I haven’t posted an update in a while due to work and other activities, however I have been on some fun weekend rides on these warmer Spring days. I lost track of the amount of times I’ve been out on KAB free rides down into Wales to Crossgates Cafe following a variety of enjoyable routes that include Dolfor and out to the Elan valley, and on other Sundays in to Shropshire to Church Stretton and our other favourite, the Honey Cafe in Bronllys on the edge of the Black Mountains.
Mark's big Bike Ride blog
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- 2015 - North Spain & Portugal
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- 2014 - Scotland
- 2013 - Southern Bavaria & Austria
- 2013 - Lincoln - N.Yorks
- 2012 - Northern Spain
- 2011 - Belgian-Ardennes
- 2010 - Switzerland blog
- 2009 - 4 Nations
- 2008 - Normandy & Somme
- 2008 - Atlanta, Georgia
- 2007 - Everglades & Keys
- 2007 - Le Touquet
Tuesday, 3 June 2025
Ride outs and cafe stops
Sunday, 23 March 2025
A Spring ride around the Brecons
Sunday, 19 January 2025
Ticket to Ride - Madeira!
With Christmas over now and only that long slog through the cold weather of January to look forward to we planned a late booking family trip for winter sun on the Portuguese Island of Madeira. I had been suffering with a bad dose of the flu and still feeling quite ill so didn’t think I’d be hiking any Levada trails this time or even out riding motorcycles, but as the week progressed in the milder climate I started to feel a little better and while out walking with Hayley I came across a few bike rental shops and the thought of escaping for the day started to cross my mind. A few years ago while on the island, I hooked up with a guy named Steve who runs Madeira Motorcycle Tours and had a lot of fun back then but this time didn’t really fancy a guided tour as such, preferring to do my own thing with a solo ride instead.
Monday, 9 September 2024
A Himalayan in Snowdonia
Fridays ride into North Wales
Trying to keep my lightweight Helinox chair stable in soft earth was a challenge too, having me fall backwards like a right clown as soon as I tried to sit down, leaving me to dig the legs out of the turf. Hmm, what an ordeal, a sweaty start made me wonder if this camping lark really suited me now. Never mind at least it wasn't raining, and nothing a few beers and a fine meal at the Prince Llewelyn pub wouldn't fix. A really good day riding on some fine roads. I'm used to riding in Mid-Wales but forget how amazingly different the scenery of Snowdonia is in comparison. We hadn't ridden far today, yet it seemed to me like another part of Europe altogether.
Sunday, 1 September 2024
Into the New Forest and The Sammy Miller Museum
I stopped in a quiet village I found on the outskirts but no phone signal so I had no idea where I was so decided to park up on the village hall car park enjoying this peaceful setting while eating my packed lunch before moving on to take a look at Old Sarum Castle that overlooks Salisbury with a great view of the cathedral spire in the distance. The castle itself is interesting, mostly ruins with the remains of the fortified mound and castle moat and later superb riding through the forest avoiding cattle and ponies and enjoying the view. The cottage wasn't an easy find since the given postcode isn't really GPS accurate, but luckily Helen guided me in over the phone passing through the nearby ford to park the GS up near the ponies. Really great to meet the neighbours too; Gloucester 'Old Spot' pigs in the field behind were quite amusing and inquisitive, and really do like to eat just any scraps of food. In the evening we all went out for a meal in Lyndhurst and took a wander around Ferrari garage forecourt, each selecting the car of our choice should those elusive lottery numbers come up.
Monday, 26 August 2024
A Summer for Riding!
I've enjoyed quite a few rides this summer, mostly with the Kidderminster Advanced Bikers on regular free ride Sunday's into Herefordshire (the Honey Cafe) and across the border into Wales to the bikers cafe at Crossgates. One night after work myself and Tim had a pleasant ride to one of the Cotswold bike meets at the Lower Lode Inn, Tewkesbury. A great charity event in aid of Air Ambulance and some real classics on display. Tim had just taken delivery of his new Royal Enfield Himalayan and was enjoying running in keen to seek out as many lanes between work and the pub, we must have crossed the M5 half a dozen times as we snaked down narrow lanes on the way.
Saturday, 29 June 2024
Adventure in the Pyrenees - Part 8 - From Isla to Home
Isla to Santander and the journey home
Saturday morning we both opted for a lie in and met for a late breakfast after packing the bike kit in preparation for the cabin since it's not possible to revisit the car deck while at sea. I was very slow packing today but Rob was really on the ball waiting patiently for me wearing his helmet in the shade under a tree after he'd kindly checked us out of the hotel. I hoped he wasn't just keen to get home but I don't think so! I then realised we were really cutting it fine to make the last check-in. I needed to get my act together and as we set off on our last short ride in Spain we encountered a fine mist of rain that clogged up the visor. I'd chosen a route to avoid the autopista allowing us to sample the headland and bay in to Santander port from the eastern side but I can't say I saw much of it. On the way we did see a car suddenly change direction though, with no indicators that had us really alarmed for a while while on these wet roads. In the end we arrived with a good 20 mins to spare and while tying down the bike on the fairly new ferry 'The Salamanca' we met a chap on his first trip riding solo on his Triumph Bonneville. Nice chap who almost didn't believe us this was our first experience of rain. He'd been near Ainsa the week before us and got soaked day after day, then later while in the Picos he was soaked again. After unpacking for the night and finding the cabin, Rob spotted the beer and Tapas bar and after organising ourself in this bigger 4 berth cabin room we both ate well and then crashed asleep for 2 hours. The evening meal followed hors d'oeuvres followed by Beef skewers with baked potato. Sunday was a day of relaxation, just eating and drinking and after Rob had bought a pack of cards continued to teach me how to play Whist a game I'd never had the chance to play, confusing at first for me but a lot of fun. We disembarked in Portsmouth harbour quite late into the evening, and the ride home was pretty much the reverse through Marlborough save a huge diversion around Birdlip hill due to the road works. We said our farewells over the intercom on the A449 near where we'd started our adventure ,and I rolled into my garage at 9:43pm having covered 1558 miles in total.
Again an excellent adventure, and good to tour with Rob this year and get him back into riding distances again while he enjoys riding that smart looking Triumph Tiger. The daily route distances were just about right and so pleased we experienced good weather while having fun in the mountains and along that wonderful N-260. Those off-road sections were a real bonus. I can't wait for the next one now!