The Four Extreme Points of Wales Pt 1

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  • #14218
    TT07
    Participant

    Question: What do you do when you’re at a loose end and you get that feeling…. I really do need to get away, do something different, something with a bike, then I had an idea! I went to Google search and keyed in the question ‘Extreme Points of Wales’, and at that very moment a journey or quest lay in the offing. Now these extreme points vary dependant if you choose a spot on a map that is terrain based or say the nearest habitable place, and there again if it mainland or Island based! I looked into it and chose my selected points on the following basis: either a limit as far as roads go and/or within easy walking distance wearing bike gear and maybe suck it and see at the location.
    Now it is 25+ years since I camped, and that was March 1984 at the Lotus Rally Belgium with Shatterford Motorcycle Club Kidderminster. Time to get the ball rolling so off I set into town to purchase the bare basics of tent, sleeping bag and roll mat. Having got those sorted off I went again for a bag to put them in!
    I contacted a couple of camp sites, enquiring of availability, but decided best to go ad hoc after all I did not have to be anywhere in particular and time was not important.
    Monday 16/08, not an early start, I headed out from Kidderminster and not on the quickest route, taking in Ludlow, down the A49 taking in the horrendous traffic through Hereford, and then that lovely road the A466 to Monmouth.

    Easterly Point.

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    English/Welsh Border

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    Used the 600 for the trip, no silly speeds required!

    I had chosen a point approx 3 miles SE of Monmouth along the A4136 close to Staunton where a sign shows the border entering Monmouthshire, having ‘Bagged’ that point it was back towards Monmouth and along the A40 joining the A4 at Newport heading West skirting North of Cardiff.

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    Lunch Stop at Usk

    Southerly Point. I checked this out on Google Maps/ Streetview having seen a recent build of houses at the Southerly end of Roose, which is just below Cardiff airport. Now I omitted to say I was using my TomTom Rider for this trip and using it on fastest mode throughout. That routes from East to South West Cardiff without going through the centre of the City seemed never ending! Upon arrival at the location I had THOUGHT to be correct for the Southerly Point I asked a couple of blokes and they confirmed I was right, they added it was only a short walk to a sign stating that fact. It was only a half mile trip and I was amazed to see a monolith stating that fact.

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    Official Location

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    Detail on the Monolith

    More to follow…..

    #61106
    imperialdata
    Keymaster

    Nice to see the 600 getting a good airing. How does it measure up for the long distances?

    #61107
    TT07
    Participant

    Well as far as comfort goes, I had no problems at all, for the first couple of years from purchase I did get aching wrists and cramp in my legs from anything more that say 80 miles, thats not now the case so I guess I grew into the bike! Obviously the power level is way down from the 1000 but the slower in/slower out of bends does make for a much smoother ride. By the end of day 3 I can honestly say I was well and truly in the groove, and can’t recall being more in tune with a bike in my 39 years of riding!

    #61108
    CCRevell
    Participant

    Why is it men never get helmet hair? I take my helmet off and look a right mess!! Unless you carry a comb around with you lol

    #61109
    imperialdata
    Keymaster

    quote:


    Originally posted by TT07

    …..can’t recall being more in tune with a bike in my 39 years of riding!


    Brilliant, that’s what it’s all about.

    @CCRevell – welcome to the forum. Feel free to drop in and introduce yourself on the members’ bikes area.

    PS You think he didn’t have helmet hair before he took that shot? There’s always a suspicous gel-pot shaped bulge in his pocket when I meet him (or maybe he’s just pleased to see me).

    #61110
    Radar
    Moderator

    Interesting quest TT, great idea! Good review and pics as ever too.

    @CCRevell, welcome to the forum!

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