Triumphrat

Bonnie06Tangerine

The weekend is fast approaching and I am getting the itch once again to fire up the bike and start highlighting more of my map as I will have time to ride. I started contemplating about my favorite type of riding; I think before coming to the UK I would of answered this question in a second that it would of been mountain riding. Being from the Hudson Valley in NY and also spending so much time in Japan, I have a natural fondness to the elevation but I think the UK might have changed me. Since riding my Trumpet over here, I have become addicted to the Fens...not any in particular but basically any fen that I can hit. Maybe its how the canal system is structured here, or the unique canal boats they have, or the unbelieveable twisties that the fens produce. The fens also have a uniqueness where the road is sometimes under the water line as you enter into them and on either side of the road are high banks that serve as a well to the canal. It seems there are plenty of fens in the whole Norfolk & Suffolk region, not really sure if this is a constant throughout the country but it is definitely one type of riding I am going to miss when it comes time to go. How about you guys and gals...what floats your boat the most when you have your Trumpet rolling down the road?

daveforty

mountains / lakes / forests. Not much of that in this country, at least not of any size. If you havent already done so, take a ride to the Black Mountains and Brecon Beacons of south Wales, beautiful part of the UK. Went there in the early summer heatwave just after I got my Scrambler.....

Bonnie06Tangerine

Thanks D40, I haven't ridden Wales at all yet and hopefully will be taking care of that here in a couple of weeks. Is this one on the agenda there Mr. Nickwiz???? I think I have been grooving on the fens so much because it is something that is so unique to me. I never really experienced anything quite like that with how the roads are set up through them. Sometimes you have to take the good with the bad though:

This past weekend I went over to visit with Doodle Dog and had to travel through one set of fens. Before entering them there was a farmer running down the road, flapping his arms like he wanted to try to start flying. There were two cars ahead of me and we were all stopped right immediately before the entrance into the fens. So I thought 'huh'...what the heck could this be about? Well...around the bend comes about 10 cows with two other farmers herding them from behind...they were coming down the road and the farmers were keeping them in the correct lane!!!! I just thought to myself; 'no way'! I thought it was pretty funny until in the middle of the pack was a bull. Mind you, I have the tangerine Bonnie, plus I wear a safety vest which is tangerine because of being military I could actually lose my medical coverage if I have an accident and I am not wearing the safety vest, and I just got my brand new Davida helmet that matches my gas tank. So I am tangerined out completely and I think as far as a bull is concerned...tangerine is close enough to red. The bull looked over and his eyes got a little bigger and I thought...ooooooooooooooooooooh crap (crap wasn't the word but this is a family site). I was just getting ready to enter the fens so there was no shoulder...just high banks on both sides of me. Luckily one of the farmers was paying attention and immediately rushed up and started yelling some lingo that I couldn't make out and gave the bull a few swats with his stick and the angel of death chose to take mercy on me and walked on past. Funny I still like the fens though...

Coroja

B6T - you could have relaxed, cattle don't see in color. Bulls react to the motion of the cape, not its color.

By the way, how is Doodledog getting on? I was thinking about having a mass said for his speedy recovery, but the pastor is a little put off by that part of the liturgy where he would have to say, "...Doodledog, for whom this mass is offered." I guess it might negatively impact the dignity of the proceedings.

__________________
The people who talk the most generally have the smallest results. Results speak for themselves. - Matt Mladin

Bonnie06Tangerine

Doodle Dog is doing really well. He is up and around; he has to use his crutches but at least he is mobile now. We had a great visit. If the days weren't so short right now with it getting dark so early then I would have stayed longer. I think Doodle has a great attitude with what he is going through and wouldn't be surprised if he shocks everyone and ends up rolling down the road one day in the future. I tried telling him though that healing is the thing that should be the first thought in his mind but I probably would be the same way if I was in his position. It was a good visit and I plan on rolling through again next time I am up north get more of my map highlighted.

Coroja

Great news! Thanks for the update.

__________________
The people who talk the most generally have the smallest results. Results speak for themselves. - Matt Mladin

Nickwiz

Being originally from the flat lands I'm rather fenned and flatlanded out though they can be fun. But basically my all time favourite roads can't be found this side of the Channel. I would have to say its those Alpine hairpins. Absolutely spectacular views and you really have to concentrate. My friend once called em concentration or death roads. They're my favourite. The best of all can be found in the Dolomites in Northern Italy. A must ride place at least once in a lifetime. Mrs Nickwiz and I spent our Honeymoon there. We took the motorail through Germany and hired a Ski Chalet out of season in May. We spent two solid weeks riding those roads and hiking in those mountains. Absolutely perfect.

Wales? If the weather is kind we'll get there Bonnie06. But you'll have to make sure the headlight works cos we'll be riding back in the dark.

gn2

Starting in Aberfoyle, take the A821 Dukes Pass towards Callander turn left on the A84 to Lochearnhead,
right onto the A85 to Gilmerton,
left onto the A822 to Milton,
left onto A826 to Aberfeldy,
left onto A827, continue onto A85 towards Tyndrum
right onto A82 through Glen Coe to Fort William
North out of Fort William then left onto Road To The Isles to Mallaig,
ferry to Isle Of Skye then head up the west coast road to Dunvegan, right round towards Portree then south to the bridge at Kyleakin for Kyle of Lochalsh.
Take A87 out of Kyle,
then turn left onto A890,
left onto A896 to Strathcarron then continue on A896 to the left turn for the Bealach Na Ba (Pass Of The Cattle) towards Applecross.
From Applecross, north through Fearnmore back to the A896 towards Kinlochewe.
At Kinlochewe, left onto A832 through Shieldaig, Gairloch, Poolewe etc.
At the A835 turn left and head for Ullapool.

That's my favourite route in the UK.

HiDesert

My favorite road is 100 solid miles of deserted bliss. The top 50 miles are



The south 50 miles are




My second favorite road is 40 miles of mountain road, with three passes >10,000 feet.

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I won't stop riding because you tell me about someone who died in an accident, just as I won't stop eating because someone died of e.coli.

HiDesert's ride photos

Bonnie06Tangerine

No worries there; I will have the neon marquis of a safety vest on so I can bring up the rear for safety purposes and you can lead the way. The only problem right now that I see is this glorious British weather! Have you been checking it out at all? It is showing crappy/low visibilty hard rains with wicked wicked winds for the entire next week. I know we are still over a week out so I am applying the techniques I learned in anger management right now...I will be super hot if the weather is crap all next week!! Oh well, lets hope for this best, I would rather ride the Trumpet down to the B'ham rather than being stuck in the cage.