About the Club
Coventry Riders is an accredited RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders group based in Coventry. Established in 2002, we are a friendly bunch of bikers always willing to advise and encourage each other to help improve our riding skills and to prepare for the RoSPA Advanced Motorcycle Test.
- To have fun and enjoy our riding bearing in mind at all times safety comes first.
- To foster improved standards of riding.
- To promote the interests of road safety, in association with the Police, IAM and other Road Safety organisations.
- To publicise RoSPA Advanced Riders/Drivers and its work.
- To adopt the Highway Code as the guide to good riding/driving practice.
- To acknowledge the ‘System’ recommended in the Police Riders Handbook ‘Motorcycle Roadcraft’, as the standard by which we ride.
- To encourage and help associate members to prepare for and pass their RoSPA Advanced Motorcycle Test.
- To continue to support full members to maintain the high standard of riding required for their 3 yearly retest.
The membership fees are:
- Full Member: £30.00 per annum
- Associate Member: £57.00 for first year
- Associate Renewal: £30.00 per annum
The Associate Membership fee for the first year includes approximately £30 of essential reading material to complement your training, so it really is very good value for money. Associate members are those members who have not yet passed their RoSPA Advanced riding test (or those who’s RoSPA membership has lapsed). When you pass your test, you become a Full Member.
Membership subscriptions are due by the last day of February each year. New members joining after 1st November will have their membership carried across to the following year.
To join, make payment using the instructions on the application form or contact:
Club Membership Secretary – James Herbert
Email: membership@coventryadvancedriders.co.uk
Your membership gives you access to Club nights, Open ride outs, Month end ride outs, Club weekend tour (additional costs apply), and several training courses throughout the year, for example Slow Riding, Cornering, Overtaking, Roadcraft Essentials and Preparing for your test.
Our group meetings are held at the Wolston Leisure & Community Centre (Old School Fields, Manor Estate, CV8 3PD) on the 3rd Wednesday of the month. (please check events diary for specific schedule).
As well as being a great opportunity to meet other like-minded bikers, we do try to arrange an additional activity for the club night. This might include an external speaker, training video presentations from members or a general discussion about riding and road safety.
All are welcome – if you are interested in learning more about advanced riding or the club itself then just pop along. There is no obligation to join and it’s a great way to find out a bit more about what we do.
Meetings start at 7.15pm and the venue is usually open from 7.00pm.
Ample parking is available in the centre car park.
GROUP MEETING VENUE:
Wolston Leisure & Community Centre
Old School Fields, Manor Estate
Wolston, CV8 3PD
(note that occasionally our club night is held at a different location, always check the events diary to confirm or visit our Facebook page for updates)
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The club organise regular ride-outs throughout the year. Each is led by a Full Member of the club, and they vary from full day to half-day rides.
Open Ride-outs are open to ALL Associates and Full Members and are scheduled to run late spring to early autumn. Dates are published as available, and the rides cover both day rides and summer weekday evening rides.
Month End Ride-outs are open to Full Members Only and are run on the last Sunday of each month. Please note, a condition of attending for the first time is that all new full members need to attend our half-day Group Riding course. These are run on an ‘as needs basis and ensure that everyone on the ride has the appropriate techniques to keep the ride safe and enjoyable for all participants.
(Details of all ride outs are on the events page).
RoSPA Advanced Riders Coventry was formed in April 2002 by Terry White and Simon Abel. From small beginnings and running originally from a base at Canley Fire Station, the group has evolved steadily over the years to a current membership of around 60, Associates, Full Members and Tutors.
One thing that has remained constant is the desire of the club to help Associates achieve and sustain the highest standards of motorcycle riding they can attain.
Roll forward to the present day and we have a team of Tutors who support Associates across Warwickshire, West Midlands, Leicestershire, and Northamptonshire. The club is big enough to have access to a wide range of knowledge and riding skills in-house but is still small enough for every Tutor to have the time to support Associates and full Members, one-to-one, through the full progression of developing their riding skills.
Our Associates come from a wide range of biking backgrounds – either starting from scratch, the Enhanced Rider Scheme, BikeSafe or the IAM. Whatever the start points – all are ensured a warm welcome.
Who's Who
Martin Ward – Chairman and Group Tutor
My riding began on a CB100N, bought as a means of getting to work. In those days, rider training wasn’t what it is today, and I remember pulling up at lights after collecting the bike and having no idea how to reselect 1st gear! By the time my bike commuting days ended, I’d made it onto a CB250RS, a great single cylinder bike with a rectangular headlight. 25 years later a “big” birthday got me back onto two wheels. I soon realised I needed help with my riding and found RoSPA Coventry. The training and advice I’ve received, has transformed my riding. I’ve been with the club since 2009 and cover many miles whilst training, riding with the club, socially and touring. Long may that continue.
