My decision to pull out of the August planned Pyrenees trip made it a clean sweep of cancelled overseas trips in 2020. Thailand, Eastern Europe and now the Pyrenees 🙁 So it was time to look nearer to home for a trip before the end of the riding season; why not Scotland?
I’ve been to Scotland 4 times; only once with no rain!! So I planned a route, 6 days riding, and booked accommodation with flexible cancellation terms..just in case. When cancel decision deadline came the weather forecast looked OK, so this trip was GO.
The Scottish route
I rode up to Scotland via back roads to begin the journey, joining the A1 above Peterborough and then a short blast up the A1M coming off at Harrogate and then continuing North through the great roads and scenery of the Yorkshire Dales and North Pennines. I picked up the A68 in Northumberland all the way up to just below Edinburgh.
From Edinburgh up through the Cairngorms and then heading west to Ullapool to ride the coast road all the way down to Kyle of Lochash, near Skye. Then over to Loch Ness and down to Oban before heading south east through the Trossachs and down to Hawick on the border with England.
I’ve made a video of the trip so you can “ride” some of the great roads with me..and the not so great! As expected it rained, but this did not spoil my fun..but it did contribute to a low speed CRASH when riding over the “Pass of the Cattle” !!! All caught on video..check it out and enjoy 🙂
In summary; a great trip with a total mix of roads; twisty B roads, fast A roads, single lane tracks, mountain roads and even a forest dirt road on the way back, All through some fantastic scenery including a good part of the Highlands and the Scottish West Coast..and of course the fantastic North Pennines moors and the Yorkshire Dales. 🙂
We have all had to cancel planned trips to Europe for 2020 and being bikers we are itching to get out and ride; as the lockdown restrictions have been eased at home why not therefore book a trip in the UK and avoid all the hassle of Euro Tunnel, or Brittany Ferries 🙂 At the time of planning the hotels in Wales were not yet fully open for business so we looked north to Yorkshire & North Pennines, both of which have great roads and stunning scenery.
The trip proved to be very popular and quickly 8 of us from our “Ride Day” group were confirmed. I have ridden the Dales & Pennines area twice before, but only as far as the top of the Nth Pennines. I’d promised myself that I’d go further up next time into Northumberland National Park and Kielder Forest which sits just below the border with Scotland.
It was decided that 3 nights away and a total of 4 days riding would work for us all. The detailed route planning and hotel booking etc was handled by Chris Lewis, who is well used to working with and managing a large group like this.
We decided to base ourselves for 3 nights at an hotel in Ilkley, West Yorks. Day 1 would be a 200+ mile ride up through the Peak District picking up 2 of the group on the way. Day 2 would be a 300 mile loop through the Dales, Nth Pennines and Kielder; with the option to ride the 12 mile Forest Drive through Kielder Forest, or take a road route around and briefly into Scotland to meet up again at Kielder castle on the western end of the Forest trail. Day 3 would be a 200 mile loop through the Dales and the Nth Pennines and Day 4 return home via B roads, or A1/A1M
Our 300 mile day
In summary, we had a great few days riding; fast open roads across the Dales and the moors of the Nth Pennines, mixed with narrow bumpy up and down roads through designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. 3 of us (Matt, Colin & me) did the Kielder Forest Drive, which was a mix of packed dirt and gravel trail, rather than a real off road challenge. Each of the days was a long day, but all in the group are experienced motorcyclists who can keep up a good pace over an extended period.
Ilkley is a nice little town with some good restaurants & pubs and an excellent curry house for our evening refreshments; it was a good choice as a base.
Day 4 ( Friday 31st July) turned out to be the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures in the mid 30’s C. I’m so pleased I decided to take a quick blast down the A1 to Stamford, and then ride the back roads route home from there. The main group took a much longer route and did effectively a reverse of Day 1 through the peak district.
Overall a great few days away..Thanks again to Chris for organising and managing this group of bikers..much like “herding cats” 🙂
Here you can see a video compilation of some of our antics on the 300 mile loop day.
So here we are at the halfway point of 2020; a year when whoever you are and wherever you live, every aspect of “normal” life has been affected to a greater, or lesser, degree by the Covid19-Virus. From the motorcycle touring point of view every major trip I had planned has been cancelled or postponed. If all goes well the best I can hope for in 2020 is a few short trips in the UK. So my focus has shifted to 2021 and I plan to make it A BIG ONE!!
Welcome to ALASKA
During the long weeks of the lockdown I had plenty of time to research and plan the next adventure; I want to go somewhere I have not been before, somewhere spectacular and totally different; somewhere that will present a new and challenging motorcycling experience. After watching various YouTube videos I have decided on ALASKA & THE CANADIAN ROCKIES, with a route that will start in ANCHORAGE, AK and end in PORTLAND, OR… I then thought, having come this far why not extend the ride down the Coast Highway from Portland to SAN FRANCISCO, CA and call in on my son, Tom, who lives nearby at Walnut Creek.
The route will take me across Alaska to the Canadian border and then into the Yukon riding the “Top of the World Highway” to the former Gold Rush town of Dawson City. From there south on the Alaskan Highway and then to the famous Stewart Cassier Highway, watching out for bears and glaciers along the way. Further south the route crosses into British Columbia and along the Trans Canada Highway through the heart of the Canadian Rockies on to Jasper and then Banff in Alberta, finally crossing back into Montana, USA. I will ride the “Sun Road” through Glacier National Park and onto Idaho following part of the “Lewis & Clarke Trail” to Portland, Oregon. The final leg of the ride will be 800 miles south along the Coast Highway route 101 to San Francisco. In all 4,400 miles over a period of 21 days.
4,400 miles Anchorage – Portland – San Francisco
As always, thinking about it and actually doing it are two different things; there are many different aspects to a trip like this that need to be considered and brought together. Due to its weather Alaska has a fairly short window when it makes sense to visit, May-Sept..by all accounts July is to be avoided due to the mosquitos!! Then there is the issue of what bike to ride; is it more cost effective to rent a bike, or maybe ship my own bike over? If I do rent, is there a company that will allow a one way rental from Anchorage to San Francisco?
Long stretches of the journey through Alaska, Yukon and into British Columbia in Canada are through genuine WILDERNESS where you may not see another person for 100+ miles; its back to nature and VERY sparsely populated, with no phone signal. I read one article which happened to mention that in this region “humans are not at the top of the food chain”! If I go alone what will I do in the event of emergency? These are just some of the things to consider; then there is the matter of deciding route, itinerary and all the logistics associated with travelling, accommodation, shipping over all appropriate riding gear etc. and then managing to do it all on a budget which is sensible. Thankfully I love researching and planning these type of trips..its all part of the adventure. 🙂
On previous riding tours of the Far East I have met several American guys who have become good friends and we have ridden together again since the original meeting. Fred & Bo whom I rode with in India last year and Jay, whom I visited in California a couple of years back. As it happens Fred has ridden part of the proposed route some years back and is keen to do it again. Bo is up for an adventure and would like to do it also; both are located near Chicago. Jay has recently moved to a town which is on the coast highway midway between Portland & San Francisco; he has invited me to visit him on my way south and may ride the rest of the way to SF with me. So..if we can get things together it looks like I wont be doing the trip on my own.!!
After comparing pricing and taking into account “hassle factor” between shipping my bike over to USA, buying a bike locally and selling it at the end of the trip, versus renting, I decided that the most cost effective and easiest option was to go for a one way rental. There really is only one bike rental company that can offer a one way rental from Anchorage and then drop the bike off in San Francisco; that is MotoQuest. Thankfully they don’t offer Harley Davidson only at this location! instead the options were BMW 1250GS, 850GS, 750GS and Suzuki VStrom 650.
I asked for a quote and was contacted by a very helpful lady, nicknamed RoKo, whose title was “Motorcycle Vacation Addiction Enabler”..don’t you just love Americans 🙂 The challenge was for her to co-ordinate bike availability with my preferred dates; in the end I had to settle for leaving Anchorage 10days later than my preferred date due to the fact that so many of their 2020 customers had postponed their rental to 2021, causing a shortage of bikes for next year. The difference in price between renting the 1250GS and the VStrom is nearly £60 per day; multiply that by 21 days and that’s a lot of money potentially saved! In the past I have ridden the VStrom for 000s of miles in the Far East, so I know its an OK bike. So deal done, deposit sent and VStrom rented for 21 days; I will leave Anchorage on 26th August 2021 and plan to arrive in San Francisco on 15th Sept, which allows me to arrive home a couple of days before a very important date..my Golden Wedding anniversary!!
The lockdown is still on and I don’t know when I’ll be allowed to have a “non essential” ride on my bike. When I got stopped a few weeks ago early one Sunday morning by a motorcycle cop I suggested to him that my ride was no different to being on a bicycle ride..its a mix of mental health relief and exercise; at my age getting on and off counts as exercise 🙂 He didn’t seem to be amused by my light hearted comment and proceeded to give me an official bollocking with the threat of £60 fine if he caught me again. So my bike has remained in the garage since then and has been cleaned within an inch of its life..
