A Beaky Halloween Story

I had forgotten to tell this story from one of my trips into the mountains last year.

I’d gone south for a weekend late in October hoping to visit a few more mountain passes before the weather turned too cold.  Unfortunately my timing was poor and I’d picked a day that I really wish I’d stayed I bed.

The day was not going well.  Beaky and I had spent the day getting wet in a cold drizzle that had gotten worse the higher we went.  With the usual mud and gravel around, plus the rain, I’d been taking things  a lot more carefully than I usually do, and it was getting well into the evening as I headed west toward the hostel I’d booked.

It had seemed like a good idea at the time – a little place in the middle of nowhere, miles from any village.  Normally it was only opened in summer but I had been lucky enough to book myself a room late in the season just before the owners closed for the winter.

Now I was beginning to regret my decision.  Not only was the weather pretty grim, but it was starting to get dark. Then, as I went higher, fog.  Well, cloud to be technically correct.  There is nothing quite as disconcerting as riding in thick fog or cloud – being able to see no more than twenty meters or so needs a huge amount of concentration – the corners really appear quickly even though I was crawling along at little more than walking pave.  Add in the knowledge that on the right side of the road was a sheer drop – I have no idea how far down, the occasionally tree top I could see if I glanced that way implied it was far enough that I really did not want to find out the hard way.

I hadn't seen another vehicle in over an hour – not unusual on the mountain roads in this area. Normally during the day I might see the occasional ancient white Peugeot van, the standard farm transport around France, or a 4x4 of some sort.  Even the occasional GS.  But not tonight it seemed.  I would have been grateful for a pair of lights to follow – indeed, had someone come the other way I would have likely turned to follow them just for the safety in numbers.

That was the moment it happened – a second of lapsed concentration, another corner looming from the pea soup and a patch of mud at just the point where I braked.

The ABS kicked in as the back end hit the mud but it wasn't enough to stop the back sliding sideways, and down we went.  I hit the foresight to hit the kill switch as I tried to lower Beaky onto her side without getting my leg caught.  Luckily the crash bars did their job – I managed to scramble off and pull my leg out without any problem.  No damage done to me at least. Beaky didn't look too badly off, either.

The GS is heavy.  A loaded GS is very heavy.  I ended up taking the roll bag and one pannier off to lighten the load, and managed to haul Beaky back upright and onto the stand.

Handlebars straight…levers unbroken…mirrors okay…pedals okay…slight scratch on pannier and crash bars as expected.  SatNav...missing? It wasn't in the cradle and must have been knocked off.  I couldn't see it anywhere. Well, I knew where the hostel was, and could come back in daylight to find it.

Looks like we got away lightly, Beaky.

Only we didn't.  Turned the key to turn the ignition on.dashboard lit, lights on...press starter and...nothing.  Try again, as obviously that will make all the difference.  Still nothing.  Shit. Wait!  The kill switch!  Nope.  Still nothing.

Crap.

I pulled my torch out of the pannier (I knew it would be useful one day) and tried to see what the problem was.

Nothing obviously disconnected that I could see,

I was starting to get cold.  It wasn't that cold on the mountain, and I was wearing the Goretex jacket and trousers but coupled with wet hands and the stress of the situation I wasn't feeling so great.

I wasn't sure what to do. I knew the bed and breakfast was further down this road, but I wan't sure how much farther it was.  I knew i hadn't passed anywhere for several miles, so onward would be the best bet.  At least I could get warm, then worry about sorting out the bike the next day.

Then, thorugh the fog, I heard the sound of an engine in the distance.  Something was coming up the road I'd travelled.  As it neared, I could tell it was a motorbike.  In the gloom a speck of light appeared, then disappeared as it rounded a bend.  Then reappeared, brighter, the engine getting louder. The light resolved into an grey shape then into a motorbike.  The motorcyclist stops, obviously having seen the lights, but also to my waving him down.

