Well I enjoyed it! Lunch and a bit of shopping in Le Touquet, bimble along the coast back to Calais and already indoors, bike unpacked,dogs fed, first beer consumed, take-away ordered...........how did the rest of you get on? 
Open invitation.... Day jaunt to France.... Saturday 25 September
- Thread starter Wapping
- Start date
JackoUK
Registered user
Well, amongst the interesting moments was myself being rear ended and spilled amongst the mud at the roadworks just before Watten. Having decided to NOT run the red light, Ian (Sideways) and I stopped at the lights and as I put my foot to the ground, BAM!!
I was whacked from behind and spilled off the bike onto the ground. Hmm, not good, thought I as I rolled amongst the sh*t. After getting up I found the nice young French gel in tears of remorse as she surveyed the up ended bike and the "Ros Biff" standing before her. After hearing tales of the "drop off guy" waiting for almost an hour for a tyre repair, I was surprised to find NO "drop off guy" anywhere on the route to the insurance agents in Watten. Never mind!!, all went well and Sideways and I were soon(ish) back on the road, but not until I'd enjoyed a brief hug from the rear ending assassin, which sped me back to my youth. I digress. In truth, the poor girl was embarrasingly tearful about me and my bike, and I just HAD to comfort her, albeit in the presence of her watchful father. After all this, the bike is virtually un-damaged, apart from a broken system pannier rail, easily replaced. The pannier was virtually un-marked. Ian and I then enjoyed a good paced ride around Northern France, ending up at Cap Griz Nez, where we expected to find the "mob". No joy, so after a couple of coffees, it was back to the tunnel and home on the 1820 train. For me, a pretty good day, all things considered. Had a good ride with a good bloke and survived to tell the tale
I will go again!!Thanks to Wapping for "organising" things!
Hi Dave,
Glad you are back in one piece.
What went wrong?
We think we finally worked out what happened. With your pieces of the jigsaw I can probably fill in the gaps, too.
You quite rightly recall that the important thing for a marker to do is stay in place until the tail ender comes along, just in case there is a problem behind in the chain.
A marker was dropped at the right angle left turn off from the D943 (after Nordausques) / onto the D250-D285 road (leading to Glandspette, Beue-Maison and Watten).
For whatever reason, probably because they mistook one GS BMW for another (which is very easy to do) this marker maybe left their spot, leaving the left hand turn off the main road unmarked. Some bikes must have sailed past. As you say you had a problem in Watten, you must have made the turn OK?
By Merkeghem I had run out of markers, having dropped Geroge Brown on the left hand fork of the D26 and D226, leaving me with just TerryGK. George, TerryGK and I are now all three of us within spitting distance of Bollezeel and the first coffee stop.
TerryGK and I stopped. TerryGK waited as a front gunner, in case some bikes appeared whilst I circled back to find George Brown waiting patiently, helmet off. George hadn't seen anyone. Whilst we waited we agreed that George would stay in place like a good marker whilst I circled back further back down the route. Just as I got ready to set off, bikes came into view.... the group was staring to rebuild. Then after a while Nigel, the tail gunner who knew the correct route came along, with others. Nigel knew that something had gone wrong and had managed to round up all of the missing flock, except two.
So, we now had all of the group (bar two) together within two miles of Bollezeel and the first coffee stop. Nigel (the tail ender) nor any of the others had seen the two missing bikes and certainly none on its side. Where can the missing bikes be? Nobody can tell.
The tricky part now comes as we have:
The leader
The tail ender
9/10's of the pack
all in one place.
So all the proceeding markers must have been picked up.... plus there has been a break in the chain, mended by the tail ender.
Somewhere - inside what is by now over 15 square miles of rural France - there are two bikes (assuming they are together, which is not certain) who nobody from the leader down to the tail ender has seen, whilst all the rest of the group is back together. So the two bikes (wherever they are) have no markers to follow. It is quite possible that Nigel came past you somehow between gathering up stragglers and regaining us. I am sure that he did not pass you on purpose,
IT IS ONE OF THE THREE CLASSIC DIFFICULTIES WITH THE MARKER SYSTEM. We often see them. Indeed, we saw the third one later in the day.
