Discussion
I woke up early on Sunday, enough to step outside and see the market sellers setting up
and to hear them bemoaning having been booted out of the square thanks to the mairie securing the space for club bikes
I was given a nudge for the naughty boys’ ride on Sunday — knocking on for a three hundred mile round trip with no aim to visit any destinations or sites. Just ride briskly and have fun.
There were some really interesting places, however. Suisse Normande was really very surprising for mostly flat Normandy and catered for all manner of outdoor activities on land and water. The coffee was crap, however.
Not the greatest photos, but this image off t’interweb is similar to the first view that we got from the top
The rising was just brilliant, such a good pace with competent riders, it really gave me an opportunity to fine tune by riding at speed and with excellent curves. I was noticing that it was difficult to gauge the accuracy of my turn in and to hold a line.
Still, the weather was scorchio, the food and company good and it was a carefree day. Bliss.
and to hear them bemoaning having been booted out of the square thanks to the mairie securing the space for club bikes
I was given a nudge for the naughty boys’ ride on Sunday — knocking on for a three hundred mile round trip with no aim to visit any destinations or sites. Just ride briskly and have fun.
There were some really interesting places, however. Suisse Normande was really very surprising for mostly flat Normandy and catered for all manner of outdoor activities on land and water. The coffee was crap, however.
Not the greatest photos, but this image off t’interweb is similar to the first view that we got from the top
The rising was just brilliant, such a good pace with competent riders, it really gave me an opportunity to fine tune by riding at speed and with excellent curves. I was noticing that it was difficult to gauge the accuracy of my turn in and to hold a line.
Still, the weather was scorchio, the food and company good and it was a carefree day. Bliss.
Edited by bolidemichael on Tuesday 2nd July 23:54
It is indeed. The basic accommodation, variable at best, is almost out of necessity as there are few places to accommodate such a large cohort with appropriate parking. We’ll be looking at other options, too, particularly since they’ve been bought by a chain called Brithotel and the chef changed for the worse.
However, should the food improve I’d say that it’s perfectly adequate and the weather is commensurate to the distance travelled south and also, proximity to the Atlantic Ocean.
What’s your status with respect to membership, moved away, lapsed etc?
However, should the food improve I’d say that it’s perfectly adequate and the weather is commensurate to the distance travelled south and also, proximity to the Atlantic Ocean.
What’s your status with respect to membership, moved away, lapsed etc?
I joined to do my IAM training and test. I became aware I don't like clubs very much, or group riding or many of people who frequent IAM type clubs. When I passed I ended my membership. I did during the time go on two European trips with the club. They do what they do very well it's just not for me.
Yes, that’s the way it goes sometimes. I didn’t really get on with the club thing first time around, the second coming however saw me attend the french trip last minute (there’s a theme here) and was fortunate enough to be buddied up with a couple of guys with whom I got if off straight away. That really made the difference for me this time around.
Following on from Sunday’s ‘secret squirrel’ ride, one of the adjustments that I had made successfully in order to get a little more control over the line, from the front end, was to remove the tank bag which has been an ever present for me ever since sourcing via FB. What a difference that made in tight left to right hands flowing bends at pace. All of a sudden, rather than having to lift my head up and over the bag i.e. an awkward trajectory, I could just move from side to side, sliding across my seat or by ‘squatting’ on the pegs.
On to Monday for the return leg and the run leader had taken our feedback on board and generated a more flowing run. Boy, was it fun and fast!
As it was Monday and he wasn’t so confident of finding places open for lunch, we opted for old school and stopped at a boulangerie. Watching these baguettes strapped to the back of his GS across the panniers was hilarious, wondering when I’d be called upon to catch a flying piece of pain.
Eventually we stopped for coffee, were greeted by a buxom waitress which was delightful and I wondered to pick up some fillings for the flyingbaps baguettes.
One thing that was a common theme throughout our rides within Normandy was the proliferation of villages with signs turned upside down.
One of the chaps said that this was a protest by / in support of French farmers who had recently been railing against what they claimed was a excess of bureaucracy, restrictions and unfair competition imposed by the EU overlords.
As we’d stuck exclusively to small roads, stopped in small town, shopped in small shops and eaten our baguettes on a picnic table on a public lawn on the side of the road (as is commonly available in France), it had felt like such a proper French road trip. Discovering hidden gems is not hard when travelling on the quiet lanes.
The bike was superb throughout.
I did have a moment where my mate noticed my headlight wasn’t working, but then it was working fine..?
950 miles covered in total… a good weekend.
On to Monday for the return leg and the run leader had taken our feedback on board and generated a more flowing run. Boy, was it fun and fast!
As it was Monday and he wasn’t so confident of finding places open for lunch, we opted for old school and stopped at a boulangerie. Watching these baguettes strapped to the back of his GS across the panniers was hilarious, wondering when I’d be called upon to catch a flying piece of pain.
Eventually we stopped for coffee, were greeted by a buxom waitress which was delightful and I wondered to pick up some fillings for the flying
One thing that was a common theme throughout our rides within Normandy was the proliferation of villages with signs turned upside down.
One of the chaps said that this was a protest by / in support of French farmers who had recently been railing against what they claimed was a excess of bureaucracy, restrictions and unfair competition imposed by the EU overlords.
As we’d stuck exclusively to small roads, stopped in small town, shopped in small shops and eaten our baguettes on a picnic table on a public lawn on the side of the road (as is commonly available in France), it had felt like such a proper French road trip. Discovering hidden gems is not hard when travelling on the quiet lanes.
The bike was superb throughout.
I did have a moment where my mate noticed my headlight wasn’t working, but then it was working fine..?
950 miles covered in total… a good weekend.
When I returned, I thought that I should give Darren at MCT Suspension a buzz; after all, the suspension was serviced in December and was working absolutely fine in all but the bumpiest roads -- and I knew that my riding was alright once I'd finessed a few riding techniques -- dropping the inside elbow, looking through the bend, being smooth and loosing grip on the handlebars etc... but I just wasn't getting feedback from the Michelin from 0 thru 15 or so degrees of the initial lean. Once leant over it was fine, but not enough to get it really nice and also comfortable keep up with the smoothest and swiftest riders.
He knew of the issue and was quite familiar with it -- apparently, they run ZZR1400 with the same tyres and they take up to 42psi at the front! So he recommended trying 38psi to begin with and see how I get on. Well, it has been two rides and a couple of hundred miles now and I can say that at 38psi there is an immediate difference to how the bike rolls in to bends... enough to convince me to get the same tyres again, since they've covered 9,000 miles but are excellent and sure footed in most conditions -- though the roads were quite slippery this morning. However, when I have encountered gravel, they've always given me a lot of feedback as they break away.
In other news, I've dropped the as-new expensive 45L Honda top box with Doble's in order to match the barrel to my key. I don't envision using it too much, but it may be handy on occassion if I go touring with a pillion once again.
He knew of the issue and was quite familiar with it -- apparently, they run ZZR1400 with the same tyres and they take up to 42psi at the front! So he recommended trying 38psi to begin with and see how I get on. Well, it has been two rides and a couple of hundred miles now and I can say that at 38psi there is an immediate difference to how the bike rolls in to bends... enough to convince me to get the same tyres again, since they've covered 9,000 miles but are excellent and sure footed in most conditions -- though the roads were quite slippery this morning. However, when I have encountered gravel, they've always given me a lot of feedback as they break away.
In other news, I've dropped the as-new expensive 45L Honda top box with Doble's in order to match the barrel to my key. I don't envision using it too much, but it may be handy on occassion if I go touring with a pillion once again.
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