65 minute read
crossing oz
It’s not everyone’s can of lager to ride across the thick bit of Australia but if you’ve got trail-riding relatives who live there that can alter your perspective, according to Andrew Broomby, Chair, Cumbria and Craven TRF
CrossingOz
Advertisement
r o o m b y B d r e w A n : s t o P h o W ith Arran riding pillion, we circled Perth on the CRF250L, heading towards the motorcycle hire shop to collect his DR650 for our three-week ride across Australia. Nick, Richard and Harry were in front of us on WR250Rs. Slowly Arran and I ground to a halt on a hill, the WRs disappearing over the crest. Not the best start to an 8,000km ride.
The idea of a trans Australia adventure was born on a previous European bike trip. Having two keen biker cousins (and nephew) resident in Australia made such an ambitious route seem possible, with vital local knowledge to assist with planning and logistics. The aim was to ride from the most westerly point to the most easterly point of Australia.
Harry (my son) and I had flown into Perth a few days earlier and enjoyed a bit of sightseeing while we recovered from jet lag. Harry (19), a late addition to the trip, spent a nerve-racking few months getting through his A2 tests, finally passing a mere three weeks before our departure from the UK. It was his hastily purchased bike that had clutch failure on day 1. We located a Honda dealer, the bike was dropped off and we experienced our first delay while a new clutch was sourced and fitted; better now than later. The sixth and final rider, Glenn, arrived on his SWM 650 Superdual to complete the team; we were ready to hit the road. ▲
Our revised start point outside the Shark Bay Hotl
The journey begins Steep Point, the most westerly point of mainland Australia, 1,000km up the coast from Perth, was to be our planned start. To get there we endured two days of challenging weather conditions – storms, downpours, high winds and lightning –before reaching the Overlander Roadhouse. Once dry, we decided to tackle the 140km out to Steep Point before heading east on our adventure proper. Just getting to the start was proving difficult, as a precautionary call to the local ranger before setting off warned us that the clay roads to Steep Point were completely impassable to 4x4s, never mind motorbikes, due to intense flooding.
Plan B was put into action and we headed to our revised start: Shark Bay and the coastal town of Denham from where, after a quick glimpse of the dolphins at Monkey Mia, we promptly spun round and set off east. With a mere 25k of tarmac under our wheels, the flat, wide, mud roads of Western Australia were beckoning. Despite an improvement in the weather, however, the roads remained puddle-ridden, so vigilance was paramount, the road surface changing from hard mud to soft sand in the blink of an eye. The going was good as we rode into Meekatharra in the dark, to be followed the next day by our departure towards the Carnegie Homestead before tackling the infamous Gunbarrel Highway. After two long days in the saddle, we wild-camped just short of the Homestead. Things were about to become more challenging.
Gunbarrel Highway After an early start, and with just 60km of easy road to cover, we soon reached the Carnegie Homestead. Our arrival was met with a warm welcome, coffee on tap and the chance to fill our water bottles, an essential requirement for the Gibson Desert. It was also to be our last fuel station for 500km and incidentally, the most expensive of the entire trip.
To start with the roads were wide, flat and hardpacked making the going swift. Bush became desert as the road turned into a twin track, the hard mud slowly acquiring a coating of loose sand, which became deeper and deeper; the going got tougher. Ploughing through deep sand now at lower speed, the bikes meandered back and forth across the track with Glenn struggling to avoid the bushes. Welcome to the Gunbarrel Highway!
The SWM sustained a cracked clutch reservoir and began to lose oil after colliding with an unforgiving bush and Glenn’s treasured ukulele became a victim of the rough terrain and it fell by the wayside. A sigh of relief from the rest of the team, but not from Glenn. As the going was slow we decided to camp in the ‘wup wup’ (middle of nowhere) with 212km of the highway still to complete.
Next day we were back in the sand, but 9km down the track the DR650 had a final lurch and came to a standstill; another clutch gone with 250km to the next town. The emergency plan kicked in and the Garmin
The deep sand made the going a bit tough
After running a little low the fresh bore water never tasted so good!
inReach satellite communication devices came into their own. Following text conversations with friends in civilisation we devised a strategy for self-rescue.
We laid the bike on its side and removed the clutch without letting any sand into the engine. We then took a metal plate, cut it in half, folded it over and replaced it, then topped up the oil. Bingo! We had an operational Suzuki again. The question was how long for? We endured another 90km through deep sand with water running low and dusk fast approaching. The Suzuki suffered a puncture; it was time to stop. It was another night in the ‘wup wup’ , with very little water between us. We set up camp, lit a fire and shared a single portion of dehydrated camp food to conserve water. Our map showed a possible bore hole in 27km, but we were unable to verify that it was still operational, so had no choice other than to cross our fingers and hope.
We woke at 5.00am to the unsettling sound of dingoes all around us. After a hastily eaten muesli bar, we packed up camp. After 10km of relentlessly deep sand, we had unwittingly split into two groups as we pushed on to find water. Nick took a turn riding the heavier SWM to give Glenn a break. The track eased and we located the water hole off the main highway. What joy as we pumped the fresh bore water out of the ground; how good it tasted and how quickly we rehydrated. Thankfully the remainder of the Gunbarrel Highway was hard-packed and rocky with less sand.
As we turned onto the Heather Highway, deep gravel made riding tricky and Harry took a tumble at high speed, flipping the bike. Fortunately, there were no injuries, only twisted handlebars, which were soon straightened. A 4x4 caught us up on a long straight and flagged us down. He had been following our tracks for two days up the Gunbarrel and reunited Glenn with his ukulele! That night in Warburton we were treated to a ‘tune’ round the BBQ.
Our first encounter with the Olgas
Yulara or bust Before setting off up the Great Central Road we needed to change the oil in the DR650 and order new clutch plates. Luckily Richard managed to organise replacement plates to be flown into Yulara, which was 600km ahead of us but still on route.
The Great Central Road was busy and wide but still with deep sand and gravel ruts; giant road-trains kicked up tons of dust and pick-ups flew past us causing chaos. Hats off to the cyclist with a trailerful of water and kit who was battling along the road, which became ‘corrugated’ for miles on end – very uncomfortable and tiring. Trying to get the perfect speed to smooth out the road surface always felt a little too fast for comfort.
The day was shortened as we passed over a timeline and the clocks moved forwards 90 minutes. We camped behind the fuel station and shop at Warakurna, where the dingoes were never far away. The next day we needed to collect the clutch plates in Yulara and also fit in a bit of sightseeing. On the way to the state border the going was rough with deep sand and gravel, but as we crossed into the Northern Territory the roads had been graded, thankfully making progress faster.
We first encountered the Olgas (Aboriginal name Kata Tjuta), fantastic, rounded rock structures rising out of the desert floor, followed by the iconic Ayers Rock (Uluru). Richard collected the clutch plates and we left town to search for a camp site. After an 80km ride in the dark, we managed to squeeze onto a site in Curtin Springs (a busy little spot due to the proximity of that famous nearby rock). There was a bar on site and the cold beer was sweet, especially as we’d been denied a beer since day two due to the strict alcohol restrictions in the outback.
A relaxing morning was spent changing oil and filters on all the bikes and replacing the clutch plates on the DR.
