COVID-19 - WHAT CAN MOTORCYCLE RIDERS DO?

After the crappy wet winter, we’ve all been massively looking forward to the spring and the start of riding season. Aaaaaaaand then Mother Nature decides to send us Coronavirus and weeks of social distancing and self isolation. Yeah, actually it’s really shit. 

But riding motorcycles hasn’t been banned yet! We are allowed to go out and ride - in fact, we are actively being told to avoid public transport. Plus, when we’re riding we naturally wear gloves, keep our mouths and noses covered and keep safe distances. And yeah, it’s probably for the best that we do it alone for now.

But there are even better things you can do to help the wider community during this time if you are well and if you own a motorcycle. Here are some of the great initiatives and help set up for you to get involved with :

• Join the Bike Shed’s Community Support Riders group on Facebook. They’re still in the planning and testing stage right now, but this is a great way to help people who need it in London and beyond. Check it out and join the group here. 

• Maybe you’re a healthcare worker or provider (though if you are, we’re sure you’re doing more than enough already), or just want to volunteer in a personal capacity? You can sign up for the National Care Force 

• Sign up to be a blood donor - people still need transfusions and there has been a massive drop off during the pandemic! If you’re not already a donor, you can sign up here.

• Check in with your neighbours - especially elderly and/or vulnerable neighbours - put a note through their door. If your neighbours hate you because your exhaust is really loud, now is the time to make it up to them...

• Respect rules about social distancing! 

• Don’t panic buy! If you’re only eating all that pasta you’ve hoarded you’re going to emerge from this very rotund and with some serious vitamin deficiencies. 

And if you are riding, now is the time to do it AS SAFELY AS POSSIBLE. People aren’t using public transport, but they are out in their cars, and they are anxious and driving in an even more mental fashion than usual. They need more bog roll for their toilet roll fort (or whatever they’re doing with it) and they are probably not looking out for you on your motorcycle. This is not the time to be in an accident because frankly, the NHS have got more important things to deal with. Spot those hazards and avoid them. Let aggressive drivers pass you, suck it up and give way to anyone who looks like they’re on a mission for that last bag of penne.

Stay safe and wash those hands

VC x

CAMP VC X THE TELEGRAPH FOR IWD 2020

We’re absolutely stoked and very proud of this article on Camp VC in The Telegraph ❤️❤️

If you’re still on the fence about whether to come read it! You’ll have the raddest weekend of your summer. Promise 

Read the full article HERE and get ready to book your CAMP VC 2020 tickets when they launch on Saturday April 4th @ 10am over at www.campvc.co.uk !

Annnnnnnnd remember, we have limited tickets and have sold out every year for the past 3 years so JUMP IN FAST!!!

JOINING THE DOTS - A HUCK PODCAST FEAT. VC LONDON AND SIDEBURN MAGAZINE

P// VIVIANA GOMEZ MORALES

Joining the Dots with Gary Inman and Gemma Harrison - A Huck Podcast

We were absolutely stoked to be asked by the good dudes over @huckmagazineto be part of their rad podcast series with the legendary Don Letts  speaking alongside  @sideburnmag about all things moto culture.

Joining the Dots is a new Huck podcast. Each week DJ, filmmaker and subcultural superstar Don Letts sits down with a new guest to discuss their life and work. This week, Gary Inman, editor of Sideburn Magazine, and Gemma Harrison of VC London sit down with Don to talk bike culture.

Recorded in Don Letts’ creative bunker at the bottom of his West London garden, Joining the Dots traces the way artists, athletes, activists, and subcultures have interacted across decades and continents without even realising.

In this week’s episode of Joining the Dots, our host Don Letts sits down with Gemma Harrison, of VC London, and Gary Inman, editor of Sideburn Magazine. Gemma and Gary are at the heart of the burgeoning alt.biker scene – an inclusive, open-minded generation of people redefining what it means to ride a motorcycle. Careworn clichés and the tired macho tropes of biker culture are being replaced with a simple love of riding – and the crew explore all the colours of this liberating new scene. 

