Thousands turn up!

What a brilliant day. I rode from Overton to meet my mates at a nearby fast food eatery at 10:00 am and got chatting to a group from Reading who had travelled down the day before.

We browsed each others bikes and I even let one gent ride my bike as a test ride, (Suzuki- you owe me some money for a new sale coming your way!). I warned them of a couple of unmarked bikes and cars that the local HEDDLU use and told them were the general traps are just in case they got caught out by the sudden speed change areas and of they set.

I started to chat to another group from Northwich and again told them of the HEDDLU’s modes of transport of which they were much appreciative of. I met up with the rest of the group and of we set.

We took the back roads through to Llangollan and passed a local “jam butty” with two gents eating there morning doughnuts, got through Llangollen without any real issues and went up and around the horseshoe to arrive at a mass car park of nothing but bikes at the Ponderosa Cafe. WHAT A SITE, there were thousands of bikes all around.

The staff at the Ponderosa Cafe were both very pleasant and supportive of the cause, not so the rather noisy lady whose car had overheated, she complained to me that her shopping was thawing out and that it was no point protesting, she said thanks very much for spoiling her day of which I politely replied “you’re welcome”.

For the hour that we were there we watched two more very slow moving “jam butties”, one “jam sandwich” rider and one “eye in the sky”, thanks for the support and turning out at the Ponderosa Mr Plod. At 13:00 we set of for Swallow Falls.

What a pleasant ride, only marred by two idiots in a Scooby and a Vectra, hope Mr Plod’s tickets were big ones, by the way, if the silver Vectra driver likes crossing double whites in front of a police camera because the bikes are travelling at the speed limit then keep doing it, the more idiots like you that are of the road the safer it will be for bikers, enjoy the fine, Mr Scooby, enjoy your fine and slow down, especially around blind bends when you overtake and suddenly find standing traffic and a waiting plod, enjoy your fine.

We arrived at Swallow Falls at around 14:45 and it seemed ready to burst then. Again the staff at the hotel were very pleasant. Loads more chatting and thousands of bikes again. Well done to the group of C90 riders who turned up with there family in tow.

I never heard a cross word, saw any tom foolery or any incidents, except for the Lady who fell of her bike, she was helped up quickly with no jeers, car park gravel has a lot to be desired.

We left there at 17:00 and headed back home, in Betws-y-Coed an white Astra driver was intent on removing as much rubber from his tyres as possible, all to the amusement of the bikers, typical boy racer, all show and no go, by the way are those exhausts legal and I thought that blacked out windows to the front were illegal also! Mr Plod please note!

A pleasant ride back was spoilt by the gold jaguar driver who thought that if he was stopped by road works that everyone else should be, thanks for moving out and straddling the dotted whites, its a pity you never left enough room to get back in when a large lorry wants to get passed in the opposite direction, smart move and I hope your still not stuck in the traffic.

In Corwin I did see a group of bikers chatting to Mr Plod, two “jam butties” parked up giving advice and hopefully expressing support to the riders who were talking to them. Again, what a really enjoyable day and what huge support from around the country, I will support any other ride out for this cause in any part of the country.

Thanks to all the bikers who I chatted with especially those from both Reading and Northwich groups. To all the people in the various towns, Thanks for the support, to the little boy in the wheel chair at Johnstown (Rhosllanerchrogg)who never stopped waving, “Thanks Mate”, if you read this and your Ma will let you I’ll take you for a spin or let you sit on the bike and make a little bit of noise ( contact MCN).

See you soon.

Reclaim Wales