Getting back to the dirt roads A day on the tarmac was ahead of us as we made our way to Marla. I swapped bikes with Harry and we rode through the wide open desert under clear blue skies. Mount Conner came into view, a welcome break from the flat, monotonous landscape, as we passed quietly into South Australia. The CRF had the smallest tank and at the time I wasn’t carrying any spare fuel, so when I stopped to take photos I was left behind, which meant the inevitable happened – I ground to a halt with 8km to go. Thankfully it wasn’t too long before I was missed, and fuel was relayed back to me.
After a cold night we woke to frost on our bikes, which necessitated extra layers of clothing as we rode
The undrinkable mineral-laden water in the springs looks enticing...
into the low sun. Soon we were back on the dirt, heading for the infamous Oodnadatta Track. The dust hung in the air as there was no wind, but the going was quick and fun. Lunch was eaten at the Pink Roadhouse before we pushed on towards William Creek, where we met up with David Halliday, a longstanding friend of Nick and Richard, who was joining us for a couple of days.
A substantial meal and refreshments in the local pub led to a well-earned sleep. The track was following the original route of the old Ghan Railway, and in the days of steam the engines were able to top up with water from the natural pressurised source below ground. The undrinkable, mineral-laden water also produces natural springs in the desert forming small oases; it’s well worth a visit.
As we sped on towards Marree, passing the salt flat, Lake Eyre South, the deep rutted gravel, corrugations and excess speed put the WR250 into a bit of a ‘tank slapper’ . Having survived the near miss, we ‘sailed’ into town past the Lake Eyre Yacht Club, which believe it or not gets enough water every two or three years to be able to go boating.
Still heading east After lunch we explored the historic rusting trains and sidings of the Ghan Railway, before fuelling up and heading for the Strzelecki Desert. It was over 500km to our next fuel stop at Cameron Corner, so with as much fuel and water as we could carry, and hoping to avoid a repeat of the Gunbarrel Highway, we set off. Nick picked up a slow puncture after 155km, so we decided to call it a day and pitch tents. The next morning we celebrated Richard’s 54th birthday before setting off at a steady pace to conserve fuel. The desert road was smooth going yet as we turned onto Corner Road, the conditions changed once again with more challenging sand, but we were no longer fazed –we were becoming quite proficient. We tackled dozens of sand dunes, each one needing cresting and cruising down, making the ride an absolute joy and with enough fuel to relish some of the best riding of the trip.
Cameron Corner is situated on the border of three states: South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales. It’s a fantastic oasis in which to camp, eat great burgers, refuel and, of course, play a round of golf at Tri-state Golf, a unique desert golf course covering all three states.
The aptly named Dune Road was our way out as we headed towards Tibooburra, a small outback town where we decided to stay at the pub, a luxury, with the first bed since we left the west coast! We gained altitude as we headed towards the impressive Great Dividing Range. Mornings were colder, the sun was
The Lake Eyre Yacht Club gets water once every two or three years
shining, and dust hung in the windless air as we pushed on east towards Louth. Steve, another family friend, joined us at Wanaaring. A puncture slowed us down, forcing us to camp near the very welcoming Shindy’s Inn. After another early start, cold and dusty once again, our goal by nightfall was the opal mining town of Lightning Ridge. There were plenty of sightseeing opportunities en route, looking round the old river ports with their wooden bridges and aboriginal fish ladders. Our journey-weary bodies were treated to a relaxing dip in the local natural hot springs.
Whilst Glenn found a mechanic to remove and replace the subframe bolt, which had sheared on the SWM, the rest of us toured the opal mines and explored the town.
After a short afternoon ride we reached Narrabri for the night. Imposing mountains lay ahead, and it was definitely getting colder; the landscape became more bush and forest than desert as we rode up to the summit of Mount Kaputar (1510m). Riding through forests as we climbed the mountainside was fantastic, the views were unbelievable, and the roads were exhilarating. What could possibly go wrong? Maybe we were getting a bit complacent, as Arran then had a hard fall on a forest track and the gravel got the better of Harry again. There again, perhaps it was fatigue as we had been riding now for 19 days solid.
Another welcome bed for the night followed, this time at David’s house in Guyra. The next morning was spent in Armidale purchasing oil and filters, which were changed at David’s, while Glenn rode to Tamworth to repair his leaking clutch reservoir at an SWM dealer before we all hit the road again, travelling through the high ground of NSW.
The next two days saw us riding through some fantastic scenery in the valleys of the Great Dividing Range over countless clear flowing rivers. Platypus Flats was to be our camp site by a river in the middle of thick bush. We had the site all to ourselves with wildlife all around us – including platypi. The next morning we took the ‘short cut’ through the bush, which ended up being a spectacular and technical ride. After a quick stop in Grafton for supplies we set off on the old Grafton Road, ending up by the Guy Fawkes River for the night. It was ‘bath night’ , so a quick wash in the river was followed by a warm-up by the camp fire. The evening was cold followed by a hard frost in the morning.
Nearly there On our last full day on the bikes, we travelled through quiet valleys with spread-out communities, war memorials and home-made jam for sale by the side of the road. Some of the best narrow, twisty lanes I have ridden anywhere in the world were ours, with no other traffic. Steak and red wine were purchased for our final evening meal at McSweeney Ranch camping
Golf anyone?
Journeys end at Byron Bay
ground. Tomorrow we would see the sea again! Spirits were high, as we set out early to ride into Byron Bay, all on tarmac now as we filtered through the town and out to the lighthouse, the most easterly point of Australia; how beautiful the sea looked with migrating whales passing the headland. We were met by Nick and Richard’s family, who welcomed us as we rode into the car park. Journey’s end, and a great team effort. After all the photographs we headed back into town for a celebratory breakfast, followed by warm showers and the cleaning of equipment. We had just completed an epic ride and come out unscathed. We felt quite elated. After a couple of days of much needed rest, the team headed their separate ways. I headed north to Queensland to see college friends not seen in 30 years, Harry flew to Melbourne to see some school friends, while others headed back to Sydney and beyond.
Who’s writing I am 55, living in the Lake District. I have been riding for 20 years and have ridden in the UK, Ireland, Australia, Vietnam and Spain as well as joining the Gibraltar Race in 2017. My aim is to try and fit in a memorable trip every year, although 2020 comprised just five days riding round Scotland. Still, an excellent ride, all things considered. My current bikes are a Honda CRF1000L, Moto Guzzi V50 and a Yamaha WR250R.
Bikes and riders Richard Lemon, Nick Lemon (brothers and also my cousins) and myself were riding Yamaha WR250Rs with 18-litre tanks and upgraded suspension.
Harry Broomby was riding a Honda CRF250L with a 12-litre tank.
Arran Lemon (Richard’s son) was riding a Suzuki DR650 with large tank, which was hired for the trip.
Glenn Cameron was riding his trusty SWM 650 Superdual.
All the bikes coped with the trip easily, the 250s were incredibly capable over such a great distance. I have since added a WR250R to my stable back home.
