Hiking and Biking (Royal Enfield) in the UK (NGC)

[nick949]

For Dusty (and anyone else who's interested), here are a few photos from my cross England hiking trip, after which I rented a Royal Enfield to ride around on for a while.

On the North Yorkshire Moors


9 Standards, near Keld


Yorkshire Dales, east of Shap


Lake District (1)


Lake District (2 - Hiking conditions...)


Lake District (3)


Suitable for Nuovo Falcones though.....


The west coast (end of the hiking) at St. Bees, Cumbria


The Royal Enfield in Cumbria


In Mid Wales near Bwych y Groes


Lake Vernwy, mid Wales


At the Tan Hill pub (highest in England)


.....and, just for Dusty, a shaky bit of video of riding the road towards England's highest pub at Tan Hill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDP8OQpCYQQ

Nick

[MotoGoosy]

Thanks for sharing those.  Love England, so full of charm and character. 

[nick949]

rain and diesel oil comes to mind.

mike:-)

Yes, more than my share of rain, but compared to 40 years ago, the roads are remarkably clear of diesel oil.  You still have to watch for shiny, iron manhole covers and utilities lids strategically placed at just about every corner though.

Nick

[molly]

Nice one Nick. Tan Hill on a Enfield in winter, brilliant.
The man hole covers and utilitity lids were strategically placed in the 1940's to unseat German dispatch riders we just never got round to removing them. ;)

[nick949]

Nice one Nick. Tan Hill on a Enfield in winter, brilliant.
The man hole covers and utilitity lids were strategically placed in the 1940's to unseat German dispatch riders we just never got round to removing them. ;)

I came within a few miles of Grantham.  You weren't out on the A17 riding a clean white Norge were you?   It was the only Guzzi I saw (and one of the few bikes - the real hard cases seen to ride scooters, of which there were plenty, even in hard rain).

Nick

[molly]

No not me I'm afraid.

[nick949]

I feel "special" , and not in the usual way  ;D Thanks Nick , oddly enough we are having English weather here today , rainy and upper 40 degree temps , so the report and visuals were well timed . Thanks for taking me along , as always , your stuff is brilliant  ;-T  Have you tipped a pint and sang a pub song yet ? :D

  Dusty

Hey Dusty, here's a little more video footage for you - this time on the Bwylch y Groes Pass in central Wales. Sorry it's a bit shaky but I've been learning some of JB's tricks............. although I must admit, I had to put down the camera once the road dropped straight to the valley without any barriers.

http://youtu.be/lp1hZTFmy5Q


Nick



TEXT

Bwlch y Groes was the pilgrim’s route from north west Wales to St. David’s in the south. A little further down the pass is a cross, placed there as a symbol of faith and strength. It had comforted lonely travellers since medieval times. In 1989, pilgrims replaced the original cross with the one that stands there today.

From here it is possible to see the Aran mountains.  The thick black lines on the side of the hills are the edges of peat bogs, which cover the hilltops - an increasingly rare sight these days.

You are now standing on the highest pass in north Wales. Towards the north, Cwm Cynllwyd is visible while the Dyfi Valley lies towards the south.

If you had been standing here in the 1920s or 1930s you would have been in danger of being run over! Austin’s test drivers used this road to test their cars.

An Englishman called this Hellfire Pass, but the local population returned it to its original name of Bwlch y Groes.

[zedXmick]

Spectacular ride report! Thanks for posting the beautiful pictures!   ;-T

[kidsmoke]

Goes without saying, but your posts are fantastic. Thanks for taking the time to put them together. And for pete's (or Dusty's) sake get yourself a guick release ram mount and keep two hands on the bars!!

[nick949]

Goes without saying, but your posts are fantastic. Thanks for taking the time to put them together. And for pete's (or Dusty's) sake get yourself a guick release ram mount and keep two hands on the bars!!

I'm not completely daft: I have the camera strap around my wrist so I can drop the camera (Olympus 'Tough' and shockproof) in an instant.

Nick

[oldbike54]

 :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

 You guys are making my day . Been slopping round in the mud this morning , thanks for giving us all a smile .  ;-T Brilliant work Nick old boy , bloody harrowing descent to the valley . Now , to translate the Welch into English , google is my friend  :D

  Dusty

[kidsmoke]

I'm not completely daft: I have the camera strap around my wrist so I can drop the camera (Olympus 'Tough' and shockproof) in an instant.

Nick

Obviously you're not....(watched many of the on the road repairs in your other vids) I was certain there was a plan in place.

