My Annual Pilgrimage.

[Sir Fallsalot]

Decided to sod the front garden off for today and do my Annual Pilgrimage to Strata Florida Abbey instead. Most of you have seen these places before but if Pete can keep repeating himself them so can i LOL

I set off a little late it was 10:30 by the time i was on my way the weather was overcast and cool, i had a nice slow road ride until i hit the road from Ystradfellte to Heol y Senny i always seem to get carried away on that road and it brought me to my first lane of the day where i ended up fixing the gate as it was off its hinges the dopey fucker who fitted it put the bottom hinge upside-down so all the weight is on the top hinge a rough fix it should go in the bodge section but it works fine don't know how long for though. While i was here i found one of those Geocache things  it had a £1 coin in there a pack of fag papers and some weed so i nicked the quid and threw the weed i didn't have a pen to sign the register LOL 

I stopped to open a gate further on and when i turned around the bike was on the floor it had rolled off the stand and ended up breaking the rivet pin on the gear lever so this is what i had been riding with all day it was ok and it didn't make any difference to shifting and i saved the bits before they got lost 

there's been some tree maintenance on the next lane this was all enclosed, certainly was easier to ride not ducking under low branches  

Further up it's still overgrown

The track goes down to the right in this photo and the easiest way to ride it is straight out into that fecking gate almost pushed my spine out my arsehole when i hit my head on it 

From here i headed over the firing ranges to Tirabad and through the Crychan Forest onto Cynghordy and this lane which is very wet and mucky though the winter months a lot easier to ride in the dry

From here i was onto the Llyn Brianne road another one i seem to speed up on, no photos as the riding was fast and flowing and i didn't want to stop, the top end of Llyn Brianne brings you to the start of Strata Florida in the background is the road to Tregaron another great road

When i got back to the bike i spotted a flat fox poor fecker

Onto the baptism and there's plenty of water for it the river crossings were straight forward enough it was the puddles that would catch you out when i rode through two of them i knew they were deep because the bike went quiet as i rode though

At the furthest point from home here just past Llyn Teifi and onto Claerwen Res

Top end of Claerwen Res this kind of track is where the XR excels it is so nice riding it along here.

Looking over the dam wall i'm heading for the track on the right of the river

But there's another river to cross first i played it safe and swept around to the right straight through almost had me in last time

A bit further along after Bobs step 

A long road ride from here to Talybont on Usk where i headed home over to Trefil and across to Merthyr 

Talybont Res i'm riding the other way just turned the bike around to take the photo same on the Pontsticill res photo

Pontsticill res

From here it was over my mountain and home, it was a ride I've needed for a while spent most of it on the pegs because my arse was sore. It was a 172 mile loop. I'm in the middle of changing the oil and filter now ready for the next ride.

[Pedro]

6 minutes ago, Sir Fallsalot said:

 

I would spend a full day on the GS cruising a road like that! None of the water crossings though, water crossing on my bike … 

[Sir Fallsalot]

1 minute ago, Pedro said:

I would spend a full day on the GS cruising a road like that! None of the water crossings though, water crossing on my bike … 

Lots do it on Gs's as Strata Florida is part of the TET route not something i would want to do it on though

[Pedro]

Just now, Sir Fallsalot said:

Lots do it on Gs's as Strata Florida is part of the TET route not something i would want to do it on though

I would surely do it on a borrowed GS I don’t care about, just not my own. They are capable bikes on easy trails, but if you don’t care about them they suddenly get 50% more capable . I don’t fancy dropping mine on water, or flooding the shaft drive.

[Sir Fallsalot]

6 minutes ago, Pedro said:

I would surely do it on a borrowed GS I don’t care about, just not my own. They are capable bikes on easy trails, but if you don’t care about them they suddenly get 50% more capable . I don’t fancy dropping mine on water, or flooding the shaft drive.

I get people on the TRF site asking me if routes are doable on a CRF1000 i always reply i could do it on your CRF but not mine 

[XTreme]

Excellent shots Fred!