At least I'm geared for the weather - the elderly chap on the bike is wearing an open face helmet, tweed jacket and trousers.  No gloves. He must be freezing.

"Bonsoir!  Que faites-vous ici?  Vous avez un problème avec votre moto?"

Well, I understood "moto" and "problème".  Deep breath.  I can do this.
"Oui...j'ai une petite problème...les electroniques...pouvez-vous me aider se il vous plaît?"

"You are English?", he replies. "I know some English."

Thank feck for that.

He jumps off his bike, and I explain what happened whilst he's poking around Beaky.

"Pas problème.  I fix" and with no further ado he goes back to his bike, unstraps a tool roll and pulls out a screwdriver and pliers.  As he sets to work, I take another look at his bike.  BMW roundel...boxer engine...beak...but...old.  Then it clicks. I've seen one before."She's an R80GS, yes?"  And get a quick nod.

The original BMW GS from the early 1980s.  And she's immaculate.   I don't mean clean, given the weather, but for a 30-odd year old bike in pretty sharp shape.  I had only seen one at the GS trophy event that summer - and that one essentially a museum piece as it was the first GS off the line.

"I have had her from new" the chap says, still working away.  "Rode her here from factory in Germany.  Well, via Dakar".  He went on to tell me some of his travels, and I related where I was heading before the accident.  "I know Madame Emmanuelle.  Not far from here.  You are almost there".

He was just getting to an anecdote about a similar breakdown he'd had in south Africa when he tried the started again and Beaky roared into life.

"Merci!  Merci!" I managed, unbelievably grateful.

He pulled his helmet on and said "Follow me, I take you to chambre d'hote"

I didn't need any further encouragement.  Strapping the bag back onto Beaky, I pull on my own helmet and gloves, and off we went.

Following someone, even a tail light, was so much easier than threading my way alone.

15 minutes later, I see a light ahead.  As we get nearer, I see it's a house...and hope it's the hostel I'm aiming for.  It must be, I think, I remember from the map there wasn't much else out here.

It is...Chez Emmanuelle is painted on the side of the house.  The light above the door is lit, and I can see light behind one of the shutters.

The chap gives a smile, a wave, and rides off, much to my surprise - I would have thought he would come in and say hello at least, or stay for a coffee as he evidently knew the owner of the place.  Maybe he just had to get on home, I surmised.

The front door opens as I take my helmet off and peel off the soggy gloves.  A face, Madame Emmanuelle (I assume) looks out.  "Monsieur 'Allett?" she asks as though I could be anyone else at this time of night.

"Bonsoir, madame, oui, je suis Hallett", I croak back.

"Entrez, entrez!

I didn't need to be asked twice.  I grabbed my bag and entered the hostel.  The door opened into a large dining room with a bar at one end.  The place was empty, but was lit, and warmed by, a roaring fire at the far end. Light flickered off the oak beams,

 "Café?", she asked me as she gestured me toward the fire.  I nodded, and as bid made my way to the other end of the room, peeling off my soaked jacket, boots and over-trousers.

I perched down on the bench seat closest to the fire, and sighed as the stress of the evening began to bleed off.

Mdm. Emmanuelle returned with the coffee.

"I am glad you have arrived, I was worried you were lost", she said.
"I almost was", I replied, and started to explain why I was so late.

As we talked, I looked around the room again, and saw the walls were covered in photographs.  I stood to take a closer look at them.  Various photos of the building over the years, many in black and white.

"You were lucky you were able to fix your bike"
"Oh, I had some help.  That other motorcyclist who was with me stopped and helped"

Some newer aerial shots showing how the little refuge was hidden in a deep valley.  Lots of photos of the visitors over the years.

"Other motorcyclist?"
"Yes, he stopped and fixed my bike, then led me here."
"Oh?  i didn't see him"
"No, he didn't wait.  I guess he lives near here - he knew you"

Emmanuelle gave me a funny look.  "No other houses around here"

I was about to explain she must be mistaken when one photo caught my eye.  Well, photos of motorbikes do.

