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Category: Other
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Vikki van Someren is married to Anthony ‘Dutch’ van Someren, the founder of the hugely successful Bike Shed Motorcycle Club (BSMC) in 2011. Since that date, The Bike Shed has not only run annual custom motorcycle shows in London and Paris, it has also branched out and set-up a 12,000 square foot venue in Shoreditch that features a 100 seat café and restaurant, retail space and even a barber shop. 
As well as this venue hosting regular events, Bike Shed’s facebook page currently has over 650,000 followers, 100,000 follow it on Instagram and BSMC is a major player in the custom bike scene with manufacturers such as Triumph, Yamaha and Harley-Davidson keen to be associated with it. And it’s fair to say that without the driving force of Vikki behind it, much of this success simply would not have happened.
Q: What is your role within The Bike Shed?
VS: “I am listed as a co-founder of The Bike Shed and Events Director. When Dutch started it as a blog many years ago I supported him and let him spend hours writing stories and editing pictures of bikes rather than entertaining his wife! Nowadays I execute his vision for the events that we put on. I never really get involved with the website side of things, I just take Dutch’s vision for events and make it happen.”
Q: Why that role?
VS: “I have a media and events background and so I use this to co-ordinate all our global events and also everything at the Shoreditch venue. It is a natural role for me.”
Q: What drives your passion for custom bikes?
VS: “I’ve been riding bikes since I was five years old and was brought up with Royal Enfield, Matchless and BSAs in the garden waiting to be fixed. My mother’s partner was a big biker and I’ve always had a keen interest in bikes. I’ve always been a petrol head, whether it be cars or bikes.”
Q: What do you ride yourself?
VS: “I have two bikes at the moment, a beautiful Ducati SportClassic in cream and a Honda Dominator that has been customised to a flat tracker style that is my daily commuter. It’s very loud and causes havoc on the streets!”
Q: Can you handle a set of spanners?
VS: “I have done a basic bike mechanic’s course, but I don’t get that involved nowadays. I just don’t have the time to fettle bikes myself, but I have very strong ideas and generally think I know it all so I stand over someone and direct proceedings! When I have time I will build my own bike – but I think retirement will have to come first as I’m so busy at the moment!”
Q: What would you say to another woman who might be thinking about getting into the custom bike movement?
VS: “I’d say ‘absolutely, go for it!’ But I’d say that to a man or woman who wanted to get into the scene. Take your test and just do it! It doesn’t matter what sex you are, it’s the freedom and enjoyment of riding a bike that matters. I often speak to people who come here about getting into bikes and I always encourage them to try two-wheels.”
Q: What would you recommend as a good first bike?
VS: “I’d say don’t go too big as a first bike, get something you are comfortable with to build up your confidence. If you want something customised then a Yamaha SR250 or Down and Out are doing cool bikes. If the rider is small like me, I’m only five foot two, then I’d say get a small, light, bike. At the end of the day, just get onto two wheels, it doesn’t matter what you ride as long as you are comfortable.”
Q: And what about riding kit?
VS: “I ride in jeans, gloves and boots with a leather jacket if I’m just going home. I never ride without a jacket; my skin is precious to me. I’ll properly suit up if I’m going for a long ride – you need to wear the right gear. In the past I’ve struggled with women’s bike gear as it wasn’t to my style – I don’t like pink stripes – but this is changing and there is now some really cool kit out there! I want functionality but also to look good.”
Q: Does it annoy you when you see kit manufacturers making ‘girly’ riding kit with pink colours?
VS: “Not really, it’s just not for me. Some women like pink riding kit. I don’t define myself as a ‘woman rider’, I’m just ‘a rider.’ I don’t distinguish between male and female, I just want good looking kit that is functional and safe.”
Q: Is the custom scene helping to encourage more women to ride bikes as it has quite a few strong women figures like yourself?
VS: “The custom scene is a little less cliquey than other scenes, for men and women. It can be just as daunting for a man turning up at a bike venue as a woman. The custom scene is very open to like minded, creative, people and that makes it quite friendly. I think women are also feeling more confident in themselves lately. It’s all about creating an open and welcoming environment for all.”
Q: Do you have any role models?
VS: “That’s a big question! I take influences from lots of different people, male and female. I have my favourite racers – Valentino Rossi for one – but I think people are people and I like different elements of people for different reasons.”