When to ride We rode this route in July, which is Australia’s winter. Temperatures in the desert were up to 30 degrees but cold at night. The summer months would make the desert routes impossibly hot and you would struggle to carry enough water on bikes. ■
Training Days
The man himself, Dean Allen, weaving through the undergrowth, showing how its done
Dean Allen from Somerset TRF talks about the rider training days he has been running for the last few years. Photos by Rob Perkins
Q. How and why did you get into rider training?
A. There are several reasons but the two main motives were firstly to raise funds to pay for the running of Group events, and secondly to give less experienced riders the skills needed to participate in rides. Some people in the Group at that time were being excluded, as their riding skills were not perceived to be adequate. I thought that was a bit unfair, and that training would give them the skills needed to help them become better riders and so be able to join in on all the Group rides. At Somerset TRF, rides are posted on the Group forum under the categories Novice, Intermediate and Advanced. It’s a system that works really well. A. I’m into my eighth year now. For the first five years I used TRF insurance while the last three have been organised through the ACU system, initially as a Provisional Coach and now as Level 1 Trail Coach.
Q.How has the ACU affiliation helped with your training days?
A. It’s been brilliant in one way and a massive learning curve in another. The brilliant part is the official ACU paperwork, the insurance and the way the ACU operates. This gives you the reassurance that you’re doing things correctly and that the landowner and yourself, as coach, are covered in the event of an accident.
The learning curve for a humble plasterer was the admin required and the things that, as a coach, you
As easy as hopping over a log. Until you try and do it, of course Dean taking some time to discuss the finer points
Dean is always on hand to help with the trickier moves
have to put in place to satisfy the ACU and yourself, which is of the utmost importance as the consequences of not doing so can be severe. To help me manage I’ve always had an assistant. Historically this was Byron Williams. Now it’s Rob Perkins, who helps with the signing-in process and keeping order out on track. He also helps with the admin, answering all enquiries, sending out emails with instructions and so much more. We need to have a plan in place in the event of an emergency and an extra pair of hands is vital – without them it would be so much harder to operate.
Q. All your training days are sold out with a maximum of 10 riders. You cater for Enduro, Trail and big Adventure bikes and you often handle all three categories at the same time. How do you do that?
A. That’s a really good question, bearing in mind these are paying customers who expect value for money and good tuition. So over the years I’ve developed a programme that suits all abilities and all bikes. I can crank the levels up or down on the various skills I teach but to be fair, the proof is in the results I see, and it works.
It’s important that you come over well and teach with confidence. After all, you can’t expect a trainee to copy you if you can’t actually do the task yourself! I begin each session with a small track. My assistant Rob leads the group round while I have a roll-up and observe everyone’s riding. This way I can assess fairly quickly everyone’s ability and begin to formulate what’s going to benefit each rider the most. Also I get a fair idea of how difficult or not that’s going to be. I then go through a fixed series of relevant bike skills. I’ve put a lot of thought into the skills I choose to teach and again I can crank them up or down. Every task is demonstrated by myself and then I walk amongst the group and give individual coaching, which really helps – it’s constant and demanding on everyone involved, and includes a lot of leg work by me.
While the trainees have lunch, I set out 4–5 observed sections, all of which contain one or more of the skills learnt in the morning. This is the fun part, as apart from watching Kickstart when they were young, most have never done a Trials-type ‘section’ before. The trainees are now using the skills they have acquired, which I think is a brilliant way of teaching, with visual results in real time. I have had many reviews over the years, all of them good, but I think the one that stands out the most was from a chap who had been really struggling for quite some time. He even had a mini tantrum in front of everyone, kicked his bike and was just really annoyed by falling off all the time. Needless to say, by the end of the day he was a completely different rider and his review read, “I don’t know how you have done this, but I’m now calling you Mr McGee” .
It’s easy to become an ACU coach but to actually be able to coach is a different matter. ▲ ▲
Dean is keen to involve everyone in the training both riding and assisting others
Q. What have been your best achievements and lowest times regarding training?
A. Ah, that’s a tricky one to answer without coming over as big-headed, which I don’t think I am, but I’ll give it a go. I think the number of TRF members I’ve helped is up into the 400s now and good money has been generated for the Group, so that’s a good feeling, you’re putting something back. Also, seeing people out at LTD events that they wouldn’t have done before training is very satisfying. But I think my crowning glory for 2021 has to be getting David Knight (‘Knighter’) to come to Somerset TRF and acting as his assistant for three days’ training. The look on everyone’s faces when the reality that David Knight was actually going to be there actually sunk in was awesome, and the fact that he had such a great time, and is coming back, is the icing on the cake.
Q.What does the future hold for you and Somerset TRF training days?
A. More of the same but with a bit of a difference for 2022. We kicked off with hill climbing, an up-anddown day at a new venue in Somerset, back in January. To be followed by four training days in February, March, April and May, again at a new venue in Somerset.
At the same time I’m starting a new venture with a chap called Fred Adams. This will enable us to travel to your area and coach at your own venue. Fred was 2017 British Extreme Enduro Champion, Scottish Six Day first-class finisher seven times from seven starts, 2021 BMW GS Trophy winner and he’s in the 2022 GS team.
So we have all the tools to walk the walk and the experience to teach efficiently with confidence at all levels and on all classes of bikes, including the big ones. On top of that we will be offering assistance and guiding Adventure tours in the UK and abroad, so exciting stuff ahead. ■
GETTING DAVID KNIGHT TO COME TO SOMERSET TRF TO ASSIST FOR THREE DAYS TRAINING IS DEAN’S FAVOURITE MOMENT OF 2021
Mini Mondo
Nick Grant discovers that real-life biking adventures are still out there to be had and needn’t cost a fortune and involve a return journey by air ambulance
In 2018 Austin Vince came to a TRF night in Blaydon, Newcastle, to present a whole evening of adventure travel and to promote future events. One thing that got me immediately interested was this Mini Mondo thing. Ooh, I liked the sound of that…
A couple of years later, and now retired, I get an email, out of the blue, all about the Mini Mondo for 2021. Oh my God, I can do this now, I thought. Without much hesitation I got straight in touch. There was one space left … and it was going to be mine.
Austin makes it very clear in his bumph that this is not for you … it is hard, it is dangerous, you must work
for the Group, you sleep outside, we feed ourselves, you will get wet, you will get hot, you will ride all day. A real sales pitch… But, if you are willing and able, and adventurous, you will ride some of the best trails the world has to offer, and get a real-life experience of a Round The World (RTW) trip, distilled down to five days of learning. Yep, that’s for me, I thought, and I got my deposit to him asap to guarantee my place.
The plan ‘Failing to Prepare is Preparing to Fail’ , Elvis once said. To prepare myself for this event, everything I needed was to be found in my regular Trail and ABR magazines. Here was advertised two days of Honda Off Road Training, and then the three-day Adventure Bike Festival with 20km of off-road trail riding. That should do me, I thought.
I am lucky enough to have both the CRF250L and CRF1000 Africa Twin in my stable and have attended most TRF annual ride-outs with both Northumbria and Yorkshire TRF Groups on the smaller bike. My thinking was that if I could get some off-road experience on my big Africa Twin (AT), then this would also help to improve my skills on the smaller bike.