1. If a marker leaves their spot BEFORE the tail gunner passes.... and then, somehow the tail ender catches up with the leader, having gathered most (but not all) of the pack up.
2. If the tail ender somehow passes someone in front of them. There are several ways that this can happen.
Somebody in the middle - because the tail ender has innocently passed them by and has (quite correctly) been gathering up markers - will now most probably get lost. Why? Because there are no markers between them and the leader, the tail ender having (quite rightly) gathered them up.
2. If a 'rogue' bike (some innocent bod out for a ride) somehow infiltrates their way into the chain. Either the leader will drop them (or think they have dropped them) as a marker or someone will follow a bike who is not in the group. Again, we managed to gather up most of the group but once somebody apparently heads off down the A26 motorway following a totally unknown stranger at high speed, that is probably the last anyone will see of them.
Glad you are back in one piece.
What went wrong?
We think we finally worked out what happened. With your pieces of the jigsaw I can probably fill in the gaps, too.
You quite rightly recall that the important thing for a marker to do is stay in place until the tail ender comes along, just in case there is a problem behind in the chain.
A marker was dropped at the right angle left turn off from the D943 (after Nordausques) / onto the D250-D285 road (leading to Glandspette, Beue-Maison and Watten).
For whatever reason, probably because they mistook one GS BMW for another (which is very easy to do) this marker maybe left their spot, leaving the left hand turn off the main road unmarked. Some bikes must have sailed past. As you say you had a problem in Watten, you must have made the turn OK?
By Merkeghem I had run out of markers, having dropped Geroge Brown on the left hand fork of the D26 and D226, leaving me with just TerryGK. George, TerryGK and I are now all three of us within spitting distance of Bollezeel and the first coffee stop.
TerryGK and I stopped. TerryGK waited as a front gunner, in case some bikes appeared whilst I circled back to find George Brown waiting patiently, helmet off. George hadn't seen anyone. Whilst we waited we agreed that George would stay in place like a good marker whilst I circled back further back down the route. Just as I got ready to set off, bikes came into view.... the group was staring to rebuild. Then after a while Nigel, the tail gunner who knew the correct route came along, with others. Nigel knew that something had gone wrong and had managed to round up all of the missing flock, except two.
So, we now had all of the group (bar two) together within two miles of Bollezeel and the first coffee stop. Nigel (the tail ender) nor any of the others had seen the two missing bikes and certainly none on its side. Where can the missing bikes be? Nobody can tell.
The tricky part now comes as we have:
The leader
The tail ender
9/10's of the pack
all in one place.
So all the proceeding markers must have been picked up.... plus there has been a break in the chain, mended by the tail ender.
Somewhere - inside what is by now over 15 square miles of rural France - there are two bikes (assuming they are together, which is not certain) who nobody from the leader down to the tail ender has seen, whilst all the rest of the group is back together. So the two bikes (wherever they are) have no markers to follow. It is quite possible that Nigel came past you somehow between gathering up stragglers and regaining us. I am sure that he did not pass you on purpose,
IT IS ONE OF THE THREE CLASSIC DIFFICULTIES WITH THE MARKER SYSTEM. We often see them. Indeed, we saw the third one later in the day.
1. If a marker leaves their spot BEFORE the tail gunner passes.... and then, somehow the tail ender catches up with the leader, having gathered most (but not all) of the pack up.
2. If the tail ender somehow passes someone in front of them. There are several ways that this can happen.
Somebody in the middle - because the tail ender has innocently passed them by and has (quite correctly) been gathering up markers - will now most probably get lost. Why? Because there are no markers between them and the leader, the tail ender having (quite rightly) gathered them up.
2. If a 'rogue' bike (some innocent bod out for a ride) somehow infiltrates their way into the chain. Either the leader will drop them (or think they have dropped them) as a marker or someone will follow a bike who is not in the group. Again, we managed to gather up most of the group but once somebody apparently heads off down the A26 motorway following a totally unknown stranger at high speed, that is probably the last anyone will see of them.
