HippyCentral

I decided I’d get a jump on visiting our other office today. It’s in Skelmersdale – about 50 mins ride from home. At least, that’s what all the online maps told me.

Firstly, I missed a motorway turnoff. Anyone can do that, right? I got off at the next exit (I think it was the next, it felt like miles away). I went around the roundabout, and back on the motorway. Heading completely the wrong way. I got off at the next exit, rode for what felt like weeks, and eventually found a pokey little petrol station. I bought an A to Z, and worked out where I was, and how to get back to the right motorway.

Back on the motorway, on the right track, following the directions given to me by Google (from memory, you can’t hold a map on a bike), off I went. Until I saw the sign for Tatton Park, and figured I was probably going the wrong way (again). I got off the motorway at Holmes Chapel (where?), found a much nicer petrol station, and ate.

Back on the motorway, hit traffic. Lots of it. Now a lot of people say “but you’re on a bike, go past it”. That only works if you can feel your hands, and you’re not a scaredy-cat. So I sat doing 15-20mph for a while. Then it mysteriously cleared up, and off I toddled. I followed the signs for Manchester, and ended up on a 50 mph limit road – crawling in 1st gear.

What should have been a simple 2 hour there-and-back-again ride, turned into a four hour mystery tour. And I still don’t know how to get to Skem!!

Now I need to convince Mrs Hippy to spend lotsa money on a Tom-Tom. Either that or get a better memory. Or the train.

Shot by Jon, one of the guys from work, while on the back of my bike. He said he wanted a joyride, and one of the other chaps wanted guitar strings. A ride into town followed. When I got back, he showed me what he’d done in the only bit of the journey that wasn’t at 2 miles an hour (due to traffic, not the Hippy being slow). He’s promised a refined edited version, complete with cheesy music and “exciting” still shots. I probably won’t see it now I’ve said that though……

Ok, here’s a pic. Click it for a bigger version.

Not taken by me, but one of the guys at work took it while the bike was parked in the building entrance.

Can’t park it there any more of course. Some kid with a stupid Aprilia “superbike” replica decided to send the angry bee he keeps captive in his engine buzzing around the tin can right outside the entrance. Revving it up for his mates edification. People complained. As they would. Oh, and plastic bike boy let his toy drip oil all over the entranceway too.

So now my little baby has to sit out in the rain, at the back of the building. But the very nice man who manages our building is going to get a couple of bike parking spaces marked out – after a bit of charm from yours truly. I did the whole “take off the glasses, shake the hand” thing!

Now I’ve just got to work on pedalbike sheds…….

I have a new toy.

It’s not a very hippy one though (hippy hangs head in mock shame, concealing huge grin under hair).

After too many years waiting for the money, I have a bike again. Yay!

Not a hooooge one, but it’s 5 times bigger than my last bike, so I feel like it’s a step up. It’s a Honda CB500. Red. 7 years old, but looks like a baby (apart from the slight dent where the previous owner presumably dropped it at speed).

My last bike (over 10 years ago) was a piddly little Honda H100 (2 stroke). This is very big and scary in comparison. I didn’t realise how much of a chicken I was until I was doing 60 on the motorway and I hit a cross wind!

Anyway, now that I’m a petrolhead I’ll have to spend all my time reading biking magazines, and going to bike shows. Not to mention talking about compression ratios and bhp…..

Or not.

A picture of the new toy may follow if I can ever figure out where my camera is hidden.