– temperatures in the 70’s and a light breeze off the Lake gave us a splendid ride through Lake County. A couple of unexplored roads that led back to bucolic farm scenes gave us a delightful few miles of riding.
It’s always so special when you find these compositions through leafy frames to elegant farmsteads.
– especially when the verdant valley provides a perfect backdrop.
– Bear Grylls also tames Tigers. today is his 47th birthday.
Chris (now Sir) Bonington is on the pillion, saying adieu to his young wife Wendy, of Don Whillans’s Triumph Trophy at Hampstead in July 1962. Note the rudimentary riding gear, goggles and gauntlets which were obviously considered quite adequate equipment for long distance touring at the time. They were off to climb the Eiger in Switzerland, and rode all the way across Europe then up the track to the foot of the mountain.
Crashing spectacularly on the way back down when the brakes failed, Don apparently shoved Chris off before baling out himself, thus saving both from serious injury. More famous than Bonington in those days, Whillans was a hard man on the rocks, in the pub and on a motorcycle.
Enjoying a little sponsorship from Triumph, before this exploit to the Alps Whillans had shipped his 1957 Trophy out to Karachi in May 1960 to join an expedition to the Himalaya. After about eight weeks climbing and with only about £45 left in his pocket, he left Rawalpindi in September for the 7000 mile ride home to Manchester. The first 2000 miles were on dirt roads and, apart from numerous punctures and a broken mudguard, the bike seems to have caused no trouble. If it had Meriden no doubt would have been treated to a furious blast of invective from the ’ard man in the flat ’at (as he was known).
The ‘ard man would have been 88 today.
– a perfect place for the elusive alpine feline bike. Wide glacial alluvial plains between craggy snow class spires. What a journey that would be.
Morning Dust
– tearing off into the high desert trail. There’s nothing like riding under the fresh early morning light. Especially if the destination is some wilderness backwater.
WI Route 42
– quality light from the west as the sun sank over the Dairyland. The road ahead always beckons.
– an overnight trip to the northern parts of Door County was undertaken. Cool but nice clear light on the way up last evening with a deep blue lake on the right and the occasional sunset illuminated barn. Camped on the beach and returned back along the Green Bay side of the peninsula. A nice 560 mile leg stretch.
– we’re now traveling through Missouri along the old cross country driving road. Occasionally an old American car peeps out from some weeds.
– Urban peril in the form of a repurposed Tiger parked in an Eastend industrial yard under a gloomy sky. Jerry can strapped to the tank and bug-eye headlights create the appearance of an ‘every-day-carry’ tool.
– like this fella parked with his white Tiger on a Kentucky overlook we need to look out to distant possibilities to broaden our experiences.
It’s getting to be the time of year to start thinking of destinations, and hence experiences, further afield.
– Saint Paddy’s should be celebrated with the tearing across a verdant mountain meadow on racing green Triumph scrambler.
– pre-unit Bonnie that has been tastefully fettled for action along a rural trail. Looks like a proper bike.
