Derby to Portsmouth via Wales!!

[geodude]

So it was Easter and as usual we (the family) go away for what is always a cracking weekend. I convinced my wife it would be more comfortable in the car with two adults and two children rather than three adults and two children so it might be a good idea if I go up on the bike. Not convinced that was the real reason, she agreed. Wohoo!!.

The ride up there was relatively boring. M27, M3, A34, M40, A46, M69, M1 A52 too many motorways.

Anyways, Sunday, whilst visiting other family in Coventry, I took a look at the weather over Derby, Coventry and Wales. It was pretty good all round so I thought it might be a good opportunity to experience welsh roads.

I got back to Derby that evening only to realise I left my prescription sunglasses in Coventry! Doh!! With this in mind, my route home transformed from the reverse of the above to Derby to Portsmouth via Wales

Route and Video to follow but it encompassed;

Coventry, Birmingham, Telford, Shrewsbury, Welshpool and then south to Brecon and on to Newport before getting on the M4, A34, M3 and M27 to home. Approx 399 miles according to google.

The roads I experienced in Wales were all A roads and were fantastic. There were hardly any pot holes. There were great sweeping bends and astonishing views.

I now want to do another run starting in Newport heading up to Newtown (mid-Wales) then head west to the coast and then follow it all the way around anti clockwise back to Newport. I don’t think I’d be able to do that all in one day if I included getting there which is 140 miles, doing the route 400 miles and then the route home 140 miles.

The 400 miles I did yesterday wasn’t the most comfortable. Time to get a tourer? Hell no!! I have built and even fonder relationship with the storm after that little jaunt.




Bigger pics

http://www.consolecorner.uk.com/Bikes/w ... 010329.jpg
http://www.consolecorner.uk.com/Bikes/w ... 010332.jpg

[Stratman]

We spend a long weekend in mid Wales every August Bank Holiday, staying not far from Newport. The roads and surfaces are amazing, as you have found out. The A483 from Newton toe Llandridod Wells is sublime !

[geodude]

I'd gatecrash that if I didn't have something booked already

The A483 from Newton toe Llandridod Wells is sublime !

Just uploading a video of part of that run to youtube as I type

[cupasoop]

I'm just back from Wales as well. The north bit. Lots of nice roads up there

[geodude]

[youtube][/youtube]

Omg that conversion is shite. Will get a better one uploaded.

[r4vtr]

Newton to Llandridod Wells is a class road the locals call it the 365 as theres a corner for every day of the year . loads of great roads in wales just got to wach out for the plod

[benny hedges]

there's a common i go to near aberystwyth - free camping and great pubs - the natives are friendly too!
a487 & a494, absolutely belting roads - some of the backroads are even better.
i take the main road past machynlleth heading toward aberystwyth - after taliesin, about 8 mile before aber is a little village called tal-y-bont (the second one), go past 2 great pubs and a little green, right on the right hand bend is a left turning with a dead end sign..
go up there, over the cattle grid and the road forks off with some stones on the left - go down there and theres a superb flat common with a trout filled stream, plenty of firewood etc, untouched for a thousand years!

met a bunch of bikers there from st.helens who squatted a derelict house there, did it up and have been there ever since!
i love riding through wales - but yes, watch out for the plod
the road to devils bridge (the welsh one) is excellent though a bit busy with tourists in summer - top bike gathering there most wkends
will definately be on my agenda once im back riding!

nice vid

[geodude]

Added a higher definition version of the vid. Click on it above if you are interested.

[MJONESY]

hehe sorry to upset you guys but all roads you mention are in my backyard, talybont is the near enough the next village (i live in borth if you know it) there are some fantastic roads around here to be fair, but your wasting your time weekends with the all the tourists and the plod, if you want have a play in mid wales the best time is midweek, cake shops are open so the plod is busy, and kids are at school so very few tourists about,

some of my regular spins are down to llandrindod wells (via builth road from rhayder) and up to cross gates for a cuppa and back to aberystwyth,
from aber to machynlleth dollgellau tywyn aberdovey machynleth aber,
aber mach welshpool newtown llangurig aberyswyth
aber rhayder builth brecon llandovery lampeter aberaeron aberystwyth
plus probably another 4 different loops going down the coast road and to swansea

if any of you guys are down this way let me know, i can watch you embarres me on roads i know then lol

[geodude]

The route
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&sourc ... 755615&z=7[/googlemap]

[geodude]

I hate you Jonesy!!! What a backyard you have

I will defineately be visiting "down by you" again this summer. When I get something more concrete, i'll let you know. I did this yesterday (Tuesday) and most of the way I had much of the road to myself (See vids)

As per previous post, I was going to base myself in Newport and ride out from there. Do you know any biker friendly b&bs?

[MJONESY]

off the top of my head i dont i sould imagine if you went a bit further and based yourself in llandovery or somewhere round there then the majority are biker friendly places best bet is to have a phone round, depending on the time of year and time week then a lot of the smaller ones will be happy for you to put your bike in their garage or somewhere secure at least, although its pretty unlikely to get nicked in midwales, more likely in newport to be honest.

[geodude]

Found one. http://www.llandoverybandb.co.uk/ Biker friendly. Just need to convince the wife to let me go now

[benny hedges]

i know borth very well
lovely dunes and beach but a dodgy tidal estuary...
i remember wading about 500yards out and it was still waist high, just as lugworm or something, maybe sandeels were popping up - the sea was alive with bass (pendulum lol!) - i think they were bass anyway, huge shoals of them 18" long swimming around my legs - (no, it was definately not my pecker lol) amazing sight, i could touch them as they swam past, but then i got panicked when i saw sandbanks disappearing so waded back.
the fishing there must be brilliant.
lovely place.#

i was there one time - in aber, when the end of the pier fell off and floated off! used to be a great disco there, free entry. and free entry into 1/2 the uni students too if yer lucky!

had some great times round there and many a happy shag.
one was with the police chief's daughter! remember drinking his home brew wine listening to a bruno fight on the radio at like 4am!
used to have a weed plantation out by talybont - not telling where tho lol

we should have a forum ride down there one time and you can show us some good roads

[Pete.L]

You Guys better count me in too. You've just listed most of my play ground and I can get you to most of those places with out touching a main road. I led the R6 forum on a section of south wales last year, and the year before, and they all claimed it was the best bit of the weekend.
I'll be well up for joining in if I'm available

Pete.l