Hah!  One of a familiar GS and old chap outside the front door, this time in summer. No wonder the old chap knew Emmanuelle, he must be a local after all.

"Him! That was the chap that helped me"  I pointed.

"Ce n'est possible"

"Oui, oui, it was him.  What is his name?".
"Jean-Marie. He used to live here when he wasn't travelling around the world on that bike.  He was always fixing things."
"He still is!  He must still live nearby, to have been passing tonight."
"Oh, no.  He doesn't live here any more.  He died twenty years ago, in an accident just up the road. It was a night just like this - they say he lost control on a patch of mud and went over the side."

Despite the fire, I suddenly felt a chill...

Idiot George

Yesterday George the Roomba decided to again test the theory that computer USB cables need vacuuming up*   He managed to unplug them and make it halfway across the room before they jammed his drive wheels, where I eventually found him that night.

I placed him on the kitchen counter after untangling him as I needed to clean him, but didn't get around to it.

Cut to this evening.

I enter my apartment thinking "I left George right-side-up.  I know he has sensors that stop him from falling off things, so I hope he isn't stupid enough to nose dive off the worktop".

No, he isn't that stupid.

He is, however, exactly stupid enough to decide the worktop needed vacuuming.

Luckily the only casualty was one glass, but even so they tend to spread nicely when dropped onto ceramic tiles.

It didn't take too long to sweep up the broken glass.

George is currently upside-down on the worktop awaiting cleaning.





*hint: they don't.

Seriously? Of course I'm taking the game seriously...

I've been sucked into MechWarrior Online, the latest incarnation of the board game I originally played at school.  Several Mechs that I remember are around, including the Catapult.

The game has a fairly steep learning curve, especially with the mryiad of options available to customise the 'mechs. 

Still, it's been a blast, and I'm finally getting to grips with the Shadowhawk and Catapult mechs.

A friend of mine also plays, and we've had a few team matches together, some of which resulted in some hilarity, admittedly only if you know the game. 

These conversations are pretty much as I remember them...

[indylead] I need to remember that the right mouse button is fire group 2, and not zoom.

[indylead] Lat game, the chap in front of me at the start of the game wasn't very happy that I shot him in the back.

[helpful friend] Well, no need to worry, the missiles on the Cat won’t arm before 170m so they won’t do any damage.

[indylead] I wasn't in the Catapult, I was in the Nova at the time.

[helpful friend] Upgrade the engine to a (insert technical term for something shiny here)

[indylead] OK, I found one of those

[indylead] I’m getting a Critical Slot Error.  Can I get a cream for that?

[helpful friend] Check what you have in the Torso mount

…time passes...

[indylead] Oh. I see what I did.

[indylead] Apparently you have to take out the old engine before installing the new one.

[indylead] I wondered why I had two exhaust pipes.

[helpful friend] Good thing I died first, I was able to watch you during the match.

[helpful friend] Your LRM seemed to have trouble targeting at the end.

[indylead] Yes, I think the arm with the targeting computer fell off.

[helpful friend] You have to keep the crosshairs on the target until you get a lock.

[indylead] I do?

[indylead] Where the hell did everyone go.  Map is empty.

[helpful lance mate] Use B to view the map full size.

[indylead] Oh, I thought we just had the little map.

…a few seconds later...

[helpful lance mate] You're dead already?  What happened?

[indylead] I should have stopped moving, *then* open the map.  I fell off the bridge.

[angry other gamer as team loses] Do you lot even know how to play?

[indylead] I’m running in small circles trying to get out of the steel rain and ran into a wall.  Do I look like I know how to play?

See you drop side.

With Great Responsibility Comes....cookies?

I've been asked by a couple of friends that they would appreciate my helping their new baby to learn English.

Since I obviously take great honor being tasked such a position of responsibility I felt it necessary to plan ahead for his first lesson next month (he's only a few weeks old, but hey, why not start early?)

So I have started to compile a list of phrases I feel he should know:

"Cookies"

"I didn't do it!"

