Sunday 21st February 2010.
I`d spent most of the previous week on 6pm-6am night shifts,combined with working at Glambabe`s house in my time off,wrestling with a flat-pack kitchen installation job.
If not quite feeling 'The Need For Speed',I was certainly feeling the need for a bike ride and plenty of fresh air to make a change from plaster dust and the odour of jigsawed MDF...so was Glambabe...so we`d agreed to get out early Sunday morning for a 'Brekky Run' to the Ponderosa Cafe atop the Horseshoe Pass near Llangollen.
This is a regular morning run,some say a bit cheesy,but it`s a nice ride with pleasant scenery...and nice food,so what more do you need?
I awoke Sunday morning and did my traditional check out of my South Westerly facing rear bedroom 'Weather Window' as it faces the direction I`m often going to be riding (it once seemed odd that I`m mostly riding to the South West but that`s my way into Wonderful Wales,look you here boyo).
WOWEE !! Total whiteout !! Thick and heavy snowfall !!
Ural Playtime Again !!!
Cue a quick shower and an even quicker cup of coffee....then don my Goretex gear and wheel out...you guessed it,my fave Ural 650 combo 'Skaya'.
Seeing her covered in snow like this just gets me like a kid in a toyshop and I can`t wait to get out there and have some fun.
Many an 'Adventure Bike' no doubt sat indoors while Skaya was ready to play. 
I brushed the snow off and she leaped into life.....and romped round to Glambabe`s while some of the cars were already starting to slither and slide,or crawl along at no more than 20mph.
From Glambabe`s I took the scenic route across the Wirral,going through Willaston and onto the Chester High Road before making into Wales.
I never tire of this first part of any journey,as it is so pleasant,and today it was even more so,and despite the lure of a cooked brekky,I had to stop for a few photos.....
My friend Zebb always recommends looking behind at where you`ve ridden through when taking photos,and it seems good advice,as when you`re heading towards the Sun your photos can be dark or silhouetted,while behind you gets better light...
No...not a photograph of an impending collision and doom in the trees ahead, but just another 'breakfast delaying' photo while I`m enjoying the snow.
Told you I was a kid in a toyshop,didn`t I ??
Onwards into Wales and through Hawarden before picking up the road to Corwen which we`re heading for.
This monument has always been eye catching to me and I couldn`t resist doing a quick 360 degree spin on Skaya to get a photograph while the snow was still there....despite the muttered oaths from Glambabe who was more than 'slightly ready' to eat her breakfast.
Okay..okay...we`re on our way again...it`s not very far anyway...it won`t be long before we`re there.
Ooooh...but look at the snow in the trees....what an ace photo that`d make.
Yeah..yeah..it`s the last photo until after brekky...honestly.....soon be there.
The hunger pangs and stomach growls from the sidecar could now be heard over Skaya`s timing gears and alternator howl so it was probably prudent to 'press on' to the Ponda.
And soon enough,here we are !!
Naturally,it`s time for another photo.......
Glambabe gazes across towards the Ponderosa...hoping above hope that it is actually open and ready to serve our brekky.
I was kinda hoping so too........
So,fully fed and laced with the Ponda`s nice black coffee and hot chocolate, we decided to bimble down the Horseshoe Pass into Llangollen.
But first....how about a photo or two.........
Glambabe does her finest 'Scott of the Antarctic' pose.
We`re on a Ural so we.... 'May be some time'....:
Skaya awaits us.....ready to play again......
All aboard....and we`re ready for the off too.
A quick pause while a kindly passer by offers to take our photo for us.
Scooting down the Horseshoe Pass and towards Llangollen,I remembered a nice little photo spot I found last Summer when out on my Enfield.
I thought it`d make a nice contrast to have a snowy one next to the sunny one from last year.
It`s a lovely peaceful little spot just near to the Motor Museum.
Ducks come paddling over towards you and it`s nice and still and quiet.
I think some folk thought we`d stolen an exhibit from the Museum.
We spent a nice couple of hours browsing the shops in Llangollen including the freshly renovated 'Bookshop Cafe' where you can lose all sense of time and come out straining under a mountain of second hand books,all at very good prices.
Then it was back up the Horseshoe and head for home in lovely sunny conditions.
There was so much salt on the roads and so much spray that Skaya was a 'tad dirty' when we got back ....
I`d never recommend using a JetWash on any bike..least of all a Ural which can suffer from water in the floatbowls..but the last time I 'manually' washed a Ural in this condition it took six buckets of water and over an hour and a half...and it still wasn`t fully clean afterwards.
So,I invested £3 in a hot shampoo/hot soapy brush/fresh rinse....sounds like a hairdresser I used to know
The great thing about the 'hot soapy brush' part of the JetWash was that I could hose the front of my bike gear and get Glambabe to brush and rinse all the salt and road filth off me.
JetWashing complete.....time for a quick brake check and a liberal application of Tarka`s 'Magic Spray' all over Skaya,especially HT leads and plug caps.
Choke on...fired up first time.
Homewards bound.
Well....back to Glambabe`s to continue with the kitchen assembly....
