Got a bike!
For the last month or so I’ve been scanning the local papers and the internet for a decent bike being sold locally. Two weekends ago I finally found a likely candidate and got a lift out to Ballinasloe with a workmate to look at a likely ride. A Honda CBX 750, it was, and after looking at it for a fair while and taking it for a quick spin I decided that it’d do the duty nicely. It had a decent seat with space for my girlfriend, a half fairing and plenty of horse. With a few adjustments it’d make an alright tourer, I thought. So I bought it.
That’s not to say it’s perfect either. Although, my budget doesn’t have a lot of room to stretch at the mo, so I was never looking for a dream bike. It’s a 1985 model, which means it’s been around for 22 years now, and there are a few things that show its age. But it’s got low mileage for a 22 year old bike, is relatively clean and quiet, and as long as it doesn’t fall apart before the end of the year I’ll be happy.
My new bike outside my Flat
I rode it home that Saturday, and the next day went for a ride out to the west of Galway. It took a bit of time to get used to the characteristics of a 4-cylinder road bike, after my one-cylinder trailie. For example, my old XR red-lined at about 5000 revs, whereas the CBX has hardly started accelerating by then. And boy can she accelerate. Turns a lot quicker too with a 16 inch front tyre, the XR had a 21 inch front.
I rode out of Galway and along the coast to Spiddel, before cutting inland across the start of the Connemarra. The land out this way is fairly similar to Central Otago back home, with tussock clad rocky hills rolling out into the distance. Although, Central Otago doesn’t have all the bogs and loughs.
Riding out on the Connemarra
The road out this way was fairly rough, and I was quickly finding out that the CBX doesn’t soak up a pothole in the same manner the XR could. I wound up and over the bare hills, past stone walled cottages and houses and through flocks of sheep until I didn’t have a clue where I was and decided to backtrack the way I’d come. Upon getting back to the flat I worked out that if I’d carried on another 10 minutes or so I’d have come out on the banks of Lough Corrib and could’ve made an easy loop back to Galway, but if you ride without a map you expect these sort of things. Still, I was well impressed with the CBX and couldn’t wait to go for another ride.
My bike taking a photo of me for a change.
Sheep on the road makes a change from Kangaroos! These ones hardly moved out of the way as I rode past, like they had more right to the road than I did.
Next week, the weekend just been, I rode south down the coast. The weather was fairly good for this time of year, and most of the time I was riding under blue sky. There were a couple of thunderstorms in front of me at times, but by luck they passed by before I got there.
Dunguaire Castle, just out of Kinvarra
This time I did have a map along, but it still didn’t take me more than an hour to get a bit disoriented. Ireland roads are really tricky, as there are plenty of them and they intersect each other all the time. After a while of cutting inland over some hills I decided to head west back to the coast but somehow ended up going north and did a bit of a loop. It meant I rode past a couple of pre-historic dolmens and stone forts, so I wasn’t worried at all. They’re something to see, well there’s not much to see to be honest, a couple of stones standing upright and all, but to think that they were put that way maybe 3000 years ago is quite buzzy.
The Cascades, at Ennistymon
Once I’d got my bearings sorted I headed South to Ennistymon and then across to the Cliffs of Moher. The Cliffs of Moher are one of the scenic must-sees on the West Coast, kind of reminiscent to Nugget Point back home or the 12 Apostles in Aussie. Unfortunately, these cliffs have recently developed a bad case of touristitis and now feature large, paved walkways, restaurants, information centres and buskers. A good way to spoil a perfectly good cliff, if you ask me.
Looking back across the Cliffs of Moher
Fortunately, just round the coast to the north the symptoms cease and the coastline is suitably rugged and picturesque. I stood for a while on the coast there, looking out towards the Arann Islands. If you’ve ever seen Father Ted, you’ll have a good idea of what the Arann Islands look like. I mean to go over that way for a look at some stage.
The Irish West Coast, just out from Doolin.
From the Cliffs of Moher I rode up the coast road back to Galway. This was a well surfaced road and a heck of a lot of fun. The road is less than a k from the ocean the whole way round, and rugged rocky hilltops rise steeply on the other side. There’s even a couple of old castles looking out towards the sea. I’ll definitely be riding this way again in the future.
Looking down towards Doolin, on the Coast Road back to Galway. The Arann Islands are on the horizon behind the castle.
When I got back to the flat I realised why my brakes weren’t working as well as I thought they should, my front fork seals are leaking and oil is running down onto the disks. Means I’ll have to get new fork seals, which is no real bother, but I’ll have to wait until next month to get them as buying the CBX used up most of my salary for this month. So much so, in fact, that I might not have enough spare cash to scrape together for a pint or two of Guinness on St Patrick’s day, which is less than a fortnight away now.
