Beautiful soft lush light, Peter. Gorgeous. Magnificent ride, slurry or no. I particularly enjoy your videos, and I guess that your comment about feeling comfortable and safe is spot on why. Well, and it is most gorgeous country😊
Thank you Tim. Yes that was rather a long introduction though wasn't it 😂. That light was particularly beautiful on that day. Thanks for your comment as always. 👍
Hi Peter thanks for mentioning me ,and glad you like the dryer! ...I've been using it for a good while now and I'm really pleased with it . PS I could almost smell the slurry🤢😊
Good morning Peter, well that was an enjoyable and relaxing ride to get your 2024 videos started. Despite the wet roads the light is lovely and you’re right, there are some stunning colours. The girls bought me a pet dryer for Father’s Day, great pieces of kit aren’t they?Thank you for mentioning the channel, let’s hope for an early spring🤞🏻👍🏻
Good morning, Dave. A bit of a dry spell would be very welcome wouldn't it. Apparently the midlands and south are due some storm but then drier and colder afterwards. I have plenty of other stuff to get on with so a break now from riding is OK. I can take time to really get Spitfire cleaned up. I used the pet drier as soon as it arrived yesterday to dry out my boots and gloves which had to be thoroughly washed out. Brilliant! I have enjoyed doing those two 'shorts' great fun. 😊
Hiya, Thank you for another lovely rideThings do look so much better with a bit of sun on them shame about the rain even though it was still bright. I agree with you , I avoid going out in the rain on the bike if at all possible especially as I hate getting the bike dirty. I'd be distraught having to clean up slurry from the bike ! Stay warm and dry mate and see you when the weather improves.
Hello again Peter, I think I might've mentioned after the snowy attempt, that the Crook road is regularly my/our choice of route into The Lakes, often with a bite to eat on the way home at The Sun Inn. Lovely video anyway Peter, and thanks for the mention. I've just remembered, on the first coach tour I ever operated (at Morecambe) I brought the coach back from Windermere along that road - heart in mouth - but my passengers loved it! Cheers anyway Peter, and one hopes that bike is now pristine again! 😅
Hello Martin. I'm waiting until tomorrow to begin the BIG CLEAN when I have full use of next doors outside tap and free water (they're away in Lanzagrotty for the week). I can then use as much water as I need - it's going to take a while 🙄. Yes that's some route by coach Martin. Phew. Exciting 😂
Marvellous ride out on some cracking roads😊 The gentle throb of Hurricane in the background, just wonderful😊 The variety of channels is just amazing and everyone seems to bring something different to the party 😁
Thank you TAYM. Yes I was determined to get out on new year's day and after being thwarted by snow last time I tried this route, despite the rain, once the sun came out it was beautiful. Your channel is unique I think in bringing together all the rich variety of the smaller channels and presenting them in such a way that everyone benefits. Thank you and best wishes to you. Now I must get the bike and my riding suit cleaned up - attempting to ride through a stream of muddy water and slurry was not a good idea! 😕
Martin Trafford is a channel I follow, I’ve filmed quite a few of the same roads as him, one of my recent clips finished in his home village. I like his relaxed presentation style, similar to yours. Bowness is one of our favourite holiday destinations though yet to visit on two wheels
Agreed - Martin is a good RUclips friend and we certainly share a similar ethos about why we ride and sharing what we see and feel. He puts a lot of research into his rides and they are always interesting. I'm often in the Bowness area as that's where our model boat club meets - at the Steamboat Museum. Sometimes I'll ride there if I'm not sailing that day but just fancy meeting up with friends. 😊
Ah very nice Peter. A slightly soggy ride but a ride nonetheless. Lots of nice winter colours on display and you somehow managed to avoid going for a swim in a big muddy puddle, so all in all it was a great success ! Good luck getting everything clean and dry again Peter, bet it's going to be a right pain in the wotsit. Now that you've got a pet dryer Ruby asks if she can come around for a makeover 😂 Love from Spain, Garry & Ruby
Yes it was definitely all a bit wet and now of course we're frozen up which I find worse despite the sun being out. This part of the ride was prior to my attempt to get through the stream. It's all taking a while to get Spitfire clean again. I may have to strip some parts off to get at them...
