Random rides

[GLA55Y]

This one


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NU-QqYnMQM

Ah yes
Must have had a brain fart !

[O.C.]

Yep, great video and up to your usual high standards Steve      

[Moogus]

Yup, enjoyed that one Steve...and found the video on the heated jacket interesting

[Lonewolf]

Yup, enjoyed that one Steve...and found the video on the heated jacket interesting

Many thanks. 

[Rynglieder]

04/04/2021 The Cotswolds / Chipping Camden (c. 90 miles)

Easter Sunday – Somehow a lot of the day had disappeared in mundane things like washing the car and clearing away a lot of old decking we had ripped up to replace. All of a sudden it was three o'clock, but it was still warm and sunny so there was no way I was going to pass up the chance to use up the rest of the afternoon on the bike. It was only going to be an hour, but as usual I got carried away.

As two of my grand fleet of bikes are still on SORN due to Covid and work being needed I am alternating between the GSX and GTR, today was a GSX day (and probably the better bike for a warm afternoon).

I glanced over Google Maps looking for something that would take me in a different direction from the last two rides. My eyes settled on Chipping Camden and I couldn't remember if I had ever been there. A look at Google Street view confirmed that I had not, so I decided to set about filling this void in my life.

For variety I dodged Worcester by going through Droitwich and then on A Roads toward Evesham There is then only a short bit of the dull section of the A46 before I turned off to bypass Broadway but take in Fish Hill with its steep climb and the sort of hairpins that are rarely found in the southern part of England.

As it was late in the day most of the visitors had gone from Chipping Camden but at least there was somewhere open for a take-away coffee while the bike cooled down. I hadn't bothered to take out the camera as it was not intended to be a big day out, but the market hall and high street were recorded on the smart phone as a reminder of my visit.

To avoid going over the same ground my return took me through Honeybourne and up to Biford-on –Avon and then home via an over-familiar route though Redditch and Bromsgrove.

Chipping Camden has been crossed off the list, but I am now motivated to dig a bit deeper into the Cotswolds later in the year.

[Rynglieder]

This one


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NU-QqYnMQM

I've just managed to set aside a bit of time for that - very nicely done again, looks like you had the perfect day.

[Rynglieder]

24/04/2021 Flintshire (c. 180 miles)

Since my last ride out to chipping Camden the weather had broken down a little (and these days I have the luxury of time to be a fair-weather biker), followed by the partial ending of lock-down which meant that I could at last spend a week down at my place in Devon. The result was the bikes had been neglected for a couple of weeks and as the weather had picked up again I was itching to get out.

Although it was the turn of the GTR to come out I had another ride planned with friends for the following Tuesday so I thought I would save the camera for that run and pulled out the GSX again. (The Z1000 and Z1300 are still on SORN but hope fully will make their appearances next month).

As per my usual practice, a monument or two was picked off a map as somewhere to aim for and hopefully take me down some new roads.
Once I had cleared the over familiar run past Telford I was able to enjoy the roads of North Shropshire and the first stop on the itinerary was the Raven Café at Prees Heath, just south of Whitchurch and a popular biker's haunt. I was not sure that it would be open but it turns out that I was not to be disappointed and managed to secure a Covid complaint mug of coffee.

From here it was very new riding for me, I passed through the village of Malpas and continued on bike friendly B- Roads just over the Welsh border to the village of Holt in the Wrexham area. The bike was parked up in the centre of the village and I took the short walk along the footpath to the castle on the banks of the River Dee so that I could take a few snaps.

Once back on the bike it was barely two minutes before I crossed back into England over the Dee via the Farndon Bridge where I jumped off again to grab another photo.

The ride then took me to the outskirts of Chester before taking a quick blast down some of the A55 North Wales Expressway although it was not long before I left it to enter the village of Ewole. The bike was secured in a lay-by at the south edge of Werpe Country Park from where a 10 minute walk through wood land brought me to the remains of Ewole Castle. It's a very hidden and tranquil spot and the park would probably have stood a much longer exploration if I was not clad in bike gear on a warn day.

Having had my fill of it I returned to the bike and began the return journey. To make a bit of a loop of it I rode past Mold and on to Ruthin where I selected the road that would take me over the Horseshoe Pass and drop in Llangollen. I was expecting to see a few bikes at the Ponderosa Café at the summit of the pass but it looked closed up and no one was around. It is possible that it has not yet reopened but to be fair it was late in the day now (getting on for 5 O'clock) so they may have done their trade and packed up.

Once through Llangollen it was rapid spin down the A5 just stopping for a coffee outside Chirk (and a moment to ring the wife to explain that I was going to be late again). Even when this road is busy there are plenty of good safe overtaking opportunities on a bike so rapid progress was made back down to Shrewsbury. A quick fuel stop at Much Wenlock was the last event of the ride.

It had turned out to be another good day, the bike and the route that had linked the points I had selected had proved a good one.

[Lonewolf]

Thanks for the write up and photos, a very decent ride out. Lynn Ravens looks very quiet, haven't been there for a while, I may have to have a wander over now you've confirmed it's open. I occasionally go via there on my way to Tewksbury.

