Boundary 500 16th June 2007

Just got in after a 587 mile day mostly in horrendous weather and I did it!

The Boundary 500, I collected £495 in sponsorship, rode the 507 route miles and collected my Mug and Pin for a job well done.  I left the start point in Stockton just before six am and got to the finish at Hurworth by six pm, 12 hours of Ulysses riding pleasure.

The day started in fog with drizzle but as all you motorcyclists know at 70mph there is no such thing as drizzle.  Doing the Boundary 500 was mainly about raising money for the Great North Air Ambulance and secondarily to try out some of my gear.  First thing to fail was the Midland blue tooth headset; so no phone calls or voice directional prompts or music; I don't know why though.  Maybe it had not been charged properly or maybe the wet was too much for it, so now I'll have to sort a back up.

My Aerostich, true to form, is not exactly waterproof but with then Gerbing Heated jacket liner and G3 gloves meant I was lightly broiled as I rode, comfortable but I'd rather been dry than steamed!

My Ulysses was perfect after about a 600 mile day so now I know what bike I will be using for my UC2C2C in 2009.  I was first to Berwick (but it is not a race) and the mist was getting thicker and I was getting wetter.  First to Whithaven too but on the way to Barrow I saw the three lads who had set of clockwise around the Boundary whereas I'd gone anti-clockwise.  These three were on a mission to as their plan was to complete the Boundary one way, turn around and do it the other way, a 1,000 mile day - lads after my own heart!

The three two way Boundary riders

Chief Marshal (Sheriff even) Malcolm Grey

I had lunch at Devils bridge and this Gypsy drove past:

he must have been left after the Appleby Horse fair.  Not much else to report but a wonderful ride in bad weather on a wonderful machine and I managed to make a bit of a difference for the Great North Air Ambulance, a result all round and now to the Euro H.O.G. Rally in Fuengirola.

Later

Dave