Dodging Summer Showers

These last few weeks of July has seen plenty of weekend summer showers, I've been looking forward to a ride out somewhere but recent days out visiting National Trust places with Helen left me resorting to a ride to work this week just to get my kicks on the bike. I don't usually commute by bike, choose to leave motorcycling to fun times not associated with work but the weather in the week was good enough to take a nice run down through Astley and Shrawley via Hallow and a return home via Martley and Great Whitley. I fitted my panniers to transport my heavyweight laptop, bit of an overkill but I do like the exhaust growl resonating off them ! Good fun riding those Bewdley switchbacks, they always get the adrenaline flowing.

On one rainy Sunday I decided to spray the Givi Airflow screen from the inside. I really like the Givi Airflow on Lindsay's V-Strom, it has a black band across the centre and really tidies the look. The GS version of the Airflow is clear, and shows all of the GPS brackets, clocks and other hardware, doesn't look as 'sporty' as I think it could. I was convinced by copying the design of the V-Strom version it would tidy the front end up a bit. I removed the screen and gave it a thorough clean first and masked off the remaining screen carefully follwing the contours of the cockpit shape with just enough height to hide up to the clocks.I used Plasticote Barbecue Matt black paint sprayed on to the inside of the screen. Really pleased with the results, see above photo.

Finally today, the weather looked promising, Lindsay just back from his trip away with Roy and Ron riding the Alpenstrasse in Germany so we agreed to meet for a local ride with a cafe stop somewhere so I can hear all about his tales. The forecast was showers later, depending on our chosen route, so we decided to 'wing it' with me leading and left for Bewdley and Button Oak taking the back roads into the countryside toward Kinlet and on to Cleobury Mortimer, over Clee Hill, then down to Tenbury, before diverting down towards Bromyard in the usual spirited fashion!

Just as we passed Ledbury, while really enjoying the ride, a few rain drops on the visor turned into the start of a deluge just after we passed a posh looking cafe / garden centre called The Nest. Definitely one to remember, they do a really nice Eggs Benedict it seems with what seemed like a Parma Ham. Lindsay went for a healthy looking bacon buttie, so we settled in comfort while waiting for the rain to pass, listening to his time riding the Alpenstrasse and the Gerlos pass. How I remember it well from 2013, and so glad he got to see that Krimml waterfall. 

 

Later, our mostly dry run took us back up towards Leominster before turning off the A49 on the edge of the Berrington Estate taking us back into Shropshire, the outskirts of Ludlow and that wonderful road through the little village of Caynham before riding the edge of Clee Hill, this time turning off right down the lanes to Corley before popping back out on the main road at Hopton Wafers. 

We covered over a hundred miles this morning, despite taking the Garmin I didn't need to use it at all. Another great ride just making it up as we go, turning off the main roads on roads only travelled by the locals. 👍😀

Shropshire Back Roads and Stiperstones Summit

Laundry Day

This past month I have been agonising over how to clean my BMW Rallye Suit. It's getting on for three years old now, although I've owned a set of textile riding gear before (Heine Gericke), I have never washed and treated one. After several summer trips in the Alps, Spain,Portugal, Scotland and many days riding around Wales the suit was beginning to 'hum', the sleeves and trousers were soiled from that last trip to Scotland in torrential rain near Applecross, and heat and dust of last years GS Challenge. The zips were getting stiff, the whole suit was er, quite 'rank' really so with the dry weather ideal for drip drying I decided to go for it and see what happens. Here's a guide for the very pleasing results and how and what I used (In case I forget for next time).

   

My now cleaner Rallye 3 Jacket after wash and treatment with NikiWax

The labels suggested a cooler 30 degree wash after removing the liners and body protection (back,elbows,knees and hips), and then a repeat wash at the same temperature with BMW's own none silicon based rain resistant proofing. I didn't fancy paying BMW prices for what is essentially none silicon NikiWax, I discovered I had a sachet in the garage anyway, so Helen gave the jacket a cleaning wash first, followed by another wash with the NikiWax TX.direct wash in in a ball dispenser.  I then hung it out to drip dry on the washing line, avoiding direct sunlight. The jacket came up like new, and the zips glide smooth now. All of he grime has gone and has a nice new shine to it. I bought another sachet from Go Outdoors and repeated with the trousers and with a spray bottle of the same stuff treated the seams, sleeves etc for additional repellency at places the wear is greater. I'm really pleased with the result, and hopefully better protected from a rain drench ride now.