"Dad said I could do it"

"Of course I carried out a risk assessment"

"Why thank you, I'll have a Jack Daniels"

"Cure me you idiot"

"Did you try switching it off and back on again"

I'm sure I'll think of others.

A Beaky Adventure - Valle de Bujaruelo

I went on a camping trip last weekend, despite the weather forecast promising thunderstorms and the last three camping trips all ending up with storms overnight.

There was an area on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees I wanted to explore that included several cols (passes) and a road sign (really) that I wanted to find.

Saturday's ride down was fine and went without a hitch.

Narrow road. Double Bends.  16km.  Let's Go!

Weird blue lake. 

Stripey mountain.

The camp site is a couple of miles off the surfaced road up a dirt track - not a problem for the GS!

Once I arrived at the Valle de Bujaruelo I checked in at the camp site and set up Camp Beaky.

Camp Beaky ready!

View from Camp Beaky down the valley.

 After setting up, I carried on up the track for a couple more miles to the bridge of San Nicolas de Bujaruelo.

Bridge of San Nicolas de Bujaruelo

Someone always manages to end up in shot.

That evening I had dinner at the campsite's restaurant before heading to bed.  There was no thunderstorm as promised, but a combination of the river's noise, and lunatic owl that kept hooting meant it wasn't the best night's sleep ever. Breakfast was very welcome next morning!

Breakfast at Camp Beaky.

After breakfast, I broke camp and hit the road again.

On the road from the camp.

Small church in the middle of nowhere.

Another cool road sign!

I reached home without incident, although a little rain on the way back dampened the spirits a little. Still, I had a great weekend - 800 miles, and several more cols ticked off the list!

Beaky's Bitz - Part 4 - Pannier

So what do I keep in that left pannier?  The pannier is slightly smaller on this side as there is a cut out for the exhaust, but it neatly holds the smaller hessian bag from Tesco (the larger style fitting the right side perfectly)

This is where I store all the stuff I carry all the time, and runs to just under half the pannier.

Top row, left to right: hi-viz jacket in zip pocket; paracord and maglite; pocket knife; belt cutter.  These all fit into the pouch.

Bottom row, left to right: Kreiga tool roll; duct tape and electrical tape; spare glasses, 1/2" socket handle, spare headlight bulbs (pack of two).

Most of that is self explanatory.  Hi-Viz and bulbs are legal requirements here in France. Paracord, duct tape and electrical tape can fix pretty much everything between them.  The pocket knife is a folding Opinel that I need to modify to not lock open before I return to the UK. 

The belt cutter was a freebie and is designed to cut through car seat belts safely.  I figured it would be potentially more use with the bike than in a drawer at home.

The socket handle is for the 24mm socket I have that undoes the rear wheel nut, but is too large for the tool roll.

Speaking of which...in there are:

Top row, left to right: craft knife; small screw driver; socket handle; stumpy screwdriver for hex heads and 24mm socket (1/2" drive); snips; pliers; cable ties.

Bottom row, left to right: pencil, torx allen keys (T50, 45, 40) and T40 and T25 1/4" drive bits; Torx T40, T30, T25, T20: T15, T10; selection of hex bits; 1/4" drive sockets (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13mm); pressure gauge.

Right side, top to bottom: spanners (17, 13, 13 (again..) 11/10 and 10mm); adjustable spanner (metric!);  allen keys 6mm, 5, 4, 3).

Missing from the photos is a plastic folder with my documents in (another legal requirement here), several rok-straps for strapping on luggage and a couple of regular bungees.

Beaky's Bitz - Part 3 - Tank Bags

Next in the series...tank bags.

Love 'em or hate 'em, I'm in the former group on this.  Partly because the common criticism that you have to move it to refuel isn't an issue on the GS :)  I like having the camera handy so I don't have to get off the bike when I want to take a photo, plus when on longer trips I can't always get into the panniers, so the tank bag give me somewhere to put everything I need quickly.