Hows the Enfield?

[molly]

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

 You guys are making my day . Been slopping round in the mud this morning , thanks for giving us all a smile .  ;-T Brilliant work Nick old boy , bloody harrowing descent to the valley . Now , to translate the Welch into English , google is my friend  :D

  Dusty

You will be like the 80% majority of Welsh people who don't speak Welsh (the rest mainly speak it as a second language) but everything still as to be written in English and Welsh. The duplication must cost a fortune. Even the stop signs painted on the  road  surface at  junctions are in both languages. It all gets confusing when navigating about because by the time you have read all the extra signage figured out the directions/town (yes places often have two names too) you have gone by totally confused and eventually get lost.
Maybe that's the intention all along and adds to the adventure.

Q: What's the defination of a sheep tied to a lamp post in Cardiff (capital Wales).
A: A leisure center.

Yaki dah boyo.

[oldbike54]

You will be like the 80% majority of Welsh people who don't speak Welsh (the rest mainly speak it as a second language) but everything still as to be written in English and Welsh. The duplication must cost a fortune. Even the stop signs painted on the  road  surface at  junctions are in both languages. It all gets confusing when navigating about because by the time you have read all the extra signage figured out the directions/town (yes places often have two names too) you have gone by totally confused and eventually get lost.
Maybe that's the intention all along and adds to the adventure.

Q: What's the defination of a sheep tied to a lamp post in Cardiff (capital Wales).
A: A leisure center.

Yaki dah boyo.

  :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

 Watched a travel doc where they were in Wales . The on camera guy was highly disappointed when walking into a restaurant , and instead of being met with a traditional Welch , or even traditional English greeting , the young waiter said , "Yo bro , what's the hap" , or something like that  :D

  Dusty

[nick949]

  :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

 Watched a travel doc where they were in Wales . The on camera guy was highly disappointed when walking into a restaurant , and instead of being met with a traditional Welch , or even traditional English greeting , the young waiter said , "Yo bro , what's the hap" , or something like that  :D

  Dusty

Depends where you go. I've walked into pubs where the only language being spoken was Welsh - until I asked for a pint, then I was answered in English without reservation or attitude.  I like Wales - always have.

Nick

[v7john]

You will be like the 80% majority of Welsh people who don't speak Welsh (the rest mainly speak it as a second language) but everything still as to be written in English and Welsh. The duplication must cost a fortune. Even the stop signs painted on the  road  surface at  junctions are in both languages. It all gets confusing when navigating about because by the time you have read all the extra signage figured out the directions/town (yes places often have two names too) you have gone by totally confused and eventually get lost.
Maybe that's the intention all along and adds to the adventure.

Q: What's the defination of a sheep tied to a lamp post in Cardiff (capital Wales).
A: A leisure center.

Yaki dah boyo.

A common misconception of the English (of which I am one) is that those who speak Welsh do so as a second language as some sort of cultural statement. Here in West Wales 60% of the people speak Welsh everyday and 50% as their first language. Most can speak English as well but understandably prefer not to. Many, particularly the elderly, struggle to express themselves in English. Here, nurseries and primary schools teach children almost exclusively in Welsh. My children (now in their 20s and 30s) grew up here and are all bilingual. One is a teacher in one of those Welsh language schools. I find generally, but not always, that the natives are friendly.

Road signs and place names are bilingual, even my driving licence is. I prefer that to them all being in Welsh which would be the obvious alternative around here.

That joke may get a mixed reception. Some laugh at the stereotype while others are offended.
Some will still nod quietly if you use the old slogan of "Come home to a real fire - buy a holiday home in Wales".
In sport I am frequently told "we support Wales and anyone who's playing the English".

The phrase is "iechyd da" and means good health.
You may hear "twll din pob sais" (toolch dee'n pob sais) which means all English are arseholes.

[molly]

 "twll din pob sais"   That's what my wife says she is Welsh. Come to think of it so are my three cousins in Cardiff so I better I apologise for the comments.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-20677528

[leafman60]

Those are more good pics, Nick.

You spend a lot of time playing out in the snow!

What are your impressions from riding the Royal Enfield?  How did it do etc?

[nick949]

Those are more good pics, Nick.

You spend a lot of time playing out in the snow!

What are your impressions from riding the Royal Enfield?  How did it do etc?

