Half Century (Not Out)

Turning 50 seemed like the perfect reason to go on tour. I’ve ridden overseas by bike many times, but always for a social gathering with friends. This was going to be different, with the aim of experiencing the places we’d visit, avoiding major roads and having time for a relaxed pace.

The idea grew when two mates (also celebrating a half century) thought it was a great idea: Scott from Sussex and Jonny from Staffordshire. We had a pre-meet at the Stafford Classic Bike Show, which afforded Scott, who has had less experience of long distances, the chance to try out his new Z1000SX and me my R1200RS, another recent purchase. Meanwhile, Jonny’s R1200GSA had spent too much time in the shed recently, so this would give