In between preparing a large section of the garden for sowing of grass seed and also attacking the other myriad jobs on my list drawn up by Mrs M, I have been creating a video montage documentary to relive my fantastic 2018 solo adventure to Norway and the Artic Circle. This really was an adventure with a few unexpected events along the way!
I know you’ll all be fed up with being locked in at home, so why not have a little light relief and follow my 5000 mile round trip journey on YouTube..if you enjoy it please give a thumbs up 👍👍👍👍
So here we all are locked down for weeks and not knowing when this virus thing will be over..not even supposed to ride the motorbike, unless its essential; which getting out on the bike definitley is! I cancelled my Thailand trip in February and its looking highly likely that ALL the planned 2020 biking trips will now have to be postponed till 2021 🙁 But the priority for us all must be staying safe and getting through this difficult time.
I was looking forward to using my new Action Camera to record the Thailand trip and putting up a video on YouTube; and then it dawned on me. Instead, why not create a video montage using all the photos and video clips I’ve taken on my previous Far East trips and relive those adventures, and do a voice over that brings it all to life! So that’s what I’ve been doing the last few weeks, in between painting the garage and working in the garden. So far I’ve covered my first two Far East trips; please check them out and feel free to comment on the content.
PART 1. Watch this first: it explains why I chose Thailand and follows my first motorbiking adventure through Thailand & Laos in 2015.
Part 2 covers my second adventure in 2016, which was custom made to include Cambodia as well as Laos & Thailand. I would be joined on this trip by my riding buddy Bernard.
If these videos prove to be popular and we stay locked down for a few more weeks I plan to cover my other two Far East trips; to Myanmar and finally back to Thailand & Laos again. In complete contrast I may also give the fantastic Norway Artic Circle trip the same treatment.
I hope you enjoy the videos and please do leave any (positive/constructive :)) feedback on this site, or on my YouTube channel .. BigJohn Moto
In the meantime; my best wishes to you all, please look after yourselves and stay safe.
The outbreak of a new Coronavirus in China and the fact that it has spread quickly to other countries has dominated World news recently. Unfortunately Thailand is a major destination for Chinese tourists and very quickly became the country with the most confirmed cases outside of China. The timing of this outbreak has coincided exactly with my planned arrival on 14th Feb, Valentines day, in Chiang Mai for my first big motorbike adventure of 2020!!
I’ve had this trip booked since August 19 and was really looking forward to it, but having listened to advice from friends and family, and taken account of the UK Gov. statement that any travellers from Thailand should “self isolate” for 14days after their return; I decided to take the “safe rather than sorry” approach and pulled out of the trip the day before I was due to fly.
Fortunately I have travelled to this part of the World before, it would have been my 5th visit to Thailand. On previous trips I have had a great time riding through Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar and this time I was meeting up with my two American riding buddies, Fred and Bo (Bo also pulled out by the way) to ride the best roads in Northern Thailand.
New for 2020 I have bought myself an action camera and this adventure was to be accompanied by a video blog which I had promised to post on my YouTube channel. Obviously I can’t do that now, but what I can do is compile and post a video montage from all my previous Far East trip photos and video clips so that followers can relive with me those great adventures.
My new YouTube Channel
So why not check out my YouTube channel and subscribe so that you don’t miss any of the videos I will post..the Eastern European adventure is coming up in June; that’s going to be a BIG ONE 🙂
As we started 2020 it dawned on me that I passed my test and got my first motorbike 55 years ago!! I retired 6 years ago and in 2016 someone suggested that I should start a blog to record the increasing numbers of adventures that I was riding and planning; seemed like a good idea and I only expected family and friends to view it. Since 2016 the blog has surprisingly received literally 1000s of views, with visitors from 26 different countries in 2019 alone!
Up to now I’ve only posted short videos taken on my iPhone, or on bike footage taken by someone else. Well as we start the new decade I think its time for this old dog to learn some new tricks..so I’ve bought myself an Action Camera 🙂
Action Cam the size of a match box
I’ve entered the crazy world of resolution, frame rates, camera mounts, accessories and video editing applications etc. Thank God for YouTube! there is a lot to learn; there are many useful tutorials on how to get started and plenty of advice on how to actually make an interesting video..there is a lot more to it than just fixing the camera to the bike and riding off! My plan is to record some on bike footage and stitch together with photos to give followers a view of the good, bad and ugly parts of my upcoming adventures. I shall keep the blog going as I enjoy recalling and writing up my exploits; I think it will complement the video well to fill in the detail about the trip, whilst the video will help bring it all to life. I did a quick trial video the other day to check out the camera, its on my YouTube channel https://youtu.be/03AXMK021QA This year I have some great trips booked to interesting places which should create the chance for some good video, assuming I get the hang of it…
2020 Adventures already planned and booked
February..Thailand
In just a few weeks time I will fly to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand to meet up with Fred & Bo, my American buddies whom I rode with in India this time last year.
We will spend 10 days riding Vstrom 650s on all the best roads in the hills and mountains of Northern Thailand. We will ride with a group of others led by Jeff and Duncan from TBB Tours; this will be my 5th tour with these guys https://www.thailandmotorcycle.tours/about/. |Thailand is a great country; friendly people, good food, good beer, great roads AND nice and sunny, 30degsC in February 🙂 Should be able to get some good video footage!
June 2020 – The BIG ONE..Eastern Europe and Romania
I went to Romania back in 2014 with my friend Bernard; this was before I started the blog and in those days we were able to put our bikes on an overnight sleeper train from Netherlands to Slovenia, which saved at least 2 days riding each way. Unfortunately there are no such trains running these days 🙁 but I’ve always wanted to go back to experience more of Eastern Europe and looking on the bright side it means I get to ride some of the best roads and mountain passes in Germany, Austria and Slovenia on the way. 🙂
This is going to be a big trip, 4500 miles over 15 days. I will ride down solo over 5 days to Dubrovnik, on Croatia’s Adriatic coast, where I meet up with Bernard; he will have ridden down a week or so before and spent a few days touring with his wife; she will fly back home on the day I arrive, then Bernard and I will spend the next 10 days riding together. The route I have planned will take us through Montenegro, across Serbia to Romania; we will then spend 5 days riding in Romania, including the famous Transalpina and Transfagaran highways in the Carpathian mountain range. We will be staying at several of Romania’s medieval towns and cities and finally will exit up in the North to ride across Hungary to Bratislava in Slovakia as we start to head home. From there we will hit the motorways through Austria and Germany, into Belgium and spend our last night in Antwerp. From there to the Eurotunnel at Calais and back to UK and round the M25.
I took this photo back in 2014 on my last visit; once you get outside the major towns you see lots of horses and carts and people working with their hands in the fields. Romania is a fascinating place.
Romania..lots of horsepower here
August 2020 – The Picos, Portugal, The Pyrenees and France
It seems a group of us now make an annual pilgrimage to the Pyrenees; the roads are so good, scenery is spectacular and away from the touristy areas you can get great value for food, drink and lodging. This time 5 of us will take the overnight ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao in Northern Spain; we will then ride through the beautiful Picos d’Europa mountains down into Portugal and back across Spain to the western end of the Pyrenees in France. From there we will ride East through the Pyrenees, skirting Andorra and up to Millau. From there 4 of us will ride further east through the Cevennes and into Provence to pick up the famous Route Napoleon. Then North up past Lyon and through Les Vosges to spend our last night in the town of La Petite Pierre, then on to Calais Eurotunnel and home. In all 3000 miles+ over 14 days.
UK2 & 3 day trips- Wales, Yorkshire & Pennines and maybe LakeDistrict
In between the 3 big trips I’ll be hoping to fit in a couple of short trips; Wales is a must and also back to Yorkshire and the North Pennines; great roads and scenery and would like to do them in the dry this time:)
For those of you who may be wondering, its great being retired and having the time to enjoy my passion for riding; I do also have a very understanding and supportive wife who is happy to see the back of me for a couple of weeks now and again.. and YES I do also make time for us to go away together. 🙂
Finally,writing this post has got me thinkingabout motorbiking and what it means to me. It made me recall a seminar I went to last year where one of the topics was “Happiness” and took a look at the steps which would contribute to someone’s happiness..I think the top 2 are particularly relevant to me and to other bikers:
1) Have a passion which consumes you when all else fails. Motorbiking is a passion which when everything around you is stressful or not going well, as soon as you get on your bike and ride away your mind clears and the riding consumes your mind and the stresses and strains of everyday life fade away..you are having fun and happy again. 🙂
2) Become a leaf on a tree. This means being part of a network connected by a common thread; a sense of belonging and being with like minded people. Motorcycling is a perfect example of a fraternity sharing a common interest. We acknowledge each other on the road with a nod, or a wave, and its great to know that if something happens along the road, wherever you are, a biker will stop to see if you need help..its happened to me a number of times in UK and abroad. I’ve also helped others.
So thank you for following my ramblings and I hope you’ll continue to tune in to see how my big trips go in 2020 AND to view the videos I hope to produce 🙂
I’ve started writing this on election day in the UK; its just 2 weeks to Christmas, its 6degs C outside and pouring with rain. The roads are cold, wet and covered in muck..the GS is sitting in the garage on trickle charge next to a heater to keep it warm :). Time I think to reflect and relive 2019’s adventures and work on the plan for 2020, which is already well advanced.