Morning Peter hope you enjoyed cleaning Spitfire and yourself 😊😅 excellent ride. I wonder why the ferry is closed, we use the ferry when we go to Tarn How's 😊
Hello Tim. Glad you got out too. I suppose in the past we'd have deep snow rather than rain. ⛄ Hmmm. Snow is great for a day or so but then becomes horribly grey and mucky. Spring can't be too far off, surely 😕
When I first saw your bike beside you I thought you'd given it a camouflage paint job! The pet dryers are brilliant, they get the water out of all the little rust traps. I wish I'd bought one when I got my GSA, would've saved me a strip down and rebuild. That's a great road, it would be good to see it in the spring before things start to get busy. I presume you took a shortcut through a field on the way back 😊
Yes I fear I attempted to ride through a flooded lane of slurry and mud and took a dive! Well, it was new years day! It's taken 3 washes and this afternoon up on the stand to get to those areas just too awkward reach otherwise. Phew. Never again. I was helped out by a couple of cyclists, the chap was a motorcyclist with 4 bikes and he actually rode it out onto drier land. I was a bit pooped after getting it upright. The amazing kindness of strangers as he had to wade out to get to me! Yes that road will be on my spring ride list 👍
@@Lanes-Explorer5733 It's always refreshing to come across people who will help you out of sh!te, there are plenty who'll happily drop you in it, usually driving oversized, overpriced junk with their noses in the air, or somebody else's van in a hurry (Volcanic Brown springs to mind) 😃
Winter riding means a lot of cleaning, bike and rider and at times the road conditions mean it better not going out. It seems the whole country is getting rain all the time. Here's hoping for a better 2024. Nice ride non the less and those condition would probably not put me off 😁 Could not take my eyes off the bike in the intro, could not believe Peter would leave the bike like that haha. Soon be spring. I am just catching up on videos as not spent much time on YT over the Christmas period, especially the ones more than a few minutes long. Still to get to your story vid.
Hello Alex. Yes after I get the bike clean and dry, that's it! I don't need to ride in the wet nowadays so I shall await fine weather and do something else in the meantime. You'll be familiar with the Dragon story in part, I think. This is the complete original as I wrote it some years ago.
Nice video as usual Peter I noticed through all the mud on your bike something that looked like a pannier rail I wonder if you could tell me anything about it as I'm thinking of getting panniers for mine to make camping trips a bit easier this year regards Tim
Hello again. This is an arrangement I made myself - I did a 'how to' video some 10 months ago which is on RUclips and is one of my most viewed ones. But I think really I would go for the Givi panniers and rails that Hitchcocks sell specially for the Hunter now. It wasn't available when I wanted some so had to make my own from stainless tubing. The Givi set look really well made. Hope that helps. Peter
Hi Peter, I’ve had a pet dryer for a while now and it’s great for blowing water out of the difficult to reach areas such as between the fins. That was a lovely ride and smashing countryside colours. 👍
Thanks Nick. It's certainly a lovely road to ride but I'm waiting for those dry days and early spring now.. Big clean up begins tomorrow and then that drier really come into its own 👍
Hi Peter and Happy New Year. I did enjoy watching that ride. I have to say, like you, I’m not all that comfortable riding in the wet. It’s funny really because I don’t remember feeling that way when I was riding 40 years ago. I have a friend who still reminds me of how he enjoyed following me over the Auckland harbour bridge in torrential rain. He was in his car and I was on the little Honda that I used to ride to work. We were all indestructible when we were young weren’t we? 😂 All the best, Roy.
