MooN

well thats why I don't leave mine in gear, cos I just know I'll ride the bloody thing straing into the wall if I do . This bike won't start if it's in gear so I guess that particular stupidity is less likely than with previous bikes.

one of my fvorite loops south, truncated becuase I didn't leave home till gone 3 for verious reasons and wanted to be back in taime to accompany Mrs and the girls to the village 14th July party. 260 ish km took the back roads to Planchez, then did the sempiternel "planchez - Chateau Chinon" which I prefer in the other direction but still a cracking road. Fuelled at Chateau Chinon and had to spend 5 minutes cleaning spilt deisel of my boots, the forcourt of the filling station was fucking swimming in it! shan't be going there again. My original plan had been to cut across country from there to Glux en Glenne before turning north to Moulins Engilbert but given the time and the fact that i fancied some faster curves rather than the tight twisties I'd had up to then, I elected to take the more majour road westwards to Chatillon en Bazois and turn north from there back via corbigny, Bazoches, Vezelay and chatel Censoir. took a couple of pics on the way somewhere between Auxerre and planchez in the Morvan, a rare straight line through the woods Chastellux sur Cure middle of nowhere on an unamed road in the morvan forest , a memorial to 15 allied airmen who died in a mid air colision whilst parachuting arms to the local resistance cell (camille) the 18th july '44. aparrently they managed to parachute in numerous arms between July and september 44 including a jeep and two British 57mm field guns! Chauteau d'Aunay, nothe the two artillery pieces... I wonder if they're the same two 52mm field guns? got home in time to shower before trotting down to the square and pretend to be an actual human being for a couple of hours...

14th July National holiday and party day here today. village BBQ and music in the square last night followed by HUGE firework display in Auxerre at 23h00. I was out on me bike all afternoon yesterday and another couple of hours today. first time in what seems like ages that we've had decent weather for riding.

I never leave my bike in gear ( & only have a side stand) I wonder if I should be learning from other people mistakes...?

I have decided to identify as transparent… with the pronouns “who” and “where” …

Jumpnstar it and go for a ride, happened to me from time to time in the tralp but it nearly alwys came good for another season or so…

“ I was brought here by my friend Sir Cumstance” and we met with Sir Tiff Hyde… and his daughter… Miss Tiff-Hyde… i could play this all day…

I messaged Tango this afternnoon and got a message back, he's fine, just busy with life n stuff, no worries, ( other than that the frogs are busy voting the national front into power and that we're laying money on which one of us will be escorted off the premesis first... )

We need before and after pics Yam, just so’s we can criticise you work

Too bleedin hot for cycling to wrok today, itd be ok this morning but forcast is 30 ish this evening with theeat of storms… so that’s a no!

I rode to work and back on a bicycle today!

I've got his phone number somewhere. try a PM first Bob, if that doesn' solicite a response I'll try by phone if you like. He might just be "doing other stuff"

it is the "fete de la Musique" this weekend in France, it happens every year on 21st June so loads of free concerts and bands all over the shop. a mate of mine was playing in a pub in auxerre with his group "The Biten Boys" ( which, when pronounced in French is "Les Bites en bois" which I will leave you to translate for yourselves... so Mrs Moon and N°1 daughter went there for the evening while I drove to Paris, wandered around the 12th arrondissement for a couple of hours and then slept for 2more ours in the car in an underground car park before driving home. I should maybe mention that, during this time, the twins were at a Doja Cat concert at the Accor Arena Bercy... I have gained do many hero points by driving them there and back and waiting around that it was worth it Also, everybody should drive to and from Paris for an evening from time to time, simply to remind them how lucky they are to NOT live there and have to deal with the fucking parisians on a regular basis. Yesterday I hid inside from the apalling weather, but today I will be out on the bike I reckon.

well I enjoy the competition...

I am obviously very out of touch with all this, but dabbled on the peripheries in my misspent youth. I was a member of an MCC in the east of England, ( still in touch and still an honorary member) not a back patch cub, not an MC. I would concur with all that Buck says here, but would maybe water down a little the MCC warnings, BUT my experience is 30yrs old so things may have changed.

s'funny, The best man out our wedding had been "master at arms" for the Satans Slaves back in the day. I knew him and still do) in a later reincarnation...

you lost me...

