Sunday Jaunt

So the sun and a spare hour appeared and with the Ariel ready and waiting it was time for a little jaunt into the Norfolk countryside. Late on a Sunday afternoon, with school and work the next day, the roads are pretty empty up here and the worst thing you have to contend with is the sun low in the sky when you are heading east.

We rode out from Sheringham along the coast road to the village of Weybourne, and avoiding the spectacular NNR for the moment we rode up and over Kelling Heath to Holt, coming back along the main road to Bodham. Over the bumps, the Ariel is realizing the benefits of new fork bushes - the front end feels more secure and is considerably less noisy.

She's also loosening up nicely, and opening up from the 30 mph restrictions through High Kelling onto the open road, she feels smooth and powerful. We turned at Bodham and stopped for a picture at Kelling Heath again, by a pill box.

We then tested the new brakes down the steep hill to Weybourne station, and posed for The Bridge Club.

Dropping further down the hill, it was time to open her up again for the short run into Weybourne village and back home to Sheringham.

15 miles run, finishing with about 25 psi on the oil pressure gauge. Lovely.

North Norfolk Canter

I thought I'd take the SQ4 out for a little gallop along the coast this morning. We had a nice little trip along to Holt, to visit the North Norfolk Railway. This is a most excellent standard gauge line, with steam and diesel engines running most days in the summer, and a variety of special events throughout the year. This is the end of the present line, where trains from Sheringham terminate after a 5 mile trip through Weybourne & Kelling. You can take a bus into Holt, or look around the museum, or take the train back again:

North Norfolk Railway - Holt Station

Then a trip north through the countryside to the coast at the aptly named Cley-Next the Sea

Cley

Then along the gloriously twisty A149 through Salthouse & Kelling:

Salthouse Marshes

Stopping at the Muckleburgh collection on the way home:

Muckleburgh Collection

Twenty-one miles in all, no mishaps, apart from the fact that the front brake is being 'grabby' again. We did some more temperature measurements when we got back, which you can read about here. At the end of the run the oil pressure was reading about 20 psi at 25 mph.

Temperature testing also revealed that the front brake drum was at 117°C when I stopped. Hmm...