With under three weeks before I get a new shoulder installed and then months of rehabilitation, it means that I’m going to be off the bike for some time. So, I need one more decent ride before then.

They tell me that shoulder replacements are now pretty standard and have great outcomes … but they also say that all surgery comes with risks. So while I’m looking forward to more movement and even better … less pain, I can’t deny that I’m also a little anxious.

Thinking about it takes me back twenty years since I rode into the side of a van at over 70km/h, after the van went through a give way sign in front of me. Those things change your life.

I remember a lot about that day … and some I don’t. I remember the last thought that went through my mind before I hit the van – “this is going to hurt.!” Then I remember waking up in the middle of the road with a sense of cars passing either side of me, and the circle of people looking down at me, while I mentally did a systems check and realised my main problem is my arms and lots of pain. Oh, the pain. And I remember the relief of the green whistle, and the long ambulance ride.

I remember a fleeting glimpse in a heavily pain medicated state of the doctors and nurses struggling to relocate my radius back into my elbow (as it had come out and crossed the ulna) and thinking … “That must really be hurting.!”

On the other arm I smashed the head of my humerus, damaged the rotator cuff, and lost all the cartilage in the joint. I ended up with 6 screws holding the fragments of the humerus head together and a plate and more screws holding the rest of the humerus together.

And I remember sitting in hospital with both arms immobilised, feeling totally helpless.

Then the months of rehabilitation, slow recovery, and the mental health challenges that creep up on you.

At the time I was told I would need a shoulder replacement in the future. They told me the trick was to put it off as long as possible without waiting too long and not getting the benefit from it. Now is my time.

So as my surgery date approaches, I really need to get out for a ride. There’s a new bike (to me) in the driveway, a long weekend, and a thin excuse of needing to photograph another silo … I didn’t need any more of a reason to throw some stuff in the panniers and hit the road. 

My plan … ride to Melbourne and photograph the painted silo at Brunswick (as I need one additional silo to complete my IBA bronze silo art challenge), then worry about a route home.

By the time the sun was up on Saturday, I’m an hour from home, with my heated vest on low to take the edge off the chilly morning as I headed south. But like most runs down any major freeway, the run was uneventful.

Sitting having lunch in a cafe on the Yarra River, I look at my escape options from Melbourne. I could ride up the coast road and roll through all the coastal villages and enjoy the winter sun, but on a long weekend the Princess highway will be a wash with traffic and it may be hard to jag a room somewhere for the night. That did not sound like fun. Or, I could just roll back up the freeway and get home in the wee hours tonight, mmm even less fun and I don’t need to be back until tomorrow. Or, head west to Murtoa and photograph the only painted silo in Victoria I haven’t yet photographed, then home through country Victoria and New South Wales on quiet open back roads (about 400km further than the freeway option).

An easy choice really.

Stopping for a quick coffee with riding friends in Ballarat turned into an overnight stay, pizzas, a couple of bottles of red, talk of bikes, of places we’ve been, of places we want to go – and fixing the worlds problems – a great catchup – a great night – thanks Ron and Marles. I was back on the road at 7 the next morning shrouded in fog and drizzling rain. I hate fog, but it just hung around for the next hour or so until the sun finally broke through and finally burnt off the fog. It always surprises me the number of drivers who drive in fog without lights on! Especially as they seem to materialise right in front of you … what, and they don’t notice that and put on their own lights.!!

I really enjoy just rolling along backroads and through all the little towns that hardly anyone has heard of, they may be small, but many of these towns have hidden surprises. Like Lockhart, l’ve been through Lockhart a number of times and has a nice painted water tower and sculptures in town but today I missed the turn and took a different route around town and came across this dragon sculpture (called the Rain Dragon) that I’ve never seen before.

After a quick coffee with friends in Wagga it was back on the road for the last stretch home and the drone back up the freeway in the dark. Without any driving lights on the VFR I wasn’t sure how night riding was going to go, but the LED headlights on the VFR are pretty good for freeway riding (although with the bike loaded, I really should’ve increased the rear preload to drop the lights a bit). However, I don’t think I would be as comfortable on backroads at nighttime without additional lighting.

Since getting the VFR I have primarily commuted on it, and in city traffic it’s great as its smaller and much easier to navigate in and around and filter through traffic than my ZX14R. To be honest while the 14 has much better road presence (and menacing) than the VFR, the VFR is a much better bike for city traffic, and I find myself reaching for the VFR keys first to commute on. However, when the roads open out you really notice the smaller displacement (this is nearly 650cc smaller than my 14) as you need to row the gearbox much more. But saying that the VFR is an awesome fun bike to tour on and I would be happy to take it back out on another big ride.

Why did I ride 1,800km to take two pictures of silos? Why not.

With everything going on, it’s nice to get some time in my own head shape, roll through a big landscape, and just be in the moment. Motorcyclists call this helmet-time … or therapy.

I guess the photos only gave me an excuse and direction.