You will mostly have heard that the Lewis Arms at Pentyrch has been closed for some while and, whilst this has not affected our Club Nights for the last 2 months (we had the March Club Night at the shop for the new Triumph Explorer launch evening and the April Club Night was also held at the shop for the "all ticket" Sam Manicom Adventure Travel Presentation), we have decided to find an alternate venue.

So, the new venue will be The Blue Anchor at East Aberthaw (CF62 3DD), which has good bar food, great beers, plenty of parking and plenty of room for us as well! It has the added advantage that it has a really good restaurant that should be able to accommodate us all for the Christmas Dinner!

The next Club Night, to be held on Thursday evening (17th May) will be at The Blue Anchor - I would appreciate your support for this new venue and look forward to seeing you there on Thursday.

The Pack Leader first met Round-the-World motorcyclist and author Sam Manicom at the Motorcycle Show in November, where Mrs RAT bought him a couple of his books for Christmas. The books are so easy to read (you can easily imagine being there and sharing his adventures) and Sam is such an easy guy to talk to, that the Pack Leader decided to arrange for him to give a travel presentation to the Bevan's RAT Pack at the Bevan's showroom on Thursday evening 26th April 2012.

The presentation was called 'Into Africa' and ran in line with his first book. The book and presentation covered a mad year riding the length of the amazing African continent. Sam had only been riding a bike for 3 months the day he got to the edge of the Sahara and the next months saw him being shot at twice, arrested 3 times, thrown in jail and various other mishaps...

In spite of those mishaps, he had such a ball that instead of heading home from South Africa at the end of the first year, as was his original plan, Sam kept on going around the world for another 7 years. Sam rather modestly says "Motorcycling's rather addictive isn't it - of course I didn't discover how much so until I'd learnt how not to fall of the bike all the time!"

His presentation covered a stack of the drama of the journey, but also touched on the history and geography, the riding and lots on the people along the way. There were funny moments, those that were devastatingly sad, some thought provoking times and those that are, simply life on the road.

The aim of the presentation was to share the fun of the road on two wheels and Sam definitely achieved that objective. From the outset, Sam had the audience enthralled as he recounted endless experiences from just the first year of his travels; he clearly
knows how lucky he is to have been able to do a big trip and he enthusiastically used this opportunity to show that you don't have to be anyone special to do it. His tremendous selection of Powerpoint slides helped to show some great parts of the world.

Mrs Bevan kindly provided light refreshments for the interval and Andrew (Herr Baverian Tractor) kindly cooked all the delicious hot bacon and egg rolls. For most, the presentation finished at around 10.15 pm and after the sales and signing of books, people drifted off, wondering whether just anyone could up sticks and disappear around the world on a motorcycle for several years.....? For Mr & Mrs RAT however, the evening was just beginning. After helping Sam to pack up his gear, the three of us went back to Mr RAT's house, where Sam was staying for the night. One bottle of wine led to another and there were plenty of tales to tell, so we eventually got to bed at around 3 a.m. Ouch, that 7 a.m. alarm clock morning call came around far too quickly!

You will have seen from the RAT Pack annual schedule that we plan to visit Triumph Live 2012 on Friday 31st August to Sunday 2nd September. I have received a number of queries from Pack members, asking what tickets they need. So, I thought that it was about time that I clarified what we would be doing.

Basically, we will ride to Mallory Park as a group, probably leaving for Mallory Park from Cardiff mid-afternoon on Friday 31st August and camp there for two nights. We will return from Mallory Park on the Sunday. To achieve this, you will need to obtain a weekend camping ticket and a day ticket for Saturday 1st September. If you want to take advantage of the free Triumph Factory tour, then book the Saturday tour between 3pm - 5pm to join the rest of us.

You can get a 10% advance ticket discount by buying Early Bird tickets on-line. However, the last chance for Early Bird tickets for Triumph LIVE 2012 is 30th April.

Extended from one to three days, Triumph Live 2012 promises a packed programme of action and entertainment including live bands both Friday and Saturday evenings; stunt riding shows; championship racing from the Triumph Triple Challenge; factory tours; road, track and off-road demo rides; plus a host of other displays and attractions, including the infamous Wall-of-Death and for those with a sense of adventure, a wheelie machine and DKS' cyclo try out.

Visitors will also be able to view the very latest range of Triumph motorcycles, together with a selection of some of the UKs best customised Triumphs. Key bikes from Triumphs history will be on display, as part of a unique exhibition exploring the 110 year anniversary, while those looking to kit themselves out with top quality riding apparel should head for the Triumph Clothing Megastore, where there will be a host of bargains waiting to be snapped up.

Million selling Brit award winners the Kaiser Chiefs will round off Saturday's action when they take to the stage to headline an evening of live music.

Tickets are selling fast, so don't miss out!

Early Bird Prices:
Saturday Ticket: 24
Weekend Camping (Thurs 12.00 noon to Sunday 12.00 noon: 15 per person

For full details and to book your tickets, visit www.triumph-live.com

Several people have already booked their tickets, so don't miss out. Just let me know when you have done it, so I know how many people will join the group ride.

Join us on Sunday 20th May for the Pack ride to Batsford Arboretum, situated approximately one and a half miles west of Moreton-in-Marsh in Gloucestershire. Batsford Arboretum is considered to be one of the jewels of the Cotswolds and one of the largest private collections of trees and shrubs in the country. The Arboretum is tucked away on a south facing escarpment of the famous Cotswold Hills.

From mid-May for about three weeks, visitors will be able to marvel at the Arboretum's famous old Davidia. Thousands of white handkerchief-like bracts, hang from the branches as if left out to dry in the breeze. Known to many as the Handkerchief Tree it is one of the biggest and oldest in the country.

The new Garden Terrace Cafe is open from 10 am to 5pm every day serving coffees, teas and homemade cakes all day and from 12-2pm for hot lunches, including a meat dish, fish dish and vegetarian option. You can enjoy your food inside or on the terrace where you can take in the views. All of the food will be locally sourced and freshly prepared to enjoy along with spectacular views across the Cotswold landscape from indoor and outdoor seating.

Admission charges are 7.00 GBP for adults and 6.00 GBP for seniors.

We will take a mostly scenic ride to the arboretum, heading initially east along the M4 to Junction 26, then via the A4042 to Abergavenny. From Abergavenny we will head across country through Cross Ash, Skenfrith and Tretire, to meet the A49. We will then take the A449 through Ledbury to Little Malvern and then head across country to Pershore, where we will stop for a coffee break at Revill's Farm and Coffee Shop. Then it will be approx 20 miles along the A44 to Batsford Arboretum. After lunch and the opportunity to look around the arboretum, we will head back for a short distance across country to join the M5 south and then the M4 back to Cardiff.

After a week or more of "iffy" wet weather since the Easter Weekend, and a forecast for more rain for the planned ride to the Big Pit, we wondered whether many Pack members would turn up for this ride. However, some pack members are made of stern stuff and 13 people on 11 bikes turned up at the start point and we set off eastwards along the M4 in dry but cloudy weather. As we joined the A4042, Nigel was waiting on the side of the road on his Rocket 111 and when we arrived at the cafe in the Blaenavon World Heritage Centre, which provides an overview of Blaenavon's industrial landscape and explains why Blaenavon was once of global importance, we were joined by Bill and Sarah who had travelled across from Sennybridge by car. After a leisurely coffee stop, we set off for the nearby Big Pit and were promptly joined by Roger on his Sprint ST 1050, who was too late for the start of the ride and then had a bit of difficulty finding the place! Finally, we were joined by Martin and Fay, who could not join us until Martin returned from a hastily re-arranged apiary course earlier that morning! So, the final tally was 19 people, 14 bikes and one car! Not a bad turn out for a wet and windy day.

The Big Pit at Blaenavon is a real coal mine and one of Britain's leading mining museums, which provided us with an unusual and informative day out. Just 5 or 6 Pack members elected to remain on the surface and enjoy a multi-media tour of a modern coal mine with a virtual miner, exhibitions in the pithead baths and the Historic colliery buildings, whilst the rest of us descended 300 feet underground with a real miner to see what life was like for the thousands of men who worked at the coal face before the mine closed in 1980. Our very experienced guide graphically described how children and ponies were employed in the mine, the terrible loss of life in the South Wales mines, as well as a host of other facts - indeed, he was a "mine" of information........(get it?).

The Big Pit became part of the National Museum Wales on 1 February 2001. After major redevelopment, it re-opened in 2004 and went straight on to win the prestigious Gulbenkian Prize for Museum of the Year. The redevelopment turned the original features, like the Pithead Baths, into fresh displays that bring life at the coalface vividly into focus. However, its most famous feature is still the trip 90 metres down the shaft to explore working conditions underground. The museum is set in a unique industrial landscape, designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000 in recognition of its international importance to the process of industrialisation through iron and coal production. In summary, Big Pit is a living, breathing reminder of the coal industry in Wales and the people and society it created.

The timing of our visit was spot on. No sooner had we stepped into the reception area to go down the mine, than it started to rain heavily. When you are 300 feet under the ground, it really doesn't matter what it's doing on the surface. The Big Pit staff had kitted us all out with hard hats, intrinsically safe head lamps and an emergency breathing kit (I don't think that they really thought we would need these, but they just wanted us to lug the 5 kg around with us for an hour as we bent double in our bike gear to clamber along the tunnels!).

After our visit we headed over Blorenge mountain and through Govilon to meet the Heads of the Valleys Road, where we turned west to meet the A470 just north of Merthyr Tydfil. We stopped for our final refreshments at the Garwnant Forest Centre off the side of the A470, near Llyn-On reservoir, before heading back to Cardiff.
This turned out to be a really good day out. The mileage was fairly low, all the attractions were free of charge, we missed virtually all of the heavy downpours and lots of people turned up to enjoy the day! What more could we ask for?

Mrs RAT failed to take a single photo, so there is nothing yet for the gallery page. If you took photos on this ride, then please e-mail them to me at rat@bevanmc.co.uk
The next ride is to Batsford Arboretum in Gloucestershire on Sunday 20th May. We look forward to meeting you at the start.