I needed a plan … and this was it: 1. Have two days at the Dave Thorpe Honda Off Road Centre, riding The Big ATs 2. Do the Adventure Bike Rider Festival and as much off-road riding as I can 3. Join Austin Vince’s Mini Mondo in the Spanish Pyrenees
This would hopefully lift my riding status from incompetent to competent. A positive uplift.
Dave Thorpe Off Road Centre So off to the Dave Thorpe Honda Off Road Centre in North Devon. I think it was given this name to make it sound as though there was a real person behind the whole thing, a bit like Disney.
I also think the venue was selected to be far enough away, so that just getting there would be a recognisable achievement and worthy of some sort of certificate – which reminds me, mine still hasn’t arrived. This would weed out all but the most serious numpties.
The first job was to divide us up into competency groups, which meant that I was put in the lower ability group (story of my life), which of course made perfect sense.
The key thing I wanted out of these two days was to get to know what both the bike and I were capable of, and since I have the DCT version, it was this bike I booked for the two days. Although the 2021 bike has many more upgrades on the tech side than my 2017 model, it was still fundamentally the same.
The training and riding were just great. I learned so much on the first day that I requested to join the more able riders (the Big Boys) for the second day, convinced by my new-found skills and confidence that
Camping conditions were spartan but that’s all part of the experience
Meals cooked over an open fire. Real latter-day cowboy stuff
I could keep up. Whether it was the venue, the tyres, the weather, or just using the company bikes, or all of those points, my confidence grew and grew. I ended the second day riding up and down the most severe woodland the area had to offer, and there was nothing I wouldn’t try or couldn’t do. I just loved it. So I was absolutely buzzing at the thought of getting back on my own AT and on with my next little adventure. ▲
I WANTED THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING A LATTER-DAY COWBOY, RIDING THE LANES AND FIELDS OF A DIFFERENT COUNTRY. IT CERTAINLY DELIVERED
Adventure Bike Rider Festival Knowing that the festival had 20km of off-road trails was, for me, the key to going there, as I wanted to ride both my bikes in a ‘safe environment’ , before going out on my own. I reccied the course initially on my CRF250L, again just to build my confidence before riding my AT.
There was only one area where I thought the AT might struggle, and that was a fairly deep bog at the foot of a hill section. Lots of big bikes were getting stuck. I got through several times on the smaller CRF250 with no problems but thought better of attempting this on the big Africa Twin.
I removed the screen from the AT as a precaution, so I didn’t whack myself in the face when going up hills etc. This turned out to be a good idea. I rode the 20km trails six times, I think, three on each bike, and as the trails got drier it got much easier – or was I just getting better?
Another huge plus was that I hooked up with not only some of my new buddies, who would be doing the Mini Mondo, but also with Austin himself. Both Austin and Dai, his partner in crime, were at the festival, with their own set up under a huge tarp, and this is where we met for the first time. Austin is such a force of nature and so enthusiastic about off-road riding. He gave several talks at the event, and he was bloody hilarious in all of them.
I couldn’t wait for Mini Mondo…
Mini Mondo I know I must be getting old as I chose not to ride 1,400 miles on my CRF250L just to get to the Pyrenees and back for the Mondo; instead I trailered my bike there behind my camper van. However, most of my new buddies did indeed ride there, via various routes, and I am in awe of these guys. The real deal adventure bikers.
I wanted the experience of being a latter-day cowboy, riding the lanes and fields of a different warm country and wild camping at some amazing places. And it certainly delivered.
In a largish group of participants, you simply must be well organised, and to this end, the entire week was mapped out by Austin and Dai, with everybody’s job/task allocated so that you, and only you, were responsible for your given activity. With military precision everybody took up their individual responsibilities with enthusiasm, committing wholeheartedly to the group effort. My specialist subject turned out to be making fires, and I was lucky enough to be the fireman twice. This meant building a ring of stones suitable for the griddle to sit on, collecting all the wood, of which there was plenty, and starting and
keeping the fire going all evening to the satisfaction of the ‘chefs’ cooking on it. Make no mistake, this event isn’t a holiday. This is for the experience.
I joked that it was “living like a criminal on the run” , riding the backroads and trails hidden away from society. I learned a lot about myself and about wild camping, such as setting up my tarp, sliding off my ill thought-out inflatable mattress, early morning dew, and the dreaded toileting in the woods. All I can say is thank God for biodegradable wet wipes.
Other things I learned included the fact that in a large group of blokes, there will be some whose snore is like a chain saw. I appear to need absolute quiet to sleep. So on the second night I had ear plugs rammed into my lugs, and bingo, problem solved.
Mercifully, all of us got on really well and having a great laugh around the campfire of an evening was “such fun” .
At the time of writing, we still had to do stuff with PCR tests and Lateral Flows, which was a total pain. I was up at 3.00am in our hotel on the last night trying to figure out exactly how to do it, and what was needed to complete the online locator forms. The Government online form proved absolutely pathetic.
On my drive back to Bilbao I was entertained by a blue bottle fly – you know, the ones that enjoy a poo platter. This little chap happened to be a beautiful iridescent metallic green. He sat next to me on the passenger seat, obviously thrilled by doing 120kph, and started doing back flips, one after another. The little fella was really enjoying himself – certainly I would struggle to do back flips on my passenger seat. We’re all good at something.
I thoroughly enjoyed the ferry trip back to Portsmouth, being gently rocked to sleep, and spotted 12 wales and a pod of dolphins. Awesome. All in all, it was “A real-life adventure, worth more than pieces of gold” , as David Bowie once sang. ■
CLASSICS
Blue Remembered Hills
Ifirst tried my hand at pre-65 trials riding about 30 years ago on a Triumph Tiger Cub but basically I wasn’t skilful enough and seemed to spend every riding, mainly in the nearby Surrey Hills. Alan Pemberton reports other weekend getting the frame straightened and welded. I ended up part-exchanging the Cub for a 500cc 1953 AJS 18CS. This had been a scrambler in its hey-day. I first got it up and running on the road and then started a bit of local green laning. As anyone who has ridden these machines will know, they pull like steam trains, so provided I kept it upright and retarded the ignition it could get me out of trouble most of the time. When I first crested a stony and rutted icy track leading up onto Ranmore Common I was elated but inevitably, when exploring muddier routes, the machine would sometimes slide away from me and it was just Alan Pemberton and his brother Gareth have always been very into their motorbikes and now combine their particular interest in classic British bikes with a bit of trail too damn heavy to lift up each time. So I had to look for something a bit lighter. By pure chance, as I was putting the AJS through its MOT one year, another chap was in the garage with a 1962 Triumph T100SS. We both liked the look of each other’s bikes and to cut a long story short in the end did a straight swap. Like the AJS, the Triumph had also started life as a scrambler (supplied to H J Gifford Ltd of Basingstoke). Over the years it had acquired more modern forks (I think, like the yokes, they are Metal Profiles), a Japanese front hub and a twin plug head, as well as being registered for road use. It was only set up to fire on the standard plugs when I first got the bike, so I rigged up a pair of twin-lead sports coils triggered by the contact breaker in the distributor and all four plugs now seem to fire well. Apart from tidying up the bike cosmetically, I have fitted a modern flat slide carb, sturdy bash-plate and decent tyres. Gareth’s BSA C15T is from 1964 and, as is usually the case, started life as a road model. It was partially converted to trials trim with the addition of an alloy tank, off-road tyres, alloy guards and Renthal bars when he acquired it, and he has completed the conversion with further modifications to the swinging arm to relocate the spring mounts and allow the fitting of the correct BSA trials hub with bolt-on sprocket. The bike also features rear-set footrests, electronic ignition and of course a bash-plate. He recently fitted a Keihin carb to improve starting and slow running, putting the Amal Monobloc away in a safe place so that it can always be re-fitted. We mainly use the bikes on a series of BOATs running from just south of Leatherhead, along Admirals Road, Polesden Road and Hogden Lane to Ranmore Common and then on to Newlands Corner or Leith Hill. There are several options coming off
Ranmore, either Sheepwalk Lane or the perilously steep and slippery Beggars Lane down to the A25. These tracks can be quite busy with dog walkers and horse riders, the later invariably being very friendly towards us. No doubt shutting down the engines as soon as we first catch sight of a horse helps here. We also spent a couple of great days linking up a series of green lanes with quiet country roads down in the South Somerset area and Gareth has taken his BSA up over Salisbury Plain a few times.
