Abarbarian
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New Pad New Life
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Abarbarian
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Decided on a whim to take a bike ride over to York where me sister was due to have a 70 th birthday. Weather looked good for a few days and as we are into autumn here it looked to be one of the last really sunny weekends.
Set of on Friday at 11.00 am and fuelled up at the recently completed ASDA petrol station at the end of the road.
The idea was to take some pretty shots of the luverly scenery on my route. Here is the first one, an they wonder why we call it mother earth.
This was the second shot. An it was truly impressive with the valley falling away to left and right for miles.Sadly the picture does not do it justice.
The trouble with my plan was that all the best shots were in awful places to stop and all the best stops had awful scenery. Also I had not realised how unfit I was and how much the journey would sap my reserves. So I did not take any more pictures on route.
The journey took me nine hours, should have been seven and a half hours but I turned right instead of left at J11 on the M56 and ended up travelling across the Pennines on the M62 which I did not really want to do as it is a very busy road. Also it took me 50 miles out of my way and of the smaller quieter roads I had planned to travel.
This is the view out of my sisters spare room looking down on to her garden.Thought you folks might be interested in a typical english suburban garden.
I did not do a great deal on the Saturday as I was well and truly tired out. Managed to accompany big sister on a walk around York University taking her dog for exercise. I took loads of pictures as there is some neat architecture in the new buildings and the new lakes are neat too.
However I could not seem to make the camera perform well at all, though it did seem to be taking pictures, sort of. Later on I found that in carrying the camera without its bag I inadvertently moved on of the tiny dials and this was the cause of the camera gremlin. I did take it seems movies of my feet and some very shaky footage of various things. I only managed to get a screenshot of one small movie clip that was in any was ok.
Apparently the teepees are over spill accommodation for the students. Really they are some sort of distancing measure due to covid.Shame about the rest of the pictures.Blame it on old age and weariness.
The journey back on Monday was in glorious sunshine all the way. I found a super route across the Pennines, after climbing up from the Yorkshire side I followed a valley down towards Manchester that had four or five very long reservoirs running down its tree lined length. Journey took eight hours. Luckily for me I stopped in a lay by just short of Carmarthen as I was worn out and thought a stop before tackling the last leg was a sensible idea.
Luck for me I did as I noticed a drip dropping from my carburettor. Yes it was petrol and whooops that was not a split tin the fuel line. It had severed completely and as I touched it petrol flooded out. I quickly turned of the fuel,no whoosh of an exploding bike, and set to to shorten and re fix the fuel line. The adrenaline from that set me up for the last forty miles and I arrived home safely after a 664 mile marathon. I was tempted to drive around for a couple of miles just to get 666 on the clock but was far too banjakcsed.
Oh and big sis appreciated the large balloons I gave her for her 70 th.
Set of on Friday at 11.00 am and fuelled up at the recently completed ASDA petrol station at the end of the road.
The idea was to take some pretty shots of the luverly scenery on my route. Here is the first one, an they wonder why we call it mother earth.
This was the second shot. An it was truly impressive with the valley falling away to left and right for miles.Sadly the picture does not do it justice.
The trouble with my plan was that all the best shots were in awful places to stop and all the best stops had awful scenery. Also I had not realised how unfit I was and how much the journey would sap my reserves. So I did not take any more pictures on route.
The journey took me nine hours, should have been seven and a half hours but I turned right instead of left at J11 on the M56 and ended up travelling across the Pennines on the M62 which I did not really want to do as it is a very busy road. Also it took me 50 miles out of my way and of the smaller quieter roads I had planned to travel.
This is the view out of my sisters spare room looking down on to her garden.Thought you folks might be interested in a typical english suburban garden.
I did not do a great deal on the Saturday as I was well and truly tired out. Managed to accompany big sister on a walk around York University taking her dog for exercise. I took loads of pictures as there is some neat architecture in the new buildings and the new lakes are neat too.
