On the Road Again!

At this time we'd be looking forward to the almost annual crossing to France and to Ostend to the Sinterklaastreffen itself. But. There is a gap in the calendar now as 2019 saw the very last one.  I was glad that I was there.  After so many events were cancelled in 2020 and into 2021 by the Covid Pandemic it would have been a highlight for us charitable bikers. What a shame that the  MTvO club couldn't keep it running.

I was up at 6.50am and out before 7 30am. Pepé needed the dbPower unit to start as I had expected. I had had it on charge to make sure it was at 100%. Why? I expected to use it a few times in the day. The first obstacle was J11 was closed other than northbound on the M20. A truck had overturned and the carriageway was damaged. A little self made detour (turning around the end of the centre verge (median),  and I continued onto the A20 to the Shuttle. Both UK and French passports were taking time to get through. A terrorist attack in London the day before was probably a contributor. At UK I had to take my helmet off. I had chosen the Shoei over the LS2 flip-up. It looked like I was going to miss the booked shuttle as I waited for the queues to move. In the end it was gone 8.30am before the barrier lifted and I was off to be squeezed into the last carriage. Or so it seemed. I was told to park, as usual front wheel into the kerb. The cars shuffled forward.  And I was on my lonesome. The c...

So the weather is turning drier tomorrow. At least the rain looks to be holding off. Instead temperatures are to drop into low single figures. Centigrade that is. A high of 7°C. I popped out briefly last Sunday to fill the tank with our cheaper unleaded 95 fuel. With a full tank it means theoretically I could get to Ostend and back.  In reality I will need a top up. I'll most likely do that on the way to Ostend on the motorway near Veurne, once in Belgium. On Sunday I used the dbPower charger to start the bike, but risked starting it at Seabrook without it after fuelling and it started.  Still. The unit goes with me. Fully charged! Whether it will boot up at the Tunnel....  From my local riders I will be Billy No Mates. Instead I'll meet up with Tony Young at the Velodrome. He went today and booked in and got the special event t-shirt. It's €15 for the weekend and €10 for a day visitor. The t-shirt included.  50th & last So to tomorrow. Up early and out of the house for...

It looks like I won't be Billy No-Mates this year. CHEERING!!  Not at the moment anyway. Not a Meldrew's member but Tony Young. We first went in 1985.  This is sadly the last ever rally, or at least Sinterklaastreffen, so quite fitting we are both going 34 years later! Screenshot as original is pdf I was looking at the P&O ferry this year but although cheaper than the Shuttle it takes longer.  So I have booked 0836 out and 1850 back with Eurotunnel.  Tony will go over Friday and so could book in then. He's staying outside Ostend in a B&B.  If I was able I'd have stayed at the Polaris/le Parisien for old times sake. In term time I can't get away on a Friday.  Inscription is €15 for the weekend and €10 for the day. There are also special t-shirts for the event. I have loads but "I was there" shirts are good!!  So end of November and my mo should be luxurious. 

Still plenty of time before I become Billy No-Mates again for other riders to stand up and join me on the run across to Ostend.   Of course, we may have Brexited on October 31st and the EU might have erected a sea-wall between us and the mainland of Europe..... Or then again, everyone might see sense and carry on as normal and allow tourism to take place. Might. It won't be too bad. I will meet up up with long term biker buddy Tony Young and family on his trike.  When we went for the first time in 1985, Tony and Heather were there I think on his Aspencade or maybe a BMW RT.  My memory has faded. My partner at the time, Audrey, was on the pillion of my almost new MZ 250ETZ. Two up with luggage was a struggle. Back then we used to stay the weekend from Friday to Sunday at the Hotel Polaris.  It became "our" hotel and over the years we stayed there as a Suzuki Owners Club group we tended to meet the same  group German riders year in year out. Tony will be doin...