Q: What advice can you share with women thinking of running or being involved in a business such as The Bike Shed or within the motorcycle world?
VS: “Just do it! Don’t over think it, don’t think ‘I’m a woman I need to act differently’, just get out there and give it a go. Bring your gifts because as a woman you have a different set of skills to a man, use these valuable skills. Women make shit happen!”
Q: Do you have a mantra or philosophy on how to live your life?
VS: “Ride it like you stole it! Ha, I’d say ‘treat people how you would like to be treated.’”
Q: So what really annoys you?
VS: “The stereotypical vision of women in the motorcycle scene annoys me. I love the fact women are beautiful, sexy, creatures but I want to move away from the stereotypical scene of a beautiful women draped over a bike in order to sell it. If you ride a bike, you ride a bike, it’s not about what’s between your legs. It’s all about who you are as an individual.”
As Vikki’s story proves, the motorcycle world may on the outside appear to be a male dominated industry, but in reality this is far from the case. Just like any business, success doesn’t depend on what sex you are, more if you have the drive and determination to get the job done. And Vikki certainly has this drive, not only in her passion for The Bike Shed’s success, but also her love of motorcycling.
So if you are inspired to take up two wheels by Vikki’s story, what’s stopping you? There are hundreds of motorcycle training centers located throughout the UK and taking to two wheels is much easier and costs far less than you would expect. If you are interested, check out the UK motorcycle industry’s Get On website which has loads of information aimed at those looking at taking their first steps into the motorcycle world.
Finally, and on a slightly less sexy, but practical – not to mention legally important - note, if you are looking to buy a bespoke bike or customise your own machine, you’ll need to think about the security and insurance implications. Specialist providers like Bikesure.co.uk can usually offer you a bespoke policy to suit your bike’s modifications.
You don’t want to spend a lot of money on a customised machine only to have it stolen a week later or find out you’re not covered and can’t ride it. So make sure you can keep it somewhere safe and secure and check with your insurer how any changes to your bike will affect your policy.
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3 years ago, Claire Elsdon arrived into Capetown, having left London a year earlier alone on her Suzuki DRZ 400s to ride the length of Africa. Along the way, her understanding of how high quality motorcycle maintenance can play a major part in reducing the soaring road traffic death toll in Africa was born, along with her appreciation for the importance of giving opportunities to women to learn practical skills, which they can earn a sustainable living from for their families. As a result, earlier this year she moved to Tanzania to set up Africa's first motorcycle maintenance workshop staffed by female apprentices, called Pikilily.
The good news is that Pikilily now has a workshop space near Lake Victoria in Mwanza, Tanzania, just a stone's throw from town. This workshop will provide a place for women apprentices to learn their very first motorcycle maintenance skills and before too long, open the gates to paying customers, enabling them to earn an income. 
Many of Pikilily's customers will come from the 4,000 motorcycle taxi drivers in Mwanza, who are in great need of a reliable, safe & good value motorcycle maintenance service - impossible to find at present. Consequently right now, poor maintenance is costing riders precious time and take-home pay, but also sadly too often, their own lives and that of their paying passengers.
Claire and the team can't wait to help and get started in our workshop but first, they need to raise some money to make it possible!
They need to raise £500 to complete the refurb of the workshop. This would pay for watertight roof on entire premises, secure door and metal grill window to store room plus gates to main entrance, levelling and concrete the floor smooth in apprentice working area, fitting seating and working space in training room/office area and painting the Pikilily mural.
In addition, they need to raise the funds to pay the next 12 months worth of rent - its £50 a month.
They need tools, materials and equipment to equip each of the 5 workbenches in the apprentice area. The list is long but to give you an idea, a spanner would cost roughly £5, pliers £10, brake bleeding kit £30, set of torque wrenches £50.
Ideally they would also like 2 small motorcycles on which to train the ladies in motorcycle maintenance. Such motorcycles retail at around $1000 each.
To say thank you, a "Wall of Thanks" will form the backdrop to their work area. Names, countries and messages of support of those donating to this campaign will be written on there, nestled around the Pikilily logo mural, reminding apprentices each day of their friends across the globe who helped make this community project possible. The wall will appear in the regular workshop vlogs that Claire has been putting out since the start of the campaign.
If you would like to donate, here is the link - www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/pikilily
www.pikilily.com 
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It is with great regret that we announce the death of Furygan’s founder Mr Jacques Segura, who passed away on Saturday 3 September 2016.
