Category: Tourism & Travel

1. How does the website you advertise with rank on the www? As easy way to check

   Posted on 12:00pm Thursday 15th Dec 2016

   We work very hard @ THE BIKER GUIDE to get a large and loyal visitor to our website, with most Bikers in the UK and Europe using us in the 1st instance to look for somewhere to stay - even before they use Google.
    
   The 'other' websites available to advertise that you are indeed Biker Friendly, are mainly directories - ie no news, articles, what's on, competitions and more, so have a very low visitor and when we asked - 89% said they only used us when looking for any Motorcycle related information.
    
   An easy way for you to check a websites worth is see how many people 'like' them on facebook, check their own guestbook and customer reviews and checking on SimilarWeb, which is a good way to check on a website - not always up-to date with some of the information, however gives you a good idea on worldwide stats and UK ranking.
    
   Amazingly some of the website have no UK ranking!
    
   SimilarWeb - www.similarweb.com/website/thebikerguide.co.uk#pro
    
   
   A customer said this to us - "After trying a few other websites that 'supposedly' advertise biker friendly places and getting virtually no response, I have recently signed up with THE BIKER GUIDE. I cannot believe it took me so long, as within 3 weeks the 12 months advert I placed has already been paid for (and more) with a booking for next June. I am going to be honest - the other websites I have tried were cheaper, but you know a waste of money, £25 quid here, £35 there - it all adds up!"

2. Have motorbike - will travel...

   Posted on 10:00am Sunday 20th Nov 2016

   I set off from Barnstaple at 1:00pm on Friday heading to Glasgow and arrived at 11:30pm.
   
   Set off from Glasgow at 8:20am on the Saturday morning and arrived at John O'Groats at 9:30pm Saturday.
   
   On the Sunday morning after a photo shoot at the John O'Groats sign I left at 9:30am and arrived home in Barnstaple at 2:30am on the Monday morning. That was 17 hours with only comfort breaks.
   
   Why?!?!
   
   Because it was there.
   
   Marc Kent
   
   

   

    

3. Countryside Holidays in France - it has been an amazing year, helped by the sidecars and dogs…

   Posted on 12:00pm Saturday 5th Nov 2016

   Very few people these days have seen a sidecar close up, let alone had the opportunity to ride them, especially along dirt roads!  
   
   I think I have the largest collection of sidecars in central Brittany and have even made a little museum for them.
   
   Many Bikers have ridden them when staying with us, including one lady who has spent a lifetime riding pillion, far and wide with her husband (even up to the arctic circle) and had never ridden a bike herself.

   With a little persuasion and help, she rode the Russian outfit - The joy on her face was a picture and she was almost in tears and said she never thought she would be able to do something like that.

   
   
   The pictures of the guys and gals on the sidecars in the bike shed are of Bikers all from Derbyshire.

   

   Sidecar coming through the trees of two brothers
   
   We all had some terrific times.
   
   Rog @ Countryside Holidays in France

   www.countrysideholidaysinfrance.co.uk
   
   

   See them on THE BIKER GUIDE here 

4. Excellent motorcycle packing from Ray F Walton

   Posted on 2:00pm Friday 4th Nov 2016

   "Just packed the Wing ready for a Dads and Lads Big Adventure to Spain. I do like to travel light!"
   
   

   

   1 Kuryakyn Trunk Lid Organizer Bag and The Wolfman Tool Roll*
   2 Honda waterproof jacket
   3 Another Honda waterproof jacket (packed inside its own pocket)
   4 First Aid kit
   5 4.5 litre Petrol Can
   6 THE BIKER GUIDE booklet
   7 SealSkinz Winter gloves, plus a thermal neck tube
   8 SealSkinz waterproof gloves plus fleece neck tube
   9 Bivi Bag - for sleeping in on floor at side of bike if it rains (hopefully not needed)
   10 Passport, AA roadside, log book, insurance documents, E111, travel insurance (all in plastic covering)
   11 GP PowerBank for charging mobile and iPad
   12 Contour helmet camera
   13 Stop and Go Pocket Tyre Plugger
   14 Neck tube
   15 Micro 35 litre rucksack
   16 Motorbike cover - faded and still does a great job
   17 VW Compressor (Fantastic bit of kit)
   18 Water bottle
   19 Warning triangle

   
   * Inside includes fuses, sockets, cable ties and heavy duty tape wrapped around a pencil sharpened at both ends. Also a selection of pain killers, Gaviscon, ear plugs, mosquito repellent, face wipes and tissues. USB car socket adaptor, pens, head torch, Leatherman Pro Multi tool AND two plastic pegs for ferry and tunnel tickets.

   THE BIKER GUIDE would like to thank Ray for this excellent picture and very detailed list of items inside.  

5. Hapless Biker’ Donates Royalties to Blood Bike Charity

   Posted on 9:00am Tuesday 1st Nov 2016

   Kevin Turner, author of the Hapless Biker series of travel books, will be donating his royalties to Shropshire and Staffordshire Blood Bikes (SSBB), his local group of life-saving riders, for all book sales from 1st November 2016 to 30th April 2017. Kevin’s publisher, Veloce Publishing, will match the author’s sales royalties, essentially doubling Kevin’s donation.  

   Kevin’s books, Bonjour! Is This Italy? and From Crystal Palace to Red Square tell of his adventures throughout Europe, Scandinavia and into Russia, first riding a Suzuki SV650S and then on his ’02 Kawasaki Ninja.

   Explaining why he’d chosen to donate to this worthwhile cause, Kevin said: “I really wanted to do a charity ride or a sponsored adventure, but I have twin boys that have just turned two and finding time for a big ride was out of the question. But I realised I could essentially recycle my past journeys in the sense of donating the sales from my books; it’s not quite as exciting as getting out on the road but at the end of the day, it’s about supporting my local Blood Bikers, not going on holiday.”

   SSBB is a volunteer service, providing emergency transportation of blood products, for free, to NHS hospitals across Shropshire, Staffordshire and South Cheshire. 

   Nigel Howells, Fleet Manager at SSBB said: “Shropshire and Staffordshire Blood Bikes rely on donations to maintain our machines and support our riders. Our riders embark on mini-adventures every time they head off on a potentially life-saving journey; although we like to think we’re a little better prepared than Kevin seems to be! We’re delighted to accept this donation; we’re sure readers will enjoy Kevin’s entertaining books while at the same time supporting our life-saving work.”

   If you’d like to support Shropshire and Staffordshire Blood Bikes and enjoy a good read in the process, Kevin’s books and e-books, Bonjour! Is This Italy? and From Crystal Palace to Red Square are available to buy from Amazon.

   You can find more information about them on Kevin’s website.

   www.haplessbiker.com