In 2019 I’ve ridden approx. 11,000 miles covering 7 countries including India, France, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Wales, Ireland and some of the best parts of England.
London to New Delhi
1500 miles in Rajasthan
The highlight of the year was definitely the trip to India in February to ride through Rajasthan in the North on a Royal Enfield Bullet 500. The trip was guided by Narendra Singh, CEO of Indian Rides and I rode with my American buddies Fred and Bo. We had a great time riding our motorbikes, eating curry, drinking Kingfisher beer, enjoying the wonderful sights and meeting lots of friendly local people in this fascinating country. We finished the trip with a visit to the fabulous Taj Mahal. If you haven’t already, check out my earlier Posts on this great trip.
My trusty Royal Enfield Bullet 500
Welcome to Rajasthan
Another dot
Made it here
Going up in size
The next trip was to Wales in April. 7 of us ignored the weather forecast and set off for the Brecon Beacons. The weather stayed dry for 2 days, although it was rather chilly; we had some fantastic riding in mid Wales & Snowdonia and only on the 3rd day on our way home did the rain make an appearance. A great few days that we all enjoyed; we love Wales 🙂
We love Wales
Bikers lunch stop in the Brecon Beacons
The next trip was to Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Wayat the end of May. I had been planning it for many months and the group included Fred and his cousin Kevin from the USA, plus Jon & Pete from the UK; we had all met up and ridden together on the Thailand/Laos trip in February 2018. John & Pete would join us for the first few days in Wales then Fred, Kevin and myself would head across to Ireland to ride the Wild Atlantic Way from just below Cork all the way up to Sligo. It would turn out to be an eventful trip!
Wales & Ireland
Fred & Kevin
Not a good start!
Everything is better with a beer
The rain on this trip started on day one as we rode to Wales..it rained every day for the next 10 days!!! 🙁 Just after lunch on day one the rain must have got into Fred’s VStrom and it stopped in the Brecon Beacons, electrical fault that we couldn’t fix; no option but to get the bike recovered to our hotel for the night in Rhayader. The bike was rented and thankfully Fred managed to get a replacement late on the next day, a Triumph Sprint sports/tourer, and we would be able to continue our trip to Ireland. 🙂
1600 miles along the Atlantic coast
The Wild Atlantic
Looking forward to this
The scenery was great, but the roads were often narrow and windy and my route planning did include the odd interesting track! Fred hated his Triumph, but the incessant rain, wind and cold was always forgotten in the evening when we had found a nice pub with good beer and music and lots of friendly Irish people 🙂
Irish lane
Fresh fish
Wild coast
Connemara National Park
Cant beat live music
Great name for a beer
We were on our way to Killarney one day, it was wet as usual, and my Garmin had taken us down a particularly nasty muddy little lane with grass growing down the middle of the road. Fred managed to dump his Triumph in the hedge right outside a very friendly and, as it turned out, very helpful family’s house! His bike was not rideable, as one of the foot pegs had been snapped off ! Luckily they had a 4 wheel drive and a trailer to put the bike on and took Fred to our hotel in Killarney. Kevin & I continued to ride the Ring of Kerry in the pouring rain and strong wind. By the time we got to the hotel Fred had “fixed” his bike..he’s an ingenious guy 🙂
Triumph upside down in the hedge
Fred’s new foot peg
Fred’s fix enabled us all to complete the full ride of the Wild Atlantic Way that we had planned and then ride the motorway from Sligo across to Dublin for the ferry to Wales..it rained and rained (now we know why Ireland is so green); thankfully I had told the guys to bring their wet riding gear!
Marrigolds to keep the hands dry!
Goodbye Ireland
Finally when we got to Wales the sun was out and we were able to enjoy a beer in the evening sun. The trip was certainly eventful, but in spite of the rain we enjoyed Ireland and it certainly improved our wet riding skill 🙂
Finally a beer in the sun
June was taken up with a family visit from my son and our two grandchildren over from the USA and days out riding in the Cotswolds and some great new routes through parts of the East Midlands, Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. I wanted to do a longer solo trip in the UK to find some great new roads and decided in July to check out Yorkshire and the North Pennines for a few days.
5000 miles of stone walls in YorkshireSpectacular scenery and fabulous roads here
A quick blast up the A1/A1M, then exit at Harrogate and you are in the Yorkshire Dales. I stayed first night in a place called Greta Bridge, just on the border with the Nth Pennines and had a great ride the next day across the moors and then back down into the Dales and a second night at Harrogate.
On the 3rd day home via the Peak District to the South, including the infamous Snake Pass. Great scenery and some good roads, but far too much traffic for my liking as the area is bordered by Sheffield on one side and Manchester on the other. Definitely will do this trip again in 2020; such great roads and scenery further North, but would miss out the Peak District next time.
August was the next big trip to the Pyrenees and then back via the South of France. This was a 4,500 mile trip and I would spend the first 10 days with Bernard, Stu, Garry, Mike & Steve; then head off on my own through France to visit friends in Provence, then ride the Route Napoleon and some other great roads back to the Eurotunnel at Calais.
6 in the PyreneesLots of bends please
We spent a week criss crossing the Pyrenees from France to Spain and back again; fantastic roads, brilliant scenery..not a pothole to be seen!! Good food and inexpensive wine as well. No wonder we keep going back each year 🙂
Up in the mountains
What a view
Fantastic
Col du Tourmalet – highest paved mountain pass in the French Pyrenees,
I parted company with the others in Millau and headed East through the Cevennes and over the famous Mt Ventoux, then down the Route Napoleon to Castellane and the Gorge du Verdun on the way to Cannes. Fantastic scenery again and great roads.
Road through the rocks
The famous Route Napoleon
The Millau Viaduct
Gorge Du Verdun
I rode back up the Route Napoleon from Cannes and peeled off below Grenoble towards Chamaloc to ride a new pass that I had heard about, the Col de Rousette. WOW! this was fantastic..check out the video. (sorry about the wind noise, but it was blowing a gale at the top)
I continued North via Lyon and Les Vosges, then through Germany into Belgium and spent my last night in Antwerp, a really lovely city; then on to Eurotunnel and home. This was great trip 4,500 miles in 15 days through some of the best countryside and roads in Europe. 🙂 But I did have a speeding ticket from our French friends waiting when I got home!!
Vive la France
only 30 mins delay
full of bikes
The Port of Antwerp
A group of us had planned to go back to Wales before the end of the year but the weather was terrible and heavy rain was forecast so we cancelled. However Bernard and I decided to take a chance in October and ride North to Yorkshire and the North Pennines as our last trip for 2019. We did catch some rain but it didn’t spoil our fun on the great roads across the moors; I’m glad we went and we’ll be back in 2020 for sure when the sun is out 🙂
Great roads across the moors
Ribblehead Viaduct Yorkshire
So that’s it for 2019, winter is here and its time to lay up the GS. It was a great year with some memorable adventures ridden and I cant wait for 2020.
Finally, I’d like to wish Happy Christmas and Best Wishes for New Year to all those who might have read any of my 2019 ramblings and I hope you will continue to follow my Adventures in 2020; I have some great trips planned 🙂
Well seems I’ve finally figured out how to use the basic features of a video editing application 🙂 So I’ve put together a collection of on-bike video clips and photos taken during my Indian Rides adventure to Rajasthan, India in February this year. The idea is to give you all a view of some of the riding we did during the trip and the fun we had.
Apart from a few main highways with new tarmac, most of the roads in Rajasthan are poor, making even our pothole ridden roads in the UK look good in comparison. Once you get off the beaten track things get even more interesting, including sand, BIG holes and lots of animals!
The only driving rules are that there are no rules; no one makes eye contact!! “I’ll go wherever I like and its up to you to avoid me” is the attitude; once you realise that it all becomes normal! Having said that, somehow it all works..I didn’t see a single accident during 1500 miles on a complete mix of roads, including riding through big towns.
The Royal Enfield Bullet 500 single is the ideal bike for these roads; it’s motto is “Made like a Gun”. Although some of the on-bike video quality could be better it will give you a feel of our riding experience and you can hear the great noise made by the big Bullet single 🙂
This was a great biking adventure; 12 days of riding on the classic Royal Enfield Bullet 500, curry for lunch and dinner every day and lots of Kingfisher beer to wash it down in the evening..what’s not to like 🙂
Thanks again to Narendra at Indian Rides for showing us round and to my riding buddies Fred & Bo who provided the on-bike video clips.
The main UK riding season is drawing to a close; its cold and its been raining heavily for the last 3 days 🙁 Sadly it will only now be the odd short ride out for me over the coming winter months. So my mind strays back to think about and relive some of the great motorbike adventures I’ve enjoyed in 2019.
The first adventure of the year was a great trip in February to visit India and ride 1500 miles around Rajasthan on a Royal Enfield Bullet 500. They say “a picture is worth a 1000 words”, so why not relive with me this photo and video review of what was a fantastic trip in this fascinating country with its friendly and welcoming people. We got to places on our motorbikes and experienced things that the typical tourist never would 🙂
With my riding buddies, Fred & Bo
We did this trip with local Indian motorbike tour company “Indian Rides” and their CEO/founder Narendra Singh. https://www.indianrides.com/ I can thoroughly recommend them.