Clearly these bikes have their limitations compared to more modern machinery and they can be a bit temperamental – the carburetor on mine had just started flooding when we took these photos, so that cut the day short. The two bikes also have different characteristics. Gareth’s BSA is definitely the more nimble of the two but has limited front fork travel and suffers from a wear-prone gearbox layshaft bush that no doubt struggles when transmitting power to the chunky rear tyre. With more modern forks and rear spring units, the Triumph has better ground clearance and is obviously quite a powerful machine but it is quite heavy and I think I might at some stage try to do another swap for something like a Greeves Scottish. In the meantime, we’re looking forward to getting out and about a bit more on these two 1960s classics, so if you see us out there in the Surrey Hills, please give us a wave. ■
RideRwanda
Norfolk TRF member André Castle swaps East Anglia for East Africa for a long dreamed of adventure
Nearly two years ago, whilst working in Rwanda, I managed to squeeze a short one-day bike trip into my weekend off. The ride was mainly on tarmac with some short sections of dirt roads and single tracks, heading north-west towards the area made famous by Gorillas in the Mist, near the volcanoes on the Congo/Uganda border. The day trip with Africa Adventure Motorcycle Tours whetted my appetite and I promised I’d go back but I had no idea how long it would be before I could return. So fast forward 20 months and having completed two weeks’ training at a new Power Station in the southeast on the Burundi border, I hot-footed back to the city to connect up with Flavio, one of the owners of the tour company, for a ‘no holds barred’ trip using mainly tracks and trails, probably 80% trails and 20% road. What could possibly go wrong? Well, quite a number of things … ● My levels of fitness before lockdown were much better ● Malaria tablets make me dizzy, nauseous and have other amazing night-time side effects ● My off-road experience was somewhat limited compared with Flavio’s pedigree ‘motocross competition background’ ● Most of Rwanda is some 1,500m to 2,500m above sea level ● Then the UK added South Africa and other random
African countries to the Covid-related Red List of travel restrictions
But, I said to myself, “Come on, everything will be ok, you wanted an adventure, so just shut up and ride the bike!” So there I was, sitting on the SWM 650, waiting for the ‘thumbs up’ .
Day 1– the idea was to take it gently and head up | to the mountainous northern region of Musanze. We travelled some 250km entirely on dirt roads, only crossing one tarmac road all day. The road surface is of rock or compacted mud, with a fine layer of gritty volcanic sand in some places. The main challenge here are the slopes – just bear in mind that Rwanda is called the ‘land of a thousand hills’ for a reason. The slopes have gullies formed by the rain water and weave randomly across the track, creating a mini ravine in places up to 300mm deep, just wide enough for a front tyre ... if you get my drift. The slopes also consist of washed-out rock sections, which add to the fun of maintaining momentum on a 160+kg bike. I was watching Flavio’s line carefully and trying to keep up, as I think his ‘forced’ break from tour riding led to a more spirited ride! I can’t say I particularly like Ruhengeri (the capital city of Musanze). Like a lot of tourist hot spots, it seems to have become rather spoiled. It’s Gorilla Central, so it would usually be full of rich tourists willing to pay
View of the volcanoes near the Congo/Uganda border
£1,500 to go and sit with a gorilla for two hours. We stayed in the same hotel as Dian Fossey, the conservationist who campaigned for the protection of these majestic beasts.
Day 2 – this saw us head out of town to hook up with the Congo–Nile Trail. When your guide says, “Shall we go this way?” , that means you stand a 60% chance of getting through this section. But I thought, “I came for an adventure, so let’s try it” . What Flavio perhaps did not make clear was that most of the bridges had been washed away back in April and they were unlikely to have been repaired. We looked at the first washed-out crossing and seriously thought about turning back, but then the lads from the nearby village turned out to egg us on and attempt the crossing. Basically they threw rocks up out of the river bed to make us a small ramp. We then we slid the bikes down into the river, started the engines and rode up the opposite bank, powered by Rwanda’s finest pushing from behind. For this service francs were exchanged with the village elders and off we went. The lads ran off ahead of us and Flavio started to shake his head, as we were now trapped – the boys clearly know this as ‘check mate’! So for each of the next five crossings we had a new challenge: bridges were made from a few logs, or bikes were physically dragged up the banks by the lads, singing their hearts out knowing it was ‘pay day again’ . After three crossings I lay beaten on the side of the track, only to be told by Flavio I had no choice but to ride out of this section or it would be dark! But adventures are made of this stuff, and we made it through a total of six crossings – 200km duly completed. ▲
Overlooking Lake Kivu
Day 3 – After yesterday’s Jeux sans frontières (It’s a Knockout), it was music to my ears to hear Flavio say, “Let’s do some road work today” . And what an amazing day it was. We followed Lake Kivu south, on the Rwandan side, which meant getting close to Congo/Uganda borders on occasions, sometimes a bit too close. I’d been told not to bring any camouflage clothing and I began to understand why, as the borders are patrolled by rather grim-looking soldiers stationed on the edge of the rain forest. The road was truly stunning. Built by the Chinese it smoothly follows the contours of the lake, rising and falling over the headlands like some crazy Chinese dragon, offering stunning glimpses from high above its glistening waters. But beware, this lake has a hidden danger. Lurking within this tranquil setting, Lake Kivu is a melting pot of natural chaos. It is known as the world’s most dangerous lake, due to the under-surface volcanic activity that could lead to the escape of poisonous gasses or even a tsunami if the volcano erupts underwater!
This simply amazing road would bring tears to the eyes of any biker. It’s not over tight, just a continuous flow of magical bends that are seamless and never ending. Along the way we had a short interlude and broke off down a 3km track to visit a Coffee Washing Station, to see where the magic bean begins its journey. The Rwandans are very proud of their coffee heritage, and rightly so.
Our journey continued – with a break for coffee – as we headed east into the Nyungwe National Forest. The temperature dipped a few degrees as we climbed steeply, gaining altitude with every twist and turn in the road. The extra challenge here were the local black and white colobus monkeys that frequent the road side and the steep banks of rainforest that tower above you. Trying to spot monkeys brings a new distraction as you try and remain focused on staying on the road, which weaves along the border through the impenetrable rain forest. There’s also a lot of military presence here and these guys melt into the jungle in front of you. Flavio’s advice was “Keep focused on the road, don’t make eye contact and don’t stop to take any photos!”
