April 2026 – Clyde Valley HOG 9894

Tri-Chapter Spring Event – Ecclefechan

29/04/2026

What a day! Saturday 25th April saw a magnificent 50-strong Clyde Valley HOG contingent – riders and pillions alike – fire up their engines and head south for the Tri-Chapter Spring Event at the Ecclefechan Hotel, and it did not disappoint!

Clyde Valley HOG were proud to co-host this cracking spring event alongside Dunedin and Red Rose HOG Chapters, bringing together three chapters for an afternoon of live music, great food, and even better craic. But let’s be honest – with 50 of us rolling in together, Clyde Valley well and truly made their presence felt!

The Ride Down

Kickstands up at 11am from West Coast Harley-Davidson, and the Clyde Valley road crew were straight into action! The final leg from Annandale Water Services into Ecclefechan was a masterclass in marshalling – Kevin Copeland nipped ahead to nail the first junction, and a relay of sharp-eyed Clyde Valley marshals guided the full three-chapter convoy through Lockerbie and down the B7076, with Karen Spiers steering everyone perfectly down Ecclefechan main street. Ricky Munro swept, Lairdy held the tail, and not a single bike was lost along the way – well, almost. One member briefly went on their own little solo adventure but we’ll say no more about that! The road crew were outstanding – a real credit to the chapter.

The sunshine was a very welcome bonus – not bad at all for late April in Scotland! And as Clyde Valley’s own Bob Laidlaw put it after clocking an incredible 310 miles on the day alone: “This IS what owning a Harley is all about.” Couldn’t have said it better ourselves, Bob.

At the Venue

The Ecclefechan Hotel was the perfect host. Freshly prepared hot rolls and cold drinks fuelled the troops, and with the sun shining, the beer garden was the place to be – Bare Bonez were playing outside and the atmosphere was absolutely electric. Clyde Valley members were at the heart of it all – mixing, laughing, and making memories with old friends and new. Exactly what the HOG family is all about.

For those who decided the day was simply too good to end, the party carried well on into the evening. With a few drinks flowing and the craic only getting better, it wasn’t long before the karaoke mic came out – and let’s just say Clyde Valley didn’t hold back. Some performances were outstanding, some were… enthusiastic. Either way, a brilliant night was had by all!

A Word of Thanks

A huge thank you to everyone in Clyde Valley HOG who came along and threw themselves into the spirit of the day – you were, as always, an absolute credit to the chapter. Thanks also to our brilliant road crew for keeping everyone safe and on the right road, and to our fellow chapters Dunedin and Red Rose for a great shared event.

Whether you were in the saddle or on the back, day tripper or overnight party animal, you made Clyde Valley proud.

Ask your Mum for money for Ice Cream…. we’re off to Porty!

21/04/2026

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 Coatbridge to head East to Portobello by the sea, on the north east side of Edinburgh.

We had a great run along the A89 all the way to the City Bypass then a quick plod around Edinburgh’s orbital car park took us to Sheriffhall Roundabout where we exited onto the back road down to the coast.

Jigger ( for it was he, leading) had arranged parking for us right beside the wee coffee wagon by Porty Swimming baths and we sat on the promenade wall and enjoyed the view ~~of the beach volleyball~~ of the Firth of Forth and Fife

We had more members join us at the beach, some couldn’t make it across to Glasgow for the start and in the end there were about 30 odd bikes.

We had loads of interest from the locals and it was an exceptionally pleasant way to spend a Springtime Sunday afternoon.

Chapter photo at porty...some folk wandered off!

So thats Ice cream done…next up Chips….a wee chippy run is planned on Wednesday evening as part of our new idea…Bike Nights on Tour! See you at McGonagles, Clydebank!