Not easy to get things from the panniers with luggage...

I first added an Oxford bag to the CBF125 which allowed me to carry a few more bits and pieces on day trips. No photo of that one, and attaching it needed a little lateral thinking as the plastic side fairings meant the magnetic mount was of limited use.

For the G650GS I had the Touratech bag designed for the bike.  This lasted well, and put up with some fairly bad Welsh weather...

G650GS with tank bag

When I picked up the F800, one of the first additions was a tank bag (the G650GS one didn't fit). Again, I went with the Touratech option.

F800GS with tank bag

The main compartment is huge - plenty of room for all the odd bits I want to have to hand, or don't want to leave with the bike.  A zipper allows the bag to be expanded if more space is needed, and there is velcro map poacket on the top that will take A4 sheets. The side pocket has a plastic buckle rather than a zip, and seems designed for a phone.  The other side has an elastic mesh thing that holds your gloves (useful at the toll booth...) and a zippered pocket is useful for small stuff like earplugs or keys.

This has worked well, but my jacket velcro was wearing away the fabric around the zip, to the point where opening the bag was a problem, and I needed a replacement (obviously after I replaced the jacket...)

The attachments for the bag stay on the bike: there are two straps that hook on at the front near the head stock.  These clip to the plastic quick-release buckles (one seen in the photo below).  The back of the bag locates on a velcro pad that is fixed under the seat.  In addition, for heavy loads there are two side straps that attach to the frame on either side of the bike.  These I don't think I have ever used, but I do carry them in one of the side pockets.

To replace this, I upgraded to the Exp Sport, also from Touratech. More expensive, but the two side pockets are zipped and so more useful, and there is still a useful elastic glove holder. This uses the same attachments as the older bag (literally, in my case, as I didn't swap them over).

I've added a couple of zip-pulls to the main section (in photo) using paracord and zip cord ends from Bouncing Rabbit (a great place for all your elastic cord needs - more on this when I get around to the camping kit).  These make opening the bag a lot easier with clunky motorcycle gloves on.

So what on earth do I carry in this?

Stuff!

For a typical day trip this lot will be in the bag along with my wallet and passport.

Back row, left to right

Tank bag (really!);  (in plastic bag) micro and mini USB cables with BMW plug (to charge from the bike); rain cover

Middle row, left to right

Wet wipes (great for getting most flies off the visor!); tissues; silk gloves (for extra warmth); digital camera; puncture repair kit; 35mm film canisters, one with fuses* and one with spare ear plugs

Front row, left to right:

Drift HD camera, with batteries and cards; various RAM mounts for camera; cloth and cleaner for the rest of the bugs on the visor; multitool; Garmin 660 satnav on carry case (usually on a handlebar mount when in use).

Not shown in photo, in pockets inside lid of bag

Baby tripod for camera; pens and I always throw in the relevant Michelin orange map** into the map holder for the area I'm in.   This still leaves room for a baseball cap or other hat depending on the weather and a jumper if I am carrying luggage that makes the panniers hard to get into...

Ride safe.

*yes, I know the GS is fuse-less...this just kinda keeps ending up in the bag instead of the tool box and at least I can help out others.

** awesome maps.  500-series, Waterproof 1cm to 2km maps with 17 covering mainland France which show enough detail that I can work out where I am to supplement the satnav.

Beaky's Bitz - Part 2 - Crash helmets

Not so much Beaky's bitz, but mine.

I've only had two crash helmets since I learnt to ride motorcycles, and haven't had cause to test them out in a crash (yet!).

These are Shoei XR-1000 (right) and the Nolan N104 (left)

Shoei XR-1000

This was bought before I even had a bike, and was chosen mostly for the colour and the fact it was a Shoei and in a sale. Having said that, it's been a good helmet for nearly three years of riding in all conditions (40 degree heat through heavy rain, hail to snow).