Pack Easter Weekend Break in Exmoor ~ 6th to 9th April 2012

This Easter Weekend break signalled the start of the 2012 RAT Pack season, and had been keenly awaited by pack members. Six double rooms and a single room had been been booked for 3 nights at The Exeter Inn at Bampton, near Tiverton in Devon. The Exeter Inn is an historic 15th Century Inn and Restaurant set amongst green hills in the upper reaches of the delightful Exe Valley, in the beautiful Devon/Somerset border area, the gateway to Exmoor. The Exeter Inn specialises in short breaks, providing comfortable accommodation, superb food and real beer. Indeed, just last year the Great British Pub Awards voted The Exeter Inn as the 'Best Cask Beer Pub' in the West Country. Close to Exmoor National Park, the Exeter Inn is situated roughly midway between Exmoor to the north and Dartmoor to the south-west, so there is ideal motorcycling countyr right on the doorstep.
Thirteen people had signed up for this Pack Weekend many weeks ago, but just a week or so before the event, one couple necessarily cancelled because of business commitments. This allowed Paul & Gillian Tasker to join us for their first Pack "Away Weekend". So, 13 people on 9 bikes set off from Cardiff West Services on the M4 on Good Friday and routed via the M4, M49 and M5 to Sedgemoor Services for the first coffee stop, before leaving the M5 at J 23 to route via the A39 from Bridgewater to Williton. From Williton we turned south on minor roads through the beautiful scenery of the Quantock Hills and the outskirts of Exmoor National Park to arrive at the Exeter Inn at around 4 pm. The weather had been clear and dry all the way, with a good smattering of sunshine to start the Holiday Weekend.
After settling into our rooms and booking a group evening meal in the dining room, we adjourned to the bar to try the various Exmoor Ales. Whilst in the bar, Nigel appeared, having decided to drive on down to Exmoor after dropping Sarah off at her home in Weston. It was good to see him and he joined us for our group evening meal, pushing the total up to 14 people.
The next morning, the weather forecast was still for fair weather, so we set off for a group ride around the back lanes of Exmoor through the pretty towns of Wiveliscombe, Elworthy, Raleigh's Cross, Wheddon Cross, Bridgetown and Dulverton. After stopping for a look around Wiveliscombe and a coffee stop in Dulverton, Gillian was heard to say "I like these rides - we actually stop and look at things and stop for coffee!" After Dulverton, we diverted along minor lanes (Unsuitable for Motor Vehicles, or so the signs said) to visit Tarr Steps, a medieval "Clapper bridge" across the River Barle in the Exmoor National Park, about 4 miles north west of Dulverton. A typical clapper bridge construction, the bridge possibly dates to around 1000 BC. The bridge is 180 feet (55 m) long, has 17 spans and the stone slabs weigh up to 1-2 tons apiece. According to local legend, they were placed by the devil to win a bet. From Tarr Steps we continued through the National Park, through Simonsbridge and then dropped down to Lynton and Lynmouth for afternoon coffees and compulsory clotted cream teas. We then returned to the hotel via Porlock Hill, past the medieval Yarn Market in Dunster High Street and along the glorious and deserted A396 to Bampton. The roads were almost deserted and the major hazard was presented by the astonishing number of cock pheasants on the roadside. More Bikers' beers in the bar and another fine group meal finished off a splendid day. During the meal, we consulted with Professor Paul Tasker, who we thought had a Masters degree in Meteorology; he advised us that the south coast of Devon would have better weather than the south coast for the following day, so we resolved to head south on Sunday morning (It transpired that Paul was absolutely correct, but the forecast had actually come from an "app" on his i-pod!).
On Sunday morning the Pack Leader hastily put together a route to visit a traditional flour mill near Budleigh Salterton on the south coast of Devon, making sure that the route only comprised back lanes! Ted headed off by himself for the day to meet up with friends who lived nearby, but who he had not seen for 18 years. We duly found the mill, had coffees and walked around the village of Otterton, before riding east along the Jurassic Coast, through Sidmouth, to Lyme Regis. The sun was out and the coastal cliffs looked spectacular as we dropped down into both Sidmouth and Lyme Regis. It was when we reached Lyme Regis that we finally understood why the roads had been almost deserted - all the cars were parked in Lyme Regis! After a complete circuit of the town, including a circuit of one hopeful looking car park, we eventually drove into a pedestrian area, right on the seafront and parked in a neat line behind the chip shop! We wandered along the seafront, had ice-creams and watched the Easter Bonnet Parade through the town, before heading back to the hotel along more deserted roads through Honiton and Cullompton. More bikers' beers in the bar and a final group meal rounded off the day.
We awoke to the expected rain on Easter Monday, so after a hearty breakfast and the settling of accounts, we donned our wet-weather gear and headed directly for home up the M5, with just a stop at Gordano Services to stretch our legs and make our farewells.
This had been a really successful Pack weekend away - the weather was kind to us, the riding was superb and the group gelled perfectly. Let's hope that this bodes well for the forthcoming riding season! Photos from the weekend are on the gallery page.

An additional event has been included in the RATs' Annual Schedule of Events for 2012: on Sunday 19th August there will be a Big Triumph Ride In to National Motorcycle Museum, adjacent to the NEC.


Last year, 31 people on 26 bikes from Bevan's RAT Pack took part in a "Big Triumph Ride In" to the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum in the New Forest. About 12 other Packs and a host of independent owners accepted the invitation from Bevan's RAT Pack to attend the event and we had a fabulous day with around 400 - 500 bikes turning up on the day!


For 2012, I am organising a similar event, but this time at the National Motorcycle Museum, adjacent to the NEC. As this venue is more centrally located within the UK, it will allow RAT Packs from further north to attend the event as a day ride. I have spoken with the Museum management and confirmed Sunday 19th August 2012 as the date for this event.


As the National Motorcycle Museum is only a very short distance from Meredin, the previous home of Triumph, I have established an RV Point in Meriden where we can all meet up and then ride the 4 miles along the A45 to the Museum as a big procession. The National Motorcycle museum has agreed to reserve 400 bike parking spaces for our use on the day, they have agreed a concessionary entry fee of 6.95 per person (which is 2 less than the standard admission rate) and there is a cafe on site for lunch. I have advertised the event on the Triumph website, on their "Events" page. I am sure that we can again arrange a group photo shoot at the museum, with all the Pack flags on show!


As you will all know, The National Motorcycle Museum has developed into a focal point for the British motorcycle movement. The museum has become the largest motorcycle museum in the world and attracts around 250,000 visitors a year. One of the biggest attractions for many guests is the comprehensive cross-section of machines, spanning the 60 Glorious Year of motorcycle manufacturing in this country. Within the five exhibition halls will be found some 650 plus machines, fully restored to the manufacturers original specifications.

At this stage of the planning (April 2012), I have already received confirmation from 27 RAT Packs from across England and Wales who definitely want to join us for this event and we expect participation by branches of the TOMCC and independent riders; so, this looks as though it could be another huge gathering of RATs from across the UK. With 400 - 500 bikes turning up at last year's event in the New Forest, how many might we get at the National Motorcycle Museum?


As Bevan's are the organising Pack for this event, an excellent turn-out (like last year!) would be greatly appreciated.

Bevan Motorcycles R.A.T. Pack ~ Activity Schedule for 2012. (Version 1)

In addition to the monthly Club Nights, which are held at the Blue Anchor, East Aberthaw, on the third Thursday evening of each month, the following activities are planned for 2012:

Thursday 19th January: Club Night at the Blue Anchor, East Aberthaw.

Thursday 16th February: Club Night at the Blue Anchor, East Aberthaw.

Thursday 15th March:
Friday 6th April to Monday 9th April (Good Friday to Easter Monday): NOW FULLY SUBSCRIBED. Join us for a Pack Easter Weekend away in the Exe Valley, Devon, where we will stay at the Exeter Inn at Bampton, near Tiverton. The Exeter Inn is an historic 15th Century Inn and Restaurant set amongst green hills in the upper reaches of the delightful Exe Valley, in the beautiful Devon/Somerset border area, the gateway to Exmoor. The Exeter Inn specialises in short breaks, providing comfortable accommodation, superb food and real beer. Indeed, just last year the Great British Pub Awards voted The Exeter Inn as the 'Best Cask Beer Pub' in the West Country.
The Inn offers bed and breakfast with the unique ambience of an authentic English Country Inn, with a different warmer atmosphere than ordinary hotels. Here you will be able to relax, indulge & enjoy the food and accommodation in Exmoor. Close to Exmoor National Park, the Exeter Inn has much to offer visitors. Anything from beautiful walks in the Exmoor National Park to picturesque villages by the sea. It is situated roughly midway between Exmoor to the north and Dartmoor to the south-west, so there is ideal motorcycling countyr right on the doorstep.
I have provisionally booked 5 x double rooms, 1 x twin-bedded room and one single room for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights; the B&B tarriff is 75 per night for the double/twin rooms and 55 for the single room. Please let me know as soon as possible if you would like to join us for this trip.

Thursday 26th April: The April Club Night will not be held at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch. Instead, Club Night will take the form of the Sam Manicom Travel Presentation, held at Bevan's showroom, Hadfield Road, Cardiff. Entry is by pre-payment only. THIS EVENT IS NOW FULLY SUBSCRIBED.


Sunday 22nd April: An early season short Pack ride to The Big Pit at Blaenavon. Big Pit is a real coal mine and one of Britain's leading mining museums. Big Pit provides an exciting and informative day out where you can descend 300 feet underground with a real miner and see what life was like for the thousands of men who worked at the coal face. Additionally, you can enjoy a multi-media tour of a modern coal mine with a virtual miner in the Mining Galleries, exhibitions in the pithead baths and Historic colliery buildings.
Big Pit became part of Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales on 1 February 2001. After major redevelopment, it re-opened in 2004 and went straight on to win the prestigious Gulbenkian Prize for Museum of the Year. The redevelopment turned the original features, like the Pithead Baths, into fresh displays that bring life at the coalface vividly into focus. However, perhaps its most famous feature is still the trip 90 metres down the shaft to explore working conditions underground.
The museum is set in a unique industrial landscape, designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000 in recognition of its international importance to the process of industrialisation through iron and coal production. In summary, Big Pit is a living, breathing reminder of the coal industry in Wales and the people and society it created.
After our visit (admission is free), we will stop for refreshments at the Garwnant Forest Centre off the side of the A470,near Llyn-On reservoir.

Thursday 17th May: Club Night at the Blue Anchor, East Aberthaw.

Sunday 20th May: Pack ride to Batsford Arboretum, situated approximately one and a half miles west of Moreton-in-Marsh in Gloucestershire. Batsford Arboretum is considered to be one of the jewels of the Cotswolds and one of the largest private collections of trees and shrubs in the country. The Arboretum is tucked away on a south facing escarpment of the famous Cotswold Hills.
From mid-May for about three weeks, visitors will be able to marvel at the Arboretum's famous old Davidia. Thousands of white handkerchief-like bracts, hang from the branches as if left out to dry in the breeze. Known to many as the Handkerchief Tree it is one of the biggest and oldest in the country.
The new Garden Terrace Cafe is open from 9am 5pm every day serving coffees, teas and homemade cakes all day and from 12-2pm hot lunches including a meat dish, fish dish and vegetarian option. You can enjoy your food inside or on the terrace where you can take in the views. All our food will be locally sourced and freshly prepared to enjoy along with spectacular views across the Cotswold landscape from indoor and outdoor seating.
Admission charges are 6.60 GBP for adults and 5.60 GBP for seniors.

Saturday 2nd June to Tuesday 5th June: This is a Bank Holiday this year, so there's no need to take annual holiday entitlement to join us for a Pack long weekend ride from Whitby, North Yorks to Cockermouth in the Lake District. This ride was included in Colette Coleman's book "Great Motorcycle Journeys of the World". We will ride to Whitby on the Saturday, where accommodation will be reserved for the night on a B&B basis. We will then take two days for a leisurely ride across the North Yorkshire Moors and the Lake District National Park, where accommodation will be reserved on a B&B basis at, or near, Hawes in Yorkshire and Cockermouth in the Lake District, for the Sunday and Monday nights respectively. We will return to Cardiff on the Tuesday. Each of the three night's accommodation will be reasonably priced at around 75 per night for a standard double or twin-bedded en-suite room (based on double occupancy). Please contact me a.s.a.p. if you would like to join us for this long weekend break.