Hello Roy. Pleased to hear that you enjoyed this one. I think in the past we rode in the wet because we had to sort of put up with it. Was it ever really pleasant? Not really but we just got on with it. After two and a half years of 'returned riding' I've been riding throughout apart from icy roads and have now decided that unless I'm really going to be enjoying the ride there's absolutely no point - walk, take the bus or drive - I'm in the very fortunate stage of life where I have choice. The motorcycle is purely for pleasure now. Yes, I think very much like you, Roy - we've experienced all sorts during those 40 years away and can now really relax into owning a motorcycle with all the facets of what that means. So here we are today embarking on our first few days of 2024, on different sides of the planet, yet of very similar mind. And I have a very dirty Spitfire to get back as clean as possible!! Enjoy your Bantam and Hunter, Roy. Good to share thoughts with you 👍 Peter
All done 😂😂. Oh it took all day to get the bike cleaned up and yes the pet drier certainly did all I required of it. Good to hear you enjoyed the ride - when that sun appeared it was just wonderful - a sort of brief encounter moment 🌞. Best wishes, Peter
If your Hunteris fitted with CEAT Tyres that could well be the cause of your tramlining. They are excellent tyres for road grip and last well but as they wear you sadly do get this tramlining effect. Had them on both my Classic and Meteor 350s and have recently changed the Meteor tyres for Avon Road riders. We'll see how they perform when they start to wear. I too have bought a dog dryer off ebay,superb bit of kit and a bargain at £50. Nothing worse than cleaning a bike and polishing it to then take it off its stand and to have water pouring out of all those hard to reach areas. Good video by the way.🙂
Hello Jonathan. I see elsewhere that you're still undecided about the Hunter. It's a pity you can't borrow one for a full day (come dry pleasant weather, of course) to really get to see if it feels too small. Yes I think you're right about ceat tyres - my Meteor suffered from the same problem and initially the Hunter was fine but now feels very iffy. I will be very interested to hear of your experiences with the Avons as they would be my choice too for replacements. Peter
@@Lanes-Explorer5733 Hi Peter, the Avon Road Riders seem to be the go to tyre for the Meteor, recommended by both the dealer and numerous owners who have swapped to them and give good reports for them with performance and handling. Can I be cheeky and ask how tall you are Peter? I'm a 6 footer with a 32" in seam and that is primarily why I feel small on the Hunter, otherwise I would swap the Meteor for one right away. The Classic 350 is a keeper. Thanks.
@@jonathandeeley6276 almost the same, Jonathan with 5 11½ and 31½ inside seam. The footrest, handlebars positioning all seem ideal for me - originally I thought it might feel cramped after the Meteor but in reality all seems natural. TAYM is 6 ft 2 in I believe and even he seemed to fit on the Hunter OK which seems amazing! Thanks for the information on the Avons. I think that'll be a good route to take as it's most unnerving being steered by an unknown force 🤣
@@Lanes-Explorer5733 thanks for your personal stats too. As you say, perhaps if I can have one on demo for a whole day the decision maybe made easier for me. The Meteor is due to go in for its 9,000 mile service shortly and this would seem the ideal opportunity to try one for an extended period.
Hello Peter, sorry to hear about your little off and I hope you are uninjured. Are you aware you must not wash waterproof clothing with normal detergent/softener? They destroy the taping on the waterproof membrane and block the pores that let it breath. Nikwax produce a range of products recommended for bike kit. Roll on better weather!!
Yes but many thanks for the reminder, Paul. I'm only going to use plain water and sponge it off as it's not so bad on my clothing. Twisted ankle and knee but much less painful today. Lesson most definitely learned - never ride through water unless it's very, very, shallow, clear trickle! Still, I got a bit of film out of it 😂😂. Spitfire is amazing though and started up without a murmer. Brilliant.
too cold and wet for the worlds number one armchair critic [ me ] , like so many others you keep apologising for the rain spots on the lens ;;;; this is not needed ---- as we can see it's wet , and the vision is NOT impaired much at all ;; so you can keep your eyes on the road ,,, also don't go out until your ready to do so ,,,,,,
Beautiful soft lush light, Peter. Gorgeous. Magnificent ride, slurry or no. I particularly enjoy your videos, and I guess that your comment about feeling comfortable and safe is spot on why. Well, and it is most gorgeous country😊
Thank you Tim. Yes that was rather a long introduction though wasn't it 😂. That light was particularly beautiful on that day. Thanks for your comment as always. 👍
Hi Peter thanks for mentioning me ,and glad you like the dryer! ...I've been using it for a good while now and I'm really pleased with it . PS I could almost smell the slurry🤢😊
Yes it's pretty niffy so I'm not surprised! 😊
Good morning Peter, well that was an enjoyable and relaxing ride to get your 2024 videos started. Despite the wet roads the light is lovely and you’re right, there are some stunning colours. The girls bought me a pet dryer for Father’s Day, great pieces of kit aren’t they?Thank you for mentioning the channel, let’s hope for an early spring🤞🏻👍🏻
Good morning, Dave. A bit of a dry spell would be very welcome wouldn't it. Apparently the midlands and south are due some storm but then drier and colder afterwards. I have plenty of other stuff to get on with so a break now from riding is OK. I can take time to really get Spitfire cleaned up.