Stiperstones 

  

For last Sunday myself and Lindsay agreed an 8am meet at my house for a fairly local ride. The usual options are down in to Hereford, up into Shropshire or the Welsh Marches, but rather than plan a route we agreed to just see where our bikes took us, heading in a westerly direction. I started the run, in the direction of Bridgnorth but this time instead of taking the usual route down to Much Wenlock I continued straight at Bridgnorth on toward Telford, then toward Coalbrookdale and Ironbridge before riding back down toward Shrewsbury passing the power station. We pulled over at this very picturesque bend on the River Severn near Buildwas on the B4380. 

Quite amazing how the river runs a course like this, it does make me wonder how or why the river loops round without any obvious (to me anyway) obstacle. Was this a river 'meander' where faster currents on one side of the river eroded the bank on one side (see left bank on bend near the tree) or was it some other hidden feature? 

I then set my Garmin for a direct run to Church Stretton to avoid the boring A roads up and around Shrewsbury instead for the  back roads and lanes crossing the river near Cressage, then on through the lanes and fords to Acton Burnell before arriving at the Cafe near the foot of Long Mynd. The cafe quite a popular stop for cyclists before they attempt the Mynd, so we got talking to a few and one guy in a particular with a bike worth £6000 who seemed to cover a lot of ground on this incredibly light carbon fibre bike. We both polished off a nice small breakfast and cuppa before taking a ride over the Mynd and down to Stiperstones car park to climb one of the six Shropshire summits and visit the unique rock formation known as the 'Devils Chair'.

  

We decided to climb up to the summit, and since it was a fine summers day again I had my shorts and sandals in the top box, not the most appropriate footwear on this rocky terrain, following Lindsay who was getting a great run up in his bike boots. I recently watched a TV documentary about prehistoric Mammoths roaming these Shropshire hills, where the ground back then was a tundra - a great source of food for them. During the last Ice Age the hills were covered with ice and the rock formations were a product of ice millions of years ago. Amazing to think the ice flow covered everything in sight.

The Devil found his Chair!

I haven't been up here on the summit since walking all six Shropshire hills back when I was at school. Great view out across Shropshire and into Wales. We reckon we could see the start of Snowdonia and Cadair Idris from here.

 

Later after setting the Garmin to avoid a return trip over the Mynd by forcing the route down along that wonderful twisty road to Clun, first stopping at the School house cafe Lindsay suggested at The Bog, so named because the village was literally built on a watery bog continually fed by water coming off the hills. This was a lead mining village and the guy in the cafe explained how it flooded so often they dug many soak aways until the advent of steam power helped them pump the water away further down the hill into the next village! Sadly, because of this and despite being a great source of lead, the mine was continually close to bankruptcy so ceased to operate sometime during the 1930s. 

After a cuppa and cake the run back home cut cross country via Craven Arms toward Morville until I took a right and up another narrow lane up a hill on the outskirts of Bridgnorth to cut the corner through the lanes down to Kinlet, Button Oak then Bewdley, with twisties and lanes all the way. Great for the GS and V-Strom. Just proves we don't have to ride far from home to have a fun day on our bikes.

A Good Biker Read

Recently I started reading the latest (3rd in series) of Neil Peart's books bought for me by Helen last Christmas describing motorcycle travels between 'Rush' shows on his GS. The book 'Far and Wide' covers the 40th anniversary tour (R40) interspersed with biographical accounts of his life, latest projects, family, the guys at work and other thought provoking matter. The first book I read and mentioned in the blog post here called Far and Away set the scene, then his second book on the same theme titled Far and Near covered rides 'shunpiking' In Europe too. 

   

For Far and Wide the motorcycling tales are based on his rides through North America and Canada using Wal-Marts as a truck stop to unload the bikes after shows, where they head off with his GS riding security guard Michael (and others) on adventure rides from city to city visiting National Parks, Indian reservations always via remote back roads on the way to his next Rush gig. How the guy manages to arrive and play a two hour set still amazes me. This latest book describes how at age 60 plus he has decided to stop touring as he explains how he arrived at the decision after 40 years of shows, drum solos and lyric writing. I have to say, these books really do inspire me to ride in the US and Canada soon. A bit of a pipe dream I know but looking at the photos with Neil's narrative you can't help adding some of his routes to the great rides to do before you kick the bucket list! I just wish he would publish the routes he has taken over the years along with GPX files too.

Down by the Seaside, see the boats go sailin'

  

... can the people hear, what the little fish are sayin'

Haven't been out for a ride for a while, well, if you don't count this wonderful Ford Mustang we hired while on holiday in SouthWest Florida that is. A lot of fun, sport mode and paddle shift  almost scared the Mrs to death, but with the open top ideal for 'poncing' around shopping and the like. I must say I didn't want to give it back 👍

Anyway, last weekend since the UK caught up with the Floridian weather at last, I decided to give Lindsay a call and see what we could arrange for a ride. We had talked about visiting Helmet City in Cheltenham because I fancy getting one of the Schuberth helmets at some point this year so wanted to try one for size and decide if they are comfortable ready to buy when the time and price is right. They have just released the new C4 out but I still have my eye on the C3 Pro as I quite fancy a flip up helmet again and the Schubies have great quality and are incredibly light these days. The C3 doesn't have integral speakers like the C4 allowing me to fit my own intercom system or buy the recommended Sena U10 later. Lindsay couldn't make his mind up between the C3 Pro or the much cheaper but quite impressive Nolan that allows you riding with the flip front in the up position. 

