Yep, give up. Not biking obviously, but planning trips. I had a great idea for a trip this September and then work got in the way. Or maybe I just need to organise to ride with someone else so I can’t get sidetracked.
The ride? Ride the Roman Roads. Exeter to Lincoln on the “Fosse Way.” Shoot across to the borders and take the “Watling Street” from manchester way to Dover and drop back to the South West on the “Portway.” It never made it past the idea stage to the planning stage because I had to shoot, design and print an exhibition ready for the St Ives Festival Week. (You can see the project at – http://www.1000facescornwall.tumblr.com)
So, back to the dreaming board. Yep, dreaming not planning. Not yet any way.
All day long the sun shone and I sat at my computer giving it frequent glances. Eventually I got to a point where I could stop, so I cleared up and geared up and got the bike out. I rode from Truro up to Perranporth then took the coast road to Portreath. I pulled into the car park, parked the bike next to a Goldwing and a cruiser and chatted to the lady biker sat on the wall with a cup of tea. She introduced me to her 76 year old dad who was the rider of the Goldwing. After a few minutes I went over to the cafe, got a cup of tea and sat watching the waves.
I walked back across the car park just as the lady biker and her dad headed off Westwards down the coast road. I checked my phone, kitted up, fired up the bike and headed off down the coast road towards Goodreavy – a lovely windy A road across the cliff tops and then a gentle drop down to Hayle Sands. From Hayle I took the main A30 dual carriageway back to Truro.
Chatting to my wife that evening I told her I’d been out for a bike ride, I told her about my meeting with the lady biker and her dad and how, to my suprise and secret delight, I’d caught them up just before Hayle. She was more impressed than I’d expected and didn’t give me a lecture about getting carried away and going too fast!
Only later did I discover that my wife thought I’d been riding the electric bicycle I’d borrowed a few days earlier – which explains why I didn’t get a lecture and why she was so impressed!
Last year I had to cancel my trip to ride the Four Corners of Ireland when I discovered how ill my mother was when visiting on route. In January I ended up cancelling a ski trip the morning I was due to leave because of some legal issues with my mothers care. Dare I start organising another bike trip or is she going to ‘peg it’ and cause another cancelation? Can I get insurance against it?
Seriously though, maybe it’s time to start planning another motorcycle trip – the question is, where? My only viable dates are the last couple of weeks in August. I could resurrect the plans and go off to ride the Four Corners of Ireland but somehow I’ve lost the inspiration. I could ride down through France and on to Spain on the ancient pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela – the only trouble is my French is poor and my Spanish non existent so it could be a lonely ride. I guess I could start riding the coast road around the UK aiming to do it in stages but I fear it could get a bit tedious in the middle stages as I’d have to ride long distances to pick the route up again.
So many questions and so few answers. Anyone out there got a hint of an answer?
Big unhappy face!
My proposed tour of Ireland this summer had to be cancelled at the last minute – and I mean LAST minute. I visited my mum en route to see how she was and ended staying there for 9 days to look after her and get her into temporary residential care as she simply isn’t able to cope living independently any longer without being at risk.
It was hugely disappointing having to cancel but sometimes things just have to be done and this was one of those times. Hopefully I manage to schedule to go again, or maybe I’ll skip Ireland and go to Santiago de Campestella next year! Although, I’m not sure I’m ready for a solo ride through France and Spain with my limited French.
I’m getting ready to head off on Monday for my next Four Corners Bike Ride. In preparation I’ve bought myself a new toy:-
Having looked at numerous bluetooth headsets to link with my iPhone 5 so that I can get instructions from it’s Sat Nav I settled on this one. I also looked at the Scala rider Q! Solo at around £110 which had some great reviews and recommendations but the reality is I don’t ride with a bunch of buddies so don’t need the connectivity and I don’t imagine I will get more than occasional use from the headset so a budget version seemed the obvious choice. The BT headset got some good reviews albeit as a budget option. The cost – around £34.00. See –
http://www.amazon.co.uk/interphone-Bluetooth-Motorbike-Motorcycle-intercom/dp/B00A48OBS0
Fitting the headset was incredibly easy, which is reassuring for a nontechnical person like myself. Obviously I had to go for a spin and test it out in case I wanted to send it back. My first impression was that it was great at lower speeds but the music became unlistenable beyond about 55 mph as did the voice for the Sat Nav. I rode along trying to decide how much of my navigational needs would be at higher speeds or whether it was only going to be needed in towns? After around half an hour my ear was hurting and I had decided that I was definitely going to send it straight back. Then I got a phone call and I was ‘bowled over’ with the way it handled the call as I drove through town. When I got back I dug out a craft knife and set about creating a crevice to sit the offending earpiece flush to the helmet liner. I guess my actions have compromised the safety of the helmet somewhat but, hey, I’m looking for an excuse to upgrade my helmet for one that sufferes less wind noise! I’ve only sculpted one earpiece inside the helmet but will be packing the craft knife in case I need to make alterations on the road.
