The Saturday shop ride out this weekend was to Helensburgh taking the long way around the Rosneath Peninsula. And for what was our first shop ride out of the season ( as Balmaha had to be binned due to weather), the weather probably couldn’t have been better. Dry roads, sunshine, with a wee bit heat and a great turn out of bikes; think there were 25 or 26 at Helensburgh.
As always, Ice cream and chips were the order of the day….I am reliably informed both he chips and ice cream were diet varieties.
oooh, suits you sir!
Russ about to poke a stick up his nose.
and banana’s
Apparently banana is the “safe” word…
Was nice to get all the bikes lined up on the new esplanade in front of the new Helensburgh Leisure Centre. And we had a lot of new faces join us, which is always good to see.
See our full set of photos from Helensburgh on Flickr
Read more of what we have been up to in the items below
Great turnout on Saturday for the Wemyss Bay Fly By – a circular ride out from West Coast Harley-Davidson! With plenty of bikes on the… Read more: Wemyss Bay Fly By
On Saturday, we kicked off the riding season with an overnight trip to the Buccleuch Arms in Moffat, attracting nearly 40 Harleys and over 50 members. Despite changing weather, we arrived safely and enjoyed the hotel’s amenities. The night was filled with laughs and mischief, marking a successful start to the season. It was great too, to have both old and new members along for the fun.
With the introduction to the Committee last year, the position of Safety Officer, it is important as a chapter we take on board his recommendations… Read more: Being Safe and Prepared on Ride Outs
For 2026 we are giving the weekly Bike Nights a shake-up. We would have liked to continue at Springfield Quay, as we finished up last… Read more: Bike Nights are Changing
See the image below for some old pins and patches we have. Maybe you have lost some along the way or just never got one back in the day from a particular event?
Contact Fitzy our Merchanidse Officer to get any of these oldies but goodies.
£1 per patch or badge.
And don’t forget Fitzy is also taking orders for Chapter Kilt Pins, price should be about £20 each, must be paid for in advance. Again, Fitzy is your man!
Following discussions with WCHD, HOG UK and the Directors of Red Rose and Clyde Valley Chapters, the decision to dual home both Red Rose and Clyde Valley at WCHD has been deemed out with the Chapter Charter and so cannot continue.
Thus a Chapter merger has been settled upon (to be ratified by the members of both chapters at an EGM).
Today we announce the disbandment of Red Rose and Clyde Valley Chapters, and the formation of the new Red Valley Chapter #010424.
The organisation of the respective legacy chapter rallies are already “in-flow”, with The Gathering now only just over 2 months away, so with HOG agreement, these will continue in 2024 under their respective Chapter identities but following the conclusion of the latter of these, Wake the Lakes, the EGM is to be held . As we will have a good number of the membership of both chapters in the Lakes area at the time the EGM will be held immediately after WtL.
We believe it is only right and proper that the membership be given the right to voice their opinions on this (though it is a done deal ) so the EGM (Extraordinary General Meeting) will be held at 09:00 on Monday 8th July in the cafe at ASDA Kendal over a bargain cooked breakfast.
The merger will necessarily lead to a few changes which we need to communicate below.
All members of both legacy Red Rose and Clyde Valley Chapters will, by the end of July, need to replace their top rockers for the new one below. You can see we have combined the content of the legacy chapters into one to best represent the interests of both. We settled on Red Valley as the name of the new Chapter, as we felt the alternative “Clyde Rose” might be confused with a local Scottish Junior League football team. Basically, the new rocker is the combination of each of the old one’s, halved right down the middle. (left from Red Rose, right from Clyde Valley). That’s seen to be very fair to all.
Rocker sets, front and back will cost £60 for each member.
No Saltires will be permitted on cuts.
The Directorship of the new chapter will be decided by vote at the EGM.
Road Crew
All Road Captains, except Janice and Kenny who just attended 2024 training, will need to reattend the up-to-date course at Carnforth in April. Non-attendance will unfortunately mean the removal of Road Captain rank and insignia from those not attending. It is essential all Road Crew are on the same page across both chapters from the off.
