Apart from a week off holiday to visit Lake Garda with Helen, I’ve been out and about most Sundays with Patrick my IAM Roadsmart Observer. Patrick has been keen to setup each weeks session to reinforce my understanding of the Advance Rider IPSGA system (Information, Position, Speed, Gear, Acceleration) and I have to say, I’m really enjoying these sessions now on my 5th one already. I’m finding the sessions quite intense at times, from low speed machine handling and manoeuvres on a coned off car park to performing tight u-turns in a very limited space with a variety of roadcraft essentials covering positioning for bends and other hazards, motorway observation speed, gearing and acceleration through all sorts of hazard perception and overtake preparation. I’m really starting to feel the benefit now, and Patrick’s attention to detail and keen eye amazes me how he can tell what gear I’m in and what I have or haven’t seen!
Despite these hot training sessions sometimes hitting the 30’s with this summers sweltering record breaking temperatures that found me paying out for a new ‘mesh’ ventilated jacket just to get by, I’m really surprised to discover how complacent my rides must have become. It seems that my riding experience acquired over the years was insufficient. We tend to think miles and years equate to better riding skills, but only if you apply them in the first place and don’t get lazy. I’m now convinced, like most things we learn that our riding skills and roadcraft need a reboot from time to time, if only to sharpen up and break bad habits. I’m also surprised to find as a side-effect, these sessions have renewed my enthusiasm for motorcycling too.
With all of the training sessions I was looking forward to getting out for a longer ‘practice’ ride into Wales now the weather had returned to a typical British summer and the Azores ‘high’ had dropped at last. While Patrick was busy on Blood Bike duties this weekend, myself and Mark arranged a ride into North Wales for the Saturday. The usual run in these parts include lakes Vrynwy and Bala via the mountain road, but I fancied a change today instead, heading up to the Horseshoe Pass via Bala to visit the Ponderosa Cafe. Neither of us had ridden up here before, so it was well overdue meeting in Cleobury Mortimer to plot our ad-hoc route on the Navigator/Garmin to take us out through Montgomery and on to Castle Caereinion along the B4385. A nice road running through some stunning Welsh countryside just across the border with Shropshire.
After a quick stop to check on our general direction, we settled on a slight modification taking us to the A490 at Bryngwyn and then along the B4396 following the amazing river valley to Penybontfawr and on past the top end of Bala lake before making our way up the A494 to our adjusted waypoint at Ruthin. What a ride this had turned out to be, with glorious traffic free roads until the horseshoe pass, we had covered quite a bit of ground admiring the scenery some of which revealed parched and dried out fields with a mix of glades and valleys. The pass itself had been reduced to a 40mph speed limit, but admiring the view was certainly consolation and we managed to make the very busy Ponderosa Cafe in time for lunch, a brew and excellent steak and ale pie with gravy and chips.
Thankfully Mark was happy to lead for most of the way, it was good to have him ride in front today and after the cafe he led us further down the pass into Llangollen where I finally got to visit the famous Pontcysyllte canal aqueduct.We parked the bikes just outside town at one end of the valley and walked the narrow towpath length of the aqueduct. I’m not too keen on heights, and this was quite high up but the valley and fields below revealing the railway viaduct were well worth the sights. Amazing how the aqueduct has a narrow steel edging on one side with a sheer drop, obviously saving money on railings where they weren’t really needed. I didn’t realise it was another a Thomas Telford construction either (the famous bridge builder) and came in at a cost of £47,000!
After a decent walk up and down the towpath, crossing over where we could to see the lift bridge at one end, we left Llangollen in the direction of Welshpool, cutting back into Shropshire again via Craven Arms getting home for around 7.20pm. Looking out from Clee Hill toward the Malvern Hills in the evening sunshine topped the days ride off a treat. Amazing views across dry, wheat coloured countryside and we said our farewells at the garage in Cleobury. It was good to get out and practice the new Motorcycling skills, without impacting Mark’s ride too much. We kept to a steady pace for most of the day, having a bit of fun along the way, with some new roads neither of us had ridden before. Excellent!
