Members’ Ride 2 – 5th December

This ride was arranged at short notice and with a starting point at Blackheath to suit my personal convenience. Add to this last-minute withdrawals for various reasons and only three of us rode up through ‘the pipe’ to our destination in Suffolk. If you’re in the south-east I find that this is not a bad way to get out of town, as you’re on multi-lane roads, avoiding stop-start riding through endless suburbs.

I’d visited TTT Motorcycle Village once before and thought at the time that it would make a suitable ride destination. After taking the first junction on the M11 we rode up through Essex, the B183 north of Ongar becoming reasonably traffic-free and roads generally in not too bad condition, and we were surprisingly the only bikers when we had our coffee break at the scenic village of Finchingfield, normally a popular spot.

Roads were even better towards Sudbury with plenty of tight curves and I fortunately remembered TTT’s rather obscure location on an industrial estate. It was very much as I remembered it, with, I would guess a couple of hundred bikes of every type and vintage. Unfortunately, however a member of staff informed us that the ‘chef’ had had a mishap on the way into work and there would be no hot food. Disappointed, we spent getting on for an hour browsing the stock. It transpired, in conversation with the staff that only 40% belongs to the shop – presumably the Chinese made Benellis as well as other brands I’d never heard of, with the remainder being sold on commission on behalf of private sellers.

Yes, Japanese classics including Kettles, a 400f and 750f, enormous modern baggers, a Triumph rat bike, choppers, mopeds and everything in between, for the most part grouped by manufacturer.

After a good browse and general walk down memory lane we prepared to leave in search of sustenance only to be told that ‘chef’ was now on his way in – so stayed for the all-day breakfast: £9.95 for the big one with two of everything, plus bubble, beans and toast. And tea a bargain £1! Kay Cole couldn’t make the ride, but she would have loved it.

They do and all you can eat buffet breakfast 9-12 on weekends and bank holidays – so a return trip could well be on the cards.

Well-nourished, we took a pleasant rural back route down the Stour Valley before encountering Colchester’s heavy Friday afternoon traffic, a back route down some decent roads to cut off a chunk of the A12, then homeward bound via the Dartford Crossing.