Chasing Horizons

pheebs

pheebs

pheebs

Associate
Joined
13 Mar 2005
Posts
878
Location
Bristol
Hey guys and girls :) It's been... forever since I've posted here but I can assure you I do browse from time to time :) So big HELLO! And long time no speak/see :D

Exciting times ahead here... my hubby-to-be and I are planning a bit of a RTW trip! The plan is... travel Canada to the tip of Alaska (Prudoe Bay) alllll the way down through South America to Ushuaia then flying over to South Africa and travelling up, through the Middle East, Europe and home to the UK... unless of course we turn right and head towards Asia!

Wheeee!

The only stumbling block we kind of have at the moment is that I've never ridden a motorbike before (haha!) so am kind of having to get on board quickly and get me some off roading jaunts sorted! Sam has done muchos on a bike though (travelled around the world pretty much) so I have an experienced one to help guide! I also have the support and backing from Get On (national UK biking campaign who will be using us as one of their lead campaigns for 2012/2013! Exciting!) Training wise we're commencing in February and will be doing CBT, Module 1, 2, advanced and a couple of off roading schools. We're also heading on a trip down to Morocco in April time for some duning experience! Note... I say "we" and despite Sam being an excellent rider whose ridden round half the world... he acquired his license whilst living in Dubai which doesn't count over here! He's gutted he's having to reapply and currently has a KTM 990 Adventure S sitting in my folks garage awaiting a long due ride!! Poor fella!

We're going to be doing it all for various charities (awaiting confirmation from a couple but we would like: Welsh Air Ambulance as our home charity, World Land Trust, Riders for Health)

The great news is, as said, we have Get On behind us as well as Capitalize (who organise the Bike shows and did the PR for Big Earth - Long Way Round / Long Way Down!)! We also have Big Earth dropping us advice and in support of our trip (recently had a chat with Russ Malkin and he is probably one of the nicest guys you can ever talk with! If you're planning anything like this he is the man to speak to and I would recommend him highly to anyone! So helpful) They're all excited about a "young woman" learning to ride and train in 6months to then go do a RTW trip! Good times! It means we will have some great coverage for our charities (things in magazines and potential TV bits). So chuffed about that :)

So... yeh! Wheeeeeeeee! Hahaha! Can't wait! The bikes we're hoping for are KTM Enduros 690 R (2012 version). We are speaking with them at the moment about potential sponsorship and will get the final nod in February. We're just finalising our webby which will be up in the next week so will post a link when it's done :)

Would be nice to hear of other peoples experience and trips as well as any good off roading trails in the UK! They seem few and far between! Hopefully we can brumm to a meet before heading off - will be looking into this and time between training!!

Barrrrrrrrm brrrrrrrrrrrrm! (Sam keeps telling me off for making these noises whilst sitting on bikes in show rooms ;))
 
Thanks guys!!

Griffo - yes we are :) we're going to have video equipment so you can watch snippets and update blogs and photos :) we're actually looking at a new camera kit called gobandit (anyone seen this at the bike shows?! If so what are your thoughts?!) It's not yet released but uploads footage direct to an iPhone where you can edit and then bosh onto various social media sites! Kinda funky! That plus you can run live feeds (although where we're heading many places won't have great WiFi!) When the sites launched I will post links :)

Skynhedd - we're not getting paid to do the trip we're receivingg support :) because Get On are using us as a lead campaign, its to help promote motorcycle safety and also new women riders :) there's talk of it being filmed and aired too which is insane but we'll go with it if it helps Get On and our charities! As we're getting this coverage and so much exposure through various companies, we may get sponsored kit (ie helmets / suits / bikes) In essence I put together a business plan to explain in detail what advertising various companies would receive and have approached a fair few. I am hopefully finalising details with a couple this week on the launch of the site :) naturally we are so grateful of any support or kit we receive!

We're selling everything we have otherwise and working our socks off (self employed!) Our house we're changing to a buy to let to release more equity and give us a small income each month whilst away! We have TEFL training too so if it becomes tight can work teaching too in various locations :) its not going to be easy financially but we'll manage!

As for prudoe bay, Sam was in Alaska late September / early November and it was a bit too snowy. We've researched the best times and early September turns out to be not too bad. Any later and we will have to reroute, but I'm sure its a deadline we plan to keep :)

Hope that answers some questions!! Please ask more though, especially any budding people who want to do this kind of thing but don't know where to start! We'd love to help out :)
 
Thanks Dhill!