It's comfortable, and pretty quiet.  Also took the adhesive Drift camera mount without problem. Ventilation isn't too bad, and it has the attachment for pinlock visors (useful, but not if you also wear glasses, as those still fog up!)

The D-lock strap is easy once you get the knack of it.

Whilst the chin padding is removable, the rest of the padding isn't. This can get quite manky after a French summer of riding in 35+ degrees...

One benefit of this helmet over the Nolan that I did not appreciate fully was that it would fit into the pannier on the GS - useful when shopping.  The alternative that I also use is a cycle lock on the back to go through the chin guard and the pannier frame.

Nolan N104

After wearing the Shoei for a few years, I decided I wanted something more suited to the touring I was doing.  I decided the flip front would be useful in hotter weather, plus this also has an integral pop-down sun visor (so no more switching prescription sunglasses back and forth). Finally, the padding is all removable (and washable!) and there are the pinlock studs for the visor inserts.

I've been wearing this helmet for about six months, and it is a little noisier than the Shoei (but not much), and the only other downside I've found is that there is nowhere to mount the Drift camera - but this would be true for most flip-face helmets.

This helmet uses a clip on the strap in place of the D-rings.  Whilst this is okay, it makes for a larger strap which in some reviews can be uncomfortable - for me it is more noticeable with a high-neck jacket (e.g. Klim Overland) as it can sometimes catch as you turn your head. Not a problem, but something to be aware of.

One final note - you can't see them in the photo, but both have the obligatory reflective stickers for use in France.  When I bought the Shoei in the UK, the stickers were supplied and promptly binned; I then had to source some via the internet on moving here.  The Nolan (bought in France) had them included.

As mentioned above, this helmet doesn't fit into the GS pannier.  Whilst I should have checked this before buying, it would not have been a show-stopper to buy the helmet, as I already have an alternative in place that works just as well for this .

Beaky's Bitz - Part 1 - The Bike

Good grief, a blog entry!  Yes, I thought it was high-time I dusted out the cobwebs in here and made another post.

I've been thinking for sometime about writing up some reviews on the after-market bits and pieces I've added to Beaky the F800GS over the last two years, and perhaps also for the gear I wear.  I figured it might be useful to someone.

And so I am pleased to announce the first in an irregular series of... (drumroll...) Beaky's Bitz!

Magnum MSX horn

The stock horn on the GS is, shall we say, a little wimpy. The MSX is 130-odd decibels to wake up those car drivers. Guaranteed to scare the crap out of any dopey driver drifting your way. Fitting it was a doddle once I'd ordered the connection kit to go with the Canbus that the GS uses - simply plug in the wires and re-attach the mounting screws. I added a liberal coating of sealant around the exposed terminals, as the horn location is up behind the beak, so a little exposed to the elements. Some reviews I have seen claim the loudness is not the 130dB quoted, however it is certainly louder than the stock, and I've woken up a few people with it.

£22 from Nippy Norman and £16 for the wiring kit.

It appears this is no longer supplied by Norman, however, but I'm sure it can be sourced elsewhere.

Adventure Spec Crash Bars

I had the Touratech crash bars on the G800GS, and was close to going for the equivalent for the 800 until I saw the reviews for these. Looking at them, the offering from Adventure Spec gave better protection to the body panels and seeing some After shots from a slide down a road I decided to go for these.


Fitting these was, technically-speaking, straight forward even for one person. The issue I had was undoing the left-side bolt that was in a deep recess on the frame, and I had to order a suitable torx head socket piece.


Useage...well I haven't fallen off since fitting the bars, so can't comment first hand. It certainly looks like they would at least reduce damage to me and Beaky if we were to go over; and my leg would be given some protection against getting trapped between the ground and the bike.

One thing I have noticed is that my knees can touch the bars at times. I usually wear bike jeans with knee inserts, or waterproof overals with the same knee pads. It's not enough to be a problem, but anyone with longer legs than me might have more of an issue. My inside leg is 33", and I', 6'2".

Other than that...it's given me a cool location to mount the video camera...once I can remove the vibration.

