It is probably time I renamed my weekly blog series to something a little more accurate. They’re just not weekly anymore. Sometimes I manage a group or three or four, but then life and other posts I want to write get in the way and I end missing a week or two (or three). But while some other series title might be more correct, the weekly blog format still seems to describe what these posts are about better than anything else. That is, thoughts on life lived, lessons learnt, and experiences had. Unless you have a better title for this series?
Anyway, after a bit of gap, which I know I left some of you on a cliff hanger regarding what I decided to do with my motorbike (go back to episode 130, my post Morocco weekly blog, if you want more on that one), it’s time to do a bit more weekly blog journaling. I gave over a whole post to share how my annual One Hour Outside November Challenge went last weekend, which I thought deserved the real estate, so in this one I’ll chat about some of the other things that have been happening. Motorbikes – turning 43 – meals out – cakes – and anything else I can think of.
Why Do It That Way?
But first, one of my weekly blog lessons. I heard this story on the Feel Better Live More podcast the other week, and thought I’d pass on the teaching. The tale goes like this:
A lady was preparing a roast dinner. She got her large joint of beef, cut a slice off the end, and put the joint in her roasting tin to cook. Curious, I asked her “Why did you cut a slice off the end before you put the beef in the oven?” “Because that’s the way my mum did it”, she replied.
I went to see her mum and said – “I just watched your daughter prepare a beef joint for roasting. She cut a slice off the end before placing the joint in the pan and said she does it that way because that’s how you did it. Why do you cut a slice off the end?” “Because that’s how my mum did it”, she replied.
So, I went to see Grandma and I said to her. “I’ve just been speaking with your granddaughter and your daughter, who each tell me they cook their roast beef just like you – they cut a slice of the end, put the joint in the pan and put the pan in the oven, leaving a raw slice on the side. Why did you do it like that?”
Without a moment of hesitation, Grandma looked at me and said, “Because that’s the only way the joint would fit in the pan!”
The Moral of the Story
The moral of this story is, don’t blindly follow the way things have always been done. The circumstances now might be very different – your pan might be bigger! Following or copying how others do things might get you started, but you should pay attention to your circumstances, knowledge, and surroundings, and change things accordingly. Do things differently. Do things your way. If your pan is big enough, don’t cut the end off the beef joint!
In the same way, we shouldn’t expect others to do things exactly the way we do them. Their way of seeing the situation will be different to how we see it, and a different way may work better for them.
A good reminder in two senses. First, to look at the situations we face in life, whether they be simple everyday tasks or big challenges, and not be afraid to tackle them in your own way. And second, to never be afraid to change the way you do things, even if that’s the way it’s always been done.
My New Adventure Bike
Okay, I did it, I bought a new motorbike. After the rubbish break down experience at the end of my Morocco trip, I ended up losing trust in my old F650GS, and decided it was time to start looking around for something to replace it.
The idea was that I’d spend some time over winter and into spring, researching and test riding a number of different bikes. I was thinking I’d give the obvious a go, and maybe a wild card or two as well. I’d write some test ride reports here on Splodz Blogz, taking you through the process of a short female adventure motorcyclist choosing her new steed. Meanwhile, I would continue to use my current bike for any trips and adventures that might crop up until the right replacement came along, so there was no hurry or stress involved.
What actually happened, though, was I found out my local BMW dealer was about to put their F750GS Triple Black Low demonstrator up for sale. And, well, a week later I’d bought it.
An Easy Decision
It was all a bit of a whirlwind, but a month later I am over the shock of doing the swap so fast and am very happy with my decision. You see, as a short rider who prefers adventure style motorbikes because they do the things I want to do, I’m a bit limited in my options. And the low versions don’t come out of the factory very often.
It was like I was being presented with a very obvious and quite sensible opportunity, at exactly the right moment in time, and I decided to go for it.
The F750GS is basically the latest version of my old bike, having been brought up to date with the latest motorcycling technology. I mean, I now have traction control (novel!), different electronic ride modes, an easy-to-see TFT screen which links to my phone, a very fancy quick shift thingie, and a bunch of other goodies. The 850cc engine is nimble and quick, while the style of the bike and added kit makes it perfect for kind of riding I like to do. And given that it is the official factory low version as well, it was something of an understandable choice for me.
Look, if I could have any bike, I would most likely have a Triumph Scrambler. That’s the bike I dream of. But while you can tour on a Scrambler, it’s not made for long distance road tripping – the luggage situation is amusing. I also sat on a lowered Triumph Tiger 900 when making my final decision on the GS, but it wasn’t a good example of one, and the BMW was right there for the taking.
A Sad Goodbye
Still, I am quite sad about getting rid of my F650GS. I absolutely loved that bike, it was part of me in some ways, an outward expression of my adventurous nature, and had huge sentimental value. I mean, it’s been my adventure-mobile for over a decade, taking me to some amazing places.
Together we’ve been to Morocco, of course, had a life-changing ten weeks in Canada and the USA, tackled gravel, wind and water in Iceland, explored Spain and Portugal, Germany and Austria, and more. Although I’d been riding for a few years before getting this bike, it was on this machine that I became a somewhat reasonable motorcyclist, including learning to ride off the beaten track – as tested over in Norfolk with Adventure Bike Training, as well as out in Iceland. It was this bike that allowed me to live my childhood dream of becoming an adventure motorcyclist.
