GM3 Idle banter and random drivel thread

Originally Posted by Quiff Wichard

lost a "night" and was tired for the next day

Now you really are getting old

I have ridden Scotland to England via the twisties a couple of times now, I wouldn't discourage anybody from doing it, of course it takes longer, but for me at least I arrive more refreshed. Being tired the next day I don't find an issue because after any 250 mile + ride, especially with a drink afterwards, I sleep like a dead man!

Running a marathon is difficult, it takes a lot of training, is a feat of endurance and stamina, and you finish sore and unable to do anything except drop to the floor. By comparison, walking 26 miles is easy, we all walk some some extent every day, and most of us could go out and do it tomorrow if we had to, you just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

That's the difference between motorway and twisties for me, twisties is just riding my bike, an everyday task that I can do all day long without getting overly tired. Motorway is a long boring slog, sitting in one position, getting bored, and you arrive mentally dead, stiff and sore.

What I wouldn't recommend anybody doing, and I won't do it again, is turning it into a rideout. It really slows you down, and turns it into a 10-12 hour day.

Don't get me wrong, I thought last year was a great day too, but I didn't intend to make it a ride out, it was just "I'm going this way, I'll be knocking on 70-80mph all day, and anybody who is confident enough to keep up, welcome to join me", but inevitably it did turn into a normal rideout where we ended up with a large group travelling at the speed of the slowest member and stops became a 30-60 minute social event rather than a cup of coffee in a petrol station.

Next time I ride it, I'll either be doing it on my own, or teaming up with one other similarly paced rider who I know and have ridden with before, and I won't be publishing my route and timings on the org with an open invitation for people to join me. On a long journey like that, you need to be focussed on the road and the miles in front of you, and maintain your pace, not worrying about who is behind you, and wants to sit at 55mph.

Tomorrow I'm doing Birmingham to Holyhead, Dublin to Larne (Belfast), Larne to Londonderry via the Antrim coast. My ferry check in is at 11:30, so I'll leave here at about 6:30am to give myself loads of time to get to Holyhead, meeting friends from Scotland in Larne at 4:30, then heading to Londonderry via various Antrim coast tourist attractions, arriving late evening. I'll do about 450 miles and be on the bike for 12-14 hours with a 2 hour ferry ride in between. The only significant bit of motorway I'm touching is from Dublin to Belfast as I have a deadline to meet after getting off the ferry. I have no qualms about it at all ?

If anybody wants to do the twisties and your fairly good at carrying speed and covering distance cross country, don't be put off by the posts above, go do it, it's perfectly achievable and IMO at least (and nobody else has to agree before I get flamed) it's a better way to travel. But keep it quiet

Yeah Steve we will all be riding down together!

Spearies, we need some pratice in before this, we have hardly been out this year!

Less drinking, more riding...

Lyk feck thats going to work

Thanks for backing me up Sally, so the ride out tonight you are definitely a NO, right good glad we got the practice,lol. You muppet!

Maybe it's just me but think the Spearies need to pull there collective digit oot! Gaunlet thrown down, come on then loons, let's get out there!

Cheers

aye my thinking is get up there as quickly as possible (sticking it about 80 though) fine goingt hrough the twisties if we can maintain pace but im thinking straight up the m6 to be honest!

[Bri w]

Originally Posted by Quiff Wichard

Paul.. there is a road that runs parallel with the motorway- the orig road b4 motorway was built.. . Mattsv knows it..pm him

Really good road, quiet and pretty straight. Gives you a break from the motorway for a bit.

If everything works out ok I'm hoping to catch you guys on the M6/M74.

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by AndyBrad

aye my thinking is get up there as quickly as possible (sticking it about 80 though) fine goingt hrough the twisties if we can maintain pace but im thinking straight up the m6 to be honest!

I'm planning on fastest route satnav can mastermind with the odd concentration/fuel break/stop all the way up there. If I fancy some proper roads once there then I'll unpack and explore
PM / email me (pm box might be full) nearer the time for a plan. won't derail this too much more.

Originally Posted by Cumfy

Thanks for backing me up Sally, so the ride out tonight you are definitely a NO, right good glad we got the practice,lol. You muppet!

Maybe it's just me but think the Spearies need to pull there collective digit oot! Gaunlet thrown down, come on then loons, let's get out there!

Cheers

Yeah am out tonight.
And this weekend, will be in a constant state of pished from friday 4 pm till Sunday sometime, so ridings definately out!

[mattSV]

Originally Posted by Bri w

Really good road, quiet and pretty straight. Gives you a break from the motorway for a bit.

If everything works out ok I'm hoping to catch you guys on the M6/M74.

You've not ridden with me before have you - good luck

Actually, I'll have Quiff with me so will be taking it easy

Originally Posted by Kilted Ginger

Idle banter and random drivel

Originally Posted by Dave20046

won't derail this too much more

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

I thought that as I was typing it but didn't want to **** everyone off with my own localised plans on getting up there.

Unless people are planning on meeting en route? (no crashes, fog, or painfully excessive journey times allowed this year ) took us 12hours from sheffield last time!