However I could not seem to make the camera perform well at all, though it did seem to be taking pictures, sort of. Later on I found that in carrying the camera without its bag I inadvertently moved on of the tiny dials and this was the cause of the camera gremlin. I did take it seems movies of my feet and some very shaky footage of various things. I only managed to get a screenshot of one small movie clip that was in any was ok.
Apparently the teepees are over spill accommodation for the students. Really they are some sort of distancing measure due to covid.Shame about the rest of the pictures.Blame it on old age and weariness.
The journey back on Monday was in glorious sunshine all the way. I found a super route across the Pennines, after climbing up from the Yorkshire side I followed a valley down towards Manchester that had four or five very long reservoirs running down its tree lined length. Journey took eight hours. Luckily for me I stopped in a lay by just short of Carmarthen as I was worn out and thought a stop before tackling the last leg was a sensible idea.
Luck for me I did as I noticed a drip dropping from my carburettor. Yes it was petrol and whooops that was not a split tin the fuel line. It had severed completely and as I touched it petrol flooded out. I quickly turned of the fuel,no whoosh of an exploding bike, and set to to shorten and re fix the fuel line. The adrenaline from that set me up for the last forty miles and I arrived home safely after a 664 mile marathon. I was tempted to drive around for a couple of miles just to get 666 on the clock but was far too banjakcsed.
Oh and big sis appreciated the large balloons I gave her for her 70 th.
Ian
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9 hours of riding? No wonder you were tired! Looks like a great day for the ride though 
.
That university campus looks beautiful - I've not seen that part of it before. I've had an explore of part of the uni a couple of years ago on a walk.
It's quite amazing how much university campuses have changed in the past 10 years (wonder if it's related to the £12k per year tuition fees!!!). They used to be grotty and run down, but now all the Manchester universities have had new buildings shoot up all over the city. No expense spared.
.That university campus looks beautiful - I've not seen that part of it before. I've had an explore of part of the uni a couple of years ago on a walk.
It's quite amazing how much university campuses have changed in the past 10 years (wonder if it's related to the £12k per year tuition fees!!!). They used to be grotty and run down, but now all the Manchester universities have had new buildings shoot up all over the city. No expense spared.
Abarbarian
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9 hours of riding? No wonder you were tired! Looks like a great day for the ride though
That university campus looks beautiful - I've not seen that part of it before. I've had an explore of part of the uni a couple of years ago on a walk.
It's quite amazing how much university campuses have changed in the past 10 years (wonder if it's related to the £12k per year tuition fees!!!). They used to be grotty and run down, but now all the Manchester universities have had new buildings shoot up all over the city. No expense spared.
York has always had a posh campus. Originally it had one lake now has four an the campus has quadrupled in size at least.
Was a perfect day for the ride. I doubt I will be doing any more nine hour marathons though.
Abarbarian
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Well with the weather closing in for the autumn it seems silly not to make the most if the sun shines. An shine it did this weekend, so it was all hands on deck for a Royal visit somewhere.
I persuaded my neighbour that a tour of the Welsh National Botanical Gardens was in order as he had never visited before. A bit late in the season for glorious shows of colour but still plenty of interest.
Here is a link to the album,
Welsh garden tour
Me mates bike is a Yamaha Vulcan 900 a bit big and shiny when viewed next the Royal,
An arty shot,
Water snake !
Steel + wool and welsh imagination produced this fine beast. That would be the bull not the biker.
The lake must have a leak as we have had plenty of rain lately.
Entrance to the largest largest single-span great glasshouse in the world. The two pictures were taken moments apart but the lighting is way different.
The start of the water snake.
The end of the water snake.
Or maybe it is the beginning as the water is pumped back up the hill.
Enjoy folks.
All the pictures were taken walk,stop,click, with just a couple that had a little more thought behind them. If you download individual pictures from Imgur you get a load more detail as I uploaded as , 4928x3264 size.
I persuaded my neighbour that a tour of the Welsh National Botanical Gardens was in order as he had never visited before. A bit late in the season for glorious shows of colour but still plenty of interest.
