The Elusive A1

February 2011

Since I started writing this post it has been erased twice, typed on a Blackberry and multiple drafts lost. It has taken me 3 times as long to write this as it did to live it. I will say it was much funnier before losing the drafts.

So on with the post……….

I nearly cancelled this Saturday mornings ride for multiple reasons 1) I am knackered, Oscar didn’t sleep very well which means neither did I 2) I struggled for 25 minutes with my helmet shield after installing the fog free lens 3) I over slept by one and a half hours and then 4) I had a very finite time in which to be gone. Even with all those things which I felt at the time were good enough excuses to not go, I suited up and got to it.

As I was getting dressed the signs of being not fully awake were present in that I put my boots on before my outer trousers, so off the boots came and I pulled on the motorcycle trousers then my boots. I carried my jacket and helmet downstairs and out the where the bike is parked on the street, I had to leave my things curb side while I ran back upstairs to get my phone only to find that I had already put it in one of the cargo pockets.

Alright; with phone, wallet and keys on-board ready for take off. The original plan was to start with breakfast, if you are riding a motorcycle in North London and hungry there is no where better to start than the Ace-Cafe. Even though I was late setting off, I wasn’t going pass up the opportunity to hang at the Ace for a little while.

I pull into the Ace-Cafe’s parking lot to find only 2 other bikes, one being a Honda VFR and the other a BMW of which I didn’t take notice of the model. The parking lot wasn’t empty though, other than our 3 motorcycles there were at least 6 builders vans as well.

I order my breakfast and sit down with my cup of tea, looking around it becomes apparent that I came on Eastern European Saturday. It was quite funny because even though the other men were sitting in small groups of 2-3, when someone new came in it was instantly apparent that they all knew each other.

My “Big Breakfast” came, not the most economical at £6.45, but the best option if your not wanting to piece a meal together. Everything was real nice except that the toast was somehow really tough around the edges, not sure how all the other food is done well and the toast is screwed up.



After eating, I could have gone back to bed. I suit up once more and head out into the “fresh” English morning, fresh is a way of saying chilly or cold without sounding like your whinging about it. I head back the way I came on the North Circular and hop on the M1 heading north. It has been a while since I driven on the M1 and found myself in the wrong lane for faster vehicles, I do occasionally get my sides of the road mixed up since the English drive on the opposite side that I learned on. I got myself sorted and away I went. Somehow I got distracted at my junction, I wanted to get off at the St Albans exit, and had to continue up the motorway for the next one.

Off the motorway and onto  A5183 Dunstable road I head back towards St Albans, veered left and rode the A4147 up the hill to the top of St Albans, made my way to Victoria street. There were a lot of people in town as there was a large market going on  the main road all the way down the hill. I rode back down the hill after not finding any where convenient to park, and promptly got lost. My goal was to ride up through St Albans, maybe even have time to stop for a coffee or tea and then make my way over to the A1 and ride it back to London.

For those unfamiliar with British driving, there seems to be a National ban on proper signage and inter-sections, they instead opt for roundabouts. Having learned and driven in the US for 26 years, I am still getting used to approaching and navigating roundabouts. So I rode around in circles trying to find the road that would lead me to the A1 and I just couldn’t figure it out in time. It was a little after 10am  and I needed to get home as Rachel had an appointment that could not be missed. I made way back to the M1 and had an uneventful trip home.

Dont have the actual mileage at the time of this post but I believe it was +60.

Comments appreciated, Thanks for reading,

Regards,

Eric