Although only three of us made it for the weekend, a couple of guys from South Wales had suggested to meet up on the Saturday for a ride-out. The weather forecast was sunny, and with the guarantee of some fantastic biking roads and nice accommodation, it promised to be a good weekend.
We'd arranged to meet up at the pub, the Baskerville Arms in Clyro, and whoever got there first would get the beers in. With the Friday booked off work, I'd planned a scenic route through the Cotswolds, a nice route I've done many times but always better with the sun shining.
After Gloucester, and feeling a bit peckish, I came across Pan Tod Beacon in the Forest of Dean. This sounded like a nice quiet spot to eat my wilting ham sarnies. It was too, with nice views of the Welsh hills.
Sarnies devoured, I headed for Monmouth, then onto the narrow mountain road over the Gospel Pass on the Black Mountains. I'd done this very narrow lane, no more than a farm track in places, several years ago but didn't remember it being quite so muddy at the bottom of the valley. Slip sliding away
The view from the top of the pass is well worth it though. Just mind the sheep!
And the road down is much better too.
Steve (Homer1968) said he'd be at the pub by 4pm which, coming from Doncaster, I thought was a bit optimistic via his scenic route. Friday afternoon in a warm, sunny pub garden in Wales, that was fine by me. A couple of beers later Steve arrived, and a few more still saw Sids arrival.
Steve and Sid arrived later and much beer and bollox commenced.
And a very nice meal. The food there is all homemade. We all had their steak and ale pie which is reeeeally good. Mmmm.
Saturday morning we headed out to the Brecon Beacons and onto one of my favourite roads, the A4059 from Hirwuan towards Brecon. A couple of close shaves with them there sheeps.
At Llandovery, we stopped at the West End cafe to meet up with Bladerunner and TimBox from the EuroKClub site. (Well, I used to have a K1200). We were a little late and Tim hadn't waited but, Gareth? who'd made a last minute forum enquiry turned out so the five of us headed off via Lampeter and Tregaron to the Elan Valley. This is a nice route providing a good mix of tight twisty B roads and narrow mountain roads.
Gareth(?) left and Steve(Homer1968)
One of my favourite stops at the top of the Elan Valley.
The road from here twists and turns down the valley past a series of pretty reservoirs. This is the Penygarreg Reservoir...
and the pump house on the Carreg-Ddu Reservoir.
At the bottom of the valley, near Rhayder, is the Elan Valley Vistor Centre. Quite a nice spot for a...cornish pasty? Not very Welsh but nice never-the-less...
and chance for a quick look at Bladerunner's shiny new GT.
Gareth headed off from here whilst we headed back to Brecon via a couple of my other favourite B roads, the B4358 from Newbridge_on_Wye to Trefyls, and the B4520 through the military area at Upper and Lower Chapel.
Bladerunner parted company at Brecon and we headed back for plenty of well earned
and more
Sunday the weather was cooler but still dry as we headed out on a 90mile ish route to Knighton. We were getting nearer to the main biker roads though and sometimes this proved to be less fun. A couple of close calls with numpty power rangers
Some sweet roads though.
And that just about brought end end to another great biking weekend in Wales. Good weather, good beer, good food and good company. Cheers to the guys from Wales who turned out, and appologies if I remember your names wrongly...I'm bad like that
We'd arranged to meet up at the pub, the Baskerville Arms in Clyro, and whoever got there first would get the beers in. With the Friday booked off work, I'd planned a scenic route through the Cotswolds, a nice route I've done many times but always better with the sun shining.
After Gloucester, and feeling a bit peckish, I came across Pan Tod Beacon in the Forest of Dean. This sounded like a nice quiet spot to eat my wilting ham sarnies. It was too, with nice views of the Welsh hills.
Sarnies devoured, I headed for Monmouth, then onto the narrow mountain road over the Gospel Pass on the Black Mountains. I'd done this very narrow lane, no more than a farm track in places, several years ago but didn't remember it being quite so muddy at the bottom of the valley. Slip sliding away
The view from the top of the pass is well worth it though. Just mind the sheep!
And the road down is much better too.
Steve (Homer1968) said he'd be at the pub by 4pm which, coming from Doncaster, I thought was a bit optimistic via his scenic route. Friday afternoon in a warm, sunny pub garden in Wales, that was fine by me. A couple of beers later Steve arrived, and a few more still saw Sids arrival.
Steve and Sid arrived later and much beer and bollox commenced.
And a very nice meal. The food there is all homemade. We all had their steak and ale pie which is reeeeally good. Mmmm.Saturday morning we headed out to the Brecon Beacons and onto one of my favourite roads, the A4059 from Hirwuan towards Brecon. A couple of close shaves with them there sheeps.
At Llandovery, we stopped at the West End cafe to meet up with Bladerunner and TimBox from the EuroKClub site. (Well, I used to have a K1200). We were a little late and Tim hadn't waited but, Gareth? who'd made a last minute forum enquiry turned out so the five of us headed off via Lampeter and Tregaron to the Elan Valley. This is a nice route providing a good mix of tight twisty B roads and narrow mountain roads.
Gareth(?) left and Steve(Homer1968)
One of my favourite stops at the top of the Elan Valley.
The road from here twists and turns down the valley past a series of pretty reservoirs. This is the Penygarreg Reservoir...
and the pump house on the Carreg-Ddu Reservoir.
At the bottom of the valley, near Rhayder, is the Elan Valley Vistor Centre. Quite a nice spot for a...cornish pasty? Not very Welsh but nice never-the-less...
and chance for a quick look at Bladerunner's shiny new GT.
Gareth headed off from here whilst we headed back to Brecon via a couple of my other favourite B roads, the B4358 from Newbridge_on_Wye to Trefyls, and the B4520 through the military area at Upper and Lower Chapel.
Bladerunner parted company at Brecon and we headed back for plenty of well earned
and more Sunday the weather was cooler but still dry as we headed out on a 90mile ish route to Knighton. We were getting nearer to the main biker roads though and sometimes this proved to be less fun. A couple of close calls with numpty power rangers
Some sweet roads though.
And that just about brought end end to another great biking weekend in Wales. Good weather, good beer, good food and good company. Cheers to the guys from Wales who turned out, and appologies if I remember your names wrongly...I'm bad like that
