I Pitty the Fool Who Touches This Bike...

Russ had warned his neighbour that his tom cat had taken its last piss up his back wheel...

Busy up the Hill

Well it was a bangin night up Portsdown Hill tonight! Just me and me tea.

 

When Merc's Suddenly Appear.

Over took some cars past 'Bird World' (A325) on my way to work this morning, where the road goes in to a dip, pulled in front of the traffic, before the lines in the road went solid while rolling off the throttle. Noticed 2 cars waiting to pull out from the right, the Frensham turning. Car turning left pulls out, and as I can see traffic coming down the hill I think should be fine as guy waiting to turn right won't have time to pull out.
What happens! As I get close the guy in the Merc guns it, I don't think, wind up the throttle as its too late for brakes a swing left missing his bonnet/wheel arch by inches. All the time mumbling 'oh my god, what the f*ck!' Roll the throttle off back to the limit, have a quick glance back and carry on with my wet journey.

All Weather Riding

Well I'm doing 130 miles a day... its ruined 3 bikes (maybe not directly)... over the last 1 and half years. So here are a few things I have to say about my experiences.

Snow...
Its was bloody cold and I would recommend decent gear and lots of layers. The V-wipe is your best friend in snow, though wiping the snow off every 5 secs does become a chore. Also you find you get a build up of snow on you legs, headlight and helmet, which shocked me when the visor went up and the snow came down.
Heated grips and a Scotoiler are a god send, wish I'd have got them ages ago.

Rain...
You need to change of clothes or keep spares at work, doesn't matter how great your gear is, after all the road salt and constant grind it does find a way though. V-wipe is also your friend here too, helps shift the rain just when you need to see better.
Standing waters a bit of a bugger and some twit in a car will always drive past you like a bat out of hell spraying it everywhere.

Fog/Mist...
There is always some fool in grey car, on a grey day, on grey roads, with no brain and no lights. V-wipe is your friend here too, I love it so...

Wind...
You really don't realise how sudden it can come, trying to knock you off. So you need to look out for flat open bits of land or narrow paths which the wind can tunnel.

Salt/Grit...
I don't need to remind you it ruins your bike, but not just the bike all your gear. I makes you clothes unwater proof and you lid nasty. Visor scratched and the stones from the gritter hurt like fuck.

Darkness...
I hate most of all... people drive so bad, the roads seem to go on and on, you seem to be travelling in eternal gloom. Lights are so important, and keeping them clean is a daily affair in winter. A white helmet and reflective jacket are every important purchases.

Summer...
The real challenge as you start to know the roads your find yourself pushing more a more, you have to be carefull not get cocky and become lazy with ride home. Keep awake, maybe find new routes, but these may be more in fuel.

Budget...
Keep a eye on it... Plan, I spend between £10-12 a day on fuel depending on my wrist and the routes I take. Some can add another 10 miles, and 6-7k on the rpm can be the different between £10.50 and a £12 tank full.

Get a hack...
I've been lucky getting another SV650 cheap as now I have 2, which means I have a whole collection of spares. But its taken 3 bikes to get there.
I rode the original SV while I saved the money to get a winter hack... which then got written off by the recovery company after I got a flat. Fell off there transporter.
The 1st winter hack, a GT750 which had numerous electrical problems and a gear box failure with took 3 months to sort, then finally got written off after a Van driver rammed me pulling out from a junction on my way though Hindhead.
Jax Duke, which I ruined riding to work while the SV and GT where off the road, which has now been fixed but at rather a cost.

After all these things would I do it again...
Maybe, my main reason for not wanting to do it now is my family. With a young son I just don't get the time I would like, making having a family and life difficult Which is one reason I've gone for a job 40 miles away.
If it was just me and Jax it would be easier... but its not. So at the moment I rather be working local.
Even though all the weather, accidents and electric/mechanical failures I would still do it again.

What gets my beef...
I'm rather a relax rider when it comes down to it all, and tend not to get to angry even when people do stupid things. After all we all make mistakes, but even to there are things that really piss even me off.

• Not indicating when leaving a round-about, the highway code states that when you wish to exit a round-about you should indicate. This addes other drivers know your intentions and speeds up the flow of traffic. I can understand some peope might not have time on mini round-abouts, or even worse they leave the right indicator running so you thing they are going round and then just pull off left.

• Middle lane morons, why? You have 1 or 2 lanes empty on the left but yet you ensist on siting in the outside lane. I always asume that there is someone traveling faster then me and move over when required, why can you? Its not like it will take time out of your day.

Last and Thanks...
But after all that I would like to thank all those people who have seen me coming, moved over and made a effort to let me past. Remeber while your stuck in traffic in your warm/dry/air conditioned car, don't get angry the I've got past. I made a choice to get cold/wet/hot as I have far to travel and family too that I want to get home to.
Thanks to my lovely, gorgeous wife who keeps my gear sparkly clean, my tummy full of food and has din-dins waiting for me every night when I get home.

Hairy Moment...

On the way to work this morning I was coming round the large Farnham roundabout that splits from 2 lanes to 3. So seeing as I was stuck behind 2 cars and a slow moving van/bus I decided to get past in the 3rd outside lane. Indicate, roll on power and move out, get past first car, brain goes 'whats that in road?' Start lining up to move past the next car and van while setuping for high speed flick round corner, brain shouts, 'that looks like sand fool'. Oh crap it is sand, and its a bit late to change position as I'm leaning the bike over for the bend now. So I relax (instinct I think), front end hits the sand and lets go, sphincter closes, bike kicks, finds grip again, and I manage to stand bike back up for the straight bit. Give it more power, get past the van/bus and pull in to carry on up the A31 to Guildford.
A bit of cursing, and a few why, oh why didn't I heed my brain the first time...