Category: Other

1. Road resurfacing with surface dressing epetition

   Posted on 11:00am Monday 7th Apr 2014

   A cheap but dangerous form of road resurfacing comes in the form of surface dressing which is tar sprayed onto a poor surface and then over dressed with chippings.

   It is not rolled in but left with lose chippings for months. Any that are not stuck down can lay in clusters and as such cannot be seen as they are the same grey colour.

   This is fastest form of surfacing but it appears to be the cheapest but most expedient. However due to the lose chippings not rolled in it is definitely the most dangerous surface for any and all two wheeled vehicles, scooters, motorcycles and now including bicycle. Riding on it can only be likened to riding on marbles or ice or indeed diesel.

   If that is not done then as an alternative perhaps the local authorities could be instructed and recommendations made with safeguards that all such temporary surfaces should be rolled to secure the surface and then it should be thoroughly swept to remove all traces of lose and dangerous chippings

   Sign the petition here

    

2. SIMON PAVEY RETURNS TO AUSTRALIA

   Posted on 9:00am Thursday 3rd Apr 2014

   Compass Expeditions is very pleased to announce that Dakar legend, Simon Pavey, is once again returning to Australia to conduct a level 1 & 2 off road training skills course on the weekend of November 1st & 2nd at Mansfield the gateway to the Victorian High Country.

   "Lasts years event in the Flinders Ranges was a massive success" says Mick McDonald Co- founder of Compass Expeditions, "I simply can't believe the change in skill levels, but more importantly, confidence after a weekend with Simon and his team, in fact 2 riders who had never been off road booked the epic 105 Road of Bones expedition shortly after completing the course, it really is that good " continues Mick.

   The weekend course is followed by a 5-day ride out throughout the Victorian High Country where riders can put to practice what they have learnt over the weekend. The route provides a superb mix of easy to challenging dirt with a little pavement mixed in.

   For more info on the course and 5-day ride out, which can be booked separately, click these following links.

   Weekend training 
   5-Day ride out

   www.compassexpeditions.com

3. Public Can Now Report a Street Problem in Under 2 Minutes

   Posted on 10:30am Wednesday 2nd Apr 2014

   Street Repairs is a brand new way of linking local people to local authorities, councils, and highway transport bodies on a nationwide scale.

   It empowers residents to improve their local environment while saving local authorities money on maintenance and administrative costs. The publicly accessible, free-to-use transparent reporting and monitoring system, hands power over to local residents by making it easy to report faults and track the council's progress in addressing them.

   The Street Repairs website is used to capture information about street maintenance issues such as broken pavements, rubbish, street lighting and potholes. Residents can reclaim local streets and work with their council to keep them clean, tidy and safely maintained.

   To submit a report the user simply completes a few simple fields, including the uploading of photos and a brief description of the defect. The built-in geo tracking automatically identifies the user's location and provides exact coordinates which are then overlaid onto a map. This process takes just a couple of minutes and there is no fee to the fault-reporter (normal data handling charges from their service provider apply). Confirmation of the report is sent immediately to both the reporter and the council in question. Regular updates are then made as the report is processed by the council.

   Another big advantage is that the system encourages early reporting of problems, when they are cheaper to fix, thus reducing higher costs to councils.

   Colin Mahoney, the IT Developer behind streetrepairs.co.uk, designed the reporting system to boost engagement between local people and local councils. Evolution of the system is continuing on a daily basis as his team of software developers fine-tune functionality. He stated: "By making the reporting and progress tracking system transparent and freely accessible to the public, residents are now empowered to improve their local environment by flagging faults as the system chases progress updates from the local authorities."

   www.streetrepairs.co.uk

4. Dainese champions present the new collection of jackets featuring GORE-TEX® membranes

   Posted on 10:25am Thursday 27th Mar 2014

   Discover the new Dainese GORE-TEX® jackets with Valentino Rossi, Guy Martin, Andrea Iannone and Nicky Hayden. With their claim of “I'm a racer..and I wanna be”, the four Dainese riders invite you to discover the features of the GORE-TEX® jackets from the 2014 collection.

   For the Touring market Dainese presents the CARVE MASTER GORE-TEX® and RIDDER GORE-TEX® jackets.

   The CARVE MASTER GORE-TEX® jacket has an aggressive look and was designed for those who use their bikes for sports and medium range touring, and for whom ergonomics, comfort and functionality are important. The sporting nature of the jacket is underlined by leather covered thermoplastic pads on the shoulders and by the design that resembles race suit tops.

   Made entirely from Mugello elasticised fabric and with plenty of scope for adjustment, the Carve Master jacket provides exceptional mobility. Reflective inserts are positioned in key locations to ensure high visibility and improved safety on the road.

   The RIDDER GORE-TEX® jacket was designed for motorcyclists looking for a technical garment to use on long trips, but that will also protect from the rain and cold temperatures. RIDDER has been designed to offer excellent comfort; it has a laminated GORE-TEX® membrane, is waterproof and breathable and has a removable thermal lining.

   At the same time it is among the lightest jackets in the category so it does not over strain the body and restrict movement. It also features a padded removable collar, ventilation on the chest and back, many fit adjustments, the possibility of including the Chest Protector and reflective inserts make this jacket an inseparable travelling companion.

   For the City market, Dainese has the CONCORDE GORE-TEX® jacket, which with its laminated GORE-TEX® membrane and soft outer fabric, facilitate quick drying and reduce wind-chill. Thanks to exceptional soft Pro-Shape guards made from an innovative material that adapts perfectly to the body and offers a ratio of impact energy absorption to weight, far in excess of our competitors.

   This hooded jacket offers a similar fit to non-technical garments, while maintaining contained volume near the protectors. Attention to detail includes the reflective inserts and the black metal opaque logo, which perfectly set off the look of this jacket.

   For more information, or to find your local dealer visit www.dainese.com

5. SHARK Vision-R Series 2 now available

   Posted on 10:04am Thursday 27th Mar 2014

   Now available in UK SHARK dealers is the new Vision-R Series 2 helmet. Designed with touring riders in mind, the helmet sits in the brands Discovery division. Taking features from the original Vision-R, the Series 2 has received some upgrades to make it even better.

   The helmet as the name suggests, still benefits from the largest panoramic vision field available on the market. The visor aperture is 25% larger from top to bottom and 10% wider horizontally, compared to that of a standard visor aperture. The extra 10% given to peripheral vision increases lifesaver visibility, which makes the helmet ideal for learners or those new to motorcycling.

   The Series 2 has an upgraded ventilation system with improved airflow and bigger vents and operating switches. Noise has also been reduced in the new version and its auto-seal system makes the visor adhere to the helmet, ensuring a better seal and insulation. The visor can also be opened and set into a de-mist position.

   For glasses wearers it has SHARK’s Easy Fit system where glasses can sit comfortably into a recessed partition of the helmets lining, which is fully removable and washable. There’s also a handy pocket to fit a SHARKTooth Bluetooth system.

   The Vision-R Series 2 is available in a variety of styles and colours, with an RRP of £219.99 for the Blank and Blank Matt versions. The RRP for the Syntic, Synctic Matt, Escapade, Inko, Diekel, Smoke and Smoke Matt is £249.99.

   The Vision-R Series 2 is now available in UK dealers, to find your nearest dealer visit www.nevis.uk.com or call 01425 478936.