Great to get a text off Givover telling me there will be a mini trip to do North Wales as a warm up event to the one in early July. Even better was meet up time of 10:40 at Lymm services on the M6. That beats the usual 09:00 kick off normally associated with Wales trips. So it meant I could do my usual Sunday morning dog walk, warm baguette and marmalade for breakfast get togged up and hi oh hi ho it's on the bike we go. Bike was already fully fuelled and ready as I'd already gassed the tank the previous night after my trip to Hartside Moor. Oh yes as always I had to hunt something down, this time it was my earphones, I've started wearing these for long boring trips on the motorway, but I always have the dilemma of what to listen to, last time it was MJ greatest hits this time it was Push and Shove by No Doubt. Tell me if I'm boring you. I find when wearing the earphones it is easier to keep to legalish speed limits on the motorway. So it was 10 minutes to the M6 and off at Lymm an hour later. Lid off earphones out, I must admit they do hurt after a bit, but worth a bit pain if it saves on £10,000 motorway speeding fines. About 10 minutes after I arrive I hear the unmistakeable burbling sound of Giv's Yoshi can but he makes a hasty retreat to the now BP petrol station and swears blind it was a Total petrol station last weekend. A few minutes later Steve turns up and we're all here, for this meeting point that is. Steve tops up with a bit of sans plomb, I am a bit reluctant to fill up with only 70 miles on the trip, go give it a miss and what's more it £1.35 a litre, we Yorkshire folk can't pay that, but I do give in when we get to the Andy meeting point as it's "only" £1.30 litre, so I saved 45p, result. Anyway Marion's bike turns up with Andy piloting it. Andy was today's red leader and a fine job he did too. Anyhow we left Hapsford Services junction 14 of the M56 rode to Mold A494 then to Denbigh A541. Part way across Denbigh Moor A4501 we turned left for Lake Brenig a superb stop off for tea (hot chocolate) and cakes. This is a wonderful Visitors Centre, with light, bright airy café and pleasant staff. Wonderful glass fenced balcony so you can dine alfresco a big bonus with sun starting to get hot. Terrifc views of the lake. This place would have been easy to miss, and probably would have been, had Andy not been in the lead and knew it was there. Just a word of warning here, some local contractor had dressed the road with tar and chippings but had failed to warn anyone of the impending doom. Scrubbing off Xmph on gravel is not much fun as my undies will testify. From there to Cerrigydrudion where I made a wrong turn and had to check with another biker on from another group if they seen any other bikes, so I was soon back on track just as Andy came to look for me. Then it was onto Ruthin via Clocaenog Forest on the B5105. From Ruthin we went thru the Nant-y-Garth pass A525 on to the Ponderosa Cafe on the A542 which is on the horse shoe pass. I'd never been here before and I am very impressed. A proper biking Mecca if ever there was one. Certainly no shortage of great and not so great bikes or trikes to look at. I suppose if Devil's Bridge at Kirkby Lonsdale had more room to play with it could be a Ponderosa but until such time I'm afraid the Ponderosa has it beaten every time. We then went thru Llangollen to Ellesmere not get an ice cream !! It was a very hot sunny day and whilst we were in the queue for a Magnum ( Wall's variety not Dirty Harry) they put five notices up selling out of certain ices, so we opted out and went for a coke and carrot cake instead. From there we headed to Whitchurch on the A495 then to Tarporley on the A49 to fuel up for the last time. Andy left us at this fuel stop and that left Mike to get us safely back to the M56 via the A49. At this point we can across a Tesla open top sports car, this was a hell of a quick car, it could overtake amazingly quick, not bad for a battery powered car. Giv leaves us after a few miles of the M6, Steve and I continue up the M6 and sure enough I'm eventually on me todd and I choose to take a few minutes stop off Lancaster services to report on my impending arrival back home and allow a bit of circulation back into my right hand. So. A few mins rest and a quick shufties at the days newspaper sees me rejoining the M6 and the A6 for the final 20 minutes and it's hello Cumbria. What's more it's not even 7 o'clock yet, still time to have me tea and paint a few skirting boards. Just arrived at Lymm DSC01893 by rushforthk, on Flickr 70 miles to Lymm temp gauge 100deg C it is gonna be a hot day DSC01894 by rushforthk, on Flickr These weren't with us but thought I'd post them. Perhaps it's you? DSC01896 by rushforthk, on Flickr This one has 70k on the clock. These bikes were at Lymm. DSC01897 by rushforthk, on Flickr DSC01898 by rushforthk, on Flickr Steve (left) Mike (right) DSC01899 by rushforthk, on Flickr Steve takes his CBT for the first time DSC01902 by rushforthk, on Flickr Our leader for the day DSC01905 by rushforthk, on Flickr DSC01908 by rushforthk, on Flickr DSC01909 by rushforthk, on Flickr End of part 1
Part 2 Lake Brenig DSC01911 by rushforthk, on Flickr DSC01913 by rushforthk, on Flickr DSC01915 by rushforthk, on Flickr DSC01917 by rushforthk, on Flickr DSC01918 by rushforthk, on Flickr DSC01921 by rushforthk, on Flickr DSC01923 by rushforthk, on Flickr DSC01926 by rushforthk, on Flickr I'm not sure Andy fully understands the helmet law DSC01928 by rushforthk, on Flickr DSC01931 by rushforthk, on Flickr
Part 3 Guess where we are DSC01933 by rushforthk, on Flickr DSC01935 by rushforthk, on Flickr Me in my 10 year old Frank Thomas leathers DSC01936 by rushforthk, on Flickr DSC01937 by rushforthk, on Flickr DSC01942 by rushforthk, on Flickr DSC01943 by rushforthk, on Flickr DSC01944 by rushforthk, on Flickr DSC01947 by rushforthk, on Flickr DSC01948 by rushforthk, on Flickr DSC01950 by rushforthk, on Flickr End of part 3
Part 4 DSC01952 by rushforthk, on Flickr DSC01954 by rushforthk, on Flickr Steve uses his favourite chat up line, " how much do you weigh" DSC01961 by rushforthk, on Flickr We are at Ellesmere now It's not all about bikes DSC01963 by rushforthk, on Flickr DSC01964 by rushforthk, on Flickr DSC01966 by rushforthk, on Flickr DSC01969 by rushforthk, on Flickr Steve high on his Fruit Shoot DSC01972 by rushforthk, on Flickr I don't need a hump in my leathers DSC01973 by rushforthk, on Flickr End of part 4
Part 5 Ahoy me hearties DSC01975 by rushforthk, on Flickr Just about to leave Ellesmere DSC01977 by rushforthk, on Flickr Then the camera was put away for a bit because the next pic is home with just about 300 mile round trip. Unfortunately 200 miles was motorway but it was worth every single mile to get to North Wales and the great biking roads. DSC01978 by rushforthk, on Flickr Until next time adios amigos If you want you can view the full photo album with this link, hopefully https://www.flickr.com/photos/116402563@N07/sets/72157645265235356/
Check Steve out in his new leathers had to look twice as didn't recognise him. Looks a good trip hope to get out on one soon.