See all the pictures from this ride out on Flickr

Moffat Rumble

14/04/2026

On Saturday we held our first overnight ride out of the season with a run to the famous biker-friendly hotel, The Buccleuch Arms, Moffat. As we weren’t checking in until around 15:00 we decided to leave a little later than normal from WCHD and we were led down through the scenic winding roads of Ayrshire by Head Road Captain, Davie Fulton. And what a turn out we had! We knew the numbers going were going to be good as the hotel had sold out in the first 10 minutes of offering, but we also had many members overspilling into other hotels and a few came along just for the run as well.

We were just shy of 40 bikes down to Moffat and over 50 members made the weekend.

Davie leading down into Moffat
Here come Clyde Valley HOG
Gillian on her new Pan ST
They just keep coming
Bikes in the rain

It was pretty dry and bright for the first part of the run, but did get pretty cold up on the higher ground as we crossed into South Lanarkshire and headed to Abington Services for a comfort stop. As the weather is prone to do down there, it soon clagged in and turned wet, and the decision was made to take the more direct route down the old A74 road to Moffat and not go over the Devils Beeftub road as originally planned. It was pretty wet on the last 18 mile leg of the trip (does it ever not rain at Beattock?! ) but we arrived safe and sound if not a bit wet, at Moffat and the hotel was ready to greet us.

What a brilliant set up they have there with great covered bike parking, secure anchors for those that want them, and complimentary bike cleaning stuff. The hotel itself is brilliantly appointed and very welcoming with modern stylish rooms and amenities. Definitely not to be missed by any bikers.

All booked in, we were soon ensconced in the warm bar and the usual carry on’s and mischief were underway, up until dinner, then continued late into the night.

A brilliant night away, a lot of laughs, the Director learned what it means to be “Motorboated” ( I guess it beats getting Tea Bagged!) and it’s fair to say everyone had a grand time.

WhatsApp Image 2026-04-11 at 17.31.22 — See all the pic from the Moffat Rumble on our Flickr album

Being Safe and Prepared on Ride Outs

01/04/2026

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 and act on them as quickly as possible. Safety and preparedness has to be at the heart of all we do.

For 2026, all riding members attending chapter ride-outs will be required, as a minimum, to have completed a 4-day full first-aid and field trauma course before joining any ride-out.

Jims Road Crew CVO Para-bike — Jim Ferguson has got wholeheartedly behind our safety drive and had his CVO Pan America re-liveried as he understands how important it is to look the part.

In addition, all riders should be carrying full British Red Cross-recommended, first aid kits and trauma packs, ideally with Nitrous Oxide Cylinders and respirators. We understand getting the Nox gear onto a Lowrider S or Softail Slim can be a challenge so we will give special dispensation to those riders. Pan America riders on the other hand should have no trouble. We recommend those bikes get a wrap or paint livery to advertise their special purpose utility.

Speaking on this new chapter policy which will be adopted today as a chapter by-law, Safety Officer Chris Anderson said;

“Riding motorbikes is dangerous. Very, very dangerous. Too dangerous for most people, and definitely not for old overweight guys in their fifties’s and sixties. In fact, I would recommend just leaving the bike and taking the car. Wear your cut though, cos you still want to identify as a biker. Especially when hanging around the dealership having gone there in a car.”

“And remember, when in the car….wear a seat belt.”

“If you really do want to take to two wheels, though, at least be in a position of being able to competently deal with massive blood loss and open chest heart massage as a minimum. “

Chris Looking Serious — Chris takes being Safety Officer very very seriously and now rarely smiles.

Full trauma courses can be booked online via the following link, and should cost little more than £1000, so about the cost of a Harley service. Well within financial reach of our average member and a great investment in skills and people, we are sure you will agree.

Many of you will be aware that we are to be supporting Scottish Charity Air Ambulance at The Gathering 2026, alongside our regular charity Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity. So, with the help of SCAA, Road Crew members and other members interested in Advanced skills will be taught how to abseil with trauma packs from helicopters.

Lindsay Gilbertson recently attended abseil training as a guinea pig for the chapter and came away mildly traumatised, but less traumatised than Head Road Captain Davie Fulton was when he heard Lindsay would soon be leading rides.