Across the course of this first season, Don sat down to talk with guests as diverse as photographer Guy Martin, skater and artist Ed Templeton, big wave surfer Andrew Cotton, and emerging musician Georgia.

If you’ve got a bit of time to kill? Pop over to SPOTIFY or ITUNES to have a listen to us blah blah blah about stuffffffs.

CHARM CITY KINGS AND THE WHEELIE QUEEN

Mannnnnnn we cant wait for this! The epic Charm City Kings has just premiered at Sundace film festival and is due for general release this April 2020. Yassssss!

“Directed by Angel Manuel Soto and based in Baltimore, Charm City Kings is the story of fourteen-year-old Mouse (Jahi Di’Allo Winston) who desperately wants to join the Midnight Clique, an infamous group of Baltimore dirt-bike riders who rule the summertime streets. His older brother, Stro, was their top rider before his tragic death—a loss that consumes Mouse as much as his passion for bikes. Mouse’s mom and his police mentor, Detective Rivers, work overtime to help the charismatic teen reach his full potential, but when the Midnight Clique’s leader, Blax (Meek Mill), takes the boy under his wing, the lure of revving his own dirt bike skids Mouse toward a road way past the straight and narrow.”

Watch out for the awesome Lakeyria Doughty - “The Wheelie Queen” who stars alongside and incredible cast to bring to light one of the most intriguing and infamous subcultures within modern motorcycling today.

COME RIDE DIRT WITH US @ VC DIRT DAY 2020

Cant wait until Camp VC 2020 to get on the dirt ?!

We’re teaming up with Docklands riders this March to present a day of dirt training with our Intro To Dirt track day at London docklands inner city track!

Open to riders of every skill level from total beginner with different bikes to suit all experience levels and heights, the sessions are in 3 hours riding slots (morning and afternoon) and include everything from training with professional enduro coaches, all kit, insurance, bikes, and a VC goodie bag.

We’ll also have tons of info on how to get into off road and trail riding in the UK from our community and we’re also bringing along some of our own dirt bikes for you to take a look at where to start out, so come armed with all your burning questions and get ready to hit the dirt!

CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE DEETS AND HOW TO BOOK !!

LEARN HOW TO BRAAP LIKE A PRO

Into dirt bikes and not heard of Megan Griffiths aka Megs Braaps yet? 

Well get to know her immediately! The Canadian rider started riding at 17 years old and has since cemented herself as one of the most trusted voices in hard enduro via her socials and youtube channel that has how tis for any type of rider!

Her how- to videos are some of the best we’ve found for simple explanations of all the crazy enduro tricks you wish you could do on a dirt bike to get you log hopping and wheelieing around off road to your hearts content. If you’re wanting to get into dirt bikes especially her videos are a must to help you start to not only understand how to physically do it but also the physics behind how a bike is designed to help you do everything you need to if you can master it properly. 

On top of this Megs is a shorty rider at just under 5 and half feet so for of those that get in touch with us asking about which bikes to ride if you’re on the shorter side of things, the answer, if Megan is anything to go by, is .... well, any...  if you’re willing to put in the seat time and practice to master a tall bike. 

“There are a couple of things that I absolutely love about riding dirt bikes.  The first thing is the adventure of it.  I can't get enough of exploring new places and finding new terrain.  I always need to see what's around the next corner or over the next hill!  Being out in the woods is the best place for me.  Another reason I love it so much is for the feeling you get when you start improving your skills and becoming a better rider.  There is no better feeling than when you leave your comfort zone and succeed at something you couldn't do before.  There is no limit to what you can do on a bike, the bar just gets higher and higher as you get better.  There is no end to the challenge! “

Check out her insta and YouTube for some vids and prepare to want to get out there on the dirt more than ever. 

IF YOU DO ONE THING TODAY WATCH THIS....