I used the pet drier as soon as it arrived yesterday to dry out my boots and gloves which had to be thoroughly washed out. Brilliant!
I have enjoyed doing those two 'shorts' great fun.
😊
Hiya, Thank you for another lovely rideThings do look so much better with a bit of sun on them shame about the rain even though it was still bright. I agree with you , I avoid going out in the rain on the bike if at all possible especially as I hate getting the bike dirty. I'd be distraught having to clean up slurry from the bike ! Stay warm and dry mate and see you when the weather improves.
Hello Paul. No I can't recommend dropping the bike in slurry and muddy water mix. Still, it gives me a chance to get to know my motorcycle drier 🤣🤣
Hello again Peter, I think I might've mentioned after the snowy attempt, that the Crook road is regularly my/our choice of route into The Lakes, often with a bite to eat on the way home at The Sun Inn.
Lovely video anyway Peter, and thanks for the mention.
I've just remembered, on the first coach tour I ever operated (at Morecambe) I brought the coach back from Windermere along that road - heart in mouth - but my passengers loved it!
Cheers anyway Peter, and one hopes that bike is now pristine again! 😅
Hello Martin. I'm waiting until tomorrow to begin the BIG CLEAN when I have full use of next doors outside tap and free water (they're away in Lanzagrotty for the week). I can then use as much water as I need - it's going to take a while 🙄.
Yes that's some route by coach Martin. Phew. Exciting 😂
Marvellous ride out on some cracking roads😊 The gentle throb of Hurricane in the background, just wonderful😊 The variety of channels is just amazing and everyone seems to bring something different to the party 😁
Thank you TAYM. Yes I was determined to get out on new year's day and after being thwarted by snow last time I tried this route, despite the rain, once the sun came out it was beautiful.
Your channel is unique I think in bringing together all the rich variety of the smaller channels and presenting them in such a way that everyone benefits. Thank you and best wishes to you.
Now I must get the bike and my riding suit cleaned up - attempting to ride through a stream of muddy water and slurry was not a good idea! 😕
Martin Trafford is a channel I follow, I’ve filmed quite a few of the same roads as him, one of my recent clips finished in his home village. I like his relaxed presentation style, similar to yours.
Bowness is one of our favourite holiday destinations though yet to visit on two wheels
Agreed - Martin is a good RUclips friend and we certainly share a similar ethos about why we ride and sharing what we see and feel. He puts a lot of research into his rides and they are always interesting.
I'm often in the Bowness area as that's where our model boat club meets - at the Steamboat Museum. Sometimes I'll ride there if I'm not sailing that day but just fancy meeting up with friends. 😊
Ah very nice Peter. A slightly soggy ride but a ride nonetheless. Lots of nice winter colours on display and you somehow managed to avoid going for a swim in a big muddy puddle, so all in all it was a great success ! Good luck getting everything clean and dry again Peter, bet it's going to be a right pain in the wotsit. Now that you've got a pet dryer Ruby asks if she can come around for a makeover 😂
Love from Spain,
Garry & Ruby
Yes it was definitely all a bit wet and now of course we're frozen up which I find worse despite the sun being out. This part of the ride was prior to my attempt to get through the stream. It's all taking a while to get Spitfire clean again. I may have to strip some parts off to get at them...
@@Lanes-Explorer5733 Yes I can imagine. I'm sure you'll get it pristine eventually though, knowing you Peter 👍🏻
Good luck with it !
Garry & Ruby
Morning Peter hope you enjoyed cleaning Spitfire and yourself 😊😅 excellent ride. I wonder why the ferry is closed, we use the ferry when we go to Tarn How's 😊
Hello James. Not started the BIG CLEAN yet. Tomorrow is the day, using next doors free water 😂
Great you got your new years ride in.