Nah, who am I kidding? Where there’s a will there’s a way, and there will be a way to afford St Paddy’s, even if it means eating beans for a month.
That’s not to say it’s perfect either. Although, my budget doesn’t have a lot of room to stretch at the mo, so I was never looking for a dream bike. It’s a 1985 model, which means it’s been around for 22 years now, and there are a few things that show its age. But it’s got low mileage for a 22 year old bike, is relatively clean and quiet, and as long as it doesn’t fall apart before the end of the year I’ll be happy.
My new bike outside my Flat
I rode it home that Saturday, and the next day went for a ride out to the west of Galway. It took a bit of time to get used to the characteristics of a 4-cylinder road bike, after my one-cylinder trailie. For example, my old XR red-lined at about 5000 revs, whereas the CBX has hardly started accelerating by then. And boy can she accelerate. Turns a lot quicker too with a 16 inch front tyre, the XR had a 21 inch front.
I rode out of Galway and along the coast to Spiddel, before cutting inland across the start of the Connemarra. The land out this way is fairly similar to Central Otago back home, with tussock clad rocky hills rolling out into the distance. Although, Central Otago doesn’t have all the bogs and loughs.
Riding out on the Connemarra
The road out this way was fairly rough, and I was quickly finding out that the CBX doesn’t soak up a pothole in the same manner the XR could. I wound up and over the bare hills, past stone walled cottages and houses and through flocks of sheep until I didn’t have a clue where I was and decided to backtrack the way I’d come. Upon getting back to the flat I worked out that if I’d carried on another 10 minutes or so I’d have come out on the banks of Lough Corrib and could’ve made an easy loop back to Galway, but if you ride without a map you expect these sort of things. Still, I was well impressed with the CBX and couldn’t wait to go for another ride.
My bike taking a photo of me for a change.
Sheep on the road makes a change from Kangaroos! These ones hardly moved out of the way as I rode past, like they had more right to the road than I did.
Next week, the weekend just been, I rode south down the coast. The weather was fairly good for this time of year, and most of the time I was riding under blue sky. There were a couple of thunderstorms in front of me at times, but by luck they passed by before I got there.
Dunguaire Castle, just out of Kinvarra
This time I did have a map along, but it still didn’t take me more than an hour to get a bit disoriented. Ireland roads are really tricky, as there are plenty of them and they intersect each other all the time. After a while of cutting inland over some hills I decided to head west back to the coast but somehow ended up going north and did a bit of a loop. It meant I rode past a couple of pre-historic dolmens and stone forts, so I wasn’t worried at all. They’re something to see, well there’s not much to see to be honest, a couple of stones standing upright and all, but to think that they were put that way maybe 3000 years ago is quite buzzy.
The Cascades, at Ennistymon
Once I’d got my bearings sorted I headed South to Ennistymon and then across to the Cliffs of Moher. The Cliffs of Moher are one of the scenic must-sees on the West Coast, kind of reminiscent to Nugget Point back home or the 12 Apostles in Aussie. Unfortunately, these cliffs have recently developed a bad case of touristitis and now feature large, paved walkways, restaurants, information centres and buskers. A good way to spoil a perfectly good cliff, if you ask me.
Looking back across the Cliffs of Moher
Fortunately, just round the coast to the north the symptoms cease and the coastline is suitably rugged and picturesque. I stood for a while on the coast there, looking out towards the Arann Islands. If you’ve ever seen Father Ted, you’ll have a good idea of what the Arann Islands look like. I mean to go over that way for a look at some stage.
The Irish West Coast, just out from Doolin.
From the Cliffs of Moher I rode up the coast road back to Galway. This was a well surfaced road and a heck of a lot of fun. The road is less than a k from the ocean the whole way round, and rugged rocky hilltops rise steeply on the other side. There’s even a couple of old castles looking out towards the sea. I’ll definitely be riding this way again in the future.
Looking down towards Doolin, on the Coast Road back to Galway. The Arann Islands are on the horizon behind the castle.
When I got back to the flat I realised why my brakes weren’t working as well as I thought they should, my front fork seals are leaking and oil is running down onto the disks. Means I’ll have to get new fork seals, which is no real bother, but I’ll have to wait until next month to get them as buying the CBX used up most of my salary for this month. So much so, in fact, that I might not have enough spare cash to scrape together for a pint or two of Guinness on St Patrick’s day, which is less than a fortnight away now.
Nah, who am I kidding? Where there’s a will there’s a way, and there will be a way to afford St Paddy’s, even if it means eating beans for a month.
posted by matt at 2:43 PM
