Tour of the Lake District - 4th/5th/6th August

[Villers]

Christ dont talk about it mate, never known anything like it. Its got a mind of its own. Im well pissed off because its my first chance to meet a few fellow BCF'ers. Hopefully Ill pull thorugh but from the forecast at work it isnt likely.
____________________
RS125 > CBR6 > SV650S > ZX636R > GSX1300RZ Hayabusa > 06 RSVR Mille > SV1000S > Street Triple 765 RS

[extreme3d]

Well, I'll see everyone at Ambleside early tommorrow morning!

[loply]

If Villers doesn't come then that knocks the numbers down to three (Me, extreme3d and sparkie)...

I'm going even if I'm on my own, can everyone else confirm by means of PM or SMS and we'll meet in Ambleside on Sat morning.
____________________
Yamaha SZR660 Caution to the wind, the throttle pinned!

[John C]

I'm servicing the bike as we speak, so you can pretty much count on me being there.

Do you have an autocom loply? (I've just got mine set up and wouldn't mind testing it properly)

[loply]

Gimme an SMS on (Rich) so I've got your number, see you in Ambleside around 11-12!
____________________
Yamaha SZR660 Caution to the wind, the throttle pinned!

[extreme3d]

Just got back. Will post the pics and report up a bit later once i've washed the bike off - must get my priorities right

We took your advice Stinkwheel and went up Hardknott pass - quite an experience

[extreme3d]

Well, here goes! Having mistaken a morning meet in Ambleside to mean 9am and not 11, me and Spacky set off at yawningly early 5.30am to meet at the sun in near Harrogate. Weather was perfect with a clear blue sky. Spack had even washed his Thunderace – something it’s not known for months

Spack stunned by how shiny his bike looks and wondering why the hell he doesn’t clean it more often

https://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/extreme3d51/lakes004a.jpg


The ride was going well until we reached high ground when it got misty, so misty in fact that it was wet without it actually raining. The roads were greasy, our visors kept steaming up and we couldn’t help but ponder on the wasted effort in cleaning the bikes. Thanks to good tyres though we still made good time and the weather had cleared up by the time we entered the lakes but the damage had been done… our bikes were filthy

https://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/extreme3d51/lakes014.jpg

At the hostel I received a text to say Rich was just setting off to meet us at the agreed time on the forum of 11.. Doh… Right then, we were in the lakes, on the shore of Lake Windermere with two whole hours to kill. The bikes had just been filled so what were we waiting for, perhaps a nice trip around the lake….. Err no – Spack said he was hungry

An hour later as we were finishing off bacon rolls and at least 2 cream cakes each we received another text from Rich saying he was running late. He’d met a girl last night apparently Off round the lake we went! A quick map stop later after a wrong turn and it seemed we had gone a bit for south…. The length of the lake again too far south, the scenery and roads are so good you just don’t realise how many mile’s you’ve done. It was at this time we received a phone call from Rich saying where the hell were we

A few mumbled excuses later and we met at a pub halfway up the lake. Soft drinks all round of course and that meant attracting wasps – something Spack seemed to do rather well as they all made a beeline for him (sorry, no pun intended ). It was then that Rich told me that it wasn’t Ambleside hostel but Borrowdale. Ah… no wonder we had trouble booking in

It wasn’t a problem, as they weren’t expecting us until the evening – let the riding commence Taking Stinkwheels advice of a couple of days ago we decided to brave Hardknott pass. It wasn’t easy to get there requiring careful navigation of back roads and lanes. A few wrong turns and an ice-cream break in a small village later (more wasps) we were at the base of the Hardknott pass warning sign. I don’t think a ‘skull and cross bones’ could have done a better job of warning us of impending doom, but a few bikes turned out of the junction and so well, if they can do it so can we!

https://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/extreme3d51/lakes005.jpg

WOW is all I can say. You know when you are on a roller coaster just setting off and can see the other carriages slowly making their way up the ramps. Well it’s that sort of feeling you get as you arrive at the bottom of the main hill watching everyone else slowly zig zaging their way skywards. And skywards it is – it’s STEEP. The pass is single lane but there is enough room to pass cars if need be – you don’t really have any choice unless you wish to slip your clutch and as it’s over a mile to the top that can’t be good. If you thought going up was fun… the next part was even better, going down the escalator of hell

