So Friday me and a mate (BIL) popped across the boarder to Wales for some fun!
We met up at 7AM with full tanks and decided the best route. Originally we was going to ride straight to Crickhowell and then grab some food at maybe a cafe or something whilst there. But when we realised it was 3 hours away he immediately said 'I can't wait that long!!' So we changed our schedule and decided to stop off at a service station just before Swindon Jct on the M4 (Membury services).
We parked up in the good biker fashion...rode straight up on the drop down kerb right next to the entrance kicked down our kick stands and hopped off!! There are some pretty big wooden outside tables at these services so we literally only had to step a couple of meters away so we could eat, chill and keep our eyes on our bikes and possessions (both got tail backs, both had lids, gloves and mine had the sat nav on it). We stayed for approx 30 to 40 mins then carried on our way.
Mainly stuck to big A dual carriages which wasn't our orginal plan and I didn't quite realise why we got stuck to them, but hey ho we was heading to Wales!
We did manage to get lead onto some SMASHING roads, however we got stuck behind a BLOODY lorry on fresh tarmac, sweeping bends, up and down terrains all bloody double whites! When we found our opportunity we nailed it past leaving all the poor buggers to deal with this lorry driving at 30 in a 60! The starting of the test for my new BT016 PROs between Glouster, Ross on Wye and Monmouth with spectacular views all around with my jaw dropping, hands uncontrollably lifting up off the grips and feeling 'free'!
This is what riding is all about, I thought
So carried on and got to yet another dual carriage way but this time only 30 miles away from Crickhowell and we found a tunnel (small but a tunnel nevertheless). Well my soon to be BIL couldn't help himself, pulled up along side me, took a look at me, gave that cheeky nod, knowing exactly what he wanted to do (having a newish slip on fitted to the bike and never experiencing through a tunnel, this was his opportunity) knocked it down a couple of gears and boom he was off! Pretty sure the other drivers must of thought a jet fighter was in their midsts, they all moved to one side and allowed him through!
So got to Crickhowell, filled up at the shell there and got told off!
'No 6 please get off the bike and take off your helmet'
'What did she say mate? Can't hear a **** thing with these ear plugs!!'
*got off and took lid off anyway as i guess (being the only 2 in there at that moment) it was to do with us!!
Anyway so my soon to be BIL wanted to find a road that Top Gear used to use, yes Mr Clarkson himself films at, the B4560
From Crickhowell it was only down the road.....and we got lost getting there after not taking a correct turn *gah* heading down a very narrow lane for 2 or 3 miles *headbang*
But we did manage to take a couple of pics of a lovely river with canal boats heading down it
So we managed to find the B4560. What a fantasic road, its across into fields that have live stock in them and they defo weren't afraid of us!!
We headed down into Devils country, 'Devils Bridge'. Had such a hoot down this part. When we reached the end we heard something, loud, really flipping loud, actually scared me.
What was that noise, is it my bike, 'oh great' passed through my head. Was it my mates bike, no, was it a Lambo that we didn't see, got louder and louder *looked up* a massive RAF transport carrier (HERCULES) flew past low and fast overhead. What an experience!
Skip a little now and we were 30 miles away from Aber (our end point). It started to rain, not heavy but enough to not want much more and the tyres performed perfectly!
We was really in the valleys now. Hills all around us on a tiny single track road but with pull in spaces and high visibility in the distance, not fast roads as they had clearly just resurfaced with that 'pour tar down, then throw stones down' but it wasn't bad like what you get across the boarder, it seemed better laid. In England we all know stones are all loose on Top of the road and stones being thrown up or making you feel uneasy even at 30mph, the Welsh just know how to make the road I guess, it seemed properly done espcially as i cant imagine this road getting much traffic, only saw a total of 4 or 5 cars driving along here and that was easily 15 miles!
Finally got to Aber. Entered Aber from a different road this time, espcially the amount of times I've been there (old mate used to go Uni there) never been that way before. Headed straight for the coast and to the diner for some lunch, was starving by then!
After eating 'time to head home now' we thought, but which route
Well the A44 is the best route and quickest and most direct, but do we go on M4 or take a little more of a zig zag route. Well I really didn't want to go down M4 straight from the Welsh board, that's pretty much giving up on the world! So we decided to head down zig zag routes up to Gloucester then Swindon then finish it off on the m4!
What a BLOODY pallarvor that was! Passed Hereford got to a junction and there's road works. Tried to get around them and couldn't fathom how to get around this bloody road! So screw it went back to Hereford and along the A49 to Ross on Wye and then home!
I was contemplating life by the time I got home!
445miles in a day my a*se cheeks were bruised and battered by the time I got home!! But a great day out!!
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she’s been an excellent bike but time to move on !