An old man rides again!

Talk about that last great ride or perhaps, the next one. Ride reports here.
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Brian UK
Lookin' Around
Lookin' Around
Posts: 62
Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2014 2:15 pm
Location: Worthing Sussex uK

Wednesday 12th March started bright and reasonably warm on the south coast of England. I had promised to visit my daughter at University in London for some time. So, weather being good, I thought 'it's a pain going in a box', 'I don't want to mess around waiting for trains', 'WHY NOT TAKE THE BIKE?'.
Now I have been biking for about 35 years now (didn't start until I was 30) but it's some while since I did a longish journey and nearly 25 years since I rode in London! But, I thought, 'What can go wrong?'
I have had my Diversion 600 (Seca II) since January and have not used it much (weather etc.) AND it's my first bike since a 5 year break (The Mrs isn't over fond, you understand?) however off we set.
As I said reasonably warm and clear leaving the seaside heading north on the A24. Over the south downs, temperatue drops about 5 degrees Celsius and FOG! Great!
Well, what the hell, gotta do it now, daughter's expecting me!
So, A24, 10:00 am, not much traffic and a nice ride to Dorking. Mainly dual carriageway with a bit of bendy up past Capel. Decide to go a longer way round via Bromley as I used to live not far away, so along the A25, more sweeping roads, through Surrey and North Kent to Westerham and then North to Biggin Hill. That's about 90km so far, and it's cold. So a stop for coffee and a bacon roll is called for and the Spitfire Cafe appears. Pull over.
For US readers, Biggin Hill was a wartime airbase, quite small, with Spitfires and Hurricanes based there for the Battle of Britain etc. They still have a Spitfire and a Hurricane parked on the grass verge at the roadside there and you go past on the road I was on.
Right! into cafe, helmet off, earplugs out, order coffee and roll, sit down. Lost one earplug! Looked round, no sign, checked helmet, no sign, Lady running cafe says have you checked near the bike? No sign! Give up! Coffee ready, lady gets spoon and says 'What's this?' One earplug in the teaspoon pot on the counter! So that's OK (and she didn't wash the teaspoons!!)
Off we go, through Bromley, Lewisham, Catford and Bermondsey to the Elephant and Castle where we get lost on the way to Waterloo Bridge. Aftter a loop round the bottom of Lambeth Bridge, past the Archbishop's Palace, (views of Houses of Parliament etc. we are back on track. Then we find a bike parking space just around the corner from daughter's Uni. This may all sound rather exotic to our US readers but it's a bit like the back streets of most major cities with LOADS of traffic.
In London they have a thing called the 'Congestion Charge' and cars have to pay some money to go into town in the daytime. Doesn't apply to motorcycles. They also have Bus lanes where cars are not allowed. However motorcycles ARE! Hoorah! Makes getting about so much easier, shame about the buses.
Anyway, nice day out with the daughter, catching up and generally chilling.
Time to go home. Wrap up warm, even though by now, 16:30 pm, it IS warm, it won't be later. Set off back towards Bromley through mass traffic, but using bus lane avoid most of the hassle. At one point pull up at lights, no buses in sight but seven other bikes with me waiting for the lights. Green! and I watch them go! Bikes don't hang about in London if they can help it! This is No Country for Old Men!
When I get out to Bromley I find the traffic is diverted! On a Diversion this shouldn't matter, but it does. I am now on a road I don't know and going in a direction I don't want to. Still Faff around a bit and end up on a road I do know and find my way out of the rest of the city and on to the A20, A25 and into the countryside.
Now I've probably done about 150km for the day so far, and my bum (fanny?) aches. About another 90 to 100 km to go!! This is the best bit though! Country back roads all the way. Sevenoaks, Westerham, Edenbridge, Lingfield, Turners Hill, Cowfold all through beautiful countryside on little single carriageway roads, bend swinging all the way! A really nice journey then on to the A272 ( a great road but only a short stretch of it this time ) to the A24 and dual carriageway for the last 16 miles or so to Worthing and home.
I know I didn't go the shortest way but, in total, it was 170 miles ( about 270 km ) and I enjoyed every minute of it.
It taught me, I'm not too old at 65, a 600 Divvy is a perfectly capable bike but the seat is not TOO comfortable (perhaps it'll get better in time - if not any suggestions would be welcomed)
I never use a GPS, I don't have a smart phone and I wouldn't know an APP if it bit me on the backside. I can use maps and seem to have a head for directions but I do know that in a reasonably civilised country you can't be 'LOST'. You may be discovering somewhere you've never been before but if you keep going you'll eventually find your way to somewhere you know.

Ride safe and enjoy your life, it's the only one you'll have! :thumbsup:

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