Operation Moffat follows climber Claire Carter as she navigates the questions facing her life as a young woman while trying to forge a courageous path in life. Claire then finds inspiration in meeting the legendary guide and writer Gwen Moffat, who broke the mould for what women can achieve in the mountains half a century earlier.

This is one for anyone finding themselves torn between what they love doing whilst thinking about the questions of their future. Prepare to be inspired….

To watch the over at www.redbull.com click HERE

LAIA SANZ - DAKAR 2020

Its almost that time of year again! The famous DAKAR RALLY begins on January 5th 2020 in Saudi Arabia and we’ll be glued to it to watch one person in particular………

The awesome Laia Sanz from Barcelona has been competing in the Dakar since 2011 and has been the fastest woman to compete in the Dakar 7 years in a row holding the prestigious title of completing the rally every year that she has entered with her best finish to date in 2015 when she finished 9th overall.

After starting to ride at the age of two, when her father used to sit her on the fueltank of his motorbike. The family passion for motorbikes took root in Sanz who at four years old was riding her older brother’s Montesa Cota 25cc. Laia was then competing by the time she was only six. The Red Bull athlete has since then become a 13-time Women’s Trial World Champion and 10-time Women’s Trial European Champion in outdoor motorcycle trials. The year 2010 was pivotal for Sanz when she began training with Dakar Legend Jordi Arcarons and also participated in the Women’s Enduro World Championship. The following year she made her Dakar Rally debut and has competed every year since.

Laia’s goal is to finish in the top 15 for 2020 however, she acknowledges that it will be a difficult task due to the skill level of her competitors. Its been tough year for Laia after contracting Q fever - an infectious disease that forced her to stop competing and disrupted her preparation for her 2019 season so we’re stoked to see her lining up for this years 2020 event as one of the worlds best rally racers. But Laia is no stranger to adversity as she to this day remains the only woman to ever finish the event within the top 10 competitors. The philosophy that keeps this motorbike warrior moving forward is simple. “Above all, I want to have a good time. That’s what motivates me. From here, my goal is to get good results because that will allow me to continue dedicating myself to this.”

This year, Laia is riding the new KTM 450 for the GAS GAS factory team and hopes to repeat or improve on her 2015 results and we’ll be cheering for her the entire way!

GO LAIA!

NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE DAKAR RALLY ?

Check out the little vid below for a run down of its history and why it’s such an incredible race to watch!

VC BEGINNERS INTRO TO BIKES SESSION!

P// SARAH EMMA SMITH

Brap brap we’re baaaaack! After getting an absolutely overwhelming response to our insta post shout out for bike curious womxn to get in touch we kick started our new beginners’ sessions last weekend with a bunch of newbies in our shitty east London car park! From a new mama (who brought her gorgeous 6 month old along) to a seasoned skateboarder, we gave these rad ladies their first taste of motorbike riding, taking them from complete newbies all the way to riding a slick figure of eight by the end of the morning.

P// SARAH EMMA SMITH

From chatting to people on insta, at our events and at our monthly meet ups we know there are still a ton of womxn out there who are really keen to get on a bike. But unless you’ve got a kind and generous pal with a little bike and bit of space to try it out on (tricky to find in London), you’re sometimes just left with the option of taking the plunge and signing up to do your CBT (Compulsory Basic Training). And this involves committing about 100 quid to doing it - A bit daunting for some and a bit of an investment already… Plus, if you have no experience on a geared bike you’re usually advised to do this on a twist and go scooter , so even after you’ve done the day’s training, ridden out and about on the road and got your CBT certificate, you’ll still need to figure out how gears and everything work on an actual motorbike. PHEW!

Cue our VC complete beginners intro to bikes sessions! A great way to try out the basics, ask any questions you might have and meet other riders!

P// SARAH EMMA SMITH

P// SARAH EMMA SMITH

P// SARAH EMMA SMITH

P// SARAH EMMA SMITH

P// SARAH EMMA SMITH

Wanna try? Sign up HERE to get your name on our waiting list for the next available sessions!

