Mid Wales run

[Millietant]

As it was such a beautiful day today (unusual over here in September  ), I took the FJ out in search of some nice twisty roads with a couple of friends (my pal with the Can Am and the one who has the old air-head BMW's).

Had an absolute stormer of a ride.....some perfect roads, light traffic and warm sunshine. Ended up in mid Wales and about 10 miles of single lane road around the scenic Elan Valley before a stop for welsh Lamb Cawl for lunch. Too busy enjoying ourselves to stop for photo's most of the time. Did just over 260 miles in total and very surprised when I filled up after 193 miles with over 1/4 of a tank showing on the fuel gauge and could only get 15.5 litres in the tank    That's 56 mpg (imperial) which is the best I've had for a very long time !!

[ribbert]

As it was such a beautiful day today (unusual over here in September  ), I took the FJ out in search of some nice twisty roads with a couple of friends.....

Yet another tour of impossibly British sounding place names 

The day looks like a beauty. Great weather, good friends, fine food, excellent roads, light traffic, an FJ and even outstanding fuel economy, the Gods were smiling on you Dean.
A day's riding when all the stars align is a wonderful feeling. On days like that there is no place you'd rather be or thing you'd rather be doing and everything's good with the world.

I enjoy the photos.

Noel

[Waiex191]

Great photos and writeup.  I've only gotten fuel economy that good once, two of us on FJs were slowed down by a buddy on a Harley.  Maybe your trip was downhill all the way?

Your pictures make me miss the east coast.  Out here it is all straight roads and corn.

[aviationfred]

Great photos Dean. The roads look like the perfect way to burn through a tank of fuel. 

Fred

[Old Rider]

Looks like a nice tour  for a moment i thought that the lake in background was Loch ness ,but after a quick google map i found that loch ness is in Skottland   

[fj-f3a]

What a great way to spend a Tuesday.
Beautiful country side, great (narrow) roads, great weather and of cause, great mates.

That's 56 mpg (imperial) which is the best I've had for a very long time !!

Riding with the speedo needle around the 2 o'clock mark instead of the 12 o'clock mark will lower that economy figure to a more realistic value.

Gavin

[Millietant]

What a great way to spend a Tuesday.
Beautiful country side, great (narrow) roads, great weather and of cause, great mates.

That's 56 mpg (imperial) which is the best I've had for a very long time !!

Riding with the speedo needle around the 2 o'clock mark instead of the 12 o'clock mark will lower that economy figure to a more realistic value.

Gavin

On the tight and twisty roads out there Gav, keeping the speedo needle above 12 noon would be a very quick recipe for a disaster.....now, keeping the rev counter needle above 12 noon would be an entirely different thing 

[krusty]

What a great way to spend a Tuesday.
Beautiful country side, great (narrow) roads, great weather and of cause, great mates.

That's 56 mpg (imperial) which is the best I've had for a very long time !!

Riding with the speedo needle around the 2 o'clock mark instead of the 12 o'clock mark will lower that economy figure to a more realistic value.

Gavin

On the tight and twisty roads out there Gav, keeping the speedo needle above 12 noon would be a very quick recipe for a disaster.....now, keeping the rev counter needle above 12 noon would be an entirely different thing 

As an Aussie who has driven around England Scotland and Wales (FIL was born in Porth, GF in Stonehaven) I would say there is no way I would ride their rural roads at the speeds I do at home.
In many places there is barely room for two vehicles to pass, blind corner after blind corner, narrow crests. But the more open roads are brilliant and generally in good condition compared to rural roads here. It is really a case of "ride at a speed where you can stop in the distance you can see". One would not like to be a bonnet/hood ornament on a Range Rover.

[fj-f3a]

It is very pleasing to see that my "Dry" sense of Humor was taken lightly.

But all jokes aside, I am amassed whenever I watch a video or TV show shot in England, as to the beauty of the country side and indeed how narrow the majority of country roads are.
Even the cottages appear to be built right on the edge of the road sometimes.
The cladding used on a lot of the cottages is also a standout for me. So different to here in Oz.

Personally, I have never set foot outside Australia and stories and photographs like in this posting are pleasing and interesting.

Please keep up the good work Dean, if you could call it work.
(Now there would be my dream job, Motorcycle Tour Reconnaissance Rider)

[ribbert]

.....who has driven around England Scotland and Wales....there is no way I would ride their rural roads...in many places there is barely room for two vehicles to pass, blind corner after blind corner, narrow crests...

...and Scotsmen!



Noel

[Millietant]

Ha ha ha Noel........where did you get that picture of my dad 

[Millietant]

You're right Gav, many of the houses are built right at the side of the road and wide open roads are becoming a thing of the past here. Thee are still some great ones up in the north, in Scotland and in parts of Wales, but average speed cameras are everywhere on those great roads these days, as well as roadside camera's - speeding must the the most serious criminal offence anyone can commit in the UK, from the amount of technology there's engaged in catching us !!!!

We're a small, densely populated island, but there are parts of extreme beauty and house architecture that can be achingly beautiful too.

I'll keep looking for the beauty and will post photo's whenever I can 

I'm lucky enough to have travelled quite extensively, but thee is a certain charm to some quintessential British villages that does make them unique.

[krusty]

During my first road tour of Wales (on 4 wheels). I was driving along a winding narrow roads from Brecon Beacons to Porth. The scenery was beautiful, what we could see of it through the mist and light rain. I'm thinking about what a great place it would be to ride two wheeled on a nice, sunny day when, on a bendy down hill stretch with rain drizzling, I came up behind a group of about six bikes obviously on a club ride out. The thing that stood out was these guys were on girder forked, belt drive machines. Riding in rain on that type of machine with rudimentary brakes and, most likely slipping, leather belt drives would have been really testing their riding skills and stamina. Tough lot are those those Welsh.