DGR 2016

This year I plan to turn up again on a non-hipster bike and enjoy the adulation of the assembled masses whilst raising some money for cancer charities.

Sadly my fund raising efforts have not gone too well. The main focus is through Facebook where I have 60 friends.

Some of them are outside the UK in the USA, Germany and the Czech Republic.

That does leave around 50 within the Sterling zone. Although as an international charity event sponsors can pay in sterling or Yankee dollars or euros or any currency that is internationally tradeable.

How many have contributed to my (currently) measly £21? ONE.

So with three days to go here's hoping for a few extra quid/dollars/rand/krone. Whatever.

Here's my sponsorship page: https://www.gentlemansride.com/rider/invictamoto

Frank Thomas Jacket

I was reading a Facebook post about a £1000 BMW suit that had leaked quite badly on the chest and back at the first rain of the autumn.

So I had a search through "On the Road" to see how old my Frank Thomas Jacket is. I was amazed to see the post was way back in June 2008.

My ex-wife used my profligate spending in her own counter-suit to mine of adultery....

But in reality I don't spend fortunes on gear.

I don't thing 8 years for a jacket and 16 for boots is that profligate.

Anyway. The point of dredging this up was to say that or a £99 jacket (less sale discount) is still waterproof.

Although it has faded and no longer black black it still does what it was bought to do. I am dry and generally warm wearing it and I wear it four seasons.

At the BWW price I could get 80 years of FT wear. 😎

http://invictamoto.blogspot.co.uk/2008/06/new-jacket.html

Doddington Place Garden

Today's run out in the car with Reggie was to Doddington Place Garden. Only about 25 miles at most from home.

The garden is privately owned and is only open a few days in the we and Sunday is one.

It is also one of the few dog friendly gardens in the county. A least one where we can all enjoy the gardens together.

https://goo.gl/photos/TrYC1Y9RFLnW6f6B7

Cactus Bob

Cactus Joe's brother from Oatman Arizona.

Google throws up these things from time to time. Sometimes no matter how embarrassing you have to post.

Trip to the Czech MotoGP 2016

Finally getting around to writing up the trip - here.

New Helmet - LS2 Metro with Bluetooth Four

The helmet proved a good fit on the 1763 mile trip to the Czech MotoGP and back. The noise was no worse than my Shoei.

The bluetooth was easy to setup but at anything above 70mph not a lot of good.

The volume simply isn't loud enough to work with a combination of wind noise and ear plugs. 

With them out and testing the controls the systems own voice is pretty good.

It's a shame as the main selling point of this kind of helmet is the bluetooth.  Otherwise you may as well buy an alternative make or their own much cheaper model.

Still a decent helmet but can't say I am not a little disappointed.

New Helmet - LS2 Metro with Bluetooth Three

Managed to get out for a test ride earlier in the week.

Like most new helmets it is a little tight and as a spectacle wearer I need to be able to get the arms into it to see where I am going.

It does take a bit of jiggling about to get them in the right place. I need to check the fit with my Oakley specs as they have straight arms.

The bluetooth works well with the tomtom  and is also paired with my phone.

Luckily the power lead I have for my phone is the same as the helmet. The block takes both micro usb and what appears to be the current Apple plug. My current S5 uses micro, so that's one less cable to take with me.

The other feature is the sun visor.  My old Schuberth C2 also had one and even with sunglasses it was superb. With clear glasses it was a great addition.

We'll have to see what happens when we are away later in the week.

Deaf 6

To say I am a little nervous about having a hearing aid is putting it mildly.

When I ride the bike I wear ear plugs to cut down the noise around the helmet. Doubly annoying that after this precaution for many many years that I am 50% deaf in one ear.

I am hoping that the aid will be small enough not to impede my wearing a helmet and spectacle arms and that it can be turned off easily.

All this will be answered on Tuesday afternoon! I leave for my trip to Czech the morning after. Not much shakedown time.

I guess this is another trial and error system!!!

The new season starts

Today.

The Premier League season kicked off yesterday.

Today's games on a Sunday for the TV audience include Bournemouth at home to Manchester United - David vs Goliath - and the biggest game of the weekend -  Arsenal at home to Liverpool.

I'm off to the latter. I can't say I an going with  much confidence as we have a weakened line-up of missing international players and the usual round of injuries to key players.

Whilst almost all the teams around us have been spending millions of pounds, we as usual are making do with one new signing and a load of kids bought cheap from the lower leagues and a few from the academy.

Fingers crossed for today.