Can I ask what your association is with Riders for Health? We're linked in through Get On with it (Miles Taylor is helping us out with the links of this here!)

Would be great to hear more! If I need to pm let me know :)
 
The major difference I have read up on is the connection to the iPhone! When we're bundling off about the world, it's pretty darn useful to do a direct upload to an iPhone where we can edit whilst having a cuppa on the side of the road and then immediately plonk on our site and through all our social media! Means it's all very flowing and we wouldn't have to dig out a notebook or anything!

Am trying to find some contacts for gobandit as it would be nice to have a chat about it/see the product! I'm wondering if they're at the bike show in Feb in laaahndaaaaaaan! Might be worth a tootle!

Thanks dangermouse! Great to have people watching!

Wow nice to see a couple of people jump on our facebook and twitter! We've not started advertising it yet, it was only the initial set up for the launch of our site this week! There's going to be soooooooo much to come including videos and photos of us attempting to erect a 12x10ft shed this weekend to store our bikes in! Luckily... I'm a property developer (well glorified builder ;)) so hopefully my skills and tools will come into play!

Wheeeeeeeeeee! heehehe!
 
Oh and so it's a bit less alien as to who we are... here we are!!

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Our better side though...

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Note the MASSIVE map in the background... it's full of squiggles of where we're going and is set up in our lounge as a constant reminder of our trip ahead!

Meet Sam's current bike love... his KTM 990 Adventure S:

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:)

Happy days ahoy!
 
Sam would like to get the Enduro too in an ideal world :) We're seeing whether KTM can give us a hand at the moment!

If all else fails and our budget doesn't allow for he will go with his 990 :) It would be nice to have the same bikes that way we can carry parts to suit both easily! We're also going on various mechanics courses too so we can learn how to sort them out in times of trouble!

It's going to be a steep learning curve (for me at least! :D)
 
I say I am a novice rider but 11 years ago when I was 16 I did have a couple of years worth of scootering about on a twist and go! I learned VERY quickly that I was pretty much invisible to the general motoring public (or always to think that that was the case) and to always be one step in front of them! I remember within the first few months of riding I was on a roundabout when a lorry joined next to me. I knew instantly he hadn't seen me (or cared I was there) and as he got closer and ignored my honking I just threw the bike down and took to the roundabout island on foot! If I hadn't I'd be nicknamed Shrove Pheebs today!

From that moment on I planned for idiots / accidents everywhere I went (some said I was morbid but I said it was the safest way to think!) and it managed to save me from a few sticky situations! I plan on taking these old experiences with me even though I'd like to hope people are more aware... it just takes one!

I'm most excited about off roading to be honest! Whoop whoop!
 
Already linked in with The Hubb! ;D That and Adventure Rider and Adventure Bike Rider :D

Great forums! Will be posting much more after this site is up! Just sorting this out and various clients at the moment (so much work on it's insane) and then I can have a bit more fun with organising biking :D
 
Well first day yesterday on a motorbike! Was SUPER awesome! Loved it! It was part of the Get On scheme so an hours free trial where I got to fiddle about on a 125cc and then was upped to a 500cc (apparently the trainer has about 1 in 10 people upped to a 500cc in these sessions so I was mega chuffed!)

Website has had delays as confirming texts for the charities but should be up on Monday! In the meantime, take a look here for photos and videos:

Chasing Horizons Facebook Page

Here's my first attempt doing figures of eights round cones:


If you listen to the instructor (Neil - mega man!) he says I'm doing good! Whee! Hahahaha!
 
Thanks guys :D

CB Tomorrow in Swansea with a bunch of ex coppers! Proper Welshys this lot... really looking forward to it! Think there's going to be a few laughs! Will be taking photos and vids!

Eeeee! Excited and nervous! Hehe!
 
Ahhahaha! Thanks... I hope it is! I remember doing it on the twist-and-go 10 years ago... just have to get my head around this whole back and front brake business! I think that's what confuses me the most! ;D
 
hlxbravo: Thank you for the heads up on brakes! I get to have a play on the test centre area soon so will bear this in mind! :D

As some of you have seen... we PASSED! Hoorah! It was a bit of a damp and dull day heading over to Swansea and I was awash with sleepiness, nerves, want-for-a-pancake (shrove tuesday) but it was a lovely day all the same!

Smart Motorcycle Training in Swansea were phenomenal. Ianto, who we have met a few times before, cracked me up so much throughout the day! He really knew how to blow away the nerves! With very clear, concise and simple instructions the guy was full of beans and keeping us on our toes all day!