Hope you enjoy the video..I plan to do a couple more over the coming weeks.
Day10: 4th Sept 2019: Millau to Castellane…440Kms 8hrs+
Having waved off the other guys as they headed North for home I got myself ready for a big day’s ride East to Castellane, just above Cannes. The route will take in some great roads through the “Parc National des Cevennes” and some of the “Ardeche”, both areas with spectacular scenery and twisty roads. My plan is to then head through the Cote du Rhone wine region and call in to some friends for lunch who live in a small village called Rasteau; then ride over the famous Mt Ventoux before joining the Route Napoleon at Digne for the final 50Kms blast down to Castellane. No short days for me..this is gonna be a serious day’s ride..8hrs+ 🙂
The sun was shining as I set off and was soon into some serious twisties and entering the Cevennes. This is fabulous countryside, the road climbing ever upwards and then looking down on deep gorges; spectacular rock formations all around with the road actually running through them in many places..what a fantastic ride 🙂
Spectacular viewsRoad through the rocks
I just had to keep stopping to take pics..a privilege of riding alone, but time was ticking on 🙂
Cevennes
Says it all
I rode through miles and miles of vineyards into the Cote du Rhone wine region; small Domaines (wine producers) were everywhere; great place if you love wine! Finally I crossed over the mighty Rhone river which left just 25Kms to my friends in Rasteau; I arrived at 14:15 and it was hot, 32c. Steve & Francoise used to live just a couple of miles from us back in the UK and moved out to France when they retired. They have a lovely old farmhouse set in its own grounds and with their own vineyard; it really is a beautiful place about a kilometre outside the small town of Rasteau. They both speak fluent French and have integrated totally with the local community and its way of life..good for them. They love their wine, unfortunately none for me this time 🙂
Thanks for lunch Steve & Francoise
When I left Rasteau it was nearly 15:30 and still 230Kms to ride!! I made for Mont Ventoux, which is one of the famous climbs for the Tour de France guys..seriously steep, twisty stuff.
Time is marching on so better get my head down and ride..well behind schedule; but no one complaining 🙂 Arrived at Digne and the Route Napoleon, I was tired..time for coffee. Its 19:15 already and still 60Kms to go !The final 60K to Castellane was one of my best rides EVER..the sun was setting, but not yet dark, such a fantastic road and NO TRAFFIC..time to have fun 🙂
As I arrived in Castellane it suddenly got dark and the Sat Nav took me to the centre of town; however I knew my B&B was nearly 1km out of town! The Sat Nav was not charging again, so it was time for iPhone Google Maps backup. This took me up a dark road out of town and told me I had arrived..I rode up the drive of a large house in the dark. A lady came running out and I said ” Is this Maison Castellane” ..”Non” was the answer and she told me in French that it was back down the road and off to the right!! I followed the “instructions” and turned down a side road, at the end was a B& B, as I rode in a lady came running out “Hello” she said (she was Dutch) ..”I’m glad I found you” said I…” you don’t have a reservation” she said,, “I do” said I, “you don’t” said she…”Is this Maison Castellane” said I, “No, its down the road” she said !!! 🙂
This lovely lady then said she would show me the way to my B&B..she ran down the road with me slowly following on the bike in the pitch dark..so funny. After a couple of hundred metres we arrived at Le Maison Castellane; which turned out to be owned by another Dutch lady..she had been waiting for my arrival! I thanked the first Dutch lady, she really had saved me 🙂 By now it was 20:45. I was shown to the room and told that the restaurants in town close at 22:00!! Breakfast did not start till 08:30 🙂 I had a quick shower and legged it down the 700metres to town. Managed to find a pizza restaurant that was open. What a great day! 🙂
Day11: 5th Sept 2019: Castellane to Cannes via Gorge du Verdun…270Kms 6hrs
It was a slow a SLOW start. Lots of friendly Germans at the B& B; they liked my BMW and I chatted to the guy with the old Merc SL350..that’s one of the benefits of riding alone, you meet all sorts of people. When part of a group you tend to just talk with each other. My plan for the day was to take a loop of the picturesque Gorge du Verdun and then spend the night in Cannes.
Blue sky and sunny again and mid 20sc as I set off for a loop of the mountains around Castellane as a warm up for the Gorge. Such beautiful countryside to ride on a sunny morning. I arrived back in Castellane and stopped for coffee. A nice little town overshadowed by an enormous rock with a church right on top.
Castellane, Provence, France: landscape of the town at the foot of a high rock with the church at the top
Soon I was into the Gorge du Verdun; great road fabulous gorge, so deep with sheer sides and great vantage points to admire the views. Guys climbing the sheer walls of the gorge! So many stops and picture opportunities !
I had bought a panini for lunch and it was now a matter of find a piece of shade that was unoccupied; finally found a nice cool shady spot to have a leisurely lunch 🙂 The road round this gorge was very twisty and it was 32c..it was hard work. Fantastic scenery..loads more picture stops and by now I am way behind schedule again 🙂
So many twisties today and with the heat I am seriously feeling it, one of the hardest days yet! so stopped in a quiet village up in the hills for a Cappuccino; and what a nice one it was 🙂
Now THAT’s a Cappuccino!!
It was quite a relief to get on some dual carriageway after Grasse. The long drag down into Cannes via Le Canet was clogged with rush hour traffic when I arrived and I was pleased to arrive at the IBIS hotel in central Cannes. At check in they said I could park the GS in their garage, for 12Euro!! I pointed out that I wouldn’t be taking a whole space, but it fell on deaf ears; so I parked it in one of the Moto bays opposite the hotel for free..left it with disc lock and chained to a road sign 🙂
The Prom at Cannes
Locked up for the night
After a nice shower I donned my floral shirt and headed for La Croisette and a bit of posing in front of the famous Carlton Hotel..sad I know 🙂 A beer is 9 Euro here!..even 3 blocks back from the sea front; but there are plenty of “nice sights” to see walking by while you drink it…:)
Day12: 6th Sept 2019: Cannes to Lyon via some fantastic roads & passes …485Kms 8hrs
A good night’s sleep and my body is ready for another long day in the saddle; it was a lovely sunny morning as I headed North to Grasse to join the start of the N85, Route Napoleon. This is the route taken by Napoléon in 1815 on his return to Paris from exile in Elba. In my opinion the best stretch is the full 130Kms between Grasse & Digne les Baines, punctuated by a stop at Castellane to catch breath. Its a mix of fast smooth sweeping road interspersed with tight sections through stunning gorges and mountains. the first 80kms to Castellane went so quickly, what a fantastic ride..very little traffic 🙂
At Castellane I parked up with all the other bikes and happened to stop next to a Triumph Tiger Sport with UK plates, and a Scottish flag. I decided to say hello to this Scotsman 🙂 Seemed a nice guy on his own, we chatted and went for a coffee together. Turned out to be a guy who worked on oil rigs all over the World..all was going great until we discussed Scottish independence and UK leaving the EU…totally different views; time to ride on!
For the next 50Kms up to Digne the N85 passes through some spectacular mountains and a gorge, quite a few tight corners but a superb ride. At Digne I branched off on the D93 towards the quaintly named town of DIE 🙂 and then headed for Chamaloc and the Col de Rousset. I found via this road from the website Best Biking Roads, which has roads World Wide. Check it out https://www.bestbikingroads.com/
Col de Rousset is one of the best passes I have ridden anywhere; great fun blasting up the mountain between the corners and spectacular scenery.
It was very windy at the top and only 8c, so I stopped at the next town for a cappuccino to warm up and realised it was 17:00 already and still 175kms to go!..none of those short days for me 🙂 With 120kms still to go my Sat Nav suddenly would not charge and shut down! Over to the back up plan; iPhone and Google Maps. The iPhone battery was also running low but thankfully I have a power socket on the GS which I can use to charge it. I plugged in the hotel address and chose fastest route, even though some of it was peage. Finally got to the hotel at 20:15, just as it was getting dark..another great day’s riding done 🙂
Day13: 7th Sept 2019: Lyon to La Petite Pierre in Les Vosges..530Kms 8.30hrs
La Petite Pierre is a small town in Les Vosges Nord, close to the river Rhine which is the border with Germany. It will be another long day as I want to ride some good roads in Les Vosges Natural Parc des Ballons ,which is on my way further south. I planned the route into Google maps on the iPhone and placed it into my map holder clipped to the handlebars. Not easy to read, but better than nothing. After a lazy start I headed north on some nice D roads through rural France; it was sunny and 18c, perfect riding weather. 🙂
The French certainly have taken road safety seriously; most villages have 30kms speed limits and big speed humps to slow the traffic. Also lots of signs warning of radar controlled speed checks and the odd camera, most of which have been burnt out by the “Gilets Jaunes”. Suddenly my iPhone screen went black and I could see a warning message..”your iPhone is overheated and needs to cool down”..Hmmm. I stopped and took it out of the plastic holder and gaffa taped it instead to the outside; on the basis it would get more air to keep it cool. At one point riding through a nice wooded area cars coming the other way were flashing me..speed trap?? instead I came upon a really nasty accident blocking the road; it had not long happened and there were pieces of car and engine parts, and oil, spread all over the road..a proper mess. I just managed to squeeze through and round the traffic queue that was building. A few kms down the road I met the pompiers, fire engine and the gendarmes racing towards the crash.
