Tuesday Ride Out (Long!)
When I got back on Sunday I was hoping the weather would stay nice in the week. And luckily it has. From sitting in the sun surrounded by greyhounds yesterday, to plenty of warm sunshine today.
I moved Baloo from Suzi Triplo to Vera. Then thought as it was sunny and Claire was out at a friend's on her regular Tuesday afternoon gossip and craft session, I would tug Vera out of the garage and take a ride.
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| A fifth bike for Mr Baloo! |
I hadn't intended to be out all that long. Just somewhere with a café for a coffee maybe? I headed towards Canterbury and then out on the A28 (Sturry Road). This seemed like a good idea. After all, it was before the kids are out of school. Wrong.
Traffic was at a standstill for a long way into Sturry from the Park'n'Ride on Sturry Road.
There's no hope of slipping past as the road space for cars/trucks/buses and of course, motorcycles, has been reduced by a three foot cycle lane on both sides of the road. The good people of Canterbury make sure that they don't encroach onto the red tarmac. What there wasn't a sign of, of course, was a cyclist. Not one.
In the end after we pulled aside to let a couple ambulances with blue and two's sounding off past we got going. Out beyond the city sprawl, we got moving again.
There is so much building going on that soon Kent will have to make "country parks" of the few areas that aren't under concrete, bricks and mortar! Not many of the estates they are throwing up look as though they will be affordable to the young people of Kent on local wages.
Anyway stuck behind two slow lorries I decided to make the right turn and across the railway and the River Stour by the Grove Ferry Inn. My intention was always to make for Gibson's Farm Shop in Wingham.
With no satnav and sign posting looking like the locals were trying to confuse an enemy invader (signs pointing in all directions but the right one!!!) I missed a turning to Preston and to where I know where I am.
In the end I found my way to Wickhambreaux. Another chance for Wingham was missed as the next left turn was only signposted Ickham. I ended up in Littlebourne. I chose to turn left and get stuck in a column of traffic into Wingham. The refuse collectors (garbage men) were at work, a mobile roadblock.
From there Gibson's was a short distance away. A welcome stop. I bought some sourdough bread. I can take it or leave it but Claire is partial to a slice. It's not Slimming World friendly, but sometimes you have to have a treat!
I also bought a Stilton topped pork pie! This will be consumed tomorrow after SW weigh-in! Another treat! Can hardly wait!
I had a coffee and took a couple of photos with the Sony Cybershot aka Sony DSC-P200. I had put the little Givi tank bag on.
My new Rev'It Eclipse only has one inside pocket and two external side pockets. I have a bumbag/fanny-pack that is for skiers but haven't used it for about 20 years!
The tanklock bag is only 3 litres in size but is big enough to hold its own folded small waterproof cover, pens, reading glass and sunglass cases and a small camera like the Sony. Quite a lot can be packed into it. When travelling I have my passport and wallet in there too.
With a viewfinder the little Cybershot makes it easy to take photos without having to rely on the LCD screen. In full sun this is a god send.
Unlike my phone! I took this one and had to guess where the bike was as I could see nothing!
These proved to be very tight and short to the wrist. It was warm enough to wear them today. On the way back I switched to my normal Spada leather gloves.
The "range" display on the dash was saying I had 24 miles to go before empty. I don't altogether trust these things and keep an eye on the gauge part of the display. I tried to keep the speed down on the way back to Folkestone. I passed a few petrol stations with Unleaded E10 95 at 167.9p per litre.
For you that maybe American and moaning about gas prices in the States, this is about $6.02 for a US gallon! Consider yourselves very lucky!
I saw that I was approaching 10000 miles on the odometer. That had to be a major photo op? I wanted to hop two junctions on the A20/M20 to see what rip-off Tesco had at their petrol station. As I entered the Roundhill Tunnel, it clipped over 10000! The echo as I turned the air blue must have been heard miles away! F***!
I came off one junction early and stopped where it was safe. It was now 10001! Photo taken and back on the road!
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| Aaaaarrgghhh! Missed 10000 miles! |
Now it was 14 miles to empty. I headed towards Tesco and their 168.9 U95 E10. So much for cheaper fuel at the supermarket stations! Rip-off.
I took the option to head for Seabrook Garage where I had filled the car up not too long ago for 163.9. The "range" miles seemed to be going faster now than the miles under the wheels!
Yes. Made it. Petrol station empty and still 163.9. Who would have thought that price would be seen as a success and a "bargain"!
I filled up slowly to keep the escaping vapour down. I read that somewhere. Probably bullshit but no hassle to do it.
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| Three miles on the road but six gone from "range"!! |
A short run home and park up on the drive. I took the Baloo photo after I put Vera away. In the end we had not managed that great a mileage today. About 54 miles.
The Yamaha My Ride app had worked again, so I guess the "fix" they had done to correct what they had ballsed up has worked.
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| Part one - from Home to Gibson's |
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| Part two - Gibson's to Home |
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| Unprecedented to see 267 miles range! |
Fuelly confirmed that this fill up was the highest mileage I have done on one tank and the highest mpg as well - 59.4mpg!
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