Wot I done to my bike to get it ready

Diary of an obsessive biker

Before you start looking at me in a strange way, I should explain that I am aware of how far I take things (i.e. too far) but in most of my activities I find that being prepared for almost any eventuality means that when things start to go wrong that it simply adds to the challenge rather than ending it.  This diary is aimed at fellow bikers who might want to  do the same or similar route and can learn from the mistakes I've made along the way and the challenges I've faced some of which might surprise you.

November 2006
I don't remember exactly how the conversation came up but Carolyn (my wife) asked me something like "Do you want a surprise party for your 40th next year". PANIC! 40? Me? Not possible. A quick calculation confirms the terrible truth - I will be 40 in under 9 months time.

Over the next few days various ideas of how to celebrate the event come to the surface from heading to Vegas with by boyhood gang for 2 weeks of booze and gambling (nope, not my scene) to having a few fellow sufferers round for a party (still a possibility) when Alan and I have one of our regular chats about biking holidays.  He mentioned a route he's got planned to ride around Scotland over a 2 week trip when I said "2 weeks, I did that in 1 day and I could do the whole of the UK in about a week".  The gauntlet had been laid down.

December 2006
Holiday time booked, route planned, re-planned, changed and discussed to the 'n'th degree and finally agreed upon, website created and various tasks assigned now the real preparation begins.  Well it will after Christmas and New Year and when the weather gets better ......

January 2007
I've got a new bike that I've only done short trips on and is not properly set up for me.  I should explain that for a number of reasons, any bike I own has to be adapted in small ways to make it comfortable for any distance over about 40 miles and for a trip of 4,000 miles in 7 days everything MUST be 100% ready.  I have a trip to see a prospective supplier in Manchester and I discover that after 40 miles I am in serious pain from the standard seat.  Something must be done! A day trip of 520 miles resulted in 2 days of John Wayne impersonation.

Equipping the bike
All the normal stuff, like luggage, fuel etc is easily sorted but we have to think a little laterally.

• Seat - I have a funny shaped bum.  Carolyn reckons I don't have one at all and my legs hang from my back without passing through arse at any point.  As a result I have to buy a new seat for the bike so I'm not in pain within 40 miles.  1 buy a Sargent seat on Monday and on Tuesday one come up on ebay for half price - D'oh.  It arrives but I don;t get eh chance to try it out for almost a month

• GPS - I've got one on the bike but it is also new and I have to learn how it works

• Music - Being on a bike for many hours at a time is often boring so having 'sounds' to keep you calm is a good thing.  I use custom made earplugs with internal speakers that protect my hearing whilst still allowing me to listen to music and hear what is going on around me.

• Communications - Alan and his wife Karen use PMR radios to chat between bikes and we plan to use the same technology - problem, I don't use anything like that cos I'm always on my own.

The seat solution means a different shaped replacement, so cue a new seat and because I have shoulder problems (a result of sporting injuries and generally knackered joints) I'm suffering neck strain that could be solved by moving the handlebars up and back.  1 set of setback/risers later and things are peachy.

Next challenge is to find a way that I can listen to music, hear the GPS, talk on a radio and not be distracted from the riding.  This is a tall order.  I work on the KISS method (Keep It Simple Stupid) and this is far from simple.  I have a bike style intercom in my truck and it gets pilfered to fit to the bike and the GPS and MP3 player connected.  This works but the GPS is too loud and cuts out the music every 10 seconds which is very distracting and  I've not yet planned what to do with the radio! I don't want to have load of different wires to connect every time I get on and off so some thought is required.

By late January all the bits are fitted and working (although not perfectly) but the weather is bad and I don't have any long business trips planned so the bike stays in the garage.

Mileage this month 850 miles

February 2007
1st long trip on the bike with the new seat - a day trip to see a supplier in Warrington.  225 miles there and over 350 on the way back (took a detour through the Lake District).  Didn't notice the new seat until I'd done 175 miles - Result!  The weather was awful but the roads were quiet, GPS was a pain but easily sorted (changed sounds level settings), music player started to fail.

Next week, next trip to Warrington and back.  This time I detoured there and back.  Mileage 625 miles this time deep in to the Lakes.  Intercom and GPS were perfect, MP3 player chucked it, new one ordered.

