fortunately I was introduced to the wonders of custom made ear plugs from Ultimate Ear by someone who had bought them to sleep at night as her son snored the house down! On researching their product they also did various products for bikers including for listening to music/intercom use.

Modern tech for these SoundEar Pro custom made earplugs

I love listening to music when I’m on my bike. Yes I can see the shaking heads and hear the comments now and it’s nothing I haven’t heard before: “It affects your concentration, It distracts you from the road and other drivers, You can’t possibly hear emergency vehicles” etc etc.

All I can say is I’m not stupid enough to have volume levels up so high that I can’t hear my own bike or the world around me. Listening to music keeps me relaxed and in turn adds to a great biking experience.
If you’re against headphones on a bike, why are they made for training, hearing your satnav, conversing with your pillion, or even to answer the phone? (although taking phone calls on my bike is not one of my sins as I’m not interested in talking to people when I’m riding😂)

There are several companies which make custom ear plugs and prices can vary greatly. The ones from Ultimate Ear are not cheap but there is a good range depending on your needs and budget. The bottom of the range starts at £70 with a simple squidgy to cut wind and engine noise, to a filtered plug which does the same but aids comms with a pillion, to the SoundEar which allows you to plug into your satnav, then the SoundEar Pro with its dual speakers for better bass and the best sound experience.  The bluetooth version of the Pro is the top of the range and comes in at a whopping £339.

I was very fortunate in that I was able to buy my latest pair as part of my safety kit for work. As Marketing Manager for White Dalton Motorcycle Solicitors I spend a fair bit of time on two wheels carrying out my role and my firm likes to ensure I am comfortable and happy😁

As ears continue to grow and change shape over the years, Ultimate Ear recommends you have your moulds redone every 4-5 years. I had my second done because I noticed after four years one ear wasn’t fitting right anymore as I’d had a whopper of an ear infection that seemed to affect the shape of my inner ear. Coupled with that I managed to stand on one in my heavy motorcycle boots and this was also shortly after zipping the cord up into my jacket and shredding it.🤦‍♀️

Over the years I have had at least one of each ear plug stop working, long after the warranty period was up. Ultimate Ear can repair your earplugs, but what with the change in ear shape, and their age, I’ve just lived with it until I decided to get new ones made. Fortunately for me Ultimate Ear continually improves it’s products too – for example the cords are much thicker and well protected now so I no longer fear catching them in a zip.

You can see the difference between my second pair and my latest pair. (Sorry about the photo quality but that’s a very old pic.) The black pair is the older set and is the SoundEar and the light blue set is the SoundEar Pro. I also chose to have white/clear wires simply because it helps me to see where the cords are so I further reduce the risk of zipping them into my jacket!

What a difference 16 years makes!

Getting the moulds made is a simple process and I have either travelled to their office in Sidcup, Kent to have it done on site, or had the moulds made at shows, like the last Bike show at the NEC. The best thing about the shows is that they usually have good discounts so this pair which should have set me back £289 were reduced to £260.10.

My ear moulds being made at NEC bike show
And the finished pair – What the well dressed woman is wearing these days!

The moulds are sent to you, but thanks to new technology they also now keep a scan of your earplugs. Which is a bit of a godsend if, like me, you’re prone to putting things in a safe place – and then forgetting where that is!!

My pair arrived with instructions on how to pop them in and remove from your ears, antiseptic wipes, a lotion to make it easier to put them in, a cleaning tool and a 10% off your next order. The storage packs have changed too, over the years. My first was a handy pocket size container – the latest is some what larger, for unknown reasons. I can’t see myself using it, but then I usually leave my earplugs in my inside jacket pocket so they’re always ready for use.

Super big container – I’m sure you can use it as storage for something else!

The ear plugs are firm but not hard or uncomfortable, and they don’t budge at all when I yawn, or remove my helmet. The sound quality, as you’d expect for such a fee, is very good and I thoroughly enjoy listening to my ipod as I go about my business.

I plan on a trip to France this year, and have to decide what to do about my ear plugs because I just found out that it is illegal there to use any kind of in the ear device, capable of communication, resulting in an on the spot fine. I’ve been reading about people being stopped for using them with their sat nav, which you would have thought was a safer option, than trying to map read!

I think as long as they’re not attached to my iphone – and that’s not in the same pocket, I should be fine but we’ll see.
Riding abroad can be fun, but it certainly gives you pause for thought, as it’s your responsibility to read up on laws to make sure you don’t break them as ignorance is no defence.

In the meantime I shall be enjoying my tunes and less wind noise, as I use my new plugs.

