Garry McGivern’s October 2015 update. At the beginning of the month, I was grounded, or at least I couldn’t go abroad. I had to send my passport off for renewal. So, whilst this was away I thought I’d get my saddle sorted and sent that off to get repaired. The rivets have pulled through the leather, and I keep catching my shorts on them and tearing them. Thankfully, it’s only been the shorts that I’ve caught so far!
Not having a saddle on Passpartout, I decided to load up my old Marin and went away on that for a night. I’d brought a return train ticket from Southampton on one of my trips last month, which was due to expire. So rather than waste it, I used it as a good excuse to go away!
My intention was to get the train back to Southampton and go to a nearby campsite. Then cycle back home the following morning. Unfortunately for me, the guard on the train was somebody that I used to work with many years ago. He was always telling tall stories, and things hadn’t changed! By the time I’d got to Havant, which was only about halfway, I’d had enough of his b******t and jumped off the train! I decided it was an easier option to cycle to the campsite despite there being a strong headwind. It was also rather late in the day, but it was still better than listening to him waffling on!
Check Your Gear Before Leaving
By the time I arrived at the campsite, it was getting dark, which turned out to be a bit of a problem. I suddenly realised that I didn’t have a torch! The head torch that I use sits in the front of my bar bag. But that bar bag won’t fit on the Marin, so I left it behind! Normally, when I go away, I don’t have to think too carefully about what I need to pack as it’s already packed. And the only things I have to worry about are my clothes and sleeping gear. But because I’d come away on my Marin, I had to try and think what I would need and gather it all together.
Apart from forgetting the head torch, everything else that I needed was condensed into my two rear panniers. And I had a good night’s sleep in my MSR, which was the tent of choice because of its size and weight. The next morning, I took a leisurely ride home stopping off in Portsmouth to once more explore its old town.
Bad News
My saddle arrived back later the following week. Unfortunately, it was a bit too far gone, so I’ve now got to get a new one. Still, I can’t complain it has done nearly 50’000 miles with my fat butt sat on it!
Apart from that, that’s about it for this month; there’s really not been much going on at all. Next month should be a bit more exciting as I’ve got my cousins from Australia coming to stay for a few days.
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