Thursday 21st June: Club Night at the Blue Anchor, East Aberthaw.

Sunday 24th June: Pack ride to Llangranog, approx 9.5 miles north-east of Cardigan, for lunch at the Ship Inn. The Ship Inn is renowned for its creative menu, fresh fish dishes and views across the sea. It is one of the most attractive villages along the Ceredigion coast, it's small beach reminisent of Cornish fishing villages. To the east of the village lies the Georgian Walled Garden at Pigeonsford.

Thursday 19th July: Club Night at the Blue Anchor, East Aberthaw.

Saturday 28th July: Pack B-B-Q and overnight camping at Bill Plentys small holding near Brecon. Planned ride-out on Sunday in the local Brecon area. This has been a firm favourite with Pack members for the last six years and is always popular. Don't miss this one!

Sunday 5th August: Pack ride to Devil's Bridge for a return ride to Aberystwyth on the Vale of Rheidol Railway. Travelling on the Vale of Rheidol Railway is the finest way to see the stunning Rheidol Valley. Opened in 1902, the railway has been delighting passengers young and old for over a century.
From the comfort of your carriage watch the scenery passing by. See the countryside change as you travel through wide open fields, woodland and rugged mountain scenery, the line twisting and turning as it clings to the hillside. Listen to the sound of a powerful narrow gauge steam locomotive working hard to climb 700ft (200m) in the 11 miles from Aberystwyth to Devils Bridge. Birds of prey such as Red Kite and Buzzards are regularly seen soaring high above the valley floor and breathtaking views can be enjoyed by all.
The line is a masterpiece of engineering, opened in 1902 to carry lead ore, timber and passenger traffic. The narrow track gauge allows the railway to follow the contours of the terrain with many sharp curves and steep gradients which add to the railways charm.
The vintage steam engines and carriages were built for the line by the Great Western Railway in the 1920s and 30s. Now restored, they are still operating the trains today.
The 11 mile journey takes approximately one hour in each direction. Trains normally wait for one hour at Devils Bridge before returning to Aberystwyth.
We will ride to Devil's Bridge to catch the 12.30 p.m. train for the 12-mile journey to Aberystwyth and catch the return train at 2.00 p.m., which will get us back to Devil's Bridge at 3.00 p.m.
Return fare for adults is 14.50 GBP and for Seniors is 13.00 GBP.

Sunday 12th August: Pack ride to Llywernog Lead and Silver Mine at Ponterwyd, near Aberystwyth. Llywernog is an authentic 18th century silver mine, where a visit offers a fascinating insight into life nearly 200 years ago, when the mine employed over 60 people. Today, Llywernog is a unique and educational adventure, and continues to be developed as a major all-weather attraction. Friendly and knowledgeable guides, who are always on hand to answer your questions and identify your geological finds, make Llywernog an ideal venue for group visits. Remember though, it's cool in the mine even on the hottest day so your motorbike jackets and boots should be the perfect clothing!
There is plenty to see and do. You can:
Explore the Miners' Trail, a self-guide footpath around the old workings linking the natural and man made features of the 7 acre site.
Go deep underground on the 45 minute caplamp tour beyond the 'earthquake zone' and into the of a forgotten world.
Try your hand at working the mine minerals for silver and gems in the panning shed. Whatever you find is yours to keep!
See & touch the wealth of artifacts on display in the dramatic exhibitions, including working waterwheels. Bring your mail to be 'posted underground in Mid Wales' in the dripping depths of Balcombes Level!
Enjoy light refreshments in the cosy tearoom or, for sunny days, there is a great picnic site.
Browse the gift shop which sells good value souvenirs, minerals, jewelry and brass miner's lamps. Mining Maps are available in the shop.
Admission charges: For full underground tour and Miners' Trail: Seniors 6.75 GBP; adults 7.50 GBP.

Thursday 16th August: Club Night at the Blue Anchor, East Aberthaw.

Sunday 19th August: Big Triumph Ride In to National Motorcycle Museum. Last year, 31 people on 26 bikes from Bevan's RAT Pack took part in a "Big Triumph Ride In" to the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum in the New Forest. About 12 other Packs and a host of independent owners accepted the invitation from Bevan's RAT Pack to attend the event and we had a fabulous day with around 400 - 500 bikes turning up on the day!
For 2012, I am organising a similar event, but this time at the National Motorcycle Museum, adjacent to the NEC. As this venue is more centrally located within the UK, it will allow RAT Packs from further north to attend the event as a day ride. I have spoken with the Museum management and confirmed Sunday 19th August 2012 as the date for this event.
As the National Motorcycle Museum is only a very short distance from Meredin, the previous home of Triumph, I have established an RV Point in Meriden where we can all meet up and then ride the 4 miles along the A45 to the Museum as a big procession. The National Motorcycle museum has agreed to reserve 400 bike parking spaces for our use on the day, they have agreed a concessionary entry fee of 6.95 per person (which is 2 less than the standard admission rate) and there is a cafe on site for lunch. I have advertised the event on the Triumph website, on their "Events" page. I am sure that we can again arrange a group photo shoot at the museum, with all the Pack flags on show!
As you will all know, The National Motorcycle Museum has developed into a focal point for the British motorcycle movement. The museum has become the largest motorcycle museum in the world and attracts around 250,000 visitors a year. One of the biggest attractions for many guests is the comprehensive cross-section of machines, spanning the 60 Glorious Year of motorcycle manufacturing in this country. Within the five exhibition halls will be found some 650 plus machines, fully restored to the manufacturers original specifications.
At this early stage (January 2012), I have already received confirmation from 27 RAT Packs who definitely want to join us for this event and we expect participation by branches of the TOMCC and independent riders, so this looks as though it could be another huge gathering of RATs from across the UK.
With 400 - 500 bikes turning up at last year's event in the New Forest, how many might we get at the National Motorcycle Museum?
As Bevan's are the organising Pack for this event, an excellent turn-out (like last year!) would be greatly appreciated.

Friday, Saturday & Sunday 31st August, 1st & 2nd September: Join us for a camping weekend at the Triumph Live event, which is again being held at Mallory Park over the Friday 31st August and Saturday 1st September. The first such event was held at Mallory Park in 2010, with The Stranglers and Mumford & Son appearing in the open-air concert after the days events. It was a good weekend, where a small number of us camped at Mallory Park for the Friday and Saturday night. This year, the Kaiser Cheifs will top the bill at the concert. Details of the event and advance tickets are available on the Triumph Motorcycles website. Please obtain your own tickets for the weekend and let me know that you are attending, so that I can organise a group ride to the venue.

Sunday 9th September: Pack Iron-butt ride to the Ace Caf, London, to join the massed reunion ride to Brighton. This is a 440-mile round trip. An early morning (6.30 a.m.) start gets us to the Ace Cafe by 09.30, even allowing for a coffee stop at Reading Services. We have time for a cuppa at the Ace and time to appreciate the 'craic' of hundreds of bikers all meeting for this annual run. We leave the Ace at 10.00 a.m. for the massed ride to Brighton, where we arrive at around mid-day. This gives us around 3 hours to have lunch and to soak up the atmosphere at Brighton, where around 40,000 bikes turn up for the event. We will leave Brighton seafront at around 3.45 p.m. and head back across country through West Sussex to Petersfield, then through Hampshire, via Winchester and Andover and finally across the Salisbury Plain, through Devizes and Chippenham to join the M4 west to Cardiff at Junction 18.
This was a fabulous 60s day out in 2008 and even more popular in 2009 when 16 Pack members on 15 bikes turned up for the ride. I was unable to include this ride in 2011, so I have made a point of including it again this year. The ride is well worth the effort ~ just ask those who attended in previous years!
Saturday & Sunday 15th & 16th September: Pack weekend to the Long Mynd and Carding Mill Valley, Shropshire. Deserted roads, fabulous scenery and an overnight stop at a new venue this year. I am hoping to use Brookfields Guesthouse in Church Stretton, which has five double-rooms, one twin-room and one single room. The 2011 B&B tariffs were approximately 80 per double room and 40 for the single room. An evening meal will be arranged at the nearby Studio Restaurant. Please let me know as soon as possible if you would like to join us for this weekend, so that I can reserve the accommodation.

Thursday 20th September: Club Night at the Blue Anchor, East Aberthaw.

Sunday 23rd September: Pack ride to New Quay Honey Farm at Cross Inn, near New Quay. The farm is open to visitors and has a shop, tea room and live bee exhibition, and travellers from all over the worlds have witnessed one of nature's most fascinating processes and sampled at first hand a wonderful range of natural hive products. Now the largest in Wales, New Quay Honey Farm attracts over 35,000 visitors a year. In 1999 a meadery was added to produce some delicious honey wines (meads). These have become increasingly popular with visitors and are now sold all over the country.

Sunday 7th October: Pack ride-out to the village of Pontsain, near Rhydowen, Ceredion, for lunch at Tafarn Bach, a charming country inn.
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Thursday 18th October: Club Night at the Blue Anchor, East Aberthaw.

Thursday 15th November: Club Night at the Blue Anchor, East Aberthaw.

Thursday 20th December: Christmas Club Night and Dinner at the Blue Anchor, East Aberthaw.

New ride-out routes and ideas for events are always welcome, so If you have any ideas, please see me in the shop, telephone me on 02920 227477, or e-mail rat@bevanmc.co.uk

Chris Finch
Bevan Motorcycles RAT Pack Leader

Pack Ride to The Penny Farthing Inn at Aston Crews ~ 9th October 2011

The final Pack ride scheduled for the 2011 season was on the 9th October and was to the Penny Farthing Inn at Aston Crews, Gloucestershire, for a pub lunch. The day dawned as another damp, drizzly autumn day, although the weather forecast did say that we could expect drier weather as we headed east.

Despite the weather, 20 people on 15 bikes turned up for the ride. Two newcomers turned up; Ian arrived on his Triumph America with Mike and Ruth, whilst Wayne had ridden across to the start point from Bury Port on his Triumph Sprint GT. We set off eastwards along the M4 towards Junction 26 and, after just a few miles, the drizzle ceased and the roads were dry. We turned onto the A4042 and headed up to Abergavenny, where we then turned onto the B4521, that gorgeous biking road that runs across Monmouthshire through Llanvetherine, Cross Ash and Skenfrith, to Broad Oak, where we stopped for coffee at Newlands Nurseries, the only tearooms along that stretch of road. The general consensus amongst Pack members was that this was a great way to be spending an October Sunday!

After our coffee stop, we continued along the B4521 through Tretire to meet the A49 at Peterstow and then, after a short stretch of A49 and A40, we turned onto the B4221 towards the village of Upton Bishop. From there we continued along near deserted Gloucestershire lanes, through Crow Hill, Gorsley and Aston Ingham, to arrive at The Penny Farthing Inn at Aston Crews.