 

After a warm ride down to Cheltenham and back home via the scenic route to include Pinvin on the outskirts of Pershore following Lindsay, we found the staff  at Helmet City really helpful, and I have to say took a shine to this XR1000, all kitted out with their own recommended accessories. A nice alternative to a GS I must say.

So, for Sunday seeing as it is Fathers Day with blue skies all the way we decided to ride a route through mid-Wales following the GPX file converted from the TomTom file I plotted some years ago to Aberdovey and Tywyn. We left my house around 7.20 and took off in the direction of Clee Hill. The view of the Malverns was the clearest I had seen in years and before the temperature had really risen a nice cool ride down to Ludlow and on through the Vale of Kerry taking an unusual route up a hill and down some narrow twisty lanes to the first waypoint. The route had us dodging stones and ruts and all sorts, covering Lindsay in dust and pollen from my rear tyre too. At one point I even chased four or five squirrells down a hill that was really quite amusing. With Cadair Idris looming over us in the distance we made our way to Machynlleth for an all day breakfast at the cafe on the main road.  Quite a few bikes out this morning as you would expect, so eventually we took the estuary-road down through Aberdovey and on to Tywyn sea front.

  

Luckily, I had stashed my shorts and beach sandals in the top box so after a quick change in the car park I felt right at home in the seaside mood again. So much so we had to have a small cod and chips from the chip shop on the front. I found it quite amusing how the two ladies serving me presented the card machine elastic banded to a plastic kids spade so she could keep the Wi Fi signal available or something. Very Heath-Robinson!

 

From Tywyn we took off in the direction of Happy Valley and he route took us through to Birds Rock. I had tried to find this last time, but realise now I didn't actually make it. This time though thanks to the Garmin the route took us straight there.

 

This rock is a famous bird nesting site and was once a cliff overlooking the sea millions of years ago despite being 3kms from the Sea now. You could hear the birds probably with their young from down at ground level as they flew in and out of their nests. Couldn't make out what variety, but mostly sea birds I guess.

 

At this point we spotted behind us an unusual step structure built into the edge of a wall. Lindsay gave me a history lesson as he is old enough to remember the days of horses and carts and told me it was a Milk Churn Stand ready for the collection of the big silver milk churns. Obviously the fields around were once part of a dairy farm. 

 

Lindsay remembering days gone by 👍

We really enjoyed the ride out to Bird's Rock, narrow lanes with amazing scenery as we carved through the valley. Eventually, we joined the main road and headed down to Aberystwyth for an Ice Cream. The traffic was building up by now and mid afternoon the sun was getting much warmer too. 

 

After leaving Aberystwyth around 4.20 we set the Garmins for home and followed the rest of the day trippers back toward Knighton, picking off cars on the way to keep the cooler wind flowing through our textiles, arriving home around 6.50. Superb day riding, and thanks Lindsay for the Ice Cream and history lesson 👍

 

Fun in the Sun

Decent weather at last, so took a ride over the Bewdley switchbacks to meet Mark at the crossroads near Upper Sapey and found me taking a diversion. The road was closed near Stanford Bridge so on to to Martley for a great run along that ridge on a clear day looking over Worcestershires finest before switching back again on to the Tenbury road. Just parked up a few minutes on the bend and could hear Mark's Bandit in the distance. Sounded like he was having a bit of fun coming out of Martley on those twisties before I flagged him down.

 

Good to see him sporting a nice new Arai and hear his experiences test riding new bikes now Rachel has passed her test. So looking forward to going for a ride with him when he makes his choice. I reckon it'll be an XR1000 or a Multistrada!

 

Great to 👍 catch up, a nice brekkie at Shobden where there was plenty of aero activity there for a change. Counted at least half a dozen gliders being towed up, and several Cessnas taking off and landing. Sitting outside in the sun admiring the bikes and planes including the old Suzuki GS350 that turned up - or was it a GT ? Anyway, loads of bikes out today so after breakfast we headed off into Shropshire for more fun that proved Mark's Bandit (or should I say Rachel's now?) can still do the business!

May Day Activity

This Bank Holiday weekend I'm taking a few short rides out trying to dodge the weather and traffic. Maybe a ride out to the Cotswolds early Monday we will see. But in the meantime the weekend will give me chance to do some more research on a future trip I have planned across to Southern Ireland and ride some of the Wild Atlantic Way. 

