Sunday 14th April 2019 - 9 a.m.

[billinom8s]

Good Number in attendance today. Sorry I left early.

Thanks shooey.

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[menzies3032]

Just want to say what a fantastic ride!!!!!

Think this was the best ride I have been on in years. A really good mix of fast and slow stuff, so roads I didn’t know and some I did. A really good turn out and some new and old faces. Thanks so so much

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[Smiler]

Big thanks to Shooey for this one - can we do it all again when it’s a *little* warmer
Top marks awarded to Fozz for cat herding

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[bkingalan]

Thanks Shooey great day out & to Fozz for tec, good turnout bit on the cold side but it’s still April cheers all

[MellowYellow]

Knackered but happy. First long ride since the off.

Much grassy ass Paul & the caped crusader, apologies to those who I held up.

Perhaps we could have some roads with bends next time. ;) ;)

Had a nice ride home too. Street, Glasto, Wells, Mendips, lake...

[MellowYellow]

Still can't work out how I got back to Sainsbury's FIRST !!!

[Fozz]

Twas a pleasure,and a good excuse to scrub new tyres in,thanks to Roy for the fluorescent loan.

[gee46]

Great ride out and a lot off fun that's to all for a good day out and to shooey and fozz

[MikeMoto]

Thanks shooey for a great ride out
Finally sorted out my account... apparently I joined in 2016 but I’ve never posted!

Looking forward to the next ride and getting to know a few of you a bit better

[RyanSimpson]

Hi Paul, thanks for sorting out Sunday's ride - great route and sorry I had to peel off at South Molton!

Great to meet everyone face to face, you're a top bunch.

Cheers, Ryan

[Shooey]

Thanks to everyone for making my first proper ride out a fantastic one!

Thanks to Robbo for highlighting some good roads, shame you couldn't make it mate. Thanks to newbie (to SWB) Ryan for helping put the final route together and doing a recky the previous week! Thanks of course to Fozz for TEC'ing! And to everyone for making it a good ride! We all like a good ride!

Apparently, the ride out only scored a 7!! So I have some work to do on this still then! (You know who you are!)

I'm not a fan of the drop off system but what else can you do when you have 17 bikes out?? Going through large towns/cities like Taunton is a nightmare. Thanks to everyone for their patience!

So ... when's the next ride out?

[MellowYellow]

Nowt much wrong with the drop off system. Tiz like a chain, only needs one link to fail.

I did a Trowbridge to Loomies ride with 70 behind me. Was absolutely perfik until an inexperienced chap decided that 5 mins at a junction was enough and he ******** off from a major roundabout.

Spread half the field over 3 counties. Thanks to sat nav and mobiles we all got back together at the half-way break after about 40 mins.

[royb]

Following on from MellowYellow tiz like a chain


On the drop off system major roundabout can be a problem as to where to place yourself when turning off of the main route.

A. Turning left is easy as riders can see you as they approach the roundabout when you place yourself in the exit road.
B. Straight on is fine as no marking is necessary.
C. Turning right is the problem, as placing yourself in the exit road of a big roundabout then most riders would not see you so would go straight on as in B.

These are major roundabout with growth in the middle possibly obscuring vision -----------your thoughts please?

[Jug]

Leave someone at the entrance to the roundabout as well.

If they know why they were left (and the route) then they will gesture to the other riders that it's likely a right-hander.
If they don't know why then at least the other riders will know that this roundabout is being marked so it's not straight on and so to look for the marker rider on an exit.

I have also stopped on the roundabout, you have to judge this case by case but often there is enough space for a biker to site just before the junction, mostly on the larger ones though, don't risk it on a mini roundabout.

[ptolemyx]

The only way to maximise the group staying together at roundabouts is to junction mark at the exit, even when going straight on. That way everyone will expect a junction marker at the exit who will be clearly marking the exit so approaching riders have clear advance identification of the exit and, of course, the junction marker is placed so as to not cause any inconvenience to other road users.

Or use your mirrors to keep the rider behind in view so they can clearly see the exit you take, which is fine on a "friendly" ride but can spoil a "making progress" ride.