When you have to ride, Ride! Don’t talk.

Ok so a play on words from .. “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” ... the scene when ‘Tuco’ is in the bath and about to meet his fate, before pointing out how “When you have to shoot, Shoot!”. My indecision was similar, and undecided if I should go for a ride today. I kept talking about it, then couldn’t make my mind up and changed my mind several times, in the end the sun was shining so I just went for it, quickly plotting a simple route on my Navigator to follow the Wye river through that wonderful Mocas deer park estate to Bredwardine and then, after crossing the wooden toll bridge (free for bikes) into Hay before heading off towards Brecon turning off toward Builth Wells.

At Builth I ran the river run twice on the East side along the B4567 in a loop, tracking the river all the way following that stunning valley. The temperature now rising up to 15 degrees, what a great choice. At no point did I feel the need to put some music on, just listening to the bikes engine note humming along. At Builth I pulled up at the a Burger King next to a few bikes and ordered the smallest meal they did .. some chicken bite thing .. (tip don’t bother), before seeing the equally healthy Greggs opposite and stood chatting to a couple of chaps. One had ridden up from Pembrokeshire on his mint black Bandit 1200s. A few others joined the party including a couple on a K1600 fully loaded too. Later, I passed the Crosssgates cafe, the car park full of bikes as usual and took the turn off towards Knighton and on towards Clun. I spotted this old barn in Bledfa that looked interesting enough for a stop and photo. It looked ancient like it had stood there for hundreds of years. The roof slate was in a right state but the construction harks back to a time before brick and corrugated steel we see today.

 

While heading toward Craven Arms I took a left turn up to Clunton and did a loop around Clunbury up high along a narrow lane or two before winding my way near a small hamlet called Twitchen. Great being high on that ridge and I stopped to watch a huge Buzzard hovering not to far away. No fear of traffic up here, so I stopped the engine and admired the view from up high for a while before heading on home via the Bridgnorth road passing by the biker stop Cafe at Quatt. Definitely to shoot was the right decision, sometimes you can just overthink it, instead go for the ride .. I’m glad I did 😁.

Rollin’ On .. another ride, another Sunday

A couple of enjoyable ride outs this weekend in the warm spring sunshine. I started with a Saturday afternoon run out West to nip across the border down to Knighton and Newtown, just making it up as I go. I soon found myself riding back along that glorious Vale of Kerry (Ceri) and up to Church Stoke cutting across through Abermule and onto the outskirts of Welshpool with a brief stop at Buttington canal wharf before heading home via Much Wenlock from Shrewsbury. It seemed like hundreds of other bikes were out today too, including quite a few classics.

On Sunday afternoon after pre-prepping a tasty beef casserole I had left slow cooking in the oven, I couldn’t resist a few hours ‘laning’ around Tenbury Wells and stopping for a short break at the 13th Century St James church in the tiny village of Kimbolton (Herefordshire). The church and village are rumoured to be the last known sighting of Owain Glandwr, the famous Welsh Leader who attempted to put an end to English rule of Wales. I’ve often admired the church spire as you approach Leominster and close up with its rough cut brick facade it didn’t disappoint. A very peaceful stop to exercise a mindfulness moment, gazing out across the fields to the West while taking advantage of the relatively balmy 15 degree windless sunshine. 

 

At Leominster I chose the A44 back toward Worcester for a change, and had forgotten how twisty and fun that road could be before turning off at Knightwick and up the steep Ankerdine Hill past the Admiral Rodney pub and onto Great Whitley via Martley. A real sense of Spring with Summer on its way at last and the fields ablaze with the fragrant yellow colour of oil seed rape reminding me yet again of some wonderful trips away in Northern France. How I do look forward to a trip abroad sometime soon!

All the therapy you need ...

Finally, with an easing of  Covid Lockdown rules at last it’s time to head out on the ‘Perfect Vehicle’ in the Melissa Holbrook-Pearson sense and blow the ‘cobwebs’ away on a few sunny springtime weekend rides. Starting with Saturday afternoon I took a few hours ride around Herefordshire to re acquaint myself with some of those favourite roads and lanes. It’s been so long since I’ve been on my GS I really did feel ‘rusty’ and couldn’t get a smooth line through the bends to begin with. I’m either heading in too fast, or too slow or the wrong gear, but as I came back around toward Bromyard it all started to gel again. The quick shifter was my friend and this shift cam 1250 engine never ceases to make me smile as you get spinning up past 4 thousand revs it just takes off. As far as addictions go I’m hooked and having lost three stone in weight since last Autumn I can’t believe the difference being fitter makes while riding. Sure, I’ve lost a bit of ‘muscle memory’ too but with a few other life changes (new Job) after our sad loss of both Chris and Judy last year this latest lockdown has given me a renewed positive outlook ...good friends, family and motorbikes are all that matter ... of course!

 

Easter Sunday saw me head off toward the Welsh Border (no surprise there then). The sun was shining, it was warm enough with my liners in and winter gloves down to Bridgnorth, up to Craven Arms in Shropshire to find some new lanes around Lydbury North and then on to stop by the river at Clun. I parked up at the usual car park and sat chatting to a few other kindred spirits including a chap riding a very tidy Moto Guzzi Brevia. Without doubt the MG Twin Is a bike I really would like to own in the future maybe as a second bike, so too one of the later Triumph retro models after meeting the couple riding each of their own blacked out Triumph Street Twins. Very nice! 

 

While sat in the sun I couldn’t resist talking to the owners of those five well behaved Welsh Spaniels. Considering the owner was eating a slice of cake they were quite happy to sit and enjoy the sunshine too without fuss and were allowed to pose for my photo. Myself and Hayley have this real yearning for owning a dog these days especially after a recent visit to my Uncle to see his new Jack Russell puppy. Such ashame the Mrs is a cat person .. bah! 

So then, taking that road down toward Knighton hitting a few potholes I couldn’t seem to avoid (ouch) I was advised by my Guzzi riding comrade to avoid crossing the border and cut back along the lanes at New Invention which I did, and found a nice little route I hadn’t ridden before to Leintwardine, before riding back towards the Salwey Arms via Wigmore and more country delights. Motorcycles of all shapes and sizes were out everywhere, excellent afternoon, and back just in time to cook our one pot cassoulet and help Helen affix the brass plaque to the newly painted family garden bench in memory of Chris, one year on since his passing. A fitting tribute, to sit and have a nice cool beer in his honour after such a great ride.