A quick ride
Riding my local roads again – enjoying the sunshine in the Fens too…
The GS and I were just cruising along for a quick ride of the local B roads.
So I set off with no real ‘intent’ or plan from home other than a simple cruise around the Fens. I had a lot of sat nav files prepared that started from home, but I just wanted to follow my nose on this occasion. I’m glad I did.
I ride and tour solo for the most part, and I always enjoy the journey more than the destination. I know that expression will be familiar to all fellow bikers!
Fenland bumps!
The roads were super quiet despite the easing of the lockdown status. The full unlock has been delayed again (shock horror) until next month. I digress.
towards ramsey
When I am heading up towards Ramsey I just followed the roads just being mindful to body swerve Peterborough. Nothing against Peterborough, I just prefer to not engage in town traffic conditions, there’s no adventure to be had with that – ever.
I end up in Deeping St. James. Quaint and peaceful it is too. Gas stove at the ready and coffee added to the cup, I just enjoyed a nice breather from the riding, but eagerly anticipating the next part. So with that in mind I finish the coffee, pack up the kit, and head off into more B road heaven.
The B1083 towards Benwick. Nice and easy pace, just enjoying the road, the bike, the moment. No rushing required, and I am feeling very positive about being back in the saddle. To that end I felt no rush to ‘test myself’ for a qualifying lap time pace!
Breezing through Doddington I then change course and head towards Chatteris on the A141, staying on this road until I reach Huntingdon. I avoid the ring road there nowadays, since the change in lane directions and new junctions being added, it can be quite dodgy at times. The new layout isn’t very intuitive – in my personal opinion. Car drivers all needing to change lanes, and of course no one wants to give way, blah blah blah…
ring road madness – huntingdon
Even now folks are still in the wrong lane, or the right one trying to change lane to follow their route. Not the best, and as a biker this is potentially dangerous, as everyone is preoccupied with giving way (or not), most are not looking out for bikers.
That took care of a couple of hours on the bike, and some much needed r&r. I am very fortunate to live within a moment of riding to be on a quality B road.
All this in summary proves beyond doubt that motorcycling is the best therapy/tonic.
a14 here we go
I went for a blast down the A14 to get a feel for the new Vario screen I had fitted. It was way better than the awful touring screen it replaced. That one was added by the previous owner, and it was limo black. His taste of course, but not mine!
Adjusting the screen was proving to be somewhat tricky! But with some perseverance I got it just right. Cruising at 70 mph was much nicer than before, as it all but eliminated the buffeting caused by the huge wind sail that it replaced.
Home now to check out some new routes for touring proper with the satnav at the helm. Basecamp here I come then – a program that once mastered creates very accurate routes. I have tried other platforms, but they require the Garmin unit to convert your carefully crafted route into a trip – which strips out the stops and relevant information you had been researching.
Onwards…