My bike for the journey – the SWM 650R
All aboard for the Congo Nile Trail
It was later that evening that we broke another simple rule. Never drive in the dark in Africa. Oh my word, this brings a whole new dimension to your observation skills. Try driving into the local town where no one (not even Police cars) have lights. The cyclists and local ‘taxi bikers’ are completely mad and seem to drive with little regard for any traffic rules. I have never been so glad to see a hotel car park. What a nightmare – that’s one rule I need not break again!
Day 4 – this was our penultimate day. Another epic day unfolded, albeit a mixed bag. We started off on some really tough and aggressive sections of poorly maintained track, and then broke out onto a road section where the Chinese have set about building a dual carriageway from east to west across the centre of the country. We had the luxury of some fine tarmac that swept away into the distance across the open plains, or savanna. We stopped on one section that reminded me of the first Mad Max film. Here we could get to grips with riding huge areas of soft sand at speed … it’s just stopping that’s an issue! The simple advice here was keep up the pace and keep accelerating – don’t slow down.
Our destination for the night was the rather plush Rhino Lodge on the very edge of the plains of the Akagera National Park. This area is massive, with a huge lake in the centre of the valley, and it is home to many wild animals including Africa’s top five. Considering it’s less than two hours from the airport, this is quite amazing. Apparently the reserve doesn’t let bikers in to ride around, something to do with the leopards liking the crunchy outer coating of bike armour and the soft squishy bit in the middle! The SWMs are quick but I don’t fancy my chances of out-manoeuvring a hungry 60kph pussy cat!
Day 5 – our last day took us full circle and back to the capital, Kigali. We road through the valleys, across bridges, and one deep, wide river crossing. Our journey took us through the rice paddy fields, which are extensive, and as ever we were greeted with a wave and curious glances as we passed by. Whole villages would erupt with whistles and shouts, and the ever-hopeful chance that you might wheelie through it (definitely not me). We finally tightened up as we penetrated the city roads, where every sense is on high alert as you jostle for position and progress is measured in inches. Finally we arrived back at HQ for Africa Adventures and remarkably we were both still in one piece. Stupidly I had managed to allow the sun to burn my neck by not ensuring I was fully covered up, while Flavio’s SWM had a fork seal leak, but it didn’t seem to phase him that he had hardly any front brake!
The SWMs are very capable for the tracks and roads of Rwanda and offer a good all-round ride. Speaking as a six-footer, I found the bike perfect and rode most ▲
Road section in the Kisagara Reserve One of the locals washing his pushbike in the river
of each day standing, as it offers a better view of the road ahead. The bikes came with luggage, as we were to be self-sufficient while completing a circular route over the five days. Fuel was a similar price to back home and we were filling up once or twice a day, at about 20 US dollars (some £15) a time.
Handy hints Since my last trip there are many more speed cameras. I’m not quite sure why speed is the primary concern, when most vehicles are so poorly maintained and generally couldn’t make the speed limit unless going downhill. The fines for speeding are considerable, reportably 50,000 francs or about £35 a time. To the locals this is perhaps a month’s wages.
If you’re thinking of stopping for a quick bite to eat, forget it. You need to allow a minimum of an hour to get a coffee, and two to three hours for a three-course meal! We ordered as soon as we got to our hotels and made sure that the kitchen knew when we wanted to be served. “This is Africa” was one of Flavio’s favourite sayings, with a shrug of the shoulders. As he says, “In Europe you have the watch, in Africa we have the time” .
You are never alone. What’s remarkable about Rwanda is that the 12 million population is thinly spread across every square metre of this landscape. Stop your bike and within seconds one or two locals will remarkably appear, to stand and watch. Stop for a few minutes and the ‘jungle telephone’ is ringing hot. Within 10 minutes most of the village has rocked up, just to come and be part of the occasion. Throughout the trip your eyes will be on stalks. You really don’t know where to look next, there is always something interesting to look at, someone to wave to, or a new hazard approaching!
Going for quick pee in the woods is a complete no-no; it would instantly become a spectator sport! Kids seem to spend most of their day in the roadside drainage ditches and heads pop up from anywhere
The support crew, helping us up one of the tougher trails
Day 5, riding into Kigali
and everywhere as you pass. This is not a country where it would be safe to ‘blast along’ – you literally need to plan for anything, and I mean anything: suicidal goats, chickens, pigs, cows as well as the locals just wandering about. Bicycles are the main form of heavy goods vehicle in Africa and these guys push stunningly heavy loads up hills and then roll down the other side using their feet as brakes. After a few days you become complacent – there is clearly nothing you can’t put on a push bike.
The weather in Rwanda is temperate, being 100 miles south of the Equator. Generally the temperature is in the mid-to-high 20s C and if it rains it’s a heavy, sudden downpour. They do have a wetter season, but it’s not significantly different, from what I can understand. In my experience it’s often overcast, but the sun can still catch you out very easily. The cities for us westerners are quite heavily polluted with exhaust fumes, but apparently it’s nowhere near as bad as other cities. The west of the country is verdant with crops growing everywhere in perfect conditions, while the east is more the sort of savanna that you would imagine of Africa.
Africa Adventure Motorcycle Tours I would highly recommend Flavio and Africa Adventure Motorcycle Tours, an absolutely faultless service from the very start. The team worked closely to make sure I truly had a trip of a lifetime, every detail was perfect. The company operates in Ethiopia and Rwanda, and has rides to suit everyone’s needs. I had a strict budget and kept costs down by choosing hotels that ranged from 25 to 50 US dollars (about £20–40) and you can get a reasonable B&B hotel for that.
Rwanda is a very safe country. It’s had a troubled past but the general ‘feeling’ is positive and full of hope for a bright future. The whole country is spotless with no litter and no graffiti; everywhere is stunning. There are many museums if you fancy delving into the country’s history but very little tourism except in the volcano area and the national reserves. Most of the people here are self-sufficient, farming small areas around their houses. There is very little ‘big industry’ as such, with tea plantations probably the biggest industry you will see.
Big bikes are very rare in Rwanda, so you are always sure to attract a lot of attention from the locals. There are thousands of bikes used as ‘moto taxis’ but the majority of theses are usually Chinese 125s.
Finally, you need to go to Africa with an open mind. Do not try to compare or contrast Africa with how we live, accept that there is another way, another attitude, and immerse yourself in it. This is Africa ■
TerraNot SoFirma
In the first of a two-part feature Kelvin Varney from South Wales TRF ponders the friction coefficients of the various types of road surface we’re likely to encounter
Some 30 years ago I did a season of sporting car trials, which taught me a lot about tyre pressures, throttle control and braking. In one of the Group’s newsletters a member had written an article on types of mud and other off-tarmac surfaces. I was quite taken by the article but as is always the way, I can’t find it now that I want to refer to it. So I thought I’d write one of my own, which may be of some use to trail riders out there. What qualification do I have to write such an article? Well, nothing academic. I’m not a geologist or Earth scientist, just a regular guy who has ridden motorcycle trials and trails for 40-odd years. Now at this point, if you’re a hardened trail rider with years of experience, you might feel you won’t learn much. But then again, you just might …
This isn’t intended to be a how-toride guide, although I may have slipped in a bit of advice now and then; more a summary of the types of terrain surface you may find under your tyres on a trail ride. Most of us are familiar with our local trails, but what about all the other surfaces you might encounter? Here are some of the most common (and less common) surfaces you may find whilst out on a trail ride.
