Many thanks to Phil Jennings for this report from the ride out that took place at the weekend. Ed
At 12.00 on Saturday 29th September, 200 Motorcyclists, on 140 machines, Trike Riders and Scooterists gathered at Smallbrook Speedway Stadium to take part in the inaugural Absent Friends Memorial Ride Out.
The run, which took the riders through Ryde, Brading, Sandown, Arreton, Down End, Briddlesford, Fairlee and finally into St Thomas Square Newport, was driven at slow speed to draw attention to riders using the Isle of Wight’s roads.
Highlighting the plight of riders
With so many deaths on the Island over the last 25 years, the organisers of the event IOW MAG (the Islands branch of the Motorcycle Action Group) thought it was about time to highlight the plight of riders, and to give their friends the chance to remember them by doing something we all love, riding our machines.
I would like to say a massive thank you to everybody who turned out to take part in this important event. Almost everybody who rides has at some point lost a friend in an accident.
Making sure we were seen
We understand that some drivers may have found us frustrating, as at times the run was nearly half a mile long, but at least people actually saw us. So often people are killed because the just weren’t seen. If we have managed to stop one person getting hurt whilst riding with the ride out yesterday, then it has absolutely been worth it.
I would also like to add that the Island police were brilliant during the day, and thank you to the Council for granting us the permit to use St Thomas Square.
MAG can be found at www.mag-uk.org and the local group can be found on Facebook
Watch out for us next year, because we’ll be doing all over again, but bigger!
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