As I had the Get On hour on the friday previous I felt a little bit more confident in what I was doing but the thought of pootling along on the open roads amidst traffic didn't half put the heebie jeebies up me! Ianto managed to build my confidence though and with Sam pootpootling along aside me in the car park I was more than happy!

We made our way out onto the road and things seemed much easier gear changing than they had in the car park... I'm guessing this was due to more room for acceleration and movement! I was constantly chatting away to myself in my helmet though reminding myself of the actions (alongside Ianto talking to me all the time on the comms... he was such as star at reassuring me, such an absolute star).

I did, however, manage to stall three times on my first roundabout...

First Stall... Me: "Oh Bugger bum poop and fudge... right... must be the nerves... start her back up again... brumm"
Second Stall... Me: "Seriously!?!? Seriously! Maybe too much clutch again!?"
Third Stall... Me: "Whaaaaaaat the MONKEYS is going on!?! Getting biting point... accelerating enough... why?! WHY!? I need to get my butt into gear.. oh. Oh hang on... gear. FUDGE I've been sat in second! YOU PRATT SOUTHERN!"

Hahahaha! I felt like such a muppet! I think that was probably my only major glitch (on the busiest roundabout in history too... what a nincompoop!) I did have the odd boshing the gear into neutral as opposed to second but after an hour or so out I was much much smoother!

Sam had a good day too! He enjoyed being back on a bike as it's been a while! He found it odd having to do exaggerated movements to check mirrors so the instructor could read what you were doing but other than that (and finding it odd not to stand up over humps... he's used to off roading in his KTM 990 Adventure) he loved it! I did think he might find it all a bit tedious seeing as he's ridden for 8 years and done half way rtw already... but Ianto and the team made it interesting enough for us both which was awesome of them! Sam was nervous though about not passing! I guess the pressure is on when you have an expectation of 8 years riding! Curse Dubai licence and being unable to transfer!

Anyway, I yabber on! A wet sticky-rain day but a great one all the same! Am still smiling now and excited about Mod 1 (although remain nervous in a good way!) Our first big step though... :D

Some piccies of the day for you:

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Ianto, my Welsh instructor from Smart Motorcycle Training in Swansea and I outside prior to the day starting!

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Me riding into a container! Haha! I did manage to turn... it's just the way the pic looks! Honest gov!

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Both Sam and I on the bikes! Couldn't be a happier duo!

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We'd just gone out on the roads for our first ride about and had stopped for a warming cuppa! I was only just properly settling in and eager to jump back on asap!

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POOCH giving Sam and snog! Chris - another Smart Motorcycle Swansea Instructor - had a beauuuuuuuuuutiful malamute husky pooch! He was ENORMOUS but stupid friendly! Absolutely adorable hunky man of fluff!

The website is due to be launched over the weekend where there will be much more information about the day and what we're doing/riding/gear etc so please take a look in the future at www.chasinghorizons.co.uk

In the meantime, you can see more piccies and videos here: Chasing Horizons Facebook Page and regular updates on Twitter - Chasing Horizons. Please pop on and take a goosey goosey gander at our frollickings! We'd love to see people on there :) Thank you so much for all your support and well wishes!
 
Certainly will be :) We'll do mod 1, mod 2 and advanced with Smart Motorcycles and then go on to do two offroading courses as well as various other training and rides!

It would seem that the Mod 1 examiners are pretty tight down here but I'm confident Ianto will get us up to speed dandily! Wish I had a 125cc to practice on, that's all!
 
I'll be taking mod 1 on a 500cc! All arranged... Day out next Friday with Sam and Ianto on a 500, then practice day on the actual test centre on the Sunday and test either Monday/Tuesday :)

Super excited!!

Frogboy and fakey, not long and I'll be there!
 
www.chasinghorizons.co.uk

HOORAH!

The website is up and running! Sam and I are really chuffed it’s *finally* made it to the wonderful world of the interweb! Due to minor glitches here and there, it’s been slightly delayed in coming but we pulled off a few all nighters, drank ourselves a high sharehold of caffeine and VOILA! We’re off!

We’re awaiting on the arrival of some gear before we put the details up in the gear section… not long though (I cannot tell you how excited we are about this!) There will be reviews of Rukkas Arma S and Rukkas Armiinas suits as well as the X Lite 551 helmets so keep watching and let us know if there’s any details you’d like us to particularly look at with regards to the items! As for the bikes… we’re nervously awaiting some news and will be putting more details up in the next couple of weeks.

