We had a late start into our Sunday ride since we lost an hour to daylight saving time. So instead of getting on the road by 9 a.m. it was after 10 a.m. It really pays to get out and get back early on a Sunday because from 11 a.m. to late afternoon the road belongs to the weirdest crowds, from slow moving convertibles and overpowered vehicles driven by blue haired retirees to all kinds of wanna-be racers on two or four wheels.
So we tried to stay away from encounters with these potential hazards or obstacles, and picked some less traveled backroads. Most of the lanes we took were single track roads, so going fast wasn't an option, obviously the exact reason why we didn't encounter anything but local traffic.
The Sporty certainly wasn't the ideal two-wheeler to negotiate the tiny twisty roads but with the new handlebar I managed quite o.k.
Over all it might have been better to have taken my Vespa GTS300 for this trip, as occasional turning manoeuvres and stops on gravel or uneven surface are so much better to manage on a lightweight two-wheeler. However, at no time I had a serious issue to handle the big bike.
***
Ein seltsames Paar!
Dank Umstellung auf die Sommerzeit waren wir leider am Sonntagmorgen viel zu spät los gefahren. Ab 11 Uhr bis in den späten Nachmittag gehört nämlich die Straße den langsam fahrenden Cabriofahrern oder übermotorisierten Renterkutschen und den Möchtegern-Rennfahrern auf zwei und vier Rädern. Also sahen wir zu, dass wir uns möglichst auf kleinen Nebenstraßen bewegten. Diese waren dann erfrischend leer und so konnten wir ganz entspannt unserem Hobby frönen. Roland wollte noch seine neue Kamera testen und so musste ich für ein paar Actionshots her halten. Wir sind beide der Meinung, dass sowohl die Bilder, als auch mein Fahrstil noch Verbesserungspotential haben... Grundsätzlich wäre es wohl besser gewesen, wenn ich auf der Strecke meine Vespa GTS300 eingesetzt hätte, besonders bei Wendemanövern auf Schotter wäre ein leichtes Mopped einfacher zu bewegen, aber eigentlich hatte ich zu keiner Zeit wirkliche Probleme mit meiner "dicken" Maschine.
Ach was, du siehst schick aus :)
ReplyDeleteOh, vielen Dank!
DeleteI like the perspective and monochrome of the last photo. Adds drama. Action shots are difficult without being able to resort to manual focus. It is much quicker for you to manually focus then to try and decide if the camera has the right part of the scene selected.
ReplyDeleteRichard, it is obviously possible to manage with the new camera, it's just a matter of how ;-)
DeleteRoland is going to try better next time.
That header photo is Fine!! I'm often part, the main part, of an Odd couple though I like your version. Your outing makes me feel right at home......some day soon.
ReplyDeleteOdd couples make the best couples, don't you think?
DeleteSonja - looks to me like you both have style ... and slow roads, they are my favorite kind of roads. Nice to have your own photographer along for the ride especially when he wants to play with the new toy. Great shots Roland.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Karen. I'll pass it on to Roland. Slow roads always have my name on it. No point in speeding through a marvellous scenery. I might miss something...
DeleteAnother sunny ride. I am jealous of your weather.
ReplyDeleteThe Vespa and Harley make quite a pair, but you don't always have to match when riding.
Brandy, we have been so lucky with the weather. Everybody is already whining that we will get a rainy summer... we'll see. For now a little water from above would actually be nice.
DeleteAgreed - best to keep away from the Sunday warriors and Church goers.
ReplyDeleteBy the sound of it you also seem to have a certain experience with those groups.
DeleteShooting moving objects takes lots of practice and a bit of luck....I'm still working on it. No complaints as to your form going into that curve though, you were looking into the turn and smiling as you leaned Rover over.....what more is there? :)
ReplyDeleteDom, Roland is also eager to learn more about it. If smiling in a turn qualifies for good riding, I am one of the best ;-)
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