2016 - First Ride
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.
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. After so much rain there are lots of puddles and in the main they were water. At the highest part there were a couple of patches where the water thrown up by the cars had iced the verge and trees. Easily avoidable.
I passed a popular biker cafe in Sellinge called the Airpirt Cafe. Lympne Airport and WW2 airfield is long gone now mostly under an industrial park where Claire works, but the cafe keeps the name. Not a bike to be seen, but a few HD shirts visible through the window.
The last five or six miles on the A20 were relatively okay; a decent dry line to stick to.
The Blue and White has parking for maybe a dozen cars and the bikers get irked as the concrete frontage is usually covered in cars. Today two 4WD's.
I was the first bike to arrive and met fellow Meldrew, David, who had opted for the car as only 25 miles up the M20, it had snowed overnight.
Once we'd sat down with our breakfast the only two other bikers arrived. Both Meldrews. Ian and Cal.
After an hour of chatting the sky was darkening so we togged up and set off for home. It seemed colder but the puddles were still wet and the roads although damp were okay.
Pepe of course started first time after 18 days in the cold and damp. Ran perfectly.
What more can you ask for?
Comments
Glad you could get out, even though it was cold. I think I would have had some layers on under the Kevlar and probably still been cold.