North Wales have no bike cops...

...were the almost parting words of one member of the forum yesterday. Oh contrare!! Long thread warning....

I left Ponderosa, followed Pete/Lissa & Plowsie down HorseShoe, and branched off on the A5 home. Traffic was pretty heavy, but progress made quite easily.

Then I came to Betws-y-coed, and up ahead, a bright coloured Pan, so I guessed it was either a bike cop, or the BikeSafe guy. I decided that I'd keep up with him, and by that I mean to keep him in sight, but let him vanish around bends, then I'd see him around the corner again.

This carried on up past Capel Curig, and he was shifting quite well, and so was I. Only I misjudged it a little & cought up with him coming towards Llyn Ogwen, so he pulled over in the car park before the A5 drops down the hill. The kind of pulling over where you think "he's coming out behind me to follow."

So there we were coming down the Ogwen pass, both of us overtaking cars where possible, and him staying a couple of cars behind me.

On the straight bits, I misjudged an overtake a little, and clipped the white line as I came back in, opps. I could of made it if I'd opened the bike up harder, but then I might of been done for speeding. But I didn't think much of it, and after the next section the bike cop was right behind me, so I stuck thumbs up at him, just seeing him as another biker.

Then came the corners before Bethesda, so I figured I'd take them briskly, but not anywhere approaching usual speeds, no brakes needed, just rolling on & off the throttle to use engine braking. He was sitting approx 2m behind me, right in my blind spot, so I was making mirror checks mid bend very obvious as if to say "do me a favour & back off a little."

Just by the campsite I heard the siren, and looked behind me half thinking "time to pull over" but also "does he want to come past me on a shout." Turns out he wanted me to stop.

His first words to me were "Your riding is very very good, but you leave yourself no margin for error." I couldn't help thinking that I was taking it easy as he was behind me. I bit my lip though.

I won't go into much detail of what happened next (he took a polaroid of my plate and it advertises the org), but the result was £60 & 3 points for crossing the white line, and £30 for the plate.

End of the day? I'd had a good weekend, and it was a nice smooth ride down the Ogwen pass, only I did something illegal. I've had a long run of good luck with stops before, and one day your luck has to run out. He actually told me that if I'd of pulled out for a view, seen it wasn't on for the overtake, then pulled back in, he'd of just followed me towards Bangor without stopping me. Apparently a guy recently lost his ROSPA Gold status on the very same white line for the same thing, and the cop was his examiner.

Anyhow, other than the £90 out of pocket, I had a binding weekend

Very philosophical of you, and good to see you taking it "on the chin" m8 ... still it's never nice to get a ticket (of any sort). After what you've said also, I think I "may" just reconsider that replacement plate for my SV when I get it back.

I'll bet the copper logs on to have a look at the "org" too

Sorry to hear about the ticket, but good to see you at the weekend and glad to hear you enjoyed it regardless

Pete

Sorry to hear about that mate, you're taking it better than i would it seems

[Luckypants]

Well I stand corrected about the N. Wales traffic cop department.

Bad luck on the ticket. Just 'clipping' the solid white gave him an excuse to pull you over I guess as there was quite a bit he could have done you for on your bike.

It is also nice to see one of Brunstrum's stormtroopers not taking a scorched earth policy and giving you a ticket only for the specific offence. I think they are still keen on number plates here, due to the reliance on cameras, so they always gonna do you for that also if they do you. Did he explain what it was you were doing that 'left no margin for error'? Did he advise on rider training or just give you an ear bashing?

lets hope the coppers arnt smart enough to clock onto the next ride out route!

What a crap end for you even more so after all the time you spent helping and encouraging Melody.

I know you don't normally do double whites so must've been incredibly annoying that one slight misjudgement goes so heavily punished. Would have a thought a word would've sufficed. Your plates not even that bad.

bad lucks over now dave you should be ok for a bit lol, i wish he would have been behind me id give him something to chew on

it is abit harsh that isnt it whatever happened to discresion, a friendly telling off would have been more appropriate in that case i feel.

Bad luck there Baph.


I knew the law would get hold of you at some point (only jesting)

Yeah sorry to hear of your bit of bad luck mate, you,ll be ok for a while now though