The Pack Leader had previously telephoned the landlady of the pub to check whether bar meals would be available on Sunday lunchtimes and had been told that, normally, only 2 and 3-course meals were served, but that they would be happy to prepare snack meals for our group. Without doubt, the staff was incredibly helpful and made us all most welcome, serving up all manner of baguettes with chips and salad. Based on this service, we will return for a future Pack ride.

After lunch, we set off along Linton Ridge, a narrow lane, from where there are spectacular views of the Gloucestershire countryside to both the right and left hand sides. We returned to Ross-on-Wye to join the B4243, which we followed for miles through the Forest of Dean to Lydney on the A48, which we joined and headed for home through Chepstow, Crick and Caerwent, before picking up the M4 for the final few miles. Unsurprisingly, as we joined the M4 and headed towards Wales, we once again rode into the drizzle, which had apparently remained all day in the area.

This final ride of the season had been a comfortable 145-mile ride around some beautiful countryside, made all the better by the friendly welcome that we received at The Penny Farthing Inn. The ride was well attended, despite the miserable weather which had greeted everybody when they drew back their bedroom curtains! This just proves the point that you cannot judge how the day will pan out just by looking at the weather near to the start!

Whilst there are no more scheduled Pack rides this year, we can still look forward to The Motorcycle Show at the NEC in November and our Pack Christmas dinner in December. Roll on Spring 2012.

Pack Ride to Stackpole Quay and Bosherton Lilly Ponds ~ 2nd October 2011.

This particular trip definitely needed fine weather, as it involved parking in a National Trust car park at Stackpole Quay and then walking over the cliff tops to Barrafundle Bay. This would be followed by a walk around Bosherton Lakes. However, on 7th August 2011, when this trip was originally scheduled, it rained cats and dogs all day, with the forecast showing this rain all along the south and west coast of Wales for virtually the whole day. The Pack Leader could see little point in riding 100 miles each way in the pouring rain for a walk across the cliff tops in the pouring rain! Consequently, the ride was cancelled, with the possibility of it being re-scheduled for later in the season.

With the beautiful Indian Summer that we experienced during the week at the end of September, it was decided at short notice to schedule this run for Sunday 2nd October 2011. An e-mail was circulated on 29th September to let Pack members know of this unscheduled ride.

Notwithstanding the short notice, 14 Pack members turned up at the start on 10 bikes and one car and headed west along the M4, before turning off onto the B4306 through Llannon and Pontyberem to meet the A40 outside Carmarthen. After a coffee stop at The Forge, near St Clears, we rattled off the next 20 miles on the A477 to Sageston and then turned off on very minor roads through Lamphey, Freshwater and East Trewent, before turning down the single-track dead-end lane that is the only access to Stackpole Quay.

Stackpole Quay is one of the smallest harbours along this stretch of coast, with barely enough room for two boats. It is administered by the National Trust and remains almost uncommercialised with the exception of the Boathouse Tearoom. However, best of all, its only about half-a-mile walk over the cliff tops to Barafundle Bay, often described as the jewel in the crown of Pembrokeshires beaches. It is consistently voted the most beautiful beach in Britain and it is easy to see why. With clear water and soft golden sands fringed by dunes and wooded cliffs, its natural unspoiled beauty is perfect for those wanting to get away from it all.

After a stroll over the cliff tops, we returned to the bikes at Stackpole Quay and prepared to ride just 2 or 3 miles round to Bosherton. Whilst in the car park, a visiting photographer took a photo of the Pack members preparing to leave. I overheard Ray say that he opened the lid of his toolbox (actually referring to his topbox) so that it would obscure Andrews Bavarian tractor from the picture. Andrew quickly replied Tell me Ray, why does your Triumph need such a big tool box? One-nil to Andrew I believe!

We rode around to Bosherton, where some Pack members enjoyed a walk around the lakes, Roy rode to find the tiny church, built into the cliff-face at nearby St Govans and the remainder stopped at Ye old World Cafe in Bosherton for something to eat and drink. Whilst sitting in the garden, the owner came to talk to us. She is Mrs Vi Weston MBE, an incredibly active and alert 90-year-old. She has run the cafe for the last 59 years, having taken it over from her parents who ran the cafe for the previous 30 years! She was only too pleased to sit with us for a photo.

The route home took us around the Pembrokeshire back lanes through Pembroke, Cresselly, Cross Hands, Templeton, Cold Blow, Princess Gate, Tavernspite and Red Roses to Pendine. From Pendine we continued through Laugharne to St Clears and then followed the A40 back to Llandovery where we stopped for the final afternoon coffee at The West End Cafe. After bidding our farewells, we headed through Sennybridge and then back to Cardiff along the A470.

This was an excellent day out and just reward for those Pack members able to make the trip at such short notice. The weather stayed dry and fine for the whole 230-mile trip.

There are some photos on the website gallery page.

Pack ride-out to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Slimbridge, Gloucestershire ~ 25th September 2011.

At the back end of last season one of the Pack members suggested that the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Slimbridge would make an enjoyable venue for a RAT ride. We hadn't done it before, so it was included on the schedule for this year. To make this a special day, you just need good weather and the forecast, whilst not for hot sunny weather, did at least indicate that we might expect a dry day. So, it was not surprising when 11 Pack members on 9 bikes turned up at the start point in the rain that Andrew asked why we were all wearing wet-weather gear. "It's not raining...." was all he could say, "..the weather forecast says that it won't rain today!".

We departed from Cardiff West Services at 10.00 a.m. sharp and headed east along the M4 to Junction 24 and took the A48 through Crick towards Chepstow, before crossing the old Severn Bridge and then taking 'A' and 'B' roads for the remainder of the trip. Throughout the journey the rain got progressively heavier and I couldn't help but wonder how uncomfortable Debbie must have felt in her jeans on the back of Mark's 1050 Tiger!

It was only about 55 miles to Slimbridge and so we did not bother stopping for coffee until we arrived there. After a quick consensus of opinion as to whether people wanted to pay the 10 GBP entrance fee or whether to ride off (in the rain) to find a coffee stop elsewhere, we decided to pay up and look around the centre, rain or no rain! Whilst in the car park, we received calls from Martin and Fay and from Bill and Sarah to let us know that they were on their way to the centre in their cars. This would raise the total attendance to 15 people on 9 bikes and 2 cars.

As it was still raining steadily, we headed for the cafeteria for some over-priced refreshments and were mightily impressed by the huge gathering of pink Caribbean Flamingos in a pool immediately outside the picture windows of the cafeteria. We delayed our departure from the cafeteria for as long as we could, before eventually plodding off around the centre in full wet-weather gear and helmets to look at ducks enjoying themselves in the rain. All the while, Andrew kept up his commentary about how it shouldn't really be raining.

WWT Slimbridge is one of a network of nine wetland visitor centres and reserves across the UK totalling some 2,000 hectares. The Severn Wildfowl Trust, as it was originally called, was founded by the late Sir Peter Scott in 1946, after he had been drawn to Slimbridge by the diverse range of wildfowl that summer, winter and take passage through the area. The grounds are a safe home for the worlds largest collection of swans, ducks, flamingos and geese. Many of the species are rare or endangered. WWT is involved in breeding and conservation programmes to protect these species and the places they live around the world. Clearly, these creatures love wetlands and they could not have been disappointed on the day we visited.

At around 1 p.m. it stopped raining! The words of a bye-gone song sprang to mind:

"Wait a minute, it's stopped raining,
Even Andrew's stopped complaining!
Now the sun's out, that's much better,
RAT Pack members please disregard this letter!".


Photos are on the gallery page.

Pack Weekend at Much Wenlock ~ 3rd & 4th September 2011

This year, 9 Pack members signed up for the annual weekend away at The Plume of Feathers in Harley, near Much Wenlock. This was the fourth time to this particular venue, which was selected not so much for the pub itself, but more for the delightful ride both to and from Much Wenlock.

The weather forecast for the weekend looked a bit iffy, but there appeared to be a chance that it might remain dry on the Saturday if we got the timing right. So, on Saturday 3rd September, Mr & Mrs RAT met left Cardiff West Services with Mike & Ruth on their America at 9 a.m. and soon met up with Roy on his Tiger 800 at the Abercynon services on the A470. Next, we met up with Pack newcomers Mark and Julie on their Sprint ST 955 at Llyn-on Reservoir and then continued to Brecon, where we met up with Tony and Lynne Bray on their two Yamahas. We then headed over the Eppynt Mountains to Garth and then took that great biking road, the B4358, to Newbridge-on-Wye. Our first coffee stop was at The Halt Cafe, just south of Rhayader. Despite the recent showery weather, we had been blessed with dry weather and people were undoubtedly in good spirits - well, it's difficult not to be in good spirits when faced with the ride on the B4518 to Llanidloes and then the A489 to Newtown. Traffic had been virtually non-existent, but there was a real bottle-neck in Newtown, so some serious filtering was required to beat the queue through the town and get back onto the deserted A488 towards Shrewsbury. At Black Marsh, it was time to turn off onto a single track road which climbed high over wild moors, through the delightfully named hamlets of Shelve and The Bog, and then over The Slipperstones before dropping down to the hamlet of Rattlinghope, where we stopped for a pub lunch at The Bridges Inn (this used to be called The Horseshoes Inn, but has obviously changed hand during the last 12 months).

After lunch, we set off on what must be the most spectacular part of the trip, on a very narrow road which climbed high up and over The Long Mynd and then down a precipitous decent into Carding Mill Valley and the lovely town of Church Stretton. The views from the top of The Long Mynd are truly breath-taking; the heather was in full bloom, the visibility and light was superb, enabling us to see for miles across the Shropshire hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. However, the decent into Carding Mill Valley clearly caused sphincters to tighten, particularly amongst the pillion passengers who were newcomers to this ride!

From Church Stretton, we joined the B4371 up and along Wenlock Edge, stretching nineteen miles through the Shropshire countryside. This thickly wooded limestone escarpment offers panoramic views and fine riding for the final leg of the journey to Much Wenlock.

Once at the Plume of Feathers, we settled into our rooms, hit the bar and then enjoyed a group evening meal. Our timing must have been spot-on, as the forecasted rain arrived shortly after we had arrived!

On Sunday morning we awoke to find that heavy rain during the night had cleared and the weather looked quite promising. After a full English breakfast for us all, we made a leisurely departure at around 10.15 a.m. and headed for Leominster, via a number of almost deserted 'B' roads through the beautiful Shropshire countryside. Once on the A44 to the west of Leominster, we stopped for coffee at the Monkland Cheese Dairy, an idyllic, quaint old country building, where the outside tables and chairs were set amongst the many flowers in the well-kept garden.

In addition to the coffees and cakes, several Pack members took the opportunity to buy various cheeses, fudges and Herefordshire apple brandy for home consumption!

