Meldrew Sunday - Waterside Café

An early start. Definitely. I guessed that Pepé wouldn't start without an infusion of electricity.

I was of course right. Without dbPower he is d e a d. Looks like  new battery in the new year. Maybe one of the Motobatt "big yellers" like I had on the GS a while back. Plenty of cranking amps.

Anyway, the miles to empty gauge showed 1. By the time I got to the first meeting point it was up to 81. Remember this.

The ride across the top of the Marsh was done slowly. There are so many leaves on the road. On the edges, and down the middle where they have been thrown by cars and trucks. It is very easy to come a cropper! 

At the bottom of Knole Hill in Aldington I set the Yamaha My Ride app running, then headed to the meeting place. 

To my surprise the app worked! 

Only short but at least it worked. The phone was upright in my inside jacket pocket. I will reveal the stats later.  It was slippery underfoot remember!

From Hamstreet we (Iah J, Paul R and Cal) and me!) set off across country to Tenterden and then Rolvenden before the right turn towards Hawkhurst.  Still in Kent at this point! It was up this stretch that rufty tufty adventure bike riding  Ian decided to avoid a small track of a road that had a slight big of grass in the centre.  A GS fer chrissakes!

Eventually we arrived.  I stopped the app and saved to  route and the stats that it creates.

A shame it doesn't all fit on one screen to screenshot.  Anyway the lean angles look a bit er... upright.

On arrival at about 10.10am the car-park was quite full and it is also grey gravel. I can't say as the owner and rider of a 700lbs (dry) bike that having my feet slide from under me fills me with any enthusiasm.  If I was on a lighter bike maybe not as much trepidation!

The "big breakfast" was really good.  The jury for me is still out on Korker sausages though.  Thjey are okay, better than most cafe fare.

After a chat and a few coffee/teas we set off.  Cal and I left to the road Ian baulked at.  Neil who had joined us at the cafe a different route and Ian dis his own thing. From FB it looks as though he was drawn like a moth to a flame to Rye.

We had a weird TomTom journey around parts of Kent I have been to before but didn't expect to see on this trip.  The My Ride app shows the strange roundabout path I took!

Despite the slippery roads and the other road users seemingly not noticing the conditions the ride was good and enjoyable. Cold but mostly dry.  Hoping for the same in a fortnight when I go to the Last St Nicks.