Held Racer Report: Talan Racing, Cadwell Park

Talan Racing - Cadwell Park Report, 27/28 April 2019

Andy Houghton #333 - Clubman1000

It was a mixed weekend for Andy on the Yamaha R1 with some great track time achieved
on the Friday test day in glorious sunshine only for that to be completely irrelevant when
Saturday came around and the rain set in.

Saturday's race was in the peak of the poor conditions with a torrential downpour on lap 2
of the race, this played to Andy's strengths who picked off riders lap by lap as they
struggled in the slippery conditions resulting in a 4th place in class, Andy's best result of
the season.

Both the races on Sunday were dry for Andy with a good performance in race 1 that saw
some battles in a pack of riders, the only downer being taken back by one of the riders
who has previously been passed on the last lap due to the lack of a pit board and therefore Andy not knowing there was a rider on his tail.

The final race of the weekend is best not talked about as, whist being too keen, on the first lap before tyres were properly up to temperature Andy lost the front and joined the long list of Gooseneck corner victims over the weekend. Rider is absolutely fine but the bike needs quite some work before the next outing with NGRR club at Donington on 11th/12th May.

Race 1 - Start 26 Finish 12 (4th In class)
Race 2 - Start 26 Finish 18 (8th In class)
Race 3 - Start 26 DNF

Talan Skeels-Piggins #83 - MRO600

Friday was filled with instructing duties for Talan, four rookies all eager to improve on their riding and lap times. Whilst it gives Talan great satisfaction in seeing the progression of the rookies, it doesn't always help himself to improve as he circulates at a much slower pace than usual. However, with the wet weather forecast, it wasn't going to be too much of a hinderance this time.

Saturdays wet races meant that Talan was able to pick his way forward through the riders
who seem to be terrified of the damp conditions. His smooth style means the bike remains
stable and he trusts the wet tyres to the job they are designed for.
Sunday had a wet and a dry race. Once again the wet track meant the other racers crept
around, with Talan managing to avoid falling riders, tank-slapping riders, and debris to pick up his best result of the season. However, with a completely dry track and a brand new rear tyre on, Talan was forced to build the pace steadily on the final race. This meant he wasn’t able to get as far forward as he had hoped, but he enjoyed the sunshine and clear visibility during the race.

Thanks goes to the Team, supporters and sponsors who enable me to compete and have
such an incredible freedom.

Race 1 - Start 30 Finish 16 (13th In class)
Race 2 - Start 30 Finish 14 (11th In class)
Race 3 - Start 30 Finish 12 (8th In class)
Race 4 - Start 30 Finish 16 (12th In class)

Talan has just received the exciting news that he has got permission to participate in the
2019 Classic TT Parade Lap over on the Isle Of Man. This opportunity will be used to
promote the team and to promote the charity which Talan founded - The Bike Experience.
The charity instructs and advises disabled people how to ride a motorcycle. In fact Andy
Houghton came through TBE and then joined the race team, so it really is grass roots for
disabled motorcyclists. If you know anyone that might be able to help Talan over on the
IOM please get back in touch, as he is struggling to find suitable accommodation and ferry
crossing.

Talan Racing - 2019 races
11-12 May Donington (NGRR)
8-9 June Snetterton 300 (BMCRC)
13-14 July Brands GP (BMCRC)
3-4 Aug Cadwell (BMCRC)
30Aug-1Sep Castle Combe (NGRR)
14-15 Sep Snetterton 300 (BMCRC)
5-6 Oct Brands Indy (BMCRC)

What We Wear: The Held 'Aerosec' 2-in-1 textile outfit

Held's 'The Stan' has owned his Held Aerosec 2-in-1textile suit for a couple of years now and has recently been pushing the boundaries, riding in it during the cold weather. How's he been getting on? Let's find out..

Held's Aerosec jacket- photographed without the flash as the Scotchlite reflectors lit up...

The Aerosec is really a three-season suit that can be added to by way of extra Held clip-in thermal top and base, which niftily attach using the blue clips inside the suit- look for the blue clips on the photos! That said, I wanted to see how the suit stood up to the cold, so I ventured out in just shorts and a t-shirt under it, outside temperature being 4 degrees and EXTREMELY windy.

I ride a Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled- which has plenty of grunt for cutting through the wind (aided by my Dart flyscreen). It's also perfect for muddy, potholed rural roads. The question was, would I be cold?

