Someone vanished into thin air, at the Gallo-Way style 🏍️😵💫
The Canadian guest brought by SH to the Ride Galloway — a widow residing in Ireland—barely made it to Clatteringshaws, the first of three major designated stops along the Ride Galloway event's 130-mile coastal route alongside Loch Ken in the Galloway Forest Park. That in itself was a stellar achievement. At the second stop in Kirkcudbright, the "Artists' Town" on the Solway coast, she posed for a quick snap with the event photographer and a proper motorcyclist. Unfortunately, it seemed the latter failed to impart any authentic biker wisdom.
Unsurprisingly, she was nowhere to be seen at the third stop in the Isle of Whithorn, a picturesque coastal village on the Machars peninsula, and the guest subsequently vanished along with the motorcycle. After all, the route is rather brisk, even on a Beta Chinchilla. One supposes that being a novice on a demanding course isn't the most effective way to handle a rented motorcycle. She kept the HEDON helmet on—a Handcrafted luxury motorcycle helmet with carbon fibre shells & premium leather interiors, even colour-matching with some SH's ones.
Matching things up is SH's new trend. Sam’s "full house" look is, frankly, too much for everyday styling. Piling on matching tattoos and copper bracelets, rings, and a necklace all at once? It lacks a certain subtlety and, needless to say, class. Though class is something he never possessed anyway. It’s less a curiously chosen ensemble and more absolute chaos. Jewellery schmewerly, just make her a grilled cheese and call it a day.
The poor man thinks he’s hit the mark by copying the ideas of an unhinged person, a wildly erratic widow. What an absolute plonker; he’s convinced that a faded black thread on his arm is a true masterpiece. What will he do next— get her face tattooed?
Let this serve as a reminder that someone didn't make it to the end of today's Ride Galloway. After the second stop, she clearly disappeared; maybe still waiting for them 😂, but clearly her presence meant nothing special to those gathered at the Galloway Distillery. And, by the way... since we're on the subject! Someone who won't be remembered because everyone's already forgotten she was even at the Ride Galloway.
If SH’s first travel companion lacked the necessary skills and mindset for the adventure, inviting her was an utter waste of time for both parties. He decided to give it a go anyway, but with no real strategy, it proved to be a rather questionable choice—a point I had already made in a previous post.
After all, there is a world of difference between a leisurely stroll around a West Cork farm to admire the alpacas and setting off on a motorcycle trip abroad for the very first time. One must carefully vet a riding buddy, especially when the risk of them throwing in the towel halfway through is highly likely. Naturally, her lack of experience saw her straying onto terrain that vastly exceeded her capabilities, leaving poor SH in a spot of bother and looking more than a little foolish in the process
SH’s assessment wasn't terribly helpful, as usual. For a self-proclaimed motorcycle enthusiast, his grand attempt to help her meet other female riders—ostensibly to inspire her on the ride—resulted in nothing more than a few fresh photos and followers for her own account, not to mention ensuring the photographer in the photo captured her best angles at the event.
During the journey between the second and third stops, the SH guest disappeared; she was no longer with him, nor did she appear in any photos.
At least she noticed that, even with a marshal shadowing her the entire way, she still didn't manage to finish. While it might seem a bit superfluous, showing her off and introducing her to other adventurous female motorcyclists didn't quite yield the desired result, primarily because it didn't magically turn her into a real motorcyclist. There is a staggering variety of motorcycle gear out there—both practical and attractive—yet she didn't find a single thing that made the ride even remotely fun.
This is despite the fact she was riding the flagship model of Benda, brand her rented motorcycle. Given she is clearly a beginner, as was glaringly obvious, it was an awful lot of bike for her limited experience.
The proof is in the performance: This shows more about her beginner motorcycle posture she doesn't know how to start after a brief stop. For a safe motorcycle stop, motorcyclists place their left foot on the ground at a stop to keep their right foot on the rear brake. This standard riding technique—keeps the bike stable, illuminates the brake light, and leaves both hands free.
Ride Galloway - on the way out of the distillery
Look at her 👀, she is maintaining gripping two hands on the handlebars while hovering both feet off the ground (keeping them in the footpegs) while in gear at a brief stop which is highly discouraged by instructors and considered unsafe for a standard, two-wheeled motorcycle, (raises a question) She passed the motorcycle test or has a licence ?? 🧐 She cannot ride a motorcycle 🏍️ like she drive a car 🚗
The proper, universally recommended stopping technique prioritises the "power triangle" for stability and an emergency escape plan: 1. Left foot on the ground- This allows you to support the weight of the bike. 2. Right foot on the rear brake- This firmly secures the bike, keeps the brake light illuminated for drivers behind you, and allows you to hold the front brake with your hand, and 3. The bike in 1st gear.
But, Given her glaring lack of experience, naturally ignored all the universally recommended advice. This isn’t about playing to an audience, but merely about satisfying SH's own ego. He must be immensely proud of how easily he was taken in by the smooth talk of a widow who claims to know absolutely everything—and whom he, foolishly, believed. SH is entirely spineless; there is no point in him trying to lead a motorcycle group when he hasn't got a backbone.
Sam Retford with a Royal Enfield motorcycle
By the time the group reached the distillery, she was conspicuously absent from the arrival photos and videos. From the Isle of Whithorn, riding as part of SH's entourage, came Sam Retford, who finally made it to the distillery (the final stop). If SH’s guest cannot even complete the route, one wonders what she was doing there in the first place. She lacks skill, contributes absolutely nothing, and clearly requires constant supervision. How SH—who only passed his motorcycle test five years ago and isn't exactly a motorcycle expert—thought this was a brilliant idea remains a mystery, especially since he couldn't even manage to get her guest to the finish line. One can only speculate why SH brought an inexperienced rider with the group. Perhaps it was just to inflate the numbers, as there were nowhere near as many participants as Heughan had reported 🤷
In the first group—Sam Heughan and Sam Retford—on the way to the Galloway distillery, the final stop.
However, after seeing his video 🔝 SH’s companion was ostensibly there just 'for decoration'—a merely superficial addition. In reality, this focus reflects rather ironically on his own video: after the first lap, his companion vanishes like a magic act.
If his guest isn’t the expert she claims to be and he cannot rely on her at crucial moments, the entire premise of the invitation falls apart. He would do well to simply buy her a ticket back to West Cork—where she lives—since having her around is doing him no favours. Frankly, his judgment is clouded; she is draining his energy to her dubious purpose, and he is prolonging a situation that is a complete waste of time.
SH arrives alone at the Galloway Distillery—the final destination—thus concluding the Ride Galloway on Father's Day.
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