After Putting a shout out on the ABR forum for a little ride out to take place on 16/04/17 Easter Sunday all big bike friendly
https://adventurebikerider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=42121&hilit=big+bike+easter+sunday
I had half expected to only have a half dozen or so takers, in the end there was about 20 or takers and there was everything from a Suzuki DRZ 400, a big GS, a couple Yamaha XTZ 660 and even Super Tenere,1200, a Husky 701 and a lot I mean a lot of Orange
Thanks to Russ AKA Tramp for plotting me a route, but unfortunately he couldn't join us, and to Andy (ACP) for plotting another route and leading the more advanced riders.
We left Countess Services en-masse with ACP leading and me the poor sod at the back, the Tail end Charlie to suck up all the dust the rest could throw at me, by the time we reached Stone Henge the KTM and I had sucked up enough chalk dust to give the Cerne Abbas giant fresh coating.
Time for a little group photo shoot.
We had decided that at this stage the group would now split in to the two groups as we really were kicking up a shit load of dust and we were spread out over a good distance. Meaning progress would of been slow constantly waiting for the riders at the back to catch up. Originally we had planned to ride together until Imber Village and then split with Andy taking his group on a longer more technical ride from there.
So I left ACP and the fast group behind and with the slower group I headed out for the day, but not before I binned the KTM as whilst looking over my shoulder to be sure all were following a parked white van suddenly jumped out in front me. (thats my excuse)
I am not sure who was more shocked me, the guys in my group (I can see them all now saying "Fuuuuucckk mee, what have we let ours selves in for following this dick" )or the poor woman sat in her deckchair next to the offending white van, minding her own business and quietly watching the world go by, when suddenly some twat falls of his bike
After picking myself and the bike up with the entire |ABR crew cheering, we headed off, all following me albeit rather tentatively but none the less following me.
I made a few wrong turns and for that I will blame the slow refresh rate of the little Garmin Etrex, but like a wise man once told me "you are never lost you are just discovering new paths"
We made it up on to the "plain" through the Whoops which was fun and very dry, I have seen them when you cant tell if there are any dips as they are that full of water.
Everyone managed to find their "Trail riding feet" and the pace was good , not fast but manageable for everyone, the only issue was the amount of dust being kicked up, so the group spread out so everyone could have good visibility and clean air.
We made it to "German Village" stopped for a quick fag and piddle break.
After a short jaunt we ended up at Tilshead and stopped at the local garage for everyone to get a drink and a bite to eat.
I am sure you all know what a garage looks like, well I hope you do coz I couldn't be bothered to take any photos. Any way nice garage even had a couple of picnic benches, it would seem they do well with those groups using the plain for recreational purposes.
With lunch done we headed up to Imber Range and the Infamous Imber Village. I had never been before, but had been warned that the trails round there were pretty boring
How right you were Andy
No one wanted to stop in the village even though it was Easter Sunday no one wanted to visit the church either, it was decided we would pay our penance later. Fun was to be had so on ward
The ride continued on to the Imber Perimeter road, I followed the inner road, it is a bit rougher and therefore more fun than the normal range roads. Now I like these roads as a whole as at the right speed the big KTM just bobs along soaking up the bumps and dips, we even got air born a few times. The only down side to these roads is that in the big valley dips they generally fill with water and create big puddles that never really dry out and are filled with muddy water and with at least a good six inches of silt at the bottom, that'll grab your wheels and try to drag you down.
Now comon most of you have been there and know what it is like.
Well today being Easter Sunday I think all the local Easter bunnies had congregated in these dips and under the blazing Wiltshire sun had melted creating a thick chocolate goo, the sort of thing a chocoholic would love to dive in to swim around slowly eating themselves to death.
Riding into one of these chocolate dip goo fests I could feel the KTM shudder (I think she is a secret chocoholic) gathering her up and urging her on she suddenly bolted as the goo fest lost its hold on her and she came to senses, she shot out the other side spitting me off in the process into the verge, luckily me cub scout parachute regiment merit badge training came into play and I tucked and rolled to safety.
Scott followed me in and managed to make it through even though he was covered in the gooey Chocolaty remnants of the Easter Bunny orgy, a lot of which I am sure was thrown back at him by the KTM
Again the look on the others riders faces said it all "Fuuucckk That for a game of soldiers" so given the option they decided to give the chocolate fondue a miss, get on to the perimeter road and rejoin us a bit further up the track.
Luckily no one caught this little episode on film so I guess it never technically happened.
After I had dusted myself down, I use the phrase dusted as I was covered in a fine film of dust from from my head to my knees, below that it looked like I had been dipped in chocolate.
The route continued to follow the perimeter road, as we continued on the inner road only pulling of as there were a couple of 4x4 blocking the route. but fair play to them as one of them had loaded a fairly new and clean Honda CRF, but obviously knackered . the rider looked a tad too clean as well and the look of envy his eyes as the big dirty beasts covered in mud and dust rolled by was very easy to see.
We left the "plain" and headed through Pewsey taking the nice sweeping B-roads of Wiltshire through to Figheldene and back on to the plain at Larkhill.
On the trail we came across a big puddle which is well known to the regulars, as the is usually too has a good 6-8 inches of silt and sediment and a few dips and you can never tell where or how deep it is.
I warned the group about this treacherous little mud hole, giving them all the option to circumnavigate the chocolate lake. They nearly all did it was only the big KTMs of myself and Quinton and one other accepted the challenge and conquered it.
It was now a nice easy run back towards the Countess Services, over the race course and just one last stop at the abandoned derelict tanks for a group photo.
We said our good byes as once on the road the group could easily disperse in their various directions homeward.