The Vosges are a mountain range located in the north-east of France. This mountainous massif has as its highest point the Grand Ballon,which reaches 1,424 meters above sea level. Plenty of great roads often passing through miles of woodland and at the high points are popular ski areas. I stopped in a small town for coffee and sat outside in the sun.
I do love a French Cappuccino
After a while couple of French bikers pulled up and sat next to me..a nod and “Bonjour” was exchanged. Some time later they got up to leave and I was ready too, they had parked a Harley and an old Moto Guzzi next to my GS. The guy on the Guzzi went to start it; didn’t sound good..flat battery. Shouts of “Merde” and kicking his bike in frustration!
We happened to be parked on a hill, so via sign language I motioned to his mate that we could push his bike up the hill and he could try and bump start it on the way down. On the second attempt the old Guzzi burst into life and big smiles, waves and cries of “Merci” were heard..that was my good deed for the day and sole contribution to the EU 🙂
As I rode on the road climbed and at the top was a ski area, I stopped to admire the view and happened to be underneath a chair lift which was bringing lots of mountain bikers and their bikes back up the mountainside. I then noticed the track running down the mountain and the guys charging downwards on their bikes. Good use of resources in the summer months 🙂 Check out the video: https://youtu.be/QBcFKYnwtEg
Time to get moving and I soon caught up a group of 6 German bikers; I tucked in behind them having decided that it was too many to overtake on the these windy downhill roads. They obviously saw me and picked up the pace; these guys could definitely ride and my practice on all the twisties in the Pyrenees was put to good use..no way you guys are shaking me off 😉 It was getting late again and the sky was threatening rain and it was cold..fastest route plugged in again. This included a nice stretch of dual carriageway with 110kms/hr speed limit..opportunity to make up time; 140kms/hr is close to 110kms 🙂 It was raining now and did so for the last hour; arrived at the Hotel Au Lion d’Or at 19:30. Receptionist told me that last orders in their very nice restaurant were at 20:30..so quick shower and change 🙂
The Golden LionPetite Pierre
Day14: 8th Sept 2019: La Petite Pierre to Antwerp..440Kms 5hrs
After breakfast I had a walk around the small town and as I arrived back at the hotel a guy in hiking gear and backpack started to speak to me in French..”je suis Anglais” I answered and he switched into good English (wish I could do that in a foreign language). He wanted to know if he could get a coffee in the hotel if he wasn’t a guest..I suggested asking at reception, no reason why not. He came back with a coffee and we started chatting; turned out he had lived in Richmond, near London, for a few years and worked in a circus! He had a large earing in one ear and was on a 12day hike, camping out..interesting who you meet.
As I loaded the bike the rain started; quick check on the radar forecast suggested that going North I would ride into more of it, so put on my full wet riding gear and sected Rain Mode on the bike. I had plugged into Google maps a mainly straight route passing through Germany and into Belgium..only 5 hrs, a short day 🙂 It was 11c when I set off and the roads were wet; the French have a liking for bitumen over banding to fix cracks in their roads..this can be slippery in the dry; but when wet it is lethal and really slippery, especially when your tyres have been ragged around the Pyrenees for a couple of thousand miles!!
After 90mins of nice rural roads I crossed the Rhine and into Germany at Saarbruken and picked up route 1 motorway North. No speed limit on this road for long stretches (actually there is a speed limit apparently 250kms/hr..must be why my Merc AMG is electronically limited to 155mph). I made good progress in the cold rain and eventually it began to ease off and I pulled into services for a coffee and warm up. There were 2 bikes parked next to mine with Belgian plates, the rides came out and spoke in rather plummy British accents; I said hello and found out that the old guy riding the Honda Fireblade with the No93 Marquez helmet was English. but lived in Belgium. He was in full leathers and a wet oversuit..we discussed the weather and there was blue sky showing ahead, I said looks like its clearing up..so he took off his wet gear and off they went.
I followed 10mins later and about 15mins up the road the rain started again; heavy with wind this time and cold 🙁 I was following Google maps and somehow I managed to get in front of them and they came blasting past me; noticed he had put on his waterproof top. A long way further on I pulled in for a fuel stop and there they were. The old guy came over to me and had a go at me for saying earlier that it was clearing up..he was wet and cold because he had taken his wet gear off; my answer “Ride your own road mate” 🙂
As I set off the sun really did come out and the temperature rose from 10 to 20C for the rest of the journey to the Holiday Inn Express in Antwerp..free parking in their garage for motorbikes 🙂 The hotel is near the old port of Antwerp with lots of bars & restaurants nearby. Antwerp is a really nice city, lots of street cafes and people on bicycles; the old town has nice architecture and really relaxed vibe to it, I had a walk around the port before walking into the old town and dinner at my favourite Italian restaurant Da Giovanni
The Old & the NewRestaurants & Cathedral
Day15: 9th Sept 2019.. Antwerp to Calais and Eurotunnel to Home
Its less than 3 hrs from Antwerp to the Eurotunnel at Calais, so time for a walk around in the sun before setting off. Back to the port and watching the boats leave and the road bridge raised. Then some interesting shops..a Meat wholesaler and a strange shop selling little orange men..
How do you like your steak?
Same to you
The journey to Calais is all Motorway and I’m there in no time..train delayed for 30 mins; gave in to a Burger King.
only 30 mins delay
Well at least its not McD
Loaded onto the train with a lot of other bikers..good to chat to guys and swap stories on where we’d been. Some not far, another group just back from a 24 day tour of Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Turkey. Then off the train and onto the M20 and M25 for the dreaded ride home. The M20 had 20 miles of roadworks with 50mph avg speed cameras; 2 narrow lanes and jammed with traffic..welcome back to the UK John 🙂
a full load of bikes today
Arrived home safely at 8pm after a total of 3600miles on this trip. What a great trip; the Pyrenees with the other guys and then my 5 day solo adventure to round it off. Fantastic roads, fantastic scenery, great fun,..can’t wait to do it all again!! 🙂 Opened my post and found a letter from France..speeding ticket!! Quicker we leave the EU the better I reckon..
Vive La France…
Next big Adventure already booked for Feb2020..back to Thailand with 4 Americans :)..stay tuned, lots of planning to do over the winter months and deciding where to go next.
A bit chilly in the morning when we set off but this was soon forgotten as soon as we reached the fabulous N260 and the fantastic 50kms stretch from Alp towards Ripoll. Its a spectacular stretch of road, smooth surface through spectacular scenery; thankfully hardly any traffic the whole way at this time of day, just the odd cyclist, so an opportunity to have a real blast.. This is what we came for.. 🙂
N260..what a road!!
The other side of Ripol, in complete contrast to the N260, we encountered nearly 3okms of very tight corners on the Col de Merolla..literally right-left-right-left no time to rest; by the time we got to the end it was coffee time and we were knackered.
Coffee stop..park it on the pavement in Spain 🙂 Up into the mountains
We set off to climb higher into the mountains via an amazing road cut into the mountainside; a serious piece of engineering, but with solid rock on one side and a long drop down on the other it’s time to concentrate and read the road..every now and again we entered a short tunnel; not easy to see going from bright sunlight to instant darkness!! We blasted upwards between the corners and hairpins, good fun and then we were at the top and admiring the view https://youtu.be/789-HWOB9SQ
Bernard pulled over saying that an overheating warning light was showing on his K1300s..hmmm, must have been trying so hard to keep up with my GS! Was the coolant level low maybe? He decided to make a quick call to our BMW dealer back in the UK to seek advice. Let it cool down and check the radiator fins are not blocked was the message.
Hot stuffOn top of the world!!
K1300s cooled down we set off again with Bernard taking it easy. The last segment to Ainsa included a a long stretch on the N123..nice fast, smooth road with sweeping corners and good visibility; another chance to make progress and have fun in the sun 🙂
We arrived at Ainsa, a nice town with a beautiful medieval Old Town high on the hill above; the hotel we stayed at last year was fully booked and ours for this year was the other side of the river out of town. There was some confusion finding the hotel as we parked up next to a cheap Hostal!! Thankfully ours turned out to be a nice 3 star around the corner.
Is this our hotel?
That evening we walked up the 1000 steps to the Old Town, probably needed the exercise and certainly worked up an appetite for dinner!
Ainsa Old TownPizza for dinner and cheap Spanish wine 🙂
On our way back to the hotel we passed an Irish bar..time for Jamiesons?
Relaxing after a hard day’s ride
We finally made it back to the hotel and found they had a pool table..game on!!
Hustler?
