A great ride out in the twilight of summer..

[alze]

Its been a beautiful day here in Zuid (south) Holland today. After doing the husbandly chores i finally got out on the bike - way hay ! roads here i come. Sun shining, engine warm and not a rain cloud in site.
Found myself heading for various roads I am famliar with which I used to ride on my 125 - this route is particually great, it even has a hump-back bridge onto some corners :-

http://tinyurl.com/2ouck6

Found myself and several other riders going up and down this road. Am getting more confident in taking the GSXF into corners now and the cheshire-cat smile on my face is barely gone - just thinking of the ride makes me smile !

Last but not least I headed for an 'weird' road - after a suggestion from fellow katrider (sadly not yet met) - i headed for the A4 - this motorway is unsual because it just ends - it was built and they couldnt finish the section that joins it from Delft to rotterdam. Annoying for the commuters, but it has turned into somewhat of a drag strip. Accompoined by several other bikes doing the same loop it was amazing to reach great speeds and very satisfying to just keep repeating the same bends, increasing my cornering skills as I took them faster and deeper each time.

Really loving the Kat/GSXF - am hoping to stop off tomorrow on the car park where there was a great many bikers stopped today - frustratingly I couldnt find the exit road ! but have on google maps now

Will post pics !

Al.ze

[The CyberPoet]

A4 Delft to Rotterdam is a blast... I like to tell myself it was halted where it was by some biker in upper management

Sounds great!

Was the other KR member Kwebbel?

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[alze]

haha - like the idea about a biker in upper management
Other member was Dirk130 - afaik Dirk works shifts, so his availabiilty is limited to sleep and when things break..
Dont know/heard of Kwebbel I'm afraid.
See that your in Germany - if your ever up for a meet I need to give my bike a good ride after its service next week..

[The CyberPoet]

Next time I'm headed for Europe, I will be giving a shout out to a number of riders I hope to meet in person (aside from those I already know).

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[Zepp]

I have never been to Europe but would love to go. Do they rent bikes at places over there? I would like to take 3 to 4 weeks and just travel by bike all over Europe.

[The CyberPoet]

Yes, they rent bikes over there. Always book ahead. Most of the places in cities with major airports will even arrange to pick you up and transport you to their offices if you ask real nice. Also specifically ask about insurance when you call -- depending on your stay, you may find it cheaper to contact an insurance agent separately and buy insurance in advance.

For documentation:
You'll need an international driver's license (which is really just a "standardized" translation pamphlet in about 12 language saying what your existing license covers in terms of vehicle classes/sizes/types), and because you're an American, you'll need to take time to learn the rules-of-the-road and standard signage (the system the Europeans use is used in virtually every corner of the world except North America). You can find the USAEUR** driving manual here, including links for for signage, and an online sample test.
**USAEUR is a military abbreviation for US Army/Europe. This particular guide is written in American English for troops & support personnel stationed there.

You can get your international driver's license in the USA from virtually any triple-A office, as well as from the National Automobile Club. A google search should net you a mail-in form to use if you don't want to travel to do it.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[Zepp]

Yes, they rent bikes over there. Always book ahead. Most of the places in cities with major airports will even arrange to pick you up and transport you to their offices if you ask real nice. Also specifically ask about insurance when you call -- depending on your stay, you may find it cheaper to contact an insurance agent separately and buy insurance in advance.

For documentation:
You'll need an international driver's license (which is really just a "standardized" translation pamphlet in about 12 language saying what your existing license covers in terms of vehicle classes/sizes/types), and because you're an American, you'll need to take time to learn the rules-of-the-road and standard signage (the system the Europeans use is used in virtually every corner of the world except North America). You can find the USAEUR** driving manual here, including links for for signage, and an online sample test.
**USAEUR is a military abbreviation for US Army/Europe. This particular guide is written in American English for troops & support personnel stationed there.

You can get your international driver's license in the USA from virtually any triple-A office, as well as from the National Automobile Club. A google search should net you a mail-in form to use if you don't want to travel to do it.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

Awesome!! Thanks CyberPoet

[eviilil0ne]

sometimes you have to wonder if cyber isnt just a walking encyclopedia .. i mean is there anything he doesn't know.. but thanks for the wisdom hopefully i can put it to use one day and visit the other side of the big pond

[kwebbel]

Was the other KR member Kwebbel?

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

You should know better Mark I never ever ride in Holland I HATE IT overthere! Apart from having no real nice roads to ride anyway, the roads are loaded with cops playing with laserguns and a new species playing with DB-meters.
The German Eifel is going the same way (zuviel grünen überal) so what's left and I must say I don't mind at all are the Ardennes.
Leaving home I head for Eupen and from there through les Hauts Fagnes over the N68 towards Malmedy, with as an appetizer le route des Marets which is absolutely marvellous, wellmaintained road, about 70 curves, corners and hairpins downhill over 3 km. (we often stop and ride it a second thus third time)
Malmedy is allways our first stop, from there we'll cross the luxembourg border most off the time for some real unmannered and illegal carving railing and speeding. Yes the three lefties, we still miss Eric, are all around/above 50 years old, riding for at least 27 years and still behaving like squids

[The CyberPoet]

Within 100 miles of Luxumberg, IMHO, the best riding is the Neider-Phaltz. Little enforcement, lots of superb roads, scenery and road-challanges that can't be beat. Ardennes are second in my book (along with parts of the Main-/Tauber-tal areas).

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[alze]

Fancy meeting up anytime kwebble ?
Can you do a map of the route you describe on google maps and post it - it sounds great.
Know what you mean about the roads in .nl.... Compared to england there tame to say the least ! Roll on october

[The CyberPoet]

Neider-Phaltz via Gateway Pirmasens area (Google Maps Link)

The best roads I marked in RED. Particularly great are B270 Biebermühle/Rodalben to Pirmasens (uphill, divided, 2-lanes per side, no speed control -- straight out of the Monaco Grand prix), L478 Eppenbrunn to Fischbanch Bei Dahn (mind-blowing, tight/narrow, many switch-backs, technical). Big loop to be made through rural France is a more leisurely ride (unless you really want to push it ) -- take it with a stop at Bitche to tour the citadel for an hour. Zoom in using the above link to see the roads in better detail. Here's my highlights-marked map:


Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet