posted by Nomadic1
<<(must be coz im a beemer rider, and not an XT660 rider)>>



I thought everyone in Sheffield had swapped their BMWs for rowing boats after the floods............

I'm new too, and I don't know anyone (Sob! Sniffle!). Just traded in my VFR800 for a Wee-Strom! Travelled about in the UK but want to branch out abroad,where is a good place to cut my adventure teeth? Any suggestions welcome!
have fun!
Tim xx

Will save some aggro. Lots of info here on specifics.

Tim,
If you have never ridden in Scotland then you can count it as "abroad" and the roads are fabulous outside the big cities!

After that, go to France - just down the road from you with lots of great routes available. Then branch out in whatever direction takes your fancy.

:welcome:

Dave

How are you with languages?
 

If you're not very good at learning other languages, take a trip to Harwich and over to the Netherlands. You'll break your foreign riding cherry, but with no language problems. It is a gentle introduction, but just foreign enough that you know you've left the UK; they have a lot of interesting history; their art (especially the "golden age") is the best Europe has produced, in my wholly biased opinion; as an outward looking, trading nation, they have been influenced by the whole world, which is just as well as their domestic cuisine is not exciting; the people are generally great although they have their share of AHs; they are near enough to Belgium for reliable supplies of the best chocolate and beer anywhere; the stag and hen parties have now moved on to Eastern Europe so you won't be embarrassed by so many drunken Brits; when you go further afield I guarantee you will find a Dutchman there. As you get further east you will get to more interesting roads and even find some of what the Dutch think of as "hills", and you can easily slip ove rthe border into Germany. Hell, I'm almost talking myself into a long weekend away now, but I have to finish this job first.

I consider myself good at picking up languages, but when I worked there for a year I learned only six things: Hello/goodbye; please/thank you; yes/no. This wasn't because the Dutch were rude, far from it, they were so polite that as soon as they heard my English accent they switched to English. I'm still embarassed that I learned so little when I should have done more. I promise to do better when I move there permenantly.

Yes Bossie, best wishes for your coming farewell soon. I wish you all the best for a smooth departure.

I can recommend two great books for you on your journey - they're Richard Dawkins" "The God Delusion", and Charles Darwin's "Origin of Species".

Thanks for the advice! Just come back from 2 weeks in Scotland as it happens! It was that trip that prompted me to trade in the VFR, My back and wrists were crippled after a couple of 500 mile days! Can recommend the Red Squirrel campsite in Glencoe, and the Clachaig pub up the road for top food and quality ale. Also the Sligachan campsite on Skye.
Riding through France and down to Valencia in November for the GP, does that count as an adventure?:wink2:
Tim x

You'll do for me Tim!
Great choice that tour around Scotland and the Clachaig is a tremendous pub with a good night life (there used to be a youth hostel nearby with loads of visitors at this time of year, especially of the female type!?) - the pub used to have a hole in the wall and that was used to throw the empty bottles out the back (a new take on "re-cycling" - I guess that is not PC nowadays so it may have been blocked up).
I've camped in the camp site at Invercoe on the loch side within walking distance of the Glencoe Hotel - don't remember what it was called though.

Know what you mean about the VFR - the last time I was in Scotland it was on a Blackbird.


So, it is France next as well - told you! BTW, for me, any bike ride is an adventure. :thumbup1:

Cheers,