Tarmac – You’ll find a lot of it in-between green lanes in the UK. It forms the principal surface on which you’ll be riding on a typical trail ride. Some 120 years ago the first tarmac road was laid at Radcliffe Road in Nottingham. Back then motorcycle reliability trials were all the rage on basically dirt roads. Over
the decades that followed, roads gradually became surfaced and sealed. Some roads, however, were never sealed, and some sealed roads today are gradually reverting to their natural state. Broken tarmac is often found where roads have fallen into disrepair and the elements and nature have started to bite.
Some significant steps can form where the sub soil has been eroded away by running water, or by use or both. Normally tarmac will provide plenty of grip, assuming it is not covered in any other substance such as mud, water, ice or diesel! Watch out for highways that are being prepared for resurfacing, as the scarifying process to key the surface can make motorcycle tyres wander disconcertingly. As tarmac or asphalt is based on bitumen, a by-product of crude oil distillation, it is ironic that the industry is now on the hunt for a more environmentally-friendly method of ‘green’ road manufacture.
Something we as trail riders often encounter in both tarmac and green lanes are cattle grids. They can be flat or curved upwards. Being made of metal, like manhole covers, they can be very slippery if wet. They are best coasted across with the bike in as near a vertical position as possible.
Concrete – Less common than tarmac, concrete can also be found on some normal vehicular highways, farm tracks, in farmyards and also as the basis for fords. In fords it can be extremely slippery with algae, so be careful with the throttle.
If dry, concrete is usually grippy. It is more durable than tarmac, hence its use to support agricultural vehicles and cattle movement. In main road use it can be quite noisy, due to the joints and slightly rougher surface than tarmac. Until I looked it up I didn’t know where the term ‘metalled roads’ came from. ‘Metalled’ comes from the Latin metallum, meaning ‘quarry’ , as in the cement, concrete or coal tar used in roads. Coal tar was gradually phased out in the early 1980s.
Mud – This is soil, either clay, sand, silt, loam, peat or chalk (or a combination of all six) mixed with water. It usually forms after rainfall or near water sources. Ancient mud deposits harden over geological time to form sedimentary rock, such as shale or mudstone. There is an infinite range of mud, and hence grip, mostly dependent on the water content. It can be as hard as rock in dry seasons (as my ribs will testify) or liquid as found in opaque trail puddles. It’s possibly the most common terrain you will find on trails, depending on which part of the country you ride.
A dictionary definition of mud is ‘soft, sticky matter resulting from the mixing of earth and water’ . It can pose problems for all forms of wheeled, foot and hoof traffic when moisture is present. Every wheel, foot or hoof movement that changes direction or speed relies on friction between the tread/shoe and the road surface. So a layer of mud on the surface of the road or tread/shoe can cause skidding or slipping. One of the slipperiest forms of mud is frozen ground, where the top layer is just thawing.
The viscosity of mud can be altered by adding water such as rain, rivers or streams, or by removing water through evaporation. Its uses are endless. A 400-year-old farmhouse in Devon that I used to live in was made from it, together with horsehair and stone, commonly called cob. A lot of wild and farmed animals love it and use it for various purposes. Farm animals, horses,
Joe Stephens and Andy Pitt on a broken tarmac road in Gwynedd, Mid and West Wales
walkers, agricultural and other wheeled vehicles and cycles create it unintentionally in wetter climates purely by ground pressure.
The Urban Dictionary informs us that ‘Mud was first “invented” by homo habilis as a defence against unwanted female attention. He found if he flung it at them, he could ward them off. This ultimately proved contrary to his survival, so he began flinging it at those who encroached on his females … occasionally excreted matter was added, for the sake of odour. ’ Hmm, nice!
Mud can prove difficult to get out of if you get stuck. If you find a trickle of water, or a very small stream, running through mud, this will usually have washed down to reveal a harder surface beneath. If you need better grip, that is usually the route to ride or walk if it is not too rough. Watch out for animal-made mud in the form of cow pats and farmyard slurry. If you get it on your gear or bike, it can stain – and your ride buddies will keep their distance, or worse ridicule you!
Nowadays, mud is often seen as an obstacle to be avoided, especially by vehicular traffic. Nonetheless, it is still enjoyed by recreational traffic whether travelling by wheel or on foot, on both rights of way and green roads. It’s pretty magnetic to young children too! What was it the hippopotamus said? ‘Mud, mud, glorious mud… ’ .
Bog – This is a poorly drained, usually acidic area rich in accumulated plant material or peat. It is frequently found surrounding a body of open water, having a characteristic flora such as sedges, heaths and sphagnum moss. Bogs are well known for hiding their depth. They can be a few inches or several feet deep. The top surface growth can often hide what is underneath. It is usually very difficult to traverse by any means without causing damage. However, they often self-repair over time. Bogs are more dangerous than quicksand because you can sink deep into them. Apparently, you can even drown in a peat bog, its deep patches of water covered with vegetation on top.
An arty-farty boot cam view of Wyegate Lane, Gloucestershire
Loam – Often found in forests, loam is a deep, dark soil made of silt, sand and clay with a hefty dose of decomposing plant material. The knobs of your tyres reach their full potential here, digging in to allow controlled grip and braking. Make sure you stay loose and ready, as loam usually involves roots as well.
Leaves/pine needles –Autumn and winter seasons in broad-leaf deciduous tree areas see a blanket of leaves, slowly decaying on the ground. Wet leaves with a hard surface underneath and a change in direction can be a recipe for pitching you off on your ear if you are not paying attention. Dry leaves on top can be hiding wet leaves underneath, so caution is needed, as above. Dry (and wet) leaves can be hiding a multitude of surfaces underneath. Maybe a ditch, a hole, mud, water or rocks. Typically, where the wind has collected them into one area, it’s best to expect something underneath. Fully decayed leaves eventually turn to soil as the organic growth cycle evolves. Over hundreds of years the cycle can result in a significant increase in the soil level if left undisturbed. It is partly the reason why sunken lanes appear sunken relative to the surrounding land. The other reason for apparently sunken lanes is the passage of people, vehicles, animals and the action of running water. If unsealed these lanes can still be active in eroding the terrain.
Pine needles themselves are normally free-draining on their own but sitting on top of decades of decayed pine needles and a covering tree canopy can mean the area is moisture retentive. The soil can be friable and lack grip, especially if the top surface has been disturbed.
