Warning: Word heavy!
A little bit of a back story first, if you just want to go straight to the trip report you can skip this bit!
It was around 37 years ago,1982, when I first met Andy. We were both racing AMCA motocross in the Greater Manchester centre, at a particularly snotty track, during a memorial race for a rider who had died of a heart defect. Only our class were eligible for this trophy, and I fancied my chances, until I got cross rutted at the end of a straight and fell off. I was riding a 500cc Armstrong (CCM), which was easy to start, if you got a full swing on the left hand kickstart. As where I had fallen was full of deep ruts, this became something of a struggle. Firstly to get the bike where I could get a full swing, and secondly to be able stand up at the side of the bike to do so. Adrenaline is a wonderful thing though, and I got the bike up and running. Just as I’m about to swing my leg back over, there came the unmistakable sound of an out of control two stroke. To be fair, if I had swung my leg over a millisecond earlier, I would have connected with his head. As it was he clipped my front wheel and down I went, again. Happily for our future friendship, I didn’t find out who it was until the next meeting!
Aforementioned Armstrong, on a dry day.
Since then we have done quite a lot together. We both packed up motocross within six months of each other, through injuries. Andy introduced me to water skiing, I introduced him to Jet skiing. We went on holiday together with our respective girlfriends, who then became our wives.
Gods we were young then!
We went to each others weddings, christenings, birthday parties, barbeques.. Kids, and kids activities meant we saw less of each other for a while, until I started enduro racing in the early 2000’s. Andy soon joined me, and we fell back into our previous pattern of weekends racing, with the odd hospital visit. As well as frequent green lane rides, we raced the original timecard events, multilap hare and hounds races, but our favourites were the UK rallies. It was at one of the events when he learnt of my impending divorce, one of the first people I told. He had often tried to persuade me to go with him touring in Europe, but at the time my wife and I didn’t do separate holidays (perhaps we should have?) .
“What’s your excuse now?” he asked.
That was early 2005. With the divorce settlement agreed, I went out and bought my first road bike, a shiny new 1200, and took him up on his offer. It was also when I joined this hallowed forum.
Andy is also a keen mountain biker, and for the last few years has been a regular on the Thursday night rides in Delamere Forest with myself and a group of others, some of whom are also motorcyclists.
On June 26th 2017 Andy rear ended a car whilst we were in the Dolomites, momentary lack of concentration severely punished. (see “Ill fated Alps trip” in the trip reports)His left arm was badly broken, but it also took out his mojo. The arm didn’t heal properly (still hasn’t) and resulted in early retirement from his job. His Triumph was written off, he sold his track day bikes, only keeping his KTM 530 because it was in bits in the garage.
He started cycling again to try and regain some fitness in the New Year, and re-joined the Thursday night group in March 2018. Soon we saw the initial caution give way and after a few weeks he was back to his normal self, flying down our usual trails with the rest of us. During our frequent chats, he admitted to a complete lack of interest in motorbikes, and even feeling anxious if one passed him on the road. This wasn’t right. One day he happened to mention that the only thing that he would have liked to have done was one of Tim’s trips to Iceland……….
I first met Tim when he was leading a TRF ride out in North Wales, probably late 2002/ early 2003. I spent most of the time trying to convince him that my race numbered Husaberg could be ridden at trail riding speed, and that I wasn’t just some hooligan looking for places to ride. I bumped into him again at Rhug, shortly after I bought the BM, and then more often through the forum. Following him round Morocco for three weeks in 2007 cemented our friendship, and we have ridden together in all manner of ways since. Roads, trails, classic trials etc. Andy has ridden with the pair of us more than once, so Tim was well aware that he was a kindred spirit.
So in around July of 2018, I rang Tim, and told him about Andy’s comment, and my idea for his “rehabilitation”.
“Hmm,” he said, “leave it with me for a couple of days.”
Tim had already got half a plan for an Iceland trip in the summer of 2019, but this was an added complication. Andy may not be able, or want to, ride for long periods. Tim rang back with a route idea that would enable optional short days, or even missing out some days but still being able to meet up at camp sites along the way. As much, or as little riding as Andy could manage. There was another complication. Neither I nor Andy are fond of camping….
With this plan in mind, I started to drip feed little snippets to Andy whenever I could. I had already checked with his wife that she didn’t mind me trying to get him back on a bike, but she was as keen as I was. Slowly but surely he began to take it on board, and when I picked up my mount for the trip (see “525 touring”) he was getting quite keen. I invited him to ride in a trial in November on my step-daughters bike, after checking that Tim was also going.
Andy managed a full day on two wheels, and barraged Tim with loads of questions about the potential trip. After I dropped him off that night, I rang Tim. “We’ve got him!”
There was one last minor detail. Andy was still “Under the Doctor” as it were, for his non healed broken arm. This would need to be signed off before he could sort out insurance. The specialist didn’t see a problem, as long as he was sensible. Andy had sent his 530 engine off for an overhaul, as the last time he had used it had been as a Supermoto at Oulton park! He set about rebuilding the rest of the bike with a view to the trip, even fashioning a rack and set of pannier frames. We compared notes on camping set ups, and what to take and not take. With insurance sorted, and the 530 mot’d and taxed, the first ride on the road since the accident was on Saturday 18th May 2019. Nearly two years!
This was a mainly tarmac ride, though we did manage a couple of green lanes at Andy’s request. He confessed to being nervous at the start, but by the end of the day he said he felt as if he had never been off the bike. We planned a more testing ride for the week after, just to be sure, and a ride to the Adventure Bike Warehouse chilli day on the Saturday. Then the bikes needed some parts swapping before the trip, only a couple of weeks until they were to be loaded into the container.