John’s bridge
Day6..31st August 2019..Ainsa to Burguete 350Kms 6hrs
It was sunny but cool when we set off, today would see us cross into the French Pyrenees and then back again into Spain. The first stretch was nice sweepers and we enjoyed an early morning blast; however this was followed by a sprinkle of rain and a ride through a narrow Col, wet and naggery road with some cow shit along the way..reminded me of Wales 🙂
We continued to climb up into the mountains and through a long tunnel then out into beautiful scenery again. Bernard and I stopped to admire the view and wait for the stragglers to catch up. We waited a long time and began to worry that something was wrong..then along they came. Turned out that on Stu’s Triumph a pipe carrying petrol from the tank had become detached, not good!! They had managed to fix it though.
Just look at that view!!
As we crossed into France we were passing through ski resorts and decided to stop for an early lunch..a very nice burger 🙂 We chatted to a couple from Wales who were riding a tandem up these hills..not my idea of a holiday!! They reckoned we would meet rain later in the afternoon…??
French ski resort..La Mongie Tormalet
Off we went and soon were even further up in the mountains and riding the brilliant Tormalet pass in the Pyrenees National Park on the Franco-Spanish border. Lots of cyclists to contend with and other bikers to wave at..why do these European bikers insist on taking one hand off the bars (even banked over mid corner) and waving the Vsign for peace?? A simple UK style nod I think is sufficient..and safer 🙂
John riding Tormalet, France..Bernard behind still trying to keep up 🙂
The scenery really is spectacular, although the road surface on the French side of the Pyrenees is nowhere near as good as in Spain. Bernard pulled over again..K1300s overheating again..time for a coffee then. Lots of sheep around, who seemed to like motorbikes, maybe it was the heat from the engines? 🙂
The temperature ranged wildly from 7c up in the mountains to near 30c once we were down in the valley. There were various Sat Nav moments that afternoon and the group became split up again. Last year we stayed at Saint Jean Pied de Porte, which is at the start of the 800kms Santiago Trail popular with pilgrim walkers; this year it was fully booked so we crossed back into Spain heading for Burguete, a small village on our route for the following day. The road twisted and climbed and as it did the rain started; a fine, cold drizzle; we were soon riding in low cloud and mist with very poor visibility and wet roads..just what you need after a long day’s ride..NOT! We were certainly glad to see the hotel that night 🙂
During the day my Sat Nav handlebar cradle had developed a fault and was not charging my Garmin, rendering it virtually unusable unless I could fix it! With Gary’s help I tried a fix, but no luck; at which point Gary said I could borrow his power bank/block and use that to charge it as I rode along..thanks Gary, you saved the day 🙂
The trail runs right past our hotel
Day7..1st September 2019..Burguete to Cellers 400Kms 7hrs
A look out of the window at breakfast showed a very heavy sky which looked like it would rain any minute. Stu pessimistically reckoned it would rain all day; we should be wearing our rain gear from the off and we should shorten the route, he said. A quick look at the rain radar forecast app suggested that we would ride away from the rain and should actually miss it. After much discussion those needing rain gear put it on and we removed a few way points from the route to cut 45mins off.
It turned out to be a really great day’s ride; it was the weekend and there were loads of local bikers out..so many to wave at! Great roads; more of the fabulous N260.. fast, sweeping corners, smooth tarmac..we were able to make good progress.. and NO RAIN all day 🙂
Our progress was so rapid we arrived at the hotel at 5pm..our earliest arrival yet! The hotel was on the shores of a nice lake, it had a swimming pool which we sat around and downed a few cool beers.
Hotel on the lakeand a nice view
Following a dinner of Tapas and lots of good value red Spanish Vino de la Casa, we found they had table football for after dinner recreation 🙂
Steve & Bernard head to head
Day8..2nd September 2019..Cellers to Ripoll 400Kms 7hrs
A number of the group enjoyed the short day we had yesterday and requested that today’s route should also be shortened to provide another easier day..obviously 7 days on the road and riding the twistiest roads we could find was beginning to take their toll on some!!
Up we went into the mountains again and stopped at a nice picturesque view point..time for Stu to fly his drone 🙂 Take a look at this video (not HD quality) and you see towards the end a motorbike with rider and pillion cross the shot..a few seconds later all our heads turn and we realise they have just had a low speed tumble!
We rushed to help the guy pick his pannier laden bike up while his wife was holding her back and wincing, but putting a brave face on it. Turned out they were Americans and were part of an organised tour, the others in their group were somewhere back down the mountain. Our good deed done for the day we got going again.
As we climbed higher the temperature dropped to 9c, but soon we were back to mid 20c as we descended into the valley. Coffee stop was at a rather strange place with various animal heads mounted around the walls.
Mine’s a Cappuccino
We were in a fairly remote area with just a few small one street towns; it was time for lunch for which Bernard had researched a possible place just off our route. As we got near my Garmin said “turn right”, Bernard’s Tom Tom said “straight on”..of course!! Steve, the other Garmin and fellow GS rider decided to follow his Garmin and turned off..the rest of us blindly followed Bernard. Some way further on we turned off and arrived at the designated lunch stop..it was a house and seemed deserted and closed up 🙁 so we rode on, only to meet Steve coming the other way..I waved at him, but he seem oblivious to us.
Finally we all stopped and decided that the place which was closed was our destination, so we should try again. Turned out that we were early and it didn’t open till 1pm..we didn’t want the full 3 course menu, but after some interesting sign language they made us very welcome and produced an great array of various meats and cheeses and some strange looking sausages..fabulous. Soon a number of locals turned up, although very remote seemed to be THE place to meet for a lunchtime beer for them 🙂
We are out in the wildsMeat or Cheese
We rode on and enjoyed some really fantastic, smooth and even beautifully banked roads in the corners..its a pleasure to ride here and totally puts our worn out and pot hole riddled roads to shame back home!! The scenery again was wonderful and we stopped at one place up in the mountains where we could stand on a rock overlooking the valley way down below,just fantastic 🙂
Time to continue our ride on these fantastic smooth twisty roads
YES!!
Yes please!!
We arrived at our hotel in Ripoll, next to the Police station and were given directions to their garage around the back..by the time we arrived 6 cold beers were waiting for us!! Great service..the Spanish love bikers 🙂
Day9..3rd September 2019.. Ripoll to Millau 400Kms 7hrs
A long day’s ride ahead of us as we cross back into France and out of the Pyrenees; we made an early start at 08:15 so that we could enjoy the last of the Spanish roads. It was a chilly 9c and we were riding straight into the sun, as we climbed the mountain pass the temperature dropped to 6c!! The road twisted in and out of forests which made it a real challenge to see when switching from sun into shade and back; another factor to contend with was the dramatic change of temperature between the shady areas and the full sunlight..a change of 7degs in less than a minute!!
quick break
We stopped at the top of the pass to warm up and were right on the border between Spain & France.
French Dept des Pyrenees
Back to France
The first thing you notice is the deterioration in road surface immediately upon entering France, certainly up here in the mountains. As we descended into the valley and plain below the temperature rose to 30c and the wind picked up strongly..was this the Mistral?
We picked up “La Route des Vins” and rode North for miles and miles through beautiful vineyards on both sides of the road and the hills. Time for a stop and a chance to get our favourite refreshing drink, “Orangina” which you can only get it seems in France
Mmmmmm
Cheese balls and ham salad
After a tasty lunch we continued to ride on nice roads through rural France and again the group got split due to various conflicting Sat Nav moments. It was 30c and Bernard’s bike was still playing up, he pulled over again to let it cool down and then we set off on the last stretch to Millau and rode under the spectacular Millau Viaduct bridge..designed by an Englishman and built by the French.
Our hotel consisted of nicely appointed chalets built into a hillside overlooking the town of Millau and the bridge in the distance. This is the last night we would all be together as tomorrow 5 will head North back to the ferry and home and I will start 5 days of solo adventure; riding East to Cannes before heading North. In honour of our last night I wore my flowery shirt, which I had been saving for Cannes 🙂
view over Millau
Chalets on the hill
Steve’s impressed!
Thank you Bernard for planning and booking the trip; thank you guys for your company. We had great roads and plenty of laughs along the way 🙂
Stay tuned for Part 3 coming shortly; my solo ride through France, Germany & Belgium. Plenty of great roads and fantastic scenery and quiet a few funny moments along the way..
I’m back at home now; its been my first chance to update on this adventure following a hectic 14days on the road; always rushing for the shower and the cold beer at the end of a long day’s ride, or stopping too many times to see sights and take pics that time rushed by and suddenly I was late and it was getting dark 🙂
The short summary; 3600 miles ridden, lots of great roads, 1000s of corners, fantastic scenery..many interesting moments along the way and plenty of beer and cheap red wine supped..only one speeding ticket (so far), fabulous trip!!! 🙂
If you want the full story read on… I’ve spilt the trip into 3 parts:
Part1.. The ride down through France to the Pyrenees
Part2..The ride through the Pyrenees
Part3..My solo ride East through France, then back home via Germany and Belgium
PART 1…Day 1: Bank Holiday Monday 26th August 2019…Crossing to France
GS packed and rearing to go!!