Hope you enjoyed.
I`d spent most of the previous week on 6pm-6am night shifts,combined with working at Glambabe`s house in my time off,wrestling with a flat-pack kitchen installation job.
If not quite feeling 'The Need For Speed',I was certainly feeling the need for a bike ride and plenty of fresh air to make a change from plaster dust and the odour of jigsawed MDF...so was Glambabe...so we`d agreed to get out early Sunday morning for a 'Brekky Run' to the Ponderosa Cafe atop the Horseshoe Pass near Llangollen.
This is a regular morning run,some say a bit cheesy,but it`s a nice ride with pleasant scenery...and nice food,so what more do you need?
I awoke Sunday morning and did my traditional check out of my South Westerly facing rear bedroom 'Weather Window' as it faces the direction I`m often going to be riding (it once seemed odd that I`m mostly riding to the South West but that`s my way into Wonderful Wales,look you here boyo).
WOWEE !! Total whiteout !! Thick and heavy snowfall !!
Ural Playtime Again !!!
Cue a quick shower and an even quicker cup of coffee....then don my Goretex gear and wheel out...you guessed it,my fave Ural 650 combo 'Skaya'.
Seeing her covered in snow like this just gets me like a kid in a toyshop and I can`t wait to get out there and have some fun.
Many an 'Adventure Bike' no doubt sat indoors while Skaya was ready to play.
I brushed the snow off and she leaped into life.....and romped round to Glambabe`s while some of the cars were already starting to slither and slide,or crawl along at no more than 20mph.
From Glambabe`s I took the scenic route across the Wirral,going through Willaston and onto the Chester High Road before making into Wales.
I never tire of this first part of any journey,as it is so pleasant,and today it was even more so,and despite the lure of a cooked brekky,I had to stop for a few photos.....
My friend Zebb always recommends looking behind at where you`ve ridden through when taking photos,and it seems good advice,as when you`re heading towards the Sun your photos can be dark or silhouetted,while behind you gets better light...
No...not a photograph of an impending collision and doom in the trees ahead, but just another 'breakfast delaying' photo while I`m enjoying the snow.
Told you I was a kid in a toyshop,didn`t I ??
Onwards into Wales and through Hawarden before picking up the road to Corwen which we`re heading for.
This monument has always been eye catching to me and I couldn`t resist doing a quick 360 degree spin on Skaya to get a photograph while the snow was still there....despite the muttered oaths from Glambabe who was more than 'slightly ready' to eat her breakfast.
Okay..okay...we`re on our way again...it`s not very far anyway...it won`t be long before we`re there.
Ooooh...but look at the snow in the trees....what an ace photo that`d make.
Yeah..yeah..it`s the last photo until after brekky...honestly.....soon be there.
The hunger pangs and stomach growls from the sidecar could now be heard over Skaya`s timing gears and alternator howl so it was probably prudent to 'press on' to the Ponda.
And soon enough,here we are !!
Naturally,it`s time for another photo.......
Glambabe gazes across towards the Ponderosa...hoping above hope that it is actually open and ready to serve our brekky.
I was kinda hoping so too........
So,fully fed and laced with the Ponda`s nice black coffee and hot chocolate, we decided to bimble down the Horseshoe Pass into Llangollen.
But first....how about a photo or two.........
Glambabe does her finest 'Scott of the Antarctic' pose.
We`re on a Ural so we.... 'May be some time'....:
Skaya awaits us.....ready to play again......
All aboard....and we`re ready for the off too.
A quick pause while a kindly passer by offers to take our photo for us.
Scooting down the Horseshoe Pass and towards Llangollen,I remembered a nice little photo spot I found last Summer when out on my Enfield.
I thought it`d make a nice contrast to have a snowy one next to the sunny one from last year.
It`s a lovely peaceful little spot just near to the Motor Museum.
Ducks come paddling over towards you and it`s nice and still and quiet.
I think some folk thought we`d stolen an exhibit from the Museum.
We spent a nice couple of hours browsing the shops in Llangollen including the freshly renovated 'Bookshop Cafe' where you can lose all sense of time and come out straining under a mountain of second hand books,all at very good prices.
Then it was back up the Horseshoe and head for home in lovely sunny conditions.
There was so much salt on the roads and so much spray that Skaya was a 'tad dirty' when we got back ....
I`d never recommend using a JetWash on any bike..least of all a Ural which can suffer from water in the floatbowls..but the last time I 'manually' washed a Ural in this condition it took six buckets of water and over an hour and a half...and it still wasn`t fully clean afterwards.
So,I invested £3 in a hot shampoo/hot soapy brush/fresh rinse....sounds like a hairdresser I used to know
The great thing about the 'hot soapy brush' part of the JetWash was that I could hose the front of my bike gear and get Glambabe to brush and rinse all the salt and road filth off me.
JetWashing complete.....time for a quick brake check and a liberal application of Tarka`s 'Magic Spray' all over Skaya,especially HT leads and plug caps.
Choke on...fired up first time.
Homewards bound.
Well....back to Glambabe`s to continue with the kitchen assembly....
Hope you enjoyed.
)
