Been Trippin

[boxerpan]

Usually people are quickly happy to let go of your hand and get themselves from A to B with you just following along behind later or just riding amongst the groups but this time there are a lot of people that needed 'shepherding' the whole time. Lots of time was just spent trying to get/keep people moving.

You're right though. The bigger the group, the bigger the problems.

I hope the North Wales trip is less of a challenge have you volunteered for shepherding duties

[Jason M]

Usually people are quickly happy to let go of your hand and get themselves from A to B with you just following along behind later or just riding amongst the groups but this time there are a lot of people that needed 'shepherding' the whole time. Lots of time was just spent trying to get/keep people moving.

You're right though. The bigger the group, the bigger the problems.

I hope the North Wales trip is less of a challenge have you volunteered for shepherding duties

I'd love to come along but unfortunately it's a date my son has been waiting for all season and I promiced to take him along...... Spurs v Arsenal

I'll get along to Burton hopefully and others later.

Jason

[winger]

Hi Jason

Thanks for that,over the years ridden with one or two!! along those lines,even though the trips were 30 years ago,hence i can think of no greater horror than rideing with someone you don't know,cuz it always ends in agro,strangely enough one of the few i've met who can hack a 700 mile day on a mars bar and a can of coke is 70 this year!!!!.

[Rob B]

Jason,

Top job there. I'll give you a ring and pop around for a coffee and a catch up at some point.

Rgds,

Rob

[Jason M]

Jason,

Top job there. I'll give you a ring and pop around for a coffee and a catch up at some point.

Rgds,

Rob

Okey doke Rob - give it time to get a little sunnier and I'll pop down to yours again then take a ride round the coast down that way

Jason

[Nero]

Top report, spent two absorbing lunches at my desk reading your account. Fantastic photographs & an involving story. Memories for a lifetime there - Despite the scrapes you had I'm extremely envious.

What's your involvement with the organiser? What's the company?

Nero

[Jason M]

Top report, spent two absorbing lunches at my desk reading your account. Fantastic photographs & an involving story. Memories for a lifetime there - Despite the scrapes you had I'm extremely envious.

What's your involvement with the organiser? What's the company?

Nero

Cheers Nero. The organiser was Nick Sanders - him of 'round the world in under 20 days'. I went round the world with him in 2002 on the S and ever since have been helping out on a lot of his subsequent trips. I turn up and usually just mingle with the riders and let those who want to be led ride without the worry of maps etc. He doesn't usually do the same trip twice so there is always plently of new experience to be had

Jason

[julian]

Nice one Jason - it's always cool to see you throw us a curved ball .

I read your trip report a week ago before going on holiday and without prompting, one our friends with us asked whether I had ever considered such a trip (Charlie / Ewan type of thing). I replied 'no' and tried to explain your trip. Fantastic photos, experience, and lots of memories to savour going forward, but sounds a bit too risky for me & that the experience wasn't that enjoyable most of the time. Just out of interest, (and people's time restraints aside), why not add an extra week to the journey, make it fun and less stressful?

Would you try similar on your own?

Good Work, looking forward to the next one!

p.s did you say you knackered the GS.
p.p.s. those 450 KTMs must have stopped twice a day for an oil change!

[Jason M]

Nice one Jason - it's always cool to see you throw us a curved ball .

I read your trip report a week ago before going on holiday and without prompting, one our friends with us asked whether I had ever considered such a trip (Charlie / Ewan type of thing). I replied 'no' and tried to explain your trip. Fantastic photos, experience, and lots of memories to savour going forward, but sounds a bit too risky for me & that the experience wasn't that enjoyable most of the time. Just out of interest, (and people's time restraints aside), why not add an extra week to the journey, make it fun and less stressful?

Would you try similar on your own?

Good Work, looking forward to the next one!

p.s did you say you knackered the GS.
p.p.s. those 450 KTMs must have stopped twice a day for an oil
change!

Alright Julian mate - missed your TV debut this week unfortunately Alan told me this am that you were lucky to be on considering you told the producer she looked 145

As for the trip.. extra week? I guess it depends on what you're after. Personally I'm of the 'it's better to travel than to arrive' mentality and never happier than when I'm moving, preferably over a long distance. I like having something to aim at and then try and beat it. You're right though, an extra week would allow people time to rest and relax and see a bit more than they see, but having said that, travelling these big distances over land gives so much more I think. You can pitch up by the side of the road anywhere and meet the weirdest people and have the strangest experiences - maybe more than you'd have in a more heavily tourist populated area. I remember having a protracted petrol negotiation with a bloke and a piece of charcoal on a piece of concrete, and picking up tiny kids and throwing them high in the air by the side of another track - not a word exchanged, just giggles laughs and smiles with the kids, or frowns grunts and sucking of teeth with the petrol bloke. Certainly a sleep in would be very welcome sometimes though that's for sure.

I wouldn't say my GS is knackered really. It certaily looks very 'used' and certainly has the aura of big travel around it. The suspension squeeks a lot, the shocks are feeling a little tired and the brakes don't feel 100% but all in all I think she stood up remarkably well given the abuse. It's certainly knackered as regards any 2nd hand or trade in value though, not that I care

As for those KTMs - you're right. 3k oil changes aren't they? The owner of the one I remember didn't come all the way - he stayed in a hotel with one of the illness stricken riders for a few days. He was certainly a bit precious about his bike though - fretting and worrying about every little scratch.

As for the next one. I don't know what Nick's plans are, but nothing I know of in that direction. I have another thought about something I might try on my own, sort of, but that wouldn't be for a couple of years.

You know what it's like mate - kids are growing up fast and won't want to holiday with their old man soon so I'm going to 'go large' with them for a while. Maybe fit in a weeks biking/photography in europe or something like a FLASH tour.

Be good to try and see you soon anyway mate

Take care

Jason