Ducati's Desert Sled- happy with the mud, stones and potholes

What I like about the Aerosec is, as the 2-in-1 label suggests, most definitely two textile outfits, in one. The photo below shows the jacket with the 'breezy chamber'- for warm day riding. The warm, windproof, waterproof bit gets zipped up and sits behind your back and you pop your arms into the sleeve as indicated by the arrow below. The jacket has plenty of zip vents for Summer, making it super cool to wear. 

How the jacket looks for warm day riding

Then, if it rains, or is cold, simply pull down the central zip (as in the photo below), and the waterproof, windproof, warm and breathable chamber is revealed...

Beginning to transform from a Summer jacket to a rainy / colder weather jacket

Once the zip is all the way down - tada! Ready for rain, wind, cold - and still breathable. Simply slip your arm in to the chamber as indicated and zip up the central zip again, this time with you inside it! 

The trousers perform in much the same way too- see the photo sequence below: 

The Held Aerosec trousers - 'breezy chamber' mode

Let the unzipping commence - waterproof, windproof, dry and breathable chamber revealed

There we go! Ready for what Mother Nature has in store

So, that's how it all works - but did it do the job? Four degrees centigrade and very, very windy was an ample test for the suit. I elected to wear just a t-shirt and shorts underneath. Cruising along at 60mph I could feel the wind hitting me, but none was making it through the suit. I was comfortable. One tip with this suit - make sure ALL the Summer zip vents are done up, one on the side of the trousers was half undone, and I had to pull over to adjust and thus remove the slightly cold feeling..

Thirty miles later and I was a little cooler, but still ok to carry on riding. To add perfection to the test conditions rain was needed, I was not disappointed as heavy drizzle began. I've worn Held for years so wasn't concerned about the waterproofness. The gear as predicted kept me dry. 

The ride came to an end after a short stop at the post office - I arrived home not hot, but certainly not cold - if that makes sense. As it's a three-season suit, I had no clip in thermals and I was wearing hardly anything underneath I was very impressed. I'll add another layer next time, and I know that will do the trick. In Summer it was also amazing - in the breezy chambers with the vents open it was a joy.  What a super suit! 

ENDS

The Held Aerosec now comes with a Gore-Tex 2-in-1 membrane (Stan's is the pre- Gore-Tex model) and the jacket retails for £483.99, trousers for £351.99. Bearing in mind this suit is like two suits in one and comes with a guarantee that you can extend online FREE for 5 years it makes a superb investment. 

You can follow Stan on Instagram - @scramblerstan - give him a follow and say hi! 

Held Gear Care Tips: Gloves

GLOVES

General hints for professional care and cleaning of leather gloves

All unlined gloves are exposed to sweat, especially on the ball of the thumb and the fingertips. This sweat hardens the leather until it breaks. Held gloves are as sweat-resistant as we can make them, but you can extend their durability with the right care.

• Clean your gloves in tepid water using mild soap or special leather cleanser
• Wash in clean water afterwards to remove chemical residue
• Wrap the gloves in dry cloth and squeeze (no mangling!)
• Air-dry the gloves (no heating, direct sunlight or dryer)
• Do not use fabric softener
• Put the gloves on when still wet and clench your fists to mould them back into shape
• Put on the dry gloves and knead to make them soft
• Treat the gloves with a leather care product

General hints for professional care and cleaning of textile gloves and gloves with climate membrane

• Wash the gloves by hand with mild soap
• Wash the gloves with clean water afterwards to remove chemical residues
• Do not squeeze or mangle the wet gloves
• Air-dry the gloves (no heating, direct sunlight or dryer)
• Do not use fabric softener or bleach
• Do not dry-clean
• If only the inner lining of a climate membrane glove needs to be cleaned, you can use water with a little mild detergent on the inside of the glove without having to clean the (leather or textile) outer shell.

Impregnation

Well impregnated gloves are dirt and water-repellent. A wet upper causes a loss of heat. Therefore good impregnation protects also against cold. The upper is already impregnated when manufactured. As the impregnation loses the effect with use over time (when water does not roll off anymore), the gloves should be treated with a commercial impregnation spray.

To see our online collection for 2019 please click HERE

Held Gear Care Tips: Helmet cleaning

HELMETS

General hints for professional care and cleaning of helmets

Helmet: all clean and ready to go!

Helmet outer shell

Clean the helmet shell regularly with lukewarm clean soapy water or a micro-fibre cloth. Let the helmet dry, keeping it away from excessive heat, then polish the helmet with a soft cloth. Please avoid contact with solvents, such as paints, glue or fuel.