Well Pete was always after ride reports, so I will post this one despite his loss. I am also half convinced that he was somehow responsable for the deluge of biblical proportions that hitus in the last couple of hours of the ride home A pentecost weekend ride with the usual suspects, not many ^pics as the group is not easy to persuade to actually stop. Lunch stop on saturday, at St Amour, about half way between here and there and in my old stamping ground between on the eastern edge of the Saone plain North of Bourg en Bresse. We were staying two nights in a hotel (read "dive") in a place called Vezeronce, south of Amberieu en Bugey and the Rhone. BY the time we'd done with ethe aperitifs the sun was well and truly set Up and out early on sunday morning and the first stop had us already at about 1300metres altitude oelooking the lake towards aix en provence what seemed like almost endless haipins, made more exciting by the presence of cyslists, joggers (Mad I tell you!) and the odd kamikaze camping car who seem simply incapable of logical thought., took us all the way back down and around the lake for coffee where we were able to watch ( and generally criticise) people trying to back their boats trailers down the ramp into the water. we ended up for lunch at a wee restaurant in the mountain village of Corbel, outside seating only and by God what a view from the table! special foodie interlude for Pedro: Pasta stuffed with fish, and lightly breaded... That evening we had a posh restaurant planned cos the hotel restaurant was closed ( I mean lets face it why be open on a bank holiday weekend when the town is heaving with tourists all dying for a feed...?) so I got to eat Caillete de canard with peas and fresh Origan Dos de cabillaud (Cod) roasted, white asparagus and broccoli purée with candied lemon: followed by Baba au Rhum but with Chartreuse liqeur in place of the rum. All so very civilised and not a burger or a basket of chips in sight! I fucking sulked at the prices though, 44€ for a bottle of Mercurey, 8€ for a glass of chartreuse to chase the coffee and the totalwas about the double of what we habitually pay for a meal out, around 50€ a head! I'd rather have a steak- frites and a beer for 20€ thanks! monday AM we were away at 9 and it was my turn to lead, I'd planned a route taking us across the Dombes wetlands to the saone, a coffee stop in Chatillon sur Chalaronne allowed me to pick up Bucks message about Pete) Unable to react fully as my head was in navigation mode and keeping the nutters in check and to a timetable takes all my powers of concentration. We crossed the Saone and A quick blat up the RCEA for 25km (Route Centre Europe Atlantique) which is always risky with a group as this is considered the most dangerous road in France, if not in europe) but the portionfrom the Saone westwards is dual carriageway limited to 110km/h so it does allow you to cover some ground and is the only main road runing east/west ( which is why it carries ALL east / west HGV traffic) . Stopped in Cluny for Lunch which was burger and chips ( YAY!) and as we were waiting for coffee, it hit me, like a slap in the face with a wet fish, I struggled to get my head back in the right place to carry on leading the group. As we left Cluny, heading forAutun, the weather began to suit my mood and we were clearly riding into the heart of a dark place. The storm chased us all the way to Autun where I had to stop toallow my knees to stretch for a minute or two because I knew I couldn't make it all the way to avallon ( over 2hours) in one hit from Cluny and between the two Autun is the only place where there's a café still open. This allowed storm Pete to catch us ( I am more than half convinced that Pete, who would of course "have been there, weather permitting..." , Haddecided "I'll wet that French cunt!" so I've named it storm Pete. the last 2 hours of ride were a bloody nightmare, hammering rain that punched so hard it was like hailstones, lightning strikes both sides of the road and thunder you could hear over the wind and engine noise. by the time I got home I was soaked quite literally to the skin. Idon't believe any "waterproof" gear would have stood up to that and I have not ridden in such apalling conditions for at least 20 odd years. my riding gear is still not dry and I have only managed to dry out my helmet by dint of half an hour with a hair dryer, after having been on the radiator all day. The storm we rode through made national news that evening. Thanks Pete.

I came across DSUK almost as it was morphing into maximum bikes I think,back in 2005, having made my life in France I was looking for an English speaking bike forum and had signed up to about 8 I think with the intention of seeing what I liked or not. Max bikes felt so much more like what I was used to in a local bike club, I stayed. Over the years I have been more or less active according to personal circumstances and available time. People on here have offered support through some difficult times, and definately some huge laughs and fascinating conversations amongst the inane banter that is the backdrop to it all. Much as it pains me to admit it. Pete has been the motor in the machine, and though others have had a hand in steering, or oiling the wheels, or applying the brakes, or filling the tank, when the motor is no longer in the frame the rest will struggle to keep the machine alive, no matter how good they are. Thanks for the ride Pete. ( you spicky ginger welsh twat)

I was bringing a group ride back from the alps / vercors when i got Bucks message this morning. It took me a while to process. By the time i got halfway home it was pissing down with rain an thunder claps you could hear over the exhaust noise. It 30 odd years i have rarely ridden in such bad weather. Thanks Pete.

the stress of running this place finally got to you then Pete? Speedy recovery mate.

