Another Biking Life

chickenstrip · Super Spammer Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Karma :

Into 2017, and wanted to see more of Europe. After a couple of half-hearted efforts at organising going with others, I thought, sod it, go alone, or never get going at all. So booked up a few nights, bought a sat nav and some Michelin maps, and went.

Some repeat photos here, but, well, just had to really Smile

chickenstrip · Super Spammer Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Karma :

Having done the Route Napoleon and Grossglockner Pass on the tour in 2016, and now having ridden in the Picos and done most of the N260, I decided to hit another "tick-list" route, and zapped across southern France to do the Route des Grande Alpes.

I think I learned about all these routes and favourite biking destinations right here on BCF, since I started to visit Europe after having joined, so you could say that this forum has played an influential part in my recent biking life - so cheers to the tourers of BCF! Thumbs Up

Pigeon · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 Sep 2012 Karma :

chickenstrip · Super Spammer Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Karma :

The whole of that last trip had been in sweltering temperatures, in contrast to the previous year, and by the time I reached a little beyond Annecy, I'd had enough, was exhausted. I thought I'd seen enough of mountains for a while again. Ha. Beginning of the next month it was off again, this time down through Luxembourg, B500 through the Black Forest (tick!), and to Switzerland. Headed for the Grimsel/Furka/Susten Pass loop (tick!), and threw in the Neufenen Pass (tick!) and a couple of other destinations for good measure:

https://i.postimg.cc/BnZwwg1f/DSCN0091.jpg

Sublime views, sublime roads:

https://i.postimg.cc/jqXHkr6C/DSCN0107.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/yY8FMrnj/DSCN0143.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/pL9KThwn/DSCN0184.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/qRBY6H2Y/DSCN0151.jpg

Plenty of hairpins on the passes, but plenty of good roads to ride too:

https://i.postimg.cc/nrcDtCKr/DSCN0261.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/Y929vTvy/DSCN0134.jpg

Entering the outskirts of Grindelwald:

https://i.postimg.cc/1RjtzCsJ/DSCN0157.jpg

Neufenen Pass:

https://i.postimg.cc/4y7XtGsw/DSCN0198.jpg

And headed home via the Route des Cretes through the Vosges mountains - tick! - and Metz.

Then it was just back to riding around locally, mostly in the Lake District. No more tours, not even any particularly long days out. This year, I've only actually been for about 5 or 6 proper rides all year - unprecedented in all the time I've been riding bikes, while I still actually owned one. But at least I've still got it! Smile

And I guess you could probably understand now why I've become so attached to this bike, more than any other. Never has it let me down, never missed a beat or given me cause for concern - it just gets me wherever I'm going, gets me home again, and makes going anywhere a ride to look forward to. So to finish, a few favourite shots of Fazer no.5:

https://i.postimg.cc/VvGDyyty/DSCN8273.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/rynJwkD3/DSCN8293.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/mrj9pYMJ/DSCN0548.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/vmVjWmV4/DSCN4614.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/ZqJMrpHK/DSCN0435.jpg

"The future's uncertain and the end is always near." - Roadhouse Blues.
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

B5234FT · Brolly Dolly Joined: 28 Sep 2009 Karma :

Annecy is very pretty, I keep meaning to go back. Been to various areas of the alps and they never fail to amaze

Stinka · Two Stroke Sniffer Joined: 17 Jan 2019 Karma :

Wow. This thread is amazing. One of the best stories of the life of a biker I’ve ever read. RESPECT !

chickenstrip · Super Spammer Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Karma :

BigTim · Trackday Trickster Joined: 29 Sep 2017 Karma :

Been a member just over a year and just found this.

absolute brilliant read,

I can remember seeing my first black RD350 whilst bumbling around on my Suzuki GP100 Very Happy

thanks for taking the time to write it

cheers

to v or not to v · World Chat Champion Joined: 24 Nov 2020 Karma :

just came across this thread after accidently clicking on your signature.
its been a pleasure to read Chickenstrip, thanks for posting.
you have an enviable bike history, it almost reads like my wish list.
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current bike Yamaha Thunderace.
Moto Guzzi V7.

chickenstrip · Super Spammer Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Karma :

It was fun while it lasted...well, some of it was Laughing

I also recommend reading Paddy's and Fizzer Thou's stories.

Fizzer:

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=238955

Paddy:

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=288578
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!