greenlaning - Berkshire / Hampshire UK

[Frog]

Hi

I did about 100mls on the lifan a couple of days a go taking in a couple of green lanes along the way. This tested out my new (fixed!) carb and GPS set up.

Other than a pretty good 'off' that left me with a few contusions and abrasions and the bike with bent bars and cracked front mudguard I had a good day . GPS got a ding too but seems OK 8O

NEW GPS set up:


This is a Garmin Colorado 300 - scrolling maps and very good. Also clearly robust :oops:

Great March weather and some great views from this old ridge way route:





Passed an old Gibbet - on a high point presumably to demonstrate to the populace the consequences of bad behaviour :roll:



Lifan is a good tool for this kind of thing:



Will be out and about again soon once minor repairs completed :wink:

Frog

[Weldangrind]

At first I thought you meant that a Lifan is a good tool fro escaping a Gibbet.

Beautiful countryside! I confess, I don't know what a ridge way route is; please explain. I'm glad to hear that you're ok after your mishap. It's a shame to spoil that lovely paint, but probably not hard to replicate.

[FastDoc]

What a great day. Looks like beautiful countryside. Nice ride too. 8)

[SpudRider]

Thanks for posting the great photos, Frog. I'm sorry to hear of your accident. :( I hope you feel better soon.

Spud

[FastDoc]

Yikes!

I missed the part about the accident and looked at the pics straightaway.

I pray you are OK and feel better soon.

God knows I know how you feel....

[Frog]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

I confess, I don't know what a ridge way route is; please explain.

Hi

there is a good explanation of rigeways on wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ridgeway_%28road%29

Basically these are very old routes dating back in some cases to the bronze age. In those time the tops of high ridges provided relatively easy to maintain roads that did not get washed out by rainfall and floods - they often linked up fortified hilltops. It was really the romans that made long routes that did not take in these ridgeways common in England. In the 12th to very early 20th century many of these ridgeways were used as droves - used as a route to get livestock from their grazing areas to market towns - I regularly ride the Ox drove and Compton drove that link the market towns of Shaftesbury and Salisbury - here livestock would get 'sold on' before being moved to their final destination.

There are many sections of these that you can walk and some you can ride.

Thanks for the best wishes after my accident - I was only bumped about a bit - no bones broken - like most of us I think, I pretty much accept the occasional 'event' as part of off roading. :roll:
Fully OK now and mudguard and paint work repaired (easy with the finish I have on my bike).

New bars on order - sexy alloy braced ones 8O

Frog

[SpudRider]

I'm glad to hear you weren't bruised to badly, Frog. Yesterday I dropped my Zong in some slimy mud, myself.

Thanks for the fascinating history lesson, and the nice photographs! Please keep both coming.

Spud

[JimW]

beautiful pics and happy to hear you're ok after your mishap. The wonderful landscape there is a nice change to what we see on this side of the world

[Frog]

Thanks Jim. I am indeed fortunate in where I live

Frog

[FastDoc]

I'm curious. Where does the screen name 'Frog' come from?

[Frog]

Originally Posted by FastDoc

I'm curious. Where does the screen name 'Frog' come from?

Hi Fastdoc,

the name is a longish story - back in 1981 I rode my 650 Triton to the British Grand prix at Silverstone - a bit over a hundred miles from home. Shortly after setting off home in the dark my headlight blew - being late and a Sunday there was nowhere to get a replacement bulb. I rode back with a mate in front (Chris on a T110 Triumph) and a mate behind (Roy on a T120).
Crouched over the clipons on the Trition and feet up on the rear-sets my shadow cast by the bike behind me looked like a big black Frog. I spent three hours trying to keep that frog pinned to the tail light of the bike in front. Long story made short I have been Frog to close friends and particularly my old biking mates ever since :roll:

Frog

[FastDoc]

Funny story.

Lucas, Price Of Darkness strikes again.

Thanks for the reminder on how good a thing it was I recently sold my BSA!

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by Frog

Hi Fastdoc,

the name is a longish story - back in 1981 I rode my 650 Triton to the British Grand prix at Silverstone - a bit over a hundred miles from home. Shortly after setting off home in the dark my headlight blew - being late and a Sunday there was nowhere to get a replacement bulb. I rode back with a mate in front (Chris on a T110 Triumph) and a mate behind (Roy on a T120).
Crouched over the clipons on the Trition and feet up on the rear-sets my shadow cast by the bike behind me looked like a big black Frog. I spent three hours trying to keep that frog pinned to the tail light of the bike in front. Long story made short I have been Frog to close friends and particularly my old biking mates ever since :roll:

Frog

A Triton! You have my full attention. I bet that was like a hot rod on wheels. Do you have any pics!

[Frog]

The Triton was excellent - I have a pic some where.

Spec was 650 pre-unit T110 rebuilt to bonnie spec, Alloy tanks ,alloy rims, alternator chaincase with Norton Gearbox. It was beautiful and fast - 110mph showing on the chronometric speedo two up.

Sold when I got engaged to help put a deposit on a house - sold for the equivalent of $700 - but it was 1983...

Frog

[FastDoc]

Awesome bike. I know what's its like to have to sell something for much less than ikt's worth.

How are you healing up?