why tour abroard.....
 

when we have Wales on our doorstep!!

Just spent a week driving around north wales/snowdonia...wow! :D

have to get back there on a bike next year...talk about twisty!! No wonder there are loads of Red routes there, absolute biking country! Weather in wales = crap so think I'll need a tourer rather than 916 to do it

Maybe a DSC'er trip in 2006??? plan from the south coast already almost complete.......................................... .....:burn:

Well any NW DSC member could tell you that, myself and Lily pretty much head off into N. Wales most weekends, only takes 30 minutes to hit the first of the twisties from home :D

Weather is an issue though, but that's the same as anywhere in the UK (thus maybe the foreign tour appears better???)

I think there might be a plan for a NW Mega meet next year for a weekend which could involve a trip to Wales, but there's always RTL '06 which has equally impressive roads

yep - saw loads of peeps coming in from Chester way, figured most of you northern cappers knew all about how good the place is!! LOL

Have done the lakes and found the wales roads better, slower but twistier in the main, but it has been a while...just got to convince she who must be obeyed that relocating north is a good idea....

Weather and policing I would have thought?

saw 1 traffic cop and 1 panda during the whole week, loads of speeding signs but not many fixed either, I did expect more...

All depends on where you go TP, like everywhere in the UK stay off the main routes (which tend to be pretty boring anyway) and get on the twisties, you know what they are don't you? And I don't just mean the M25 :lol:

You should try it, get your fat Ozzie backside up North even for a weekend and enjoy the roads, you loved Donny... that's just the tip of the iceberg

I think I remember what twisties are ....

You're just SOOOO far away .... why don't you move all that stuff down here for me :D

You may have seen 1 traffic cop, but were seen by more than 1 traffic cop.
As anyone who gets round wales will tell you the cops aren't always out in the open and in your face.
Beware the dark blue ford galaxies in Snowdonia, - traffic cops with onboard cameras and camera operators.

A5 ----->A4086 ------> A498 ----->A4085 ------> A4086 -----> back to A5 was my fav

Cornwall and South wales arent that far...similar roads without the scenary

saw a couple of traffic camera vans parked up, no sigh of cameras. Best thing for me about the roads is no need to go banzai - often 50 was too much!

A4212 from Bala onto Trawsfynydd used to be a cracker, not done it for a few years though. All the publicity about the police helicopters and speed traps put me off a few years ago. Used to stop the night at Portmeirion and get up very early and go nuts down the A470 and A494 before all the caravans etc appeared.

I would fancy a weekend in Wales before summers over if anyones up for it?

Martin I'm sure I/we could be up for this, might be a few weeks though as we've got all sorts of stuff going on for the next few weeks

Why tour abroad??
 

Better weather, better food, cheaper fuel, no fun police on patrol, no cameras, no nimbys writing in to the papers about maniac bikers, the sea is warmer, the locals don't hate bikes, need I go on.

There ARE some great biking trips/rodes to be done on the UK but none can offer the "full monty" that some countries can.

Ray.

Great! Just give me a shout when you think you might be able to make it. Anytime but the first week of Oct is good with me as I'm on my hols then. I had envisaged pottering around Wales on the Multistrada but may have to bring the 996 now! :D

same here with the next few weeks - 25th Sept would be good :)

Well we're busy and bike less for the next few weeks, servicing and more trackdays, also off to Jerez beginning of October, Hmmmm might have to have a think:puzzled:

Oh yes, Welsh red wine...... I think not.

Off to France in three weeks time:roll::roll:

Britains got some good roads but Ray has summed it up for me, along with Rob41b 'Welsh wine':lol::lol::lol:

Best qoute of the weeek mate. France is the place for moi.

I live pretty close to Wales but have done France more times this year.

[Edited on 30-8-2005 by BDG]

Wales.... :lol:



sorry

llanberis pass is awesome
makes you feel very small

Agreed, but the St.Gothard pass makes Llanberis look like a ride to the shops. If you want awesome roads try the Alps or the Pyrenees-you could ride for a fortnight in either of them and never use the same piece of road twice.

THAT'S why we go abroad-the other reason is that Richard Brunstrom is not Chief Constable-enough said!

