Off to Wales

[Skybaba]

A colleague and I are planning a trip to Wales on the bank holiday weekend.
We'll be doing this over three days, setting off on Friday, 3rd May and back home on Sunday; that way, we get to spend Monday with our families and head back to work on Tuesday.

DAY ONE

London (M1) to Bangor, North Wales

This will be about 300 miles with considerable time spent on the motorway in order to get some of the miles out of the way.

Overall, the journey would take over 6 hours not counting fuel stops.
My bike can do 165 – 175 miles on a full tank, so I reckon two stops at least.
My colleague on the other hand says he gets about 70 miles from a full tank; I find that very strange because he's got a brand new Trumpet Street Triple.

Route: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216048743247753230737.0004daaaaaae83cb308a5


DAY TWO

Bangor to Fforest Fields, Builth Wells

This would take us through Snowdownia National Park, Newtown, Llandrindod.
Was initially going to route it through Aberystwyth, but decided not to because of time. This route would take about 5 hours without taking fuel stops and lunch into account.
With my mate's bike doing 70 miles on full tank, I suspect we may have to make a few fuel stops.

Route: https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216048743247753230737.0004dae23d47af70b77ef



DAY THREE


Part One - Fforest to Brecon

- Travelling through Brecon National Park
- About 140 miles; approximately 3.5 hours

Route: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216048743247753230737.0004dae26c422776450fd


Part Two - Brecon to Oxford (Cutteslowe Park)

- 112 miles; approximately 2.5 hours
- Oxford is a mid-point for both of us; the travel time from Oxford to both our homes is about 1hr 15 minutes

Route: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=216048743247753230737.0004dae27ab14af76fdfa


Part Three

My trip home – Oxford to Bedford (46 miles; approx. 1hr 17mins)

[Skybaba]

I'm looking up some B roads so I can tweak Day Two.........Google Street View is a great tool!! :smt032

We've got a Planned Pit Stop at Mirrens Steak and Tapas Bar (http://www.mirrenssteakandtapasbar.co.uk/) in NewTown; so I'm working on changing the Route to go through some decent B-Roads after filling our tummies.

I'm really hoping I can get the replacement unity for the 2nd Bluetooth headset; this trip would be more fun if we can talk to each other along the way and have a bit of a banter :-) :riding:

[Runako]

Dude, there are loads of awesome roads I can recommend. Just let me know.

The Newtown - Builth Wells route I do is a cracker on a nice day. There's also the Ross Road to Abergavenny and a traditional stop for a tea and sandwhich at Terry's Burger van in Brecon (I don't even need to give directions. As long as you're on the A470 going through, you'll see it and just know).

Bit of a heads up though. SW Police have since last week begun operation Darwin (funny *******s), with the aim of "educating" us bikers. So keep your eyes peeled on the busier roads as all they're likely to "educate" is your bank balance and license endorsements.

Have fun!

[BasketballPAT]

Would love to make this trip as have a friends living in bangor currently beautiful place

[christopher]

Suggestion for day one where you're going from Ruthin down to the A5, instead of going up towards Denbigh I'd use these roads http://goo.gl/maps/NZXb8 which are a little more fun.

[Skybaba]

Dude, there are loads of awesome roads I can recommend. Just let me know.


Hey Mate, I won't mind some recommendatios, preferably for Day 3 (from Brecon).


Bit of a heads up though. SW Police have since last week begun operation Darwin (funny *******s), with the aim of "educating" us bikers. So keep your eyes peeled on the busier roads as all they're likely to "educate" is your bank balance and license endorsements.


Thanks for the heads up. I hope we don't encounter them.



Have fun!

I sure plan to :-)

[Skybaba]

Would love to make this trip as have a friends living in bangor currently beautiful place

When are you thinking of going?

[BasketballPAT]

Not going for a few weeks yet !

[Skybaba]

Suggestion for day one where you're going from Ruthin down to the A5, instead of going up towards Denbigh I'd use these roads http://goo.gl/maps/NZXb8 which are a little more fun.

Just checked Google Streetview and I like the look of that :-)

I'll see how we can tweak tomorrow's ride........thanks!

[Skybaba]

Had a cracking first day today. Mate and I are really pleased; we were both grinning all the way.

Looking forward to another great ride a in a few hours time!!

[Skybaba]

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/04/ebyty9ab.jpg

[littleoldman2]

This looks like a whole lot of fun, keep posting. Are you camping?.

[Skybaba]

This looks like a whole lot of fun, keep posting. Are you camping?.