[boboneleg]

That's a fair old route for one day Fred, brave doing Strata on your own but that looks like a cracking day out 

[boboneleg]

1 hour ago, Sir Fallsalot said:

 

Close to the same spot sometime in the late 90's.  I went off exploring in Wales on my own, got home way after it had got dark.  I took that photo by balancing my old camera on a wall , setting the timer and then running over to the bike.  It took about 5 goes until I got that shot

 

[Pedro]

1 hour ago, boboneleg said:

It took about 5 goes until I got that shot

I did that two or three times, always in the back of my head is the thought that a lone goat shepherd is looking at me in a distance running back and forth from the bike and striking the same pose, laughing at the scene. 

[Sir Fallsalot]

9 hours ago, boboneleg said:

That's a fair old route for one day Fred, brave doing Strata on your own but that looks like a cracking day out 

Strata isn’t as exclusive as it used to be now it’s part of the TET. I met two different groups of quad riders and a couple of 4x4s No bikes though and didn’t see anyone on the other lanes I rode lots of road bikes out yesterday though 

[boboneleg]

39 minutes ago, Sir Fallsalot said:

Strata isn’t as exclusive as it used to be now it’s part of the TET. I met two different groups of quad riders and a couple of 4x4s No bikes though and didn’t see anyone on the other lanes I rode lots of road bikes out yesterday though 

To be honest Fred I can take it or leave it , as you know there are much better lanes (imo) in that area.

[Sir Fallsalot]

43 minutes ago, boboneleg said:

To be honest Fred I can take it or leave it , as you know there are much better lanes (imo) in that area.

Yes it’s one of those lanes I like to do once a year just because it’s there and not that far from me same as druids way 

[busabeast]

And everyone needs an anal pilgrimage don't they 

[Sir Fallsalot]

13 hours ago, busabeast said:

And everyone needs an anal pilgrimage don't they 

[Sir Fallsalot]

I just found this video where he lets some air out of his tyre about 5 min in i was struggling to get up on my X Trainer last year and from 13:25 on is what i was riding Sunday must be nice to get given a bike to trash 

 

[XTreme]

Shit.....that was tough going!

Loved the wheelie across the bridge!

[Sir Fallsalot]

3 minutes ago, XTreme said:

Shit.....that was tough going!

Loved the wheelie across the bridge!

That's Claerwen Dam and we are actually working inside that one next week.

[XTreme]

15 minutes ago, Sir Fallsalot said:

That's Claerwen Dam and we are actually working inside that one next week.

Yeh..,....I've ridden across there a few times.

I think bustupbiker was with me once.....he'd not long bought his GS!

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

21 hours ago, Sir Fallsalot said:

I just found this video where he lets some air out of his tyre about 5 min in i was struggling to get up on my X Trainer last year and from 13:25 on is what i was riding Sunday must be nice to get given a bike to trash 

 

Loved that. Wasn't going to watch the whole thing but couldn't stop!

Think his tiredness showed at the end when he started riding a hell of a lot closer and a tad more kamikaze, don't think that was because of a sudden increase in skill cos I've been to a point where you get tired and don't care anymore and it looks a bit like that.

 

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

On 02/07/2023 at 21:38, Sir Fallsalot said:

Decided to sod the front garden off for today and do my Annual Pilgrimage to Strata Florida Abbey instead. Most of you have seen these places before but if Pete can keep repeating himself them so can i LOL

I set off a little late it was 10:30 by the time i was on my way the weather was overcast and cool, i had a nice slow road ride until i hit the road from Ystradfellte to Heol y Senny i always seem to get carried away on that road and it brought me to my first lane of the day where i ended up fixing the gate as it was off its hinges the dopey fucker who fitted it put the bottom hinge upside-down so all the weight is on the top hinge a rough fix it should go in the bodge section but it works fine don't know how long for though. While i was here i found one of those Geocache things  it had a £1 coin in there a pack of fag papers and some weed so i nicked the quid and threw the weed i didn't have a pen to sign the register LOL 

I stopped to open a gate further on and when i turned around the bike was on the floor it had rolled off the stand and ended up breaking the rivet pin on the gear lever so this is what i had been riding with all day it was ok and it didn't make any difference to shifting and i saved the bits before they got lost 

there's been some tree maintenance on the next lane this was all enclosed, certainly was easier to ride not ducking under low branches  