Here is a link to the album,
Welsh garden tour
Me mates bike is a Yamaha Vulcan 900 a bit big and shiny when viewed next the Royal,
An arty shot,
Water snake !
Steel + wool and welsh imagination produced this fine beast. That would be the bull not the biker.
The lake must have a leak as we have had plenty of rain lately.
Entrance to the largest largest single-span great glasshouse in the world. The two pictures were taken moments apart but the lighting is way different.
The start of the water snake.
The end of the water snake.
Or maybe it is the beginning as the water is pumped back up the hill.
Enjoy folks.
All the pictures were taken walk,stop,click, with just a couple that had a little more thought behind them. If you download individual pictures from Imgur you get a load more detail as I uploaded as , 4928x3264 size.
Abarbarian
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Abarbarian
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Had a ride out on me birthday a couple of months ago. View is from somewhere near Tafarn Sinc. Luverly dry roads and pretty warm considering the time of year. Did not stop for a pint, can't even remember if it was open due to covid.
Took a ride out yesterday. White frost was still in evidence in many places even though it was three o'clock in the afternoon. Riding home in the gloaming was slightly tricky but very pretty.
Photo location a couple of miles from Cenarth Falls. On a good day you can see the sun glint of the sea at Fishguard over to the right in the pictures.That is on a good day
Took a ride out yesterday. White frost was still in evidence in many places even though it was three o'clock in the afternoon. Riding home in the gloaming was slightly tricky but very pretty.
Photo location a couple of miles from Cenarth Falls. On a good day you can see the sun glint of the sea at Fishguard over to the right in the pictures.That is on a good day
Abarbarian
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Well it had been raining for almost a month non stop here in sunny Pembrokeshire until Dec 24th which turned out to be a nice sunny rain free day. Unfortunately I was doing the driving thing so could not get out on the Royal.
Still it was nice and sunny on Christmas day so I took a ride out to Tenby. Had a most enjoyable ride along the Ridgeway and stopped half a dozen times to enjoy the views of the coast on my right and views across the valleys to the Beacons in the distance on my left.
I thought that was going to be the last ride out for the year.
However I had planned on a ride out on New Years day to start of the hopefully better new year. Then I remembered I might be riding with an empty tank.
So I decided to take a short ride on New Years Eve to fill up. Great I thought when I woke up on the day, sun and blue sky's at eight o'clock. Too early to ride out I took my breakfast and spent a couple of hours catching up on events on the net. Surfaced and looked out of the window and, blimey there was a scattering of snow on the ground and grey cloudy sky's. Hmm what to do I thought as it started to drizzle. Having an early lunch seemed a good idea. Whilst preparing and eating said lunch I noticed that it was not steady rain but more like short sharp showers with clear spells in between and they seemed to be getting wider apart. I suited up during a shower and waited for the clear spell to arrive. As the rain stopped I made my move and fired up the Royal and made a dash for the petrol station, card payments at the pump only, so covid safe. Pulling my gloves back on it seemed to me that there were less clouds in the sky with patches of blue peeking through what were almost white fluffy clouds. Hmmm does not look like rain for at least half an hour, maybe I'll just go for a short sprint across the bridge and round By Johnston and Milford Haven. Luck was with me and after a short but rain free ride I made it back to a warm welcoming home. A decent way to end the year I thought.
New Years day greeted me with blue sky sun and white frost covering everything. As I ate a leisurely breakfast the white turned to green apart from in the hedge bottoms. Tenby seemed a good choice again by the main roads as the back roads might have pockets of frost still lingering. Would the two floods blocking the way have receded I wondered, the road was impassable on New Years Eve. No matter if they were as it would give me a longer ride out in the sun and joy of joys almost dry tarmac. I fired up the Royal and roared of on my first ride out of the New Year. An hour later I arrived home to warm up with a welcoming mulled wine. A great start to the year.
Whilst out I it occurred to me that you all might like to see a picture of me on the Royal, so here you are folks a crazy barbarian out riding in the deepest days of winter.
