Category: Reflection

This Sunday started off so nicely. I went and got the Ducati a proper clean; a soap & sponge wash, followed by wax. After that followed lunch and siesta watching formula 1 comfortably from the sofa. The peak of the day still awaiting me. I planned to ride out, going north by Miraflores de Sierra to Rascafria and then head back via Cotos.

Since Alcobendas was warm, bordering hot today, I wore my leather and not much else. Walking to the bike I thought it was a pity it was so warm that I didn’t get a chance to try out my new gloves.

Riding up to the mountains though the temperature dropped considerably and the road was wet from heavy rain. Almost immediately my knees started to hurt from the pressure of the leather. This fed a train of thought, considering pros and cons, weather to stick with the uncomfortable but safer leather or buy ride safe water proof trousers to go with my riding jackets. And if so what jacket would I use, the summer one or winter… both Sweden and England can be chilly during summer. And what to do with the back protection, use the small one in the jacket, or the independent one which is safer but less comfortable. So many different aspects to consider. Then I stopped for photos. I saw lightning over a lake and thought it looked exotic. Then the fuel lamp lit up, that means 3 more litres to go.

I think it is a bit hazzly to fill up the bike in Spain. Often I have to pay in advance, and estimate how much I can fit. Or enter the shop and ask them to open the pump for me, and then enter again afterwords to pay. Therefore, I don’t like filling up the bike unless I really have to. All this is of course bad excuses for what happened out there today. Since Iäve been home not riding fro two weeks I didn’t really know when I filled it up last. Nor did I check the trip meter. Frankly I was absent minded. The result was that I was out in rural area with no clue where to find petrol and I had 3 litres to go.

The scenery up there is really stunning but now I had a hard time enjoying it, battling not only the discomfort of my knees and the cold up on 1800 meter but now also the lack of petrol and the nudging fear of the possibility of not finding a service station in time. My only comfort was that I knew my good friend Merete wasn’t travelling this weekend and she would probably even find a way to appreciate a call for help. I usually count that 3 litres give a bit more than 30 km. Passing Cotos I was also passing 30 km. Now my hope was to the down hill, thinking that I could basically just roll down not using the engine and save fuel. So I did. Turning towards Madrid at Valdeski I still didn’t know the distance to a village with a petrol station. I continued to try and use the gas very carefully and going slow, the cold also helped keeping down the speed. The air holes in the leather sure lets in a lot of cold air even though I never notice that when it’s warm.

I couldn’t believe my happiness when at 49km reached Merete’s village. I parked and picked up my phone. Happiness turns to disbelief when she doesn’t answer on either of her two phones. Good thing I didn’t know that up in the mountains. No point in hanging around so I slowly rode the bike out of the village and continued towards Madrid. Now I could feel that the engine wasn’t getting a smooth flow of fuel because of the rickety ride and I knew there is not many more meters to hope for. Then I saw them, like in a dream. Never before have the flags of Shell locked to beautiful. With a big smile I asked the service intendant to fill up the Ducati. It ends on 12 litres, that is indeed full tank.

Looking back, today’s ride wasn’t the relaxing little trip that I was expecting but indeed quite an adventure. I make a mental to fill up first, before heading out alone to rural areas. And I wonder with resignation how many times this must happen before I actually learn. Looking back it wasn’t to bad, actually, I didn’t even have to push the bike 🙂 which has happened on at least two ocations in the past.