We’ve been having some lovely weather lately but, alas and alack, today might be the last chance for a ride out for the next week or so. Deciding to take a chance on it, I brought Thumper out of the shed and set forth to visit an old mate who is a bit poorly after having been operated on for a bad ear. He’s going to be off work for the next month because he’s off balance and partially deaf, albeit temporarily. He lives about 85 kilometers away and the ride to North Zealand is fairly pleasant, even in the winter. Open roads and very little of urban disturbance make for a good day out.
Avoiding the motorway is not exactly easy from my home as the bridges off the island are either right in the centre of Copenhagen or carrying the motorway but I can reduce the amount of mileage I cover on them by turning off of the main route as early as possible and then take the ring roads round the city. Open country is not that far away.
Once you get off the ring roads, you’re out in the open on country roads. Holding a steady 80KpH where possible, I reached my pal after an hour and a half, including a ten minute stop to get off the bike and regain some circulation in my backside.
We sat and spoke for about an hour, he assured me he’ll be fine and then I left to visit my daughter, 13 km further down the road but actually in the homeward direction.
A cup of coffee and a good chat later, I started on the return journey.
Strangely, the only real traffic I encountered was on the last section of motorway close to home. Slow moving and concentrated, I made better time on the ‘A’ roads than I did on the E20 to Kastrup. The final 20 kilometers took me an age to get through.
Thumper never missed a beat all day. Solid and steady, I never had a moments concern for the bike. The more I ride him, the more relaxed about his performance I become. I find myself truly beginning to trust him.
Roll on Summer. We’ll be doing much more of this.
