My grand-daughter has always wanted to go pillion on her dad’s bike and my trike – we’ve had to check often to see if she’s big enough and now she’s 10 and her feet reach the footpegs safely but my spare helmet was too big, so she had to wait till she got some bike gear – a helmet’s not mandatory on a trike but I choose to wear one and I wouldn’t take a passenger without.  So she was thrilled when a neighbour who’d given up on her scooter passed along her jacket and very cool girly pink helmet!

She went out on her dad’s Buell on Sunday leaving a very scared Mum waiting at home – Rose is a biker herself but mums are like that, it’s their job to worry!  Of course Grace came home safely with that enormous grin, if you’re a biker you know just what I mean!  Monday was a teacher training day so Grace came to me bringing her bike gear and hoping the rain would clear, which it did, and that the trike would start as I’d neglected it for weeks.

Gertie duly fired up and off we went to Poole, the slow route through the town as Grace wasn’t ready for the dual carriageway – I’ve never gone pillion on a trike so I don’t know what it’s like but I guess it’s all a bit daunting the first time.  We parked up on Poole Quay like you do, and collected a couple of hot chocolates from the kiosk and chatted with another biker – that’s what it’s all about!  Grace loved the ride and was happy to go a bit faster so we went back along the bypass at a daring 60 even overtaking a Reliant Robin, then out into the country and homeward along a traffic free back road.  Of course I didn’t break the speed limit ossifer but I think Grace would have been happy for me to give Gertie her head and let rip!