Ian Paterson
Registered user
A day in France
After all the confusion I think I may be the culprit marker as I now believe I mistook a GSA for the real tailender. You guys all look the same to me. sorry if it messed up anyones day but as Dave said we ended up having a good time anyway. Thats the first time in my life that I have been lost or caused anyone else to be lost. Sorry guys and girls. Hope to see you all on another trip. Just a tip. If I lead or tailend I wear a complete High Viz vest and it makes thing easier.
After all the confusion I think I may be the culprit marker as I now believe I mistook a GSA for the real tailender. You guys all look the same to me. sorry if it messed up anyones day but as Dave said we ended up having a good time anyway. Thats the first time in my life that I have been lost or caused anyone else to be lost. Sorry guys and girls. Hope to see you all on another trip. Just a tip. If I lead or tailend I wear a complete High Viz vest and it makes thing easier.
JackoUK
You and Sideways missed the day, which is not what anyone really wanted to happen.
I am quite happy to re-run it for the pair of you. We can probably fit it in between now and and the end of October when the light goes. If not, spring 2011.
I will PM you both to see what I can sort out.
Cheers,
Richard
You and Sideways missed the day, which is not what anyone really wanted to happen.
I am quite happy to re-run it for the pair of you. We can probably fit it in between now and and the end of October when the light goes. If not, spring 2011.
I will PM you both to see what I can sort out.
Cheers,
Richard
pablo666
Registered user
I would like to say thanks for a great trip
I had a great day.
Paul
I had a great day.
Paul
Ian, don't feel bad about it, please. Nobody died.
It is very easy for it to happen. Nobody thinks anyone left on purpose; it was an easy mistake to happen with lots of very similar looking bikes, in a mixed bunch, on what was just a social day out. I have seen it happen with perhaps five or six bikes who all know each other, let alone a 14 bike convoy, many of which are on very similar bikes.
The tail ender did his job and bikes were regathered. I can even imagine how two bikes, in or just after some temporary roadworks, are missed. Someone riding a bike has lots of things to look out for, just to stay alive; look for two seconds to the offside and they will miss seeing their mates on the nearside.
Bikes, in the great wide world, are actually quite small and often go quite quickly, so it is easy to miss see them. Running short of markers I have sometimes thought, "Ah, here they come...." only to find out that it is a group of cars close together, maybe one with its headlights on, glinting off glass or chrome.
HiViz is not the answer, as I have also seen it go wrong when two (or more) bods are dressed near enough identically.... "I saw the yellow vest and......." You can imagine the rest.
Overall, the marker drop-off system works more times than not. Sometimes the wheels do come off, that is all.
I HAVE PM'd YOU VIA THE EAMG SITE TO SEE IF WE CAN WORK OUT A DAY TO RE-RUN THE JAUNT FOR YOU AND DAVE.
BlimeySounds like an eventful trip!
The fun started even before we had got on the train.
A quick headcount revealed we were a bike short. Whilst waiting for the train to depart, my phone rang..... One of the party had had a coming together with a car in the carpark, plod on scene, not sure how long they would be etc. etc. Fearing the imminent loss of signal I asked that he simply text me what it was he planned to do next. If he could make a train not much delayed, we would meet at the rendezvous point, the first petrol station on leaving the train.
All was well in the end; in came a text as we arrived in France.
So we waited at the petrol station as agreed whilst another couple of trains disgorged their cargo, then a lightly damaged 1200GSA to come into view.
The Audi apparently did not come off so lightly, it seems.
Word comes my way that Ian and JackoUK, having sorted themselves out with French insurance brokers, young girls etc. etc. etc. then set off for Agincourt 'by the fastest route'......
.....but somehow ended up on a motorway near Reims, lunching near Bethune.....
.....I suspect they had headed for Agincourt, which is a small village south of Luxembourg..... not, Azincourt... which is how the pesky French (and Mapsource, quite rightly) spell it......
