birdinflight
Registered User
or the 'trip that never was'!!
Derek and I decided to head up Norf to my parents in sunny Silloth on the Cumbrian coast for New Year. The Bird to be our transport.
We set off at 6am on a Sunday morning the rain pissing down in great big sheets..........but we are hardy travellers and with our thermals, and winter gear were warm and toasty.
A quick dash along the A27, then up the A23 on to the M23 then on to everyones favourite carpark the M25. Sitill chucking it down.
I began to feel rather damp, not due to the slight vibes the bike produces either, a nasty wetness was coming in through my helmet, I began to feel chilled and bloody miserable. By the time we reached beyond the great carpark, I was feeling totally hypothermic!
On the M1 we stopped at the first Services and I soggily made my way in. Water had soaked in through the helmet via the visor, completely soaking the lining of my helmet, my neck warmer and the shoulders of my jacket.
that would test the hardiest of northern mincers. I am ashamed to say I bottled out, I could not go on any further. There was no way of drying me helmet out and since my jacket was already wet, no hope.
So what did Derek do? He rode all the way back down to Seaford, thru the rain and the accidents, alot of them, back down to collect the car.
In the six hours that i sat at the services, I became very familiar with the rota system and working practices of Moto Services. I learnt that they have won awards for the cleanliness of their toilet, I found out they don't collect used dishes from tables already occupied, I learnt that to find someone to watch your stuff whilst you go for a pee is nigh on impossible. I learnt that to get a helmet, two panniers and bike gear into a cubicle is...........well...........difficult. I learnt that sitting in thermals and bike gear for a long time is not good for you.
Finally at 3pm, Derek appeared. We arrived at my parents at 9pm, having driven through horrendous weather.
The worst thing about this all is that the weather up there for the time we spent there, was nothing short of gorgeous.
Derek reminded me of this at every opportunity as we drove the twisty challenging roads to Keswick, roared along the long open straights, marvelled at the lack of traffic, and basked in the sun through the windscreen.
Do I feel bad????
Bloody right I do!!:blush: :B
The reason for the helmet leaking was the mechanism either side which holds the visor had become loose, therfore the visor was not shutting properly, hence the water coming in through the top!!!
Derek and I decided to head up Norf to my parents in sunny Silloth on the Cumbrian coast for New Year. The Bird to be our transport.
We set off at 6am on a Sunday morning the rain pissing down in great big sheets..........but we are hardy travellers and with our thermals, and winter gear were warm and toasty.
A quick dash along the A27, then up the A23 on to the M23 then on to everyones favourite carpark the M25. Sitill chucking it down.
I began to feel rather damp, not due to the slight vibes the bike produces either, a nasty wetness was coming in through my helmet, I began to feel chilled and bloody miserable. By the time we reached beyond the great carpark, I was feeling totally hypothermic!
On the M1 we stopped at the first Services and I soggily made my way in. Water had soaked in through the helmet via the visor, completely soaking the lining of my helmet, my neck warmer and the shoulders of my jacket.
that would test the hardiest of northern mincers. I am ashamed to say I bottled out, I could not go on any further. There was no way of drying me helmet out and since my jacket was already wet, no hope.
So what did Derek do? He rode all the way back down to Seaford, thru the rain and the accidents, alot of them, back down to collect the car.
In the six hours that i sat at the services, I became very familiar with the rota system and working practices of Moto Services. I learnt that they have won awards for the cleanliness of their toilet, I found out they don't collect used dishes from tables already occupied, I learnt that to find someone to watch your stuff whilst you go for a pee is nigh on impossible. I learnt that to get a helmet, two panniers and bike gear into a cubicle is...........well...........difficult. I learnt that sitting in thermals and bike gear for a long time is not good for you.
Finally at 3pm, Derek appeared. We arrived at my parents at 9pm, having driven through horrendous weather.
The worst thing about this all is that the weather up there for the time we spent there, was nothing short of gorgeous.
Derek reminded me of this at every opportunity as we drove the twisty challenging roads to Keswick, roared along the long open straights, marvelled at the lack of traffic, and basked in the sun through the windscreen.
Do I feel bad????
Bloody right I do!!:blush: :B
The reason for the helmet leaking was the mechanism either side which holds the visor had become loose, therfore the visor was not shutting properly, hence the water coming in through the top!!!