Wales Weekend 1st-2nd October

[donnie]

Hello All,

I'm planning a weekend trip to mid Wales for the first weekend in Oct. I have a nice route planned over the Brecons, cutting across the cambrian mountains to Tregaron and down throught the Elan valley. I'll send route files / map when I've sorted it. The following day, Sunday, will be a shorter loop ending up in Knighton in time to get home. I've done this route a ew times and the mid wales roads are, by my reckoning, some of th ebest in the UK. I'll be looking to stay at the Baskerville Arms in Clyro, just outside Hay-on-Wye. It''s a nice place with clean rooms, nice staff and fantastic home cooked food. Their beer's good too. DB&B is about £55 pppn.

Anyone fancy it?

 

[donnie]

Some photos from the route and to prove the sun does shine in Wales sometimes.

 

[donnie]

Hi, Following Pauls post I thought I'd clarify a few things. I plan trips every year for me and a group of friends, usually a couple of times a year to wales and then a bigger trip to Europe. I do it for the fun of it and thought I'd try to get active on the GSers site and get to know a few folks. The cost for this is whatever the accommodation ends up being plus all the usual costs, fuel, beer etc..

The route is all on roads and more than suitable for pillions. I'll need to know by, lets say the end of August, so I can find some accomodation if the Baskerville Arms is full by then.

I've attached a couple of maps, sorry about the quality, and can provide GPS files of the route too.

Hoping to meet some of you this weekend at Thetford.

cheers,

Haydn

 

[B4ndit]

Hi,

I would be interested in this.

 

[Rasher]

Looks like a good route, I have done quite a few of those roads on day trips to Wales, really like the Elan Valley.

As I can get into Mid Wales in 90 minutes I have never considered it a weekend stopover.

Like the look of the North, but can't be doing with all the police harrasment. Although the areas on your map have stacks of scamera vans, I often see 3 or 4 on a day out and my detector warns of a possible site every few hundred metres - so don't go mad!

 

[donnie]

Thanks Rasher. I've seen very few, if any cameras, in this area before but that might just be good fortune. That is why I don't tend to head further north into Snowdonia though, that and it gets very busy on the weekends.
If you dont fancy the stopover, you could always come for a days rideout.

 

[2 wheel humvee]

Some cracking roads there

Re; Camera's and camera vans, they tend to operate mostly on A roads (you won't be using those much but if you do take it easy) but sometimes operate on favourite biker B roads, they are very devious and adept at hiding in bushes and lay by's, I'm sure they even have a camera equipped bike
Take it easy in the obvious hotspots and A roads, when you're on the B roads you'll be having a great time on the twisties well within the speed limits for the most part, I would love to join you for a ride out but I'll be in The Picos and Pyrenees first weekend in October-it's a tough life

 

[donnie]

Bandit, I'll keep you posted on this and send you some itn files nearer the time, if you need them. Hoping to get about 6/7 people together.

 

[karlp]

Provisionally interested.


Are you leaving Friday evening or Saturday morning?

thanks

karl

 

[donnie]

hi Karl,
Getting down there on Friday evening 7/8pm'ish for dinner and a couple of beers.

cheers,

Haydn

 

[donnie]

Hi,
I am going to arrange accomoodation for the Wales weekender during the next week so can anyone who fancies it or has expressed an interest, please let me know. I'll post where we're staying once I've booked so if anyone decides last minute, they can book up and join us. Currently there are 3 definates, and two maybe's so still places left. And if any locals fancy a rideout, please feel free to tag along.


cheers,

Haydn

 

[Homer1968]

Haydn count me in i'm up for this. Weekend booked off

 

[donnie]

cheers Steve, you we're one of the definates

 

[donnie]

I've uploaded the routefiles to my website for folks to download.
www.blacktopmotorcycletours.com then go to the wales page. They are itn and gps exchange files which I think Garmin will use. Let me know if not.

I called the Baskerville Arms this evening and they still have availability so I'm going to book up over the weekend.

B4andit, you expressed an interest, is this still the case.

cheers,

Haydn

 

[Homer1968]

Aye up Haydn, i couldn't get the files to work with mapsource. What i'll do when i get a minute it put the route in manually.

Cheers

 

[donnie]

ah. I use a programe called 'tyre', trace your route everywhere. I perhaps need to upgrade so i can save as garmin files but there are some feature on the newer version I don't like when planning routes. You could download it, it's free, but they're open to donations, you could then save the files as garmin or whatever you need.

 

[B4ndit]

Hi donnie,

Apologies for not replying. Just got back from a week in France. Work want me to go to Scotland sometime in September or October so got to work that one out. Will post back when I know which should be later this week.

 

[Omias]

mid-wales

Hi Donnie, provided i've got my new bike by then i'll meet up with you along the way somewhere, as i live near Cardiff and can be in the Beacons in half hour. You've picked some sweet roads which iv'e ridden most of regularly for the last couple of years, you might like to include the A4069 Llangadog to Upper Brynammon road which is an absolute peach! Hope to see you all there!

 

[donnie]

i'll take a look at that omias, thanks. I'm not so fortunate to have mid wales on my doorstep but I have ridden down there quite a few times and based this route on roads I know are good or great biking roads. hopefully meet up with you.

b4andit, i'll post where we're stayin when I've booked so you can book yourself in if/when you know you can make it.
cheers,
haydn

 

[Homer1968]

Haydn re day 1s route is it planned to do it clockwise or anti clockwise? The reason i ask so i can input the route on mapsource

Cheers mate