Phoenix 99 LEMC: President's Write-Up — Independence Day Ride Out

What a day. Around 12 of us met up in fantastic weather and set off towards The Sandbank at West Mersea, taking in some brilliant back roads along the way. There were a couple of sat nav hiccups from yours truly – the President's sat nav clearly fancied a scenic detour of its own. We got there in the end, with the team more than happy to let me know, loudly and repeatedly, exactly where I was going wrong. Great support, as always. A special mention also goes to the President's bike, which decided it needed an urgent oil top-up halfway through the ride. Typically, it happened on the one occasion I hadn't packed a spare bottle. Thankfully it was soon sorted, but there are no prizes for planning today. Great roads, great weather and, most importantly, great company. We arrived at The Sandbank in West Mersea to some fantastic sea views. Paul, who owns the venue, was as welcoming as ever. It's always a pleasure to see him, and the food certainly didn't disappoint. We'll definitely be back. Credit where it's due as well – the timing of the tides was spot on, meaning nobody got caught out by the causeway on the way in or out. It was also brilliant to have three guests join us on the ride: Paul, Jerry and Del. Thanks for coming along, and we hope to see you out with us again soon. We're already looking ahead to our next adventure, with discussions underway for a camping ride out towards the end of August, possibly around the 29th. If that sounds like your kind of weekend, let us know you're interested. Thanks again to everyone who came along and made it another brilliant day out. Sat nav detours, oil stops and all, it's the people that make Phoenix 99 what it is.

RIDE OUT'S