I guess only time will tell if I made the right purchasing decision. Keep following the blog to see how it pans out.
I was talking to someone recently about my forthcoming ‘Four Corners Bike Ride’ to Ireland and they left me with the traditional Irish blessing:-
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
I know the sentiment behind it but feels like it’s a mixed blessing really as I certainly don’t want the ‘road to rise up to meet me.’ That sounds painful and expensive. However, I’d certainly settle for the ‘wind to always be at my back’ as the original Four Corners Bike Ride around the UK was plagued by massive crosswinds at 60 mph. And as for the rain – it doesn’t rain in Ireland, does it!
Here’s a youtube video by “Mulberry Lane.” Even if the music isn’t to your personal taste, I’m sure you’ll enjoy watching the three girls singing.Click HERE
It was a lovely day – blue sky, sun shining and a free diary for the afternoon – what better opportunity could there be to test ride a few bikes!
I came back to motorcycling 3 years ago after a 36 year absence and having no knowledge of modern bikes bought a Honda VFR 800 sport tourer. I’ve noticed of late that I get sore hips when riding my VFR for any distance and so have been wondering whether to trade it in for an adventure bike for a bit more comfort. The problem with living in Cornwall is that there are few bike shops around so arranging test rides is tricky. Having started work early in the morning I decided to travel up to GT Motorcycles in Plymouth where, according to their website, they had a second hand Triumph Tiger 800. Being of a certain age I’ve always fancied riding a modern Triumph.
The staff at GT Motorcycles were great and whisked me round the range of adventure bikes in the shop before setting me off on a couple to get a feel for them. First up was a Suzuki V-Strom 1000. I couldn’t believe how light it felt. I know you get used to whatever you’re riding but it felt quite twitchy as I rode out to Modbury and back. The power, presumably because it is a v-twin, was low and with loads of ‘grunt’ and I mainly used 3rd and 4th gear en route. What I did like was the feel of control when I turned around a little island on a T-junction – it was uphill and very tight. What I didn’t like was the riding position. The default position seemed a laid-back slouch which didn’t seem very comfy. The leg space was great but my arms were quite high which again felt like it would be uncomfortable after a while – it also resulted in cold air going up the arms of my jacket!
The next bike was a Kawasaki Versys 1000. Again it felt light but the seating position was much more upright which meant I felt very ‘centred’ on the bike and much more in control. The gearing seemed very low and close together so that the same run was made in 5th and 6th gears. The weather had turned wet as I neared Plymouth so traction control was engaged in position 3 (I’ve no idea what that really means). The power delivery was very impressive with lots of torque and good acceleration and a pleasant noise to the exhaust. I did wonder what it would feel and sound like at illegal speeds on the motorway, but of course I’d never find out! What I didn’t like was the way both the rear brake and gear levers were set much lower than the foot pegs. Again, you’d get used to them but the brake also needed pushing quite hard for it to operate.
The final bike was the Triumph Tiger 800. The staff had seemed slightly less enthusiastic about offering a test ride on this but this was the one I’d come to see. It was the only bike that didn’t have traction control and the throttle felt really responsive by comparison with lots of feedback. Overall the bike seemed more compact and very ‘centred.’ I had the luxury of more open road on this trip so really enjoyed opening it up on both the straights and through the corners. With a 200cc smaller engine than the other two it should have less power, however I didn’t really notice it at the speeds I was able to do. Perhaps it was partly because I was getting more used to the upright riding position but I certainly enjoyed the Tiger the most in my limited road test. The handlebars are a little lower as was the seat so putting my feet down caused me less of a surprise than on the other two bikes – yes I know I’d get used to that too.
Overall, I enjoyed riding all three bikes. I enjoyed the more upright riding position as it gave much better visibility in traffic in the town and they all felt really light turning that sharp, uphill bend. Of the three the Tiger brought the biggest smile to my face. By the time I got back on my VFR for the return journey I’d been in one saddle or another for four and a half hours and it was the height of the rush hour but, and here’s the crucial point, the VFR still brought a smile to my face. So on that basis I guess I’m going to keep it for a while longer and save my money.
Following my initial Four Corners Bike Ride in 2012 I promised myself that my next trip would be supported by Sat Nav. I kind of forgot last year but decided the time had come to find a workable system. The VFR page on Facebook provided a great start with loads of advice about hard wiring the electrics, stem mounting using ball socket and stem and waterproof cases.
