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Old 15-08-11, 01:32 AM   #5
rictus01
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: South London
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Default Re: My AR Experience (part 1)

Saturday (part 3)

The day starts with the same trials as the morning before (I’m really not liking that style thing by now), only this time a light drizzle accompanies the day, but counteracted by the brew and bap supplied by the site to get us going in the morning, chat is lively and folks can’t wait to get going, a fair few have opted to forgo the rideout and have various plans for the day.

I load the bike with my photographic stuff and go get my leathers from the drying room, they did well for over 600 miles on Thursday so should do today as I may have to move a bit fast and it is bulky, so I didn't take the rain suit (famous last words), change and ready to get going.

The start is the petrol station car park in Settle, but the short journey to the start encounter a down pour and I pass a few bikes drawn up in the lay-by donning various rain apparel.

I catch people arriving and filling up before the start and at the general milling about, I spot the collection of hi-viz vests and presume they are having some sort of briefing, but seem to have missed the actual rider briefing so can’t report on that, as next thing I know people are leaving so I grab shots of them as they depart.

Pete the TEC is left in the car park with one bike sitting there rider less, out comes Sophie and they are away. Now my route took me in the opposite direction and I’d worked out I’d get in front of the ride out and have 4-5 minute to setup, however this had been based on the run on Thursday in the dry, on getting out of Settle on a little back road and up the hill onto a single lane track I soon realised that was going to be more of a task than I’d expected, the dry dirt had turned to slippery mud and the animals had for some reason congregated around the road, but I couldn’t let these things slow me down as I didn’t have the margin to spare, it was a very focused ride and not the fun of a couple of days before, but finally I made the main road and shot up through Kettlewell and Cray to the first location, the drizzle continued, but I setup the tripods for the video and the camera, tested them for angle and direction and sat back to wait.

Not 3 minutes later I heard some bikes coming so started the video and lined the camera for the first shots, then I saw the bikes round the corner before ; they weren’t our ride leader and marker group, but another group, so I stopped the video, only to see the fourth bike of the group was Ollie (ride leader) on the back of them. Dam missed him, so started the video again and then took everyone else that went past until Pete the TEC came past.

I packed up and set off after the ride as I needed to use the same road as far as Thoralby (about 5 miles) and yet I didn’t even see them so they must have held a fair pace.

Following another swift (if I’m honest perhaps to swift) ride I get up to Tan Hill, into the pub for a quick coffee, but as I have no idea what time the ride is expected I’m only in there for 20 minutes, then out to the crest of the hill to setup, when I get there it’s completely fogged in and I’m not going to get a good shot, so I move back to the cattle grid, once again the video tripod and camera one are setup and both cameras are mounted, plastic bags are fixed over them both as it’s now pouring down.

The wait is nearly getting on for an hour and 40 minutes when I get a call from Lou that the ride is leaving the lunch stop, that’s about 25 minutes from me, the weather has by now filled my boots and my left glove, I’m cold and wet as it’s even got through my leathers, it would seem the kit works well on a bike, not so good when standing in the open with no shelter, anyway I get some circulation back as I get ready, once bikes are heard I start the video and catch the ride leader as he comes down the hill, photos take in the space of 4 or 5 minutes I packup and head for the last location.

Appersett bridge is reached via a challenging route down to buttertubs pass and on to Hawes, again the routine of setup is followed and I sit and wait, only to find even my zippo has filled with water and my fag packet has dissolved….grrrrrrrr.
I start the video after a couple of test shots in which I catch a lovely vintage bus coming over the bridge, the wait isn’t to long, just as well as I haven’t had a dry spell all day and now without fags and my flask empty, cold and wet; I’m getting ever so slightly miserable, then they are here and video and photos commence, after about half the bikes pass the auto focus goes nuts and won’t lock on to anything so I switch to manual but that to seems to be playing up, I just click away as I’ve no time to investigate and nothing to loose by taking what I can, once they are all passed I packup and head down the road they went down as it’s the shortest distance to camp.

The road down passed the viaduct has a couple of roadwork lights, and I catch up to the tail end (I didn’t realise at the time, but they had just had a minor off, so were taking it easy) and shot passed, getting back to the site as quickly as I could.

The knee was hurting and I was cold threw, I parked up and grabbing a towel and some dry clothes I headed off for the showers, now a little known fact is the showers have a push button that requires you to hold it in to get hot water, but my walking stick fits as if made for it, between the wall and the button, I sat there for a good 20 minutes just to get some heat back into me and stop the throbbing of my knee, in my wash bag are 4 x 100mg tramadol tablets, I downed the lot, into fresh clothes and a dried out brace (as best as I could) and out I come, my head already starting to buzz.

Everyone is milling about in the field as the BBQ is on the go, getting back to the tent I reach for the Aberlour 16 and pour a generous measure into a glass and start my evening.

People ask about the shots, but to be honest it’s hard to tell on the little screen on the back of the camera, so I hope I’ve something usable, a few beers and some more scotch I don’t care how much the knee hurts, it’s almost like it’s someone elses pain not mine. I wander over to see how the boys are doing with the cooking stuff, as that’s where most have congregated, Saeed turns and takes one look at me and states “ your sugars are low” he was probably right but by then you could have hit me with a bus and I doubt I’d have felt it, anyway he stops what he’s doing and sorts me out a burger and a chair (that’s the kind of bloke he is), so I eat up as I’m told.

I have many deep and meaningful conversations throughout the evening but can remember none of them in any detail, to say a blurred film was playing in front of my eyes; wouldn’t be that wrong, in the end I called it a day when the knee threatened to give way on standing at one point, so back to my tent, having the sense still to realise I’d suffer, I cooked up some soap and took my insulin, despite Dave’s urging I wasn’t to move again until the morning, through the haze as I passed into sleep Dave Preston’s voice remained crystal clear……..
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Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, 'Wow! What a Ride!

Last edited by rictus01; 15-08-11 at 03:15 AM.
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