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A Rough Last Day
Ride Date 14 Nov 2025
By Ren Withnell
Hmmmm. Yeah. Doesn't sound good. As my eyes open and a vague form of lucidity returns I can hear the rain rattling the tin roof of our static. I'm fearful of waking Her Ladyship, more than usual as her reaction to the rain is unlikely to be positive. The BBC is offering no hope whatsoever. With a grave face the presenter points to huge swathes of blue across most of the country, mostly over our area.
It'll be fine, the BBC's weather team always err on the pessimistic side ever since Michael Fish's faux pas in October 1987. I reckon it'll be a bit wet in places, otherwise damp. Hopefully.
Sharon is indeed non-plussed. In spite of herself she's keeping an open mind and a positive outlook. We're packed up and loaded just before the 1000 exit time. As I return the keys with a little confusion about booking out - Sharon stands outside and the rain pours heavily. She's fully waterproofed up and helmeted yet still looks like a drowned rat and as miserable as rotting lettuce.
Out through a drenched Ingoldmells. Along the fairly straight roads west by north west while struggling to see through the deluge. It takes an hour and a half of soggy junctions and dank collars and cuffs until we reach Hemswell Antiques Cafe. We splash into the car park and pass gloomy looks to each other as we squelch into the cafe. We need the break, our jackets drip and we hug our hot drinks. The idea of returning outside is not enticing at all.
And yet we must return outside. Wet trims of helmet and soppy gloves are restored and the bikes splash once more. A straight road to the M180 makes life easier, I'm glad to be on the motorway. I'm hoping the straighter lanes will be easier to follow through the spray.
The next 75 miles of motorway are every bit as wet and as difficult as I've known. I'm keeping to the left lane where I can, the notion of hurling myself down the middle or outside lanes at 70mph is terrifying, I'm struggling with the 56mph of the trucks. There's times when a van may pass the spray is so thick and heavy I feel as though I'm being waterboarded. It's horrible and even with effective waterproofs the teeming rain is making it's way through the tiniest of gaps.
I pull into Hartshead Moor Services. If I'm worn out and stressed Sharon must be shattered and shell-shocked. She is. She was passed by a couple of trucks running through a river across the motorway, it was like being hosed down by 2 firetrucks at close quarters. We are both tired and bewildered. We drink tea, laughing nervously, trying to keep the mood, trying to stay positive.
At least the final 56 miles are familiar, and in a rare turn of events Manchester's rain is "less" than we've endured so far. This being said the final few miles can perhaps be the most dangerous. We're exhausted, wet, cold, and on friendly ground. It'll be all too easy to allow the concentration to slip, to make an assumption, to relax and drop our guard. Imagine successfully negotiating all those troubles only to cock up within sight of safety?
Sharon's house comes into view. It is a huge relief to have done all that safely, we are both alive and... I was going to say well but we're far from ideal.
It takes another hefty dose of effort to actually put the bikes away, unload the luggage and secure the perimeter when all we both want to do is get dry and collapse. After we've pushed ourselves through the final chores we strip off and get dry clothes on, then finally slump into the settee with a brew. What a day!!
As per the ride to Ingoldmells - there's no images from our return leg. We really weren't in the mood. Pfffffft.
It's not all sunshine and wonder - share your own bad bits - click here.
Prologue And A Rough First Day
Prudent as ever Ren accidentally stumbles into a super cheap static caravan north of "Skeg-Vegas". All that remains to be done is getting there. If previous experience of heading east is anything to go by - it might not be that easy.
Lonesome In The Flatlands
Ren is hoping for a better day weatherwise and riding-wise too. Ingoldmells is deserted, Skeggy and Mablethorpe ain't up to much, luckily the countryside is better than expected.
Bothering The Locals And "Hills"
The Dynamic Muppets are bothering the good people of Lincolnshire as well as bringing the house prices down. There's tea and cake and sweeties too, hills, and spooky stuff.
Lincolnshire - And Dryness
There's something new in Lincolnshire today - DRY! Contain your excitement folks, Ren has found a cheap cafe and there's an awful lot of flat.
A Rough Last Day
In keeping with the theme of this trip - the return home for the Dynamic Muppets is "wet" to say the least.
Skeggy Epilogue
In the final reckoning was the trip to Skeg-Vegas a rip-roaring failure or and majestic success? Neither - but you already knew that. Still, here's Ren's tuppence on the issue at hand.
Reader's Comments
nab301 said :-
Ren , we've all had days like that , it makes the good day(s) seem much better, think positive, you didn't have to wash the bike when you got home....
Nigel
27/03/2026 12:06:42 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
... and you wonder why I no longer choose to ride in the rain. I've had enough of it over the decades to last me out, most of it before modern waterproofs. It's just not fun any more.
27/03/2026 12:39:59 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Pffffffftttttt, blummin rain. Don't like it, never have. Even if you're being paid to ride in it it's a very Pffffffftttttt experience.
