That's tempting Bic, might have to join you there

Long range weather looking good for the days leading up to Nov 1 & 2.

Report anyone?

I spent Mon - Thurs in the south of France on this:

Me and Schnauser were both there on the Monday and I was there for the Tuesday on my own. Great days despite very damp and cold conditions. Both days the track was wet in the morning from either overnight showers or early morning mist but progressively dried out so that by the second session in the afternoon it was dry. Problem was that by then there was only a few sessions before the light started to go - I stopped at about 4.00 both days.

Few thoughts ! took away with me after this. I really wish I had a set of wheels with intermediate or wet tyres on - it would really make days like this more worth it - you can't help feel envious of the guys that are just out there in the morning riding as normal in the wet. Me and Schnauser were just bimbling around really at about 60 - 80% most of the time. He was scrubbing in a new back tyre as well. Druids seemed really slippery and each session there was a feeling of loosing traction. A lot of people binned it on the Monday - there was a lot of orange gravel in the pits.

Secondly, two days track time is brilliant! One day for getting the feeling back and making friends with the track and the other for really getting into the groove. Tuesday was way better for me - but also because it was dryer. I had on a new set of Metzler M5s which I ended up feeling were OK but it was hard to tell in the conditions. Never got my knee down the whole two days.

Thirdly, these Autumn sessions are much less busy so it's way better out there with a lot of opportunity to ride on your own with space. I went up and down the pits both days - you know what........ there was not one single Ducati rider, you know the rich boys with all the stuff on their 1098s. I guess that they are all in bed for the winter. So it's only the track day fans and the people who are willing to ride in the cold. Tuesday was so empty No limits ran just two groups. So you got a half hour session every hour. This was BRILLIANT! It makes a big, big difference to the feeling you get out there and into a rhythm or lapping.

Check out Schnauser's video. Towards the end we get caught up by a faster bunch and there's a guy on Honda CBR coming out of Graham Hill bend who, for some reason, runs right of the track as he comes past. I remember looking over to the right and seeing him on the grass doing motocrosser impressions