OscarIndia
Registered user
Booked in for L1 on June 26/27th. Where's good to stay - as in cheap, cheerful but also quiet/comfy enough for a good night's sleep?
BMW O/R course accom question
- Thread starter OscarIndia
- Start date
OscarIndia
Registered user
Booked into Pen-Pentre, Ystradgynlais.
- "Do you want to stay on the Monday night too?"
- "Er...do most people?"
- "Varies"
- "On what?"
- "How hard they fell off".
- "Do you want to stay on the Monday night too?"
- "Er...do most people?"
- "Varies"
- "On what?"
- "How hard they fell off".
rodders
Registered user
Evening meal is at Abercrave inn, so if you book in there you don't need to drive/ride/taxi...and can drink to your hearts content, wake up in the morning with a hangover and fall off a lot
Surrey Yeoman
Registered user
I stayed at Pen-Pentre for my L1 GS last year.
Nice, comfortable room and they let me hang my (Very) sweaty riding kit out in the back garden to dry off on the Saturday evening.
No Pub or shop within easy walking distance, but I ate at the Abercraf/Abercrave in each night and picked up a few tinnies from a convenience store on the way back to the B&B.
Good breakfast at P-P.
Nice, comfortable room and they let me hang my (Very) sweaty riding kit out in the back garden to dry off on the Saturday evening.
No Pub or shop within easy walking distance, but I ate at the Abercraf/Abercrave in each night and picked up a few tinnies from a convenience store on the way back to the B&B.
Good breakfast at P-P.
Another vote for the Abercrave Inn. Enjoy the BMW course.
OscarIndia
Registered user
Cheers guys - good advice, and thanks.
NLC
Registered user
The Mole Inn is nice. The New Swann is comfortable and owned by a biker.
GS_or_bust
Registered user
Copper Beech Inn
I couldn't get a room in the Abercrave when I went on the course a couple of years ago so I stayed in the Copper Beech Inn (+44 1639 730269) which is a few yards up the road. The advantage is you can walk to the Abercrave for the evening meal.
I couldn't get a room in the Abercrave when I went on the course a couple of years ago so I stayed in the Copper Beech Inn (+44 1639 730269) which is a few yards up the road. The advantage is you can walk to the Abercrave for the evening meal.
Ludlovian
Registered user
New Swan
I'm just back from the course and stayed at the New Swan. It was fine; very clean, friendly and a monster breakfast. Taxi to the Abercrave Inn for the evening meal was £12 thare and £9 to get back
.
I'm just back from the course and stayed at the New Swan. It was fine; very clean, friendly and a monster breakfast. Taxi to the Abercrave Inn for the evening meal was £12 thare and £9 to get back
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Gromit
Registered user
Gromit
Registered user
How much is it ?I really fancy doing this.
OscarIndia
Registered user
It's £479 +accom for L1. Not sure about the levels above 1.
+1 for the Abercrave Inn.
... and don't worry too much about falling off. You will, but only the very unlucky hurt themselves. Of 40 in our class, there were only two course-busting injuries: a dislocated thumb (requiring a hospital visit) and a twisted knee. Key to enjoyment of the course is not to try and save the bike in the event of an 'off'. Just let go and step away. Also, eat breakfast and lunch. We had a German gentleman with us who never normally ate until the evening and, by the afternoon session on the second day, he was so fatigued that he couldn't manoeuvre the bike at all without dropping it.
And finally, don't be tempted to ride to the course on your bike, if you intend to leave directly afterwards. Unless you have a very short ride home, you'll be dangerously knackered ... consider staying the extra night.
... and don't worry too much about falling off. You will, but only the very unlucky hurt themselves. Of 40 in our class, there were only two course-busting injuries: a dislocated thumb (requiring a hospital visit) and a twisted knee. Key to enjoyment of the course is not to try and save the bike in the event of an 'off'. Just let go and step away. Also, eat breakfast and lunch. We had a German gentleman with us who never normally ate until the evening and, by the afternoon session on the second day, he was so fatigued that he couldn't manoeuvre the bike at all without dropping it.
And finally, don't be tempted to ride to the course on your bike, if you intend to leave directly afterwards. Unless you have a very short ride home, you'll be dangerously knackered ... consider staying the extra night.
That's the place we stayed when I was working down there the owner was really helpful....
it won't really matter where you stay, drink loads of water even if your not getting hammered. cos you be sweating for england if it warm...
But then Novice/Intermediate/whatever, was an unlucky kind of guy
Hmm, that's not as reassuring as it probably sounds in your head
OscarIndia
Registered user
Hmmm - had planned to ride and then come home at the end of Day 2. 100 miles or so. Seriously, no good?
All I will say is that even L1 (may be particularly L1) is a physically-demanding course and, while it's natural to want to arrive by bike, a lot of our group wished they hadn't and some decided to stay over an extra night. We had tacked an "Adventure Maintenance" course onto our stay and unexpectedly found a number of our O/R Skills group in the restaurant on the second evening.
OscarIndia
Registered user
Hmmm. I suspect you're right - however, I just can't face climbing out of an A8 in O/R kit of a morning, would feel a bit odd. Might well look at booking Monday night too though! 
rodders
Registered user
You will find quite a few people going there by car... Both times I've been, there have been a dozen+ cars .. There is a hut to get changed in where they store the hire clothing or you can change next to your car if its not raining.
Did the L1 course on Firday/Sat - superb. Didn't know you could get 200kg of bike to do some of that stuff.
Another thumbs up for the Abercrave Inn, very handy, especially for the course dinner.
Course was great and about as much fun as you can have with your trousers on. As other posts have pointed out .... eat lots, drink plenty (of water during the day and whatever takes your fancy in the evening once you are off the bike) because you will be knackered and dehydrated. Energy levels drop off mid afternoon.
Plenty of spills (walk away from the bike) and many many laughs.
The 2011 GS 1200s do seem to leak oil from the rocker covers at the slightest provocation (dropping them, bouncing off rocks etc) but the guys and girls running the course are past masters at producing a Torx wrench, backing off the rocker cover whereupon the gasket pops back into place and off you go .... ready to fall off again!!!
Fantastic ... level 2 here I come.
Another thumbs up for the Abercrave Inn, very handy, especially for the course dinner.
Course was great and about as much fun as you can have with your trousers on. As other posts have pointed out .... eat lots, drink plenty (of water during the day and whatever takes your fancy in the evening once you are off the bike) because you will be knackered and dehydrated. Energy levels drop off mid afternoon.
Plenty of spills (walk away from the bike) and many many laughs.
The 2011 GS 1200s do seem to leak oil from the rocker covers at the slightest provocation (dropping them, bouncing off rocks etc) but the guys and girls running the course are past masters at producing a Torx wrench, backing off the rocker cover whereupon the gasket pops back into place and off you go .... ready to fall off again!!!
Fantastic ... level 2 here I come.