We had to stop not far from the bottom as Rich’s rear brake had stopped working. The brake fluid had boiled! With his idle speed set quite high he had been forced to rest on the rear brake almost all the way down. It was then that we first smelt the air on the hillside. That pungent smell of burning car clutches and brakes. Nearly every car that passed us added to the fragrance – not a good road for motor vehicles

Once Rich’s bike had cooled we set off again. Now to get to the hostel we had to take a long detour to the west coast. Then back up North before heading east and joining the B5292/5289 loop. Again great scenery the whole way, commanding great views and roads that move with the landscape, not cutting though it. Just before the hostel the road passes though Honister pass. More steep hills with boulders the size of houses scattered on either side

Rich enjoying the view:

https://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/extreme3d51/lakes015a.jpg

Once checked in we changed into something more comfortable and took the 7-mile trip to Keswick for the evening. Naturally as we were out of leathers we took it slow – all except Spacky who had travelled ‘light’ – he’d even forgot his toothbrush. One large curry later at what seemed to be the only and so most popular curry house in town we heading back to the hostel and hit the sack – Lads night out an all fast asleep by ten!

Early rise to bowlfuls of porridge and a huge cooked breakfast. The plan agreed upon was to head west and cover Hartside, stopping at the café. We checked out and starting packing the bikes, but not before we’d attracted the interest of one of the guests about to set of for a walk. She was amazed to hear there was a whole community of younger bikers out there. All those she knew were older and didn’t do anything interesting. She was quite taken by my SV . She owns a hornet so keep an eye out for her as she promised to join the forum

https://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/extreme3d51/lakes006.jpg

Anyway, I digress… Hartside. Now I would consider myself a fairly competent rider. I do on average 20k a year and have ridden on all kinds of roads in all weathers…. But I’m told everyone has a Nemesis road and Hartside is mine. I don’t know what it is, but every time I’ve been up it I’ve either had a crash or had a near miss

https://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/extreme3d51/lakes012.jpg

Here I am re-enacting my last crash to the others on the bend I came off on. The very next bend I almost come off again when I swerved to avoid some random water streaming down the road. Ended up going straight on and coming to a somewhat controlled if embarrassing halt on the far side of the road. Thankfully upright! I needed that cup of tea Spack kindly brought me at the top – I’m never going up that road again if I can get away with it.

The bend in question - it's now got an LED warning sign placed up that wasn't there before so it would seem i'm not alone in coming off there :

https://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/extreme3d51/lakes009.jpg

Rich left us at the bottom of the hill in Alston to head off back home. Spack and me took the long way round home going though Middleton-in-Teasdale, then back west to Kirkby Stephen and down though Butter-Tubs pass to Hawes. Lots of sheep and treacherous sheer drops!

From Hawes it was off to the Yorkshire TT… which we did…. three times including going back and forth along the humpacks section just to see how far we could make the bikes leave the deck. As soon as we pulled up in Helmsely Spack had at least 3 wasps hovering around the front of his bike

Overall a great weekend. I didn’t take nearly as many pictures as I should have. The camera was left forgotten in the tail pack for most of the time the road required that much concentration. Thanks go to Rich for organising the trip and Spacky for attracting so many wasps!!

[sagalout]

Good write up - I enjoyed reading that

Never done hardknott pass on a bike - I did once do it in my MG Midget - drum brakes all round. Didnt struggle to get up it but getting back down was quite entertaining to say the least.

[John C]

You realy were doing your best Bruce Forsyth / Naked Gun Chalk outline impression there ...

https://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/extreme3d51/lakes012.jpg

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/jimbo54rw4f.gif

[Black Knight]

Craking write up mate, looks like you had fun.

Now down to business, where are the rest of the photos of that fine young vixen??
She is H O T!

Spackie please tell me you didn't leave Jimmy to speak to her alone, she'll be off quicker than roadrunner on steroids
____________________
Where does a turn end? 'Where you can do anything with the gas you want to, where you are brave again, where your attention is free from the turn, where you are sure you can do it better next time; that's the end' - Keith Code.

[John C]

[extreme3d]

[colin1]

yeah she's hot. lets hope she joins bcf and in future meets up with anyone who pops up to the lake district
____________________
colin1 is officially faster than god

[loply]

Haha, I can't believe you snapped the girl on your SV, how did you wangle that one?

It was a good trip, the mountain passes are definately worth doing, and we got quite lucky with the weather all in all.
____________________
Yamaha SZR660 Caution to the wind, the throttle pinned!