Visor

Clean your visor regularly with lukewarm soapy water and a soft cloth. Washing-up liquid is helpful to shift really sticky bugs. Also a wet cloth can placed on the visor until the dirt can be removed easily. Use a cloth or a clean towel to dry our helmet. Never use a hair dryer. Do not use any polish, window cleaner or solvents. These products could damage the coating of the visor and weaken its surface.

Detachable inner lining and cheek pads

Detach the cheek pads and the inner lining and wash them with mild detergent (baby shampoo is ideal) in hand-hot water. Rinse thoroughly, squeeze out the water, and let them dry slowly. Do not use a washing machine or spin dryer.

Non-detachable inner lining and cheek pads

Use lukewarm soapy water and apply with a sponge. After that, use clean water and dry slowly.

General hints for professional care and cleaning of mechanical parts

Metal zippers should be lubricated with candle wax, pencil lead or oil. Plastic zippers are maintenance-free.

Held Gear Care Tips: Leather

General hints for professional care and cleaning of leather

HELD apparel with leather or leather/textile construction.

Held's 'The Stan' stores his leathers like this- in a dry cabin, airing.

Each time using your garment, air it well and remove dirt with a soft brush and clean water. Do not store the products in air-tight plastic bags. Never treat leather with solvents or chemical products. Do not use a washing machine or spin-dryer for leather. We recommend only hand wash with tepid water (40°C) and leather detergent. Dry all leather products at room temperature and avoid direct sunlight, artificial heating or hairdryers.

Leather care

To slow the natural ageing process of leather (formation of tears, crazing, reduction in strength or waterproofi ng etc.), we recommend you use the following care products, available from Held retailers:

• Dubbin
• Leather-cream soap
• Nubuk protection

Remember that some treatments can change the original appearance of leather. You should not be concerned by this, since in use, the material and its characteristics will be improved by such treatment.

ATTENTION

When washing leather, it can lose some colour and the soft feel.

Held Gear care tips: Textiles

TEXTILE CARE

General hints for professional care and cleaning of textiles

HELD apparel of textile fibres

Garments produces from textile fibres and fabrics should always be cleaned to prolong its lifecycle. HELD textiles can be washed in the washing machine. However, please use mild textile detergents only, do not use fabric softener. Fill the washing machine no more than half -full.

IMPORTANT

Body armour (such as shoulder/elbow or special foam CE back protectors) must always be removed before starting the washing process.

Basic hints for using textile impregnators

Impregnation spray. Nikwax make similar, too

Each time you're using the garment, air it well and remove dirt with a soft brush and clean water. The fabric has to be clean and humid. The impregnation will be effected after washing. Please treat the product only outdoors or in well ventilated rooms. The effect of the impregnation develops best after a warm treatment with:

• Dryer: allowed maximum temperature see care label
• Hairdryer: 10-15 minutes with a distance of 20-30 cm
• Electric iron: Level 2, put under a cotton towel

The impregnation should be repeated accordingly to the number and duration of wet weather rides. You should re-impregnate waterproof textile garments after each wash to renew the natural roll off-effect of the outer fabric.

Held Over & Under Technology

Held Over & Under Technology

The portable and flexible solution for all weather conditions!

We designed a detachable GORE-TEX® membrane, which can be worn under or over the main garment. Just detach the Membrane liner from the garment and put it back on over your
jacket or trousers.

THIS OFFERS YOU THE FOLLOWING ADVANTAGES:

In the default configuration, the GORE-TEX® membrane is worn under the base combination. It is firmly fixed to the base combination with zips and press studs in the form of an inner jacket or trousers. When worn this way, the membrane acts as a windbreaker and keeps the body warm. Ideal in dry, cool or changeable conditions. The outer and inner pockets remain easily accessible. 

In prolonged or heavy rain, the GORE-TEX® inner jacket and trousers can be detached from the base combination and quickly and easily put on over the base combination. This keeps the base combination clean and dry, and the body warm. 

If conditions are dry and warm, the membrane does not need to be worn. The inner jacket and trousers are supplied separately. The body is optimally ventilated and cooled by the airstream. This also reduces the weight of the clothing and increases comfort. 

When not on the road, the membrane jacket and trousers can also be worn as functional casual clothing and/or rainwear. This reduces the amount of luggage on long trips.

See our online collection, HERE