Winter Riding

• Avoid or break up long journeys as the cold will reduce your concentration.
• When tempretures are near freezing remember to adopt less exaggerated lines, which can mean riding on dry areas that have been generated through car tyres.
• With greasey roads always leave extra braking distance
• Try to use more engine braking to avoid excessive use of brakes.
• Wind factor will mean closed visors, and possibly misty vision. Consider a 'pin lock' or other visor de-misting inserts.
• Never stop closely behind a stationary vehicle. Always try and leave a bike length so if the car following you doesn't stop in time you have an escape route.
• Always ride with an exit strategy, so don't tailgate in the centre of the vehicle you are following.
• Other drivers will also suffer from frosty windscreens so never assume they have seen you - always ride defensively.

Your Bike

• The combination of less use and cold tempretures mean tyres quickly lose their pressures.
• Salt rots your bike so be prepared to use soapy water each day
• Those heated grips perhaps aren't so silly after all.
• Consider spraying areas prone to the elements with a protective coating
• Invest in a battery trickle charger

Summer Riding

• If you have not ridden your bike for a while your reactions and familiarisation of your machine could be rusty – so take your time, you will not be able to pick up where you left off
• With the better weather, comes dryer roads and your confidence levels are increased. It is all relative as the chances are you will be making quicker progress maintaining a higher tempo, so your braking distances must be increased.
• Statistically, more accidents occur in the summer months. Speed, junctions and derestricted roads usually feature as a characteristic.
• Never be tempted to wear less protective clothing. ‘It will never happen to me’ is unacceptable, as sooner or later it just might. Equally, the experience of a bee entering your helmet through an open visor will ensure it is closed for the rest of your riding days. In both cases don’t learn through experience but learn through wisdom.
• Diesel/petrol on dry roads is more difficult to spot, so any liquid at exits from garages should be treated as suspect.
• When group riding only ever go at your own pace/ability. Do not get affected by peer pressure. Always stagger your riding position and never follow blindly into overtakes. If you know the riding style of your friends and believe you will be under pressure that you cannot deal with, then the safest thing to do is not go out with them.