More pictures from todays ride are posted in Quads mobile phone picture thread.
All the best folks for the New Year.
Still it was nice and sunny on Christmas day so I took a ride out to Tenby. Had a most enjoyable ride along the Ridgeway and stopped half a dozen times to enjoy the views of the coast on my right and views across the valleys to the Beacons in the distance on my left.
I thought that was going to be the last ride out for the year.
However I had planned on a ride out on New Years day to start of the hopefully better new year. Then I remembered I might be riding with an empty tank.
So I decided to take a short ride on New Years Eve to fill up. Great I thought when I woke up on the day, sun and blue sky's at eight o'clock. Too early to ride out I took my breakfast and spent a couple of hours catching up on events on the net. Surfaced and looked out of the window and, blimey there was a scattering of snow on the ground and grey cloudy sky's. Hmm what to do I thought as it started to drizzle. Having an early lunch seemed a good idea. Whilst preparing and eating said lunch I noticed that it was not steady rain but more like short sharp showers with clear spells in between and they seemed to be getting wider apart. I suited up during a shower and waited for the clear spell to arrive. As the rain stopped I made my move and fired up the Royal and made a dash for the petrol station, card payments at the pump only, so covid safe. Pulling my gloves back on it seemed to me that there were less clouds in the sky with patches of blue peeking through what were almost white fluffy clouds. Hmmm does not look like rain for at least half an hour, maybe I'll just go for a short sprint across the bridge and round By Johnston and Milford Haven. Luck was with me and after a short but rain free ride I made it back to a warm welcoming home. A decent way to end the year I thought.
New Years day greeted me with blue sky sun and white frost covering everything. As I ate a leisurely breakfast the white turned to green apart from in the hedge bottoms. Tenby seemed a good choice again by the main roads as the back roads might have pockets of frost still lingering. Would the two floods blocking the way have receded I wondered, the road was impassable on New Years Eve. No matter if they were as it would give me a longer ride out in the sun and joy of joys almost dry tarmac. I fired up the Royal and roared of on my first ride out of the New Year. An hour later I arrived home to warm up with a welcoming mulled wine. A great start to the year.
Whilst out I it occurred to me that you all might like to see a picture of me on the Royal, so here you are folks a crazy barbarian out riding in the deepest days of winter.
More pictures from todays ride are posted in Quads mobile phone picture thread.
All the best folks for the New Year.
Abarbarian
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2nd ride out of the year. Sod lockdown.
Saundersfoot.
If you view the last picture large size you will see me Northern Soul neck tube. Mod on a motorbike see ha ha. No coffee no ice cream no beer no fish and chips, who cares it were a great ride out.
Saundersfoot.
If you view the last picture large size you will see me Northern Soul neck tube. Mod on a motorbike see ha ha. No coffee no ice cream no beer no fish and chips, who cares it were a great ride out.
Abarbarian
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Abarbarian
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Yet another ride out today. This was 100% legal as I was taking my end of month expense claim forms into Withybush ambulance office. I had filled them in and found that I did not have a stamp an decided that standing in a queue at the Post Office was not as safe as traveling to Withybush.
Stopped at the view point at the Milford Haven Bridge to take a couple of shots. By gum it were cold the poor old Royal being air cooled and a single cylinder took quite some time to warm up.
Stopped at the view point at the Milford Haven Bridge to take a couple of shots. By gum it were cold the poor old Royal being air cooled and a single cylinder took quite some time to warm up.
Abarbarian
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Doing well this year. Had another ride out last week but seem to have lost the photos.
Had a ride out on the 23rd as we had blue sky and no rain for a change. Took a circuitous route to Tenby and then back along the coast to end up at Angle then backtracked home. I am heading (right>left)toward Angle which is a dead end almost at the mouth of Milford Haven. This pic shows the ferry on its way to Ireland and in the background you can see the snow tipped mountains of Snowdonia. Well you could see them when I took the picture but they do not show up very well in the photograph.
