Notes

Hi, my name's Andy Lander Stow and I'm the guy who produces this web site. I hope you like it and if there is anything else you want to see on it then drop me a line (go to the "Rides" page) and I'll try to incorporate it to the site.

The brief for the site is that it should be informative and encourage people to have a go at greenlaning as well as becoming members of the TRF. We would also like to attract help as we have a lack of "officials" in the club with Noel and Steve carrying the load; not forgetting Brian our Rights of Way guy!

So what's it all about? It's about having fun in beautiful parts of the country and seeing sights that people in cars don't get to see. No, I have no objection to cars as I own one myself (along with 3 motorbikes and an urge to buy more). On most of the lanes I've ridden I've yet to see a pedestrian or a horse as there are over 1000 lanes in Devon alone!

So I now hear you ask "How do I find these lanes"? Simple, join the TRF and come to the meeting at the Welcome Stranger and meet a few of us people who already ride the lanes. Membership entitles you to have your own maps marked by the lovely Liz Millet who is an accomplished Enduro rider. You can - if you are computer literate - also get a copy of all the greenlanes on CD to interact with Memory Map (computer version of the Ordnance Survey Map). Check out the humorous picture on the Galley page where we ask you to Spot the Bike (and Rider). That is a UCR or even a UUCR - I suddenly hear more questions....UCR = Unclassified Road, UUCR = Unmetalled Unclassified Road and unmetalled means it's not tarmac!

A few points to ponder.... We do not race - we move at the speed of the slowest rider. We help each other when perhaps our zeal for tackling a lane overcomes our ability. We ride in a responsible manner, stopping for horses (and switching engines off) and slowing for pedestrians. We ride where we are leagally entitled to do so.These are unclassified roads and therefore the bike you ride must be roadworthy with insurance and tax as required by law for riding on the normal "metalled" roads. We ride bikes that are quiet with road legal silencers - not race cans. When we stop in built up areas to map read etc., we switch our engines off. Motocross bikes are usually NOT suitable for greenlaning. This is becuase they are lower geared than "dual purpose" bikes and they usually have straight through silencers with little or no baffling. We use tyres suitable (and road legal) for greenlaning. The majority of us probably use the Pirelli MT43 rear trials tyre with a slightly more aggressive enduro type front tyre. If the tyre has either "MST", "Suitable for Road Use" or the E mark then you are legal.

You will need to bring tools with you. Help will always be at hand but ultimately you are responsible for your bike and it's repairs if needed. I would suggest a front tube (it can always be squashed into a rear wheel to get you home) an inflation device (canister or pump) and obviously tyre levers. The tool kit that came with the bike will usually suffice for minor repairs.

What if you haven't got a "Green Laner" yet?

You could turn up for a club meeting and ask everybody there "What's a suitable bike?" and get loads of different answers. As I said before on this site we all walk a different path! My preference... I like 400cc - I'm short n fat so the extra power is good for me. I like high footpegs for getting me through narrow lanes without catching. I like good suspension. I like an electric start bike. After you've stalled a few times in mud, kicking the bike over is a bit tiring! I like a reasonable tank range. I like reliability I like looooooooong service intervals! Some of the current crop of Enduro bikes need oil changes every ride! I like a bike that has more potential than I have (who just said "that wouldn't be hard then"?) I like a bike that can cruise at 60 on the A38 Expressway when I'm going to a meeting/ride out.

So what do I ride - a CCM 404 DS. It's got a Suzuki DRZ400E engine with a keihin flat slide carb and Whitepower suspension. OK the main attraction was that it's cheap and it's reliable with amazing suspension and a 3500 mile service interval. Now I'd like you to tell me what you ride and why?

Another bike that comes highly recommended by many riders is the Yamaha TTR250, also electric start, reasonable tank range - and even larger tanks are available and air cooled so no fussing with anti-freeze!

Then of course there's the....... fabulous KTM400 EXC - slightly shorter service intervals KTM 125 and 200 two-strokes - slightly more polluting and not everyone likes the two-stroke buzz! Yamaha Serow 225 - ideal for the shorter person (grey import). Honda SL230 - an even smaller, slow revving almost "Trials Bike" but with the renown Honda reliability and build quality (grey import). Honda XR400 - a bit of a beast and no electric start but Honda so reliable. There are literally hundreds of bikes that are suitable or that can be made more suitable for green laning so come and talk to us at the Welcome Stranger and let us know what you ride and why?

Members Only Area

News Blocked Lane? 100 Lane Award Ride Reports New Forum Links Contact Us Members Only Area Home TRF UK Webmaster Notes Weather