West Bay. 18th-Sept.
Met at Aust service for a 10.30 kick off, a good turnout, 12 bikes so we didn't get away for 10.30 as we had a lot of chit chat. Once under way I took the lead, with the normal headsets scattered through the group to guide everyone. Out over the old bridge, up the Chepstow bypass, turning onto B4325 up through Usk, and on to B4598 continuing up it until we hit the little steel bridge with traffic lights on, turning left after crossing it, on to a few back roads and out on to the A40, turning left after half a mile into our stop, the Baffle Hous. Not a fast ride due to the volume of bikes, and a few slow moving vehicles getting in the way, I had to keep the lead speed down allowing the group to keep together the best I can, and everyone did well at keeping the group together and headsets were dropping in and out due to distance we were spread out. It was time to catch up with everyone properly, it was great to see Ray back and catch up on his boating adventures, as I chatted to everyone I got the feeling more riding was required, so I went around the group to see who was up for it, nearly everyone, so an hour later we are on the move again, losing Paul and Joanne at this point who headed home. Myself in lead, the rest of us continue up A40 to Abergavenny, passing the oasis cafe and stopping around the corner at the garage for Jan and a few others to fill up with fuel, pitstop over we turn left out of the garage back on ourselves, and turn left onto the B4233 a road I have done a few times, and is a great ride, it's got everything, a few sharpe bends flick your bike around and gentle long turns, a few straights and it changes from twin lane to single lane the whole length of it changing how you ride, I'm known for being throttle happy, and at this point with David who was behind me, put a bit of distance between us and the group, we enjoyed the twists for a while before pulling up to wait for the group, regrouped we enter Monmouth, and out onto the A40 up and around the roundabout down the other side and on to the A466, following it to the regular pitstop the old railway station, Tintern. I was glad to say I had no complaints about B4233, parts of the road were very muddy, where road work had been carried out, which can take away the fun, but all was good, it was a tester for Jan who was on her new speed twin, she wanted a more corner flicky bike, and Steve said it was a great road, hopefully his new bike he's getting, will make Cécile’s ride outs more enjoyable in the future. Tea and cakes later we head home continuing along the A466 as we head over the old seven bridge the group starts to disband and as I was in the lead people vanished from the group as they met there turnings, and by the time I pulled up at the junction M4 /M32 junction. It was just me Mike H and Jan, we headed around the ring road till Asda where I had to fill up and ends another story. Pete.