8 May 2012
As is the norm in our house, we had left the packing till the very last minute on Friday morning. we were due to start meeting the rest of the guys at the club house at 12.30, ready to leave at 13.00.
The bike was looking its best, all shiny and clean, hours of cleaning that week had gone into it that week, and it was all fuelled up ready to go.
Some friends of ours were going too, Geoff and Terri, Terri doesn't like going on the bike, so she was going up in her car and Woody was going to keep her company, the plus side of that meant we could take up more stuff in the car.
The first met up was a bit of a failure, since the plans were first made a while ago, things had happened and people work plans had gone tits up, so we moved on to the second meeting place at 13.15, this time there were loads of happy people waiting to go. I'd briefed the Road Captain about having a car in our convoy, and that we need to pull into Exeter Services to pick up some people on route.
This all said and done we set off at 13.30 to enjoy a weekend of beer, bands, partying and catching up with mates whom we haven't seen since the last Rally season.
The ride up was awful, the Road Captain had not got a clue about riding in a pack, he was riding for himself oblivious to the rest of the pack, i had positioned myself and the back of the bikes so that i could keep an eye on Terri in the car, as she didn't know the route. But about twenty minutes into the ride, i thought sod the car, i need to take care of the pack, as i thought we were going to loose somebody in an accident.
So i started to lead from behind, this means that i read the road, anticipate what is happening ahead of the pack, and if i think we are about to overtake a vehicle, i'll pull out and block the lane so that those in front of me can pull out safely and over take the vehicle.
The Cider Rally 2012 Friday. part 1 • Opuss № I