Wales 3 days round trip on a Tracer 9 GT

John Stilia included in Motorcycle

2022-10-31 1561 words 8 minutes

Contents

Hitting Snowdonia with the Wife.

The map

add the lat and log of london

Download: Walles_Day_1.gpx

Download: Walles_Day_2.gpx

Download: Walles_Day_3.gpx

Download: Walles_Day_3_early.gpx

Download: Walles_Day_4.gpx

Details

How long is it? 532 miles
How long does it take? 21 hours (without stops)
What is the best time of year? Summer/Autumn
Approximate fuel cost: £70 (fuel: £1.72L,MPG:52.3)

Accomodation:

Rustic Green Shepherds Hut under the Wenlock Edge
Private AirBnB
Stacy’s Waterfall Country Pods

The journey

Day 1 - 28 Oct 2022

Details

Start: 08:34 BST
End: 18:16 BST
Miles: 216

The story

The night before, we slept early, ready for the next adventurous morning. The luggage was packed, except for some items we would use in the morning. We set the alarm for 7:00, but we slept till 7:30.

Visiting the countryside of the UK is different from most. My wife, Beatriz, and I were preparing for a four-day weekend adventure. All the way up to Wales and back. Going through valleys and mountains and enjoying the beautiful scenery.

At around 8:00, we were both ready. All dressed up for a long journey and ready to hit the road. The next stop was the SIFT Bakes & Brews for a nice coffee and a pastry. I did the same last year when I went to Wales, and I was not disappointed. The coffee was great, and the pastry was delicious. I had a chocolate croissant, and my wife had a blueberry muffin. We both enjoyed it.
Helmets on, sync the audio and go. It took us about one hour and fifteen minutes to arrive at our next destination. The Pig Place is a great and different canalside camping and farm shop with a cafe serving breakfast and lunch. We grabbed a coffee and an egg and bacon sandwich. The coffee was great, and the sandwich was delicious. Beatriz, my wife, was enjoying a nice vegetarian breakfast. With a nice cup of coffee next to the canal.
After about 30 minutes, we started heading to our next destination; unsure where that was, we followed the GPS. We were heading to Rustic Green Shepherds Hut under the Wenlock Edge. We were not sure if we would make it before dark, but we were not in a hurry. We enjoyed the ride and the beautiful scenery. We were heading to the Wenlock Edge, a 40-mile (64 km) long escarpment in Shropshire, England. The edge is formed by the Wenlock Limestone Formation, which is part of the Silurian Wenlock Series. The edge is a popular area for walkers and cyclists and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
My wife was tired at around two o’clock, so we stopped for a break. We found a nice spot, and we had a nice break. We had a nice cup of tea and a nice sandwich. We were both feeling better. We found ourselves in a small ancient market town northwest of Worcestershire on the A456 road. Tenbury Wells is a small town with a population of about 3,000. It is a popular tourist destination with several attractions, including the Tenbury Museum, the Tenbury Pump Room, and the Tenbury Wells Golf Club.
We stopped, parked the motorbike at the local parking and headed to the closest cafe. Mr Thoms is a lovely place to have a nice cup of tea and a nice sandwich. It is also a great place to get some handmade crafted Belgian chocolate. Finishing our lunch, at around four, two hours later, we start heading towards our accommodation for the night.
Next stop, the Rustic Green Shepherds Hut under the Wenlock Edge. We were there by five. We were both tired, and we were both hungry. We had a nice dinner from the local petrol station and a couple of beers and headed to sleep early.

Day 2 - 29 Oct 2022

Details

Start: 07:50 BST
End: 21:00 BST
Miles: 162

The story

We started the day early. None of us slept well overnight. The time was around five in the morning when we woke up as the cold was getting worst. The wind whistled through the woods, and the rain aggressively struck the Shepherds Hut roof all night.

I put some wood in the stove and started the fire; before we knew it, the Hut was warm enough to start moving again. We had a long day ahead. I made some coffee and started looking at the plans for the day. The SatNav showed approximately 160 miles, around four hours, with no stops. But I knew if we left at eight, we wouldn’t finish the day before six in the evening. It’s easy to double your journey, with some stops for pictures, a couple of coffees, and some food; the time adds up before you know it.

We quickly packed our bags and got ready. We hit the road by nine o’clock, heading to Snowdonia. Today was the day that we would do the Walles Loop ride. It was a must for a rider to do that at least once. It was better to make an early start.

The first stop was the Chainbridge in Llantysilio, where the A5 meets B5103. A great bridge nearby the Horseshoe Falls. An excellent destination if you like river kayaking. After a quick stop, a couple of pictures, and some rain and cold. We headed towards the Horseshoe Pass viewpoint.

As we got closer to the viewpoint, the fog became thicker and thicker. There was also some rain, but very thin, just enough to fall through the dense fog. Riding in these conditions was unsafe; I turned the indicators on and rode slower than usual. After ten minutes in this fog, I couldn’t see in front of me for 100 yards. We had to stop. We were cold but not wet; the rainproofs kept the water out. There was a good investment if you ask me. Not the prettiest to wear, but it is the dryest of all other options.

As the fog cleared, we started cruising down towards our next stop. Somewhere that we would have a warm tea and something to eat. We made a stop at the Rhug Estate. A lovely Organic Farm and Cafe. Our gloves were soaking wet, and we were a bit cold. The time was about noon, and we were both a bit hungry. We had a nice cup of tea and a nice sandwich. We were both feeling better.

We then continued our journey with the next stop bringing us next to a magnificent lake, Lake Mair. A beautiful lake with a nice view. We stopped for a couple of pictures and a quick break.
Then we headed to our final two hours ride towards our AirBNB for the night. We were both tired and hungry. We had a nice dinner from the local Hotel and a couple of beers and headed to sleep early.

Day 3 - 30 Oct 2022

Details

Start: 08:17 BST
End: 18:13 BST
Miles: 154

The story

The best day of the trip. We started the day early.

First, we went to the petrol station to fill the tank and check the bike. A quick check on the tyres’ pressure and oil level, checked the chain and the sprockets, checked the luggage, and we were ready to go. We hit the road by nine o’clock, heading to the South part of Snowdonia. We had a long day ahead. The SatNav showed approximately 150 miles, around four hours, with no stops. We first stopped at a Starbucks at Dolgellau. We grabbed a coffee and a pastry and hit the road again.

This time we headed to the Devil’s Bridge.
The Devil’s Bridge is a natural arch bridge in the Afon Dyfi, near Machynlleth, Wales. It is a popular tourist attraction, and the bridge is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
We stopped for a few pictures and a quick break. Some food to keep us going.
. We then headed towards the National Cycle Route 81.
Leaving Devils Bridge, we took B4575 until it merged with the National Cycle Route 81. The views were amazing. The road was a bit bumpy, but it was a nice ride.
We then continued into the A470 towards Builth Wells. We made a pitstop for fuel.

After a few minutes of stretching and a quick break, we headed towards the last stretch of our journey through the Beacons National Park.
The weather was a bit rainy, but nothing to stop us. We saw rain, fog and wind on this trip. Our last stretch lasted for about one hour and 10 minutes.
Just around half past five, it was when we arrived at the Pods.

Some lovely wooden pods, just at the end of the Beacons National Park, under the Waterfalls.
As we were both tired. We had a nice dinner from the local Hotel and a couple of beers and headed to sleep early.