Barring 10 minutes from my mother in law's to my house, it's my first ride of the year!
I haven't swung a leg over it (apart from that 10 minute trip) since I moved house in October!
So I was a little nervous about going on a rideout with no practice and a 5 month lay off.
Here are some of the thoughts that floated around my head today...
"7am. Better get up."
"0705. Better stop squeezing Mrs Itchy's boobs and get up!"
"Where the f**k are my leathers?"
"I'm sure summer gloves will be fine, it's starting to warm up."
(15 minutes later) "Dickhead!"
"At least I have a naked bike so I can attempt to warm my hands on the engine."
"Fog? F****ng FOG?!?!? This is bullsh*t!"
"We'll, at least the bike's still clean."
(Immediately gets covered in spray as the car in front goes through a load of standing water)
"You mother f..."
"Hmm, do I have the full English or the full English? Don't even know why we're still looking at the menu!"
"Being at the back is ace, hearing all the different bikes give it the beans."
"These roads are awesome."
"This scenery is amazing."
"Wow. Just. F****ng. Wow."
"Oh cool, we're stopping for a bit. Wow, look at that view. That takes your breath awa...Oh, the other 3 missed the turn off. They're still going.
That was probably my fault!"
"Yay, we caught them up!"
"What's Rocket doi...Oh, he's peeing up the wall!"
"These roads are awesome!!!"
"This view makes me want to cry!!!"
"Monty said he was taking it easy today, either he forgot or he's a bloody liar!"
"I've not long had breakfast, I'll just have some chips."
"Burp"
"Why are the roads everywhere not like this? This is f****ng awesome!"
"Hang on, there's something familiar about this road..."
(Sees Rocket disappear violently over a crest)
"I knew it, roll off that b****rd throttle! Not this time Monty!"
"HOLY F****NG SH*T, WHAT'S HAPPENED? WHY ARE MONTY AND KWACKY STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD RIGHT AFTER A BLIND CREST?"
"I guess I'd better put my brakes on before me and Rocket make a 4 bike smush out of this!"
Guys, I don't know about you but I had an epic day today. OK, it was a bit cold getting up there, and my bike is dirty now, but if that's the worst thing I can say it's not much of a hardship is it?
Perfect weather, great roads, great company, lovely bikes all round, a full English and about 220 miles of fun fun fun!
If this paves the way for the rest of the year, 2016 is going to be a good year for me and biking.
Itchy wrote:
(Sees Rocket disappear violently over a crest)
"I knew it, roll off that b****rd throttle! Not this time Monty!"
"HOLY F****NG SH*T, WHAT'S HAPPENED? WHY ARE MONTY AND KWACKY STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD RIGHT AFTER A BLIND CREST?"
"I guess I'd better put my brakes on before me and Rocket make a 4 bike smush out of this!"
Really sorry about that but I had to stop, having just recovered moments earlier from thinking I was about to land in the verge I wasn't prepared for the view I got of Kwacky landing 250 Kg of Kawasaki in massive muddy puddle in my rear view mirror! Not sure if it was the adrenalin or what but I couldn't ride for laughing.
I actually fecked up a bit, I panicked at the top of the crest closed the throttle and the bike landed on the the front wheel!
My first Tankslap rideout was a good one. Really enjoyed the roads and the company. I made the same mistake with summer gloves too, my hands were tingling all day, most of that was from Kwackys back wheel throwing stones though, nearly shit myself when it happened. Hope there's more like that to follow!
I have a habit of starting the season with none, then slowly wobbling through summer until I'm okay-ish then losing all that confidence through the winter.
I don't know what it was, whether it was the roads, a new found faith in the tyres and/or the bike, trust in my fellow slappers forging the way, who can say?
But whatever it is, today I felt no less confident than the end of last summer, on a couple of occasions actually even more so.
@Itchy, you looked fine mate, no issues at all. My bike is heavier and slower to steer than yours so anything you see my bike do you know you can follow and then some.
rocket wrote:Monty the road connecting the snake and the wood head is back open. It has road works on it still and it's covered in mud from the trucks.
Cheers Dude.
By the way this is that link road you were asking about