The last ever St Nicks Rally to be held.   St Nick and his Piets I have lost count how many I have been to since my very first back in 1985.  Then we went on my MZ250ETZ. Two-up  with a cheap plastic top box with our things in.   Back then we went practically every year and stayed in the the Hotel Polaris. That became quite the annual event until one year the Polaris wasn't available to book and it had closed down.   We gave the weekend trips another year but it wasn't the same and gradually the "tradition" was over.  We revived it some years later and began going for the day and joining the run to meet St Nick at the quay, where he came in by fishing boat along with his Piets. Eventually we started going for the ride and later to watch the ride out with St Nick.  It seemed it was getting smaller each year.  One year I went and couldn't find the meeting place and the city was devoid of the usual throng of bikers enjoying lunch in re...

Currently the UK is in the grip of a cold spell.  Winds from the north-west are coming from the pole and bringing icy conditions to the south of England and snow and ice to the more northerly climes. So. The decision whether to go to Belgium will be taken later in the week.  The newspapers are scaremongering about "arctic conditions" being with us for weeks rather than the usual days.   One of the geographical benefits of where we are off the coast of mainland Europe means that we benefit from the jet stream and that generally brings warmer air up from the equator that means we get less snow but we get more rain than the Europeans.  Unfortunately it looks as though we are going to be north of the jet stream this week and in the cold air. It was very cold on Friday when I went on the Ride for Kelly and on Saturday we (Neill, my brother and me)  went to the football (soccer y'all) at Gillingham and even with four layers of clothing, gloves and woolie hats it ...

It's a bit early to be booking bike trips into December. But seeing a special offer where the return fare to France for bike and rider was only £22.50 ($28.50 or so) for what amounts to two 90 minute (not luxurious though) cruises is the cheapest I have seen it for many a good year.  Book now!! Thank you P&O. As every other year since we stopped going for the weekend, the plan will be to go over early but not too early. Fill the tank with slightly cheaper EU benzine and go to Ostend. Check out the chocolate shops and have lunch. See St Nick. Then ride home after a good day in Europe. I'll probably put it on the Meldrews' Facebook page  at some stage in case there are any takers for the trip.  I have been Johnny No-Mates a few times and the last time it was just me and Cal. Still a while to go before December 2nd. Paul Devall shared an album with you from the Flickr app! Take a look: https://flic.kr/s/aHskn4opxt

After a week of scraping ice off the car and -4C (24.8F) mornings I decided that if I was going to be going on my own that I would abort. Too cold and miserable on your own. As well as that "fair weather biker" excuse I got a real one. Trying to catch the dog in the garden I twisted the end joint on my left index finger, making it so painful I couldn't even pull the zipper on my jeans left handed!  I am left handed BTW!  So pulling the clutch was o-u-t! So with Meldrew's clubmate Cal pulling out with a knee injury I decided that abort was best. Oh well!

Friday . I like to prepare for a trip and usually lay my riding gear out the day before to look for any defects. So this was a job for Friday. We were both home as the night before we had been to see Deep Purple at the O2 in London, getting home in the wee small hours. Claire then had provided the extra hands it takes to adjust the Skidmarx windscreen. Loosening off most of the fittings needs a pair of hands to hold it in the right place, and another to tighten the bolts and Allen bolts. In fact I did the holding as the new position meant my hands were too big to get into place to tighten up the lower mounting points. Once completed,  I was almost ready for the run to Belgium the next day. Saturday . I had everything laid out for a 7.30am start but as usual I had forgotten some things. The alarm went and Reggie was up wanting to go out. After a night on the bed he needs his "garden break" before his breakfast. I double checked the Givi tankbag. All the bike's documents an...

After a couple of years as Johnny No-Mates,  I again put it on the Meldrews Facebook page to see if anyone wants to go this year. So far not many takers. This year will be 30 years since I went for the very first time....... I have a spare crossing on Eurotunnel to use, one that I originally booked for the Charles Devall Memorial Ride  and then changed when we went as a family in the car. I still had the motorcycle booking to re-use. The plan is as usual. An early but not too early crossing to Calais, either by Eurotunnel train (me and maybe others!) or the ferry (others), and ride along to Ostend where the local club, Motor & Toerisme Vrienden Oostende have hosted the Sinterklaastreffen for over 45 years. Once again the rally will be over a weekend but we have begun going for just the day over the last few years. Sometimes we go and join in the ride around with St Nick, other times we go, have lunch, buy chocolates and watch them ride past.  It depen...