All images by Sarah Emma Smith

TRIALS RIDER EMMA BRISTOW BECOMES WORLD TRIALS CHAMPION FOR 6th TIME!

enduro21.com

The world trials championships in Japan saw two fantastic wins for Emma Bristow – the Lincolnshire based rider who continues to dominate the sport of motorcycle trials across the globe.

Emma, 28, has been riding high in the trials’ arena since the age of just 16 when she gained a ninth placing in the 2006 World Championships. Currently reigning GP Women’s World Trials Champion, her 2019 campaign started in Japan this month (June) before heading to France and Portugal for the next two rounds.

And it couldn’t have gone better, with the awesome athlete taking two podium spots.

“I couldn’t be happier with the results from the world championship opener, taking two wins out of two,” said Emma.

The sport has taken Emma onto the international stage – a hobby encouraged by her parents when she was only four years of age, before her obvious skills saw her climb the ladder, attracting a run of sponsors and turning professional.

She signed for the Ossa factory in 2011 and rode to runner up position in the World Championships, a result she repeated in 2012. At the end of that season Emma joined Sherco and 2013 proved to be a successful year, winning the Women’s FIM Trial European Championship  Emma then went from strength to strength and, in 2014, she clinched both the British Women’s Title and the Women’s FIM Trial World Championship

With the bikes weighing 70 kilos, Emma explained how core strength was vital to her, along with building and retaining her strength and endurance, especially as the British Championships are mixed competitions.

“It is a fact that men have more natural physical strength and to compete on that level I have to ensure I maintain and continually improve my fitness in all areas. The power and explosiveness have to be there,” she said. Training, either in the gym or on the bikes, takes place six days a week and lasts up to four hours, and that has been the case since her competitive career began. As with many teenagers, she had a hard decision to make when she left sixth form – whether to pursue her sporting dream or go down the academic route.

“I could have gone to University, but I just didn’t know what I wanted to do and was not going to embark on something that wasn’t right for me. I look back and have no regrets.”

Married to James Fry, a fellow enthusiast, the couple are completely immersed in the sport and support each other.

“We love it. And while I know I have been lucky to follow my dream, it is like everything in life – you must work hard and do all you can to do well in your chosen area, whatever it may be,” said Emma.

While it may be assumed that Emma, a solid professional for many years, would be completely confident in her abilities to perform, there is always that nervous determination to succeed.

“Nerves are natural and there would be something wrong if you didn’t feel those nerves in whatever you are trying to do. But again, in whatever you are doing in life, you must put in the correct preparation and believe,” she added.

Source: https://magnavitae.org/sporting-greats-emma-bristow/

THE LITAS FILM FEAT. GEVIN FAX

We’ve all watched them… The piles upon piles of modern motorcycle short films on offer on social media today (dude climbs on pretty uninteresting motorcycle, rides on a large open road with a deep husky voiceover accompanied by some boring and words about said open road riding). Well this motorcycle short film is a diamond in the rough. After coming across at its UK premier screening courtesy of the SHEXTREME FILM FESTIVAL we’ve fallen in love with its hero Gevin Fax. In a sea of instagram snaps of women on motorcycles she is a a true pioneer of the motorcycling world if ever we saw one.

Do yourself a favour and WATCH IT and get ready to wanna go ride instantly.

VC X SUPERIOR MOTORCYCLE EXPERIENCES

What do you get when you send an Olympic athlete, an ultra marathon runner, a pro skateboarder, a flat track racer and a couple of mums on an motorcycle trip through the Dorset countryside? …. A mud filled, bike drowning, offs, tea, cake, and lols…. ALOT of lols…. Welcome to VC does Superior motorcycle experiences.

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SUPERIOR MOTORCYCLE EXPERIENCES

Based in the beautiful setting of the Dorset countryside Superior Motorcycle Experiences is a motorcycle trip like no other we’ve ever been on.