Hey Mal,

I had to ditch the camping cos I was ill for a whole week just before the trip so I didn't want to push it; glad I didn't.

I'm currently in Newtown having some steak after what I can only describe as a pretty interesting day.

The hotel is about an hour away, so I'll post some more once I'm settled in.

[Skybaba]

I'm currently in Newtown having some steak after what I can only describe as a pretty interesting day.

Day Two was certainly eventful........I crashed twice!!!!

The day started with a full on English brekky to get us ready for the ride ahead. We set off a bit late in the day around 11am and made our way though Snowdonia park and travelled through Bala.
We travelled steadily and stopped a few times for photos.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/06/9enyhejy.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/06/mygabera.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/06/avuvaruz.jpg

We then headed down some B roads and took a detour into a single track road. I tried to avoid a puddle by moving to the right (over a bit of gravel) then tried to move back to the left and encountered some mud!!
I lost the rear end and couldn't control the bike, so headed into the soft verge and crashed into mud and grass on bike's right side.

I was thrown off the bike and I landed on the tarmac and felt the impact as my head hit the ground.
My mate riding behind me jumped off his bike and rushed to my aid.
I felt some pain on my right side and my head but was able to get up after sitting down for about a minute.

I suddenly jumped up because I realised the bike was still on its side. My mate helped me get the bike back up.

Surprisingly, the damage to the bike was minimal; the front indicator broke off and the rear indicator was knocked off by the luggage strapped to the bike.
The rear brake pedal was bent but not broken.

The luggage took a lot of the impact so I quickly checked the contents of my panniers. My iPad was OK but my laptop had cracked; the crack only affected the casing and not the screen.


http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/06/y8eny7ad.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/06/duzypuja.jpg


My textile had ripped in a few places but the most damage was to my left boot. It seems my boot was caught in the foot rest and ripped.


http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/06/a5yqazu3.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/06/udarevev.jpg


I was a bit worried at this point and wished I had the number of a Welsh Organ, like Runako so I could find a place to buy new boots.

After worrying desperately for a few minutes, my mate asked if I had tape.........which I happened to have (after reading different posts on the Org about travelling gear, I knew I had to take some tape along :-) ).
We taped up the boots and it was good as new......well almost ;-)

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/06/u4u3yhu3.jpg

After cranking the bike a few times, she finally came back to life. We set off again, only for me to crash a second time, less than 50 metres from the first crash. It appeared that my back tire had some mud which caused the bike to slip.

This time, the bike crashed on the tarmac and my head took a second pounding on the same side. My right leg was trapped under the bike so I couldn't move.
The engine was still running so I pressed the horn to get my mate's attention as he was in front then I hit the emergency switch to turn the bike off.

My mate rushed to my rescue (once again) and helped lift the bike a little so I could get my leg out. Then we got the bike back up together.

This time, the top fairing had scuffs on it from the fall, but still nothing was broken; the mirror, the fairing, the lever, the foot-rest and pedal didn't have a crack or bend!!!!

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/06/deha8ejy.jpg


At this point, I looked at the trip gauge and realised we had only travelled 80 miles; just over a third of the planned mileage for that day!!
Before we set off, my mate made me promise that I wouldn't crash again, which I did, so we cracked on!! ;-)

We travelled through Dolgellau, and hugged the coast for a bit.


http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/06/ytute6en.jpg


http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/06/8u2ajujy.jpg


We continued through Aberdovey and then pushed till we got to Newtown where we had planned to have lunch but got there around 6pm.

We were well rewarded with what I can only describe as a great meal at Mirrens Steak and Tapas.


http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/06/aju4ybes.jpg



After filling our tummies, we decided to ditch the planned route towards Builth Wells and just headed in the quickest direction to the guest house my mate had booked.

The guest house was tucked away deep in the countryside so we had to get on single-track roads again........this time I plied the roads more cautiously and we arrived at the location without incident.
As we turned off our bikes, all we could hear was the chorus of birds singing and sheep baa'ing........glorious!!!!!

We settled in, tweaked the route for the next day and hit the bed........oh boy I slept as soundly as a baby dreaming about all the twisty roads and mountains we had traveled through and wondering what Day three might hold :-)

[Runako]

Lol :) sounds like an eventful time and, most importantly, glad all is well. Your bike seems indestructible. Long may it stay that way. I would have been of little physical help I'm afraid as, with my steed of the road temporarily, I decided to travel the farthest north I've dared venture (under my own recognisance) and visited friends in Derby. But I could have steered you towards a useful outlet in those parts. Hopefully you've now found a suitable replacement.