Ladies of Harley
Much has been discussed about the future of LoH recently with it being lapsed in some Chapters in the USA in favour of what’s thought to be more inclusive systems of participation. HOG UK have deemed Red Valley being a new chapter, will be the vanguard chapter in the UK for this new all-inclusive gender-neutral approach so will be replaced in Red Valley with “Harley People”. All members can identify as anything they want and are therefore at liberty to join and we need a new Harley People Officer, position open to all.
Former Head Road Captain Jigger** and Former Director Stevie modelling the new Chapter trews
Chapter Tartan
Members will be delighted to learn we have secured an agreement to retain Clyde Valley Tartan as the official Red Valley chapter tartan. However, in an acknowledgement to our English friends that they don’t wear kilts, only Tartan Trews will be permitted at official events in future. ( to be fair they are easier to get your chaps over anyway).
Chapter Rally
For 2025 The Gathering and Wake the Lakes will be merged into one new “super rally” which we believe in time will challenge Thunder in the Glens for top spot on the UK and European rally calendar. Wake The Craig is going to emulate the hotel resort-based system used by Thunder, and will be based at Trump Turnberry Resort on the weekend between the third and fourth week of July each year starting 2025. With views out to the Ailsa Craig, Special rates will be available at the ultra-luxury resort for attendees, with a single room available at a cost of £400 and a double at £520.*
No camping or caravans. The Trump Organisation has also submitted a contractual stipulation of no one with the surname Biden either, for some reason.
The Gathering 2024
Rally Theme
As we have secured the location of the chapter rally on our beautiful Clyde Coast here in Scotland, it’s only fair we acknowledge the English culture of our former Red Rose HOG brothers and sisters in the activities to be held at our inaugural rally. The Theme for party night will be “Sellafield Nuclear Power Station Decommissioning”. The new activities team has been working hard and secured a bulk supply of Army Surplus NBC suits for the showpiece party, and everyone will be expected to wear a respirator for at least an hour while dancing. Use of Fullers earth to decontaminate glasses while drinking, while recommended, is entirely optional. We hope all members with First Aid or medical experience will be in attendance….bring a defibrillator.
Rally Entertainment
Windemere Will and the Lakers, a huge hit in the North West
Again in acknowledgement of our brothers and sisters English culture, entertainment at the rally will be Maypole dancing demonstrations and come and try it; Morris Dancing. Nighttime entertainment will be from top Cumbrian Folk Act, Windemere Will, who will be performing a 3 hour set of Lake District Folk Songs accompanied by his tin whistle and mandolin band, The Lakers. Song sheets with lyrics will be provided so we can all join in.
Our new showpiece ride out, which we are planning to title, the Seven Wheelie Bins, will be heading up the Clyde Coast from Turnberry to the picturesque seaside town of Ardrossan where our rally riders can marvel at the Isle of Arran from afar ( assuming it isn’t raining). The ride out will have to leave Trump Resort at no later than 08:00 on the Saturday morning in order not to disrupt the tee-off times too much, and riders will not be allowed loud exhausts while golf is being played on return.
Clyde Valley HOG is dead…..long live Red Valley Chapter……!
*prices are per night, per person and do not include compulsory gratuities and tips at 20% . Breakfast and dinner are extra and will need to be reserved well in advance so the Michelin starred chef is able to order in sufficient fresh local produce in time.No takeaways in rooms.
**Positions subject to requalification and re-election at EGM
On Sunday the sun finally shone. It was definitely on the cool side but not cold, and we assembled 27 bikes at the Showcase near… Read more: Ask your Mum for money for Ice Cream…. we’re off to Porty!
On Saturday, we kicked off the riding season with an overnight trip to the Buccleuch Arms in Moffat, attracting nearly 40 Harleys and over 50 members. Despite changing weather, we arrived safely and enjoyed the hotel’s amenities. The night was filled with laughs and mischief, marking a successful start to the season. It was great too, to have both old and new members along for the fun.
With the introduction to the Committee last year, the position of Safety Officer, it is important as a chapter we take on board his recommendations… Read more: Being Safe and Prepared on Ride Outs
For 2026 we are giving the weekly Bike Nights a shake-up. We would have liked to continue at Springfield Quay, as we finished up last… Read more: Bike Nights are Changing