Run from its Sherbourne HQ by a family of moto petrol heads the company run off road and road riding tours in the surrounding countryside that team up days playing in the dirt on off road bikes with all the luxury comforts you could wish for on your dream ride - From luxury accommodation (did we mention swimming pool??) to support vehicles on your journey and amazing food along the way this is a motorcycle tour company like no other and we went to spend a few days with them causing havoc on the trials and bringing some of our best riding buddies along for the adventure.

P// Howard Brown

The crew: Natasha Farrar, Steph Bowlam, Gemma Harrison, Victoria Pendleton, Emily Page, Lucia Aucott, Rachel Gomes, Josie Millard

DAY 1

We all arrived at our Superior motorcycle experience HQ digs one by one as our bunch travelled from different parts of the UK and we’re met with the most incredible 19th Century cottage complete with swimming pool (perfect after a long days dirt riding) .

But then there’s the garage….Oh the garage! A row of squeaky clean Royal Enfield Himalayans await our next day riding in the dirt around the green lanes of Dorest. And then, standing in a perfect line in the back of the garage are the legendary Brough Superiors. A true engineering feat these bikes are some of the most beautiful bikes to be built today but more on these awesome machines later.

So we settled into to our luxury accommodation for the night (aka drank wine, ate a ton of food and of course the mandatory first dip in that pool) for a full day of dirt riding starting early the next day.

P// Howard Brown

P// Howard Brown

P// Howard Brown

DAY 2

After a few weeks of promising glorious sunshine, the typically English weather had taken a last-minute u-turn and a very wet affair was forecast for the few days ahead. But this was an off road adventure we were on so of course that didn’t change a thing.

We all got up early, got into our different waterproof riding gear (key for enjoying any soggy off road trip) and expected the worst weather wise and went to choose our steeds for the day. However blue skies and sunshine prevailed the whole day until we made it back to HQ later that evening. Yassss! But that wasn’t to say that there weren’t a ton of enormous puddles to be enjoyed along the ride.

We were a pretty mixed group of riders with varied experience tackling this type of terrain but with some coaching from amazing guide Emily, who was constantly on hand to throw some tips and confidence whenever we were faced with a steep rocky hill climb or deep mud slide, within a couple of hours we were all soon tackling mud-laden tracks, narrow byways, slippy forest trails, and some pretty deep fords.

P// Howard Brown

By the end of day 1 we had covered a huge area to the south of Sherborne mixing single track by ways with everything from forestry to rocky scree type climbs where we could let the bikes power us out of the tough stuff and then let rip through the amazing scenery in the area with and everyone agreeing that the tea and cake stops (!) along the way out of the back of the support vehicle driven by the awesome James (SME boss man and all round meg dude) were something we wish we wouldn’t have to go dirt biking without ever again (cue tiny violins….) .

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DAY 3

Back on the Enfields for another fun filled day of off roading . But this time….RAIN, RAIN, RAIN. The mud was deeper, slipper and the terrain harder to ride than the previous day and aside for a few muddy wobbles we all smashed it finishing up at Compton abbas airfiled overlooking Shaftesbury and the hills of Dorset watching the vintage planes take off.

Then it was out for an amazing dinner with the SME team in the local Sherbourne village fulled by wine amazing food, friendship with talk of life, love, bikes, careers, adventures, kids and just a little bit of standard misbehaviour on our part :)

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DAY 4

Next up, tearing up some tarmac on the Brough Superiors!

Now to anyone who hasn’t heard of Brough Superior the brand is steeped in British motorcycling history. From their roots in 1919 to then going out of business in 1940, Brough Superior has been revived in recent years and has taken a trip overseas to now having bikes built in Toulouse, France where the company build some of the most covetable motorcycles in the world today.

We were riding the Brough Superior SS100’s which are a few of only 300 ever to be made) and woahhhhh what a ride it was. With a £50,000 price tag these are bikes that are on most petrol heads bucket list to ride and we were lucky enough to be amongst very few riders to letting one of these babies loose on the roads.

