Maha
24th June 2017, 17:17
That feeling when…
Putting off the day’s ride is not an option. The unspoken hope that the rain will ease is a constant revolving thought as you suit up, but you’re doing it anyway. The bike is ready, you are ready and your pillion is ready. The rain seems to have increased in the last 10 minutes, or maybe it’s that unspoken thought playing a mind game with you?
Fifteen minutes into the ride and you’re thinking this is not the best idea, I could be home in the dry, watching Saturday morning trash TV. However, mind on the job, and also how wet things have become in a very short space of time. Body is still dry thankfully, nothing worse than that ‘’where’s the water getting in?’’ feeling so early in the day. First stop and time to change gloves, yes I remembered to put in an extra pair. Back on the road, the rain is that heavy that you can feel it through your textile jacket hitting your arms, I have to remind myself why we are doing this again.
The wind from the left is fairly strong, and it’s a bit exposed along the coast. Should devoid ourselves of at least one weather element when we head inland. The rain has eased to the point that you can almost feel things drying out (almost) I know there’s a town down there, but the fog suggests otherwise. Yip there it is, do we stop? A visor up conversation with my lovey pillion and we decide that the weather ahead looks ‘’promising’’ so we ride on looking to stop at the next town about 40 k’s up the road.
Then out of nowhere it’s as dark as hades up ahead, and right on cue, just as we begin to feel dry, the rain starts up again. Fresh road works as well, but I am sure the bike will be clean enough by the time we get home. We reach the next town and stop for a pie and coffee, anticipating the rain will finally fuck off.
Alas it does not.
It is now about 5:30pm and quite dark as we approach the Southern Motorway. A safe speed is around 60kph in this weather, concentrating on the red tail light beacon on the bike in front of me, it’s about as far ahead as I can see. Finally the lights of home come into view, it has been a very long day. Twelve hours on the road and I turn the bike off. We stand there dripping and slowly removing our gear, looking and feeling shagged, but laughing at the past few hours out there on the road. Tipping the water out of our boots was the final step in completing the days ride.
The bike is not as clean as I had earlier thought, and neither are we, but those gloves that I changed at the first stop have kept my hands dry for the rest of the ride. Any regrets? Can’t be, we are home safe.
…the ride is done and you’re in warm, dry clothes, drinking a cold beer talking over the day that was with your mates.
They too have their stories…
Putting off the day’s ride is not an option. The unspoken hope that the rain will ease is a constant revolving thought as you suit up, but you’re doing it anyway. The bike is ready, you are ready and your pillion is ready. The rain seems to have increased in the last 10 minutes, or maybe it’s that unspoken thought playing a mind game with you?
Fifteen minutes into the ride and you’re thinking this is not the best idea, I could be home in the dry, watching Saturday morning trash TV. However, mind on the job, and also how wet things have become in a very short space of time. Body is still dry thankfully, nothing worse than that ‘’where’s the water getting in?’’ feeling so early in the day. First stop and time to change gloves, yes I remembered to put in an extra pair. Back on the road, the rain is that heavy that you can feel it through your textile jacket hitting your arms, I have to remind myself why we are doing this again.
The wind from the left is fairly strong, and it’s a bit exposed along the coast. Should devoid ourselves of at least one weather element when we head inland. The rain has eased to the point that you can almost feel things drying out (almost) I know there’s a town down there, but the fog suggests otherwise. Yip there it is, do we stop? A visor up conversation with my lovey pillion and we decide that the weather ahead looks ‘’promising’’ so we ride on looking to stop at the next town about 40 k’s up the road.
Then out of nowhere it’s as dark as hades up ahead, and right on cue, just as we begin to feel dry, the rain starts up again. Fresh road works as well, but I am sure the bike will be clean enough by the time we get home. We reach the next town and stop for a pie and coffee, anticipating the rain will finally fuck off.
Alas it does not.
It is now about 5:30pm and quite dark as we approach the Southern Motorway. A safe speed is around 60kph in this weather, concentrating on the red tail light beacon on the bike in front of me, it’s about as far ahead as I can see. Finally the lights of home come into view, it has been a very long day. Twelve hours on the road and I turn the bike off. We stand there dripping and slowly removing our gear, looking and feeling shagged, but laughing at the past few hours out there on the road. Tipping the water out of our boots was the final step in completing the days ride.
The bike is not as clean as I had earlier thought, and neither are we, but those gloves that I changed at the first stop have kept my hands dry for the rest of the ride. Any regrets? Can’t be, we are home safe.
…the ride is done and you’re in warm, dry clothes, drinking a cold beer talking over the day that was with your mates.
They too have their stories…