I managed an hour. Glad i grabbed the opportunity, it's rained ever since (Germany)
Hello Tim. Glad you got out too. I suppose in the past we'd have deep snow rather than rain. ⛄
Hmmm. Snow is great for a day or so but then becomes horribly grey and mucky. Spring can't be too far off, surely 😕
When I first saw your bike beside you I thought you'd given it a camouflage paint job! The pet dryers are brilliant, they get the water out of all the little rust traps. I wish I'd bought one when I got my GSA, would've saved me a strip down and rebuild. That's a great road, it would be good to see it in the spring before things start to get busy. I presume you took a shortcut through a field on the way back 😊
Yes I fear I attempted to ride through a flooded lane of slurry and mud and took a dive! Well, it was new years day! It's taken 3 washes and this afternoon up on the stand to get to those areas just too awkward reach otherwise. Phew. Never again. I was helped out by a couple of cyclists, the chap was a motorcyclist with 4 bikes and he actually rode it out onto drier land. I was a bit pooped after getting it upright. The amazing kindness of strangers as he had to wade out to get to me!
Yes that road will be on my spring ride list 👍
@@Lanes-Explorer5733 It's always refreshing to come across people who will help you out of sh!te, there are plenty who'll happily drop you in it, usually driving oversized, overpriced junk with their noses in the air, or somebody else's van in a hurry (Volcanic Brown springs to mind) 😃
Winter riding means a lot of cleaning, bike and rider and at times the road conditions mean it better not going out. It seems the whole country is getting rain all the time. Here's hoping for a better 2024. Nice ride non the less and those condition would probably not put me off 😁 Could not take my eyes off the bike in the intro, could not believe Peter would leave the bike like that haha. Soon be spring. I am just catching up on videos as not spent much time on YT over the Christmas period, especially the ones more than a few minutes long. Still to get to your story vid.
Hello Alex. Yes after I get the bike clean and dry, that's it! I don't need to ride in the wet nowadays so I shall await fine weather and do something else in the meantime. You'll be familiar with the Dragon story in part, I think. This is the complete original as I wrote it some years ago.
Nice video as usual Peter I noticed through all the mud on your bike something that looked like a pannier rail I wonder if you could tell me anything about it as I'm thinking of getting panniers for mine to make camping trips a bit easier this year regards Tim
Hello again. This is an arrangement I made myself - I did a 'how to' video some 10 months ago which is on RUclips and is one of my most viewed ones. But I think really I would go for the Givi panniers and rails that Hitchcocks sell specially for the Hunter now. It wasn't available when I wanted some so had to make my own from stainless tubing.
The Givi set look really well made. Hope that helps. Peter
Givi TMT 9056 is the pannier set. You can download instructions from the Givi website.
Hi Peter, I’ve had a pet dryer for a while now and it’s great for blowing water out of the difficult to reach areas such as between the fins.
That was a lovely ride and smashing countryside colours. 👍
Thanks Nick. It's certainly a lovely road to ride but I'm waiting for those dry days and early spring now.. Big clean up begins tomorrow and then that drier really come into its own 👍
Hi Peter and Happy New Year.
I did enjoy watching that ride. I have to say, like you, I’m not all that comfortable riding in the wet. It’s funny really because I don’t remember feeling that way when I was riding 40 years ago. I have a friend who still reminds me of how he enjoyed following me over the Auckland harbour bridge in torrential rain. He was in his car and I was on the little Honda that I used to ride to work. We were all indestructible when we were young weren’t we? 😂
All the best, Roy.
Hello Roy. Pleased to hear that you enjoyed this one. I think in the past we rode in the wet because we had to sort of put up with it. Was it ever really pleasant? Not really but we just got on with it. After two and a half years of 'returned riding' I've been riding throughout apart from icy roads and have now decided that unless I'm really going to be enjoying the ride there's absolutely no point - walk, take the bus or drive - I'm in the very fortunate stage of life where I have choice. The motorcycle is purely for pleasure now.
Yes, I think very much like you, Roy - we've experienced all sorts during those 40 years away and can now really relax into owning a motorcycle with all the facets of what that means. So here we are today embarking on our first few days of 2024, on different sides of the planet, yet of very similar mind.