Perfect for riding on the back roads I love. It has an old fashioned feel and sound, yet is modern and reliable. It did everything I wanted and put a smile on my face.
Not suited to major roads. It will hold 60mph happily but I wouldn't want to cruise any faster for long.  Nevertheless, even though I was generally the slowest thing on major roads, I never felt unsafe
(although that may have more to do with the general level of competence of UK drivers and their consideration for motorcyclists than anything else).
It is NOT a highway bike - to buy it and ride is on the Superslab would lead to disappointment.
Handling is light and capable.  Brakes are perfectly good enough.  Even on slick, wet, greasy roads it always felt safe and controllable.
Even riding in three hours of hard rain (three times!), it never missed a beat.
Economical -a fill up would last all day. It used no oil and didn't leak a drop.
People love the sound and look - some assume its old. I had many chats about it.
In many ways its like riding a slightly more powerful Nuovo Falcone. The engine has the same charming feel (I think I love singles more than twins!).

In the UK it's possible to rent just about any bike for about the same price I paid, yet this is the second time I've rented an Enfield. 
I was not disappointed the first time; I was not disappointed the second time either.  Performance is an over-rated aspect of motorcycling.

Nick

[leafman60]

When is a good time to visit UK and not get caught in rain?


.

[nick949]

When is a good time to visit UK and not get caught in rain?
.

No such time exists!

Nick

[leafman60]

No such time exists!

Nick

Okay.  When is the best time to visit UK and get caught in the least amount of rain? lol

[v7john]

In Wales we say that you can tell when the summer is coming because the rain gets warmer.

[nick949]

Okay.  When is the best time to visit UK and get caught in the least amount of rain? lol

Less flippantly.....I have had good, relatively stable weather in late March / early April but was probably just lucky. 

Realistically, you have to assume that there will be rain, prepare yourself properly and just get on with it.  There's no point hiding inside, you'll just waste your time (and anyway, it's just as cold inside, Brits only slowly discovering the benefits of home heat!  ~;).

In 1983, my wife and I spent a month riding around in the UK and had rain on 30 days out of 31. 

If you don't like rain, avoid the UK.

Nick

[molly]

I live on the east side of England and we generally do not get alot of rain. The trouble is the west coast which includes Cornwall, Wales, Cumbria and the Islands and Highlands of Scotland do due to the Alantic weather fronts hitting there first and they are the best bits to visit. Of course where there are mountains there is rain.
To put it into perspective the U.K. weather is very benign most of the time. We don't get violent thunderstorms and once the winter months are over you are pretty safe out on a bike.
The British Isles are fairly compact and with the use of modern phone apps you can move from one area to another avoiding the weather. It is certainly no worse than any other Northern European country.  If you want real rain try Ireland.

[meccanicab]

I live on the east side of England and we generally do not get alot of rain. The trouble is the west coast which includes Cornwall, Wales, Cumbria and the Islands and Highlands of Scotland do due to the Alantic weather fronts hitting there first and they are the best bits to visit. Of course where there are mountains there is rain.
To put it into perspective the U.K. weather is very benign most of the time. We don't get violent thunderstorms and once the winter months are over you are pretty safe out on a bike.
The British Isles are fairly compact and with the use of modern phone apps you can move from one area to another avoiding the weather. It is certailnly no worse than any other Northern European country.  If you want real rain try Ireland.

I second this view.
I live in an area know as East Anglia, in the county of Cambridgeshire. Cambridge is a 20 min run from me. This area of the county, including Lincs, is the driest is the country. The rain fall is extremely low. I've see far more rain in North Italy.
I often ride around in an armoured pr of jeans and light weight jacket. In fact I ride around around Britain in this gear on a regular basis.
I must say the image you guys have of good old blighty being wet all the time smacks of Hollywoods image of Britain.Yes it rains in the winter, but just look at the weather the US has in the mid west at the same time of year. Several feet of snow and very cold! Give me rain any day, at least I can ride me bike all year round! ;-T

[LowRyter]

I was looking at the annotated locations.  What language do they speak there ?

BTW-  the Jones family on maternal grandmother's side is Welch.

[molly]

English except the Welsh bits which we have discussed. Whether a visitor would be able to understand some of the regional dialects is another matter.

[dl.allen]

Great Pics!

What brand of boots and gaiters are you hiking around with?

[nick949]

Great Pics!

What brand of boots and gaiters are you hiking around with?

Wolverine leather/goretex/thinsulate hikers.
Mountain Equipment Coop Gaiters http://www.mec.ca/product/5014-265/mec-kokanee-2-gore-tex-gaiters-unisex/?q=gaiters



Nick