It's beginning to look a lot like I'm getting fed up with people saying "it's beginning to look a lot like........"
Got ip early and rode to settle for breakfast. Then on to the Tan Hill Pub for a pint. Bit windy at the top but best ride out this year, made even better listening to the new GPR exhaust.
Went to a football match yesterday (mainly for the cheese & wine). First time in over 30 years - managed 10 mins then wobbled the 3 minute walk back home - went for a blast today - more bikes about than most days last summer
Where was that Char? Grim in London. Took 1 look out the window, it started to rain so all thoughts of riding were off.
I was there in September on my Mutley. I took the Stonesdale Lane road North from the B6270 to join Long Causeway just beside the Inn. The it's a fairly narrow, not much more than single track, and the wiggly bit is 1:4 with blind switchbacks. A thankfully short, totally committing bit of road. If I'd come across anything coming the other way then I was going to drop the bike. No doubt about it. I'm glad the mutley has bags of steering.
Lovely sunny morning/afternoon here dried some washing on line and washed polished mini Did some Christmas shopping called into my friend to catch up with her and came out to bloody rain
After gluing the chain oiler back on to the swing arm (note to self, don't use 15 year old epoxy, it doesn't hold) with Gorilla glue superglue and giving it an hour to harden I took the bike up to the Sun Inn at Norwood, then home via Squires. 110 miles on half a tank-ish and only one moron pulled out on me, it was nearly dark and I think he noticed the rapid flashing LED high beams as he nearly went into the ditch at the other side of the road... I didn't know weather to get angry or piss myself laughing, so I just rode round him waging my finger as you would to a naughty child.
Just had to go get my 22yr old son as he had been knocked off his bicycle by a blind old woman who turned right across his path and over the bonnet he went. Luckily he was fine- a couple of scrapes and the bike is a bit bent. The police were fantastic. They got their wires crossed and sent the air ambulance and a normal one. Helicopter landed on the local green but were sent away. Very cross with the woman who could have bloody killed or maimed him. She shouldn't be allowed on the road! Rant over.
Sorry about that. Had to reply as you need to have something to read while you wait. You're lucky though - it's Monday and not a Sunday.
Thank you. Sitting waiting in tyre place now. Get to see your bike while sitting in the van. Commuting/filtering in the dirty part of the road must do it.
Went on the annual 'gang' ride out in the wilds of Snowdonia. The rule is it has to take place on the last Saturday before Christmas, no matter what the weather, no one's allowed to wimp out. 9 of us on an assortment of makes : Moto Morini Granpasso 1200; 696 Monster; BMW GS1200 ; BMW HP2 enduro; Cagiva Gran Canyon; BMW R1200S; Suzuki Hayabusa; Triumph Bonneville and I took my GSX1100-engined Honda CB750 Freddie Spencer Rep for further shakedown. Weatherwise, there was no interruption in the rain, just more or less of it, at times just pissing down and the rest of the time, proper testosterone-fuelled water thrown down with God's rage. The vertiginously snaking Llanberis pass was like riding down a stream through a car wash, with angry white torrents smashing down the mountainsides and across or along the road and that was where I came to the conclusion that it is a little disconcerting to see a bow wave thrown up from your race tyres...! Kit that has kept me dry for years, simpy failed to do so, as did everyone else's waterproofs - my gloves filled with water running down the sleeves, not through the gloves. With no fairing, the rain that collected in my lap got blown up, under the jacket/trouser overlap and wicked up to my chest and down me pants. My feet were the only dry part of me in my trusty HG Touareg Goretex lined boots. The rain comes down the inside of the visor if there's enough of it, and enough there was! Making visibility a further challenge - I think I need to explore what Jacques Cousteau used to wear before next year's ride! Eight hours of that before an evening of drink and laffing at each other's lies in the White Eagle at Rhoscolyn is what the annual ride has become. Hopefully it's the last one! Well, till next year, that is!
Played at Santa and dropped a case of beer down to the guys at Moto Rapido. Fair is fair, they have looked after me all year so I felt a little Christmas cheer should be the order of the day. On my way back managed to finish the present buying as well - result. Just food left to do to survive for the 2 days that the big shops are closed for and if all else fails, the local Co-op is open on Boxing day. Andy