If I had the mechanical skill (or, indeed, the desire to learn) to strip it down and rebuild it – and the garage space in which to do it – I’d have kept it. But I came to realise it was the right time to say goodbye, knowing that a new (to me) bike will mean I’m all set for my next motorcycling adventures, wherever they may take me.
All the Farkles
I’ve not ridden my new bike much yet, and so there aren’t any cool photos to share. A combination of the terrible weather and dirty roads (November really was awful, wasn’t it?!), and the fact I’m waiting for my chosen engine bars to arrive (much needed just-in-case-ness), means it’s stayed tucked up in the garage since I got it.
Annoyingly, I ordered the engine bars way back on 7 November, and while the Givi touring screen I ordered at the same time arrived within a couple of days (which looks great, I’m really happy with that), the bars are yet to turn up. Hopefully I’ll hear positive news soon and can get those fitted.
To be honest, while it would have been nice to get used to my new steed already, I never ride much in winter – my bike is my ticket to explore the world overland, not a day-to-day runabout. So don’t worry, the fact I’ve not done a thousand miles on it already doesn’t mean I’m disappointed with my purchase!
Other than the screen and engine bars, other farkles I’m looking to add include a sump guard, headlight protector, RAM mount to hold my Peak Design phone case, a rack to hold my (sticker-covered) top box, a Cool Cover, and probably a bunch of other things too. And after over a decade of having a litre or two too little space in my BMW plastic side cases, I’ve also chosen to go all in and have ordered a set of Bumot metal panniers – my Christmas present to me and my bike. Maybe I can pack an extra pair of shoes next trip?!
Adventure Stories to Come
This should perhaps have been a blog post on its own considering the space I’ve given it in this weekly blog episode, but hey, it’s here now. I still plan to write an adventure journal series about our overland trip to the Sahara Desert, so there’s definitely more ‘old bike’ words and photos to come, but now you know things have moved on a bit since then.
We’ve got one trip in the diary for 2024, in which we will explore some gravel roads here in the UK, and have been looking at where we might end up on our summer road trip with a few ideas doing the rounds over the dinner table. Bring on the next decade of two-wheeled adventures!
Turning Forty-Three
The other big thing that’s happened since my last weekly blog episode, is I turned 43. I’ve written before about how I still don’t do well with birthdays, especially now I’m well into middle-age. There is something about marking the passing years that I struggle with. It makes me feel very mortal!
In fairness, this year I didn’t skimp on the celebrations. I went up onto my local hill for a walk in the wind and the rain to blow away the ageing cobwebs, and was sure to watch my favourite shows and eat my favourite foods.
I also had three birthday cakes, and three meals out – birthday can be fun even if you don’t really want to acknowledge the number itself. One of the meals was a particular standout; we had our first experience of Pyesta, a Filipino restaurant in Cheltenham. We had such an excellent meal, including Kare Kare and Bicol Express – I’d highly recommended to anyone local or visiting this area; we are already considering our next visit.
Some Lovely Gifts
Clearly, my birthday gift this year was the F750GS I wrote an essay about above. I also received some lovely bits from family and friends, some of which you’ve already seen in my Currently Loving feature at the end of November.
A friend I’ve not seen for ages sent me some brownies from Hetty’s Kitchen, another gave me a perfectly sized tea mug and some old-school pens, I received some fancy Forthay Granola and some Lush bubble bars, some money towards those motorcycle farkles I mentioned above, and some other thoughtful bits and bobs. I am once again feeling very blessed to have amazing family and friends, and am humbled that they remembered me by sending treats my way.
Look, I might not like the number going up each year, it might make me feel like time is running out to do all the things I hope for in my life, but I am not one to let any milestone go by without considering how I can use it to inspire and motivate me.
The cliché is that each birthday is a door to a new adventure, and all I can say is, bring that on. I’ve no idea what the next 12 months will look like, but here I am welcoming it in with open arms.
See You Next Time…
Clearly, after the ramblings at the start of this post, I’m not about to make a promise on when you’ll get my next weekly blog episode here on Splodz Blogz. But there will be one soon, and I am rather hoping I can carve out the time to write at least a couple more before the end of 2023 – as well as finishing the last couple of posts in my Cotswold Way hike series.
In the meantime, if you enjoyed this post, do go and read one of my other recent blogs – there’s a new Currently Loving and my One Hour Outside November challenge roundup from the last week or so. And if you’re really looking for blogs to read, my long test of the Meindl Bhutan hiking boots, my review of the (fantastic) Kula Cloth pee rag (a great Christmas gift for the hiker in your life), and this manual on De-Stinking Hiking Boots are each proving popular according to my stats at the moment.
Have a most excellent week, and I’ll see you soon for my next ‘weekly blog’.
PS Way back in early 2023, in my Becoming a Teenager post, I made the outlandish suggestion that blogging might make a comeback this year… and I think it kind of has in some ways, as people spend less time on a certain text-based social media channel. If you know someone who loves the outdoors – or you’d really like them to love the outdoors – do consider sharing Splodz Blogz with them. Thank you.
Buy Me a Cuppa?
If you enjoyed this weekly blog episode and fancy supporting me and my mini adventures this year, you can “buy me a coffee” for £3 (well, a cup of tea, if that’s okay?). Head over to Ko-fi to find out more. Thank you.