I did a ride report from Ouradour as well a few years ago. You should go, but don't go with a bunch of mates, it really isn't that sort of place.

Yeah I tried to do a panoramic pic of the statues cos there are 1475 of them between the monument and the beach, this photo shows I gues less than a quarter of them. It does really make it real.

the ride home the next day was only eventful insofar as my knee was was so painful that I had to stop every hour and thenevery half hour to walk the pain off. we did a little over 1400km in the 4 days and it was clearly toomuch for my poor failing carcass. I did feed it properly though

this has been a long time coming as it is something that I have been wanting to do for a fair few years now. I originally planned this as a solo trip, but things change and a couple of mates tagged along, one for the whole thing and one ( + wife and dog) for the Normany part but not the "there and back" bit. With unstable spring weather and unsure of my own ability to ride km in a day and still be able or willing to set up a tent in shit weather, I booked what they call a "cyclo tent" in the municipal campsite in Bayeux. It cost me 90 odd € for the 3 nights and as it has é beds and my mate Manu came along Ionly paid half of it . It's a kind of semi rigid tent, and looks like this: ( that's Manu in the pic with his RT1100 The campsite is well organised (but everybody's GPS sends them to the swimming pool and not thecamp site) well maintaine and equipped with new, clean and heated shower / toilet block. t's half an hours ride from any of the invasion beaches and all the main sites, i'd recommend it if you're thinking of going. The ride North from here on wednesday went almost without a hitch, the weather had changed radically for the better and I left home ataround 08h30. I met up with Manu as planned, at a petrol stationjust this side of Joigny on the N6. We then headed eastwards toward Montargis and Orleans, rounding Orleans to the south and then turning northeast towrds Chateaudun where we stopped for lunch. Top Tip for eating rapidly in France: Get to the restaurant by 12h00 at the latest (11:45 is better) cos the french feed from 12 to 2 and the ALL arrive, en masse at 12h00. We got there at 11h45 so were pretty much first in, first served and first out. as we left at 12:45 they were still queuing at the door and more were still arriving. It being a Looooooong weekend, the whole country and his significant other were on the roads (Including, much to my surprise a large number of citroen 2CV, many pulling caravans FFS! I failed to get a picture of this, as I was too busy trying to not fall of my bike from the surprise!) From chateaudun we moved ever north and east, through Nogent le Rotrou, Mortagne au Perche, Sees, Argentan and Falaise (not only famous for the "Falaise Pocket" but also the home of William the conquerer, whos chateau is still visitable (looks like I'm going to have to come back here...) We stopped fro a break and a coffee in Falaise, as I had planned the only autoroute usage of the trip from here to Bayeux, as it would be getting on fot rushhour as we approached Caen at this stage we'd been on the road for nearly 7 hoursand I just wanted to get to the end. From Falaise north, the Autoroute is a "voie rapide" similar the the autoroutes in Britanny so no toll, but with a speed limit of 110kph rather than the 130 of the toll roads, but that's fine as the tiger is probably at hermost comfortable at this speed. The traffic around Caen was bad, and I had to resort to lane splitting with is "tolerated" inFrance and codified but not legally. It isnot something I'm very comfortable with as I never need to filter in the part of the world I live in, but most of the drivers being Parisien, it was surprisingly easy, you just sit on the white line between the two outer lanes and the cars open a passage for you like Moses parting the red sea! My ride plan had us arriving at the campsite at 17:15 and we pulled up at the gate at 17: 14 which had the other couple who were waiting for us accusing me of witchcraft (the french are not good at punctuality, for the most part...) we strolled into Bayeux for a feed that evening, and back along the river Up and out early the next morning wanting to beatthe crowds. We're one month away from the 80th anniversary celebrations and its a bank holiday weekend of 5 days AND the weather is glorious... 