Love Wales TMF, I'm lucky living is Staffs it's a quick hop into Wales for me so I'm over there quite often on the bike. The scenery and the great roads never get old and there are always new routes to explore.
Wales is 'Gods country' for motorcyclists. I live in Ynys near Harlech and can see Mt Snowdon from my garden. I feel so lucky to ride on the fantastic Welsh roads almost every day on my Tracer 850. I am 57 originally from Bolton and riding on these Welsh roads makes me thoroughly enjoy my experience on 2 wheels after a 30 year break. Love the vid and can't wait to see part 2
I do like your channel friend. Being from the US, I've never had the pleasure of seeing your part of the 🌎. Through you, I feel like I'm seeing it in a very real and unique way. I get a kick out of how people from Europe talk and relate to one another. While different then here, you show people are people where ever they come from. You make the world smaller. That is a kewl gift you have. Plus, you ride in the rain. Sign of a true bike guy. Which I aspire to be as well. Not many American bloggers do that so you carry a bit more wieght in my 👀. Keep up the good work friend. You have friends on the other side of the pond. Look forward to what you do next. Have a nice day!!😀
I like your channel. Ive been riding for nearly 50 years now. Still ride a zx14 r so its my yardstick on aging. Now I was born in Wales. Betws-y-Coed is pronounced BETTIS- EE- COID. Not Betty' s CoEd which sounds like some bints secondary school. Watching on my tv with no access to comments and commenting on my tablet. I really enjoyed your tour of Scotland where we went a couple years ago through Ullapool to Tweed, in a hire car not a bike, as we live in remote southern West Australia, where the snakes and spiders are. You do not realise how fantastic it is to see green fields and lush gardens and cleansheep and rain and temperatures no higher than 25 C. O k i can go back to the big screen, the scenery and your pleasant monoloque alone in your helmet threading your way sedately through the 20 million tiny hatchbacks.
Brings back good memories of camping trips in Betws-y-coed. I used to visit the area a lot for mountain biking too. Don't miss the traffic on the M56! In NZ now where the roads are somewhat quieter.
I’ve bought the BIKER BRITAIN by Simon Weir and loving that the front cover was instantly recognisable as that Llangatock mountain road near to my home town of Crickhowell. Can’t wait for it, well recommended Mr Flyer thank you!
Enjoyed watching this (well, except for the motorway bit). This is a part of the world that I love and really can't get enough of. Looking forward to the rest of the tour. Good luck with the welsh place names!
I did a 3 day trip in Wales last month, gorgeous weather the whole time thankfully. Was my first ever tour on a bike and first time in Wales so it was good fun,
I did the Northwest coast trip this week after watching your video how you did that in those temperatures I take my hat off to you. Going to do it again next June only over a full week more stops cutting the mileage down. There is also a lot you can tag on to the mcn route. I did take the part that just takes you down and then you turn around and come back that was amazing. We are in Snowdonia 2nd week in Oct for a few days so look forward to more episodes.
First of all can I welcome you to Wales, my home patch. Nice review, always good to view it from someone else's point of view. Living here in Wales and riding these great roads, on a regular basis you can start taking them for granted. Looking forward to episode 2, enjoyed your pronunciation of some of the Welsh names!! ( put a smile on my face, but well done for trying)
Missed out on a cracking road, if you had come off at the turn for mold on the a55 and follow the signs for ruthin then you wouldve been even more impressed. Can then follow signs for bala and betws y coed and take the twisties before you go to your first stop!
Another great vid TMF, keep them coming. I did a lot of that route this Summer and it reminded me of what great roads we have in Wales, love the pronunciation too, don't change a thing. Also, speaking of France, I'm based in Toulouse, so if you ever fancy a ride around here, hit me up, that goes for any one else riding the area too.
Cheersspannerchucker1 - I flew over your place last month on the way back from a lads flying trip to Majorca....Toulouse always gets a mention by us pilot types because of the Airbus connection....
Your spot on about the GS for this sort of thing, and what a great place to go touring, never enough time to do all those brilliant roads. Nice vid my friend glad to see you clocking up the miles.
Lovely area of the country - many fond memories of Snowdonia, walking and climbing in the mountains (including a memorable winter trip round the "Snowdon Horseshoe" route). If you're over the traffic then come and visit New Zealand - a population comparable to that of Wales but the same land area as the whole of Great Britain!!
Thoroughly enjoyed the vid. Last time I was at Swallow Falls was 1981 on my Kawasaki Z1R. Lovely place and less traffic then. Glad the weather improved!
