Jealousy is a destructive thing.
Jealousy is a destructive thing.
Just been looking at the 'Long Way Down' website, you know the thing with Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman, I liked the first trip and would really love to do a trip like that, but I'm out of work, with no money and even if I had a job I could not afford to take the time off to go gallivanting the world. God that sounds like I'm whinging, hang on I'm allowed to - I'm old!
I watched 'Long Way Round' and quite enjoyed it, although I did feel that if they had been two 'ordinary' blokes they would have had a lot more trouble, fame has its uses.
So off I go to the website for 'Long way down' and look they have a forum, cool, let's log on and have a look, except you have to be a member, £30 please. Now I know it's a commercial enterprise and some of the money is going to charity, but I can't afford £30 to become a member just to look at the forum, at least let us look but not post. I actually think £30 is not bad for what you get in the pack, it's just I don't have it.
I'm not knocking the lads, in fact Ewan and Charlie would be one of my choices for "If you could have anyone round for dinner…" when you have the money and the fame, then use it, I would and for a lot more than just blagging bikes! I do admire them for doing the trips, it's not an easy thing to do, ridng for hours on end across barren landscape can be soul‑destroying and there is a lot of hardship involved as well. As I said at the start it's really jealousy on my part and I am old and crazy enough to admit to want to do it too.
We did try to organise a two week trip right around Europe, to sort of show that ordinary bikers can do a trip of a lifetime too, we were going to try and do the whole two weeks while spending no money except on fuel tolls etc and rely on the good will of other bikers around Europe to feed and house us, quite a few people offered to help including the Motoclube de Faro! We had a lot of plans to do around 300 to 500 miles a day, video motorcycle clubs and visit shops and dealers, anyone who might be interesting to our readers, but really just to promote biking in Europe and have a bit of fun. Lots of riders in this country never bother to take their bikes abroad and I think they should, I love riding abroad - the attitude to bikers is totally different in Europe, but circumstances kept changing so its gone on hold until one of us wins the lottery or makes enough money to buy a couple of decent bikes … and we can afford the time off, whinge whinge whinge.
Perhaps some insane PR manager for Triumph or someone thinks taking 2 ordinary blokes, giving them money and equipment and sending them off all around Europe would be good publicity. (You might find several hints about a Triumph Tiger in here somewhere…) There seems to be a lot of advertising that relies on the race heritage of bikes, some people don't want speed they want comfort and the ability to cruise long distances without problems, alright and speed.
The longest trip I have done recently is a 300 mile round trip to see a mate in Hospital, when I was single I thought nothing of riding to weird places just for the hell of it I once did Madrid to Le Harve in one go just to see if I could, having been a courier for 15 years when I was younger helped as well. To me it's the journey that's important, the end of the trip is just a means, when I'm in the car I mostly just wish the journey was over, on the bike sometimes I just want to keep going past my destination and head for pastures new, I know Slob thinks that way without even asking him as do a lot of other bikers.
These days my body is starting to feel the strain, at 52 and after years of damage I know I'm not going to be able to keep this up for long, so I would love one more big trip! Not around the world, I don't think that will ever be a viable dream now for me, but the trip round Europe is a possible and maybe the Che Guevara trail through South America, if we can get some money together Slob and myself want to do a run down to Southern Europe before the year is out, videoing the whole journey and stopping to talk to interesting people on the way as a precursor for a bigger trip just to see how well it comes out and if people would be interested, no motorways just sticking to the back roads, no real plan just a series of stops suggested by people who know their towns and villages where we can meet bikers, find good biking roads and terrific scenery.
One day…
Ewan & Charlie, good luck and no offence meant lads! (I still hate you though…)
What I have, 20 years, nearly 100,000 miles old and getting a bit (?) ratty…
and what I want (dream on)
I watched 'Long Way Round' and quite enjoyed it, although I did feel that if they had been two 'ordinary' blokes they would have had a lot more trouble, fame has its uses.
So off I go to the website for 'Long way down' and look they have a forum, cool, let's log on and have a look, except you have to be a member, £30 please. Now I know it's a commercial enterprise and some of the money is going to charity, but I can't afford £30 to become a member just to look at the forum, at least let us look but not post. I actually think £30 is not bad for what you get in the pack, it's just I don't have it.
I'm not knocking the lads, in fact Ewan and Charlie would be one of my choices for "If you could have anyone round for dinner…" when you have the money and the fame, then use it, I would and for a lot more than just blagging bikes! I do admire them for doing the trips, it's not an easy thing to do, ridng for hours on end across barren landscape can be soul‑destroying and there is a lot of hardship involved as well. As I said at the start it's really jealousy on my part and I am old and crazy enough to admit to want to do it too.
We did try to organise a two week trip right around Europe, to sort of show that ordinary bikers can do a trip of a lifetime too, we were going to try and do the whole two weeks while spending no money except on fuel tolls etc and rely on the good will of other bikers around Europe to feed and house us, quite a few people offered to help including the Motoclube de Faro! We had a lot of plans to do around 300 to 500 miles a day, video motorcycle clubs and visit shops and dealers, anyone who might be interesting to our readers, but really just to promote biking in Europe and have a bit of fun. Lots of riders in this country never bother to take their bikes abroad and I think they should, I love riding abroad - the attitude to bikers is totally different in Europe, but circumstances kept changing so its gone on hold until one of us wins the lottery or makes enough money to buy a couple of decent bikes … and we can afford the time off, whinge whinge whinge.
Perhaps some insane PR manager for Triumph or someone thinks taking 2 ordinary blokes, giving them money and equipment and sending them off all around Europe would be good publicity. (You might find several hints about a Triumph Tiger in here somewhere…) There seems to be a lot of advertising that relies on the race heritage of bikes, some people don't want speed they want comfort and the ability to cruise long distances without problems, alright and speed.
The longest trip I have done recently is a 300 mile round trip to see a mate in Hospital, when I was single I thought nothing of riding to weird places just for the hell of it I once did Madrid to Le Harve in one go just to see if I could, having been a courier for 15 years when I was younger helped as well. To me it's the journey that's important, the end of the trip is just a means, when I'm in the car I mostly just wish the journey was over, on the bike sometimes I just want to keep going past my destination and head for pastures new, I know Slob thinks that way without even asking him as do a lot of other bikers.
These days my body is starting to feel the strain, at 52 and after years of damage I know I'm not going to be able to keep this up for long, so I would love one more big trip! Not around the world, I don't think that will ever be a viable dream now for me, but the trip round Europe is a possible and maybe the Che Guevara trail through South America, if we can get some money together Slob and myself want to do a run down to Southern Europe before the year is out, videoing the whole journey and stopping to talk to interesting people on the way as a precursor for a bigger trip just to see how well it comes out and if people would be interested, no motorways just sticking to the back roads, no real plan just a series of stops suggested by people who know their towns and villages where we can meet bikers, find good biking roads and terrific scenery.
One day…
Ewan & Charlie, good luck and no offence meant lads! (I still hate you though…)
