The Longest Day (So Far!)

Today's Route - Note the "Setback and Recovery" at the Beginning 

We both slept well at the country BnB, amid the strong smell of horses owing to them being at the associated riding stables. Nice looking animals...

However, John had spent an hour awake around 4 am fretting about tyres, and how to buy them in French. Basically, owing to not having previously done so many bike trips in a year, he'd not thought to check his tyres, so they, especially the back one, were getting a bit short on tread prior to starting the journey. However, after 1500 miles or so of corners, they're looking pretty knackered, and on a bike, the last thing you need is a knackered tyre, it being the first, and in fact only, thing that contacts the rest of the non-bike world.

Before

Over breakfast, when asked the direct question "If it were your tyres and bike, would you get new ones?", Jim said he would, and we agreed that safety was the first concern, long before cash and schedules. So out with the magic BMW GPS, press the "Find Motorrad Dealer" button, and up comes Sport Moto Thome, in Nimes. John has an interesting experience navigating the phone line menu in French (3 for the service department if you need it...), and a useful conversation with the service lead - sure, they can do a new back tyre, today, turn up about 10.30 and it's sorted. Excellent!

Pitstop team at work

We get there, they take the bike in the workshop, get the back wheel out - lovely. Then Mr Service Lead comes over, and takes John into the holy of holies - front tyre is also knackered (knew that!) and the oil level is, well, a level, but not one that one can actually see in the sight glass (knew that too...). What should he do? Why, fix it, dear Lionel, just fix it!! What tyres would sir like? Whatever you recommend! Marv.

After

And eventually, when Lionel has come to terms with the new logiciel in l'ordinateur that went live very recently, we are presented with a reasonable bill and a freshly serviceable motorbike.

Moi et Mon Nouveau Ami, Lionel

But now it's 12.00, we've driven 22 miles south of where we started, and we've a Very Long Day already scheduled. The trip from Nimes to near Clermont Ferrand involves crossing lots of major roads radiating from Clermont, with multiple mountainy lumps around those roads. What to do?? Easy.

"Set the controls for the heart of the sun, Mr. Bloor, and engage Warp Factor 5".

Pop in "Motorways, No Tolls", Egletons as a destination, and off we go. Only 5.5 hours away, not accounting for lunch, fags, cold, bends etc. of course.

And what a ride. Took it easy for the first 100 miles or so - can't be too careful scrubbing in a new pair of tyres! But excellent roads, well chosen. Lunch in a roadside bar in a tiny village, lovely ham and cheese sandwiches consisting of ham, cheese, and half a full size baguette - heaven. And only 7€! Total!

But as we left to start the afternoon's work, big black clouds rolled in, and we were riding in a total downpour. As the road rose into the mountains, the rain changed to hail - a full blown hailstorm, with pellets of ice sitting on the road, right beside the still melting snow! Are modern tyres miraculous? Let's hope...

But it eased, the sun came out briefly, and only to introduce very strong and gusty winds. The scenery - amazing, Le Gorge du Tarn, the Auvergne, cleft valleys with rapids, tree-clad mountains with exposed rock faces, villages that look carved from the rock itself, distant (and not so distant!) mist cloaking the summits. We rode on.

And then a 40 mile stint on the A89, a serious motorway, not too rainy, so starting to make up the average speed, lifting for the first time above 10 mph (seriously! A 2 hour tyre stop, and a 1 hour lunch stop make big holes in average speeds). More rain in the last stretch , and the temperature dropping, so much that we were wearing double layers after the last stop. Finally - a sign for Egletons! Only 24 km! Press on, ignoring the inevitable white van closing in behind... Jim signals, we here. Or are we? A quick trek round the lake - no more signs after the first. Ah - immediate right, through the car park! As we park up, Francois and Carolina come out to greet us and help us with our luggage, even helping to move the bikes to the preferred spot. What a welcome!

And the evening is good - great shower, good food, cooked by Francois, great conversation with the hosts and the French guys who are staying, all candidates for the civil service exams being held in Egletons tomorrow. What a lovely place. Maybe explore tomorrow, but after a 10 hour drive, it's again time to sleeeeeeeeep...

p.s. sorry there's no pictures of scenery - too wet, too busy riding, and worrying about tyre/road interface stability! Next time.

p.p.s And yes, John was humming tunes from "Songs of the Auvergne" most of the day.