It was a nice sunny morning and forecast to warm up through the day. I arrived at our meeting place, Loomies bikers cafe, on time at 12noon; the others (Bernard, Mike, Gary, Steve & Stu were already there and had managed to get a table in the shade..hot 28c by now. Being a Bank Holiday and sunny the place was rammed with bikes and the BBQ was cooking; one poor guy managed to drop his bike during a low speed manoeuvre in the car park; very embarrassing. After cuppa and a sausage and egg bap (messy to eat) it was time to set off to catch the 15:30 ferry to Le Havre in France. We had decided to ride down through France this time, rather than take the 24hr ferry trip to Northern Spain.
My new bike…?
The Place to be
Busy on a Bank Holiday
There was only one other biker in the queue for the ferry; a French guy who had spent the weekend at the Silverstone MotoGP. The boat was half empty and we were soon on, showered and ready for the sun deck with our first of many beers of the trip 🙂
Ready for France
Its hot in the queue
First beers!!
Very suddenly a thick sea mist descended as we headed out into the English Channel..we retired inside to play cards. This ferry arrives in Le Havre at 22:30 so we had booked in to an Ibis near the port and would start our journey down through France tomorrow after a night’s sleep. 🙂
Day 2 & 3: Tues 27th/ Weds 28th August 2019…Riding South through France, heading for the Pyrenees ..800Kms
80kms new National speed limit !!
A 9am start heading for Chateauroux, 400kms to get us started on the trip. It was cold and misty as we set off. Our route was on D roads (small roads) through rural France; its a few years since I’ve been to France and it felt good to be back. Earlier this year the French decided, in their quest to improve road safety, to reduce their National speed limit from 90Kms/hr to 80Kms..this is only 50Miles/hr !! There were big protests from the “Gilet Jaune” (the militant Yellow Vests protesters) but it has stayed. Not really a problem on the rural country roads where there is little chance of getting caught by the Gendarmes, or speed cameras! We were all pleased to arrive at our coffee stop mid morning in a small town.
First coffee stop
By now it had warmed up and we set off again in good spirits. After a couple more hours riding through green fields and quaint villages it was time for lunch and we stopped at a Boulangerie/Patisserie and had very tasty French bread filled sandwiches 🙂
Mmmmm
We continued our ride South and as we did so the horizon turned rather dark; could be some rain ahead? Suddenly, without warning, the heavens opened and it rained so heavily you could see the rain bouncing off the road! We made a hasty stop and those not wearing waterproof textiles (everyone else) began struggling into their wet gear. Gary happened to notice there was a bridge a few 100yrds up the road, so we quickly headed for some shelter. Under the bridge off the road the ground happened to be a muddy mix of grey slime..Wet gear now fitted we set off with dirty bikes for the nearby town of Amboise on the banks of the river Loire. We stopped for coffee/tea and nice pastries 🙂
Tea & pastry ..mmmmm
Sky still looks threatening
We set off again to cover the last 100kms of the day to our hotel in Chateauroux; first 80kms were OK, but then we hit the town of Levroux and the D956!! This road was dead straight for the last 20Kms with white lines and 80Kms speed limit..lots of traffic, no overtaking. Suddenly you feel every ache and pain as the mind wanders 🙁
We arrived at the hotel around 18:00 and the host suggested that we could put our 6 bikes in his restaurant later!!! :)…after the diners had finished at 21.30. The alternative was to leave them in the road opposite the hotel. After some discussion we decide that by 9.30pm we would have consumed various amounts of beer and wine, therefore it was probably best to leave the bikes locked up in the road…good decision 🙂
Hmmm
We made it to the beer
Happy bikers
Bernard’s brother Mike had spent many years as an officer in the RAF and I had noticed how upright and well turned out he was. His shiny black K1200s was covered in grey mud from the earlier rain, as were his boots. Over dinner I mentioned this and asked jokingly whether he would be up early in the morning to wash and polish. Come 8am in the morning there he was with a bucket washing his bike and come 9am leave time his boots were clean and shiny..well done Mike, you’re my hero 🙂
What a guy..
All present on parade
Our destination for the night would be Olemps, near Rodez, deep into Southern France. Another 400Kms ride and 7hours+. Our route would take us through the Massif Central region of France which brings with it spectacular scenery and great twisty roads 🙂
The sky was blue but the road out of Chateauroux was straight again; after an hour or so we entered the Natural Park Region of Limousin and beautiful countryside with nice long windy roads, a mix of sweeping and then tighter corners, right-left-right-left for miles and miles. Time for a coffee stop.
We set off again and after a spirited ride Bernard, Stu and I stopped for rest to let the others catch up; it was a pleasant mid 20’sC as we waited and waited,, and waited; then Steve came along..where were Mike & Gary? Somehow we had managed to lose them. Steve can track Gary on his phone and soon established that somehow they were actually ahead of us…! so we set off making for the planned lunch stop which was in a small village en route. It was nearly 3pm by the time we arrived and any food they had was gone; all they had was some well past their sell by date ice cream cones..its tough on the road sometimes 🙂 After “lunch” we continued on our way and as we passed through a town further on who would we see just leaving a café?..Gary & Mike!! By then the 4 of us were ready for a coffee so Gary & Mike were dragged back to the café and we were 6 again 🙂
The last lap to the hotel included a twisty ride through a very nice Gorge with steep sides, great fun with the noise of the GS exhaust bouncing off the walls. The hotel was a step up from the previous night and was above the busy town of Rodez, we parked out bikes in their underground garage and headed for the bar..another day done and Spain beckoning tomorrow 🙂
A step up..
This is what we need
Day 4 Thursday 29th Aug19…Crossing into Spain
We are riding today to ALP, a town in the Catalonia region of Spain just south of Andorra..400Kms again and 6hours+ of riding…now the roads and scenery are going to get really good 🙂 A nice sunny morning again and straight away onto great roads; the road surface on all but a very few roads is superb..smooth, no potholes!!
We rode through wine country with miles of vineyards and then into Natural Parks again; the temperature rose to 33c and we began to feel the heat. We then we started climbing up into the mountains and riding through deserted ski resorts; the temperature dropped to a more pleasant 20c. on the way down back up to 30c.
sheltering from the sun
We crossed into Spain through the Pyrenees Parc Naturel, the scenery was getting good.
admiring the viewLove itThe Spaniards know how to build a road!!
Somehow along the road we managed to lose 3 out of the 6 this time..another Sat Nav moment :)..need to keep up boys!!
Lost again?
As we rolled into Alp it started to rain, good time to arrive! Strangely the other 3 were already at the hotel..we went straight to the bar
Welcome to Spanish beer
One strange thing about Spain is the that the restaurants don’t open until 9pm, by which time bikers are well hungry. We set off into town to see what was open, finally finding a nice one and we were the first ones in..6 giant prawns for me and plenty of the Vino de la Casa at 8Euro per litre 🙂
We are the first ones in
Mmmm great Spanish value
Alp
Searching for a restaurant
view from Alp bedroom
So this is the end of Part 1..we have arrived in Spain and tomorrow the fun really starts as we ride Westwards across the Pyrenees, criss crossing between France & Spain and then returning Eastwards to ride as many of the great roads and mountain passes as we can in the next 5 days. Stay tuned for Part 2 shortly. 🙂
Routes are planned and loaded in the Sat Nav, the GS is serviced and fitted with new tyres; one week from now I will be finalising the packing ready for setting off for Portsmouth to catch the ferry to Le Havre in France as the start point for approx. 3500 miles road trip to the Pyrenees. I can’t wait 🙂 😎
The route will take D roads down through France and criss cross between the French and Spanish sides of the Pyrenees mountain range, then back into France via Andorra. From Millau I will be heading across to Cannes and coming back up via the Route Napoleon to Lyon and on northwards via the Vosges and into Belgium; maybe touching Germany and Luxembourg, before making for the Eurotunnel at Calais and back home.
This is the approximate overall route
I’ll be riding with the same group as last year; Bernard, Stuart, Gary and Mike, but joined this time by another GS rider, Steve, who couldn’t make it last year. We have a mix of bikes; 4 BMWs, (K1300s, K1200s, GS x2), a Ducati Multistrada 950 and a Triumph Tiger Sport 1050.
Being retired I have more time available than the others and therefore I need not rush back, so I will leave the group after Millau as they head back to Le Havre and will take a leisurely route back; calling in to see friends at Rasteau, in the Cotes du Rhone wine region of France, then moving on to the Gorges du Verdon near Castellane, which I have always wanted to ride. A quick pop into Cannes to do a bit of posing on La Croisette and then back to Calais via the fabulous Route Napoleon and various non Mway routes, passing through Luxembourg and the Belgian Ardennes. 15 days away on the road and about 3500 miles in total. Should be sunny all the way..hopefully 😎
All the BEST roads in the PyreneesThe Pyrenees..Its BIG country!!
I’ll try to find time to post updates during the trip, so stay tuned if you’d like to follow this adventure. 🙂
An opportunity had come up to get away for a few days riding in the North of England; the weather forecast looked reasonable…so its ADVENTURE TIME again to ride some of the UK’s best roads 🙂
Day 1:Tuesday 16th July 2019: North to Greta Bridge in Country Durham, via Yorkshire Dales…260 miles
Route to Greta BridgeGreta Bridge..perfectly located in the North of England.
