Speed Camera - Warning

On our Christmas trip to our house in Brittany I saw a French police car with a speed camera sticking out of it's window!

Fortunately I was in the car :-) Next time I may not be so lucky.

This is the first speed camera I've ever seen in France. But, they are on the increase. I read an article in a French magazine that said the French police were to purchase a thousand static cameras over the next two years. 'Oh no' I thought, 'the disease is spreading across the channel'. Fingers crossed that my translation was wrong.

If it is true my only hope is that since France is a big country, if they start around Paris, hopefully they won't have any left to put up in Brittany ;-)

Santa's Been

If anyone out there is stuck for something to spend their Christmas money on, may I suggest Heated Hand Grips? I got a pair of Oxford Hot Hands (free with my Christmas present subscription to Bike Magazine). I fitted them yesterday, not having a garage I had to wait until it warmed up a bit and stopped raining so I could 'play outside'. They were easy to fit. Just connect the positive wire to the auxiliary fuse and the negative to a bit of frame. As the Pan's tank tips up easily running the wiring to the handle bars was simple. In all the whole job took about half an hour. The journey to work convinced me I should have got some years ago. They wrap around the bike's grips so they feel a bit odd initially as the hand grips are much fatter. On a sports bike where you have to support yourself with your hands this may be a problem, but on a 'sensible' bike like the Pan it only takes a couple of minutes to get used to. The heat rapidly penetrated my cloves making my hands all toasty and warm. (Too warm on the way to work as it wasn't really that cold, so I turned them off!)

Finally!

Back on the road and only slightly sore of foot! After a break of almost 8 weeks, I finally managed to get back on the road today! Had to recharge the battery again, though, as the drain from the Datatool alarm limits battery life to three weeks or so.

Predictably, the bike fired up within seconds after lying idle and, pausing only to check oil and air, we were off! Ah, the joys of motoring round Kent on a dry winter day. Went for a quick spin and then off on a quick 20 mile jaunt to a friends house for dinner and then a great night-time blast round dark, twisty country roads on the way home.

It isn't until I got back in the saddle that I realised how much I had missed it. Here's hoping that normality has been restored...

Tomorrow could be the big day.

Finally, I should be able to get back on the bike this weekend! Here's hoping...