Mark
A little bit of a back story first, if you just want to go straight to the trip report you can skip this bit!
It was around 37 years ago,1982, when I first met Andy. We were both racing AMCA motocross in the Greater Manchester centre, at a particularly snotty track, during a memorial race for a rider who had died of a heart defect. Only our class were eligible for this trophy, and I fancied my chances, until I got cross rutted at the end of a straight and fell off. I was riding a 500cc Armstrong (CCM), which was easy to start, if you got a full swing on the left hand kickstart. As where I had fallen was full of deep ruts, this became something of a struggle. Firstly to get the bike where I could get a full swing, and secondly to be able stand up at the side of the bike to do so. Adrenaline is a wonderful thing though, and I got the bike up and running. Just as I’m about to swing my leg back over, there came the unmistakable sound of an out of control two stroke. To be fair, if I had swung my leg over a millisecond earlier, I would have connected with his head. As it was he clipped my front wheel and down I went, again. Happily for our future friendship, I didn’t find out who it was until the next meeting!
Aforementioned Armstrong, on a dry day.
Since then we have done quite a lot together. We both packed up motocross within six months of each other, through injuries. Andy introduced me to water skiing, I introduced him to Jet skiing. We went on holiday together with our respective girlfriends, who then became our wives.
Gods we were young then!
We went to each others weddings, christenings, birthday parties, barbeques.. Kids, and kids activities meant we saw less of each other for a while, until I started enduro racing in the early 2000’s. Andy soon joined me, and we fell back into our previous pattern of weekends racing, with the odd hospital visit. As well as frequent green lane rides, we raced the original timecard events, multilap hare and hounds races, but our favourites were the UK rallies. It was at one of the events when he learnt of my impending divorce, one of the first people I told. He had often tried to persuade me to go with him touring in Europe, but at the time my wife and I didn’t do separate holidays (perhaps we should have?) .
“What’s your excuse now?” he asked.
That was early 2005. With the divorce settlement agreed, I went out and bought my first road bike, a shiny new 1200, and took him up on his offer. It was also when I joined this hallowed forum.
Andy is also a keen mountain biker, and for the last few years has been a regular on the Thursday night rides in Delamere Forest with myself and a group of others, some of whom are also motorcyclists.
On June 26th 2017 Andy rear ended a car whilst we were in the Dolomites, momentary lack of concentration severely punished. (see “Ill fated Alps trip” in the trip reports)His left arm was badly broken, but it also took out his mojo. The arm didn’t heal properly (still hasn’t) and resulted in early retirement from his job. His Triumph was written off, he sold his track day bikes, only keeping his KTM 530 because it was in bits in the garage.
He started cycling again to try and regain some fitness in the New Year, and re-joined the Thursday night group in March 2018. Soon we saw the initial caution give way and after a few weeks he was back to his normal self, flying down our usual trails with the rest of us. During our frequent chats, he admitted to a complete lack of interest in motorbikes, and even feeling anxious if one passed him on the road. This wasn’t right. One day he happened to mention that the only thing that he would have liked to have done was one of Tim’s trips to Iceland……….
I first met Tim when he was leading a TRF ride out in North Wales, probably late 2002/ early 2003. I spent most of the time trying to convince him that my race numbered Husaberg could be ridden at trail riding speed, and that I wasn’t just some hooligan looking for places to ride. I bumped into him again at Rhug, shortly after I bought the BM, and then more often through the forum. Following him round Morocco for three weeks in 2007 cemented our friendship, and we have ridden together in all manner of ways since. Roads, trails, classic trials etc. Andy has ridden with the pair of us more than once, so Tim was well aware that he was a kindred spirit.
So in around July of 2018, I rang Tim, and told him about Andy’s comment, and my idea for his “rehabilitation”.
“Hmm,” he said, “leave it with me for a couple of days.”
Tim had already got half a plan for an Iceland trip in the summer of 2019, but this was an added complication. Andy may not be able, or want to, ride for long periods. Tim rang back with a route idea that would enable optional short days, or even missing out some days but still being able to meet up at camp sites along the way. As much, or as little riding as Andy could manage. There was another complication. Neither I nor Andy are fond of camping….
With this plan in mind, I started to drip feed little snippets to Andy whenever I could. I had already checked with his wife that she didn’t mind me trying to get him back on a bike, but she was as keen as I was. Slowly but surely he began to take it on board, and when I picked up my mount for the trip (see “525 touring”) he was getting quite keen. I invited him to ride in a trial in November on my step-daughters bike, after checking that Tim was also going.
Andy managed a full day on two wheels, and barraged Tim with loads of questions about the potential trip. After I dropped him off that night, I rang Tim. “We’ve got him!”
There was one last minor detail. Andy was still “Under the Doctor” as it were, for his non healed broken arm. This would need to be signed off before he could sort out insurance. The specialist didn’t see a problem, as long as he was sensible. Andy had sent his 530 engine off for an overhaul, as the last time he had used it had been as a Supermoto at Oulton park! He set about rebuilding the rest of the bike with a view to the trip, even fashioning a rack and set of pannier frames. We compared notes on camping set ups, and what to take and not take. With insurance sorted, and the 530 mot’d and taxed, the first ride on the road since the accident was on Saturday 18th May 2019. Nearly two years!
This was a mainly tarmac ride, though we did manage a couple of green lanes at Andy’s request. He confessed to being nervous at the start, but by the end of the day he said he felt as if he had never been off the bike. We planned a more testing ride for the week after, just to be sure, and a ride to the Adventure Bike Warehouse chilli day on the Saturday. Then the bikes needed some parts swapping before the trip, only a couple of weeks until they were to be loaded into the container.
Mark