Already looking at bike things to do in the few months ahead. Before we know it the Whitstable Toy Run will be upon us and of course, the day before is the St Nicks Rally in Ostend.     Last year I was Billy No-Mates and went on my own. Without the aid of TomTom I was unable to find the new rally site and ended up having a drink and lunch in pretty much a bikerless city centre! The Toy Run had a turnout of three from the Kent Centre / Meldrews.... So what else is there?

Once I had finished lunch it was off to walk around and see where all the bikers were..... Usually the city centre is full of them, mostly from the hotels and the really tough souls that camp!  Camp? December? Nutters! It didn't take long to find the "usual" chocolate shop. The same lady works in there was in all the years we have been going to the St Nicks. Since 1985. I bought a few things, some to take to work, some for Christmas and some to eat during the day! Chocs etc Once back at the bike I noticed that my ignition and luggage keys were hanging in the topbox lock! I had been walking about the city centre for well over an hour and it had been there! In London I would have come back to no bike. As it was already 1425 local time so I set off around to the meeting place. Like a ghost town. There is some bike parking near the big church so I went there. A couple of non-local Belgians had arrived. Just as nonplussed as me as to what was going on. The web page definitely ...

The coldest year for the Sinterklaastreffen that I have been to was 1991. Audrey and I went on her XJ900 as I had the DR800 and it wasn't good two up. The XJ was an excellent tourer. Shaft drive and frame mounted fairing. F501OMJ was superb. I later bought one with an H reg. Anyway. By the time we had got into Belgium it was freezing. Firstly my visor iced up, then my glasses. I had to pull them down and peer over the top. Then my eyebrows iced and froze. We stopped and took this shot on the old Olympus OM10 - that I still have! December 6th 1991! Frozen! The visor was a graduated one with a darker tint at the top to help with the sun. The helmet is a Freddie Spencer replica Arai. Changes to British Standards later outlawed lots of tinted visors for use in the UK. Updated. Oops.  Posted this twice!   http://invictamoto.blogspot.com/2007/11/frozen-up.html albeit 6 years apart.

My first St Nicks was back in 1985. I went with my then partner Audrey on my MZ250ETZ and Tony and Heather Young on, if I remember rightly, a BMW R100RT. We went for many years and stayed at the Polaris Hotel. Then with wife Claire we went until it closed we dropped weekends to become day-trippers. The last few years have been less good, breakdowns, sickness and bad weather have all stopped me from going. I booked on Seafrance for £12.50 return and will go over and see how it is. Billy No-Mates?

We have secured a slightly cheaper deal with P&O through a friend of Ian Gardner's at the Port of Dover and that should be sorted with everyone wanting to go sending Ian a cheque for £17 bike and rider/pillion. A small saving admittedly but today P&O's fare on the website went up to £21.50 from £19.

The rally itself is over the entire weekend but we are planning a day trip across, weather and ferries permitting. I have advertised it on the Kent SOC list server and also on the BMFinKent forum and so far have 5 peeps and 4 bikes who want to go. Checking the ferry websites shows that P&O are £19 all-in for bike and two and that includes a £4 fuel surcharge. For their part Seafrance have a £15 fare plus an optional £2 "marine conservation" donation. Eurotunnel though have nothing book and it it was it would be £29. Considering they are still farting about since the fire and their general don't-give-a-shit attitude to bikes it looks as though the ferries are the way to go.

Frozen-Up , originally uploaded by pauldevall . Had to add this photo that I found whilst going through a box of stuff. It's from 1991, the day before the Sinterklaastreffen and we were on the XJ900 heading for Ostend.  By the time we had got towards Veurne my visor, glasses and eyebrows had frozen solid. This pic was taken alongside the canal between Adinkerke and Veurne.  The only main route as the motorway between France and Belgium was some years off being completed.