29 June 2017

Flickriver

I had forgotten all about this website that links to Flickr until I got an email when someone had tried to spam one of my pictures.

Flickriver


27 June 2017

Oggie 76 Bike Jeans

I needed a new pair of bike jeans and as I am once again suffering myself to lose weight with Slimming World, I didn't want to spend too much. My budget was pretty low!

I have a pair of black Kevlar lined cargo trousers but they have shrunk a little in the wash. Really.  And I have replaced the metal button already.

So a quick search on eBay revealed Oggie76.  I bought a pair (£39.95) and they arrived in two days. Just in time for British Bike Night.

They fitted rather well. Included in the price are hip and knee armour pads that fit into pockets stitched into the jeans.  The Kevlar covers the arse section, down the thigh and around the knee area.



The stitching on the seams looks pretty strong too.  Of course, you will only know how good they are when you slide down the road on your butt.  

The only bugbear for me, and I have emailed and told them,  is that there is only one belt loop at the back in the middle.  This allows the waist to fold a little and droop under the belt. A bit uncomfortable. There's a repair shop in the High Street in Hythe and I'll see if they can add a couple of extra ones for me. I had a pair a few years ago that had a kind of tube affair instead of a 1/2 inch wide loop. It was about 6 inches long across the back seam. Perfect for biking.

I chose the 34" leg length as my usual jeans are 32", I did this so that when on the bike, the bottom of the legs aren't flapping about my shins. They are okay when walking.

I have only worn them once and will have a better opinion at the weekend when I go on the AMRR.





26 June 2017

AMRR 2017

Just a week to go until this year's Allied Memorial Remembrance Ride, I have managed to source a Royal British Legion car-poppy to install on Pepé.  I need to find a space for it now. I might put it on one of the screen brackets.

SAM_2159

After missing the last two years due to the heart attack and the Somme 100 I am pleased to be able to attend again.  

It's usually a nice run up to Cambridge although to get there in good time it it mostly motorway plus the added hassle of the Dartford Crossing through the tunnel.

The local RBL Riders group in Kent are setting off a bit too early for me as they are leaving the A2 Services at 0845. I am not planing leaving home until 0900 and the RV is about 45 mins from home!

I might catch up with them on the road as I am not planning a stop once I have a full tank of fuel and they have a few meeting points along the way.

On the way up I'll see if I can get the 410 to work on the bike! I know where I am going but some assistance with fuel stops would be appreciated.


Photos from past runs.

Update: Found somewhere go put the large poppy.


23 June 2017

British Bike Night

Tonight Pepe and I had a ride up to the Wagon and Horses in Charing for the annual bike night. We had a good run up and back in fact. A chance to park on grass and a bit off off roading was enough for me!



A walk around the parking and grassy area.  I took a few photos and they can be seen here.

For once Pepe and the other Rockets weren't the biggest bike when the Boss Hoss V8 turned up.  Boy is it fugly.



More Pix!

21 June 2017

Ride to Work Week UK - 2

The ride home after work was every bit as bad as the way in. In reverse.

The ride down from sunny Islington via Hackney to sunny Darenth took over an hour but did include a fuel stop at Sainsbury's near the Millennium Dome.

I rolled onto the drive at home two hours after leaving work. This included a nice fast run on the motorway as well as the miles of bumper to bumper traffic basically from Dalston to Kidbrooke.  

On the approach to the Blackwall Tunnel I was filtering when the guy in the left lane decided to block me off. Result. My left bar end weight and his mirror interfaced. No damage to me but his mirror knocked back on its hinge. Oh dear. He was effing and blinding at me but maybe next time he'll not deliberately try to block off a filtering biker.  Somehow I think he'll be the same cretin for life.

So was it #commutehappy for me. Was it buggery!

On the road for the three hours fifty to cover 145 miles. Even with the drive to the station, hanging about a bit and then the train,  it is way quicker and in this time of jetstream induced high temperatures,  comfortable and air conditioned! !

Commuting is not for me any more.

20 June 2017

Ride to Work Week UK

Pepé at work
Ride to Work Week UK

The idea behind this is to get people out of their cars and onto two-wheels,  It will reduce congestion, save on parking spaces and reduce pollution.


As my commuting into London days were over a few years ago, once I came to terms with having to sell an organ to pay for the train fares every month,  it was a bit of a shock to see what the every day motorcycle commuter has to contend with.  

Although saying that, the "ride" time is not much different to two years ago when I commuted on Döra the Explörer.