Further up it's still overgrown

The track goes down to the right in this photo and the easiest way to ride it is straight out into that fecking gate almost pushed my spine out my arsehole when i hit my head on it 

From here i headed over the firing ranges to Tirabad and through the Crychan Forest onto Cynghordy and this lane which is very wet and mucky though the winter months a lot easier to ride in the dry

From here i was onto the Llyn Brianne road another one i seem to speed up on, no photos as the riding was fast and flowing and i didn't want to stop, the top end of Llyn Brianne brings you to the start of Strata Florida in the background is the road to Tregaron another great road

When i got back to the bike i spotted a flat fox poor fecker

Onto the baptism and there's plenty of water for it the river crossings were straight forward enough it was the puddles that would catch you out when i rode through two of them i knew they were deep because the bike went quiet as i rode though

At the furthest point from home here just past Llyn Teifi and onto Claerwen Res

Top end of Claerwen Res this kind of track is where the XR excels it is so nice riding it along here.

Looking over the dam wall i'm heading for the track on the right of the river

But there's another river to cross first i played it safe and swept around to the right straight through almost had me in last time

A bit further along after Bobs step 

A long road ride from here to Talybont on Usk where i headed home over to Trefil and across to Merthyr 

Talybont Res i'm riding the other way just turned the bike around to take the photo same on the Pontsticill res photo

Pontsticill res

From here it was over my mountain and home, it was a ride I've needed for a while spent most of it on the pegs because my arse was sore. It was a 172 mile loop. I'm in the middle of changing the oil and filter now ready for the next ride.

Some amazing pics in there, they just need a bit of greening up (aka photo filters) and if you don't seal the deal for next months BOTM the strikes will go ahead

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

On 02/07/2023 at 23:12, boboneleg said:

 

Close to the same spot sometime in the late 90's.  I went off exploring in Wales on my own, got home way after it had got dark.  I took that photo by balancing my old camera on a wall , setting the timer and then running over to the bike.  It took about 5 goes until I got that shot

 

Love this pic.

edit- I can suddenly see you in your son!

ps no filthy comments please thats a genuine comment. 

[Sir Fallsalot]

5 minutes ago, Slowlycatchymonkey said:

Loved that. Wasn't going to watch the whole thing but couldn't stop!

Think his tiredness showed at the end when he started riding a hell of a lot closer and a tad more kamikaze, don't think that was because of a sudden increase in skill cos I've been to a point where you get tired and don't care anymore and it looks a bit like that.

 

I thought they were riding a bit quick for the terrain then i caught the speedo i think the max speed a saw was about 35mph  which isn't far off what i do when i ride on my own through there, but not over the rocky stuff as i don't want to be fixing punctures when i'm out, they were on tubeless tyres you don't get impact punctures with them but can buckle a rim then your stuffed

[Sir Fallsalot]

On 02/07/2023 at 23:12, boboneleg said:

 

Close to the same spot sometime in the late 90's.  I went off exploring in Wales on my own, got home way after it had got dark.  I took that photo by balancing my old camera on a wall , setting the timer and then running over to the bike.  It took about 5 goes until I got that shot

 

I just realised you must be on the trail lower down than me as there's no walls like that where i was,  you wont see the res from there now due to all the trees.

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

23 minutes ago, Sir Fallsalot said:

I thought they were riding a bit quick for the terrain then i caught the speedo i think the max speed a saw was about 35mph  which isn't far off what i do when i ride on my own through there, but not over the rocky stuff as i don't want to be fixing punctures when i'm out, they were on tubeless tyres you don't get impact punctures with them but can buckle a rim then your stuffed

Urr.. that's fast over that Mr Hardcore!

[Sir Fallsalot]

1 minute ago, Slowlycatchymonkey said:

Urr.. that's fast over that Mr Hardcore!

Not with the suspension on the XR it has a lot of it and its nice and plush, soaks up so much and smooths everything out, the thing that catches me out is when the front wheel flicks up a rock on its edge and the rear catches it that don't half throw the bike around and makes me sweat a bit.