Horseshoe Pass

[mat-tiger1]

Hi All,  I know that a lot of you are probably waiting for that (damn elusive) currant bun to come out before dusting off the steeds and setting out for a ride somewhere. But I threw some new boots on the Xcx the other day and decided to head off out to scrub them in a little bit.
So where to go? I thought I'd pay a visit up to the Ponderosa (round trip of approx 140 miles) for a nice bacon sandwich and a cuppa. So the weather in my neck of the woods was around the 6 deg (C) mark as I set out on my new Mefo Explorer MFE99 / Mitas E07 tyre combination to see how I got on!
I must admit I was little wary at first after swapping from the stock Bridgestone battlewings but there is a method in my madness, I really want to do more trail work and the Bridgestones although good aren't the tool for the job. As I set out immediately the choice of not wearing the long john base layers showed me the error of my ways! A balmy 6 degrees at home very quickly became a very chilly 1 degree out on the road which reduced to -3 degrees once I got up into the Welsh mountains! Leaving the A41 behind at Whitchurch I set out to ride a few of the lesser known (and hopefully less populated) A & B roads criss-crossing the river Dee leading up to Llangollen. Meandering through the lanes made a lovely change from just sitting in the garage looking at the Xcx and waiting for Spring. The Horseshoe pass had a smattering of snow about it and the Ponderosa was duly covered in a freezing fog with only a few hardened (read stupid) bikers in attendance that day. The break from the cold was very welcome as was the bacon butty & the hot cuppa! 
I must say that the new tyres performed faultlessly considering the condition of the roads which were very slimy, covered in mud / muck from tractors etc and were either at or below freezing temperatures. I immediately noticed that tarmac joint strips and white lines which would normally have made the Bridgestones squirm a little didn't seem to bother the new tyres too much. I've still yet to test their off road ability, but that's what they're designed for, so they should be ok in this department.

[John Stenhouse]

Braver man than me mate, too piggin' chilly outside for Tiggy to come out! Though currently I'm planning Europe later in the year, just wondering about my usual season opener, Essen classic car show. Even giving some thought to where we ought to be going for the TT weekend in July

[Timbox2]

Fair play, but F... that for a game of soldiers.

Poor sod round the corner from me dumped his new Africa Twin at the weekend, some twat had washed his car the night before and left the hose running at the top of the hill,  200 metres or so of sheet ice on a 1 in 4 is always gonna end badly,  Car hit it as well and ended up on the roof.

[Chris Canning]

I take my hat off too you sir,  must try and get there before the winter ends always like to walk to the top of the hill opposite with our retriever makes the meal afterwards taste even better.

[Timbox2]

I take my hat off too you sir,  must try and get there before the winter ends always like to walk to the top of the hill opposite with our retriever makes the meal afterwards taste even better.

last time I was there Chris was with some of the  Boxertrix guys, gotta be close on 10 years, jeez, wheres it gone.

[Nick Calne]

 

[ssevy]

Those kind of temperatures will turn your grapes to raisins pretty quickly

Here in the Adirondacks, we have massive amounts of salt and calcium chloride mixed with sand and heavily applied to all of our roads. While it does improve the traction on ice and snow, it also is the perfect mixture to stick to and corrode metal, especially in hard to reach corners and pockets of bikes and cars. I wait until a few hard rain storms in the spring have washed this mess off of the road surfaces and into the water supply before I venture forth. We still get some very cold temperatures late into the spring though, so the heated gear does come in handy both early and late in the season.

[Chris Canning]

This I what it looks like from the top in winter.

(http://s64.photobucket.com/user/wing2541/media/Ponderosa%20024_zpsziiga1cs.jpg.html)

(http://s64.photobucket.com/user/wing2541/media/Ponderosa%20022_zpsmmfflaja.jpg.html)

[nickjtc]

I wait until a few hard rain storms in the spring have washed this mess off of the road surfaces and into the water supply before I venture forth. We still get some very cold temperatures late into the spring though, so the heated gear does come in handy both early and late in the season.

Ditto for us here. I am envious of you lot who can even think about going out on two wheels at this time of the year. Last time I went through the Horseshoe Pass was at the age of 7 in the back of the family car  :icon_wink:

[Chris Canning]

Always a strange time of year over hear but in recent times bikers have become far more savvy waiting for the rain to clean the roads even I managed to get out yesterday for an MOT on a bike.

And 3 cheers for all things fuel injected!! Not matter how long they have stood fire bang on the button.

[Sin_Tiger]

even I managed to get out yesterday for an MOT on a bike.

[Chris Canning]

Exactly!! Are these handlebars? What do these do 

[Chris Canning]

Oh and getting back to the OP that's the route I use up from Brum to Whitchurch back roads Pond/Bala/Dolgellau/Dyns/Welshpool and home.