Misteltoe Run

[Rhubarb]

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Yep!
It is that time of year again

AND I got to do the run on my own bike at last!
Almost didn't. No1 son bought me a trickle charger which I've had hooked up for the last cold snap.
It was the shop Christmas dinner the night before so I carefully had one glass of wine. My boss so surprised he gave me a bottle left on the table to take home. Still didn't get home until 1am, so overslept and decided not to get Breakfast at Beaver the cafe in Swanage, but grab porridge as I layered up the clothes to get on the bike.
Thank-goodness for my Norwegian socks!

The trickle charger worked but Mark turned my bike off because his wouldn't start and needed a push, then mine wouldn't start . When we got on the ferry, he needed another push, from the ferryman. Mine coughed but started as I rolled off the ramp. Phew.

I managed to shake off Mark and Mick (an old friend who we see on these runs) and my son who was marshalling. I just thought it so funny when I was over taken by a Harley roadster and he couldn't over take anything else. We got stuck at a round-a-bout in a village about half way because of the volume of bikers and normal traffic.
He shouted (the noise- I'm sure I was deaf for an hour afterwards)
'Bollocks! My feet and hands are ice-'
Big grin from me
'serves you right for being on the wrong bike- I'll sell you my socks at the end for a tenner'
Then he missed the gap in the traffic and was pissed off he had to overtake again!

Not such a huge turn out because last year it snowed and was cancelled. Rumours were DMAC weren't going to run it again (well it was Bob, who thought if he stepped down as pace-bike, no one else would do it)

145 with a pace-car to the main road from the villages.
The villagers all come out and wave and the last marshall through stops and collects the bucket of money they donate to at the local shops. It was No1 son this year, his bike totally tinseled out.

First count was £2,000 donations.
I won more neck wraps in the raffle- got 7 now!

[Twitchin Kitten]

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145 with a pace-car to the main road from the villages.

That's the amount of bikes and not KPH (90 MPH), right?

You're crazy riding in this cold! I see a lot of bikes out right up until yesterday, thats' when it turned officially to winter here. I rode in February once, 35 miles up to show my mom my new bike. I never did that again. Too freakin' cold!

Sounds like you had a ton of fun though!

[Rhubarb]

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145 bikes, I'm lucky if I can get 70mph out of my bike!


This rider has no friends.........the sidecar was full of toys


Santa discussing the lack of battery in the Kawasaki (my bike to the far right)


My friend Sue!


Ray's Harley (the red thing)


The lane down to the social club- ran out of parking

[Biker Dude]

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Typically our local toy run has quite a turn out. Lemme see if I can find anything on ours as the weather was bad again...


This was 2010



This picture was listed as 2009...




This was 2008, had decent weather. About 4000 bikes showed.

[Twitchin Kitten]

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OK riding in the freezing cold is nuts but in a blizzard? I can feel my throat and chest stiffening up looking at the photo!

[Biker Dude]

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They say you are a native of Colorado if you see someone on a bike in snow, and you know them.

I've been caught in snow before. It is kinda bizarre to ride in that is for sure. And a little bit scary...

I've also been caught in rain so bad I drowned my bike. Just too much water, it couldn't get enough air in through the soaked air filters! THAT was a wet miserable walk the last 2 miles home. In my riding boots, wearing wet leather...ugh

[Twitchin Kitten]

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I got caught in a flash storm in South Dakota once. It was horrible. Soaked through all my leather and freezing my ass off. My fingers and feet were blue. Lightening all over and the water was over my foot pegs. I'm lucky the bike didn't drown but it was sputtering and we had to make frequent stops.

We were coming out of Custer State Park from the bottom heading back up to Rapid City. Those midwest storms are crazy!

[Rhubarb]

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I've been caught in snow before. It is kinda bizarre to ride in that is for sure. And a little bit scary...

No1 son went to college one day last December and the snow storm hit during the day. The college was closed so the students could get transport home. No1 son text and said he was on his way home. I assumed he would walk, but he arrived on his bike all of 10 minutes later, grinning from ear to ear. I was furious with him, but his argument he couldn't walk in his bike boots- hmm His mad mate Dan, dropped his Fireblade on the drive of his house as he got home.

I've also been caught in rain so bad I drowned my bike. Just too much water, it couldn't get enough air in through the soaked air filters! THAT was a wet miserable walk the last 2 miles home. In my riding boots, wearing wet leather...ugh

No1 son will sympathize and so will my husband. Hence we all invested in multi-seasoned gear and wear leather only on cool dry days. Mine is only 3 season which is good enough for the rides I do.