All in I did about 180 miles with around 100 miles off road
https://adventurebikerider.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=42121&hilit=big+bike+easter+sunday
I had half expected to only have a half dozen or so takers, in the end there was about 20 or takers and there was everything from a Suzuki DRZ 400, a big GS, a couple Yamaha XTZ 660 and even Super Tenere,1200, a Husky 701 and a lot I mean a lot of Orange
Thanks to Russ AKA Tramp for plotting me a route, but unfortunately he couldn't join us, and to Andy (ACP) for plotting another route and leading the more advanced riders.
We left Countess Services en-masse with ACP leading and me the poor sod at the back, the Tail end Charlie to suck up all the dust the rest could throw at me, by the time we reached Stone Henge the KTM and I had sucked up enough chalk dust to give the Cerne Abbas giant fresh coating.
We had decided that at this stage the group would now split in to the two groups as we really were kicking up a shit load of dust and we were spread out over a good distance. Meaning progress would of been slow constantly waiting for the riders at the back to catch up. Originally we had planned to ride together until Imber Village and then split with Andy taking his group on a longer more technical ride from there.
So I left ACP and the fast group behind and with the slower group I headed out for the day, but not before I binned the KTM as whilst looking over my shoulder to be sure all were following a parked white van suddenly jumped out in front me. (thats my excuse)
I am not sure who was more shocked me, the guys in my group (I can see them all now saying "Fuuuuucckk mee, what have we let ours selves in for following this dick" )or the poor woman sat in her deckchair next to the offending white van, minding her own business and quietly watching the world go by, when suddenly some twat falls of his bike
After picking myself and the bike up with the entire |ABR crew cheering, we headed off, all following me albeit rather tentatively but none the less following me.
I made a few wrong turns and for that I will blame the slow refresh rate of the little Garmin Etrex, but like a wise man once told me "you are never lost you are just discovering new paths"
We made it up on to the "plain" through the Whoops which was fun and very dry, I have seen them when you cant tell if there are any dips as they are that full of water.
Everyone managed to find their "Trail riding feet" and the pace was good , not fast but manageable for everyone, the only issue was the amount of dust being kicked up, so the group spread out so everyone could have good visibility and clean air.
We made it to "German Village" stopped for a quick fag and piddle break.
After a short jaunt we ended up at Tilshead and stopped at the local garage for everyone to get a drink and a bite to eat.
I am sure you all know what a garage looks like, well I hope you do coz I couldn't be bothered to take any photos. Any way nice garage even had a couple of picnic benches, it would seem they do well with those groups using the plain for recreational purposes.
With lunch done we headed up to Imber Range and the Infamous Imber Village. I had never been before, but had been warned that the trails round there were pretty boring
How right you were Andy
No one wanted to stop in the village even though it was Easter Sunday no one wanted to visit the church either, it was decided we would pay our penance later. Fun was to be had so on ward
The ride continued on to the Imber Perimeter road, I followed the inner road, it is a bit rougher and therefore more fun than the normal range roads. Now I like these roads as a whole as at the right speed the big KTM just bobs along soaking up the bumps and dips, we even got air born a few times. The only down side to these roads is that in the big valley dips they generally fill with water and create big puddles that never really dry out and are filled with muddy water and with at least a good six inches of silt at the bottom, that'll grab your wheels and try to drag you down.
Now comon most of you have been there and know what it is like.
Well today being Easter Sunday I think all the local Easter bunnies had congregated in these dips and under the blazing Wiltshire sun had melted creating a thick chocolate goo, the sort of thing a chocoholic would love to dive in to swim around slowly eating themselves to death.
Riding into one of these chocolate dip goo fests I could feel the KTM shudder (I think she is a secret chocoholic) gathering her up and urging her on she suddenly bolted as the goo fest lost its hold on her and she came to senses, she shot out the other side spitting me off in the process into the verge, luckily me cub scout parachute regiment merit badge training came into play and I tucked and rolled to safety.
Scott followed me in and managed to make it through even though he was covered in the gooey Chocolaty remnants of the Easter Bunny orgy, a lot of which I am sure was thrown back at him by the KTM
Again the look on the others riders faces said it all "Fuuucckk That for a game of soldiers" so given the option they decided to give the chocolate fondue a miss, get on to the perimeter road and rejoin us a bit further up the track.
Luckily no one caught this little episode on film so I guess it never technically happened.
After I had dusted myself down, I use the phrase dusted as I was covered in a fine film of dust from from my head to my knees, below that it looked like I had been dipped in chocolate.
The route continued to follow the perimeter road, as we continued on the inner road only pulling of as there were a couple of 4x4 blocking the route. but fair play to them as one of them had loaded a fairly new and clean Honda CRF, but obviously knackered . the rider looked a tad too clean as well and the look of envy his eyes as the big dirty beasts covered in mud and dust rolled by was very easy to see.
We left the "plain" and headed through Pewsey taking the nice sweeping B-roads of Wiltshire through to Figheldene and back on to the plain at Larkhill.
On the trail we came across a big puddle which is well known to the regulars, as the is usually too has a good 6-8 inches of silt and sediment and a few dips and you can never tell where or how deep it is.
I warned the group about this treacherous little mud hole, giving them all the option to circumnavigate the chocolate lake. They nearly all did it was only the big KTMs of myself and Quinton and one other accepted the challenge and conquered it.
It was now a nice easy run back towards the Countess Services, over the race course and just one last stop at the abandoned derelict tanks for a group photo.
We said our good byes as once on the road the group could easily disperse in their various directions homeward.
All in I did about 180 miles with around 100 miles off road
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