“Monsieur Jacques”, as he was affectionately known, created Furygan in 1969 and the company has always revolved around his core values of pride, discipline and family. He was determined, innovative, passionate and very-well respected – both in the motorcycling industry and amongst his employees, whom he educated for many years with his technical knowledge and expertise. Monsieur Jacques had the utmost respect for motorcyclists and was devoted to protecting them with innovative yet timeless clothing and technologies. Today, we are filled with sadness but we pledge to continue this legacy with pride.
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Enjoy a ‘Biker’s Special’ meal for just £6, 1st - 31st October @ Shuttleworth, Old Warden Aerodrome, Bedfordshire...
Valid in the restaurant throughout October 2016 when you visit on two wheels!
Breakfast, Brunch, Burgers, hand battered fish, chips and peas, main meal of the day, including a roast on Sunday.
Open seven days a week, turn up on the day or pre-book (recommended for groups/clubs).
www.shuttleworth.org/bikers-special
The Shuttleworth Collection - an unique flying collection showcasing the first one hundred years of flight. Also featuring vehicles and motorcycles dating back to 1900.
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A new road rage survey from the car leasing company, Lease Car, has revealed that over 40% of UK drivers find cyclists more irritating than any other road user they encounter.
The survey asked more than 1,200* people in the UK a series of questions about what winds them up on our roads as well as their experiences with road rage. When asked to pick out the most infuriating road users motorists come across, there was a clear winner…
The top 5 most irritating road users in the UK
- Cyclists 40.5%
- School Run Mums 29.3%
- White Van Men 28.6%
- Taxi Drivers 24.2%
- Farm Machinery 21.4%
According to British Cycling, the number of cyclists on the road is at an all-time high, with more than two million cyclists taking to the roads every week. It’s thought that team GB’s success in the velodrome at the Olympic games, along with Britain’s recent successes in the Tour de France has spiked our nations interest in the sport.
Just about everyone has experienced “road rage” behind the wheel at some point or another. In fact, 42.6% of drivers feel angry with fellow road users at least once a week. But which UK city has the worst road rage problem? Cyclists… steer clear!
The angriest cities behind the wheel in the UK (based on instances of road rage a month) 
1. Southampton – 10.3
2. Leeds - 8.1
3. Plymouth – 7.8
4. Liverpool- 7.3
5. Manchester -7.1
6. Bristol – 7
7. Sheffield – 7
8. Newcastle – 6.8
9. Nottingham – 6.8
10. Glasgow – 6.2
Although they may be considered a nuisance, cyclists are the most vulnerable group on our roads today and need to be protected, even if this means adding a few minutes on to the average journey time.
To help drivers and cyclists live in harmony on our roads, Lease Car has created a fact file of top tips for drivers to keep in mind when they encounter a cyclist on the road.
· Always check for cyclists before you open your car door – it sounds obvious but drivers can often forget to take a look at their surroundings before leaving their vehicle.
· Give cyclists plenty of space when overtaking them and if there isn’t enough room don’t attempt it.
· Treat cyclist’s equally- by law they are entitled to the same rights on the road as motorists so treat them as you would any slow-moving vehicle.
· Give them extra space in bad weather - wet conditions can make it extremely slippery for cyclists.
· At night use dipped headlights when approaching cyclists like you would any other road user.
· Leave room for cyclists at traffic lights.
· Be aware of blind spots, especially if you drive a HGV.
· When turning left allow a cyclist ahead of you to pass the junction rather than overtake them- patience can save lives.
Tim Alcock, Senior Marketing Executive at Lease Car said: “Our survey revealed that cyclists caused more stress to the average driver than any other road user, and whilst they may be an inconvenience when getting from A to B, we need to remember that they have as much right to be on the roads than anyone else. Cyclists are vulnerable road users, so it’s important to look at how we can raise awareness around their safety, and try and get drivers to keep their cool when they encounter them. Drivers can get carried away sometimes and its important to understand that what may seem like a minor reaction can be extremely dangerous and carry serious penalties if you’re caught by the police. We all come down with a case of Road Rage from time to time, but in these situations it’s important to keep to the old adage of keeping calm and carrying on.”
* The research was conducted with 1,200 general consumers aged 18+ in GB between 05/08/2016 & 08/08/2016. The survey was conducted from a random sample of UK adults.
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