Posted: 26 October 2009 at 6:52pm | IP Logged

It rained.........a lot! At least it was a good test for my new textiles and they worked.

I rode up to Lowestoft after work on Friday. Mark (FJRpilot) kindly came over for a chat and to sign my start witness form.  I planned to leave at 3ish but one thing or another meant it was nearer to 4am. Never believe when Tesco says 24 hour fuel - it doesn't mean that the pumps will actually work.

I thought it might rain for a bit but I seriously under estimated. The rain started about 30 mins after I started and chucked it down until I got to Exeter. The roads where pretty clear though and I still made good time. A stop at Andover and a stop at Redruth before winding through to Lands End. A ticket from the car park machine and a quick cup of coffee and then turn round and head for St David's. The run to St David's was fine but daylight was running out so a quick visit to the ATM for a receipt then run north east. It so so windy that on the coast road I was having to stop every 20-30 mins to clean all the salt spray off my visor! The road north east across Wales is definitely one to try and do in daylight. Very challenging at the best of times but in the dark, soaking wet and with piles of wet leaf mulch on the bends - joy!

I had booked a place to stay near Warrington so I pressed on and got  there about 10.30pm. 970 miles on the odo in 19 hours including some twisties I thought was pretty good going and I had got some insights into having a better attempt at BBG pace. The 4 corners ride frees you up from evidencing every corner so you can ride from full to empty tank and that's how you can keep in the pace up. Next time I plan a route I will try and make the legs 200 miles to match the tank range so the stops match where you need to. Lesson 1.

Lesson 2. Don't forget that your mobile phone automatically changes time when the clocks go forward - as does your GPS. Waking up at 4.30 and then getting to the bike to find that my mobile and GPS say one time and the clock on the bike says another. I went with the majority and thought I had hit the clock change button by mistake. It wasn't until I was having breakfast that Denise texted me to remind me that the clocks had gone forward - and I had lost an hour! A quick check meant that the run up to JOG was going to be right up to the 36 hour wall time. I managed to get a reasonable run from the Lakes up to JOG - not much traffic probably due to the storm force winds and almost torrential rain. The side winds on the M6 and M74 were pretty horrible.

As I got to Cromarty Firth the sun came out and I thought that the run up to JOG might be nice after all - wrong! Five miles up the road I was either in the cloud and not able to see more than 50 yards or under the cloud and getting chucked on! Steady, steady - just keep going. As I approached Wick I had to make a decision - either pick up a receipt there or carry on and hope somewhere was open in JOG. I decided on the latter.

When I got to JOG I was the only one there other than the very bored girls in the Tourist Info and the Gift Shop. By now the rain was horizontal and just to add to the fun the waves were so big that when they hit the harbour wall they came right up over the car park as well!! The girl in the Gift Shop was happy to stamp and sign my end witness form and give me a receipt - with JOG on it - for my Crunchie bar. Feeling rather pleased with myself I went out to see a guy on a KMT SMT ride in so I got chatting to him and then asked him to be another witness. He said yes but somewhere inside so we decided to head back to Tescos at Wick as the cafe at JOG was closed. Just as I was putting the Gift Shop receipt in my folder I noticed that the time was out - and not just a bit - more than 1 hour and 20 mins ahead which would show more than 36 hours wall time. Bu**er!! Back to the shop - luckily there wasn't any other customers. She couldn't figure out what was the matter with the till so she signed the receipt with the right time. I rode back to Wick with the KTM and Rob signed my end witness form and petrol receipt - the latter still being inside the 36 hours - just!! Hopefully this will satisfy Pete that I did actually make it there!

I had booked a B&B in Inverness so I trundled back there for the night. Rob on his KTM came along too. I met up with Rob on Monday morning for a DRY run home through the Great Glen and Glen Coe. Worth putting up with the weather for a day like that. Rob was very intrigued about the IBA runs so we might have picked up a future member there.

Got home after 2400 miles for the trip. 20,000 miles now on the FJR - 8500 of which are IBA runs (inc BBL and subject to 2 verifications!). That's the last of my insanity for this year. Doesn't rule out 600 mile round trips for lunch but nothing longer than that!

Posted: 27 October 2009 at 3:32am | IP Logged

Good effort mate,

hope all that paddling pays off!!  

Theres nothing worse than long days in the rain for  zapping moral.

Well done

Daz

Posted: 27 October 2009 at 3:35am | IP Logged

well done Dave when I saw the forecast and that it was half term I could see it was a tough ask.

After that you can do anything. You will never encounter much worse

Good luck with the Verification.

Posted: 27 October 2009 at 5:35am | IP Logged

Top banana David. It was a pleasure meeting you on Friday evening. So your plan of riding through the weather and having a clear run after that didn't quite go to plan.

At least you stuck with it. Well done mate.   

Posted: 27 October 2009 at 5:36am | IP Logged

Well done Dave, sounds like a fun trip. Have you dried out yet?.... Hope you got a picture of you n your bike under the North sea in JOG’s car park, cos that won’t happen to often….  

Posted: 28 October 2009 at 9:53am | IP Logged

Very well done Dave.

Nothing quite like hour after hour of riding in the rain to proove what determination you knew you had tucked away somewhere.