So what's it like on Scottish Roads in January/February?

austin

Well-Known Member
Brrrr, I can hardly imagine it. Actually I just about can as in 1982 I think it got down to -27 for a few nights in Shropshire where I then lived. It was ok iirc as it was sunny by day which made it feel quite pleasant and the roads eventually dried out. Unlike the endless grey and damp we seem to have been having for weeks now. See you in 5-6 weeks then nick. Have you still got my number?
 

nick949

Well-Known Member
Brrrr, I can hardly imagine it. Actually I just about can as in 1982 I think it got down to -27 for a few nights in Shropshire where I then lived. It was ok iirc as it was sunny by day which made it feel quite pleasant and the roads eventually dried out. Unlike the endless grey and damp we seem to have been having for weeks now. See you in 5-6 weeks then nick. Have you still got my number?

Yep Austin - unless it's changed. Last three digits 873 ?
 

Lowflyer

Well-Known Member
Steve, you are nuts out in crap like that.

I have heard from nick. He is flying to the uk at the end of January but is heading straight to Cornwall so he can walk the SW coast path for a week or two. Then he hopes to either borrow a bike from Real Classic magazine or rent something from somewhere in either Bournemouth or Chichester. His route will be zig-zagging his way up north from there, possibly reaching Scotland if weather, time and bike permit. All being well he will drop by my place for at least a night and a beer or two. It would be nice if we could give nick some good bigtrailie support and hospitality on his travels [emoji106]. He flies back to Canada at the end of February.



Nick,Austin,

Plenty of room up here in Inverness, no worries there.
Austin, you know where I am ;)
Nick, send me a pm with your contact numbers etc if you are interested :thumbsup:
 

Barftone

Well-Known Member
Spare room in Bath Nick if you fancy a stay over in the lovely Roman/Georgian City? I can help with maps and routes up north if needed as well. I suggest you pass by Stonehenge and pick up the Salisbury Plain dirt roads. You could also travel up the Roman Fosseway for part of your journey which is originally the Exeter to Lincoln Roman Road.
 

nick949

Well-Known Member
Spare room in Bath Nick if you fancy a stay over in the lovely Roman/Georgian City? I can help with maps and routes up north if needed as well. I suggest you pass by Stonehenge and pick up the Salisbury Plain dirt roads. You could also travel up the Roman Fosseway for part of your journey which is originally the Exeter to Lincoln Roman Road.

Bike people are wonderful!!!

Things are changing fast. The free bike deal fell through because of insurance issues, but I have other scenarios in the works. I doubt whether I'll get to Bath, delightful as it is - and thanks tremendously for the generous offer Barftone - but at the moment I just don't know what will happen. I know the Fosse Way well though - I even worked on an excavation at the Roman Fort at Chesterton-on-Fosse back in the Dark Ages and stayed in Stow-on-the-Wold when I was riding around on a Royal Enfield in 2013. I wrote up that 'interesting' trip here: Royal Enfield Bullet Electra EFI 500 on Tour - RealClassic.co.uk.

Nick
 

Whealie

Wing Commander
Staff member
Forum Supporter
Depending on the exact timing I can probably put you up if you want to visit London Nick. My normally empty house has my son coming home fro Australia and my daughter back from Uni to see him for some of the time and if my parents come to stay to we'll be full to the rafters. But if you let me know I am sure we can work round it.
 

nick949

Well-Known Member
Depending on the exact timing I can probably put you up if you want to visit London Nick. My normally empty house has my son coming home fro Australia and my daughter back from Uni to see him for some of the time and if my parents come to stay to we'll be full to the rafters. But if you let me know I am sure we can work round it.

Hi Whealie,
Thanks for the very kind offer. As you've probably seen from my posts, I'm not much of a city guy. I generally avoid London like the plague. That was true when I lived in the UK and nothing much has changed since, except these days it's Toronto and Montreal I avoid. Actually, I have two nieces in London (one quite near Heathrow), which has been very handy in the past. I will probably brave the wilds of Birmingham briefly as I have a brother I have to visit there, but for the rest of the time I'll be trying to stick to the byways.

But I very much appreciate the offer. All the best.

Nick
 

Barftone

Well-Known Member
How was the gearbox on the Enfield Nick? I liked the old one I had in India but the gearbox was dreadful!
 

nick949

Well-Known Member
How was the gearbox on the Enfield Nick? I liked the old one I had in India but the gearbox was dreadful!

It was actually fairly good. Not like any Japanese bike since the seventies, of course, but smoother and less erratic than the gears on my Guzzis. I think many riders have become spoiled by the slickness of most contemporary gears and have lost the art of a firm change, accompanied by a bit of a delay while the twirly bits catch up with one another. Think the motorcycle version of double de-clutching on an old truck. On my Nuovo Falcone, I hit the lever, say 'Saskatchewan' (or some equally lengthy polysyllable word while the gears sort themselves out) then let out the clutch. You get used to it.:whistle:.
 

nick949

Well-Known Member
God help me, I'll be riding a 2017 Suzuki V-Strom 650 during my UK trip. What is the world coming too? This Bigtrailie thing must be infectious.

Nick
 

Steve T

Well-Known Member
Nick,

The new Wee-Strom will find a place in your heart after you get some miles on it - V-twin character

Steve T

:cool:
 

Flyfifer

Member
P.S. ref the state of the roads. Most of the Scottish councils are nearly bankrupt and can barely muster up enough cash to put salt on the canteen tables ----- never mind gritting the road network effectively !

What route "plan" have you decided on now that you have an xlnt tool to work with ?
 

nick949

Well-Known Member
Flyfifer - I'm an appalling planner. After my hiking stint, I'll be picking up the bike in Chichester and other than dropping in on friends in Norfolk, my brother in Brum, a hiking friend in Halifax and Austin & Anne, I don't really have any firm plans and I like it that way. There are a few classic bike folks I may sponge off - mainly so I can ride things with no suspension and leaky mechanicals.

I'll probably wind my way up the country generally heading north until the weather / road conditions discourage me. It would be nice to knock off a circuit of the north coast, but not if it means landing on my ear.

I'm a bit worried that the weeStrom may be a bit too comfortable, smooth and reliable for me, but I'll struggle through. ;)
 
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