1st up; the Merville Battery and museum, you can look it up for specifics. It was aninteresting visit and the information dotted around the site was very instructive and complete. The Dakota parked in front of the Hangar is known as the "SNAFU special" so I had to translate that for all and sundy as it was the only thing not translated on the information boards . Again, we were almost first in, but by the time we laft, the car park was full and there was a 15minute queue at the entrance to the museum. We moved back down the estuary and river to Bénouville and the site of Pegasus Bridge. I believe the first objective of the invasion and the first attack by glider born troops. The 3 glider pilots in question managed to place their machine so perfectly after a 5 mile glide that it is still today considered to be one of the greates feats of airmanship of the war. The original bridge has been replaced, but is still intact and the museum has been built around it They also have built a scale model of one of the Horta gliders used, from the original plans. I was so overawed by the sheer balls of any of the blokes who dared to actually fly inone of them, that i forgot to take any pictures. None of the original gliders have survived intact. This tank did though (built a little moe solidly I think) Iwas intrigued by the graduations painted on the turret. Aparrently it was to enable an exterior spotter to give precise firing directions to the gunner inside. We ate at the restaurant "Les 3 Planeurs" right beside the bridge, good food and reasonably priced. Again, we managed to keep one step ahead of the crowds. By the time we got the "The Grand Bunker" at Ouistreham things were getting crowded. This bunker was a command post with fire direction for the germanshore batteries and was not constructed with the ease of movement of hundreds of tourists inmind... interesting though, and an extensive collection of parephanalia, from an original landing craft to communication equippement and telemetry gear for ranging guns. this is hand canked air filtration system in case of gas attack The rest of the days activities, I had planned to be outdoors, as I struggle to deal with crowds in small spaces, so we moved on to The british memorial at Ver sur Mer and this is where I got the title "Standing with Giants" you canlook that up too https://www.standingwithgiants.co.uk/#:~:text=The 1%2C475 giants reflect the,April 2024 - 31st August 2024. you can see the remains of the Mulberry harbours at Arromanches in the background. moving mong the silouettes, reading the history, the phrase "standing among giants" becomes achingly apt. Having been somewhat subdued by the Ver sur Mer memorial we moved on to Arromanches, cos I wanted to see the remains of the Mulbery harbours, the dog wanted to run on th sand and we all wanted an ice cream or cold beer... or possibly both! The tide was pretty much out so good timing. What with the sun and the sear air and all the rest I slept prety soundly that night. Next day, up and at'em early again tobe amongthe first visitors to the Us cemetery at Colville sur Mer. If I remember correctly, this was the first US military cemetary of the war and is the larges US military Cemetary outside the US with 9433 soldiers buried here and the names of a further 1500 odd names of soldiers lost but not found or identified. As with all such places it is very sobering. The organisation is impressive and clearly top notch. The parking attendant told us they were expecting 10,000 visitors per day leading up to the 80th anniversary with apeak of 12.000 at the weekends and 14 to 15,000 on the -th June. They have car parking for about half that... needless to say, there was a vehicle queue of about 2 miles when we left. we had a quick look at Omaha beach and moved on to the Point du Hoc https://www.abmc.gov/Pointe-du-Hoc some of the bunkers have survived almot unscathed but the ground has beenlaft pretty much as it was in '44 and the depth and size of the craters gives some inkling into the destructive power of a battery of 14 inch naval guns (of the USS texas I believe) The fact that the rangers managed to scale those cliffs, locate the guns (that had beenmoved), take the battery and hold it for tw days untill support arrived, absolutely beggars belief. Grandcamp Maisey for lunch, where Manu's bike managed to punch a hole right throgh the pavement with its side stand and fall over into the road... my helpful comments about just another german making holes in the Normandy villages were, surprisingly, not appreciated... we wpent most of the afternoon at the mairee sorting out damage reports and insurance claims for both pavement and bike. the damage o the bike was, fortuately, only cosmetic and the third member of our party being an insurance agent, obviously helped in avoiding any unneccessary palaver. Having lost a lare part of the afternoon in this manner we sadly had to pass over the museum at Omaha beach, contenting ourselves with a visit to the beach itself, or part of it, but it nowbeing high y=tide there was not much of it to se so we pushed on to St Mere Eglise, with it's iconic 3john Steel" parachutist dummy hangng from the church, as per the film "The Longest Day". The event did effectively happen in real life, though somewhat differently from the film. The village manages to generate 200,000 visitors a year from a rubber dummy and some parachute materiel. It was the only time during the trip that I thought things had been allowed to get a little out of contro and border on the distateful.