Michael Davis – Training Officer and Advanced Tutor
Michael is the Club Training Officer. Michael’s been riding motorbikes since he was 18 and has held his RoSPA Gold since 2020 after joining the club in 2019. Once a year he aims to get one ‘big trip’ in – which usually involves as many miles as possible in under 10 days. Favourite trip to date has been up to the Artic Circle in the summer, where you never have to worry about it getting dark. In the UK, favourite trip is Glen Coe in the Highlands, Scotland which he once did there and back in a day via Wales and Newcastle, just for the fun of it. Pretty much happy to ride anywhere and in all conditions, so long as the ride involves a Flat White and Cake.
Andy Parr – Treasurer and Advanced Tutor
Motorcycling has been a recent addition to my life completing my direct access in 2019, this was followed by BikeSafe which led to me starting my advanced riding with RoSPA. Semi-retirement allowed more time for motorcycling, and I trained as a RoSPA tutor. I also started training as a DVSA Certified Instructor. More recently I have become a RoSPA Advanced Tutor by completing my Level 3 Award in Advanced Motorcycle Instructor Training. Now I tend to use the motorbike rather than the car and ride all year round. I like to attend other courses to improve my skills from cornering to off-road. The last few years I have enjoyed touring on the bike and tent camping.
Jim Herbert – Membership Secretary and Group Tutor
I got my first exposure to RoSPA, and advanced training aged 17 when I did a course run by Police volunteers. I have been involved with advanced training on and off since then, both IAM and RoSPA. I have been a member of Coventry Riders since 2014. I work closely with the Automotive Industry, bikes, cars, trucks and even military (at Millbrook Proving Ground), so have a professional interest in all things mechanical. When time allows, I like to tour and camp on my motorcycle and do the occasional track day. I also ride for Leicestershire and Rutland Blood Bikes.
John Addy – Secretary and Group Tutor
RoSPA Gold, IAM, Bike Safe. Started riding in 1992 and after a long break away from 2 wheels I started to learn about Advanced Riding in 2011, initially with IAM before joining RoSPA Coventry Riders in 2023. I really enjoy the camaraderie and opportunities to improve my riding that the club offers.
Simon Broom – Committee Member and Group Tutor
Been riding since 1995, done a few track days and many miles with other advanced riders, 30 thousand in one year on my Fireblade. Passed my advanced test at gold in early 2010 and became a tutor late 2010. I like all forms of Motorsports two or four wheels, I used to help with the Knotts Buildbase bike racing team travelling all over the country. I like riding to the coast as often as possible, just for fun.
Phil Evans – Committee Member and Group Tutor
I have been riding motorbikes for the last 42 years having passed my motorbike test in 1980. I have owned a variety of motorbikes from my Yamaha FS1E moped to GSXR1000 (Isle Of Man Special) to Ducati V4 Multistrada. As a Chartered Engineer my working career has been in the Oil and Gas Heavy Engineering construction sector where Health & Safety is fundamentally important and critical to the success of a project. Bringing these principals to motorbike riding allows me to fulfil my passion knowing safety sits at the forefront of what Coventry Riders do on the road.
Steven Walley – Committee Member and Group Tutor
I passed my motorbike test in February 2020, sold the car immediately and traded in my Yamaha YBR125 for a 2018 BMW R1200 GS. Within a week, I had joined the local IAM group and passed my advanced test in September 2020. Wanting to improve further I joined RoSPA Coventry Riders and started my training all over again, achieving silver in October 2021. After re-testing to get gold, the club supported me through my tutor training in February 2023 and I now get to enjoy helping other riders to improve. I’m a firm believer in regular training and riding with this club helps enormously. I ride all year round for both work and pleasure, putting 20,000 miles on the odometer annually. Having done a couple of week-long trips to Scotland and a few shorter trips to Wales, I’m now looking forward to exploring mainland Europe. Vive la moto!
Chris Johnson – Committee Member
Born in Liverpool, I used to stand at the Number 3 bus stop on Stanley Road and covet the motorcycles in the bike shop that stood next to the bus top for a short time, especially the Tiger Cub that had pride of place on the display. Like many people I have spoken to over the last few years, my mother and father would not let me have a motorcycle. So, upshot is I am a late comer to riding a motorcycle. I moved to Coventry just in time to see Coventry FC win the FA Cup and parade it down Corporation Street. I passed my full motorcycle license test at 60 years of age (wished I had done it earlier) and joined RoSPA not long after. The club has not only helped my riding skills but has also introduced me to a whole new set of people who I now call friends, the camaraderie is a huge part of what it is I like about being a member of this club.