Top Sellerie seat

Top Sellerie is a French company who offer a huge range of after market seats.  The stock seat on the GS is not the most comfortable (mind you, neither was the stock seat on the G650GS...but the CBF125 was fine...).  I found after an hour or so things would start to get uncomfortable.

After some research, I took a gamble and ordered the "type 1" standard seat, with the gel padding option. The company offer a reduced price if you send them your old seat to use as a base, but I didn't want the down time, and went for the brand new option.

The seat took a month to make, ship and deliver.  Fitting was exactly the same as the stock seat.

Style - definitely looks good, and even came with the F800GS logo embroidered on in white, to match Beaky.
Comfort - a huge improvement!  After 20k miles on this seat, I can say it's a huge improvement over the stock seat.  I've had several 8-9 hour days in the saddle, with one day reaching 13 hours.  Essentially the fuel stops are now the deciding factor on when to stop, not a numb backside.

Touratech windscreen

The stock screen is pretty small, and I'd read a lot about the improvements a larger screen makes.  I went for the offering from Touratech. Fitting was easy, with all the parts provided as usual.  

Has it made any difference?  Well...yes and no.  The amount of wind (and rain) hitting me is reduced, for sure but at the expense of increased noise and head buffet.   Neither issue is a show stopper - the buffet is not too bad, and I always wear ear plugs for longer trips.  As I mentioned before, I'm a little taller than average, so a shorter ride might have fewer problems.  I need to switch the screens back and do a better comparison at some point.

Touratech Luggage rack

Also from Touratech, this gives me a larger flat area on the back to strap things on. Does what it says on the tin...easy to fit, lots of holes to strap, hook or tie things to. It reduces the wear on the rear seat, as I can move things back a little.

Garmin 660 Satnav

There are lots of threads on various forums that discuss the pros and cons of satnavs (and not just for motorbikes).  My view is that the satnav is another useful tool to be used with a healthy dose of common sense...just like any tool.  I still carry a map on long trips, but having a turn-by-turn warning to navigate a new town is too useful. I had tried a version for my smart phone (the name escapes me) that was crap, plus the data charges for UK phones on the mainland are insane.

Anyway...I went for the Garmin 660.  this comes with all the goodies you could possibly need (and a few I don't) to get the system up and running on the bike.  It's waterproof, so doesn't get stuck in a misted-up tank bag.  It's handlebar mounted, so I can see it alongside my dashboard.  It's hardwired into the bike, so I don;t have to worry about flat batteries.

Since buying the set, I've upgrade to the lifetime map updates, and get a couple of updates each year from it for the whole of Europe.  The basecamp sofware is pretty good (once you get used to it - it's not google maps!) but works well.

I've had the occasional derp moment when I am clearly being directed down a side road, only to rejoin the main road in a few hundred meters (review earlier comment about common sense) and a couple of interesting side roads when using the "shortest route" option - not always suitable for cars (but okay for Beaky) and in a few cases down roads that aren't passable (legally or physically) by Beaky.

Oh...whilst the 660 has the ability to sync via bluetooth to a headset and phone so that you can hear directions, I don't use this, and rely at glances to the 660 for the upcoming turn.

Okay, that's enough for tonight.  Coming soon...the factory-fitted options, my gear and maybe even my camping kit.  We'll see.

Ride safe!

Hirst Arts caddy for Magic the Gathering decks

An update on Sarid and Theo's wedding and the adventures in Belgium and the Netherlands may be added later, in the meantime here is how the model for their wedding came together.

 

Hirst Arts produce silicon molds for making plaster casts of bricks and architectural features for wargaming scenery.  I had been thinking of trying them out for a couple of years, but never quite had the enthusiasm, or the ideas, to try them.

A few months ago inspiration hit me - during a game of Magic the Gathering I thought it might be an idea to make a deck caddy to hold the cards during a game. Also, with Theo and Sarid's wedding coming up this gave me an idea for a unique gift for them.