Motorcycle Sat Navs are expensive so I decided I ought to able to utilise my iPhone with an appropriate app. Having looked at the numerous options provided by the above mentioned FB group I decided I to save some money on mounts and waterproof casing and put the phone in my map pocket on the tank bag. Clearly this is a compromise and only time will tell whether it was a wise choice or not – I’ll let you know in due course.
My previous experience of being constantly lost as I traversed large towns and cities had led me to download an app and use it with the iPhone ear pieces. That worked okay for the first hour but totally drained the phone battery and left me in the dark at the end of the day in both senses of the word. So, this year the phone is going to be hardwired to the motorcycle.
Being electrophobic I was anticipating getting my local bike shop to fit the electrics but ended up buying and fitting it myself – woohoo. And it works! I bought this from BuyBits.com who had an easy-to-understand video on their website explaining how to fit it. Click HERE.
Next on the list are bluetooth headphones and the Sat Nav system itself. However, I’ll review those options in a separate blog.
It’s that time or year again – time to stop dreaming and start planning. I’m thinking for the next Four Corners Motorbike Ride, Ireland might make a good destination. Last year’s Four Corners Bike Ride around Wales was too short and didn’t allow sufficient time to relax into the trip and properly get in the groove. According to mapsoftheworld.com, Ireland is the twentieth largest island in the world and the third largest in Europe, so that should do it! It covers 32,595 square miles and is home to approx 6.2 million people.
While I’m talking facts, I may as well tell you that it is divided into 4 provinces: Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Ulster and that there are 26 counties in the Republic and 6 counties in Northern Ireland (Sorry, I can’t be bothered to name them all!) Christianity is the dominant religion and 73% of the population are Roman Catholic. Christianity was brought to the island by Patrick who became their patron saint. He died in March 17th AD461 and hence this day is now celebrated as St Patricks Day.
Of more relevance to me is the fact that Ireland is 251 miles long and 115 miles across. According to Google Maps the journey from the most northerly point to the most southerly is 414 miles by road and will take 8 hours. It is also home to the “Wild Atlantic Way” – a scenic coastal road that runs along the west coast from Kinsale in Co. Cork in the south to Co. Donegal in the north covering 1700 miles. It has 157 so-called Discovery Points along the way.
So, that’s the plan. All I have to do now is plan the route, book the ferries, check the hostels and, oh yes, after the previous navigation disasters on the original Four Corners Bike Ride, sort out a Sat Nav system!
I had another time warp moment this morning when rolling out of bed at around 0700 my mother informed me that, my breakfast was half cooked! I think she thinks I’m still a child and, to be fair, I was tempted to act like one. However, as a mature man I’m quite capable of deciding what to eat and when; and also to not resort to bickering. I’m also quite capable of cooking the rest of my fried breakfast.
So, onto the fourth corner. I don’t know why it is that some days I’m happy to push the bike to the limits of my comfort zone and speed along happily (that’s my idea of speed and limits Holly, not yours), whereas other days I’m happy to just cruise along. Today was a cruising day, which is fine except I then feel guilty that, riding a sport tourer, I ought to pushing harder. Maybe I should just get a cruiser!
I knew the fourth corner would be the hardest to find, and it was. In fact, I didn’t find it. I got to within 3 miles but I just couldn’t face hiking for 3 or 4 miles in my biking gear on a warm and sticky summers day. Does that count as failure? As God is omnipresent I’m figuring that it’s okay. After several false trails looking for the corner I eventually made my way to Yat Rock where I could admire the views and say a prayer. I also saw a Peregrine chick back on its nest after its inaugural flight and what I can only assume was a woodpecker as it flew just in front of me.
I’d expect the ride across to Swindon to take longer than it did but, it only took a couple of hours speeding along dual carriageways. Not having GPS on the bike I was expecting it to be difficult finding “The Gathering” as the directions emailed out were were scant, however I came into Swindon on the right road so it was actually very easy. The tent was up and registration complete by 1500.
The Gathering is a Christian men’s festival with around 1000 guys attending. I did wonder if I was in the right place when I noticed that there were twice as many showers as toilets on site! Then I noticed a race car in the middle of the beer tent and figured it was the right place.
So, that’s the end of this years bike ride. It was a relief to get out of my bike gear for a couple of days before heading back to Cornwall. A shower and clean underwear to celebrate! One of the problems with motorcycling is controlling the heat. I always wear full textile clothing to provide protection in case of an accident but I can never keep my temperature down in warm weather. It’s easy enough to get some wind to my top half by leaving zips open, but the only wind in the bottom half is self generated which isn’t really very cooling!
Four Corners Bike Ride 