Featured Touring Long Weekend To Wales

I have always been impressed with the quality of the travel logs that people post on the forum, but have been disappointed that up until now there hasn’t been an opportunity to do one of my own.

However, last weekend five of us packed our bags and went to Wales - a six hour run, of which half was on motorways (M4) until we crossed the bridge into Wales where we finished the journey taking in some of the amazing scenery whilst riding extremely motorcycle friendly roads.

Not having an innate ability for story telling and being intrinsically lazy, my story would be very short and typically ‘bloke-ish’ in that we’d get up, ride out, find somewhere serving breakfast and then continue on our ride to enjoy the scenery. I might include a humorous quip that the Hardley Ableson riders kept whinging over the Senas that their big lumbering tractors didn’t like the single track twisty backroads over the hills and valleys, and that the level of empathy that I (and another Triumph rider) had was absolutely zero.

Evenings concluded with a pub dinner and a beer or three.

Rince and repeat for each day.

I can’t even remember where we went as the Welsh language is completely incomprehensible to a dyslexic. If it helps, I think we went somewhere halfway up and by the coast - slightly worrying I don’t know precisely where we went on the basis I led all the rides (but got us back - eventually).

Instead of waffling on and on, here are a few photos I took along the way.

We really enjoyed the near empty roads and really nice people we met along the way. Must do it again soon.

 

Terrific photos, Cy! Thanks for sharing them. It looks like you and your mates had a wonderful weekend of riding. Glad you finally got back out on the road for a motorcycle getaway.

 

@Cyberbot: Great photos! I love your story! Please keep it up on your future rides!

 

No pictures of food so you didn’t eat! You know the rules. If there’s no picture, it didn’t happen!!
edit: except the toilet…..

 

Cyborgbot
Great lovely pictures and scenery. Thanks for sharing.
Joe.

 

Barmouth and the road from Dolgellau to Tywyn...

 

B4405 passing the lake

 

Looking great, @Cyborgbot !

 

Yes Wales is a great riding country. Thought your write up was really good and highly amusing
Nice set of pictures as well.

 

A truly fantastic road is Bala to Trawsfynydd - then make for Beddgelert to Llanberis. Great views, loads of twisted and a chippy in Llanberis..

 

Thank you all for your comments.

It’s amazing how many of you could pinpoint the location of the photos so precisely.

That’s really helpful as I don’t have a clue.

We had a fantastic time and are really keen to explore more of Wales.

To any of the Welsh natives that might frequent the forum. Please fight like hell to keep your country looking as it does. Don’t accept the ‘we must build’ brigade who are happy to ruin the natural wonder of your country.

Ours (in the south) has been ruined by stupid and greedy councils who seem to have forgotten what and who they serve.

 

I can’t comment what Wales (and that route) is like in the ‘season’ but can from experience state that we observed how quiet the roads were when we rode.

We joked that the serenity and beauty got a bit monotonous as we rode mile after mile enjoying the experience of perpetually finding something amazing around each corner, and that we were ultimately missing the ugly chaos of the South.

We were clearly not being serious. I would love to live there but would not wish I inflict my grumpy persona on such nice people.

 

We did get lost once and went 10 miles in the wrong direction along a terrifically scenic route. Thankfully the views were as impressive in each direction that no one cared that I’d got it wrong.

 

You are so right @Bikerman . Having toured many times around our home nations both the people and roads are hard to beat anywhere in the world.

 

As an adopted Welsh man albeit born in Ireland, we would prefer to keep it to ourselves and not have our lovely quiet roads clogged up with clueless tourists. On a serious note, Wales is beautiful but the number of second homeowners and buytolet landlords is pricing young people out of the market, example, Borth on the West coast used to be a bastion of the Welsh language, now 54% of the properties are owned by English or other nationalities. So by all means visit Wales, learn a few bits of Welsh just out of courtesy, but don't forget to bugger off home afterwards! Diolch.

 

Hi @PatW have to agree that Wales is a beautiful country and I love travelling there.
On the second home issue I fear it is more complex an issue than just English (or other) people buying up properties causing the problem. The small cottage that my son purchased in a small village had been on the market for over twelve months with only one viewing during that time. Nobody local wanted it.
The owner was Welsh born in the village and was extremely pleased to sell to an English family.

 

I’m glad I didn’t meet you. Bundle of laughs… Just kidding

Do you think the ability to buy a home is any easier for our kids. For a laugh have a look at house prices in the South East - try Guildford or Kingston. A detached single garage sells for more than a house in Wales. You will soon realise what being priced out of the market really means. Our kids in nasty England get paid peanuts too. There’s no discrimination - if there is, it’s against the English kids.

Getting rich people (of any nationality) to live in remote parts of Wales means they will need to spend their money to exist, thus providing local jobs. They will encourage businesses to start and be maintained. It will stimulate the economy. Keep communities together.

I can’t imagine the property the average rich newcomer will buy will be the same stock that a first time buyer will be wanting… They will be the opposite end of the housing spectrum, and there are loads of derelict houses/farms that would benefit from a rich newcomer buying them as the locals can’t be arsed. A newcomer will spend thousands employing local tradesmen to do up their crap barn, again providing employment.

I agree with @Wessa - people across the globe have been migrating from villages to towns as the young follow jobs and social engagement.

It’s easy to pick on the English but this happens everywhere. Look at Japan - the rural communities are often approaching retirement age with no young families as the have moved to the cities. Schools closing everywhere. Empty houses and businesses folding etc. Nothing to do with the English. The same trend is happening nearly everywhere around the globe.

Blaming the English is just nationalistic propaganda.

As for buying houses, is that a unique thing for the UK? We seem to want to sign up for an indefinite debt and mortgage to live in the same boring home and would incur crippling costs from lawyers, estate agents and stamp duties etc should we wish to move. In Europe I believe a lot more people rent. It’s more acceptable. Citation is needed maybe @Hubaxe and confirm if the French rent or buy. The benefits are that you can move around try new places to live and makes the move far more affordable. The tenant has considerable protection against dodgy landlords and rent rises.

Our house prices are bonkers - massively over valued.

Being cynical about tourists is even worse. I bet lots of seaside and tourist hotspots are deserted out of season. Sensible people would welcome the influx of visitors and their cash - and not be so rude about it.

I’m beginning to wonder if the League of Gentlemen was not a black comedy but instead a documentary…

 

A little ironic that an Irishman who bought a house in Wales is complaining about people from other countries coming in and buying houses

 

Ironically I didn't buy a house in Wales, I married a Welsh girl. I know all about inflation of house prices as I used to live in Somerset, just outside Bath. My tongue was firmly in my cheek, perhaps I should have put LOL on the end for the intellectually challenged, LOL. If so much money is coming into Wales from buy to let and second homes, why is Wales one of the poorest areas in GB, Alongside Cornwall another tourist hot-spot that has lots of empty holiday properties, second homes and low wages? I'll try to make sure I avoid contentious subjects in the future, even in jest, so Croeso y Gymru.