Wales off roading...

Buttso · Nov 18, 2011

Having loved Wales as a off road biking spot for some time, I wanted to find a route that was a mix of lovely roads, forests and slightly

tougher sections. My last trip over there we did further down south, was 80% road and easy going..

so I rummaged around on a mountain bike website and found an 8 day trip from the top of Wales to the bottom, following as closely as

possible the Sarn Helen road.. now some of the road goes places that Motorcycles cannot, so its a little trial and error. .but for the

most part it was a wonderful trip with some amazing roads... even leaving ourselves a long weekend, we only managed to make it half way down (or Day 4 of the maps I found)

All of the roads we used are "legal" for bikes, if we hit any of the restricted ones we turned around.. no point getting any grief from the authorities.
or ruining it for anyone else

we didnt know if GSA's could do all of it or some of it, well GSA's are not there just to be looked at.. so off we went to get them dirty!!

this is more of a picture report.... cause they do speak for themselves...

so day 1 looked a little like this..

<a href="http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=961093">Sarn Helen Day 1 at EveryTrail</a><br><iframe src="http://www.everytrail.com/iframe2.php?trip_id=961093&width=400&height=300" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="400" height="300"></iframe>

so , nice spin on the bikes and a stop off inside the old town walls for a pasty and tea from a lovely bakery.. chat to some of the

locals who were admiring a bike. Including one older gent who used to drive a bus from london to India in the swinging sixties with all

the hippies on board... a really cool guy..

Ed tucking into some nasty nosh

so after the bellies were full off we go..

initally we followed some great tracks which were just relaxing and fun to ride

fairly rocky, slippy and bumpy

one of 3 million gates we went through

beautiful valleys..

Day two saw us heading into the mountains to some slippy rocks and fab mountain trails

<a href="http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=961096">Sarn Helen Day 2 at EveryTrail</a><br><iframe src="http://www.everytrail.com/iframe2.php?trip_id=961096&width=400&height=300" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="400" height="300"></iframe>

Nipping up the trails..

higher in the hills... first of the Welsh water features..

<a href="http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=961097">Sarn Helen Day 3 at EveryTrail</a><br><iframe src="http://www.everytrail.com/iframe2.php?trip_id=961097&width=400&height=300" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="400" height="300"></iframe>EveryTrail - Find <a href="http://www.everytrail.com/best/hiking-california">trail maps for California</a> and beyond

there is always pushing to be done!!!

coming to the end of the run, the last of the water features

further on from this, I tried to go around a deep water section on the upper rut of a track and managed to turn my GSA (fully loaded)

upside down into a deep water filled trench... lucky not to get squashed by it..

does make the bike look different!!! and my panniers didnt escape either
new GSA.. now available with sporty screen

Further south a little bridge (forget exactly where) but it still has a small toll to be paid

and finishing up the day with a relax and food on the prom

Wales.. cracking place...

Deleted account 231002001 · Nov 18, 2011

Looks great :thumb2

finn · Nov 18, 2011

fab

great report ive done some of those roads on my tenere with knobblies so gsa loadad with not a "knob" in sight :bow

GrinningGSer · Nov 18, 2011

Awesome and on Tourances. :bow

That screen and screen mount will cost you.

Fabulous trails.

Buttso · Nov 24, 2011

Cheers lads, it was one of the best days riding I had.. I loved it.!!!

as for the screen luckily it was on the "hard Part" in the front of the screen made of plastic.. so they both snapped..., I did snap the wing mirror.. .and they are not cheap

mcinlb · Nov 24, 2011

Just seen this report - great trip, tough on the bike damage, some bits were almost trials section to a roady like me...

moly · Nov 24, 2011

mcinlb said:
Just seen this report - great trip, tough on the bike damage, some bits were almost trials section to a roady like me...

i have done a bit of off roading myself on my bm ,........
i have to say well done !!!
on those tyres you just embarassed 90% of the wannabees out there

knobby · Nov 24, 2011

Day 1 track log doing the Bwlch y Groes on a GS adv , I'm shocked well done and wow ...... I'm lost for words :bow

Would be good if you had some pictures of this little lane

Gaz · Nov 24, 2011

Knobby means the track from Dolwyddelan to Penmachno.
It's nothing like the well-defined track that is in your pics, it's basically a bog on a hill.

Unless it was absolutely bone-dry you'd never have got 3 GS's on Tourances with panniers over it. But if you have pics as proof, I'll eat Knobby's hat

Buttso · Nov 24, 2011

Wales

cheers lads

you are right it was bone dry on 95% of the run.. but there were certain sections were we just gave up... no amount of pushing and revving would do it.no grass to run on.... we would just turn around.. go back to the road and try and work around it... those GSA's have limits and hit them fairly quick...

there was one really bad boggy section we did so well on.. till we came to this dip...

not a hope in hell of getting road tyres down and up it... :nenau

finn · Nov 24, 2011

Question is next time would you take tkc's and have a go with soft luggage only much easier

Buttso · Nov 24, 2011

oh 100% yes :bounce1

we had no idea what the trail was going to look like, but as I said . best off trail riding I have ever done.. even a buddy of mine who is sports bike mad.. said it was the most enjoyable biking he had ever done ever...

it would make you swear and sweat and I spent most of the day with a big red sweaty face.... but then again thats what off roading is all about..

I have a sweet little Suzuki DR that I am run that trail on .. big giant knobblies...
the GSA's were great fun to bring there.. but a lighter bike would be brilliant..

Dansin · Nov 25, 2011

moly said:
i have done a bit of off roading myself on my bm ,........

Understatement of the week.....

Timolgra · Nov 25, 2011

knobby said:
Day 1 track log doing the Bwlch y Groes on a GS adv , I'm shocked well done and wow ...... I'm lost for words

Would be good if you had some pictures of this little lane

Ha ha, they wouldn't have done Bwlch y Groes on GS's!!

Great report though, many of us ride those lanes quite regularly but on more suitable bikes nowadays