By the way, in case you were wondering if listening to music was illegal or not, then you might want to read the latest column by Andrew Dalton, Senior Partner at White Dalton. In the UK it most definitely isn’t illegal – but you need to make sure you are not distracting yourself with loud music!

Happy riding!

(Just to add – these are my own thoughts on the Ultimate Ear SoundEar Pro and I have never been gifted any of mine or had them reduced in price in return for any of my reviews.)

Baby, it’s cold outside!

In case you hadn’t noticed – it’s cold outside! I’ve always felt the cold badly – as a child I used to cry with the pain of it in Wintertime. Turns out that I wasn’t imagining it as last year my doctor informed me I have Raynauld’s.🥶

It’s incredibly common and is restricted circulation – and explains why I’ve always worn heated gear as soon as Autumn hits and use my heated grips on all but the sunniest days.

My weapon of choice has always been Gerbing – and I first bought heated gloves and a jacket liner 18 years ago. Gerbing’s heating element is guaranteed for life and indeed they replaced both my gloves and my liner when first a finger stopped heating and then my left arm.

Gerbing heated jacket liner and gloves
My original heated Gerbing liner.

But the gear finally had to go because after years of hard wear the connections were breaking, I really had had my money’s worth, and technology has moved on so much. I didn’t hesitate to replace like with like and invested in a new jacket liner, gloves and controller.

I picked up my kit from Sportsbike Shop, in Milton Keynes where I was fortunate enough to have the advice of store manager, Sue. She certainly knows her stuff, and was more than happy to help me try on several sizes (many times!😂) and pairs of gloves until we found the perfect fit.

The differences between the old and new gear are immediate  – the new liner looks and feels sleeker, it’s also longer, is nicer fabric and fits under my jacket better. I actually went down a size so it fits more snugly too and now I need far less base layers than before. Coming from a woman who’s probably responsible for the financial success of ColdKillers, that’s really saying something.

The fit and fabric of the new liner is greatly improved.

It still, thankfully, has heat down both arms, front, collar, shoulders and kidney areas. Added to this the new Gerbing gloves attach at each jacket wrist. My old gloves still work but would need an extra controller (and wire) to make them  useable with the new jacket, (think of kids mittens attached by a long string!) so it was far more practical to upgrade the whole system which links together.

(The gloves do come with the Y-wire you need if you just wanted to run them and not the liner. So as the weather improves I will be able to swop out my heated liner for the jacket’s normal liner and run these wires between the jacket and its liner, for comfort.)

Heated gloves with a touch button for temperature control

Speaking of upgrades, the gloves now have a heat button on each wrist to run them independently of the liner. The colour codes (blue, yellow and red) make it easy to see how high you have them. But the downside is that because the cuffs and buttons are tucked inside my jacket I don’t feel comfortable trying to make changes whilst I’m riding and so will set the heat before I move off.

The gloves are bulky but no worse than normal thick winter gloves, they’re leather with a waterproof lining and have a handy wiper on the left thumb. All have been tried and tested in the recent bad weather and work perfectly.

Leather, waterproof, with a connector to the jacket liner at the wrist

I have to admit the new jacket’s heat controller is not my favourite. It used to be a simple knob you turned, now it requires pressing to go from 1-5. No big deal except that as there is also no handy carrier, like the old one that you could clip to you or a tank bag, this has to be tucked into my jacket’s waist strap. In turn that means I can’t see the numbers on it which you press for heat, because my helmet’s in the way when looking down.

The main controller, attached to my jacket’s waist strap

Fortunately so far I’ve been quite comfortable with 2 and only occasionally have had to use 3 for a short period before I felt like I was overheating. So again I either set it before I move off, or have to wait until I’m in a safe position to adjust it, like at traffic lights. Otherwise it involves lifting the chin of my flip helmet, whilst riding, to be able to see the controller, which I don’t like doing.

I’m hopeful that the more I use it, the more instinctive it will become, because quite frankly the kit is a godsend and has proved its weight in gold from the moment I plugged in.

A very happy bunny – and as warm as toast too!

It’s been so good that several times in the last four weeks, I, who usually live with my heated grips on, have been out all day, stopping only for the odd cuppa and slice of cake, haven’t needed them switched on and am riding without a hint of discomfort.

My work colleague, Gavin Grewal, a solicitor at White Dalton, swears by his Keis heated jacket liner. You may have seen our Facebook posts about our gear and how Gerbing squares off against Keis.
Clearly we are both big fans of heated gear, and each of us adores their chosen brand.

Whichever one you may be thinking of, we agree heated gear is a game changer for enabling winter riding, helping to keep you warm, alert and therefore increasing your safety.

