I set off from home on Saturday morning to ride to the nearest starting point in Chesterfield ( 150 miles!). Had a burger and wandered about as they set up the checkpoint, then got my card stamped early ( first one to do so at that checkpoint ) and then waited. And waited.
As the start time of 2pm approached, my heart started to thump, I put in my earplugs and got on the bike. I let a few set off before me, then rode off into the grey afternoon in the direction of Buxton. It started to rain. Got to next checkpoint, jumped off bike, got card stamped, signed the log, set off again to Congleton (A54 twisty). Rain stopped. As so it carried on, with the sun coming out and lovely roads as I rode down to Ross on Wye for my compulsory 200 mile 1 hour stop. I wandered to a riverside pub and had a mixed grill, while watching the clouds build up. This was fun. It was easy, and I wasnt even feeling too bad, considering I had already done 350 miles.
Set off again, impressed by a pair I saw arrive as I was leaving - mature ladies on BSA Bantams, with chicken rucksacks on their backs - class! Also Vincents, MZs and lots of Hondas and BMWs. Into the evening ( it was now 8pm) towards Worcester - should have taken the motorway, as got stuck in about 10 miles of 30 limit - yuck. On from Worcester, sky looking increasingly black, evening coming early, drip, splash, have I ridden into a car wash? Arrived at next check point in torrential rain, met lots of very damp leather clad heros. Set off alone heading north into the very gloomy dusk.
Too dark to see, too light for the headlight to make an impression, especially under the trees. Bike started to slide on all the loose stuff washed onto the road by the heavy rain. Still couldnt see a thing. Right hander, completely dark, visor misted up, why is the bike handling so funny, why cant I see my feet, WHY IS THERE A RIVER CROSSING MY ROAD ? I emerged from the other side of the flood glad that I hadnt seen it, because if I had I would have been stuck with a long detour. The rain eased as I got to Stoke, where I had a quick coffee and odd bacon butty, then set off for Ashbourne, trying to avoid the drunk drivers ( it was about 11.30pm).
As I climbed back up into the peak district for the second time, the mist closed in. Soon I was riding at 20 miles an hour with NO visiblity at all, constantly wiping my visor and hoping it would end. It did, but only when I got to Ashbourne. Then on the Kegworth, and then Melton Mowbray, where I arrived at 01.15 and met Ian and his new Blackbird ( very black). Crashed out for a couple of hours for my second compulsory stop, the off again at 04.15, thankfully following Ian through the last few checkpoints to the finish, where we arrived at 07.00 ! I had done 500 miles, and will hopefully get the Gold award. The sun was shining, I had breakfast, and then I went to meet some friends.I then went to Silverstone and watched the BritishSuperbikes (saw an R1 in flames in the superstocks oooH!). Slept a good sleep and then back home on Monday, rain from Scotch Corner, arrived home tired and soaked, 1,000 miles in the saddle, sore but oddly happy......