Down on the beach I was hoping to get a shot of the ferry as it passed but it was too cold to hang about.
Apparently it was snowing with sub zero temperatures ooop norf in the UK.
Had a ride out on the 23rd as we had blue sky and no rain for a change. Took a circuitous route to Tenby and then back along the coast to end up at Angle then backtracked home. I am heading (right>left)toward Angle which is a dead end almost at the mouth of Milford Haven. This pic shows the ferry on its way to Ireland and in the background you can see the snow tipped mountains of Snowdonia. Well you could see them when I took the picture but they do not show up very well in the photograph.
Down on the beach I was hoping to get a shot of the ferry as it passed but it was too cold to hang about.
Apparently it was snowing with sub zero temperatures ooop norf in the UK.
Abarbarian
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I heard that there was snow around so I jumped on the Royal and went hunting. No snow near home but only five miles away there was snow on the roads and in the fields. Looking over to the Preseli Hills some twenty miles away the snow looked pretty indeed. Too far and too cold for me to get closer though.
Abarbarian
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Early June 2021
Well I was going to post my wonderful modification to the standard rear carries that I had bought for a week long trip to the Lakes.
that I was going to use with these wonderful waterproof bags
here are the modifications
As you can see I have added a couple of extra flat bars to the frames. These take advantage of the extra webbing on the back of the Lomo bags and provide a quick and easy way to put the bags on the bike. With no fartin around with straps and such like. I even added a padlock so that they could be left on the bike whilst stopping for coffee and such like.
I would have shown some pictures of them on the bike. An I would have shown some pictures of the stainless steel front wheel rim rebuild and powdercoated wheel hub.Along with the shiny new disc brake and caliper and steel braided brake hose. All fitted to make my mega trip to the Lake District after lock down was relaxed here in the UK.
So I decided to make a few trips, all eager like to build up some stamina in the old creaky body and forgot to take any shots of the rebuild in all its glory.
First trip out of 50 miles went ok.
The second trip of 120 miles is were it all went pear shaped.
Date of accident 26-04-2021.
It is no good asking me what happened as my mind is a blank. One minute I am ambling along a straight road and the next I am waking up at the side of the vehicle pretty badly busted up.
Not too badly injured as it turns out. I am lucky to be alive really.
These are pretty gruesome so do not view if of a sensitive disposition
I'll carry the tale on later on.
Needless to say the Lake District trip was a washout.
Well I was going to post my wonderful modification to the standard rear carries that I had bought for a week long trip to the Lakes.
that I was going to use with these wonderful waterproof bags
here are the modifications
As you can see I have added a couple of extra flat bars to the frames. These take advantage of the extra webbing on the back of the Lomo bags and provide a quick and easy way to put the bags on the bike. With no fartin around with straps and such like. I even added a padlock so that they could be left on the bike whilst stopping for coffee and such like.
I would have shown some pictures of them on the bike. An I would have shown some pictures of the stainless steel front wheel rim rebuild and powdercoated wheel hub.Along with the shiny new disc brake and caliper and steel braided brake hose. All fitted to make my mega trip to the Lake District after lock down was relaxed here in the UK.
So I decided to make a few trips, all eager like to build up some stamina in the old creaky body and forgot to take any shots of the rebuild in all its glory.
First trip out of 50 miles went ok.
The second trip of 120 miles is were it all went pear shaped.
Date of accident 26-04-2021.
It is no good asking me what happened as my mind is a blank. One minute I am ambling along a straight road and the next I am waking up at the side of the vehicle pretty badly busted up.
Not too badly injured as it turns out. I am lucky to be alive really.
These are pretty gruesome so do not view if of a sensitive disposition
I'll carry the tale on later on.
Needless to say the Lake District trip was a washout.
Abarbarian
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June 5th update
Me right wrist is cracked and in a plaster cast up to the elbow which comes of in ten days time. The left side of me chest had a good deal of muscle tearing and though there were no ribs broken several had small hairline fractures.