John

Riding the roads of southern France makes you feel like you have died and gone to biking heaven

In the mountains you can, if you don’t over ride them, get in to a flow that is just poetry.
You feel that the road has been put they’re that day for you to ride. You have a, It really can’t get any better than this feeling all day. It’s all in the flow, it’s in the food and wine in the mountain town café, it’s in the over hanging trees dappling the light on the shady side of the mountain. You don’t feel intimidated you just feel alive, well fed and happy.
You are welcomed on a loud bike in the smallest town as a human and not an outlaw.

On a solo blast out I stumbled on a 360 with a sports exhaust out for a blast. Had some fun just following him for five or six miles but he was pushing on to much ,it’s too intense to keep that pace up
Comfortably for long because it just keeps on bend after bend. He pulled over let me lead for the next five or six. Not racing just both enjoying the road and the added entertainment of our choice of weapon. Magic sound but still think the duke had the edge at full volume.


I did get a pull out there in the middle of nowhere. Very nice lady with a pump action shot gun and her male partner. Using my universal language of mime and the odd French word I explained that my non-existent licence plate was an oversight. They then used there similar international mime skills to tell me it would cost me seventy quid if the bad ones got me. They liked the bike, which helped.

Then you throw in the Cote D'Azur and It just nicks it.

Best road riding for me by far

Wales

The roads are there , the weather, well yes got that if your lucky, but the wine food and attitude to large loud supper bikes, hummm need to think about that. in saying that anywear is better than Essex for road riding.


:lol:

You're welcome to Wales...

The SS21/D900 from Cuneo to Gap is the road for me - mountain pass then big open sweepies that mean an hour of hairpins then an hour of 90 - 130 mph - with the luggage on the 998 and the sun on my back!!!

Or the N94, or the N85, or the D94, or or or or all the other fantastic roads in and around the Alps that make you realise what bikes were really made for.

The scenery is bigger and the roads are emptier - the cops are scarce and the food and drink is excellent.

If I couldn't ride my bike abroad at least once a year I don't think I'd bother having one...

Giles

Funny how most of the southerners venture off to France...

When the Northern lot have Wales, Cumbria and Scotland :frog:

And we can go there and back in an hour or two whenever the mood takes us, non of this booking ferries, accomodation etc

JPM, plan a vacation in Italy next year.. you are my guest at Brogins's place in Florence.....

I'll hold you to that mate!! definitely.... although I have seen you ride, and I'm already worried ;)

Posting like this will get you fully booked for YEARS Broggins old mate.-Love Florence, and one of my all time favourite roads is the SS67 from Dicomano to Forli over the Passo Del Muraglioni-paradise.

John

Blimey - and it's WDW next year !!!!

Monty,

The SS67 indeed - in fact, I've attached the view from the road next to the bar/restaurant where I stopped for lunch in June on the way back from Misano - next to where the road splits either side of a dirty medieval great stone wall...

Nice...and no, Snowdonia doesn't come close!!!

Giles

Here are some reasons :-

Guys!! You have been around Italy more than me!!!
Never done the Alps with my bike.. unfortunately... I was too busy down in Tuscany trying to scratch my pegs, saving my front tyre just riding in the middle of the night with other 4 or 5 nuts to the Yab (a nightclub) !!!:lol::lol::lol:
..just kidding..(not really) ..
Know well Statale 67.. and il Bar Muraglione... the Pista (track) is from the top towards Forli'... It is actually the way that from Florence you need to do to get to Misano/Rimini and WDW if you want to avoid the motorway...
BUT..there are soooo many other mountain roads, safer and with a better asphalt.. saturday morning between 10 and 12 noon is bikers time.. not so many cops and cyclists around... people is aware of that, so they are paying attention to two wheels rockets arounds Florence countryside..

As for the invitation.. I was very well welcomed by some of the members -now friends - when join the club. I got plenty of suggestion and help while riding in UK.. the minumun I can do is to be their host if they are coming down SOUTH - REALLY SOUTH - not just Brands ..
Just make sure I am there (I will probably go back in March for good..) and not here in Ascot!!!