My rides to & from Snetterton saw me negotiating the joy that is the A17 'twixt Boston & Swaffham - this twice annual pleasure saw me experiencing again the bi-polar attributes of some of our fellow road users on a road devoid of interest above and beyond those of survival and progress.
First the good/excellent:-
i/ - Drivers, most often of lorries, but not exclusively so, moving over to allow filtering and easier overtakes - a real pleasure to see & benefit from - thank you
Now the less welcome:-
ii/ - With similar kindly intent, drivers moving over to their extreme left in order to facilitate my progress - thank you - but please do not move so far as to run your near-side wheels into the gutter/verge edge, as in doing so you run the risk of picking up some damage or a puncture, and more selfishly, you pepper me with the self same garbage found there in copious quantity!
And finally, the bad:-
iii/ - I cannot remember when I last experienced a driver moving out to block my line. This happened once on my journey towards Norfolk, and twice on my return journey. I was so surprised on the first two occasions, that I slowed, adopted a safe following position & expected to see the camera/police car/safety partnership van that the drivers were attempting to protect me from.
Oh, but no such obstacle having materialised, I moved out to overtake, only to be met with a repeat of their attempted blocking move!
Why?
Is this something that those who ride in our more southern & eastern counties experience regularly? I've certainly not come across this in the last half decade whilst riding in the North, West, South West, Scotland, Wales, or abroad.
All the best, Jim.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
BMW Club day @ Snetterton - 22/08/11 - Photos
Near the apex @ Corams.
Even nearer!
Palmer - one of my favourites.
It's either a diet or, a heavier spring!!
All the best, Jim.
IXION Clubs days @ Cadwell 4th & 5th August 2011
The 2nd right of Hall Bends
Thursday morning was damp and allowed the more eager riders to don over-suits in a vain attempt to placate the rain gods & ensure a dry day.
The Old Hairpin.
Not my most fetching profile - but then which one is?
Barn corner.
Friday & the weather was excellent, allowing us to shed our condoms & engage in some larking about ............
The Old Hairpin.
I know that as a Boxer rider I'm tempting the fates, but ...... with the absence of traffic I'm getting to like this corner, and adopting a later and deeper turn-in point is paying dividends.
Mansfield.
Park.
With skilled, competent, & considerate riding from the 120 members; with one possible exception, passing such as the above is both possible and enjoyable.
With the lamentable demise of "Track Follies", we have only the IXION club left upholding the banner of "not for profit" track day clubs. £175 for two and a half days of Cadwell fun allows everyone to relax, enjoy the atmosphere, adjust their time on track to the weather, energy levels, hunger and comfort breaks - a real opportunity to ride @ your pace, when you want to, & how you want to. We must do our best to support IXION & Russell Brown in ensuring that such a superb facility does not follow Follies' example. -- http://www.cadwell.ruffle.me.uk/
All the best, Jim.
BMW Club Track-day @ Snetterton - 22/08/11
Monday this week saw me @ the vastly improved Snetterton 300, working for the BMW Club as an instructor. An excellent day organised by the inestimable Robert Bensley; racer, raconteur, and thoroughly nice chap. (N.B. - the amount of effort, time, energy and skill that it takes to run such a day is enormous, & the BMW Club are very lucky to have someone like Robert prepared to put up the necessary - not to mention his wife Ann & her admin & pit lane support).
Of the 150 riders who took part - some for the first time ever on track, (28), some were ex-racers, (one TT winner), some current racers, one 22 years old, one 73, one rider had started riding only three weeks previously - the overwhelming majority seemed to have a superb time & many of the "newbies" expressed an intention to return again.
But; isn't there always a "but", why, oh why, do some folk expend thousands and thousands of pounds on the latest, fastest, shiniest, must-have motorcycle, then even more thousands on a full race exhaust system, even more on matching leathers, helmet & gloves ...... & then wobble around corners @ a pace & in a fashion more suited to a Triangle tricycle? Both straights were dispatched with reasonable speed - once their bikes were vertical - but the approaching corners saw them back to little more than walking pace, resulting in following riders having to negotiate an additional chicane that lap.
Why?
Well, a discussion with one of the track "newbies" shed some light on one possible reason. "They buy the fastest, "best", newest, must have bike, not to ride but to just say that they ride that bike. "Say" to themselves, their mates, strangers down the pub/golf club. They adorn it with the most expensive accessories, as if in some manner that makes them better riders! Actually riding their bike is not on their radar, it's the image that is all. Those who come along to days such as this are more open to learning how to ride their bikes. So, in the general bike riding population out there, there will be huge numbers of bikes bought as status symbols, to be polished and parked - preferably where others will notice & make approving comments".
Still, one positive bonus from this faction of bike buyers - they trade their bikes in very often, thereby allowing skinflints like me to profit from their largesse!
Such individuals were in a very small minority, and I can only hope that they engage in some advanced training in order that they learn to make fuller use of their beautiful machines, (but then I would say that wouldn't I?).
I'll post up some photos in a couple of days.
All the best, Jim.
Of the 150 riders who took part - some for the first time ever on track, (28), some were ex-racers, (one TT winner), some current racers, one 22 years old, one 73, one rider had started riding only three weeks previously - the overwhelming majority seemed to have a superb time & many of the "newbies" expressed an intention to return again.
But; isn't there always a "but", why, oh why, do some folk expend thousands and thousands of pounds on the latest, fastest, shiniest, must-have motorcycle, then even more thousands on a full race exhaust system, even more on matching leathers, helmet & gloves ...... & then wobble around corners @ a pace & in a fashion more suited to a Triangle tricycle? Both straights were dispatched with reasonable speed - once their bikes were vertical - but the approaching corners saw them back to little more than walking pace, resulting in following riders having to negotiate an additional chicane that lap.
Why?
Well, a discussion with one of the track "newbies" shed some light on one possible reason. "They buy the fastest, "best", newest, must have bike, not to ride but to just say that they ride that bike. "Say" to themselves, their mates, strangers down the pub/golf club. They adorn it with the most expensive accessories, as if in some manner that makes them better riders! Actually riding their bike is not on their radar, it's the image that is all. Those who come along to days such as this are more open to learning how to ride their bikes. So, in the general bike riding population out there, there will be huge numbers of bikes bought as status symbols, to be polished and parked - preferably where others will notice & make approving comments".
Still, one positive bonus from this faction of bike buyers - they trade their bikes in very often, thereby allowing skinflints like me to profit from their largesse!
Such individuals were in a very small minority, and I can only hope that they engage in some advanced training in order that they learn to make fuller use of their beautiful machines, (but then I would say that wouldn't I?).
I'll post up some photos in a couple of days.
All the best, Jim.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
As close to the ultimate "I couldn't do anything to avoid it..." accident I've seen.
An example of why I've taken to riding "classic" roads mid-week and very early in the morning.
All the best, Jim.
All the best, Jim.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Recent quick lap of The 'Ring
Please don't attempt to copy his turn-in points, the speed he's carrying means that he's initiating the turns meters before ordinary mortals* do.
All the best, Jim.
*ps - mind you, he is still 37 seconds slower that Alex Carlise Esq.!!!
All the best, Jim.
*ps - mind you, he is still 37 seconds slower that Alex Carlise Esq.!!!
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