Another run up to Shropshire. The weather was a bit better than the last run, to put it mildly. 108k came up on the way a few miles South of Gloucester on the M5. I was having to keep the speed down as the radiator definitely was not enjoying the warmer weather as you can see from the temperature gauge. However it was really quiet traffic wise and my average speed was still pretty healthy. The fuel economy perked up too, all in all not too bad despite the monotony
After a day with my Dad sauntering around the Peak District after he'd had another Covid booster, where the sun always seemed to be shining where we'd been instead of where we were going, Thursday looked like being a good day so decided to make a day of it on the way home. Shrewsbury, Welshpool and a fuel stop at Tesco in Newtown where the 99 octane Momentum was as cheap as ordinary crap down in Cornwall. The A483 from then on was like having my own private racetrack. God what a road . Sun, warmth, grip, no traffic. Feckin glorius. I set out of Builth Wells still on the 483 and would have probably arrived in Llandovery except I realised after a bit that I was heading West and should be going South. After a bit of internal debate I thought I'd head South and if I had time in hand later, I'd go down the A39 instead of the A30. I turned South at Garth and went down the B4519. These pics are somewhere near the top of the hill on the firing range. It was pretty windy up there. Views were great.
Another romp down to Brecon followed, fortunately I was at sensible speed when I waved to the 3 RT mounted coppers being trained
and eventually to Abergavenny. Not so great down here, bit of a trundle to Chepstow but I managed to turn off onto the B4235 which was nice. Then a temperature controlled M5 run to Bridgewater and I turned off, intending to run around the back of Taunton and follow the A358 up to Minehead and then the A39. Not sure what happened around Taunton, seemed to spend half a day there with a very angry temperature gauge and a lot of traffic and god awful road surfaces. You could not get more different than surface in mid Wales and those in North Somerset. Its not just bad its dangerous, especially when you throw in light and shade from trees and loose gravel in the corners. At one point the Volvo in front of me slowed to a stop , couldn't see why. Oncoming traffic passed, Volvo pulls out and around a pothole so big it had its own cone and sign. Wouldn't want to be down there in the dark and rain for sure.
I abandoned the aim of the A39 and went for across Exmoor instead. Well, sort of, there are few petrol stations in the villages so in the end I was forced into Tiverton to find fuel. I then struck out towards Bude and down some very tiny roads along a very wriggly route. Wasn't scrubbing any chicken strips off down there for sure. The roads slowly got wider and the closer you get to Bude the faster you can go. The A39 from Bude going South is very quick and I was fighting the temperature gauge again. Not too exciting for me as I've travelled it many times, but better than the A30. Last thrash of the day from Indian Queens to Tresilian before threading through the commuters in Truro and home.
Google reckons that day was 357 miles, I didn't clock it myself. First proper ride of the year and much needed. I might have done 3500 miles this year, but most of that has been motorway and I really needed to get my eye in again. Lots of bits hurt at various points but adrenaline and endorphins sorted that, by the end of the day I was just tired. I'm a long way off but much better than I was. One of these runs a week for the next 7 weeks and I might be fit for the Old Gits
The bike will be getting booked in for the 108k service which was going to be a little one, but I'm going to have to get the radiator off for a clean.
