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Mixing It Up With The Big Boys And Girls - Oct 2013
Ren posts up a ride out for our bike club. We are having a slow bimble to Coast Riders Cafe near Blackpool. Ste our friend who usually rides his Triumph Street Triple 675 for fun days out has agreed to come along on his 125cc. He uses the 125 only for commuting and not playing. He likes a dose of speed does Ste so it will be interesting to see how he fares.
Jeanette is also coming along. We are meeting at one of our usual meet up for rides out so this means the bf needs to go help Jeanette get her bike out. Which means I will have my first solo ride from Ren's house to the meeting point. This sends me into a flap. It is only a 10 minute ride away but suddenly my mind goes blank on how to get there. Part of me wants to do this alone and part of me is terrified. I like to follow and I like to know there is another biker with me. This solo riding is new.
So with my heart beating fast enough to do a roller coaster rider proud I get on my bike and set off for my first mini solo. Once again the anticipated fear is no way as bad as the actual reality. Once on the bike and riding down the road this is ok. It is not wonderful, I will have to get use to going solo but neither is it dreadful. In no time at all I arrive at the meeting point to see Ren and Jeanette already there. As I slow down to make the turn to pull into the car park a car pulls out in front of me. Despite wearing a high vis vest it is a reminder that we can be hard to spot on our bikes. It is nothing serious I just need to apply my brakes rather more firmly than I would have liked to to avoid him. I notice this bothers me but does not terrify me like it would have only a few weeks ago.
Shortly after I arrive so do lots of other members of the bike club. I am surprised and a little apprehensive at such a large turn out. Surely they do not all want a slow bimble? No they all do not. It transpires that John and Diane wish to join us but the others will join only for the first part of our journey and then separate later on so they can have a blast. This seems like a lovely plan. I get to join the main group of riders for a while and then we all get to go our separate ways later on, depending on what we want to do, bimble or blast. It is the perfect solution for mixed riders of different abilities and horsepower. So I get to do another first today and ride out with a big group. Am I scared? Yes I am nervous. Will I make a holy show of myself in front of them all? Will I be thrown out of the club for terrible riding? Yikes!!
Ren takes the lead and I end up somewhere in the middle of the group with Mick on his huge Kawasaki 1400 behind me. We end up on a rather steep road and to a junction. It takes all my limited skill to manage to keep starting and stopping the bike as each bike takes its turn to cross the junction. When it is my turn a feel my bike begin to slip backwards. Shit. I apply more brake and with my heart once again running a marathon I manage to cross the road without either stalling or falling backwards into the bikes behind me. Phew that was hard.
It soon becomes clear to me that we are going over the tops. The tops being a rather twisty and somewhat perilous road between Rivington and Belmont. Shit, shit and triple shit. I have only done this road once before and I did it Slllooowww. Ren zooms off as do the others behind him and I feel like a snail. Even worse poor Mick sticks behind me. I worry I am going so slow his mighty beast might lie down in disgust at being made to go so slow.
Watch out little Zen there is a monster behind you (Mick's mighty stead)
I try my best to attack the bends with some speed without making the mistake of last week and being too over confident and making a mess of things. I am still learning and still have lots and lots to learn. Once we all regroup it appears that Ren and the others really were giving it their all over the tops so in actual fact I wasn't really going silly slow. Just you know...learner slow.
The speed picks up again as we continue on and I dig deep into my courage and pull back on the throttle. I think I am flying at 50mph, I take some bends without slowing to a measly 30 but keep it up to 40 or even 45mph. I feel quite proud of myself that I am riding with the big boys and girls and manage to keep up a reasonable speed with them all. We pull in a lay by to all gather and to finally go our separate ways. J tells me my riding was fine and he did not feel at all aggrieved being stuck behind me. He is either being really nice or my riding is not quite as slow as I imagine. They are a good bunch in the bike club. More praise follows and I feel my grin is beginning to make my cheeks ache. There are some bloody good riders in the club and know I am just a beginner but it is good to get a pat on the back from your fellow riders.
Biker buddies
If you want to go fast follow the girl in front. Nikki leader of the fast pack.
We part ways and our little bunch carries on to the cafe. My bike is well run in now with 1000 miles on the clock whoop! So I can now push it all the way to 60mph. On approach to the cafe we turn down a narrow road and a polite lady driver pulls over to let us by. I do what I always do when met with such kindness, I give a polite wave of thanks. Only whoops I am not in the car but on the bike. So waving with my right hand means I take my hand off the throttle. A sudden deceleration of speed makes me realise my mistake and has me chuckling to myself inside my helmet. Haa that was just classic!
Once at the cafe the sun is out and we all strip off out of out coats and sit outside to make the most of the lovely sunshine. It appears Ste has rather enjoyed his outing on the 125cc. I doubt we shall see him out on it every weekend but I think he has surprised himself to find that you can actually have a bit of fun on a little bike.
On the ride home we stop for a drink in Croston. I have ridden through Croston a couple of times on my bike now and this adds to my confidence as I know what twists and turns and tight bends lie ahead. Our usual parking space at the pub is however unavailable. The pub is hosting a beer festival and a large marquee has taken up most of the front of the pub and our bike parking. We manage to squeeze into a nearby space and once again I am surprised to find how this does not cause a rush of panic to descend upon me. I am feeling good about my riding today. As we are all riding we sip coke and various other non alcoholic beverages while John stares lovingly at the casks of beers on offer. Aww sorry John.
Getting out of my tight parking space proves more difficult than getting in. There is a dip in the floor between the road and the parking spot and as I push my bike backwards I get stuck because my feet can no longer reach the floor due to the dip. Bugger!!. Ren gives me a push out of the dip and I am grateful but I make a note to remember that if I am on my own I will have to take more care where I choose to park. Damn my little legs. Never before has my lack of height bothered me. But now on my bike I am beginning to realise how restrictive it may prove to be. It became a real problem when I first wanted to find a bike to fit. And although my size will not prevent me from actually riding I will have to accept it will put limitations on it.
We decide on one last stop off before all parting and that will be Rivington Barn. The sun is out and it is a weekend. I know the barn is going to be rammed. As I approach it is all too clear my prediction is correct. It is very, very busy indeed. But I have had a good couple of ride outs lately and my confidence has grown. So much so that when we arrive at Rivington Barn I tackle the huge crowds and the mass of bikes and squeeze myself into the car park up at the top circle. Sure my heart beats a little faster as I do so but I am proud I felt confident enough to do it. I sit on the wall in the sunshine drinking tea and chatting to my friends, while now and then gazing lovingly at my little bike. I love my bike, riding and being part of my bike club. It still scares me but boy oh boy is it fun. Sunshine, friends and bikes what more could a biker girl wish for?
Reader's Comments
kath brooks said :-
Sounds like a great ride Sharon
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Sharon said :-
It was fun Kath. Hope all this is tempting you back over to the bike side. See you riding next to me again would be great.
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
ste latchy patchy said :-
Yeh ok I loved that little ride out, rode the cg 125 to the max at one point following your bf over the tops. never seen him ride so quick, I recon he had something to show me not wanting to be out gunned by a cg125,just couldnt quite find the power to take his cbf125 ha ha
good day out that was Sharon
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
Nikki said :-
Great write up Sharon !! Was a fantastic day , lovely how we can all go out and enjoy the day no matter what engine size or experience we have ! But I would call my rides more progressive than fast lol ;-p
Here's to many more adventures chick x
01/01/2000 00:00:00 UTC
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