The next day I rode to Newhaven and met Dan. Fuelled up and hit my first lane. This was Beddingham BW8 in East Sussex. Even though the bike kept stalling I could not help but grin my arse off behind all the mud and crap. I was keeping up with Dan. I was happy with that as he has a good year of experience and was on a KTM 450 exc.
That was until a slippery climb where the bike power just died, jerked back into life and ploughed me into a steep bank. I was furious, knackered and for the first time on a bike, had forearm pump. Not had that since my last rock climbing session.
I climbed that hill and felt elated i had conquered the climb. Onwards to some more great trails and then disaster.......
I should have sussed that Dans ride lines were not always the best we he confessed to picking the puddle lines instead of the easiest. We went through some marsh land called 'White Dyke'. I followed Dans lines and found my self in deep deep ruts filled with water and underlying slick mud.
Dan was 40 yards in front and fell off head first intro a huge deep rut. I creased up laughing, lost concentration as well as the front end and also launched myself headfirst into a deep mudbath pool. I stumbled to get to the kill switch but in my now sodden road boots, failed. The bike was underwater and chugged to a stop.
I got the bike upright, pushed it back 200yds to dry tarmac. Knackering while sliding around in gloop. It was deader than a dead thing. Neither Dan or I had any tools or the knowledge to use them. The story of my first ride ends with the DRZ in the back of Dans van and being driven back to my garage.
Things learnt today:
1:Dont follow another riders lines aimlesly
2:Carry a toolkit
3:Learn what to actually do with the kit in a breakdown situation
4:Should have got a bike with a kick start as DRZ is electric start only. Pants in heavy wet conditions.
5: Dan is a star for getting the van and taking me home.
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