Preparation

My bike dealer offered me a free service in preparation for the ride and I took him up on his offer last Wednesday. On the way back I was filtering past stationary traffic when a car pulled out of the line and sent me crashing to the floor. I suffered only minor injuries but the bike has a few damaged panels that I fear won't be sorted before I start the ride. The bike is still roadworthy so it's not a great problem but I would have preferred to have had a pristine bike to show off.