Jan 10, 2008

Summer’s spell

 If you go fast enough it doesn’t matter how hot it is…Rain, glorious rain – I can’t say I enjoy getting wet but I’m not about to complain. It’s great that for once the dams are filling faster than they’re emptying, at least over here on the East Coast.

We’re still having plenty of sunny and therefore hot days. I just love it when I pull up at a servo, bathed in sweat under my safety gear, and find the car driver at the next pump looking at me enviously as he steps from his air conditioned cocoon.

“Must be great to be out on a bike, mate. Terrific weather for it!”

What do I do? Tell him the truth – that I’m boiling and the sweat running into my eyes feels like diluted hydrochloric acid – or play along? Being careful to not let him see the sweat pouring down into my collar, I nod.

“Yes mate. But it’s great motorcycling weather any time!”

Then I duck into the air conditioned servo and pretend to be fascinated by the dreary magazines that servos sell, just to cool down for a little longer.
Am I avoiding lengthy explanations about bikes and weather, or am I simply a congenital liar? You shall be the judge…

I don’t usually run readers’ letters here, but this one from John Rowe just cried out for it.
“Bear,” he writes, “am having a home clearance (yes, the wife is going as well – true!) and have RR magazines Vol 20, 25, 27-33 and 36-45 to give away.

“They can be collected from Frenchs Forest Sydney or posted at cost. If anyone is interested they can contact me on 0414 187 728 otherwise they will be recycled.”

So give John a call if you’re missing those copies, or know someone who is!

4 comments:

The Old Bloke said...

I must admit, if it's that hot - I'm in the car too! (Okay, call me an old woose!"). There is a great selection of riding gear available for summer now though. I have a mesh jacket for summer (still with armour etc), and Draggin Jeans etc. There really is no excuse for not wearing proper gear! (well, okay, if you're in far north Qld, it's 47 degrees and in you're in a traffic-jam, but otherwise....). And yet you see those nongs riding around in T-shirt and shorts! Stupid! I recently saw a guy on a sports-bike doing 110kph+ along the expressway wearing just shorts. No shirt at all. Does he think his skin is made of Kevlar? As I said, there's cool gear around these days, and if it's too hot for that, well, I'll go in the car!

slojon said...

Dear Bear,
If John Rowe cannot find a taker for his Roadrider mags, suggest he takes them to his local doctor's office and slip them in to the pile of golfing, woman's mags and bushwalker magazines. That way people will have something edifying to read.
Ta Jon.

slojon said...

Dear Bear,
Please tell John Rowe that if he cannot get anyone to take them to slip into his local doctor's office and leave them in the pile of golfing and bushwalking mags. At least it will give others something worth reading.
Ta Jon.

Francis Weiss said...

I enjoyed reaading your post