Next trip was to Cockermouth in Cumbria. 325 miles and everything went wrong!  The intercom wouldn't work then the GPS was too quiet and crackly and I'd forgotten to charge the new MP3 player which I had planned to use with my normal earplugs so I hear both but not be distracted by the intercom cutting off the music every 10 seconds - That will be tested next time now. To cap it all I was late for my meeting and it was 5 degrees colder than I had planned for. <insert expletive here>!. I got to Carlisle and stopped to sort the GPS as I had no idea of my route. Finally discovered that in cleaning the bike over the weekend that the cleaning chemical I use had got into the audio connector and left a film of residue over the contact.  2 wipes with a wet finger and it was perfect again. I'm getting used to the new seat which is 100 times better than the standard one and getting used to the handling of the bike on really tight rough roads. On the way back North the sun was out and the dark visor came out for the first time. Hardknot and Wrynose passes followed by a run up my favourite, the Kirkstone Pass) made for a great biking day.

Mileage this month 1150 miles

March 2007
New rear tyre fitted on the 3rd so the test run should be less 'interesting' than of late.  For non-bikers this need some explaining.  Bike tyres are bevelled (curved profile) so the bike can lean.  After thousands of mile basically upright, the central band wears out creating a flat band in the centre with little tread but the edges are still almost unused.  We call this "squared off" and means that as you lean further you lose grip just when you need it.  Imagine a 50p piece on its edge and you'll get the idea. 1 week later and I get a puncture in my front tyre which then needs replaced!  I've put some anti-puncture goo called Ultraseal which I've used before to great effect and Nigel at Ultraseal BH has offered to give us a couple of kits for the run - top bloke!

We got our practice day done (28th), finally. We rode straight up the A82 to the Corran Ferry, over to Ardnamurchan around the loop to Lochailort leaving out Kilchoan,  then up to Applecross. After a fine lunch and 2 hours stop to discuss things we headed around the peninsula to Kinlochewe then to Inverness and south through Fort William and home.  526 miles in 12 hours including several hours of stops. It means that although we were a little off the pace we are still looking at 20 hours for the whole trip.

The weather was chilly but basically dry with plenty of dry sunny periods.  I must say it is a privilege to be able to ride through scenery like Glencoe and Ardnamurchan.  As we rode through Glencoe itself the mist started to cleared and we could see the snow topped mountains peeking through with the sun shining on them.  As we climbed up top Rannoch Moor we saw a Stag standing at the side of the road and once we saw a deer run alongside the road over the peaty heather. With fantastic roads and possibly the world's most outstanding scenery, riding up the west coast is as close to a religious experience as one can hope for and still stay in the real world.

I did a 420 mile, Aberdeen and back via The Lecht trip, on the 27th so I now know the challenge of back to back 400+ miles days is achievable.

Mileage this month 1480 miles

April 2007
With Alan's bike rejuvenated and my intercom woes behind me we headed out for a shorted test run following the route from Glasgow to Oban then back along the A82 via Kinlochleven.  The pace was much quicker as confidence increased in our collective ability to keep going. Jim and I then had a Monday Night ride out with his guys to Glencoe which was wet and once I got my head round that we were still on the pace.  My bike has developed an odd fault that is caused by the gear indicator which will be picked up under warranty at the next service.
Just to be sure of the road conditions I took a quick spin up to Ardnamurchan Point and found that they are resurfacing part of the last 18 miles (the only bit we do 'out & back'). the road is much quicker but the bike got plastered in tar and took 2 hours to clean! My new Aerostich suit arrived on time and I'll need to get that broken in before we leave - just another excuse for a wee trip but it is nice and yellow so I'm waiting on a 'splashguard' to stop me getting totally covered in crud before I start to break it in.

Things to finalise this month are the kit list, the luggage arrangements (what is being taken to St Andrews early), decisions on video equipment, and booking in for Service and new tyres
 

Mileage so far this month 1050  miles

May 2007
My bike given it's pre-flight service and a set of new tyres.  Last logistical details being put in place then away we go.

Mileage this month 750 miles

Wot I done to my bike to get it ready and stuff I bought for me

GS's are as renowned as Harleys for being tarted up up with every shiny bit available on the market.  We truly are magpies and I am no exception apart from trying to keep my purchases useful (define useful? "Hey! that looks cool, I'll have it."). So here is the list:

In no particular order and I'm not admitting how much I've spent!