Easter Sunday big bike run Salisbury Plain

[zimtim]

First of thanks to all who showed think there were around 20 of us on everything from A DRZ to big GS and lot and I mean a lot of orange. :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

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Thanks to Russ AKA Tramp who unfortunately couldn't join us, for plotting my route and thanks to ACP for plotting and organising another route and ride leader for the more experienced.


We left Countess Services en-masse with ACP leading and me the poor sod at the back sucking up all the dust that the rest could throw at me.
By the time we arrived at Stone Henge, me and the KTM had sucked up enough dust to give the Cerne Abbas giant a fresh coating.

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It was at this time that we decide to leave the fast group behind, so the slow group headed off with me in the lead, but not before I binned the bike the KTM trying to avoid a parked white van that suddenly jumped out in front of me. I'm not sure who was more shocked me, the slow I can see them all now saying "Fuuuuuuuuk me" what have we let our selves in for following this dick. or the woman in sat in her deckchair quietly watching the world go by.

Any way we head off, all following tentively I took a few wrong turns I will blame the slow refresh rate of my little Etrex. But like me old Dad said you are never lost you are just discovering new routes.

We made it up on to the plain proper through the Whoops which was fun, and very dry have seen them when you cant tell if there are any dips as they are that full of water. So everybody managed to find there trail feet and the pace was good not to fast but manageable for everyone. again the big issue was the amount of dust being kicked up so the group spread out a bit to try and get visibility and clean air :whistle: :whistle:
We made it to the German Villiage and stopped for a fag an piddle break

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[zimtim]

After a short jaunt we ended up at Tilshead, stopped at the local garage so everyone could get a drink and bite to eat. I'm sure you all know what a garage looks like, well I hope you do coz I couldn't be bothered to take any photos. Anyway nice garage even had a couple of picnic benches it would seem they do well with those groups that want to play B) B)

After lunch we headed up to Imber range and the infamous Imber village, I had never been before, but had be warned that the trails round there were pretty boring. How right you were Andy.

No one wanted to stop in the village and even though it was Easter Sunday and we should of gone into the church, we decided we would pay our penance later

And so the ride continued on to the Imber perimeter road, I followed the inner road a bit rougher and bit more fun than the normal range roads. Now I like these roads as whole as at the right speed the big KTM just bobs along soaking up the bumps and dips. The only downside to these roads is the dips, the big dips that generally create big puddles of muddy water, with a good six inches of silt at the bottom, that'll grab your wheels and try and drag you down. Comon most of you have been there and know what its like.
Well today being Easter Sunday I think all the local Easter Bunnies had congregated in these dips and under the blazing Wiltshire heat had melted creating a thick chocolate goo, the sort of thing a chocaholic would love to dive into and swim around eating themselves to death.

riding into one of these chocolate dip goo fest I could feel the KTM shudder (I think she is secretly a chocolate lover)gathering her up and urging her she suddenly bolted out the other side spitting me off into the verge, luckily my cubscout parachute regiment badge training and I rolled to safety. :whistle: :whistle:

Scott followed me in and make it through although covered in the gooey chocolatness of the bunny orgy swamp.

Again the look on the other riders faces "fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuk that for a game of soldiers" so given the option they decided to miss the chocolate fondue and re-join us further up the track. Luckily no one caught this on film :whistle: :whistle: so technically it never happened. (thumbs) (thumbs)

[Tramp]

Ha ha you are discovering the joy of being a ride leader...first to fall off and first to realize the ohh shit moment should have ridden round...

[Agent Orange]

A lot!!!! Of small bikes on the BIG bike run then ;-0
Looks like a great day. Andy is worth his weight in gold on the Plain!! Not that he weighs more than a fag butt (thumbs)

[RMRH]

Hats off to zimtim for leading the "less fast" group around yesterday (thumbs) (thumbs) (thumbs)

Great fun day and a good route with a few challenging bits thrown in - it gave a few of us the opportunity to "shakedown" newly acquired bikes, (mainly orange ...) and put some faces to names etc B)

ps - also many thanks for the strap (colour coded in orange & black no less... :woohoo: ) which prevented my tools from finding a new home somewhere on Salisbury plains ! :silly:
Cheers !

[zimtim]

After I had dusted myself down, I use the phrase dusted down as I was I covered in a fine film of dust from my head to my knees below that I was looked like I had been dipped in chocolate

The route continued to follow the perimeter road, we continued on the inner road, only pulling off as there were some 4x4 partially blocking the route, but fair play to them as one of them had loaded what looked like a fairly new and very clean Honda CRF but obviously broken on to the back. The rider looked a tad to clean as well the envy in his eyes as we rode past covered in dust and mud was very easy to

[herman]

We had dusty and a little muddy fun too. Thanks to Andy for leading our band. The S10 was a little out of it's comfort zone on occasion but pootled round none the less. DSC00929 by herman munster, on Flickr DSC00927 by herman munster, on Flickr KTMs on parade DSC00932 by herman munster, on Flickr Andy DSC00935 by herman munster, on Flickr Stewie DSC00937 by herman munster, on Flickr ensembleDSC00939 by herman munster, on Flickr S10 done good again DSC00940 by herman munster, on Flickr

[zimtim]

We left the plain and headed through Pewsey taking the nice sweeping B-roads through to Fighelden (spelling) and back on the plain at Larkhill.

On the trail back we came across a big puddle it is well known to all the regulars, as the is usually a good 6-8 inches of sediment and you can't all ways tell how deep it is.

I warned the lads about and gave them all the option to circumnavigate the "lake" which nearly all did I think only the two big KTMs accepted the challenge and concurred it.

Crossing the racecourse we came to the two burnt out tanks, stopping for a brief chat and a group photo

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This is where we said our farewells as the next stop would be the Countess services, so those that wanted to could just carry on homeward.

A big thanks to Scottnett who got me back on track on the odd occasion we got lost, Scott also gets the award for the dirtiest bike, yes his Yamaha Tenere' was dirtier than my KTM.
Also thanks to Puddle for bringing up the rear and swallowing all the dust we could throw at him.

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Now the big question who wants to do it all again next Easter, and this time we will do it on the Saturday so Bob can join us :whistle: :whistle:

THANK YOU

[Stewie]

Big thanks to Tim and Andy for leading, had a great day, good to put names to faces (thumbs)