Prendy

Women in Moto Exhibition

The search is on for my tribe!
Now that I’m back into biking, lots of fun things keep popping up in my social media fields and I was thankful that one was the Women in Moto Exhibition . As soon as I say it and delved into the show details I knew it was one for me and I had such a blast😍.

I don’t actually know that many female riders so I jumped at the chance to go to an event focusing on women and what we ride, and everything from clothing to customising bikes, to training,  off roading, adventures and more.

Meeting the awesome speakers panel

The show did not disappoint – I was there for one day and could easily have done more. I thoroughly enjoyed the key speaker sessions I attended. Ruby Rides, Sophie McGann, AJ the Honest Biker, BikerKaz and Rosyulina the racer all shared their experiences of how they got into biking, how their passions have progressed and the highs and lows of their social media experiences. They also had top tips on handling the pressures of trolls.

One of my favourite – and completely packed out sessions, was the talk by Ruby Rides on how to wear makeup under your helmet. My guy was with me and couldn’t understand why that was one on my list  – then he took one look in the packed out room and said “That’s a lot of interest – I’ll see you later”😂

It was an excellent talk, with really useful handy tips, names of great products and where to get them, and her model looked great at the end of it. As soon as the weather stops hitting 30degrees when even suncream is sliding off my face, I’ll be going shopping😁

Ruby Rides demonstrates the Holy Grail – how to wear/apply makeup that lasts under your lid

It was great to see lots of ladies getting a taster of biking, in the paddocks with Honda’s training team – the smiles were beaming and reminded me of when I passed my own CBT.

I was also fascinated by things I’d never even considered – like a biker’s funeral. I met Marian Sinclair who runs Motorcycle Funerals and was seriously impressed by the range of vehicles they have which can transport you to your last resting place. She’s quite correct when she says, “if you’ve always travelled on two wheels, why would you take your last journey on four?”. It’s certainly food for thought.

Motorcycle Funerals

Off-roading has never appealed to me because I don’t like dirt – and I really mean that. But chatting away to ladies from the Trail Riders Fellowship got me thinking about its benefits such as riding control when skidding and riding on loose surfaces. Having a (deep) gravel drive, which makes the beginning and end of every ride a pain in the proverbial,  I was interested when they talked about their women only training camps in Wales. As one of the riders put it “women do learn differently and that’s really accepted on the course – they know we like to have it fully explained, see it in action, explained again and then we have a go” – well it may be generalisation to some but it’s spot on for me and the way I learn so that’s another added to the list “To Find Out More”.

One of Karen Wick’s bikes – the first woman police motorcyclist in West Yorkshire.

Having lived and worked in London, I’ve completed two BikeSafe London days there, from the Ace Cafe over the years. First on my GPZ500 and again on my FZ6s. I was chatting away to the Derbyshire Police Bikesafe team who suggested I do a session with them. Unlike London, where the environment focuses on built up city roads, Derbyshire Police has country and twisty roads which of course is much more the sort of roads I’m on now. Again, another one for the list.

It soon became that whilst yes there are lots of male bikers, there are also many female bikers in or around the area I live in and also different groups to find them through as well as the long reaching arm of social media. So I’m looking forward to getting out and meeting up with them too.
If you’re in the Buckinghamshire area please feel free to send me details of any cheerful, welcoming groups, bike nights and meet ups and I’ll add them to the list as it’s much appreciated.

Prendy

On the flip side – a Neotec ll will do nicely

Apart from hearing the words “I love you” from my husband now and then, I have to admit that it’s just as nice to hear those other magical words he occasionally utters like “isn’t it time we bought you a new lid?”

Lol!  For a woman with an expensive shopping habit, I still tend to have a terrible memory when it comes to renewing key bits of my kit. Thankfully, the other half is my line manager at White Dalton Motorcycle Solicitors and as such wants to make sure all his team’s biker kit is appropriate.

So off we went to our nearest bike accessories shop, Sports Bike Shop where I got the Shoei Neotec 2. Incidentally I was delighted to find the manager at the Milton Keynes shop is Sue Hurley, who sold me my very first motorcycle gear after I got through CBT almost 20 years ago. If ever there was a woman who knows her stuff, it’s Sue, as she’s been involved in the bike industry for a whopping five decades! (And yes I did end up roadtesting that kit and thanks to Sue was able to walk away in one piece.)

I used to be devoted to Arai helmets. Found them super comfortable and the paint designs were second to none. However with touring and commuting a fair bit I found a flip was a necessity when stopped at traffic lights in town as I get instantly hot, and I also got fed up of trying to get it off and handle the bike, gloves, and documents, when being stopped at passport control. Not to mention the terrible months I had when I had a few health issues that resulted in projectile vomiting – there’s nothing quite like that panic of trying to get a full face helmet off before your lunch reappears!

