Blog by Tim Helstrip
On the evening of Tuesday 16th April Bob Stewart, the out-going Chief Observer for PECAM, William Leo, the in-coming Chief Observer and I trekked down to the Station Tavern in Woburn Sands to deliver Group Ride Training for the Triumph enthusiasts. We were joined by the local Milton Keynes IAM group (MKAM) representative, Ian Clayton, another highly experienced IAM member, MKAM Observer trainer and leader of their Be a Better Biker campaign.
We had been invited to present the training some time ago, when the TOC lost their usual trainer, and we were found to be the only local group to offer Group Ride training on our website – the power of Google!
The original request was the Ride Lead and Tail End Rider (Charlie) training, but as it transpired the group was widened to include an introduction to group riding as well, which was one of the reasons 25 plus dedicated Triumph owners joined us for the session.
Many of the TOC members were experienced Ride Leaders, and so our approach was one of directed conversation. This worked very well, with fantastic engagement from all in attendance as we explored the various aspects of group riding.
We started with the general overview, and worked through the responsibilities of the Ride Lead, the TEC, ride planning, marking junctions safely, incident management, technology aids, ride formations and the different methods of keeping the group together.
We finished the presentation with the motorcycle training on offer, and both MKAM and PECAM offered the TOC slow speed and other training. The presentation was concluded by a short fun video.
Thanks to all at TOC for the invitation, the welcome, and the good-natured conversation. Thanks also the Ian, Bob and William for their help and support.
Tim Helstrip
