El Dopa
23rd January 2005, 13:46
Well, got up and out this morning to the novice ride, met up with everyone fine...and then got lost almost striaght away out of he carpark (that's the last time I follow SPMan).
So rode with Bestfun and SPMan down through Maraitai and then on to Clevedon to try to hook back up wih the main group. Just outside Clevedon, Bsetfun pulls over the check her bike, and I pull up behind to check she's OK.
Have a quick chat, take my sunnies off while we're stopped, put them on the tank in front of me.
We decide to push on into Clevedon, and see some of the group sitting by the roundabout. I realise I'm no longer wearing my sunnies and that they must've fallen off the tank as we pulled away, so I go back to have a look for them.
I'm a little bit on edge, slow speed, staring at the verges to try to pick out where we pulled over. Then I see them, sitting in the gravel at the side of the road. Go to pull over. The gravel is slightly deeper than it looks, and I'm going slightly faster than I should have been. Result: Bike lies down on it's side for a rest.
I pick myself up and check myself over. I'm absolutely fine - some abrasions to my left glove palm and the left knee of my armoured leathers, and the bike came down on my right ankle, landing on my boot, which is undamaged (hey kids, always wear your gear!). I pick the bike up: bent stearing head, bent gear lever, left indicator f******, left mirror gone.
Just as I'm wondering what to do now, along comes a guardian angel on a triumph rocket 3 (not a KB'er, yet). He follows me as I limp into Clevedon, where we hook up with another new KB'er whose user name has slipped my mind (Mike, anyway) who has been having problems with his GN, and is acting as a tail end charlie as the rest of the group have gone.
No worries, says Mr Guardian Angel, I live over there. Come and have a drink and we'll load up the truck and give you a lift back into town. So that's what we do. Mike entertains us with some piano playing whilst Guardian Angel and son load my bent bike onto their truck, and he then gives me and my scoot a lift back into town.
So, Mr and Mrs Bernie of Clevedon - Your generosity is humbling. Thankyou more than I can say, you have affirmed my faith in Humanity and Kiwi's in particular.
So, some minor repairs needed. Hopefully no damage to the front end/steering head, which I'm most worried about (and will get properly checked). I've had a short ride since, and everything seems to be going ok, if not quite as happy as before.
Moral of the story:
1) always wear your gear.
2) relax and don't get agitated when riding, or you'll end up trying to cut a metaphorical corner, and it'll end in tears.
A pity, as I was having a great day up until then.
P.S. the sunnies were fine.
So rode with Bestfun and SPMan down through Maraitai and then on to Clevedon to try to hook back up wih the main group. Just outside Clevedon, Bsetfun pulls over the check her bike, and I pull up behind to check she's OK.
Have a quick chat, take my sunnies off while we're stopped, put them on the tank in front of me.
We decide to push on into Clevedon, and see some of the group sitting by the roundabout. I realise I'm no longer wearing my sunnies and that they must've fallen off the tank as we pulled away, so I go back to have a look for them.
I'm a little bit on edge, slow speed, staring at the verges to try to pick out where we pulled over. Then I see them, sitting in the gravel at the side of the road. Go to pull over. The gravel is slightly deeper than it looks, and I'm going slightly faster than I should have been. Result: Bike lies down on it's side for a rest.
I pick myself up and check myself over. I'm absolutely fine - some abrasions to my left glove palm and the left knee of my armoured leathers, and the bike came down on my right ankle, landing on my boot, which is undamaged (hey kids, always wear your gear!). I pick the bike up: bent stearing head, bent gear lever, left indicator f******, left mirror gone.
Just as I'm wondering what to do now, along comes a guardian angel on a triumph rocket 3 (not a KB'er, yet). He follows me as I limp into Clevedon, where we hook up with another new KB'er whose user name has slipped my mind (Mike, anyway) who has been having problems with his GN, and is acting as a tail end charlie as the rest of the group have gone.
No worries, says Mr Guardian Angel, I live over there. Come and have a drink and we'll load up the truck and give you a lift back into town. So that's what we do. Mike entertains us with some piano playing whilst Guardian Angel and son load my bent bike onto their truck, and he then gives me and my scoot a lift back into town.
So, Mr and Mrs Bernie of Clevedon - Your generosity is humbling. Thankyou more than I can say, you have affirmed my faith in Humanity and Kiwi's in particular.
So, some minor repairs needed. Hopefully no damage to the front end/steering head, which I'm most worried about (and will get properly checked). I've had a short ride since, and everything seems to be going ok, if not quite as happy as before.
Moral of the story:
1) always wear your gear.
2) relax and don't get agitated when riding, or you'll end up trying to cut a metaphorical corner, and it'll end in tears.
A pity, as I was having a great day up until then.
P.S. the sunnies were fine.