Door to door and my trip meter read 399.5 miles and with a LOT of roadwork - which is far from ideal on an Enduro bike - my backside was numb as a severly numb thing!! We had fun but I'll definietly be transporting the bike up there next time and riding circular routes from a base! But, this was something different and I'm glad I did it.
As for the weather, yes, it did hold out for us in the main apart from a really heavy downpour part way into day 2. It was during a lengthy road section which made it even more miserable.
In a word "No" and soley due to the fact that the route we'd been sent by the South Wales TRF to get us from our first overnight stop in Chepstow up towards Merthyr (where we'd then mapped the route we knew up to the Strata) was flawed as the lanes were either bridalways, footpaths or no public access routes one of them that saw us riding on the golfcourse of the Celtic Manor Golf and Country Club!! We wasted most of the day detouring that meant we didn't get as far north west as the Strata, so we formulated another plan.
The normal guide we use when going to Wales can't make it when we're going in June so was going to ask the Welsh guys if someone had a route we could follow but think I've had second thoughts after reading your experience, thats pretty crap I'd have been
The normal guide we use when going to Wales can't make it when we're going in June so was going to ask the Welsh guys if someone had a route we could follow but think I've had second thoughts after reading your experience, thats pretty crap I'd have been
Yep. Pretty crap is an understatement, but we all had a good time once we binned the route! Just mean we couldn't reach the Strata
Sounds like a great adventure but the posts so far haven't won me over about riding to Wales (I don't like having a sore arse) think I'm going to stick to our normal plan and chuck the bike in the van and ride it when I get there Hopfully that will be less painful
After three days riding and roughing it you suddenly realise these round the world bikers don't have it that easy! Can't imagine how much you'd ache after weeks/months of this malarky!!
A few more photos....
-- Edited by Tigerman on Monday 16th of April 2012 07:51:18 PM
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Adventure before dementia. KTM 500 exc>Devon TRF Member.
jt wrote:Rich your face in the pic with your bike stuck is a treat - don't look like your having much fun right at that moment
You dam right JT!
If there is a deep boggy puddle or trench that is a bike catcher you can be sure I'll find it, and I absolutely hate getting stuck in them. My front tyre was not suited to that terrain at all, so I just had to go where the bike wanted too, straight into that bog! My rear tyre was looking worse for the road miles too so there was no chance of powering through it unaided - luckily Geoff was on hand again...
I was also tired through lack of sleep, and had received two full body blasts with mud thanks to a rampant rooster earlier that day, so I guess I wasn't very pleased how the day was turning out. It was still a good day though.
That was the best day in terms of lane riding though and I'm glad we got that done before heading for home.
I would do a camping tour around Wales again but I think I'd trailer my bike into mid Wales first.
-- Edited by RichT4 on Monday 16th of April 2012 10:58:53 AM
400+ miles on a KTM seat.... Walking funny at the mo Nick?
Funny you should say that, I find walking sideways most comfortable at the moment! Great trip, but next time will be with the Bongo and a trailer me thinks.
one of them that saw us riding on the golfcourse of the Celtic Manor Golf and Country Club!! We wasted most of the day detouring that meant we didn't get as far north west as the Strata, so we formulated another plan. 
Walking funny at the mo Nick?
