Let me pad this out a bit.
In the late 60’s all the teenage boys had bikes and their girlfriends were pillions. Yup, I did that, but realized it was going to be more fun being in the ‘driving seat’.
So my 16th birthday bike was a point and push, kickstart, mostly, but not always, moped. I couldn’t wait to move onto a ‘big bike’. Oh! I loved that Lambretta; we had 3 glorious years together. I passed my bike test on it, which in those days gave me the licence to ride anything on 2 wheels.
Fast forward over 30 years and the burning desire to get back on a bike had never left me, it just hadn’t been all that possible with 3 kids and a business. And then I watched a close friend, exactly the same age as me, die of breast cancer. It was a huge wake up call to stop putting off doing the things I’d planned for ‘sometime in the future’. I was investigating a small bike for my son when I fell in love. The shiniest prettiest thing I had ever seen. The Suzuki Volusia 800. It took 2 years for the timing to be right to get it and a scary 1 day returner’s course to show me how to use the pedal gear change. When I look back now I’m horrified that I was let loose on the road with a beast like that having not ridden for over 35 years.
It didn’t take too long to realise the limitations of a long wheelbase, sparks flying off the footpegs going round a bend, cruiser. Someone suggested the Yamaha TDM which couldn’t have been more different, but I loved it. I realised some training would be good, did IAM, and subsequently became an observer. I also rode for Blood Bikes for over four years riding the RT and Pan European.
I did two guided tours before Magellan. To be honest at the time of the first one Felix was probably still at Uni. Whilst I enjoyed them I didn’t like riding in a pack every day and being led. I did a couple of overseas trips with IAM too but again, found them a bit restricting. I wasn’t brave enough to go it alone though.
Fast forward again to 2014/15 and I found myself living in West Wales and newly single for the first time in over 30 years. Mmm. Well, the best thing for a broken heart would be a motorbike trip on my fabulous KTM 1190, known as Ginge. No idea how Magellan became the company I went to Spain with but it was such an important experience for me. Felix was our guide and I just loved it. The roads, the company and most of the hotels. I gave Felix some ‘interesting feedback’ on the ones I thought weren’t up to scratch. I had the bug. I loved the relaxed, but efficient way the tour was organized.