And I have a very dirty Spitfire to get back as clean as possible!!
Enjoy your Bantam and Hunter, Roy. Good to share thoughts with you 👍
Peter
Happy new year and yet another great ride maybe I too shall look at these pet drier gadgets, now please clean your motorcycle , only joking 👍Enjoy
All done 😂😂. Oh it took all day to get the bike cleaned up and yes the pet drier certainly did all I required of it.
Good to hear you enjoyed the ride - when that sun appeared it was just wonderful - a sort of brief encounter moment 🌞.
Best wishes, Peter
Nice to hear your a fellow bromptonion as well lol
Oh yes I love my Brompton. 1996 Traveller 5 speed but with double front chain wheel and changer. Beautiful bikes aren't they.
@@Lanes-Explorer5733 yes brilliant bikes I got mine in 2000
👍
If your Hunteris fitted with CEAT Tyres that could well be the cause of your tramlining. They are excellent tyres for road grip and last well but as they wear you sadly do get this tramlining effect. Had them on both my Classic and Meteor 350s and have recently changed the Meteor tyres for Avon Road riders. We'll see how they perform when they start to wear. I too have bought a dog dryer off ebay,superb bit of kit and a bargain at £50. Nothing worse than cleaning a bike and polishing it to then take it off its stand and to have water pouring out of all those hard to reach areas. Good video by the way.🙂
Hello Jonathan. I see elsewhere that you're still undecided about the Hunter. It's a pity you can't borrow one for a full day (come dry pleasant weather, of course) to really get to see if it feels too small.
Yes I think you're right about ceat tyres - my Meteor suffered from the same problem and initially the Hunter was fine but now feels very iffy. I will be very interested to hear of your experiences with the Avons as they would be my choice too for replacements. Peter
@@Lanes-Explorer5733 Hi Peter, the Avon Road Riders seem to be the go to tyre for the Meteor, recommended by both the dealer and numerous owners who have swapped to them and give good reports for them with performance and handling. Can I be cheeky and ask how tall you are Peter? I'm a 6 footer with a 32" in seam and that is primarily why I feel small on the Hunter, otherwise I would swap the Meteor for one right away. The Classic 350 is a keeper. Thanks.
@@jonathandeeley6276 almost the same, Jonathan with 5 11½ and 31½ inside seam. The footrest, handlebars positioning all seem ideal for me - originally I thought it might feel cramped after the Meteor but in reality all seems natural. TAYM is 6 ft 2 in I believe and even he seemed to fit on the Hunter OK which seems amazing!
Thanks for the information on the Avons. I think that'll be a good route to take as it's most unnerving being steered by an unknown force 🤣
@@Lanes-Explorer5733 thanks for your personal stats too. As you say, perhaps if I can have one on demo for a whole day the decision maybe made easier for me. The Meteor is due to go in for its 9,000 mile service shortly and this would seem the ideal opportunity to try one for an extended period.
@@jonathandeeley6276 Your welcome. I think it's really the only way you can be sure if the Hunter suits. Good luck 👍
Hello Peter, sorry to hear about your little off and I hope you are uninjured. Are you aware you must not wash waterproof clothing with normal detergent/softener? They destroy the taping on the waterproof membrane and block the pores that let it breath. Nikwax produce a range of products recommended for bike kit. Roll on better weather!!
Yes but many thanks for the reminder, Paul. I'm only going to use plain water and sponge it off as it's not so bad on my clothing.
Twisted ankle and knee but much less painful today. Lesson most definitely learned - never ride through water unless it's very, very, shallow, clear trickle! Still, I got a bit of film out of it 😂😂. Spitfire is amazing though and started up without a murmer. Brilliant.
too cold and wet for the worlds number one armchair critic [ me ] , like so many others you keep apologising for the rain spots on the lens ;;;; this is not needed ---- as we can see it's wet , and the vision is NOT impaired much at all ;; so you can keep your eyes on the road ,,, also don't go out until your ready to do so ,,,,,,
The break from riding will allow me to really get these bikes cleaned up and lubed so it's no bad thing. And I get to do some walking too 😉