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The Perpetual Summer Problem
Ride Date 17 May 2025
We've enjoyed a lovely weekend. Alas and alack Sharon decided that another local ride to another local biker cafe was insufficient. Instead she forced me against my will to ride to LLanberis, buy nice food, look at lovely mountains, and ride splendid roads. Save for a cool early start the weather was warm and dry and sunny, even hot in places. It was all quite lovely, Welsh Wales did not disappoint.
Look how happy she is forcing Ren to have fun.
We don't do "positive" here at BAT Towers!!! I'm a grumpy old curmudgeon, I'm here to moan and gripe and complain and to surely bring the rest of you down to my level of misery and despair. I worry about being happy, because when I'm happy I get scared of the misery returning. At least when I'm miserable I don't worry about the miserable coming back.
Ahead lies The LLanberis Pass. It's not the best most twisty riding road ever but I wish to ride it well none the less. I'm no Joey Dunlop, I lack both skills and bravery yet I wish to ride with a tad of pace, to feel the motorcycle beneath me, to carve a bend and swoop a corner. I'm not looking to break the speed limits nor impress the ladies, I'd just like to make an enjoyable rate of progress.
Somewhere up there is another wonderful road.
You know already don't you. We are stuck behind a driver with a different approach to driving. Their style is much more, shall we say, "relaxed" than my own mood today. This is fine, there are 8 billion individuals out there we can't all be just like me. I shall exercise patience and safely await the next straight and make a sensible overtaking manoeuvre.
Ahead lies the straight. Regrettably our "relaxed" driver is not quite so gentle on the straights, swiftly bringing their vehicle up to 53mph. This is sufficiently fast enough to ensure a safe and quick overtaking manoeuvre would require my breaking the speed limit of 60mph.
There are many rumours and would-be lawyers out there who tell me that briefly breaking the speed limit is acceptable while making a safe overtake. I've heard this many times from many sources, some of whom I respect. BUT! But I do not know myself for absolutely certain whether or not this is indeed a true, solid, and definite fact. I would hasten to add that an automated speed camera will not be capable of discerning if I am overtaking or simply speeding, that much I am sure of.
A little time on Google later on does actually confirm that YOU CAN NOT use overtaking as an excuse to exceed the posted speed limit.
Natch. The next bend sees our driver slow right down again, the next straight sure enough hard on the gas right to 53, 54 or 55mph. I could do it, I have the power to do it, I have the skills to do it. I value my licence more than I value a few moments of open road. I wind my neck in, gird my loins and settle in to the pace the driver ahead is setting. I choose to admire the rock formations and the sheep. It'll be fine. Dagnammit.
The most powerful bike I've ever ridden. Pointless, absolutely pointless on regular roads.
As a loud sportsbike rips past Sharon, myself and the frustrating driver I have a tinge of envy. They're brave enough, they're not arsed about the law and their licence! Why can't I be more liberated, more footloose and fancy free? I'm boring I'm as dull as dishwater I'm compliant and a pushover. I hate myself.
No, no don't be silly Ren. The advantage of 35 years of experience and hundreds of thousands of miles informs me that even if I do throw caution to the wind and screw the consequences all that happens is a quarter mile ahead I'll get stuck behind another vehicle travelling at a pace that is not the pace I wish to travel at. I'm quite sure that fast-n-loud sportsbike rider enjoyed a few moments of speed and is now stuck behind something-or-other once more. Chill.
Sure enough as we finish the Llandberis Pass the sportsbike and it's rider are seen ahead, by 2 cars and 50 metres.
We pass gracefully though Betws-Y-Coed and onto the A5. This time we are blessed with a driver ahead who is making a much more satisfactory rate of progress along with few precious minutes of good roads and no other traffic. It is a most pleasant experience as we follow, fast enough to enjoy the sensations, not too fast as to be scaring ourselves. We stop in Corwen for a brew, thankful for the day.
My primary frustration with certain drivers is not their lack of pace, it's the nature of our roads and the nature of *some* (not all) driver's driving habits. I certainly do not expect all and sundry to throw their vehicles through bends like Michael Schumacher, but if you wish to drive slowly when you get to the next straight please don't speed up rapidly therefore blocking faster vehicles from passing safely! If there are many a bend and seldom a straight - consider pulling in to let folks past?
The problem also comes back to me. Much as it pains me to say it... urgh... it appears the public roads are in fact public and I have to share these roads with other people. Cyclists, equine thingies, pedestrians, HGVs, motorhomes, vintage vehicles, random sheep... I'm not sure about the sheep but I reluctantly suppose they can all use the roads. My roads. Pffffft.
Break into a smile ya miserable git.
There are places throughout the world where you can go as fast as you like, quite legally too! They're called race tracks. My biggest blocker to using race tracks is I am told I have to "pay" to ride on them? I've already paid my road tax and for my petrol, I'm not blummin well paying AGAIN!
I fear if I were to pay to use a race track I would learn all too quickly just how bloody slow I am. It's all relative innit.
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Reader's Comments
Upt'North ¹ said :-
8 billion you say!
I think they're all driving North on the A1 this morning.
Looks like they're off to wee bonny McJockland. Good riddance.