That made shaving, going to the toilet and almost everything else really difficult.
I could not lie down for five weeks and had to cat nap on several chairs dosed up with liquid morphine. I eventually went on to 5 mg morphine tablets twice a day to wean meself of the liquid stuff. Drifting in and out of reality was nice but I have things to do so am now of the tablets altogether.
The right leg from top to bottom was twice the size of the left leg and although in the main a lot of the swelling has gone down there are several areas that are still badly swollen.
I went for me first drive and shopping trip today. I know I probably shouldn't have but I had to get out of the house for a change.
Managed to sleep in me bed the last three nights, not exactly pain free but bearable and that will get better over the next few weeks.
The doc was dead impressed with me recovery rate and the way the bruising has almost fully gone. Just shows what a daily application of arnica can do.
So I am on the mend slowly. Once the plaster cast is of I will start to do some serious getting fit stuff. I just hope that me right leg improves and gets back to normal.
Meanwhile I have several Captain Harlock anime series to watch along with two movies.
Me right wrist is cracked and in a plaster cast up to the elbow which comes of in ten days time. The left side of me chest had a good deal of muscle tearing and though there were no ribs broken several had small hairline fractures.
That made shaving, going to the toilet and almost everything else really difficult.
I could not lie down for five weeks and had to cat nap on several chairs dosed up with liquid morphine. I eventually went on to 5 mg morphine tablets twice a day to wean meself of the liquid stuff. Drifting in and out of reality was nice but I have things to do so am now of the tablets altogether.
The right leg from top to bottom was twice the size of the left leg and although in the main a lot of the swelling has gone down there are several areas that are still badly swollen.
I went for me first drive and shopping trip today. I know I probably shouldn't have but I had to get out of the house for a change.
Managed to sleep in me bed the last three nights, not exactly pain free but bearable and that will get better over the next few weeks.
The doc was dead impressed with me recovery rate and the way the bruising has almost fully gone. Just shows what a daily application of arnica can do.
So I am on the mend slowly. Once the plaster cast is of I will start to do some serious getting fit stuff. I just hope that me right leg improves and gets back to normal.
Meanwhile I have several Captain Harlock anime series to watch along with two movies.
Abarbarian
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Reply to a Q on another forum.
I'll be 68 this year.
Well I was seriously drugged up on liquid morphine for four weeks. Then I was coming down with the 5 mg tablets. An now I am sort of back to normal. Besides it is really hard to type with me right arm in a plaster cast.I live on me own so just doing the daily stuff was wearing me out. Ten minute shave taking half an hour, ten minute shower taking half an hour etc etc.
Just old age mate, hard knocks take the stuffing out of you and it is harder to bounce back.
I'll be 68 this year.
Well I was seriously drugged up on liquid morphine for four weeks. Then I was coming down with the 5 mg tablets. An now I am sort of back to normal. Besides it is really hard to type with me right arm in a plaster cast.I live on me own so just doing the daily stuff was wearing me out. Ten minute shave taking half an hour, ten minute shower taking half an hour etc etc.
Just old age mate, hard knocks take the stuffing out of you and it is harder to bounce back.
Abarbarian
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June 21 update.
Plaster cast has been of for a week now. Almost have full use of my hand again. A tad weak and still stiff so some work todo.
Legs are coming along too but it will be a while before they are fully operational. Managing to drive which is good though am taking it slow and careful.
Good news is the bike insurers will write of the Royal and give me £2500. Or give me back the bike and £950.
Still thinking about it but will most likely get the bike back and rebuild.
I love me Royal.
Plaster cast has been of for a week now. Almost have full use of my hand again. A tad weak and still stiff so some work todo.
Legs are coming along too but it will be a while before they are fully operational. Managing to drive which is good though am taking it slow and careful.
Good news is the bike insurers will write of the Royal and give me £2500. Or give me back the bike and £950.
Still thinking about it but will most likely get the bike back and rebuild.
I love me Royal.