We continued along the A44 to Burlingjobb and took the very scenic, twisting and undulating B4594 through Gladestry, Newchurch and Painscastle, to Erwood. From there, we again routed on 'B' roads via Talgarth, Llangorse, Bwlch, and Llangynidr, before climbing over the mountain to Beaufort to meet the A465. The views to the north as we climbed up to Beaufort were superb. From Beaufort, we continued along the A465 and took the A4060 to bypass Merthyr Tydfil before joining the A470 back to Cardiff. Whilst on the A4060, we passed a very impressive Pink Car Rally, which must have comprised at least a hundred or more pink cars, backed up by a pink National Express coach!

The weather stayed dry for the entire weekend and the company was, as always, first class. The route took us on largely deserted biking roads, through spectacular scenery. Little wonder then that this was another very successful ride. Who knows, because this route is so good, we might just run this in future as a 280-mile one-day ride!

Photos are on the Gallery page.

Pack Ride to Pistyll Rhaeadr Waterfall ~ 21st August 2011

Despite fairly dismal weather on the Saturday, the forecast for Sunday 21st August looked very hopeful a grey and overcast start to the day, brightening to a dry and sunny day. Sure enough, when the alarm clock went off at a quarter-to-seven on Sunday morning, the weather looked extremely grey and overcast, but at least it wasnt raining! So, it was off to the start point to see which other Pack members had decided to trust the weather forecast. We need not have worried, as there were 14 bikes and 15 people at the start point by the time that we left at 8 a.m. Even easy Bob had turned up, despite his Sprint ST still having a puncture in its rear tyre. He was on a Honda VFR which Ted had kindly loaned him.

The early start was dictated by the fact that this was a 150-mile run to the waterfall, with a similar return mileage. We set off for Erwood, which would be the planned coffee stop at somewhere around the mid-way point of the run. We picked up Ray & Gill on their Sprint GT and Frank & Gloria on their Bonneville at Abercynon and when we arrived at Erwood, we met up with Martin and Fay on their 1050 Tiger and Bob and Nonie on their Sprint GT. Whilst we were at Erwood, Howard arrived on his trusty old Thunderbird and, just as we were leaving, Nigel arrived on his Rocket. As we headed up the A470 towards Builth Wells, we were up to 20 bikes and 25 people.

From Builth we took the A483, a great biking road, to Newtown. From there we took B roads to Llanfair Caereinion, where we stopped to refuel. Whilst at the garage, Bill and Sarah turned up on their brace of Tiger 800s to bring the numbers up to 22 bikes and 27 people. Clearly, this was another popular ride. Whilst most people re-fuelled at this stop, new-comer Adrian, on his new Tiger 800XC, obviously decided that he had more than enough fuel for the rest of the day and so declined the opportunity; this decision would come back to haunt him later (remember the old maxim always refuel when other people stop, whether you need it or not).

From Llanfair, we routed through the picturesque village of Meifod, which was obviously in the firing line to have either a wind farm or pylons built on its doorstep. There were lots of roadside signs saying No Wind Farms and No Pylons. I was just waiting to see the next sign which I expected to say No Electricity. We continued through Llanfyllin, but as we arrived at a right-hand junction with the B4580, which we needed to take us to Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, we were greeted with a Road Closed sign. There was nothing for it, but to continue further along the road and hope that a diversion would be indicated. Sure enough, after a couple of turnings, there was a diversion to the right which would get us onto the road we wanted. However, further back down the line of riders, Howard saw the Road Closed sign and decided to follow his GPS which took him to the next right-hand turning. It then told him to take the next right turning, which took him back onto the closed road. With several other riders now following him, it was not long before they arrived at a bridge which had been closed. After some discussion, it was decided to remove the barriers and ride across the bridge. This decision was based on the fact that there was a digger parked on the bridge, so if the bridge was strong enough to support a digger, it must be strong enough to support a few motorbikes as well! We all met up again just outside Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant and rode the last four miles up a narrow minor road to the foot of the waterfall. Twenty-one bikes pulled up in the car park, much to the surprise of staff and visitors alike. Knowing his place, Andrew parked his Bavarian tractor in the designated tractor park.

Pistyll Rhaeadr is an enchanting waterfall in the Berwyn Mountains, just inside Wales, west of Oswestry and Shrewsbury. At 240 feet high, it is supposedly the UKs tallest single drop waterfall, which offers a sense of peace and tranquillity seldom found in todays busy world. Tan-y-Pistyll, meaning little house under the waterfall, is where the Swiss chalet styled tea room is located, with a spectacular view of the waterfall from its outside seating. The staff did a remarkable job to rustle up lunches for 26 people with virtually no notice!

After lunch and a walk to the waterfall, we saddled up for the return trip. We retraced our route for the first 10 miles or so to Llanfyllin and then struck out in a south-westerly direction on B roads through Tycrwyn and Llwydiarth to meet the A458 at Pen-y-Bont. At this point, Adrian advised the Pack Leader that he needed fuel within about 40 miles. We headed along the A458 to Llanerfyl, but the only garage we found was closed. At this point, Adrians miles to go fuel gauge showed that he had 33 miles of fuel left. We were about to turn off the A458 onto a minor road, which would eventually take us to Llanidloes, 31 miles away! We decided to press on, as we could always dip peoples tanks with a polythene bag to nurse Adrian the last few miles if necessary.

We headed off down the minor road through constantly changing beautiful mid-Wales scenery, through Dolwen to meet the A470 at Talerddig. We crossed the A470 and continued on the minor road to Bont Dolgadfan, where we joined the B4518 back through Staylittle to Llanidloes. When we stopped at the petrol station in Llanidloes, Adrian had just seven miles of fuel left! We decided to pick up the A470 at Llanidloes and press-on down to Rhayader, so that we could get to the Halt Cafe before it stopped serving food at 5 p.m. This we achieved, and we enjoyed a welcome break in the evening sunshine in the cafe garden.
It was such a beautiful evening that we elected to return to Brecon via Newbridge-on-Wye, Beulah, Garth and across the Eppynt Mountains. The final 50 miles back to Cardiff were smartly rattled off and we arrived back in the Cardiff area at about 7 p.m. after a spectacular and almost traffic-free 300-mile ride.

This ride had been longer than our usual rides, and the early start was necessary because of this. Despite the three stops for food and refreshments, there were clearly several tired riders by the end of the day! Hopefully, they all enjoyed their day and thought that the effort was worthwhile. Pictures from the day are on the Gallery Page.

Pack Ride to Stackpole Quay & Bosherton ~ 7th Aug 2011

On Saturday night 6th August, the 24 hour weather forecast for the south and south-west coast of Wales looked pretty miserable, but at least there was some brightness forecast as well as some heavy showers. However, on the Sunday morning at around 8 a.m. the forecast had worsened to show heavy rain, wind and possible hail for most of the day along the south coast. In an attempt to make a decent ride to west Wales, the route would have taken us on winding back roads after Junction 46 on the M4. These were certainly not the roads to be riding in the sort of weather that had been forecast, so Mr RAT decided to postpone this Pack ride (the first time in nearly seven years!). The Pack Leader did not expect many Pack members to turn up at the start point and so suggested that Mrs RAT stay at home, whilst he went to the start point in case anyone did turn up. The decision to postpone this event was made in sufficient time to allow the Pack Leader to contact Bill & Sarah in Brecon, to avoid them setting off for the planned coffee stop at St Clears.

On arrival at the start point, the Pack Leader found Andrew waiting. Then Roy turned up with his daughter Anharrid. Then Martin Ricketts turned up, followed by Mike Heap. Then Mark turned up on his Tiger 1050, followed closely by Paul and Gillian on their T100. So, there were 9 Pack members on 7 bikes who had set off for the start point despite the Sunday morning weather. Rather than just split and go back home, we elected to head up to the Downs Cafe on the A48 for a coffee and a bacon roll. Unsurprisingly, we were the only people there except for a few car drivers. We had breakfast whist the rain came down in stair-rods and then as soon as there was a break in the weather, we headed off to our respective homes.

This particular trip needed fine weather, as we would have parked in a National Trust car park at Stackpole Quay and then walked over the cliff tops to Barrafundle Bay. This would have been followed by a walk around Bosherton Lakes. The Pack Leader could see little point in riding 100 miles each way in the pouring rain for a walk across the cliff tops in the pouring rain! This ride will be re-scheduled, possibly for some time in September.

If you are wondering what you have missed, there are some photos on the Gallery Page that Mr & Mrs RAT took during their recent recce for this ride.

Rideout to Sammy Millers Museum ~ 31st July 2011

What a superb day out! In the absence of a 2-week overseas trip in this years Pack schedule, this was probably the biggest one-day event of the year for us. It all started back before Christmas, when I decided to include a day trip to Sammy Millers Motorcycle Museum in the Bevan RATs 2011 schedule of Pack events. The museum staff asked if I would like to make it a Triumph Day and so the seed for The Big Triumph Ride In was sown. After many e-mails to other RAT Pack Leaders across the south of the UK, it looked like there might be enough support to get possibly 120 bikes together for this event. So, a rendezvous point suitable for 200 bikes was identified just four miles from the museum on Forestry Commission land and permission to use it was obtained. Sammy Miller agreed to put on a BBQ, fire up some of his more unusual motorbikes for us in the museum courtyard and donate three books as prizes on the day. The idea was for all the bikes to assemble at the RV point between 10.30 and 11.30 a.m. and then ride in a big procession to the museum. It all worked like clockwork!

I had asked Pack members for a show of support for this particular ride and I need not have worried whether or not that would happen. Despite the early 7 a.m. departure from Cardiff, which was necessitated by the planned assembly time at the RV point, 17 bikes left the start point or joined at nearby M4 flyovers. That was not the total number, as Martin & Fay and Bob & Nonie had travelled down the day before on 2 bikes and were on-site at the RV early on the Sunday morning to ensure that arrangements worked smoothly. Additionally, Nigel and Howard rode down together a little later in the morning and Bill rode down independently from Brecon. Jeff Greenman (landlord of The Lewis Arms) misread the start details and turned up at 7.30 a.m. with Lennie, Angela and Mac, so the four of them rode down together and met us at the museum. So, the final tally appears to have been 31 people on 26 bikes. Yes, you could say the event was well-supported!

There was almost no traffic on the road at that time on a Sunday morning and we were on the A37, the other side of Bristol, within an hour of the start. Once past Shepton Mallet, we turned onto the wonderfully scenic B3081 through a myriad of olde-world villages, including Milton, Clevedon, Bruton, Stoney Stoke and Gillingham. At Shaftsbury, about 90 miles from the start, we stopped to top up the bikes, stretch our legs and have some quick refreshments. Dee had packed a cool-bag full of quiche, scotch eggs, cold sausages, cheese and grapes, which she spread out on the rack and saddle of her bike for everyone to dig into. There was not time for a conventional coffee-stop with its attendant delays. The stop was an ideal opportunity to remind the riders that Zig Zag Hill (voted by Continental Tyres as the windiest road in Britain) was only 3 miles further along the road. After 20 minutes we were on our way again and, despite the reminder about Zig Zag Hill, at least one rider was caught out and had to stop part-way around the first hairpin bend, causing minor panic amongst the several riders behind him who were forced to stop as well!
We pressed on along the B3081 through Cann Common, Tollard Royal, Sixpenny Handley and Verwood to meet the A31. A short jink along the A31 to Picket Post and then back onto minor roads across the New Forest, through Burley, to arrive at the RV point spot on time at 10.30 a.m.