I made pretty good progress at first.   From home to the Darenth Interchange was just shy of 50 minutes. Google maps (below) has the time at 55 mins.  As this bit was pretty much free moving traffic that's no surprise. There was a little congestion where the cars were actually stationery on the M20 by Maidstone but I safely filtered through. Google maps is aimed at cars and not the more traffic slipping motorcycle.

At least the weather was kind.  Sunny but no too hot so I could wear my Joe Rocket mesh jacket.


Google Map of full journey

From the map we can see a few problems but this was made after I arrived at work. The two accidents marked towards the bottom right weren't there when I cruised through.

It's hard to see from this map the changes in colour to show traffic.  There are some roadworks and it seemed like they had coned off the entire left lane, but there was no sign that anyone had got off their arses to do any work. 

Fifty minutes to get to the Darenth Interchange.  Then another 50 minutes to get to work due to basically solid traffic requiring filtering (lane splitting) all the way from about a mile north-west of Darenth and through the Blackwall Tunnel under the Thames.  This can be better seen from the second Google Map.



Only another 50  minutes for this section is a bit better than the car estimate.  The problem with this part is that the approach to the tunnel is three lanes but each lane is narrower. As the tunnel is only two lanes there is a massive tailback and far less room to filter as everyone has to squeeze together and a lane is lost.

And to get home?  That's about six hours in the future.  But I expect the same traffic and hassles.

18 June 2017

Meldrews Sunday

Another shortish ride out today. It was Meldrews Sunday and also father's day so we had a reduced turnout. Still there were four of us in a pretty deserted Blue and White café.

After a chat about their trips last weekend we went our own ways.  I headed back home via a loop across the downs on some roads that seemed new to me. Following signposts I must have ridden further than expected. 

With temperatures hovering about 28°C it was great to be wearing my Joe Rocket vented mesh jacket.

Stopped however. It was far too hot in Kevlar lined combats.

Still nice to be out and about on the bike. My next outing might very well be a ride to work day on Tuesday. Why Tuesday? It's the only day my boss won't be there!!!

15 June 2017

FL17 - Orlando City Tickets

Entry to the stadium is with an e-ticket. Having read up on it I spent my lunch hour getting my Ticketmaster US login to sync with a new Orlando City login.

Then I could view the tickets. These are by QR code on my phone.

On the day they need to be shown and so the LionNation app needed to be downloaded. This uses a different login to the ones above and links to them.

Now I can see the QR codes but they are greyed out until 72 hours before the game.

It's early but my attention will next be turned to parking. ...

Sound Mirror

Recently the replica of the sound mirror has been painted by some local volunteers. 

It looks good in the dark green rather than the flaking and badly applied grey/beige it was before.

It's there to show visitors how the mirror works.  From the other side of the canal,  maybe 25 yards away, someone speaks and another person in front of the mirror (the grey bit) can hear it.



The original mirror is on the hillside about 200ft above sea level.

This technology was invented as early warning of air raids.

Reggie left his mark.


Read more about the mirrors.


My Photos:

Sound Mirrors

Premier League Fixtures

The fixtures are out already.  Time to plan which games I will attend and which Alex will go to.


13 June 2017

RBLR Non-Attendance Rally 2017



This year's Royal British Legion Riders Non-Attendance Rally will not be held in the Elysian Fields this year.


The money earned after the cost of the badges goes into the Poppy Appeal.

I can't remember how many times I've not been to the Rally. It's quite a few now.

12 June 2017

Gravel car-parking

Today's run out was a tale of two gravel strewn parking areas/lots.

We'd been out in the morning in the car to see the poppy art installation at Shoeburyness.  When I say "we" I mean Claire,  Reggie and me.

After lunch I hauled Pepé out of the garage and headed to the bank in Hythe to get some cash. Man can't live by credit card alone.

Then I thought of a great photo op. A tribute to British engineering. My Rocket and the WW2 fighter aircraft at the Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel le Ferne.

Aaarrghh.

Turning off the paved roadway entrance onto three or even four inches of grey gravel chips is not to be laughed at. Maybe on a cycle but not on a 700lb heavyweight cruiser. Jesus that was scary as the bars went straight to left lock. Luckily I got a foot down!!!

I took a picture (and not the one I wanted) and left.  It's a great cause but that's my lot. I am never going back.

From there I went to the White Cliffs. The car park here is a little light gravel over a  hard surface like tarmac. Shitty getting in where you have to go up about six feet and hairpin into the lower parking. The other tiers are cinder or grass.