Hi TMF I think that the mountain you saw was Moel Siabod there is a cafe near it called Siabod cafe it's used sometimes as a signing on point for the Dragon Rally in February.
Great to see that you're in my neck of the woods (I won't criticise your pronunciation). I live in St.Asaph so you went passed me on the 55 then up the steep hill (which is known as engine hill) just by the marble church. Glad your enjoying it even though the weather can be unpredictable.
Wonderful stuff, I was drawn to your video hoping it would remind me of my touring on my own GS Adventure and it did, thank you; the engine and exhaust notes are unmistakable. Great narrative.
Gorgeous! You passed our place at 3.40 haha. The mountain at the end was Moel Siabod, Snowdon was probably invisible lol. Fabulous vid as always, just finished watching your NC500 and Western Isles which inspired me, and nice to see my stomping ground. 👍👍👍
Hey TMF, Yet another great video, edit & delivery! Yes Wales is pretty fantastic with great roads, scenery & people, I really must get back there but living so near the channel tunnel makes Wales quite a distance away! Andy.
I always look forward to a TMF tour video..I'd like to report I fully enjoyed watching! I await the next thrilling episode. BTW just because you're wearing boots you don't need to put sheep rear legs in them..It's one of those occasions that "when in Rome" doesn't count. Sorry Welsh cousins I couldn't resist :)
Another superb tour video. You inspired me with your earlier videos to start filming with voice whilst riding. Your review of the R1200GS Rallye got me to go out and buy one! And yesterday I set up a new RU-vid channel rather than using my name. (Martyn Fordham). Cheers keep the tours (and other fab videos) coming.
The scenery is breathtaking I admit.. But it's the commentary that pushes me to watch your vids till the end :) Keep up the good work brother.. Godspeed
The Abergele to Llanrwst road is epic,you should of turned right out of Llanrwst then instant left onto the stone bridge over the river Conwy,after 1/4 of a mile turn left and follow the back road into Betws-Y,it's a far more picturesque route 👍
TheMissendenFlyer Haha, I struggle with it and I've lived here all my 39 years. It's all very confusing, only got my head around our national anthem about 10 years ago!
Another nice tour! BTW TFT screens now available on GS 1200's! Saw one today - awesome. CB 100 RS running well - under powered for a 1100cc a bit like thrashing a small bike and not getting into trouble - try one I think you'll like it! Cheers for now, Jon.
I stopped in the same helipad car park for my daughter who was riding pillion to pour the water from her boots on a trip I did through north Wales last year. Must be something about that car park makes the sun come out!
Another great travel vid. I empathize with you weather wise. Went to Cornwall for 5 day in August (using Bikers Britain as a base plan. After your recommendation. Thank you) Rained every day, some of it torrential. Never mind still a great ride. Looking forward to more of your Wales tour
Hey TMF..only just subd and seen this episode. Welcome to my neck of the woods. The a55 is a main route for tourism and transport on to ireland as its the route to holyhead harbour. Much nicer to turn off and head south around chester/wrexham and you get onto the nice empty roads with stunning views over the Llangollen and Denbigh moorland...pop past Rhug and stop for a Bison burger and a strong coffee.
Excellent video on my local biking area 👍 Absolutely love your pronunciations of the places you visited 😀. I’ve lived here all my life and can’t pronounce them correctly either lol!
Rode out and about in wales about 6 of us May 2016 (TT week), rode all day early Pub dinner, back to cottage to see Highlights .Located near Brecon Beacons Fantastic locals telling you where to go for the best roads etc TJ
It is one of the most famous driving routes in North Wales. So called after "EVO' magazine who used the route for many of their tests. The route is on the A543 (just off the A5 and not far from betws-y-coed) heading North along tight sweeping bends then right onto the B4501. There are some very nice driving roads in that area, you could easily spend a whole week riding different roads and which would guarantee to bring a big smile to your face.
If you want to check out the triangle I posted a video of a ride I took around it last October on my channel. Nothing spectacular but it will give you a good idea of what to expect should you ever venture that way.
OOH, my neck of the woods!! I call the road you took to Llanrwst 'the test track' coz it's a cracking road for putting a bike through its paces if you're on a test ride from Woods' in Abergele. I reckon a 'spirited' run along there to Llan or Betws for a cup of coffee and a slice of cake will go a long way to telling you whether the bike you're riding is the right bike for you........certainly had the desired effect when I took a Street Triple down it.......I'm on my second and I'm of the opinion that they are just about the perfect bike for the roads of Snowdonia.
.......just got back from a two week break in Portugal - we stayed nr Albufiera and I rented a Suzy Burgman 125cc for four days - we covered 330 miles riding inland from the coast and found some great roads, in particular the N267 west towards Monchique - 16 miles winding our way through some glorious countryside, and man, what a fabulous road !!
