san2000

If I sell the Gixxer, I may go back to a 6.

Dan Hale

Welshman

Yesterday I went out on the HP2 to get the miles in before its first service on Friday. Heading out from Bewdley I went Clee Hill, Craven Arms and then onto the A489 to Newtown - a good road as soon as you turn off the A49.

From Newtown I rode the A483 to Crossgates. This is a great biking road and being mid week there wasn't much traffic, and that which there was, was quickly despatched into my rear view mirrors. The big garage/cafe at Crossgates was quiet - 4 bikes when on Sunday last there must have been 60.

After a cup of tea I decided as it was a nice sunny day to do a scenic loop of the Elan Valley lakes. Through Rhyader and then the Caban Coch reservoir:

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This was the first of the Reservoirs all financed by Birmingham City Council to provide Birmingham with water. It was opened in 1904. The water is piped 118 km to Bewdley where its treated before being sent on to water the Brummies.

Next was the Claerwen - the newest dam finished just after WWII. Here's the road up to it looking back down the valley towards the Caban Coch:



The dam itself but unfortunately with no water flowing over the top:



and a view from above the dam over the lake:



Then it was back down and over the causeway which divides the Caban Coch from the Garreg Ddu - it looks as if its one lake but the dam is submerged - and up towards the Pen y Garreg dam:

First a shot looking back doen towards the Garreg Ddu dam:



Next the Pen y Garreg dam:



And a shot looking up the reservoir towards the Graig Goch dam:



And the Craig Goch dam:



I then got on the mountain road from Rhyader to Aberystwyth. Here's a shot of the top end of the Craig Goch reservoir:



and a view looking down towards the Ystwyth valley:



I took this road and after about 5 miles you get to the Watershed - to the left water runs into the Elan Valley complex and to the right the water becomes the River Ystwyth emerging into Cardigan Bay at Aberystwyth - Aber means "mouth of" so Swansea which in Welsh is Abertawe means Mouth of the River Tawe.



From here is a gentle run down the valley until I took the road for Devil's Bridge and Ponterwyd, where my Great Grandfather apparently once ran a pub - sadly no longer open - and then back on the A44 to Llangurig and the A470 to Rhyader - two top stretches of road. From Rhyader it was Crossgates, Leominster and home. About 220 miles in all.

Dan Hale

Great pics, I think I need to come and visit - fantastic scenery

Welshman

And the roads are great with plenty to choose from especially in the mid Wales area.

Paper Lawyer

Philip, retirement is such a bitch I know that every sunny day you will be out on that bike

Which reminds me, I finally got around to fitting those heated handlebar grips just over a week ago - they are excellent on a cold morning - shame I didn't get around to fitting them for so long

san2000

Nice pics, but you need to make them smaller!

Paper Lawyer

San, you just need to buy a decent monitor

san2000

Tell the NHS!

Welshman

It is a bitch! the HP2 doesn't have heated grips

And I'm only semi retarded! Working tomorrow and all next week!