Birmingham Advanced Motorcyclists Registered Charity Number 1057912

Home | BAM Background | Events | Contacts | Joining | Newsletters | Roads | Sponsors | World News

A day in the mountains

A day out to Wales via some mountain roads. Beware, some of these roads attract idiots in Subarus who travel at 100mph+ While there is occasionally cover from VASCAR and hand held radar speed limit enforcement devices they may not be there to protect you when you travel.

Start from the Little Chef outside Halesowen and leave the conurbation via the A456.

At Hagley TR on the A491, through Stourbridge and emerge on the A458 Bridgenorth Road. If you’ve not had breakfast, it’s too late now as we will be doing 206 miles during 6 hours riding (stops are extra!)

Continue to Much Wenlock (but beware of Subarus) where we TL on the B4371, following Wenlock Edge past a quarry which puts an amazing amount of slippery dust onto the undulating road. The first of the days good views are available from the Wenlock Edge Car Park before we descend into Church Stretton. Cross the A49 at the traffic lights (look well at them, you won’t see any more for a bit, fuel available just to the right of the lights, not much of that about for a while either). Carry on into the village, the route goes over a staggered junction. (The last brick built toilets for some miles are 100 yards to your left.) Continue along the road track up the side of Cardingmill Valley which takes us onto the Long Mynd.

The route is steep, and the middle of the road is a line of gravel, cars do come down but the drivers are often busy looking at the scenery. There may just be room to squeeze through on the left (the drop to the right is precipitous) but beware of cars ahead of you reversing or just rolling back to allow traffic to descend.

At the top, stop for a fag break, listen to the noise of the cooling fan doing what it does best, followed by the sound of the engine and exhausts pinging as your pride and joy contracts back to the size it used to be. (!) This noise will eventually be replaced by the sound of skylarks who would completely overrun the place if the red kites weren’t keeping them in check again.

Now that the ascent has finished you will notice the absence of Armco or any other fencing, and the presence of sheep. Sheep are incredible creatures, designed to provide wool, mutton, and an excuse for becoming detached from your machine.

Continuing over the Mynd, taking the left fork towards the gliding club and down an equally steep gravel strewn descent, we TL and just after an old quarry pass a Yew tree on our right which, judging by it’s girth, must have seen the turn of the last millennium.

The road emerges onto the A489 at a very sharp right turn. Concentrate on the road, not the topiary on the hedges of the cottage on the junction. Before Lydham there is a choice, TL onto the B4383 and the A488 to Clun (brick built toilet available) where we TR just after the bridge onto the B4368. Eventually we emerge at Kerry on the A489 and TL for Newtown. Both these roads demand respect, but if you have good observation skills and stay off the berms of gravel which collect on the B4368 you will be rewarded with fine cross country views into some great bends.

Alternatively continue on the A489 / A490 through Lydham and Church Stoke and rejoin the route at Kerry.

Lunch at the Elephant and Castle next to the river Severn in Newtown is a good option, although Crossgates is a more usual place for bikers to eat the queue for food can loose you 30-40 minutes.

Leave Newtown by taking the A483 towards Builth Wells This road is fast with some long sweeping bends. Several right handers go so far into the hillside before coming back that you can see the exit for 100 yards before you see the apex.

Eventually at Crossgates roundabout you turn right onto the A44 towards Rhayader but beware, it’s a very straight road which attracts those Subarus.

(If you didn’t do the food and fuel thing at Newtown the service station and truck stop are 100 yards to the left of Crossgates roundabout)

In Rhayader fuel is available, and usually cheaper than at Crossgates. In the village go straight past the clock tower towards the Elan Valley Reservoirs Near Elan Valley there is a visitors centre which describes the building of the system.

The road meanders around the dams, built to provide Birmingham with water. (Victorian engineering, no pumping needed, downhill all the way.) The road crosses a series of streams over bridges on right hand bends but be careful, the ideal line out of the bend is usually deep gravel as the bridges are only wide enough for one car at a time.

At the T junction there is a choice. Turning right takes you back to Rhayader Crossgates and home. Alternatively if the weather is fine and there’s plenty of daylight left turn left along the mountain road towards Cwmystwyth and the B4574 and B4343 to Tregaron before coming back over the mountains via Abergwesyn and back to the route at Crossgates. Navigating this route may be a problem. The left fork onto the B4574 isn’t signposted at all, (If you reach the stone arch over the road above Devils Bridge you’ve gone to far, turn back and at the next junction take the right fork. The left turn in Tregaron appears to lead to a car park but if you take the narrow driveway between two houses it will continue all the way over the mountains to Abergwesyn, honest.

Beware of these mountain roads. Some of the crests are deceptive and sharp enough to get an enthusiastically ridden tourer completely airborne, I know, I ‘ve done it! The tarmac breaks up into gravel which collects anywhere car tyres don’t go and some of the downhill sections are precipitous (you have been warned). The road surfaces undulate and can be a pain in the a** unless you put some of your weight through the footpegs. This also helps stabilise the bike. (think about it, if you sit on a plank of wood someone rocks from side to side you’ll easily fall off. If you stand/crouch on the same plank you can keep your balance.)

There is a choice of routes home via the A488 through Knighton, A4113 to the A49 Ludlow Bypass and A4117 over Clee Hill, good twisty roads and good views.

Others may prefer to continue on the A44 through Leominster and Bromyard to Worcester and up the motorway. The A44 may be a bit longer but it’s easier, quicker and there are still some good views but Subarus are a problem until you get to the border.

GERARD CROWLEY

This site is designed and hosted by Web Entrepreneurs