Having returned last night from the Road Races in Aberdare, I just wanted to pen a big THANK YOU to the (large number of) lads who all assisted John and I manoeuvre the White Dalton Motorhome on the quagmire formerly known as Aberdare Park. I was truly grateful to see real camaraderie, and was impressed at the amount of muscle power offered up from both show-workers and other traders! It was also nice to see that no amount of rain can dampen that welsh spirit Oh – and to those of you who jokingly said we would be lucky to get in for midnight … we made it with an hour to spare!

Today’s practice day went great. The bike was in recalcitrant mood first thing, slapping its bars everywhere and ruining my confidence. A few set-up changes got it sorted though, and through the afternoon it was a pleasure to ride hard and the times tumbled.
I’m now really happy with my dry pace. The thing is, tomorrow is forecast as very wet. New rain tyres are being fitted as I type and then we’ll see how qualifying goes. I want to win as much as ever, but I won’t take any big risks if the conditions live up to the BBC’s severe weather warning.

So I have just picked up my bike from its very first service, and she is now raring to go for the next 5400 miles – hooray!!
 
Fingers crossed for good weather this weekend then, as we are hoping to take the bikes down to the South Coast for the bank holiday.
 
Speaking of which … if any bikers have a recommendation for a decent website for weather forecasts please let us know … I have no shame in admitting that I love riding my motorcycle in the sunshine, and I don’t love getting soaked and not being able to see the road ahead of me whilst riding!! I used to use the BBC site regularly but can’t get on so well with their new layout. Any ideas?

Those of you who watch racing frequently will have heard riders say that they don’t mind if it’s wet or dry, but they hate it in between. Today the outlook has been a large band of ‘in between’ sweeping in from the North and lingering all day.

Top racers hate it because making the right tyre choice at the last minute is stressful and negotiating a patchy circuit doubly so. Who dares wins, Rodders.

They’ve got it easy though, because club racers’ tyre options rarely extend beyond wets and drys and we have to fit them ourselves which takes at least ten minutes. Imagine how much fun it is when the weather changes constantly.
Nevertheless, today allowed me to ride the Tuono in the wet for the first time, so it was thoroughly worthwhile. Grouped with the Powerbikes, it was pleasing to only get overtaken a couple of times all day. It bodes well for tomorrow.

I’m off to scrutineering now, then fit tomorrow’s tyres, clean the bike, and eventually hot food and shower. Pic on the way of my updated White Dalton sponsored helmet too!