Chimay

Yes. They were *fantastic*. Sweller, darsy and myself were watching at
the first chicane, and discussing how these old boys - many of whom also
seemed to be involved in the sidecar racing - looked like everyone's
favourite grandpa.

And at their age you might expect them to be slowing down a bit, but
bollocks to that.

When I get old(er), I'm taking these guys as role models. Silver hair
(if hair they still possessed), beards you could hide a badger in, and
hammering priceless museum pieces like they were disposable road 125s.
No prisoners. They were going balls-out, every lap.

As I said to Sweller, you were tempted to imagine them forty or more
years ago, being the bane of every local copper's life, on their
horrible old Beeza singles, breaking every road traffic law in the book.

"And who do we think we are, Sir? Geoff Duke?"

Watching them corner at ten-tenths, on bikes with no (or very
ruidimentary) rear suspension was glorious.

Listen, you lot out there - mock us oldsters if you must, but go to
Chimay. Yeah, so it's all bikes that were built before you were born,
but I guarantee you: you will never see racing like it. Not least
because if you want to get right trackside (or, as Sweller accidentally
discovered, even on the track), you can. You cannot get closer to the
action *anywhere*.

Oh, and I forgot to mention: have you any idea how much the entire
weekend costs? For two, or three, if you arrive early Friday morning,
days; practice and racing?

Go on, guess....

OK, then: 15 euros[1]. About a tenner.

Including ferries, petrol, hotel stop on the way over, heroic quantities
of Chimay beer there, and the coomunal barbie on Saturday night, I think
I spent 150 quid. You could spend that getting beered and curried up and
then clubbing in your identikit New Town centre of your choice.

[1] coughfreewithNUJcardcough

 

well, maybe next year. I'll try and arrange to a) have the SOBoxer in
better shape and b) not be skint.

 

Touch and go after I got home: The Lurker was unimpressed at finding out
about my terrible accident from ukrm...

 

Statto has some crackers. He may be along shortly, looking to scrounge web
space.

 

I was thinking more along the lines of "It's only a monotreme". It's not
entirely clear whether there's anything structural that's actually broken,
but atm it seems a good idea not to make too much of the symptoms. I may go
to the quack after next weekend if I'm still having hyperventilation
moments.

 

500 photos survived the initial cull of empty track/front wheel/back
wheel. Many of the rest need deleting and there's probably a dozen or
so decent ones. To whet your appetites:

http://www.mousemat.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/images/Chimay/Chimay_2005_333.jpg

 

He is a worry, isn't he?

--
| ___ Salad Dodger
|/ \
_/_____\_ GL1500SE-V/CBR1100XX-X/CBX1000Z
|_\_____/_| ..75939.../...19198.../..30836.
(>|_|_|<) TPPFATUICG#7 DIAABTCOD#9 YTC#4
|__|_|__| BOTAFOT #70 BOTAFOF #09 two#11
\ |^| / IbW#0 & KotIbW# BotTOS#6 GP#4
\|^|/ ANORAK#17 IbB#4 PM#5 WG*
'^' RBR Clues: 24 Pts: 400 Miles: 1589

 

Oh, give over. You're as bad as darsy going on about my weight.

 

Sarah reckons that the Drifter tends to "slide out from under" me. Not my
fault at all, then.

 

<throws gauntlet on the floor>

Sir! You have insulted me beyond all acceptable limits. I demand
satisfaction.
--
| ___ Salad Dodger
|/ \
_/_____\_ GL1500SE-V/CBR1100XX-X/CBX1000Z
|_\_____/_| ..75939.../...19198.../..30836.
(>|_|_|<) TPPFATUICG#7 DIAABTCOD#9 YTC#4
|__|_|__| BOTAFOT #70 BOTAFOF #09 two#11
\ |^| / IbW#0 & KotIbW# BotTOS#6 GP#4
\|^|/ ANORAK#17 IbB#4 PM#5 WG*
'^' RBR Clues: 24 Pts: 400 Miles: 1589

 

Oh, very well. Get your trousers down and lean over the back of the sofa.
I'll be with you in a minute.

 

platypus wrote:

and in support tonight, we prodult introduce, the-er-one and onlleeey,
Missstaaaa Whingingggg Courrriarrr....


--
Dnc

B1200 - +30bhp ~|~ ZZR1100 - tagline being developed
V2300 - flat cap and rug ~|~ VS800 - borked

MIB#26 two#54(soiled) UKRMMA#26 BOTAFOT#153 X-FOT#003

 

I had these after the car hit me in in France, for about 2 weeks, that
was with the knowledghe of checking out ok.

Seeing the quack sooner *might* just be a good idea, if it is a
knackered lung it'll be a bit too fucked to mend a week later.

 

Didn't crash any of the beemers, or the outfit, or the Kontinent Krusher.
So there. And I'm not actually officially broken this time - the achey
breaky ribs are probably just bruising exacerbated by booze and sleeping
rough.

 

The worst it'll be is a cracked rib or two. I can breathe fine - the
hyperventilation happens when I'm heaving stuff around and get out of shape.
The Inversion occured on Saturday afternoon, remember - I'd have figured out
by now if I had a collapsed lung.

 

Fair enough.

I never spent the time working out why I couldn't breathe well, I just
got pissed instead as it stopped hurting shortly after my face went
tingly...

 

Palpitations? What palpitations?

 

["Followup-To:" header set to uk.rec.motorcycles.classic.]
Statto was seen penning the following ode to ... whatever:

That's a bloody nice picture, that is.

 

Fairy nuff.

There aren't many places left like this, though. And Chimay is easier
for most people[1] to get to.

[1] "Southerners"

 

On Mon, 18 Jul 2005 08:35:41 +0100,

That was me, actually. Not that it's important.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2
`\|/`
`