New blogger app

Getting ready for the next riding season looking at a few blogger apps. Quite like this one. Let's try and add some images to the body ...



And another ..

Boxing Day Blast

A good time to get the bike out on a sunny but quite mild Boxing Day. Myself and Lindsay out for a great run down to Ledbury via Martley, then around the back of the Malverns via Cradley and a stop at at Upton on Severn. Then out past Croome Park and the Castle before heading home for another mince pie.

Christmas bloat, and plenty of layers!

Warm up with a cuppa at the Swan on the river..

Dunstall castle ... A capability brown job ...

The Malvern Hills in the distance..

Good to be out on my GS, usually under wraps this time of year but the relatively mild weather this December gives me a great reason to keep riding. 

2016 has been a great year, Scotland with Lindsay, the GS Challenge with Andy, and then the Mountains Alps trip with Steve. A lot of fun. Looking forward to 2017 and some more adventures, 

Happy New Year!

Montgomery Ride Out

Nice ride through Shropshire last Sunday across Long Mynd to Stipersones and Snailbeach and then down to Montgomery with Lindsay and Ed. Me following behind for a nice change, admiring the scenery watching the 'Blackpool illuminations' as the two Jap bikes brake in synchronous harmony leaving me to just roll on roll off (wax on wax off LOL).

Great Cafe stop - The Ivy House. Recommended !

 A bit chilly nowadays though, glad I had heated grips. A Sunny day out with a sunny disposition, so here's the basic route waypoints:

 

Three counties ride and a famous Scotsman

Yesterday, (Sunday) myself and Lindsay opted for a local ride. My first ride since returning from the Alps and Lindsay's since his family holiday away, so we were both itching for a decent ride out, trying to avoid Shobden Cafe for a change.

Some of the best rides can often be spontaneous - the ones made up en-route so without a GPS I filled up with fuel and we headed out into Shropshire and took a right at Much Wenlock and onto Ironbridge. Not wishing to stop just yet we passed through Broseley and Jackfield and curled back toward Bridgnorth. Good, twisty road we rarely ride, sun shining and my GS feeling a lot lighter without panniers and luggage.

Flying Scotsman - Victoria Bridge nr Trimpley

On Saturday I had been out with my family to nearby Trimpley Reservoir to see the Flying Scotsman on the Severn Valley Railway line. This Great Steam Engine was visiting our heritage railway, and the last and only time I had ever seen it it was at the National Railway Museum in York with William when he was about ten years old. Unfortunately, back then it was in the engine shed being stripped for renovation and refurbishment. A bit disappointed back then (2006) so it was great seeing it steaming along between Arley, Bewdley stations and later on Victoria Bridge in all of it's splendour after it's £4.2 million refit.

 So, It just so happened on our ride we passed-by Bridgnorth station as steam was billowing above the platform, and it just so happened I had my camera with me and a copy of the timetable still stuffed inside my camera case. We couldn't resist stopping, parking the bikes on some wasteland and 'legging' up the station hill, paid the £2.00 each platform access fee to find the Scotsman surrounded by a mass of people taking photos. How great to see all of these people fascinated by this marvel of engineering. A living breathing icon from days gone by.

Surrounded Scotsman!

Queues for photos

Looks wonderful. £4.2 million well spent !!

'Magic !'

After our 'Scotsman' experience, dodging rain showers we headed up to Cleobury Mortimer for a small breakfast out the superb cafe there:

Cleobury Cafe

.. followed by a ride up Clee Hill, with a left turn down to Tenbury Wells and into Herefordshire and Bromyard, back into Worcestershire past Stanford Bridge and home via the Bewdley switchbacks. 

Excellent Sunday ride, back in time for Sunday lunch and a chance to see the Scotsman arrive back at Kidderminster station with Dad and William too. 

Back from the Alps ..

Arrived back 4pm on Sunday after a 429 mile ride from Sedan, mostly motorway all the way. Exhausted but with a huge smile on my face. Most enjoyable trip a good decision to go with a tour company for a ride around the Alps. Just uploading photos and videos over the next few days - see the 2016-Mountains:Alps tab to view them all along with the blog reports for each day..

Almost ready ...

My 'Cost a Fortune Mandatory Swiss Vignette'.
For the very few motorway miles I will be doing !! 

So, tomorrows the day I set off on my  next adventure. The Mountains:Alps tour with World of BMW Motorrad - riding through French and Swiss Alps for a week. I'm really looking forward to meeting Steve and the others on the tour in Folkestone and getting up high on the mountain passes next week.

I'm just trying to decide if I should go for the route to Folkestone Lindsay used on his Black Forest trip (looks good mate, thanks). It avoids the M25 race track and the windy M20 (as in windy miller not twisty !). I want to avoid any dodgy foot bridges too ! There's no rush to Folkestone so why not avoid that madness on the way down? Now I'm a National Trust member (thanks Dad), so maybe I will take a look around Bateman's (Rudyard Kiplings home) or even take in Bodiam Castle for lunch. Hmm, decisions, decisions - all depends on the weather I guess.

As is usual, with free wifi I will be blogging progress with pictures when I am able, See the 2016 - Mountains : Alps blog (tab above).

Stiperstones

Yesterday I went for a ride to visit Ian at Church Stretton Motorcycles in Shropshire. I'd heard good reports from Carl who works in our machine shop that Ian was the man when it comes to servicing and tuning BMW Boxers (and K's).

Nice chap he is too, I wanted a bit of advice on tuning now she's over 21k and has a bit more vibration through 3.5 to 4.5 rev range. I was concerned that since I modified the exhaust (see previous post) there was something not quite right, and phoned him earlier in the week where he suggested he take her for a short ride to investigate. I'm particularly keen to iron out any issues before the up-coming Mountains:Alps tour. Thankfully, nothing too much to worry about, apparently the vibes are more pronounced when the engine is cold, and might need a bit of throttle body/valve clearance adjust at the next service. His experience and knowledge of the flat twin has put my mind at rest, and I will definitely take her there for a service come the 24k interval where he described the comprehensive package he provides for servicing, and has the full BMW diagnostic equipment too. 

Afterwards, given that I had my field glasses and camera in my top box, I punched in 'Stiperstones' into my Garmin and headed up and over Long Mynd to the nature reserve. I parked up at one of the car parks and walked out along the excellent footpath. 

Great for wildlife, I could spend hours up here there is so much to look at.

Purple heather is abundant this time of year. Swallows darting about everywhere.

 The rocky outcrop known as 'The Devils Chair'. Stiperstones is one of the six Shropshire summits is mostly Quartzite stone.

Superb views across Shropshire and the Welsh Marches.

On my return to the car park I saw a brief flash of a bird with red underbelly and breast and thought it was a robin. However the reddish tail and longer tail length made me take a closer look through the field glasses. After looking up in my pocket bird guide realised it was a 'Redstart' I think in it's Autumn/Winter guise as they lose their black face and have a duller red tail.

This was about as close as I could get before it flew off into the trees behind.

Must return to Stiperstones Nature reserve again soon with walking boots and panniers to lock up my bike gear. Lots of people walking dogs on a Saturday, but I guess a quiet day in the week would be better. Maybe in the future I could identify the Raptors circling above the Devils Chair too !!