Pffffffftttttt.
You think you're miserable, I'll tell you a thing or two about miserable.
As an aside. If anyone wants a nice 44 inch leather jacket check out my AM Leathers offering on ebay. It's a very nice coat. Sold the Belstaff yesterday.
Upt.
20/05/2025 11:35:33 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Just been out on the B'Zuki which is running very well but still needs some adjustment to the gear lever position. I must agree about those inconsiderate drivers who creep round bends only to hare off into the distance as soon as the road straightens out. I had to follow one for several miles till I saw a safe overtake which I was pleased to take.
They're not all in Northumberland Up't, theyre in sunny Worcestershire as well.
Some years ago we were in France towing the caravan and ended up behind a Spanish registered car & caravan. The road alternated single and dual carriageway. On the former the mobile road block was down to 30 mph but on the dual bits was doing 70 so no chance of passing. Frustrated isn't the word.
20/05/2025 12:46:08 UTC
Bros Steve said :-
Ren wot ya doin being happy? look, I see you smiling!
Bet it didn't bother Sharon in the slightest.
I have overtaken vehicles doing 45 in a 60 and had them come past at 45 in a 30 so figure that one out.
oh god,I'm starting to moan now...
21/05/2025 09:53:42 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Happy?!! Smiling?!?!?!? Trapped wind Bros Steve.
Sharon might not be ready for MotoGP just yet but she can get a hustle on well enough. She too can get a tad frustrated from time to time with some drivers, believe me.
And yeah - 45 in a 60 then 38.5 in a 30. You get past them in the 60 (if you're lucky) then as you roll off to the signposted 30mph they're right up your derriere trying to push you along. Pfffft.
I can only imagine trying to overtake anything while towing a caravan is nigh-on impossible Ian. Save for the longest of straights and multi lane roads it's probably unwise to even consider it.
As for you Upt'. Pffffft indeed!
21/05/2025 13:05:07 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Strange innit?
All those that go slower than we desire are road hoggin idiots. Got a move on you pillock!
All those that go faster then we desire are maniacs and they won't benefit from such wanton unnecessary burnin of fossil fuels. Slow down you pillock!
Pffffffftttttt.
21/05/2025 13:22:42 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Quite right Up't.
Ren - yes,the only opportunities for overtaking were the short - a mile or so - stretches of dual carriageway. I did eventually make it but only by going faster than I really wanted in one of those stretches. I should really have just been more patient.
When I was out yesterday I was in a line of cars doing slightly more than the posted 40mph. A sports bike came howling past doing at least 60, crossing double white lines and for some reason riding with one hand. At the next roundabout he was only a few cars in front....
21/05/2025 13:38:45 UTC
ROD¹ said :-
OK we all seem to get a little frustrated with vehicles travelling slower than our own ideal speed for a given stretch of road.
Ren seems to feel that he can solve this problem by using the bikes performance, but is prevented from doing so not by the overtake being dangerous, but the speed limit.
Possible solutions 1. Campaign to scrap the speed limits. This action is not likely to succeed as the establishment is trying to stop any road user enjoyment, and more importantly an electric vehicle range comparison is much more favourable at very low speeds.
Solution 2. Be especially careful to check for law entrapment ( sorry, enforcement) equipment and go for the full power overtake anyway. This will probably get the required outcome and result in a more enjoyable ride.
21/05/2025 14:31:20 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Solution 2 ROD? Check to see if there's any coppers or cameras about... then do it anyway?!?! The would be a crime! But if a tree falls in the woods and there's no-one there to hear it - does it make a sound.
The thing is it's not just the actual police persons, nor the speed cameras. A large number of vehicles now have dashcams fitted and - subject to various rules - the footage from these dashcams can be used against you. I work on the principle that unless I am in the middle of nowhere and no other vehicle is around at all - always act and ride like someone is watching you and recording your actions.
The same applies anywhere in public. Start a fight in a pub? Someone will record it on their mobile. Key a car? Someone's CCTV is watching somewhere. Heck even trip up and stumble into a puddle - you'll be on Tik-Tok soon enough.
You're quite right Upt'. "Grrrr!! Argh!! Where did you find your licence?!?" then a few moments later "Grrrr!! Argh!! Dangerous lunatic!". Of course the speed I am doing is THE RIGHT SPEED. For me. In my opinion. And my opinion is the right opinion. Obviously.
In my obviously right opinion patience is the best course of action and only overtake when it is safe and legal to do so. That's really really easy to say, exercising that level or restraint is a lot harder.
22/05/2025 08:14:49 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
In some ways, riding what many would consider grossly underpowered bikes make the quandary easier in that you need to carefully consider any proposed overtake - you can't just whack open the throttle and whizz past.
On the other hand it does mean being doomed to follow the herd much of the time......
22/05/2025 12:00:27 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
The thing I learned for 100,000 miles on a 125 is you can only really overtake in exceptional circumstances. As such it it mentally easier to accept the pace you're riding at because there's likely little you can do about it. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
23/05/2025 07:55:46 UTC
nab301 said :-
I can only agree with all of the comments and situations encountered here ( apart from trapped wind..)
Nigel
26/05/2025 15:19:54 UTC
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