This matt grey Shoei Neotec 2 is my third flip having started with a silver multi-tech, then the black Neoctech l. ( Having reviewed the multitech back in 2012 I thought I’d give you my views on my latest lid.)

I could have waited for the latest version, but there were murmurings it wasn’t coming out until 2024. As it is, the Neotec 3 was released this week – just a week after I bought this. But at £620 it was out of my price bracket anyway. The Neotec 2 came in at a reasonable £399 – and has that coveted Ride Best Buy green triangle so it gets my vote.

Taking it out the box this flip weighs in a tad bit heavier than the previous models at 1.75kg over the previous 1.48kg. But since I’m used to the weight of a flip it’s not noticeable to me. What was immediately noticeable was the pressure of the new cheekpads. I definitely felt a little like a chipmunk but realised that the pressure isn’t hard and uncomfortable or made me feel in danger of biting the inside of my cheek – just more secure feeling than my old lid where the pads are probably like old slippers to me.

This lid looks a little different to the previous incarnations as Shoei has apparently focused on making it more aerodynamic. They have also catered directly for one of the biggest users of its lids- those who want to use microphones either to talk to pillions, or answer the phone and have ports on each side of the helmet and a battery area at the back so it’s all neatly tucked away. It’s made to incorporate the Sena comms system which undoubtedly should mean a “built-in” design will cut down on wind when communicating with others or trying to listen to satnav or using the phone. And you’ll have less wires/leads to tuck away in your jacket.

It’s not something I’ll be using so can’t comment on how good a job it’s doing. I used to have an Autocom in my Arai when I first started riding which worked well, but eventually found I prefer the peace of not communicating with anyone when I’m on the bike. I’m lucky enough not to need to make or take phonecalls whilst riding anyway and I actually prefer to read my instructions on my sat nav. Whilst I do listen to music I have that through my trusty ipod and my  Ultimate Ear plugs.

The vents are easy to reach on the top with a slide system for the front one. This time they’ve gone with the logic that you don’t need an open or shut on the back vent, it’s just open since it’s purpose has always been to allow the air inside the helmet to flow outwards. The other is at the chin and a slightly thinner design than the previous model. The internal sun visor has the same slider system on the left hand side and the usual accessories of pinlock visor, breath guard and chin curtain are included.

I took this for a spin and immediately was struck by how comfortable it is with a real reduction in noise. I was wearing my Ultimate earplugs, which is standard for me since I happen to like my hearing the way it is. So it made sense to wear them on the test, but obviously I didn’t put any music on for this.

I never have music on so loud that I can’t hear my engine, emergency vehicles or car horns tooting but I want to be able to block out that “windy vibration” for want of a better description. This lid does that very well. It also has the ear areas slightly recessed so you don’t get any extra pressure of the pads pressing on your earplugs and giving you a headache.

Speaking of headaches when I stopped for break, about 40 minutes in, I was struck by the lack of pressure on my forehead. I’ve always had just a pinpoint of mild pain there from my helmet which was never immediate but would build up over time as I rode. It wasn’t debilitating so it was never a major concern. But I’m really pleased to sat that it’s disappeared with this Neotec 2.

The previous flip lids have never been able to beat the Arai for having a fixed gap at the visor’s closing, where you could get a sliver of air to cool down or combat sudden steaming up. Sadly Shoei still hasn’t introduced it on this model so you’ve either got the wind blasting in your face, or if left ajar it will slam shut just as you picked up speed. I was using this lid on a full day’s riding in 30degree heat and I’d have given my non-existent firstborn to have that gap😁🥵

The good news is that the vent at the chin is a big improvement in that it does a good job of letting in air without blasting it so hard that I get my eyebrows frozen in place anymore. 👍

So what’s left to say? Not much really. All the additional bits like the chin curtain and pinlock do what they’re supposed to. This chin curtain is a little deeper and wider than the previous model so it’s definitely better at keeping the wind off your throat especially when worn with a neck warmer.
I actually prefer a D-ring for closing my helmets as I just find them less pffaffy. But once you set the Neotec’s ratchet strap to your required size there’s nothing more to think about.

Last but not least, this lid still fits perfectly inside my topbox, which is a 52litre Givi. (I’ll just add that the document holder is removed as I never store anything in it and it just takes up space).

All in all I am very pleased with the Neotec 2 and think it’s a good improvement on the previous model. No doubt the latest version Neotec 3 is even more fab, but if it’s out of your price range, then the 2 is great value for money and holds the Ride Green Best Buy triangle👌.

Prendy.