125 riders tackle the #ride5000miles challenge in fine style

Riding over 5000 miles in a year can be challenging on any bike, however a dedicated band of intrepid riders are tackling the task aboard sub-15bhp 125s.

Despite being limited to around 70mph and often capped by a provisional licence and a CBT, many riders have adopted the MCN challenge during their riding infancy, in a bid to get more experience on two wheels.

One such experience-seeker is 44-year-old part-time chef Joanne Hardy from Pontypool, who fell in love with bikes 27 years ago, but was unable to ride during her years in the armed forces.

“I semi-retired at 40 and decided I wanted to start riding,” Hardy told MCN. “I got the bike last August and did my CBT in November. From the end of February, I’ve been out on it as much as possible. I am doing 200 miles most weekends and I’ve covered 2050 miles so far!

“It’s fun. I’m ex-army and it feels like a real community. The people you meet at bike events are all friendly.”

James Read, 18, from Poole, has been getting in on the action aboard his Yamaha YZF-R125. Read relies on his bike for daily transport and has already completed 5000 miles.

“You don’t have to do it in big chunks,” Read told MCN, “the longest ride I’ve done is 120-miles to Oxford and back. Mostly it’s smaller rides of up to 70 miles. The #ride5000milescampaign is great and I have a blast doing it. Whenever I can and if the weather allows, I’m on the bike doing something.”

Simon Flanigan, 26, decided to get a motorcycle after a trip across Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia on rental bikes left him with a taste for two wheels.

“I have been riding since April this year. To be honest I’ve always wanted a bike, and my dad has been riding motorcycles all his life. When I was over in Asia I had a motorbike over there and so I thought when I get home, I should do my test.”

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