I hope the rest of your trip continues to be fabulous and I'm now back so if any assistance is needed, I'll be keeping an eye on your thread. One thing I would mention is that its always said to replace your helmet if you get a bang on the head as the structural integrity could be compromised without any outward visible sign of damage. At the very least I'd suggest checking the helmet inside and out (if possible) for any sign of damage and think about replacing if necessary.

Good luck and happy riding.

[BasketballPAT]

stupid mud!!! glad you're alright

[Skybaba]

Lol :) sounds like an eventful time and, most importantly, glad all is well. Your bike seems indestructible. Long may it stay that way.....................I hope the rest of your trip continues to be fabulous

It was certainly fun and eventful.
I think Wales is really blessed with great roads and scenery and the weather held up real good.

Got back home on Sunday around 6pm; the trip was planned for 3 days which was certainly too short......I think we only scratched the surface!!

Wales was meant to give me some touring experience under my belt before Europe and I'm so glad I did it!!!


One thing I would mention is that its always said to replace your helmet if you get a bang on the head as the structural integrity could be compromised without any outward visible sign of damage.



Thanks for the advice. Well noted.
I'm off bikes for at least a week as I need to sort out my indys and get new boots and a new helmet...........Oh dear, I see my Euro funds depleting :-(

I'll finish up the write-up for Day 3 today or tomorrow and add more pictures.

Cheers!!!

[Skybaba]

stupid mud!!! glad you're alright

Thanks mate!!!

[littleoldman2]

Sorry to hear about your off's . Just think what you foot and head would have been like without good gear.
Seems you've got the touring / exploring bug, no bad thing.

[Luckypants]

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/04/ebyty9ab.jpg
Literally 5 miles from my house there :cool: That is my local road.

[Pricey12]

Ouch! Glad your ok after the offs and enjoyed the roads :)

[Skybaba]

Sorry to hear about your off's . Just think what you foot and head would have been like without good gear.
Seems you've got the touring / exploring bug, no bad thing.

Correct; I just think folks that ride without any gear whatsoever have got a screw loose somewhere.

I've certainly caught the touring bug, can't wait for Europe!

[Skybaba]

Literally 5 miles from my house there :cool: That is my local road.

Really? That was one our way up to Anglesey; somewhere after Ruthin.

[Skybaba]

Ouch! Glad your ok after the offs and enjoyed the roads :)

Ha ha; cheers!!

[Skybaba]

So Day Three started with the usual brekky.

We wanted to be with our families before nightfall so I tweaked the route the night before and we set out a little bit earlier......the bikes looked ready for the day ahead.


http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/11/yza9u3an.jpg


The route took us through Llandovery, Llangadog, up the Black Mountains and into Brecon.


http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/11/y8any8ad.jpg


http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/11/9ebuzyjy.jpg


We had a burger stop somewhere on the A40 in Brecon.


http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/05/11/u6eqyzyn.jpg


We finally made our way through Abergavenny, Gloucester and we split up in Oxford.

It was certainly an amazing trip!!!!

What struck me was the lack of speed cameras.........not that we were going fast ;-)
Also I didn't see a single police car.

Two Welsh words I learnt on this trip are ARAF and ARAFWCH (SLOW and REDUCE SPEED).

I didn't see any distinct signs to tell me I had now crossed the border back into England.......well apart from the fact that speed cameras were everywhere and signs were only written in English and not Welsh and English.

99% of bikers in Wales waved and nodded as we rode through the beautiful country. I gladly nodded back; probably too eagerly cos I had a little pain on my neck when I got home :-D

My mate had a GoPro so I'll try and add some videos when I get my hands on them.

I'm really glad I did this as its helped me in a few ways to prepare my mind for my Euro tour.........I'll certainly be doing Wales again sometime soon!!!

[Runako]

It always surprises me how few people give the nod or a wave outside Wales and particularly in London.

As for speed Camera's, yes you're right. Not many on those roads you mention but of course in the towns there are a few. You were, in fact very lucky not to see a Police car, or worse, see one too late! Because they've started an operation to 'Educate' us Bikers which will last until August.

Looks like you managed to time it perfectly as the week before quite a few bikers were stopped for speeding.

Some good routes and roads in there, and looks like you missed those deadly sheep! And that is no joke by the way ;) Let us know before hand if you fancy coming back across the border and I'll introduce you to the 'Secret Road'.

[Skybaba]

Added some more photos in the pictures thread.

http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=200918