At least here to café was open. New outdoor seating and a good tasting tea....

In all I was only out a little over two hours but bid get to put some miles on the clock.

Deep gravel,  not deep joy.

Biker's Tea

11 June 2017

GB17A - Poppy Wave

Today we got up early and went out for a shortish trip across the Thames to Essex and the 14-18 War commemoration. Reggie included.

It's about 90 miles each way.

Shoeburyness was one of the Ministry of Defence bases along that stretch of the coast. Troops embarked from here to go to France during WW1.

The poppies are all hand made and planted here to show like a wave. Other places have different displays like in Derby the poppies flow from a window like a flood of water.

9 June 2017

FR17 - Dordogne Google Album

Google Photo Creation

Amazing what can be done with very little effort.

BE17 - Passchendaele 100 - Travel Arrangements

We have the dog booked into his favourite kennels for the duration of this weekend away. He goes in there late afternoon on Saturday. We have a dog-free evening.

I had thought of going over then but finding a hotel or even a youth hostel in Belgium is like finding that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Unless you have that gold of course. So back to Plan A.

Plan A had alwaya been to cross over on Sunday morning and head generally towards Ypres.  There's a few places I'd like to see again plus some new (to me) sites.

Then see what parking is like in Ypres. There's a special ceremony in the Market by the Cloth Hall. It may be that as Plan A dictates that we go to Vlamertinge to the B&B and back out by taxi, we stick to it.

Monday morning we have to be in Zonnebeke to park and see the museum and displays there. We have been before a few years ago.

It was pre-Meldrews so must have been the other club we don't mention. On that visit we had to park in the entrance way and go in on foot.  There was the somewhat odd spectacle of a pipe band competition and Highland games taking place.

Coming back home after the Tyne Cot Ceremony, it starts at 13:00, is difficult to plan for. By the time it is over and we are bussed back to the car parking and get away who knows what time it will be? 

We'll need a train home some two to three hours after that. So maybe something like 8pm.  That allows the two hour travel window that Eurotunnel allow at no extra charge.  It will be a Monday evening so hopefully light traffic crossing back to UK and through the notoriously slow passport and customs controls.

So. Plan A it is.


6 June 2017

Fuelly

When you own a Rocket keeping a note on fuel consumption isn't really necessary. However, as an exercise I find it quite good to keep a record so I can see what is happening when I am out.

A bit of fun. 

Oddly, the app that worked on the iPhone doesn't work on the Android, so after ages I found Fuelly. It shares with other users and I need to see if there are other Rockets on there.  So over the coming months I'll be able to track the consumption on trips.

5 June 2017

Motorcycle Insurance

My insurance is due on the 27th June.  Or I should say my current policy runs out at midnight as the clock ticks over from the 26th into the 27th.

So as usual I have seen the forums discussing what people are paying and they are generally  less than me.  I guess the risk is supposed to be assessed on a personal basis. However that is too simplistic.  It's computer generated.

What is annoying is the price for the same insurance. When I say same I mean the same basic cover, plus any accidents (I have the car one in May 2015) and other elements AND the same insurance company.

Once comparison site quoted £156.52. My renewal arrived at £179.79 and another comparison site at £107.22 although the last one doesn't include any extras like legal cover. When that's added it comes to nearer £140.

So what to do?

4 June 2017

June run out

The last two weekends were crossed off as potential bike runs out as we were on holiday in France and in the car.

With such a log gap between rides I begin to feel guilty. Since I stopped commuting on two wheels I haven't even become a regular and fair weather rider.

So when I saw on facebook that some Meldrews were having a breakfast run to thr Blue and White I decided to go. 

Otherwise I was going for an aimless ride across the marsh.

Yesterday I found a bottle of cleaner in the garage I had forgotten I had. The petrol/gas tank was a little dirty. A few squirts of this magic no water needed elixir and a rub over with a microfibre cloth and it was super shiny.

So I hauled Pepé out of the garage and headed to the café. Egg sandwich for me.

After an hour of chat we went our separate ways. Mine was to Tesco to fill up after the ride to Wimbledon a month ago! Tesco to Tesco was 160.2 miles. I was dreading filling the tank but was surprised at at an average cruising speed of 75mph (cough cough) that I could only squeeze 16.9 litres into the tank.

I have also joined Fuelly and have the app on my phone. First fuel came out at 43.1mpg.

From there I went on a longer run home arriving back just before noon.

A good ride out but only about 30 miles added to the odometer.