Rocks and stones – One loose rock, hit at the wrong angle with your front wheel, can significantly raise your heart rate. A whole green road full of them can be like traversing marbles. An incline or descent makes the situation worse. An eagle eye, concentration and the correct amount of momentum, brake and throttle application will see you through. Stones and rocks can be all sizes and shapes and formed from a variety of minerals, anything from sharp fractured flint to smooth pebbles. Pebbles are usually, but not always, formed from naturally occurring rock that has been worn smooth by the action of water on beaches, lakes or rivers. Pebbles can also be formed from artificial material such as concrete, bricks and glass. These surfaces are difficult to deal with because the rocks and stones are movable and therefore can’t be trusted. Check your tyres after riding rocks and stones as they can slash and wreck them. Drystone walls that often line green roads are made from local stone, usually found lying on the surface.
Boulders – Technically a boulder is a rock fragment bigger than 256mm or 10.1in. Boulders can often be mixed in with rocks and loose stones and can provide a little more stability, depending on their shape and size. They can, however, act as a barrier to progression if spanning the width of the track. Boulders can be loose or set firm in the ground. They can also be massive, like those Toni Bou [Antoni Bou, Spanish trials rider] pogos on…
Cobblestones – These are smaller versions of boulders, not unlike pebbles. Cobblestones are a strong, natural material, originally collected from river beds where the flow of the water made them round. When set in sand or bound with mortar, cobblestones once proved perfect for paving roads. With the strength of cobblestone, no ruts developed in the streets. However, wet smooth cobblestones can be extremely slippery. Dry cobbles, or setts, provide a good level of grip to the average tyre. There are a few green roads left that still have intact
Mike Wain and Co. near Keynsham, North East Somerset An old Roman road near Pontypool, South Wales
sections of cobbles or setts. The third image on the GRM front page is one close to me. Whilst people often confuse setts and cobbles, the main way in which cobbles differ is that they are rounded whereas a sett is square in shape. Setts are often quarried from granite and hand-formed. If you’ve walked along a cobbled beach or a cobblestone path, you will know that natural cobbles are also extremely difficult to walk on.
Lava – Okay, so lava is not very common in this country but it is quite common elsewhere in the world where folk often ride. It is solidified magma, pushed out of the earth’s surface by volcanoes, and is incredibly grippy wet or dry. You can buy ground-up lava to use as an alternative to road salt in some countries. Lava is porous – think solidified sponge – hence it is very free-draining. In my ‘yoof’ , with a number of other students, I once took a London Transport bus on a lava track up the side of Vesuvius. What an adventure that was. The insurance wasn’t cheap!
Sandstone – This offers loads of traction in most dry conditions. Add a layer of dust, moss, algae or mud to the equation and things can get slippery. Want to ride some world-class sandstone? Check out the Moab desert area in the United States. A sedimentary rock, sandstone is formed by the compaction of sand, held together by silica. Natural sandstone is hard and tough.
Limestone – Limestone is also a sedimentary rock, composed principally of calcium carbonate. It commonly comprises tiny fossils, shell fragments and other fossilised debris. Limestone is usually grey, but it may also be white, yellow or brown. It is used extensively in road and building construction, and is a material found in aggregate, cement, building stones, chalk and crushed stone.
Slate – We all know what slate looks like but did you know it is formed from clay, or volcanic ash, and low-grade regional heat and/or pressure over geological time? It can be in slab form or smaller loose debris from quarrying and is used in domestic or commercial paving.
Granite – This is a coarse or medium-grained igneous rock that is rich in quartz and feldspar. It is apparently the most common plutonic rock on the earth’s crust, formed by the cooling of magma (silicate melt) at depth. You’ll find granite in Devon, Cornwall, Cumbria and Scotland. As well as flooring and gravestones, granite is also used for paving and bridges. ■
An extreme example of water erosion on a green road near Cwmbran. This unclassified county road still has a national speed limit road sign at the south end The author on the pebbles of Morfa Bychan beach on the TETie, South West Wales
The Open University
JubileeTrial
Somerset TRF is now running the Historic Jubilee Trial for 2022 – on 29 May– the PlatinumYear
The Jubilee Long Distance Reliability Trial in West Somerset has been running since 1977 but from this year onwards Somerset TRF is running this classic event as the previous organisers did not have the resources. The Trial is for bikes only, with 75 miles of Green Roads, Restricted Byways, Bridleways, Footpaths and private forestry and farmland (with a little bit of black roads thrown in). There are 25 trial sections, a special test and a graded hill climb. The event is run under ACU permit and Motorsport UK sanction and all riders require an ACU Trials Licence to enter (£15 a year). Entries are limited to 170 and applied for online on the ACU website.
The route of the Platinum Jubilee on the Brendon Hills and Exmoor takes you to places and on routes you simply could never get to other than on this event with Landowner and Council permissions in place. The trials sections within the route are observed by enthusiastic volunteers and will not only range in technical level to allow everyone to have a great day but will also test the best. Bike classes include Trail, Enduro and Twin Shock.
This is an event to remember and definitely one to put in the calendar for every year.
How to apply for an ACU licence as a TRF member
You will need your ACU (Auto Cycle Union) affiliation code before you can get your licence renewal. This is available from the TRF link below as one of your member benefits at no extra cost.
For those not familiar with the system, if you want to enter an ‘ACU permitted’ events such as Trials, Long Distance Trials or Enduros you need to have an ACU competition licence for the discipline you are entering. The licence runs from 1 January to the end of the year, You need to complete an online form and submit a photo that gets included in your licence. A trials licence is only £12 a year. Once you have your profile set up on the ACU website, entering events on line is very easy and renewing licences each year is also made simple.
Long Distance Trails are a great complement to Trail Riding as they are generally set up for trail/enduro style road-legal bikes, they are very sociable and fun, and you get the opportunity to ride on tracks and trails normally out of bounds for us. You don’t have to be a ‘Trials God’ to do them. Have a laugh and have a go.
Links to a range of typical LDT events
https://www.actc.org.uk/events/202 1-e/ Link to getting your TRF - ACU affiliation Code: https://trail.trf.org.uk/.../acu-joininginstructions.../ Link to getting an ACU licence https://trail.trf.org.uk/.../acu-joininginstructions.../ Link to a LDT Facebook group; https://www.facebook.com/groups/l ongdistancetrials/?ref=share
https://www.acu.org.uk/events/May-2022/Trail-Riders-Fellowship/Trials/RaleighsCross-Brendon-Hill-Somerset-ACU62658.aspx
Red, Black and White Ride
We hope that after a two-year break, we will hold a Red, Black and White ride for riders of Himalayans, Honda CRF250Ls, 300Ls and Rallys. The dates for your diary are Friday and Saturday 16th and 17th September, going from Staylittle, SY19 7BU. See below for the nearest places to stay.
There will be choice routes. Scenic: A very scenic longer distance minor road route with easy gravel, suitable for standard bikes and riders with no off-road experience. Novice Friendly: For riders who have some experience and may have slightly modified bikes but do not class themselves as experienced, or who prefer not to ride the most challenging routes. Experienced: For those who regularly ride green roads and enjoy a challenge (will include Happy Valley, and may include Strata Florida)
I can supply an accommodation list. During 2021 Wales was very popular and accommodation became hard to find, so book early! Just make sure that you can cancel until a few days before, because we will not ride if there is a named storm with very high winds. Our routes are between 200 and 560m high and often exposed, so it gets too dangerous.
Contact: marianne@trailrideswales.com
