Tramps like us.

[Jose]

Here in South Wales, UK, winters are usually mild especially where I live just a stones throw from the sea. Temperatures rarely drop below 5 degrees C. and unless one ventures northward into the more mountainous terrain of Mid Wales, there is little to be concerned about in relation to icy road surfaces or other hazards such as freezing fog. Last year was different however and we experienced our hardest winter for 31 years; and as a consequence, for the first time ever, I took the bike off the road for the winter months. That was November, however by January my withdrawal symptoms were so severe that I bought an XT600 to ride through the bad weather. Spring arrived and the 1150r came back out to play, and oh how we played! A three thousand mile trip to Spain via the Pyrenees. Since then I have used both bikes, picking whichever seemed the most appropriate mount for the ride in hand.
Just recently, a colleague at work who is returning to motorcycling expressed an interest in the XT600. I'm not adverse to selling it, in fact I have told him he can have it for an agreed amount. I really would like to go back to just one motorcycle for a number of reasons, but mainly its all about the storage. It is likely that he will have the XT and despite this winter being milder this year I'm just going to have to deal with being off the road again, right?.......Nah! I won't replace the XT with another sacrificial winter hack, I will go back to single bike ownership but I will ride this winter out, why?
Tramps like us......baby we were born to run.

[Xdot]

Where's the "Like" button?

[GypsyRR]

[grwrockster]

Jose - totally agree. I live in the same general region as you, and my Rockster stays on the road all year round. I'll admit to not taking it out if the weather is really foul (like last Sunday's cold steady rain and gusting winds), but some of the clear, cold (read freezing or a little above), but sunny winter weekend rides can be some of the best.

I generally get a couple of days off work between Xmas day and New Years Day, and you can get out there with hardly any traffic (otherwise pretty hard on this cluttered little rock we live on) and (literally ) chill out for a while. Lovely.

Living where we do, then if you aren't prepared to get out and ride in less-than-perfect weather, then you don't get to ride much. Winter salt and wet weather - doesn't do much for the finish on the bike, but then they're bikes, not ornaments, right?

Enjoy!

[Jose]

grwrockster, where are you based?
I'm in Baglan P.T. but know West Wales quite well.

[grwrockster]

Hi Jose,

I live just outside a small town called St Clears, which is 9 miles West of Carmarthen. So not so far from you. Actually, I spend quite a few weekends on the eastern side of Baglan, as my long-term gf hails from PT (her folks live there in Sandfields still - her Dad used to work in the Steel Works till he retired). As gf now lives west of Bridgend, I'm often going past Baglan going to and fro - often (more often in the summer I'll grant you) on the Rockster.

I don't head out to the areas popular bike gathering places all that much, but am known to take a more interesting ride east and grab a brew at Llandovery Cafe on the way (e.g. over the Black Mountain to Pontardawe and other roundabout routes), and quite often grab a breakfast at The Downs Cafe, Cowbridge, or run through Porthcawl and Ogmore etc. So I know your patch reasonably well also.

[Jose]

I worked in Pembrokeshire for 10 years so have traveled through St Clears many times. Met gf from PT and relocated here. She may well know your girlfriend or her family. I know Sandfields very well, like most of PT including the steel works because of work, been here 10 years now, have walked the beach promenade hundreds of times, nice cafe on the front. I find PT the perfect location for biking as some of the finest roads in the UK are easily accessible from here. Like you I travel up through Pontardawe to the Black Mountains. Don't bother much with West End Cafe in Llandovery, tend to push on somewhere more picturesque and brew up myself. Have you ridden the Abergwessen Pass and Llyn Brianne reservoir?
I went to that cafe in Cowbridge for the first time a couple of weeks ago, went via Ogmore, bit of a greasy spoon isn't it? I was a bit surprised that there were more bikers in cars than on bikes the day I went, still the weather wasn't very good.

Small world isn't it?

[grwrockster]

I've ridden up Rhandirmwyn & Llyn Brianne yes, as well as Elan Valley and down through Devils Bridge, Pontrhyfendigaid etc. - I enjoy those rides where it's twisty and involving - it seems to suit me & the bike (prob why I like the Alps so much too).

Abergwesyn? I know where it is (cos I looked on the map North of Llanwrtyd Wells right?). I may have ridden it (doing the 'I wonder where this goes' school of Sunday solo rides), but to be honest if I ever did I didn't know what it was called at the time (or probably exactly where I was tbh - there's a few roads I've a hazy recollection of and enjoyed - that I've never quite found my way back onto ). Abergwesyn Pass is definitely one I want to ride though now you've highlighted it!

(I can't help smiling at the thought of the American guys reading some of these place-names and wondering whether or not some of the vowel keys on my keyboard have stopped working )

Yes, Down's Cafe is basic & down-to-earth, and a lot of the riders that show up there (like a lot of biking watering-holes to be fair) don't really seem to go anywhere else once they've got there - whereas once I've been fed and watered I wanna get back on and ride. You get fair number of veteran riders, often on classic stuff as well as quite a few HD's there on a sunny weekend (I'm guessing its an easy run out of Cardiff there maybe) - more so than the Power Rangers that seem to populate Llandovery. I go there a bit as it's not that far from gf's for some Sunday am fried cholesterol, rather than cos I know or ride with any of the local guys.

As you say - small world. Maybe one day we'll cross paths? My bike should easy to spot (Citrus Rocksters aren't exactly common round here, and mine has 'GS handlebars and an FJR1300 screen on it at the moment - surely no-one else will have such questionable taste? It also often looks like it needs a good clean).

[grwrockster]

Jose - I put the bike back together this morning, and had the day to myself, so got out there and rode a 150 mile loop taking in the Abergwesyn Pass. Sportsbike riders would undoubtedly hate it, but there's hours and hours of great riding in that area if you have something suitable. I found that I've ridden all around Abergwesyn in the past, but never that section (even I'd remember that!). Went up to Llanwrtyd, then across to Tregaron, then across to Cross Inn, Talsarn, Lampeter, Llandysyl and back home the interesting (minor road) route. It was good to get out, it wasn't even that cold (close to freezing on the top though, and lots of standing water on the surface from all the recent rain) - mind you, with the Rugby international on as well, I had the roads laregely to myself. Thanks for pointing Abergwesyn out - I'll be heading back up there again for sure.