#54 Gothic Church
#55 Bell Tower

#50 Wizard's Tower Mold

#40 Basic Block Mold                   

I'd originally picked up the first two, as each is a neat project in it's own right, but for what I wanted I thought the elements of the two models would be easily modified to fit the design I had in mind.
After a weekend casting with those two, I ordered the #50 and #40 molds to help bulk out the basic bricks.

I had some fun finding a source of the plaster here in Toulouse, partly due to translation issues and partly to find a decent quality material that was recommended.  Fortunately, I found just the place, and then promptly spent the best part of two weekend casting bricks...

These are (still) sorted into piles on the floor of my spare room, although I have a few ideas to use them up.

With the bricks ready, I could start designing the caddy.  My first prototype was using simple bricks to check the scale.  This included two sections, one for the 'library' and one for the 'graveyard' discard stack.

Dry-fit prototype to check sizes and layout (each basic 'brick' is 1" long, by 1/2" high and 1/2" deep)

Boring plain wall, but it's to get the scale right!

View of cards inside:

Dry fit seemed to work, so these were glued together.  The interlocking seen above was ignored; the prototype was made in flat sections then assembled - although not as strong, the glue is good enough to not need the interlock strength.  Using this approach allows each section to be made using Lego formers to ensure everything is square.

My original idea for the final model was that the long wall would be one side of a church nave, with the end walls also having some arch designs.

Some dry-fit planning:

Short wall (end piece)

Long wall:

On the day I started assembly the wall sections using this design, I had a game of MtG with Theo (without telling him what I was doing, of course!) and realised I had made a slight error in my planning...

As well as the two bays already designed, I also needed a third for exiled cards.

D'oh.

I modified the design so the 'church' covered only one of the bays, to hold the library stack.  The other two bays would be small walled areas, like a graveyard or similar.

The modified wall sections were easy to make, as shown below:

The model base will be 3mm polystyrene plastic card, and PVA glue.

The library stack area has a plastic card base added.  This holds the cards at a slight angle, and is sized to make it easy to draw cards:

With the assembled walls I found a few large unsightly gaps that the glue had not filled.  These were filled with milliputt (a two-part epoxy putty) that can be sculpted like clay, and dries hard.

With the assembly complete, time to paint.

Undercoat:  Since the plaster is white, any areas not covered would show up on the final model. The undercoat was black acrylic paint, thinned slightly to ensure it ran into the deep gaps.

Base coat: Using the same acrylics, a 50/50 mix of black and white was used, with a touch of blue to simulate granite.  This was applied using the dry brushing (more a "wet brushing" as I wanted a fairly good coverage of everything except the deeper recessed areas). 

Dry brushing is a quick way of adding an exaggerated light shade of the base coat.  Most of the paint is wiped off the brush (so it is dry, geddit?) and then lightly brushed on.  This means the paint is only applied to the outer surfaces, not the recesses.  By applying successive lighter coats (both in terms of shade and brush pressure).

I used a 25/75 black/white mix (again with a little blue) which was dry brushed over, followed by a lighter coat using more white in the mix.

A final very pale grey highlight was added on the sharp edges.

A couple of grave stones were also added, painted in the same way.

The "grass" is Games Workshops static grass flock material, scattered over PVA glue.
Finally, I added a sheet of cork to the underside to protect the table top.

My original plan was to add some suitably Gothic miniatures in the window arches; however I was unable to find something I liked the look of, and instead printed some stained glass windows, trimmed to fit and glued in place.
 

Of course I had to check the cards fit...

Phew.

Except that, as both Sarid and Theo play Magic, one wasn't going to be enough...so I made a second in a different colour (and slightly different architecture trimmings)...

The last-but-one job was to varnish the model with a coat of varnish, then to finish I made a box to put the models in to transport them to the wedding!

Postscript:
Both models made it to the wedding in one piece, and Theo and Sarid were pleased with them.  I'm already planning the next model - a tile holder for Carcassonne pieces