Such is the joy (and peril) of adventure
====
To add a little salt to the whole affair: The phone message I could not pick up is now revealed to say that JackoUK was in need of bungies to hold a pannier on. These I did have with me....
.....but somehow ended up on a motorway near Reims, lunching near Bethune.....
.....I suspect they had headed for Agincourt, which is a small village south of Luxembourg..... not, Azincourt... which is how the pesky French (and Mapsource, quite rightly) spell it......
Such is the joy (and peril) of adventure
====
To add a little salt to the whole affair: The phone message I could not pick up is now revealed to say that JackoUK was in need of bungies to hold a pannier on. These I did have with me....
Enjoyed meeting you all, definitely up for another go at it. Our day went wrong when we followed one of the Blackbirds off the dual carriageway. Coming off he immediately pointed back towards the carriageway and I took it that he'd come off too early. I couldn't see a marker so quickly did a u turn to get back onto the dual carriageway and waited at the next roundabout for about 15 minutes before retracing the route.Couldn't find you so decided to head off to Le Touquet for lunch.
Coming off nights and in my haste to collect the wife, jump on the bike and head off for the tunnel I left my map indoors.
Hope you all enjoyed the outing, thanks to Wapping for organising the trip
Coming off nights and in my haste to collect the wife, jump on the bike and head off for the tunnel I left my map indoors.
Hope you all enjoyed the outing, thanks to Wapping for organising the trip
Enjoyed meeting you all, definitely up for another go at it. Our day went wrong when we followed one of the Blackbirds off the dual carriageway. Coming off he immediately pointed back towards the carriageway and I took it that he'd come off too early. I couldn't see a marker so quickly did a u turn to get back onto the dual carriageway and waited at the next roundabout for about 15 minutes before retracing the route.Couldn't find you so decided to head off to Le Touquet for lunch.
Coming off nights and in my haste to collect the wife, jump on the bike and head off for the tunnel I left my map indoors.
Hope you all enjoyed the outing, thanks to Wapping for organising the trip
Ah, the small but infamous roundabout at Saint Omer.
There is a good photograph picture view of it in Google maps.
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&s...50.715353,2.299629&spn=0.004069,0.011362&z=17
Approach up the steep slip road off the D942 ringroad dual carriageway, leading to the D77 towards Therouanne. The slip road's entrance is awkward as it starts on the blind exit of a bend.
It is a tricky roundabout to mark as it is very flat, being simply a roundabout on a bridge. It makes anyone's view coming up to the roundabout very narrow, so you cannot see the exits. You approach at 6 o'clock, exiting at 9 o'clock. This would not be a problem in the UK, but tricky in France as they go around anti-clockwise, with the exit we need to take being all but invisible.
There are only three exits in quite a small area. The first, to an industrial estate. The second back down to the dual carriageway (we have just come off)... the third the D77.... and the last, back down to the dual carriageway but in the opposite direction.
Having been around it several times before, I was ready for it. I tried to drop a marker on the slip road, on the entry to the roundabout to indicate the way and was going to drop one on the exit itself.... Bugger!
You can imagine my surprise, when a whole stream of bikes had quite literally vanished in about 150 yards... There one minute, gone the next.
I parked on the exit and walked back, much to the amusement of the locals. To my surprise on my return the only bike to have appeared was Nigel, who was the backmarker..... The rest had definitely gone into the black hole of France.
It seems that the marker I dropped (or thought I dropped) may well have been some odd-bod Frenchman, who had simply arrived behind me
In dribs and drabs the ragtaggled crew somehow found trheir way back to the roundabout...... or most of them did
All's well that ends (reasonably) well.
I have heard from JackoUK (Dave) and Ian. Thank you for calling.
All is OK with his bike, thankfully. A broken pannier rail and biffed pannier.
The poor young French girl who hit him in a classic rear ending definitely seemed more distressed than Dave about the whole affair, he tells me.
In short, an accident in the real sense of the world, with nobody hurt which is the main thing.