Shame you turned left in Llanrwst, right would have taken you over an old stone bridge, ONE OF THE oldest in Wales and a cracking route on back road to BC.
Love Wales. Glad you're taking me there with you on your little trip again, albeit it being a virtual one for me. Great non the less. Think I'll revisit it again next year with a couple of mates. There, it didn't take me much persuasion did it? :)
Such a sad sight... No matter where you go in the UK, the roads are heaving! Just too many of us squashed into this damp lump of a rock. Great vid though TMF.
I dream of a day we have roads that good here on the other side of the Atlantic (New Brunswick, Canada). Seriously, our highways tend to be worse than your B roads.
Second watch through of your Wales tour. 18 months on and the M6 is still covered in those same 50mph average speed cameras, only difference is the added 30mph zone! Depressing road.
Wales my fatherland 👍 Although i live in Belfast now, some great roads and landscape hope to see you over here at some point. Get the ferry from Pembroke to rosslare to do a tour no need to go to Holyhead 😉
At 21 mins its not Snowdon its Moel Siabod, incidentally the largest base mountain in Europe. Distinguishable by the fact that it is not linked to any other mountain in Snowdonia, it just kinda sits there on its own.
Bring on Part Two!......Missenden, that's my part of the woods. I regularly ride that route but normally get to Betwys a different way. Out of interest, which junction did you get off at the A55 to go to Betwys that route?
Crikey - this was a month ago, I have no idea!! Lovely part of the world you live in, you're very lucky to have those roads at your disposal! Stay tuned for part 2 next Friday!
Suggest entry to Wales via M5 to Malvern then to Shrewsbury then on from there..much nicer... and please can we have the Benny Hill music each time you change clothes at double speed!
Just got back from there. From Rhayader through Elan Valley to Devil's Bridge. Then B4343 to Tregaron. Lovely overnight stay in Y Talbot hotel then through the wilderness to Llanwrtyd. Deserted roads. Fantastic scenery. Great on the Bonnie but wouldn't like to do it on a sports bike, cruiser or tourer.
Hi TMF: Another great Vlog 👏🏻 I live in Lymm Cheshire and regularly travel up and down those awful 18 mile stretch roadworks on the M6; quite depressing 😭 Regards SBKPete
Betsy-coed?? Oooohhhhh methinks the Welsh speakers will lynch you for that one Mr Flyer! :) Another great video nonetheless. I want your life. (and your bikes)
Ahh, I see you apologised in advance. Good thinking. (I don't speak Welsh either by the way). I've ridden that route a few times. If, a big IF mind, you get the weather it is almost unbeatable.
Hi TMF, great video and looking forward to the next instalment. Can you tell me the name of the jeans you are wearing when you have taken your waterproofs off. All the best Mike.
Great stuff, I live just over the way in Shropshire, love Wales but watch out for the cops, there are lots of speed traps in the summer, North Wales seems to be the worst in my experience anyway.......ride safe mate
I forgot to mention that while I was on the Scottish tour I was followed by another GS Adventure for a number of miles and we both ended up in a McDonald's having coffee and a chat about the GS Adventure, he then tells me about a nice guy he followers on RU-vid called the missenden flyer. Lol small world 🤗
Hi MF, how did those boots stand up to the rain on those poxy motorways. Agree the scenery in U.K. Is fantastic but there is too much traffic, our island is stressful to ride which is why we go to France, Spain, Italy etc coz the weather is usually better, the roads much less congested and generally places to stay and to eat are not such a rip off. Enjoying the vids.👍🏻🏍
Does your tankbag ever steam up? I've just bought a Givi one and each time it rains or there's a change in temperature the top part where you put your map steams up big time! Not sure what I'm doing wrong but I don't think it should seeing it says map/tablet pocket.
Another great video! I was wondering, do you take a DSLR camera when touring? If yes, where do you keep it in the GS tank bag or panniers/top bag? I want to keep mine in the tank bag but am concerned about it shifting about. Thanks!
Hi Steve, I didn't take it on this trip but often do....I take it in the top box and have it and my lenses packed in padded neoprene bags so if they do move around, thy don't get damaged....so far, so good!
TMF, I don't think I have ever heard you so mardy at the start! Every time I have been to Snowdonia it has always chucked it down. Like the jacket is it new?
I wasn't Mardy, I was just mid-ride (unfortunate edit maybe)....and yes the Jacket is new this year, I have been using it all Summer, lots of people have mentioned it so I'll do a review in due course...cheers - TMF
