Quite a lot of adventuring is about headology. The Bradshaw Joint is a useful reminder.
The story (as told to Doris when she was co-driving for Nigel Cannell, another story) has it that Scott Bradshaw, a talented Manx rally driver comes into service complaining of poor handling, probably something in the steering or tracking. The service crew run the usual spanner check, find nothing amiss and send him out again.
After two more stages he comes back in saying it is worse than ever. His father, also a mechanic, goes under the car, swears and rattles the spanners about on the rack mounting calling out ‘I am surprised you could drive it at all. It’s solid now.’
The car pulls out of service and Scott’s dad winks at the service crew. Two stages later and Scott is flying.
So, if we think something is wrong we do check our Bradshaw Joint. Bradshaw Joints develop when a rider is beginning to bonk. The tyres are going flat, the discs are rubbing in the caliper. But they’re not, are they?
Sid’s right knee might be a Bradshaw Joint so we rattle the spanners and put special gel on and he’s still going.
It is a good thing the crew at RoRa would never do such a thing to their owner/driver…
Ah, another useful life insight in the blog. It's Travel Writing Plus! PS I'm catching up backwards. Feel I've done the arc through thought on WW2 scars backwards – but that's a perspective! PS publish this as a book when you're back? Then I'll buy & read forwards.