The clear blue skies and sunshine were back for our ride out around the twisty roads of Dorset where we stretched these incredible machines legs and rode for a few hours with massive smiles and shouts as we experienced something truly special together. Stoke levels 100000%, CHECK. Bucket list bike ridden with our best riding buddies , CHECK!

With only a tiny bit of rain dampening our way back we headed back to HQ and to say goodbye to the awesome SME team having had an incredible time with some memories made that we won’t be forgetting in a longggggg time.

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OK, SO WHAT DOES A £50k MOTORCYCLE FEEL LIKE TO RIDE?…..

Well, once you get over the fact that the bike is worth probably more than any bike you’ll ever own and stop shitting yourself that you’ll inevitably drop it it rides like a dream actually. It has all the mechanical grunt of a real piece of hand built machinery with its 997cc water-cooled V-twin (not like some of the modern bikes now a days that feel like you’re basically riding a computer) but it also has crazy force, speed and braking (the brakes are crazy keen and really require a gentle approach to avoid any wobbles) that you would expect from a bike like this.

In terms of an absolute engineering feat this bike (which goes a little way to justifying that price tag) is meticulously hand build with CNC everything from the controls to the indicators with a hand built tank to finish it off. Every bit of this motorcycle has been laboured over and the result is that it’s has the best of both new school performance with a nostalgic old school feel.

Fave bit? The unusual suspension system means the headlight mount rises when you accelerate making you see and feel every hand built detail this bike has at its heart. A bit of a shock at first but it’s very specific to these bikes which only adds to the experience.

For a bit more info on the bike check out the lil’ vid about the SS100 from the guys over at The Bike Shed for a walk through of just how jaw dropping this bike is.

A massive thank you to the team at Superior motorcycle experiences for allowing us rowdy lot come along and have an amazing time on your motorcycles together and to our awesome off road guide Emily Page. what a super hero!

If you’re in the midst of planning your moto trips for 2020 get on over to SUPERIOR MOTORCYCLE EXPERIENCES and believe us you won’t be disappointed <3

(Images by Howard Brown)

UP THE HILL @ GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED WITH HARLEY-DAVIDSON

Literally blown away by what I just experienced. Going up the hill at the legendary Goodwood Festival of Speed on the new electric @harleydavidson_uk Livewire was out of this world 🚀

I’ve got to admit I was shitting myself.

I’d never ridden in full leathers before✔️Never ridden the bike before ✔️ Never ridden an electric bike before ✔️Ok, now go do it in front of thousands of people ✔️ and on a track you’ve never ridden before ✔️ Eeeeeeek! But thanks to the amazing team and a little bit of kit loan (thanks @stockwell__design and @bell_powersports ) I shoved the fear way down in my boots and the second I crossed the start line of couldn’t stop laughing inside my helmet about how incredible this bike and this experience was. When I finally got back down the hill my face was aching 🤣 It just shows that sometimes you just gotta get on with it even if it scares the shit out of you as you might just be missing out on one of the best rides of your life 😊

Coming out of the drivers lounge later on, after meeting some of my absolute hero’s in the changing rooms @20thcenturyracing @mariacostellombe @jennytinmouth @motorshellninja @abbieeaton44 , my little boy was walking around wearing my helmet. A guy walking by said “he looks like he loves wearing daddy’s helmet”. I said “don’t you mean his mama’s helmet?” Proud moment sealed and locked in forever. 😊

A massive thanks to the team @harleydavidson_uk for letting me be only the 5th person outside of @harleydavidson to officially ride this animal and thanks for letting me bring my little family along for the ride ⚡️✌️

I can honestly say that this bike is incredible and the power delivery is phenomenal. If you are lucky enough to get a chance to ride one do it. It will knock your socks off. ⚡️🚀 Check out the video below for what I thought about the bike and about the future of electric!