Riding Around In North Wales

[KLR600]

As I’ve been in Manchester for the last 3 years I’ve really missed all the amazing roads in North Wales where I lived for 10 years prior to moving to Manchester. My time in Manchester has now come to an end and I’m back in Wales for a fortnight before doing some travelling around the world and then moving to Berlin to live.

Lucky for me my most trusted riding buddy Ghost is still in North Wales and is as keen as ever to ride. A short notice facebook message yesterday asking if I wanted to get the Wales section Tag quickly turned into a bit of a ride plan. Neither of us have ridden much since our trip to the Nurburgring so it was good to get out again even if it did mean having to watch our speedos like hawks!

After meeting in Tesco to fill up we headed up to the top of Llanberis to get the tag. We were met by a herd of cows guarding the location (despite us negotiating all the booby traps they’d left on the road, cow pats are slippery!) but we managed to get the tag without too much bovine bother.

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Overlooking Llanberis, Llyn Padarn, Llyn Peris and into Snowdonia National Park:

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We decided to move the tag to an easy spot to get the game moving again. It meant taking in the Llanberis Pass which is one of my favourite roads in North Wales. The road itself doesn’t have a great surface but the scenery is breathtaking and the dry stone walls lining the road definitely keep you on your toes, a “must ride” road for anyone in the area. We took a quick break at the next tag and saw a few military helicopters and jets from RAF Valley practising some manoeuvres in the valleys (no photos of them as they were too quick for me!).

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I’ve been wanting to try a few different photo techniques recently and Ghost was willing to be the subject which was lucky as it required some very close quarters riding and I didn’t fancy trying it out with someone I’d never ridden with before! We headed down from the new tag onto Beddgelert and I snapped some photos along the way.

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We had a quick stop to check the photos and I was happy with what we’d got considering the sketchy way in which they were shot! I was keen for the ride not to turn into too much of a photoshoot though so we carried on from Beddgelert through to Porthmadog, Blaenau Ffestiniog (where Ghost was sure he’d dropped his chain when in fact his bike had just slipped out of 6th gear!) and up into Betws y Coed where we had another break.

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After a bit of a chat and a check of Ghost’s bike to make sure there were no bits hanging off it we took a bit of a cruise along the A5 towards Bangor where I decided to snap a few more photos.

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We stopped at Llyn Ogwen so I could put my camera away but I stupidly didn’t take a photo of the lake! Ghost had to head off at this point to run some errands so I went back the way we’d come to head home. I’ve ridden these roads hundreds of times in the past but it’s true what they stay about not appreciating what you’ve got until it’s gone. I had a blast riding these roads again and I suspect I’ll probably burn a few more tanks of fuel before I disappear off on my travels in a couple of weeks!
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Now: '00 Kawasaki ZRX1100R - Past: '84 Yamaha DT125, '89 Kawasaki KLR600, '97 Yamaha XJ600N
<My Bikepics Page> <My Yootoobes> <My Websites> <My Photos>
<Take Cool Photos!>

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

How are you doing the on tank pics with both hands on the bars, timer?

Looks amazing scenery and cool shots.
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Pictorgraphicalfantastical

[KLR600]

Cheers

Camera set to 2 second timer, press the button (or mash it with gloves on!), grab the bars and hope for the best. Lots of trial and error and the keeper rate is pretty low but I think the shots are worth it when they work.
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Now: '00 Kawasaki ZRX1100R - Past: '84 Yamaha DT125, '89 Kawasaki KLR600, '97 Yamaha XJ600N
<My Bikepics Page> <My Yootoobes> <My Websites> <My Photos>
<Take Cool Photos!>

[Ghost]

Sent you a text but you probably won't get it until you're in Asia or something. Dunno what you were worrying about with the photos I think they all look awesome, just trying to decide which one I want as my desktop picture now

[KLR600]

I'll get it when I go up the coast next probably! Photos always look good on the tiny camera screen but you see so much more on a computer monitor and a lot of the ones I thought were fine turned out to be too blurry. Definitely pleased with the photos we got though

Send me a message on facebook if you want any of them in high res.
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Now: '00 Kawasaki ZRX1100R - Past: '84 Yamaha DT125, '89 Kawasaki KLR600, '97 Yamaha XJ600N
<My Bikepics Page> <My Yootoobes> <My Websites> <My Photos>
<Take Cool Photos!>

[Scythe]

Awesome pics, I head down towards Bala and the area a lot, I would be interested in a ride sometime as you guys seem to know the back roads better than I certainly do!

Need to get my bike back on the road first
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2009 Yamaha YBR125 -> 2000 SV650S -> 2005 Kawasaki ZX6R 636

[stevo as b4]

Great pics and North wales despite the out to get you police presence is still a great bike for riding bikes!

I've had many nice rides and long weekends away with biking mates in north wales and all around the Snowdonia area, and nice days out in Portmadog, Barmouth, Rhyl etc.

Remember after one long rideout on a hot summers day, finding a river about 2miles from where we were staying, and jumping in naked with a load of sweaty blokes, It was the coldest I've ever been in my life and I had a massive headache after about 1min in the water. Probably shouldn't have admitted anything in this paragraph though!

South Wales has always been a dump for me by comparison, but I've never given it a fair chance and been to places like Cardigan bay etc.

[mudcow007]

We have a house in ffestiniog, some awesome roads around there, i havent been for a few months but have they finished doing all the work by dolgellau yet? the roads around coed de brenin have been up for years!!

my route is across the debigh moors (watch for police helicopters) turn right onto the a5 turn left onto the ysbyty ifan road

oh an if your in Porthmadog you have to go to "allports" chippy best curry for miles

Barmouth the chippy under the trestle is awesome (nice pub next door too)

nice photos

[ian505050]

congratulations, u made bike pics photo of the day.

https://www.bikepics.com/pictures/2584905/

[sidewinder]

[KLR600]

[moppy]

Really nice photos and even nicer bike. I want one.

[Ghost]

[Moxey]

Makes me wish I had made more of my time in North Wales rather than just getting saddled drinking with the lass for most of the time

Looks like some awesome roads lads and quality shots to showcase them
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Current: 02 FZS 1000 & 51 Moto Guzzi California Some Bike Pics...
'I was too busy paying attention to pay attention'

[moppy]

[KLR600]

[Scythe]

[Ghost]

[dransy]

Awesome photos!

But where is the rest of your video series dudeeeee!!!!
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Being shot out of a cannon will always be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why God made fast motorcycles

[KLR600]

[gixerladsw]

Been said already but fecking awesome photos!

[bladerunner]

Klr. I'm available for rides this week. Loved the trip to aber a few years ago and brought another 10 along for the ride so if you can this week....let's do another ride out! All day Friday or after 6 during the week?
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Current bikes...cbr929, KDX200's, Rd125lc mk2, RGV250's

[KLR600]

[DottyDuck]

Stunning pictures! i love the ones where you see the tank and handlebars. If it was my bike i would be tempted to frame one and hang it up!

one question! in the tenth picture is there a playing field behind the car park (the bit you cant see on the photo) I am certain i have been there on a school trip
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CBT- 2012 Theory- 18/12/13 Mod 1- 07/01/14 Mod 2- 15/01/14
Old Bike: Zontes Panther 125cc - wrote off Current Bike: Kawasaki ZR7

[KLR600]