Please do go have a snoop about and feel free to make comments! If you have any feedback or questions you’d like us to answer in our FAQ section please ping us an email or post in the thread :) We'll respond as soon as we can!

[email protected]

If you fancy it, jump onboard the twitter and facebook pages – all updates of piccies/videos and blogs can be pinged to you wherever you are!

Chasing Horizons Facebook
Chasing Horizons Twitter
 
Wowee! Seen there's been a lot of Facebook and Twitter adds linked through OCUK here! Thank you guys so much for your support we super dooper appreciate the likes and followings!

Wheeeeeeeeee! Out on the bikes in a few days! Excited! PLUS! Find out what the situation is about our own bikes... nervous! :)
 
Hey people!

So the training continues! I hopped on a 500cc yesterday and had a pootle about on an incredibly lush day in sunny Wales! All things are going well and we're loving every minute of it! We also saw the Wales Air Ambulance yesterday - great charity! If you fancy a cuppa tea, a read and a mooch through photos and videos then take a peak below for new diary posts:

http://www.chasinghorizons.co.uk/diary/

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Facebook - Chasing Horizons

:) Thanks for all your support people! Don't forget, feel free to bug us with questions and requests! Bed time now as more training in Swansea in the morning! Woohoo!
 
Glaucus - what were you involved in which included the Air Ambulance if you don't mind me asking?

Sooooo... today we were practising the mod 1 test and I was doing mega up until the point I decided to take the swerve test at 30mph... but on my arse as opposed to on the bike!

What a muppet! Wasn't having any problems and just needed to bring my speed up slightly. Chris told me to release the throttle once through the speed trap so when I headed back round, I concerned myself more with the speed and upon bopping through the speed trap my head went blank other than "I need to slow down now... Ooo look I'm heading right for the cones.. Ooh lets brake... wham bam thank you ma'am wheee I'm on my butt!"

Not the brightest of things but I tell you what... so happy I've thrown myself off a bike in a controlled area and now know what it feels like and what I did wrong/how I could have avoided it. Better now than on the road. Despite dented pride, thwacked headlamp and bruised hip and knee... I did manage to get back on and do it again to a pass standard although it took me a couple of runs to get the speed and confidence back up.


Such a bummer as I was doing really well with the whole test and my ride around day on Friday was spot on and included plenty of dodging pot holes at speed, steep turns and control!

Never mind, onwards and upwards! I'm sure there will be more incidents in the future (off roading specifically in mind here!) so I'll take it on the chin (and knee... and hip), learn from it and move forward!

Test on Wednesday... will try my best not to do any sideways manoeuvres!
 
Hahaha! Yeh we were on the Get On site... more to come on that too :)

Been off the radar for a week or so due to training and working our socks off!

The training so far has been superb! The team at Smart Motorcycle Training have said I am a natural (oo la la!) however, I made a superb fluff up and decided it would be a stupendous idea to throw myself round some cones on my derriere at 30mph as opposed to the bike! Not my finest moment but fortunately in a controlled environment. It served as a good lesson of what to do when you hit something small (... e.g. not brake when on top of it! I'll only end up on my butt!)!

So I have encountered my first tumble (of which I am sure there will be many when the off roading courses take place) and despite being a bit bumped and bruised, all is good!

We've now had our Module 1 tests too... and passed! Weh hey! Here are a few of the clips from the day...

Sam starting up for his Module 1 Test featuring Ianto our nutty Instructor!

I was slightly nervous here after throwing myself off the bike during the practice swerve test a week and a half prior:

Sams awesomely controlled slalom and figure of 8... a little too tight though for Iantos nerves!

Celebrations and mickey taking... Having passed with no minors and Sam with two (one due to forgetting rear observation and the other for riding too slow... when doing the slow riding section of the exam!) It's probably going to be the only chance I will have one up on him when riding so I relished the opportunity whilst it lasted!


We now have a nice Sunday ride planned this weekend and then will be out on Module 2 on Monday! Feeling a bit more relaxed about this one... Module 1 just felt so sterile being in a playground like fenced off area! Still a wee bit apprehensive but fingers crossed eh!

Lots more vids, pics and diary entries below:

Chasing Horizons Webby
Facebook Chasing Horizons
Chasing Horizons Twitter


If you get the opportunity, any "likes" on our Facebook page would be massively appreciated!

Cheers guys and girls! Looking forward to joining you all soon on the road!! :D
 
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