Leader of the pack

Having mastered our first tour and several mini tours we are now feeling very confident with all things bike and decided it was time to join a Gang!

There were two possibilities: We already knew about a café just out of town where bikers congregate once a week and fill the car park with a colourful display of bikes and riders. We searched the web and found, fortuitously, another club that meets in a pub just a couple of streets away from our abode. Staggering distance actually, although we would be going by bike so no imbibing would occur.

The café club Facebook page professes a warm welcome to all new comers, so we polished the Triumph went for a short ride and then pulled into the café car park ready to embrace our new Brothers. What ensued was akin to that famous scene in “The American Werewolf in London”. David and Jack enter the pub on the Moors and walk straight into a game of darts being played by the locals. The whole pub stops and looks at them and the Brian Glover character utters those foreboding words “You made me miss my shot”

We were met with a few hooded looks over tea mugs. No hearty back-slaps, no welcome Brother and Sister, where do you hail from on that shiny, new beast? Indeed, just to add to our popularity a police car pulled in shortly after us and several nervous types loitered by their machines poised for a quick getaway. A few people glanced at us and the bike but no one made eye contact. We ordered a cup of tea and hung around for a while but the warm welcome must have taken the night off. So we jumped back on and went home.

We’ve dealt with a few cold shoulders in our time so unfazed, the following evening we attended the second group. Here we were met by Warm Welcome’s younger brother Luke Warm Welcome! Not many members had come by bike and several people were sitting nursing pints in civvies so it was quite hard to tell who was in the club or just drinking at the pub. We made ourselves talk to a couple of people and discovered that this group offered not only a raffle but our Holiest of Grail, the weekly RIDE OUT. And it was planned for the following Sunday!

Sunday, first thing, like two kids on Christmas morning we were up, dressed, leather clad and raring to go. The bikers meet at 9 am for a 9.30 am start. A minute past 9am we pulled into the pub car park - which was absolutely empty. We chuckled at how keen we were and waited impatiently, looking up expectantly at every approaching engine sound. Finally, after about 20 minutes, to our relief, two bikes pulled in and we made friends with Brian and John. These two excellent chaps took us under their faring and offered to take us on a ride out to Herne Bay for a spot of breakfast.

It was like a magical mystery tour with a side order of puzzlement. We followed these two gents on their big bikes over hill and dale. Just when we thought we knew the route they were taking, one of them would leave an indicator on for 5 miles keeping us on the edge of our leather seat for a non-existent turn off. But there is no denying the thrill of a group ride out. Following the Leader of the Pack (or whoever volunteers to ride up front): The sense of belonging, the anticipation, the frown of concentration through gravelly, unfamiliar country roads and the little gasps of recognition as the winding route brings us out onto more familiar highways.

We parked up on the seafront in Herne Bay and got to know our new friends over a Full English. John took the lead on the way home and took us on yet another route back. As we entered our home town we peeled off with a cheery wave having been invited to join them any Sunday for a Ride Out. Holy Grail found, sipped from and booked for every Sunday from now on (weather permitting).

Maybe one day my Steve will be Leader of the Pack.