Not long after I published the map of my route Chris contacted me and said he lives right on my route and would I like to get together and also have a place to stay? Of course! Not only do I get to meet Chris, but I would get to see the Ural (his Russian motorbike and sidecar) as well.
Well, arrangements were made and diaries checked and after riding up the Mississippi, I approached Chris’ house. As I did so, something occurred to me – I had no idea what Chris looked like or even roughly how old he was! I found his house and immediately saw Chris’ bike collection and his wife’s bike as well.
I unloaded my gear and we chatted for a short while before setting out on Chris’ Ural for a ride. Here is Chris riding the bike....
Another with Chris on the Ural....
We had stopped in a car park and Chris was very kind to let me have a ride on the bike. Now, I have never ridden a motorbike with a sidecar and while it did feel a little strange not needing to lean, I soon got the hang of it. Braking and accelerating does odd things to the front end though, with the steering wanting to alter its direction as you brake or accelerate. Not a problem, but you need to be aware of what is happening. Here I am with a big grin on my face....
Another taken by Chris from the sidecar....
We stopped to admire the view of downtown St Paul.....
And the capitol building....
This is St Paul Cathedral, not too dissimilar from its namesake in London....
Here is Chris outside the Cathedral.
I mentioned to Chris that I was not sure of what he looked like before I actually met him and that I could not recall seeing any photos on his blog of him when he was not wearing his helmet. It is of course very Stig-like. If you don’t understand this comment, then you need to stay in more and watch more car shows on tv!
It then occurred to me that Chris could actually be the Stig! The Stig lives in St Paul!!!!
I took a few clips of the ride from the seat in the sidecar and I have made them into a short video here. I must apologise for the picture quality and the sound (which is awful) but I like the video so so and it will always remind me of what a great time I spent with Chris, that I have decided to include it here anyway....
The two of us went out to dinner in one of Chris’ favourite restaurants and afterwards sat up way too late just chatting about bikes, blogs and tours we have done. Chris and his wife Vicky are about to ride the entire length of the Mississippi starting this week – you can read about the plan and route for their trip here. I wish them well on their ride.
Chris, thank you very much for your hospitality and friendship. If you are ever in London, I will do the same for you! I will watch your blog and follow the progress of your river run with keen interest.
After I left Chris’ house the next morning, I rode along some of the roads we covered the night before, but it was dark then, so I returned to take a few daylight pictures.....
A very nice bridge over the Mississippi....
Downtown Minneapolis....
One of the bridges that connect buildings in the downtown area to save people from having to cross at street level in the very cold winter months.....
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