Receipt timed at 0336 i got going uneventful ride to Launceston first fill warm and slightly over cast, the A30 from Camborne is being upgraded from single to dual carriage way this resulted in around eight miles of traffic that cleared at Penzance.
So to get to Lands end i had to fight my way through that and on the way back the same that lost me around forty five minutes next stop Sedgemoor on the M5 uneventful onto St Davids on the A40 for the last bit more road works good single carriageway reduced to 30 MPH for about 7 or 8 miles more time lost top up and head north.
Had a cracking ride from St Davids going north east across Wales to get to Chester and join the M6 getting cold by this time glad of the heated jacket stop at Moto Lancaster next stop Travelodge Perth M6/M74 running well found the bike's sweet spot in that ride to Glasgow.
Most of the motorway system in and around Glasgow was closed overnight for ......... yep more bloody road works the M73 which is the link to the Forth road bridge closed at the junction with the M74 so a wandering detour around Glasgow to the Kincardine bridge then east on the A958 to meet the M90, all the time i am watching the arrival time (0235} and my fuel disappearing at an alarming rate by this time i had decided to cancel the ride as i had to build in some rest that would have made the rest of the ride pointless but with a receipt at Broxden services timed at 0238 i got a saddle sore out of it.
Speaking of that i have a cool covers on the seat it did not do it's job made of hard nylon and woven into a waffle iron pattern that has imprinted it's self on the pressure points where i sit.
My wife advised me to put some talcum powder on when i got out of the bath, are you going to powder my bum Oh light of my life?
I asked.
Go forth and multiply was her reply, or something like that but she was right it's more comfortable.
It was a long hard frustrating day that left me sitting in the Travelodge at 0300 thoroughly pissed off with road works had there been one delay i could have absorbed it the rest of the trip was good no hold ups.
Had i continued on Tuesday it would have left me with an hour spare too little so i saved myself the expense and wear on the bike.
If you are interested a few figures for mileage and costs.
Total fuel 100.43 ltrs or 22 .09 imp gallons in old money
1374 miles to my last fill up at Weatherby
13.68 MPL/ 62.2 MPG in old money
£187.73 fuel
£57.99 hotel
Total mileage door to door 1595 miles
There are two bright points to this sorry tale
overall it was a great and frustrating day in equal measures got to see most of the country
secondly i returned home from Perth via Edinburgh to Jedburgh and stopped in Jedburgh woollen mills for breakfast
six items eggs cooked to order pot of tea £5.50
i mentioned to the girl behind the counter what we are and what an RTE is
she said they would be delighted to see us, worth a go? Its a cracking ride on the A68.
To sum it up i'm glad i had a go but pissed off i failed i hate losing.
Bloody frustrating this Iron butt game innit??
