So today, St George's Day (Sunday), I went off on my 'make it up as you go' ride into Shropshire via Bridgnorth following a couple of characters on some irrelevant sports bikes with patches on their leathers looked like a couple of pikey's with hoodies is all I can use to describe them. A third came up behind me on a GSXR who made some crap manoeuvre on a bend near Alveley just to overtake me. So I couldn't resist flicking the wrist and blowing them off near the roundhouse. I could see the GSXR guy trying to catch me before the cafe at Quatt, but with me not stopping it was a case of .... "so long sucker !"
Out toward Craven Arms on the usual road just past Morley I eventually took a right toward Church Stretton with a Bonamassa solo ringing in my ears (Dislocated Boy) - great track started to get the adrenaline pumping a bit and with a narrow country lane starting to get into the rythym of the ride with wonderful fragrant seas of rape seed fields all around as I came up along Sanders lane and in to Stretton. I stopped at my usual cafe for an excellent small brekky. Sat in the cafe there was a couple of young Lycra clad girls out for a bicycle ride, so I sat outside and admired their bikes and watched them huff and puff up the Mynd later. What a lot of fun I thought.
Up and over the Mynd this time passing the Gliding club where the Shropshire countryside and the Welsh Marches opens out in front of you. Glorious! Good weather today too, a bit warmer than last weekend, not so many layers so a bit more comfortable on the bike.
Down through Lydbury North and onto Clun passing through Bishops Castle, the roads quiet and twisty down toward Ceri (Welsh) or Kerry (English) and along the Ridgeway where I stopped to admire the views from a dirt track leading up to a logging area. From here, you could see for 70 miles into Wales and Shropshire looking across to the great Cadair Idris mountain range. Afterwards, I really did start making it up, taking side roads and lanes I had never ridden before, visiting little remote villages with great names like 'Guilden Down' and passing by water mills and old hill forts. This part of the UK is so special, there is so much to see and very little traffic to contend with. Usually when out riding with others we skip past these hidden gems and tend to stick to the same 'biker' routes, so great to be out on my own and get the chance to do what I want and really 'explore !'
Stunning Views across Shropshire and Powys.
Cadair Idris in the distance (I think !)
On the return, listening to John Mayer through the headset keeping me company, I came back round near Clun again to pick up the road to Craven Arms a quick fuel stop before taking the Much Wenlock road back to Kinlet then over to Bewdley via Button Oak. A really good fun day out today, I have no idea of the exact route I took, nor how many miles I covered and I really don't care .. just out riding and enjoying the scenery, what could be better?
Just wanted to use your selfie stick again, lol
ReplyDeleteHa, but of course yes, though I do need to work on my pose and pout. Maybe I need to get a scooter too !
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