We were the first Pack to arrive at the RV, but Fay & Martin and Bob and Nonie were there, having got the gate open and had marshalled a few independent riders into an appropriate parking area. Fay flagged down each Pack in turn and briefed the pack Leaders to park at the head of the queue and the rest to park at the far end of the line. Martin and Bob marshalled the bikes close together and helpers from the museum turned up at the RV point to see if we needed help, before disappearing to erect signs on the A35 to warn on-coming motorists that bikes were crossing ahead.

No sooner had our Pack parked up, than other Packs started to arrive...and arrive...and arrive! Its a credit to the other Packs that they had also judged their journey times almost to perfection. The area that had been selected for the RV point was a long concrete perimeter track which had been part of the old Holmsley WW2 aerodrome. It was perfect for our needs and enabled all the riders to park in a long line down one side of the track, ready for a Le-Mans style start at 11.30 a.m!

By the time we were ready to leave the R.V. point, Ted had counted 270 bikes and bikes were still entering the RV point in large numbers as we were heading off in a near 300-bike procession to the museum! Dee had gone ahead to mark one of the turning points and she took dozens of photos of the procession of bikes. From the times on the photos, it looks like the procession took about 12 minutes to pass her.

At the museum there were about another 100 bikes that had gone directly there, rather than to the RV point. The Pack Leaders at the head of the procession were marshalled into the museum courtyard to position their bikes around the fountain, ready for the group photo, whilst the remainder were directed into the nearby car parks. Non-Triumph riders were sent to the furthest car park sorry Andrew, Ted, Tony, Lyn and Angela, but this was a Triumph Ride In!

I met Pack Leaders from Carl Rosners Pack, Destination Triumph Washington, Destination Triumph Fareham, Isle of Wight RATs, Fowlers of Bristol, Performance Triumph Cheltenham, Performance Triumph Swindon, Laguna (Maidstone) and Three Cross Motorcycles. However, 2 more Pack Leaders bikes subsequently arrived in the courtyard for the group photo, but I did not meet them. These may well have been from Jack Lilley RATs, Bulldog Triumph or Knotts RATs, all of whom had pledged their support for this event. Additionally, our good friend Harry van de Most had arrived from Holland with five of his countrymen, to give the event an international flavour.

The time was now around 12 noon and a long queue formed almost immediately at the BBQ; the queue stretched right across the courtyard, thereby making the group photo impossible, so it was set back to 2.p.m. to avoid a riot! In the meantime, Sammy appeared and talked us through some of the bikes that his staff was firing up for our benefit. A 1949 500cc Triumph GP factory racer was the first to bark into life with a truly memorable sound. This was followed by a 125cc two-stroke racing Honda and then a 1956 prototype 200cc two-stroke twin cylinder Triumph Tiger Cub. This latter bike never made it into production, supposedly because Edward Turner did not like two-strokes. Had Triumph done so, they would have been 10 years ahead of the Japanese motorcycle manufacturers, who sold some 14 million bikes of this sort. The rest is history.

Once the bikes had been shut down, Sammy invited us into the workshops where all the renovations are carried out. There were probably 8 or 9 bikes on servicing ramps in various states of renovation and Sammy talked us through each project in some detail. People with an interest in vintage and classic bikes do not get an opportunity like this very often. From nickel plating versus chromium plating to the sourcing of paints, and from the manufacture of tin-ware to the foundry casting of obsolete parts, Sammy had got first-hand knowledge of it all. It is no wonder that all of the exhibits in his museum are all prepared to such a high standard. This is clearly a labour of love as much as anything else!

Finally, we were able to get the group photo taken and then there was the opportunity to award some prizes. Harry van de Most was awarded the prize for the rider who had made the longest trip to get to the museum and Martin Silk was awarded a prize for the help that he had given the Pack Leader on-site at the RV point that morning.

At around 3 p.m., with all our thanks and farewells completed, the Pack saddled up for the ride home. We took a different route back, still on wonderfully scenic country lanes, but we were able to relax a bit without the time deadline of the outward trip. However, that didnt stop the group getting split up! We all stopped for petrol in Romsey and then should have picked up the B3084 through Middle Wallop to meet the A303 west of Andover. The first half of the Pack made it to this point, but unfortunately, the second-man drop-off system failed because the chosen one did not wait for the back marker to arrive before leaving his position. Consequently the second half of the Pack, who were slow to leave the garage, just sailed on past the end of the turning of the B3084 and continued to Stockbridge and then on to meet the A303 at Andover. However, all was not lost the Pack leader tried to leave voice messages on 3 mobile phones in the other group to say that we would meet them at The Lansdowne Arms at Derry Hill, on the A342 just before Chippenham. By this time, Dee had suggested this idea quite independently to others within the "lost boys" and Howard tapped it into his sat nav and led the way to the pub. Unfortunately, Andrew thought he had assumed the lead of the "lost boys" and was busy following his sat nav home and was wondering why everybody had turned off behind him (well, it happens to BMW riders)! Andrew stopped to check his phone, which amazingly had my message on it about meeting at the pub. He tapped the destination into his sat nav and set off by himself. The upshot of all this is that virtually the whole group met up again at the pub, arriving there within just a minute or two of each other! Clearly, we all had plenty to talk about at the pub!

The rest of the journey home was pretty uneventful and we got back into Cardiff at around 7.30 p.m.

This had been a great day out, albeit a long day with around 290 miles of riding. The weather had been brilliant, all the Pack members were up for this ride, all the arrangements worked like clockwork, we were made extremely welcome by Sammy Miller and his staff and best of all, more than 400 Triumphs turned out to enjoy the day with us!

My thanks go to the Pack members for supporting the event, the other Pack Leaders for including this event on their Pack schedules and to the staff at the Sammy Miller Museum. It is always dangerous to single-out people for special thanks, but Im sure many will agree that Bill Gibsons enthusiasm was the driving force behind the museums behind the scenes efforts and that this was closely matched by that of his colleague Lynette Goodman.

Days like this make me wonder what we can do for next year!

The previous RAT Pack ride-out to the Severn Valley Railway to ride on a steam train had been extremely popular, so an outing to the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway was included on this years schedule for Sunday 24th July 2011.
A reasonably early start to the day was needed, so that we could take a mid-ride coffee break at the old Erwood Station on the outbound ride (yes, it was trains all the way on this trip!), and reach Llanfair in time to catch the 11.30 a.m. train to Welshpool. So, nine bikes departed from Cardiff West Services at 8 a.m. and picked up three more Pack members on two bikes at Abercynon. We continued to Erwood, where we arrived right on schedule, and met up with seven more Pack members on five bikes. This brought the total to 19 people on 16 bikes; clearly, steam train rides are popular with Pack members!

After a leisurely stop, with route-cards being handed out to all participants and a briefing that the second-man drop-off system would be employed for the rest of the trip up to Llanfair (Andrew was appointed as the last man because he came on his BMW 1200GS), we headed off up the A470 to Builth Wells. From Builth Wells we took the A483, in lovely sunshine and clear skies, and headed for Newtown. The scenery throughout this part of Wales is beautiful and there were spectacular views from the high ground. The traffic was still fairly light at that time of the morning and the road wound and twisted to reveal a constantly changing vista. What could spoil such a beautiful day for 19 people out for a ride on 16 bikes?

The Pack Leader had been followed for several miles on the A483 by Emlyn aboard his Triumph America. Emlyn had joined us for his first Pack ride-out and appeared to be enjoying his ride with new company. However, a few miles south of Newtown, the Pack Leader noticed that Emlyn had disappeared from his mirrors and so he turned around and rode back a short distance, to see what had happened. The news was not good. A badly knocked about car was virtually blocking the road, Emlyns America was wedged between the hedge and the Armco barrier on his nearside and Emlyn was laying in the road with obvious injuries. Other Pack Members had started to arrive on the scene by this time, with Gloria the first to reach Emlyn and administer first aid and provide him with comfort and assurances that all would be well. Pack members went to stop traffic from each direction and the Pack leader checked to ensure that the ambulance and police had been called. Amazingly, this had already been done by the lady whose car had been involved in the collision and undoubtedly led to the speedy arrival of an ambulance. Even more good fortune was at hand; one of the very first cars to stop was driven by a doctor, who then assisted with first aid until the ambulance arrived. An air ambulance was called, which arrived and descended into an adjacent field, to fly Emlyn to Shrewsbury Hospital.

Throughout all this, Emlyn had remained fully conscious and spoke to Pack members. Gill obtained his wifes phone number and called her to let her know what had happened and just when it looked like Emlyn was safely aboard the helicopter for the trip to Shrewsbury, the helicopters engine failed and a second helicopter had to be summoned from Swansea. It appeared incredibly quickly and finally Emlyn was on his way to receive treatment in hospital. Meanwhile, the police had arrived and completed all the measurements at the scene and the recovery truck arrived to take away both damaged vehicles. The road was re-opened and the backlog of traffic was allowed to proceed.

It was decided that we could do no more and that we would continue with the ride, although five people on four bikes decided to turn back for home. So, 13 people on 11 bikes headed off to complete the last 19 miles to Llanfair, albeit some two hours behind schedule. In retrospect, this was probably a wise decision and enabled peoples minds to focus on other things and for their spirits to be raised. However, there was yet another twist of events that almost led to us not making it to the station on time. As we headed out of Newtown on the A483 towards Welshpool, we found that the B4389, which we needed for the final 8 or 9 miles to Llanfair Caereinion, had been closed. The Pack Leader continued towards Welshpool and took a chance on another left-hand turning, which did indeed take us to Llanfair. As we filled with petrol in the village service station, the Pack Leader checked the train timetable to find that the train left the nearby station in two minutes time! We rode to the station, parked the bikes and made haste to the ticket office. By good fortune, Bill and Sarah had got separated from the Pack around Newtown and Bills sat-nav had taken him by another route to Llanfair, where they had arrived at the station and held the train up until the rest of us arrived!

Finally, we were on the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway, built to link farming communities with the market town of Welshpool and provide them with an outlet for their produce. The original builders of this railway chose a gauge of 2ft 6ins to allow for tight curves and steep gradients, so that the railway could traverse the rolling landscape of this attractive part of Mid Wales. Operated at first by Cambrian Railways, the line was taken over by the Great Western and then British Railways. The line was finally closed in 1956, but that was not to be the end for this railway. In 1963 a group of enthusiasts rallied round and began to progressively re-open the line, making what it is today. Throughout its 16-mile journey from Llanfair to Welshpool, the views from the train were superb and the sense of nostalgia brought about by travelling on this out-dated mode of transport was quite rewarding.

Despite the trains late arrival in Welshpool because of our lateness in boarding at Llanfair, it was ready on time for the return journey. We arrived back at Llanfair at around 3 p.m. and, having had no refreshments since our morning coffee stop at Erwood, we headed straight for the railway tearooms for afternoon tea and cakes! As we headed back to the car park to saddle up for home, we were delighted to see that Howard had ridden up to meet us and join us for the ride back to Cardiff good man! We elected to head back to Rhayader on the A470 in order that we could stop for hot food at The Halt Cafe.

