The trip as it went.
It’s not been a bad couple of weeks for biking. The first, 2 weeks ago with a couple of mates to Sak aeo. And after a 3 night break in Hong Kong, another 2 day trip to Huay Kok Moo (Seung Pueng) onto Kanchanaburi and around Suphan Buri.
We’d arranged our usual meeting point around Rama 5, but the heavens opened and disrupted our 5am start so we knocked it back a bit. After a few calls, text and a weather report, we decided to meet at 9:15, our usual meeting point that we’ve frequented, or so I though!
Damn Selfies!
Being the tardy person I am, I arrived at 9am just in case my colleague also arrived early. The rain had cleared and the sweltering sun had already broken through. I glanced at my phone; 20 past as I removed my jacket, helmet and gloves while looking for a nearby shop for some water. Nup, nothing around other than ‘The Walk’, a local shopping center. “Ain’t going in there” I thought. Stinking of vanilla as the sweat pi**es down me. Apparently, some woman like that particular natural smell on men. Much better than that sweaty urine smell as I whiffed myself under the neck of my shirt!
I check the time on the phone just as it rang at 9:30 am. I’m about 100 meter past the roundabout where we normally meet, my mate said. Huh! Can’t be I’m already here. Maybe you have ridden past me. Hang on, I’ll ride down. So I ride about 1 km and he’s nowhere to be seen. So I give him a call and ask if there is anything that stand out such as the mass of DIY stores near our meeting point. No, can’t see anything but I am literally 100 meters or so where we meet just past the roundabout. Are you sure you’re not on the opposite side? No. he replies. OK. I’ll ride down a little further. 4km later and at the junction we need to leave he is nowhere to be seen. OK mate, best we meet at the junction as we need to go this way. Wherever you are, head to Phra Pin Klao junction, I am there.
10 minutes later, I am here, sorry mate, I was in the wrong place. I pulled off before the roundabout, not after it. WTF!
So off we ride, into the sun and Thailand’s finest tarmac dwellers. Splitting the odd car and truck with knackered suspension and slicks for a day out at Buriram circuit. After topping the tanks, we headed to Ratchaburi, stopping at our usual coffee stop in Sueng Peung. 10 minute prior, I’d been telling my mate his rear brake needs adjusting. I’d just rebuilt my brakes and expressed how much better they were before slamming, albeit slow, into the parking slab at Amazon as the ABS kicked in on the shiny concrete surface! After a beverage, and a conversation about books, immigration, racism and divorce, we headed on into the oncoming stormy cloud.
Having just installed a new set of VeeRubber VRM-163 for a review that's due, we took things easy. My mate had the same tires with 3000km of road use. The rain fell light and was equally as refreshing as my cold-lemon-tea. I don’t usually drink that poncy stuff but I’d just had 2 McDonalds cappuccinos an hour ago. We plowed on into the cooling rain which was enough so as not to totally drench you. In the distance we could see the broken rain clouds and the sunshine forcing its way through. Our first destination was Huay Kok Moo.
Post more later. Off for a beer.