Ramblings

Still using the Commando as the bike of choice, not sure what it is but this year I’ve preferred the classic motorcycling experience much more than the frenetic modern machinery route. Maybe a sign of the onset of senility or stupidity but who cares I love it. There is something immensely satisfying about using a 30+ year old bike as your bike of choice, it sets you out from the crowd as a person of discerning taste or perhaps in some peoples eyes as a miserable sod who is obviously too tight to buy a new bike.

Applecross Again!

I had yet another trip up to Applecross at the back end of October, I decided the Commando should go as it’s been a year or two since its wheels graced the Bealach. The usual run up on the Saturday with clear roads which by then were devoid by and large of the idiot holidaymaker. The Commando comes into it’s own on the single track roads with the torque and exhaust note under acceleration encouraging you to hang onto a lower gear for just that bit longer. Just after the beginning of the loch Carron stretch we caught up with a group of TVR’s in convoy, if your going to be stuck behind a load of cars it may as well be a load of TVR’s on open pipes. I passed them one at a time but the front two were pressing on, I think though that the worry that the mechanical noise was coming from them made them pull over and let me through, good fun. The Bealach suits the Commando to a tee and I treated it to a rest at the top, it really was freezing at the top of the hill that day. The decent into the village was as always (when its not cloudy or misty) spectacular. The idea was to chill out over the weekend and that’s exactly what we did, a visit to the walled garden on the Sunday afternoon for tea & scones not to be missed.

The only very bad note all weekend was that shortly after turning in on the Sunday night (early as the bar shut at 10.30 ! ) somebody pushed the Commando over, by the time I got out the tent there was nobody to be seen and it remains a mystery to this day. The only damage luckily was a broken handlebar end mirror & a small dent in the petrol tank. Sickening but it could have been worse.

Rough Camping weekend

As a final fling to celebrate the end of an everlasting summer I decided to head to Ardnamurchan in the lat weekend of October. It was cloudy & overcast as we set off and I wondered if it was the right thing to do, to go camping at this time of year. We went via Callander, the roads busy & slippery and it appeared 45mph was the maximum speed limit, going through Strathyre & memories of the old Bluebell Rally that used to be held there. Past Balquidder, Rob Roy country, the legendary rebel & sheep stealer, I suppose nowadays if he was here he would have an ASBO laid against him for his bad behaviour but because he rebelled against an oppressive English led hierarchy we made him a hero. On to the food van at Glen Ogle, put the world to rights with anyone that would listen. I was on my Triumph so my street cred as a man of wise words was greatly diminished. Onwards up through Glencoe, it was dark and foreboding, low black clouds dominating the sky but peppered with some bright patches which at one point created the most amazing perfect rainbow, yes the best things in life are free! Just at the roadworks near the top of the Glen, the road had been closed by an accident. It looked bad and it looked like the closure could last a considerable time, by the time we navigated the alternative route it would have been dark. We decided to head back down and check out rough camping at Bridge of Orchy. There are places to camp just at the bridge but a canoeist advised us that if we followed the single track road for around four miles there was an excellent camping (rough camping) area. He was right, totally perfect camping on nice flat ground right at the side of the river. The other good news was that there is a pub / hotel there. The Inveronan hotel was really quite a find, I can recommend this area for a camping weekend next year.

The following day I awoke to the sound of a Ducati coming along the road. Dave T (who we had spoken to the night before) decided to visit us for breakfast. It was a really nice and almost warm morning and we spent a pleasant couple of hours reflecting on life (and hangovers) A quite chilly run down the road marked the end of this years camping (or has it?)

JD’s Trip

Still waiting for some words to describe JD’s trip to Morocco, now becoming the holiday destination of choice for TVNOC members.

International Rally 2007

To be held at The Manx Grand Prix on the Isle of Man. Camping at the Union Mills football ground. My rough plan is to get an overnight boat Wednesday / Thursday of practice week and return probably on the Tuesday after the first Race day. This makes it in to a long weekend similar to a Begonia trip (which sadly isn’t on) I suggest that if you intend going you start getting organised now.

National 2008

I volunteered the branch to organise the 2008 National. Plan is so far to hold it at Stirling Rugby Club. Over the next few weeks I will start to sound them out and find out prices etc. Looking forward to a big turnout as the International is in March that year in Victoria, Australia & I am hoping to get some of the people who decide that’s too far for them.

The Small Print

The views and opinions contained within this publication are not necessarily those of the NOC or of the branch but are probably mine as I wrote it.

No one accepts any responsibility for anything, if you have a good time don't say I didn't warn you.

Gino Rondelli

November 2006