With the weather still hot and sunny, we had a delightful ride to Rhayader, but were greeted at the cafe by those immortal words Hot food is off we finished serving at 4.30 p.m. It was then 5 p.m. and the sign clearly indicated that the cafe was open until 5.30 p.m., but pointing this out to the staff met with little sympathy! Still, coffee and cakes (again) in the garden in lovely warm sunshine was a fitting way to end a marred day.

Several Pack members made a direct contribution to the speedy evacuation of poor Emlyn. My thanks go to Gloria and Gill for their actions in comforting the patient when he needed it most, and for contacting his wife Sally with the news. My thanks also go to Bill and Bob who warned and stopped approaching traffic in both directions. I must also pay tribute to the professional service provided by both the Ambulance Service and the Air Ambulance Service, who were both quickly on the scene. If the Wales Air Ambulance needs another helicopter engine, we will have to have another Charity BBQ! Our best wishes for a speedy recovery go to Emlyn and we hope that he can be transferred soon to Cardiff Hospital, where it will make life easier for his wife Sally to visit him.

After a spell of unsettled weather, the forecast looked hopeful for Saturday and Sunday 9th & 10th July 2011. Indeed, when we left Cardiff at around 3.30 p.m. on the Saturday afternoon to head for the agreed meeting place at the Sennybridge garage and cafe, the sun was shining and it looked as though we were finally going to get a fine evening for the BBQ. However, by the time we reached Llwyn-on Reservoir, it started to rain quite heavily so, with no rain gear, we turned smartly into the Garwnant Forest Centre for a coffee and waited for the shower to pass over. We were soon on our way again and arrived on time at Sennybridge. Most of the other miscreants had already gathered and Bill soon arrived to escort us all through the lanes to Blaendyrin. Naturally, we had to wait for the late Mr & Mrs Spragg to appear before we could set off! With the bikes all safely parked up for the night, we set about erecting tents, laying out the croquet pitch, erecting gazeboes, lighting BBQs and engaging in the usual well-meant banter whilst eating cake and drinking tea that Sarah had thoughtfully prepared for us. With that over, the evening got underway with plenty of real ale and Pimms to accompany the ladies and then the mens croquet matches!

It did try to rain during the croquet match, but it didnt amount to much; certainly it did not spoil the BBQ. As in previous years, Bill and Sarah had again been extremely generous hosts. Masses of hot and cold food awaited us, and the beers, wines and after-dinner port were all delightful however, I reckon that Bill & Sarah will be eating steak, chicken, sausages and salad for weeks to come! The ladies got involved in games of pick-up sticks and then later, a boules tournament in the dark!
After a great evening, people eventually returned to their tents for some well-earned kip, amid the noise of foxes calling and explosions from the armys night manoeuvres in the nearby MoD ranges!

A sunny Sunday morning arrived and campers made a leisurely start, crawling from their sleeping bags at around 8 a.m. Sarah made lots of scrambled eggs and Bill barbecued the bacon, whilst tents were speedily dismantled and all the luggage stowed in Bills 4x4, ready to be returned to Cardiff for us on Tuesday morning (what a great way to go camping!). All Pack members helped to put away all the tables, chairs, gazebo, lanterns etc, and cleared away the breakfast dishes so that we were ready right on time at 10.45 a.m. to leave for Sennybridge to start the Sunday ride-out. Virtually all Pack members who attended the BBQ stayed for the ride on the Sunday. One other Triumph rider was waiting at the cafe to join us for his first ride with the Pack Terry had ridden with Mr RAT some weeks earlier on a Classic Bike ride up the coast, organised by the VMCC. This time, Terry was on a very smart and very noisy America.

Bill briefed us on the route, which was to be about 100 miles and would be largely along back lanes. Accordingly, there would be no route-cards, so we would adopt the second-man drop-off scheme and just follow Bill. From Sennybridge, 13 bikes headed to Llywel and then across the MoD ranges through Tirabad and Llangammarch Wells to Builth Wells and then followed the A470 south to Erwood, where we stopped for a coffee at the old Erwood Station. As we passed by the end of the B4594, just 200 metres from the cafe, we spotted Martin Ricketts out for a ride. He saw us and joined us for coffee at the Station.
After coffee and the obligatory cream cake, we headed off in a south-westerly direction, again keeping to the back lanes through Crickadarn, Llaneglwys and Garthbrengy to arrive at the back of Brecon. We then took the B4558 though Pencelli, Tallybont-on-Usk, Llangynidr and Gilwern to join the A465 into Abergavenny. Here we took the old route to Usk on the B4598 and then the B4235 through Llangwm, Gaerllwyd and Myndd-bach to join the A466 near Chepstow Racecourse. From here we took a short ride north to finish the ride at the Abbey Mill Tearooms at Tintern. It was a superb ride, thoughtfully put together and well led by Bill. We enjoyed an afternoon refreshment stop (with toasted tea-cakes bigger than tea plates!) and then bade our farewells and made our own ways back home.

Once again, Bill & Sarah organised a great weekend for us, but refused to accept any payment. To acknowledge their generosity, the Pack members had a whip-round, which raised 200. Sarah again donated this sum to The Wales Air Ambulance a worth cause and one that is close to most of our hearts.

To Bill and Sarah I say thanks from all of us.

The Patterdale 5th Annual RAT Bash ~ June 2011

The 5th Annual RAT Bash, organised by the Northern RAT Pack, was held at the Patterdale Hotel, near Ullswater in Cumbria, between Friday 17th June and Sunday 19th June 2011. Eight members of the Bevans RAT Pack signed up to attend this years meeting, but six of those decided to combine the trip with an additional 2 overnight stops on the way up to the Lake District and an additional 3- night stop at the Patterdale Hotel after the RAT Bash had finished, thereby making the event into a one-week holiday.

The 5-day weather forecast for the Lake District looked decidedly wet for the duration and so wet weather gear was packed or worn throughout the event; however, we were decidedly lucky to have 2 good sunny days, with the rest being overcast and showery. Notwithstanding this, we did not have to endure riding in any heavy rain and did not get wet during the entire week!

Six Pack members on four bikes headed off on Wednesday 15th June and stopped at Ash Farm B&B (a Farm Stay at Acton Bridge), just off the A49 and about 20 miles east of Chester. This was a really quiet and homely spot which Bob & Nonie had used the previous year. We walked across the fields on the first evening to have a really enjoyable evening in the village pub (the Maypole Inn) and then the following day we took a taxi into Chester to do the complete tourist thing. The weather was warm and sunny, so we decided to take a river tour and an open-topped bus tour around the city, before walking around the complete city walls. Chester is a beautiful city, with lots to see and do during a day visit and all too soon we found that our evening meal by the river was over and the taxi was waiting to take us back to our B&B.
The following day, we re-packed the bikes and headed north to Patterdale, once again missing the rain that had been forecast. On the way there, we stopped off to see the Anderton Boat Lift on the nearby River Weaver in the heart of Cheshire. One-hundred-and-twenty-five years ago, this impressive Victorian boat lift, the first of its kind, lifted canal boats and their industrial cargoes from the River Weaver to the Trent & Mersey Canal high above.

With the bikes parked at the Patterdale Hotel, we set out to explore our surroundings and awaited the arrival of the other Packs from across the UK. These soon arrived, including Bill and Sarah on their two Tiger 800s, so we met in the bar for a few beers before dinner.

As in previous years, the dinner was imaginative and good value for money, with the vegetarian options for Fay and Martin being particularly good. After dinner, we took part in the quiz night, with Bill, Sarah, Bob and Nonie achieving a creditable 3rd place. Eventually, there were 45 or more Triumphs in the hotel car park, with a few others in nearby guesthouses.

On Saturday morning, the eight of us joined 12 other bikes for a ride that had been put together by the Pack Leader from Peterborough Triumph. There were no route-cards for the day; instead, we just followed the leader along 130 miles of the Lake Districts finest back lanes. We rarely encountered main roads, and saw very little traffic all day. This route had clearly been well thought out beforehand and the leader did an excellent job in taking us around it, using the second-man drop off system throughout the day. Towards the end of the afternoon, Mr RAT stopped when he passed one of the participants who had suffered a puncture in the rear tyre of his 1050 Tiger. The guy had no means to repair the puncture, so Mr RAT chased down the tour leader to let him know of the problem. Sarah gave the tour leader the tubeless repair kit which she had with her and the leader went back 6 miles to assist the stricken rider. With no other rider having a route card for this ride, Mr RAT elected to lead the remaining riders back through Coniston and Ambleside and then over the Struggle and the Kirkstone Pass to Patterdale. All ended well, with the stricken rider able to ride back to the hotel after repairing his puncture. On the Saturday evening, we enjoyed a fine group meal, a charity auction and then there was a live band in the bar for those whose eardrums could stand it!

On Sunday, as the other participants prepared to leave the hotel for their homeward journeys, most of the Bevans RATs donned their walking boots and headed out along the shores of Ullswater (the inspiration for Wordsworths famous daffodils) to enjoy the dramatic walks around Aira Force waterfall, renowned in Victorian times as a beauty spot. The Falls are still surrounded by beautiful woodlands and footpaths across acres of wild fell. Indeed, it was along such footpaths that we should have returned, but we somehow ended-up off the footpaths and on farmers fields. As we worked our way back towards the road, which inevitably took us past the farmhouse, we must have looked more like an SAS patrol trying to avoid detection than a bunch of fell walkers out for a walk! Wet boots and trousers were hung up to dry, whilst we enjoyed another fine evening meal in the hotels dining room.

On Monday it was a fine sunny day, so we left the panniers in the hotel and went for a 150-mile ride across to the Yorkshire Dales, to say hello to an old friend of Mr & Mrs RAT, who lived in an old and very isolated farmhouse in Dentdale. On such a sunny day, the picturesque farmhouse by the river, with rare breed chickens, ducks, doves and a turkey in the farmyard, all looked idyllic however, Im not so sure that its the same during the winter...! After a brief stop to say hello and have a cup of tea, we headed across Widdale Fell to Hawes, where we stopped for lunch at the Penny Garth Cafe, a well-known and much frequented biker cafe in the area. After lunch, we rode through Wensleydale to Leyburn, then headed north-west through Arkengarthdale and over Tan Hill to Nateby, before heading back to the hotel, through Sedbergh and Kendall.

Tuesday dawned as a day of drizzle and low cloud over the hills, so most people elected to have another walk around part of the lake and then return across the lake on the steamer. The weather steadily improved throughout the day and the walkers were rewarded with a good day out. With the hotel being located only 12 or 13 miles from the Wrynose and Hardknott Passes in Eskdale, Mr RAT could not resist the chance to ride both passes, despite the low cloud and poor visibility. After completing the passes, Mr RAT looked up another old friend who lives on the shores of Windermere at Bowness-on-Windermere. On Tuesday evening, there was another quiz night at the hotel, from which we emerged as joint winners with a score of 60 points out of a possible 61 points. The fact that 20 of the questions were identical to those asked on the Friday night could have had nothing to do with our achievement! We felt sufficiently guilty to donate the cash voucher to the staff gratuities box!