It was a beautiful sunny morning, perfect for riding. The plan was to follow the fantastic B660 out of Bedford through the back country roads and join the A1 North at Stamford in Lincolnshire. Finally I have managed to find a good route around the sprawl of Bedford and soon joined the B660 Kimbolton Road. This leads through the countryside and corn and poppy fields of Cambridgeshire and Rutland; great road and nice scenery punctuated by pretty villages.
A match for my Red GS
A quick blast up the A1 and A1M and I am soon in Yorkshire..time to turn off into the Yorkshire Dales and enjoy the roads and scenery. You are greeted by miles and miles (actually 5000 apparently) of stone walls separating the fields; the scenery is mix of green rolling hills and fields, then by contrast onto the roads across the barren moors. My route took me along a mix of narrow country lanes and fast open roads on the moors. Judging by the smell it seems to be muck spreading time in parts of Yorkshire at this time of year! This was confirmed when I met head on with the largest tractor and muck spreader on a VERY narrow lane..just managed to squeeze past holding my breath 🙂 On this trip I am riding solo, therefore can stop when and wherever I like to take photos or just enjoy the moment; the real full on riding day is planned for tomorrow.
Stone Walls
Local Point of Interest
Yorkshire Dales
Stone Walls & Blue Sky
Just admire
I have an App called “Best Biking Roads” it enables you to check for good roads around your location. I decided to see if there was anything of interest I hadn’t planned it and noticed a potentially good route just a short detour from my planned route..nice day, no rush to be anywhere. why not try it? 🙂 The route was a nice undulating and twisty road across a moor leading past a Military Firing Range..the Red Flags were flying!! The road ended at a village called Castle Bolton..which funnily enough had a nice castle which was built in 1387.
The Red Flags are flying
Says it all!
Castle Bolton
Time to head off on the last 25 miles to the hotel, the Morritt arms at Greta Bridge. Arrived about 6pm ish, Parked out the front next to a Triumph Thuxton and headed to the bar for a nice pint of the local “Black Sheep” bitter. Weather forecast for tomorrow is good and I have a 220 mile circular route planned taking in North Pennines and much more of the Yorkshire Dales!
Day 2:Wednesday 17th July 2019: All the best roads in Nth Pennines & Yorkshire Dales 220 miles
220 miles of great roadsYes!!
The Triumph Thruxton was owned by a couple from Rochdale who had done a couple of days touring in the area; had a nice chat after breakfast as we got ready for the day. Within 5 miles I was into more good roads and scenery, and another castle. Before long I was in the North Pennines crossing the vast expanse of Weardale; great open fast road, no cars just a few sheep! The barren landscape finally gave way to green fields and pine forests as I entered Northumberland; time for a coffee stop in the picturesque little village of Blanchland. As I sat in the sun a guy walking his dog stopped to chat, turned out he had just bought one of the new CCM hand made British bikes..nice.
Barnard Castle
Coffee at the Post Office
Mid week outside of school holidays is obviously the best time to come riding here; hardly any cars to contend with 🙂 I turned off the main road down a little side lane and stopped by a babbling brook for a comfort break. The farmer had recently cut the field leaving big rolls of hay, it was so quiet..just the sound of the stream 🙂
Peaceful
The babblng brook
I headed north to Haydon Bridge on the border with Cumbria and then took the road to Alston across the moor and then across Teesdale down to Middleton-in-Teesdale. Wow! 40 miles of superb open, undulating and twisty road..flat out in places, not a car or speed camera to be seen; one of the best roads I’ve ridden in the UK!! I was having so much fun and needed to slow down a bit, so pulled in at a place called High Force, High Force, one of the most spectacular waterfalls in England, located at Forest-in-Teesdale, in the heart of the Durham Dales, Co. Durham.
oop North
Great road
High Force falls
Highest in England
Where I had stopped a group of bikers were having a break; I noticed the bikes were all new BMWs with Belgian plates. We nodded to each other (as bikers do) and a couple came over to check me out. They spoke good English and apparently were part of a 30 strong group over from BMW Club Belgium and had been staying in the Lake district for a week or so. One of them had the new 1250 BMW GS so we chatted bikes for a while and raved about the local roads 🙂
Soon I was back into North Yorkshire with its miles of stone walls; time to ride the Buttertubs Pass from Kirkby Stephen to Hawes and then the infamous B6255 Hawes to Ingleton road down to the famous and fantastic Ribblehead Viaduct. This road has a warning sign at the beginning of it “35 motorcyclists injured during the last 3 years” and various police warning signs along the way!!
Hmmmm
Ribblehead Viaduct
Ribblehead Nth Yorkshire
I made it down to the end of the road OK and kept wondering along the way how all those bikers could have got injured or killed on that road. Sure its fast in places and quite a few tricky bends; maybe its because it attracts a higher number of bikers than most roads and then the percentages start to apply? I turned off left at the Ribblehead Viaduct to ride one of the most picturesque but narrow roads over Malham Moor towards Grassington. The sun was out and the views were great 🙂
Love these stone walls
Malham Tarn
I was now on the final part of the loop back to Greta bridge; it had been a long day and I was tired..these roads need full concentration for sure! The forecast had predicted rain after lunch but I had missed it. As I drew up to the hotel about 6:30pm the rain started ..perfect timing at the end of a fantastic day’s riding. One of the best days and selection of roads ever in the UK 🙂
Tomorrow is another 200+mile day through the North Yorkshire Moors and then down to Derbyshire and the best roads in the Peak District.
Day 3:Thursday 18th July 2019: North Yorkshire Moors & The Peak District 220 miles
A sunny start, but forecast suggests there is chance of catching a shower before the end of the day. I’ll be staying in Stockport tonight on the edge of the Peak District; its 80 miles if you go direct, but 220 miles by my route taking in the Nth Yorks moors and then the best of the Peak District. Apparently THE road to do is known as the Nth Yorks TT, its the B1257 Stokesley to Hemsley; as I start the 20 miles ride I see the sign “45 motorcyclist casualties in the last 5yrs” accompanied by another warning sign aimed at bikers…!!
Makes you think….!!
How dangerous can this road be?? I had a good run at it meeting just a few cars on the way so was able to “make progress” but still had time to wave to a couple of motorcycle cops coming the other way 🙂 ; sure this road had a few technical bits and was interesting to ride, but nothing a competent motorcyclist couldn’t handle if riding sensibly..maybe that’s the problem with the guys who didn’t make it.
The only moment I had during the 20 miles of the Nth Yorks TT was the serious fright I got when an RAF Typhoon fighter jet flew over the road about 50ft off the ground during one of their infamous low level training flights across the moors following the valleys. The noise was deafening and came without warning..made my heart skip a beat I can tell you!!
After the moors I joined the A1 and headed south, then picked up the M1 for a quick blast before turning off at Wakefield and heading for the Peak District. The first road was the Woodhead Pass towards Glossop. At the top was a great view for miles.
View from the High Peak
No doubt about it the Peak District is very picturesque, however, being surrounded by the densely populated areas of Manchester & Sheffield the amount of traffic is so much greater than Yorkshire & further North. There are some great roads, but riding is spoilt by the number of cars & lorries encountered..and lots of speed cameras. The A537 famous “Cat & Fiddle” run is ruined by a 50mph avg speed camera zone for miles and miles.
My route took in “Snake Pass”, another infamous road that I have never ridden. I decided to give it a go; its the A57 from Glossop to Sheffield. Its about 18miles through great countryside passing the Ladybower Reservoir. I was fairly lucky with the traffic and managed to get a reasonably good run; much of it is 50mph limit which is probably plenty with the traffic..the time to ride it would be early on a Sunday morning 🙂
On the way I stopped at the Ladybower Café, a permanent portacabin in a layby opposite the reservoir. I was greeted by the friendly blonde lady who runs it with the typical northern greeting “yer awright?”, I had intended just a cup of tea but was tempted by a sausage, egg and tomato roll. This was delivered in what I would call a “bap”; I was informed that up there it was called either a Muffin, a Barm cake, or a Cobb..Either way it was very tasty. Had quite a chat with the lady, who was plugging her bikers night do later. Apparently the cops call in there as well and she finds out where they are gonna be hiding along the road and tips off all the bikers 🙂
I have to conclude that whist the Peak District is quite picturesque, the roads are spoilt by the amount of traffic. By all means come to ride the Peak District if you are touring and want to see the sights; but if “riding” is more your thing then my advice is give the Peaks a miss and go for Yorkshire and the North Pennines every time!
Day 4 Friday 19th: Its raining..time to go home!!
After 3 days of sun the rain has come with a vengeance for my ride home; as I cross the high peaks to join the M1 at Derby I am riding in the clouds and mist and the rain is heavy! Just as well I had all that wet riding practice in Ireland on the last trip 🙂 It rains all the way home and I have another seriously dirty bike to clean…
In conclusion; Yorkshire & North Pennines offer fantastic riding along with great scenery; definitely worth the trip North. Haydon Bridge to Middleton-in-Teesdale via Alston is certainly one of the best roads I have ridden anywhere in the UK. When coming here again to fit in a quick trip I would miss out the Peak District and depending on time of year maybe add in a day’s riding in the Lake District instead.
The next adventure is only a few weeks away..The Pyrennese; cant wait 🙂
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