No rush to repeat it. And as you succinctly stated young Ed me lad, after hours of it it's just an accident waiting to happen. Where's me spare warm dry gloves Ethel?
Upt.
27/03/2026 12:51:01 UTC
ROD¹ said :-
Thanks Ren, that has really helped sell a motorcycling trip in the UK.
I much prefer NOT to be on motorways in very wet weather, but they get you to your destination via the quickest route.
28/03/2026 07:58:44 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Go on, we can all play along...
THE WETTEST WE'VE EVER BEEN ON TWO WHEELS.....Two categories.....home and abroad.
For abroad, on the E17 from Ghent to Lille, the thunderstorm from hell, it'll only last a couple of minutes, two hours later I was very wet. Probably the scariest wet riding experience abroad, the spray off the lorries resembled waves. I was very glad I was on the Pan, 500 kg's loaded probably helped and Madame had a barn for everything to dry out; including my pants. Pffffffftttttt. Have you noticed how everything shrinks in the rain....just me then.
For Great Britain (are we still Great) riding from the Old Pines near to the Commando Memorial in Wee Bonny Jockland back to Staffordshire. Around 10 hours of constant heavy rain and motorway spray. Other than being literally soaked to the skin, gloves refusing to go back on including the spare pair etc; the scariest moment was aquaplaning in lane 3 of the M6 whilst Er'Indoors was asleep on the back. Double pffffffftttttti'ttttty Pffffffftttttt with knobs on.
Upt and staying dry.
28/03/2026 10:20:59 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
OK.
Abroad: In the Massif Centrale on the big Tiger. It was raining so hard the water was bouncing off the road higher than my head and there were small rivers running across my path. I decided to stop for a break after trying to slow down before a bend and the front wheel locked with the slightest pressure - probably like Upt' aquaplaning. I took shelter in a little cafe and enjoyed saucisson et pommes puree while dripping all over the floor.
Home: I'd been to visit my family in the Center Parc in the Eden Valley, again on the Tiger. I had a very pleasant ride up there sticking to the east of the M6 / A6 corridor and encountering some police vehicles doing high speed testing. Well it looked high speed to me. The return journey was in an absolute downpour and may in fact have been the start of that year's flooding in the NW. I decided to use the motorway. The worst bit was passing heavies and emerging from the spray unable to see a thing.
The Tiger was actually a very good bike for these conditions, as Upt' says a bit of weight helps, and the weather protection was reasonable. And a nice flexible 3 cylinder engine meant I could concentrate on safety rather than which gear I was in. I also am so pleased I abandoned my Mark 8 goggles which used to steam up as well as losing their elasticity for an open face lid with visor. The open face means that rarely if ever does it steam up, being well ventilated.
This is the view from my hotel window in St Nectaire showing the rain and sleet which had calmed down by this time. The Tiger is lurking behind the bushes.
28/03/2026 12:35:41 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
nab301 re not washing the bike. For my very dirty bike rain does wash off some of the dirt. For Sharon's pristine Kwakker rain leaves grit and dirt on the bike. Sharon spent several evenings angrily restoring the Z500 to it's shiny glory.
As for not riding in the rain? I daresay if you're going to use a motorcycle regularly in the UK you're going to get wet. If your bike is a plaything then you pick and choose your rides, if you use it like transport as I do then you're gonna get wet. It's the same with UK touring ROD - ya gonna get wet! I don't like wet but I can deal with it - I haven't learnt how to deal with snow and ice though.
Now regarding these terrible tales of terrible drenchings! I have tales of heavy rain ALL DAY too but here's a thought I want you to consider. How many days can you bring to mind where the rain was heavy ALL day? It does happen but nowhere near as much as we think it does. More often than not you'll get a heavy shower, then drizzle, then another heavy shower, then a dry spell, then regular rain, then a heavy bit...
30/03/2026 08:16:44 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
What about from mid December 2025 to the end of February 2026 Ed? It never stopped, although as the STrom was sorned in the garage I didn't get wet riding it. That'd be daft.
Upt.
30/03/2026 09:20:01 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Both the instances I mentioned it rained solidly (well liquidly) all day without a letup. Actually intermittent is sometimes worse. Oh, the sun's out I'll take the overtrousers off. Damn, just as I set off it's pouring again so I'm soaked.....
As for rain cleaning the bike:
30/03/2026 10:05:32 UTC
Bogger said :-
I've had 4 days continuous torrential rain on a trip to Spain, through France on me C90. It was actually on the way back. It never stopped day and night for four solid days, It was grim.
The weather was very, very poor all trip.
At the Pyrenees on the way down it rained all day and then we had a massive hail storm. The hail stones were as big as a Euro coin.
On the way back through France there were road closures everywhere. It took us ages to get anywhere.
It must have been bad as on two separate nights we hired a lodge and on the way back opted for a small Auberge type Hotel.
Bogger
30/03/2026 15:05:30 UTC
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Travel StoriesFrolicking In The Flattish Lands