Always wanted to return to Southern Ireland having fond memories of a family Holiday over there when I was a mere twelve year old when my Dad and Uncle took their cars and drove me Mum and my brother across to the Dingle Peninsula for a week before driving up to County Mayo for another week to climb Croagh Patrick and do some Trout fishing in the lakes. Dad, a keen fisherman, kept a pub in the Irish part of Brum in the 70s, and some of the regulars introduced him to the idea of fishing the well stocked lakes there. The place was deserted back then with amazing sandy beaches and rugged coastline, and I think it is still quite isolated now and devoid of the levels of tourism we have come to put up with in other parts of Europe. My Dad often asks me why I don't tour the west coast of Ireland on my bike, I think he has a point. It would be good to pick up that Celtic theme while touring North West Spain a few years ago too.

We have been watching a great series on BBC Four called Wild Ireland: The Edge of the World where it's really cemented my desire to return. I have decided on the Fishguard to Rosslare crossing and the basic route I want to run, just need to decide on finer detail and accommodation. Looking at the scenes on TV I'm tempted to take my tent and simply 'get lost' in the wilderness but then maybe a simple pub/Inn affair might suit better where I can try some of that great seafood and of course the Guinness as it should be, and from what I remember live Irish folk music too. Hmm, yes, the more I research, the more I realise the West Coast of Ireland has to move up the bucket list of bike trips away. I enjoyed the west coast of Scotland so it seems the ruggedness of this part of Ireland will appeal to me for a bike trip away in the same way, and relatively shorter distance. Watch this space so any bike touring advice for Ireland 🇮🇪 gratefully received! 

St George's Day ride, across the border to find the Dragon

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?

A ride down to Florida .... Strata Florida !

With Easter out the way now and Tuesday off work I decided to ride out into Mid-Wales and try and find Strata Florida. The plan was to ride via Monkland and Pembridge south of Leominster to the A44 and down to Kington with a stop at a famous Waterfall curiosuly named 'Water Break its Neck Falls' in New Radnor. It was a cool morning where the temperature didn't rise much above 10 degrees so by the time I reached the falls I had cold hands and needed the excuse to switch gloves. The Waterfall was just off the 44 and with a 10 minutes walk into the moss covered valley fairly easy to find..

 

 

 

 

The trees are thick with Moss and the waterfall amazing, my pictures don't do it justice. I had the whole valley to myself, apparaently legend has it a Dragon 🐉  lives down here, so I was careful not to wake it while clod hopping around in my bike boots ! 

   

Real Dragon breath!!

Later, I stopped off at the usual bikers cafe at Crossgates for a sausage sarny and got chatting to a nice old chap riding a Yamaha MT-09. At first I thought it was the smaller variant, MT-07 the bike press are raving about, and coincidentally Rob contacted me this week who expressed an interest where we may take one for a test ride in June I thought I'd quiz the guy about it. He likes the MT-09 but in his words said 'it's not a GS' and misses owning a GS for comfort and refinements, but he reckons the MT-07 would be better value and said you can't go wrong with one of those. The only downside was the screen, they are naff he said, and the soft panniers are made of a material that are hard to keep clean and not really waterproof. Perhaps with aftermarket screen and panniers it would rival if not beat other bikes of the same price range e.g. dare I say the V-Strom 650 - 😂 nah, surely not the Wee!

So, onwards from Crossgates I stopped by the Red Kite feeding centre but not for long, only wishing to find it and get a price for a visit later in the year, and then took a right just past Rhayader town into the Elan Valley. I dont think I've been here so early in the year and the valley seemed quite sparse and the grass was paler than usual. I didn't hang about through the valley and took that sublime road down to Devils Bridge and stopped for a cuppa at the Woodside cafe before taking the B4343 down to Tregaron. This road is just wonderful Welsh heaven, twisty, narrow and so picturesque as I approached Strata Florida Abbey where I stopped for a quick look at the church and the ruins. Worth stopping I'd say, to take in the history of the area and get a sense of the community based on Lead mines. Strata Florida means Vale of the flowers in Latin as I now understand.

 

 

Abbey Ruins.

 

 

 

Eventually, I ended up winding through Lampeter then on to Pumsaint and stopping at the cafe in Llandovery, a usual stop for other bikers and parked next to a nice looking Triumph Ace Cafe Thruxton Bonneville limited edition in black and white. Unfortunately I forgot to to take a picture, but I do like these bonnie variants, wouldn't mind one as a second bike I have to say 👍

Great day out, 'blatting' about Mid to South Wales, and with a smile back on my face again watching those Red Kites hovering about everywhere. Wonderful!