I will be doing a fresh run with Ian and Dave, just as soon as they can propose some dates.
I have heard from JackoUK (Dave) and Ian. Thank you for calling.
All is OK with his bike, thankfully. A broken pannier rail and biffed pannier.
The poor young French girl who hit him in a classic rear ending definitely seemed more distressed than Dave about the whole affair, he tells me.
In short, an accident in the real sense of the world, with nobody hurt which is the main thing.
I will be doing a fresh run with Ian and Dave, just as soon as they can propose some dates.
billynomates
Registered user
The fun started even before we had got on the train.
A quick headcount revealed we were a bike short. Whilst waiting for the train to depart, my phone rang..... One of the party had had a coming together with a car in the carpark, plod on scene, not sure how long they would be etc. etc. Fearing the imminent loss of signal I asked that he simply text me what it was he planned to do next. If he could make a train not much delayed, we would meet at the rendezvous point, the first petrol station on leaving the train.
All was well in the end; in came a text as we arrived in France.
So we waited at the petrol station as agreed whilst another couple of trains disgorged their cargo, then a lightly damaged 1200GSA to come into view.
The Audi apparently did not come off so lightly, it seems.
Aghh yes the Audi
Booked in just thought a run round the car park to see if there was anyone still there followed the Audi that had just left the car park proper out to the France only section in between the 2 sets of parking bays where upon he turns right into a bay I pass on his near side as he then decides to park on the left side or do a u-turn not sure which but I ended up meeting his passenger door,it all happened so quick.Anyway plod turns up takes a few statements etc the rest is history.
A bit of a stressfull start to the day for both of us but it soon turned out to be a cracking day.
Just to say a big thanks too Richard and everyone for waiting and it was a pleasure to meet new faces.
Ian
billynomates
Registered user
Thank you Wapping for an excellent day I am going to re-name you saint Wapping
From Mrs Loads of Mates.
From Mrs Loads of Mates.
That must mean that I am the last one home Well it was a planned excursion down to Mt St Michel.
Thanks to Wapping for an interesting day on Saturday. I have not seen the sun since I left the others heading towards Calais on Saturday afternoon.
Had some torrential rain, high winds, French farmers out in force spreading mud down the back lanes and my Zumo stopping working 2/3rds of the way home this afternoon but have had a great time.
If anyone wants a nice route from Caen down to Mt St Michel (about 3hours for just over 100miles) with a similar return route let me know
Just over 1000miles in 4days and the bike now needs its 12000mile service.
Well it was a planned excursion down to Mt St Michel. Thanks to Wapping for an interesting day on Saturday. I have not seen the sun since I left the others heading towards Calais on Saturday afternoon.
Had some torrential rain, high winds, French farmers out in force spreading mud down the back lanes and my Zumo stopping working 2/3rds of the way home this afternoon but have had a great time.
If anyone wants a nice route from Caen down to Mt St Michel (about 3hours for just over 100miles) with a similar return route let me know
Just over 1000miles in 4days and the bike now needs its 12000mile service.
dxtans
Registered user
mr and mrs dxtans says thank-you to wapping for organizing the ride-out.
It was also good to put 'forum usernames' to actual faces.
dxtans
It was also good to put 'forum usernames' to actual faces.
dxtans
That must mean that I am the last one home
Thanks to Wapping for an interesting day on Saturday. I have not seen the sun since I left the others heading towards Calais on Saturday afternoon.
Had some torrential rain, high winds, French farmers out in force spreading mud down the back lanes and my Zumo stopping working 2/3rds of the way home this afternoon but have had a great time.
If anyone wants a nice route from Caen down to Mt St Michel (about 3hours for just over 100miles) with a similar return route let me know
Just over 1000miles in 4days and the bike now needs its 12000mile service.
Me and Mrs Udders (aka Bobbin) had a run down to Mt St Michel when we stopped at Maison Laudiere earlier this year. Quite impressive if you ask me!
Too many bleeding steps though when you've a knackered knee.