Coincidentally I am anticipating a ride to The Ponderosa next Wednesday with 2kwacks so hopefully it will be open, even if just to use their loo's.

[Rynglieder]

Thanks for the write up and photos, a very decent ride out. Lynn Ravens looks very quiet, haven't been there for a while, I may have to have a wander over now you've confirmed it's open. I occasionally go via there on my way to Tewksbury.

Coincidentally I am anticipating a ride to The Ponderosa next Wednesday with 2kwacks so hopefully it will be open, even if just to use their loo's.

The Raven did seem quiet but I think it is the first time I have visited on a weekday, so I guess it now the case that I am rubbing shoulders with the more limited numbers of the retired and unemployed! It did seem fairly well set up with a large canopy just out of shot on the left were they had provided some external seating.

I'm not so sure about the Ponderosa, I did not catch sight of any extra external seating set up but then again I was not crawling past and most of my attention was on the road, you know what the sheep are like up there. If it's not open there are pleanty of opportunities for your break down the hill in Llangollen, that did seem pretty busy.

[Lonewolf]

Many thanks, I'm sure come chow time, we'll find somewhere.

[Rynglieder]

25/04/2021 Ludlow & Clee Hill (c.78 miles)

I finally got to meet up with Pross of this parish, although I have been aware of him being based near me since I bought my GTR and joined the forum I had to run into him.

We met up in the village just down from my home and splendid fellow that he is, he gave me some advice on the possibility of fitting some risers to my bike as a quick sit on his machine showed me that they may be an improvement for me – something to think about.. We also looked at how we had set up our respective Innovv cameras to see if we could exchange any ideas for a better set-up.

Having got to the point that we decided that bikes were better for riding than standing by talking we set off around my usual default loop; the ride that I take when I want to be out but am not heading for a particular destination.

The ride out from Stourbridge to Craven Arms was always a blast, one of my favourite roads, although I soon found out that it had not been well looked after over the lockdown era and it was a bit of a bumpy ride despite this I think we still both enjoyed the ride to Ludlow.

In Ludlow we parked just off the castle square and made our way to the local Costa Coffee and hauled our beverages back to the main square for another chat. This is where we found out that although we did not know each other there were a few people that we both knew – a small world as they say.

We got back on the bikes briefly for a short run up to the summit of Titterstone Clee. I love it up there as the views extend for miles and although not that far in distance it seems worlds away from home. The domes and towers of the radar tracking station set above the derelict quarry workings and buildings add to the other-worldly atmosphere.

Our route home took us past around Bewdley before we split on the outskirts of Stourbridge. It was good to put another face to a forum name, hopefully we will manage another run out soon.

[pross]

A most enjoyable meet up and ride out👍.
After the first few seconds when that woman didn't understand the idea of islands 🤦‍♂️  And later in the day when the idiot in the BMW nearly pulled out to overtake as we went down the hill towards Bewdley he must have seen you/us at the last minute 🤬🤬. But apart from that a most enjoyable day. Hoping to do it soon 👍.
Bike booked in for MOT Tuesday 4th after bank holiday
Ready for Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 

[Lonewolf]

Sounds like you both had a great ride out. 

[pross]

It was a nice ride out after all this covid trouble.
And to meet up with another Forum member 👍👏👏👏

[Rynglieder]

30/04/2021 A Cotswold loop (c. 150 miles)

I got a call from a former work colleague to say that he had just taken delivery of a new BMW XR1000 and was itching to get out on it if I was up for a run. Steve, who accompanied us on the Elan Valley run last year was also supposed to join us but called off on the morning we were due out as he had suffered a dead arm as a reaction to his second Covid jab. The forecast was not perfect but even the prospect of getting his new steed dirty was not going to put Mike off so I duly took the GTR for ride down to our arranged meeting point in Pershore.

Mike knew this area very well having only recently moved from there so I tailed him on a loop around the Cotswolds. Initially I had the feeling I had picked the wrong bike for this run, his "local knowledge" included several tight and twisty minor roads that made the GTR feel very cumbersome, but eventually we broke out on to some proper A Roads where I was able to keep up with him a bit better. To be honest I struggle with my mental compass a little bit in following other bikes when the lead bike is riding "on the fly" rather than to a pre agreed route or waypoints, in fact it was only when I got home and reviewed my video footage that I fully understood where I had been!

There was a chance for a coffee, toasted sandwich and a catch up at Teddington Hands before we continued around taking in Stow-on-the Wold and Banbury. As we started to close the circle Mike suggested that we stop off in a town where he used to live for a coffee and cake and so I found myself back in Chipping Campden for the second time in a month and coincidentally he chose exactly the same point in the street to park up that I had on the GSX a few weeks earlier.

Having refreshed ourselves and agreed to arrange something for another run soon we finished off the loop to Pershore before splitting for our own runs home.

It was in the end much drier than the forecast had threatened and good to get another post-lockdown run done.