InvictaMoto's On The Road Again!

When I moved the cars to get access to the garage, the temperature gauge in the Insignia showed 2 degrees centigrade. The Coke bottle filled with water by the garage was completely wet, no ice, so I decided to ride to the Meldrews monthly meeting. This gave me the opportunity to wear my new Draggin Jeans Chinos. When I say new, I bought them on eBay for £45, with all the tags, over a year ago but they were a bit tight. As they retail at £115 or more in UK I was happy with a bargain. First time for them today. https://www.dragginjeans.net/index.php They are a little long in the leg without boots but once on the bike they are about right. The Kevlar is very comfortable and the fit is good. Maybe even room under them for thermals!!! The ride up out of coastal Hythe can mean it getting colder and those Meldrews with BMW's announced that the temperature was down to 1.5C at the Blue and White. Pepe doesn't have these luxuries and it's a case of looking at the road and the puddles...

Winter is yet to arrive. The Spring plants are all budding or in flower. These are on Ladies Walk in Hythe and the white flowers have been out a few days now. Christmas is only a few weeks away but the shops already building up to Easter. At Waitrose they haven't decided where to put the Easter eggs yet but once the pillows are sold....?

Neither the Rough Guide nor the Arizona Tourist Service say that this road is as bad as it looks on the web link. I guess the website name gives a clue to it, but it does look a bit dusty and narrow. A friend from California has ridden it on his GS850G although I think he only did the paved bits on that bike. http://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/usa/1324-apache-trail-usa.html After seeing the video on the website Claire has decided that this not for her.  Depending on the weather it might not be suitable for a standard full-size rental car.  I might see what the options are available with National! Further up there are graded gravel roads to Monument Valley and so a 4WD might be a better option!

Finally, cabin fever alleviated! Fittingly. The last ride of the year was on the last day of the year. After taking Reggie out for a walk on the beach we had lunch and as the sun was still out so I togged up and set off. I wore my new Aldi boots for the first time. I bought them in the summer but have stuck with my old Oxtar boots. They were alright. For only £29.95 I wasn't expecting too much. They have a waterproof lining.   The only minor problem was that on the left boot the gear change pad is a little uncomfortable. Maybe with thicker socks it will be better. I had a ride along the coast to Folkestone and thought that maybe the Battle of Britain Memorial might be open and failing that, the Cliff Top Cafe would be for a warming break. Sadly both were closed so no picture with a Spitfire and no tea break! On the Cliff road overlooking the sea, the wind got up with some very strong gusts. I decided to go home as the sun went down as it had turned cold. On the M20 the wind was eve...