On Wednesday, our final day, we headed down the M6 towards Northwich to pick up the A49, which we followed to Leominster, having stopped in Church Stretton for our lunch. From Leominster, we turned onto the traffic-free A4112 and then A438 to Bronllys, where we stopped at the delightful Honey Pot Cafe (we will be back again to sample more of the magnificent home-cooked cakes and desserts Bob and Mr RAT could not manage more than treacle and ginger tart with ice cream and fresh cream).
From there we split to take our own routes home, arriving at around 5 p.m. and having beaten the rain all the way back.
This was a great mini-break, made all the better by the superb organisation of the 5th Annual RAT Bash by Stu McCarthy and his Northern RAT Pack. We look forward to meeting up with them again in the future.

Pack Ride to Hook Norton Brewery ~ Bank Holiday Monday, 30th May 2011

The planned Pack ride through the Cotswolds to The Hook Norton Brewery & Visitors Centre had been eagerly awaited by many Pack members. Several had been into the shop to collect the route card for this ride, several had arranged points to join the ride along the way and a lot of people had expressed interest in this event. That was until Monday morning dawned and they awoke to find that it was pouring with rain and forecast to do so for most of the day! However, a Pack Leader's got to do what a Pack Leader's got to do, so it was on with the best wet weather gear and off to the start point on his Tiger 1050, together with Mrs RAT, suitably ensconced in her "boil in the bag" oversuit, on her trusty Bonneville.

At the start point, we were joined by Gary Hitchcott on his Sprint ST 1050, who was joining us for his first Pack ride-out. Just as we were thinking that there would be just 3 of us on the ride, Easy Bob turned up on his Sprint ST 955. We left the start at exactly 8.30 a.m. and headed east along the M4 and then up the A4042 to Abergavenny, where we had arranged an alternate "starting point" for the north Walians. Another first-timer was waiting at the Abergavenny bus station - Trevor Beament on his beautiful red 1600 Thunderbird, so the number of bikes had now crept up to five! We again set off at the advertised time to head for the roundabout outside Ross-on-Wye, where the A449 and the M50 meet, and where we had arranged to meet some other Pack members. However, because of the wet weather, we scooted along the A40 instead of taking the planned B4521 across country through Llanvetherine and Skenfrith. On arrival at the roundabout, there were no bikes or Pack members to be seen, so we continued up the M50 to the last junction before the end and turned north on the A38 for a mile or two to meet the A4104. At this point, we were back on our originally planned route and after just a few miles we were able to stop at Revill's farm and Coffee shop, just before Pershore for a welcome cup of coffee and some obligatory cakes (try out the warm parmesan and asparagus scones with butter ..... mmmm!).

After coffee, we continued in the rain through Pershore, Evesham, Weston Subedge and Chipping Camden to Weston Subedge and Chipping Camden. No, this is not a typographical error - the Pack Leader liked these two cotswold towns and villages so much that he took the Pack through them twice (or was this the result of missing a turning in the one-way system in Chipping Camden that sent them back to Weston Subedge????). Once back on track, we headed through Shipston-on-Stour and the Brailes, before turning off into the back of beyond to Sibford Gower, Burdrop, Sibford Ferris and eventually to our planned lunch stop at The Gate Hangs High pub at Hook Norton. The Gate Hangs High is a quintessential Public House set in the Heart of the Rolling North Oxfordshire Countryside, with superb panoramic views. The pub is just a mile from the brewery and has a spacious garden that would have been ideal for us if there had been more of us and if the weather had been fine! However, just as we were about to leave the pub and head the final mile to the brewery, Bill and sarah turned up on their brace of Tiger 800s. So now we were up to 7 riders on 7 bikes - that made it a worthwhile trip to the brewery.

We soon arrived at the brewery and Visitors Centre, which is housed in the original maltings that were bought by John Harris in 1849 and where he commenced brewing. Our guide, Howard, asked the question that was on everybodies lips, why on earth did he build a brewery in the middle of nowhere? Howard explained that in the early 1800's, there were dozens of small village breweries in the area, most of which just provided beer for the owner and his friends, Indeed, this was the case for the Hook Norton brewery, but over the years, the owner enlarged the premises and increased the production rate to meet commercial requirements. The building is a "traditional" tower brewery with six storeys and several flights of steep, open-tread stairs. All of the beer making process is designed to be assisted by gravity, ending up with the barrels in the cellar - however, supplies have to be hoisted 6 floors to the top of the building to start the process, and we saw the still-working stationary steam engine on the ground floor of the brewery that was once regularly used to power the hoist.

Our tours of the brewery last approximately 2 hours and consisted of a trip around the Brewery, museum and village museum, and was followed by beer sampling. The brewers craft is rooted in antiquity and many of its secrets are on view for all to see at the Hook Norton Visitors Centre and brewery museum. Anyone wandering through this astonishing display quickly realises that traditional methods have survived for sound, practical reasons. On leaving, we each received a badged glass as a memento of our visit.

We left the brewery at around 3.45 p.m., with it still raining, and headed into Chipping Norton for fuel. Somehow, in this short distance, we lost Trevor off the back of the group (he subsequently phoned to say that he had gone to the garage that he thought we would visit, but found nobody there. He decided to head for home by a route that he knew and had a safe ride home). The rain stopped as we re-fuelled and we had a dry ride for the remainder of the homeward journey, but because Bill and Sarah had not stopped for lunch, we all stopped at The Air Balloon pub near Ullenwood and had some hot food. We then continued on the A40, around the north of Gloucester and back to Ross-on-Wye and then Monmouth, Abergavenny and back to Cardiff.

Despite the persistant rain for much of the day, the seven hardy souls who tackled the trip had a really good day out. My thanks go to them, and in particular to the two lady riders, for supporting the event and making it a worthwhile trip. Needless to say, the following day dawned with beautiful clear sunshine!

Pack Weekend at The Welsh Dragon Raid ~ 6th to 8th May 2011

Just 2 or 3 years ago, RAT members had a choice of 3 or 4 national Triumph Rallies (or Raids as they are known), which they could choose to attend each year. These were organised by dedicated staff at the Triumph factory and were regular events on the RAT calendar. Unfortunately, that is all now history and the only way that RAT members can now enjoy such events is when individual Triumph dealerships elect to sponsor and host such an event. So, I was delighted to include the Welsh Dragon Raid, generously sponsored and superbly organised by Woods Motorcycles of Abergele, in the annual schedule of events for the Bevan Motorcycles RAT Pack this year.

As outlined in our schedule of events for 2011, individuals were responsible for booking their own places directly with Woods Motorcycles for this 2-night Raid and I was pleased to see that 8 Pack members were keen to support this event, which was being based at the Premier Inn in the beautiful walled town of Caernarfon, overlooking the Menai Strait and Anglesey. Although we had all hoped to ride up to Caernarfon together, the Friday departure made it difficult to select a departure time that suited all participants. In the end, six Pack members met up at the Halt Cafe, just south of Rhayader and rode the remainder of the way together, whilst the remaining two Pack members rode to Caernarfon and met us there. Although the entire weekend weather was forecasted to be showery with localised thunderstorms, we were incredibly lucky to enjoy the ride in dry weather and on almost deserted roads what a great start to the weekend!

On arrival at the hotel, located right on the side of the marina and just a couple of minutes walk from the castle, we were met by helpful Woods staff and marshalled into the car park, which would eventually accommodate more than 100 bikes of fellow RAT members. Once registered at the hotel, Pack members relaxed with a beer or two in the restaurant and bar and read the handbook to see how the rides would be organised on the Saturday and Sunday. The place soon filled up with bikers and a fine running buffet helped to absorb some of the liquid refreshment.

After a really good breakfast, Bill Deacon (the Woods Motorcycles RAT Pack Leader) briefed the assembled Packs on how the day was planned. There were no rides led by Woods Pack members; instead, the route had been marked with yellow markers and the route-card was included in the handbook we had been given on arrival. The route would take us from Caernarfon, down the Llyn Peninsula to Morfa Nefyn and then on to Aberdaron, the most westerly town in Wales, where we would stop to enjoy scones, tea and coffee. Despite the threatening rain, we again had a dry run down to Aberdaron and were comfortably ensconced in the hotel overlooking the beach when the shower arrived. Perfect timing!

After coffee, we rode up through Pwlleli and Criccieth, narrowly avoiding the rain, and on to Portmeirion for our lunch stop. Portmeirion is a popular tourist village designed and built by Sir Clough William-Ellis between 1925 and 1975 in the style of an Italian village. The village has served as the location for numerous films and television shows, most famously serving as The Village in the 1960s television show The Prisoner. Despite repeated claims that the village was based on the town of Portofino in Italy, Sir Clough William-Ellis denied this, stating that he only wanted to pay tribute to the atmosphere of the Mediterranean. Whatever the reason for its origins, it is a fascinating place and as we arrived in the car park, the Mediterranean sunshine came out to greet us.

After a leisurely stroll through the village and its grounds, we selected one of the 3 suggested return routes from the Woods handbook and set off back towards Caernarfon. We deviated from the route to visit the RSPB hide near Garreg, where staff had set up telescopes and a CCTV camera to watch the Ospreys nesting nearby. The eggs were due to hatch within 24 hours, so we were not lucky enough to see the baby birds, but nevertheless, the short deviation off route had been entirely worthwhile. Back on the bikes again, we headed over the Pass of Aberglaslyn and through Beddgelert, before taking another off-route excursion along the narrow and winding B4418 from Rhyd-Ddu, through Nantlle to join the main coast road to Caernarfon. The B4418 took us through breathtaking scenery, including a valley with precipitous slate cliffs towering above this ribbon of a road.

With the bikes parked up and Pack Members preparing themselves for the Saturday night meal and entertainment, the rain and hail began to fall like stair rods more excellent timing! Saturday night was another well organised event by the Woods staff. We had comfortable seating, hot food, a magician entertaining at the tableside and then a good six-piece group to finish off the evening.

After a night of heavy rain, we made a leisurely exit from the hotel in the sunshine and took the suggested route across the Llanberis Pass, through Capel Curig and Betws-y-Coed and then up to the top of the Maesyrychen Mountain to the Ponderosa Cafe, a well-known bikers cafe above Llangollen. After a lazy coffee stop, we continued our homeward journey through Llangollen and down the A483, where we continued to avoid the showers which were clearly all around us. Despite getting split up because of stops to buy pasties and petrol in different places, we all arrived back at the Halt Cafe outside Rhayader within minutes of each other. We had another well-timed meal together whilst it poured hard with rain again and then set off to complete the last 85 miles in the dry again more good timing!

This had been a most enjoyable weekend it was very well organised by Woods Motorcycles, the weather stayed kind for us (just!), there was some superb riding and good company with a hundred or more other RAT members all enjoying themselves. That is what these Raids are all about I wonder whether there might be a South Wales Dragon Raid in 2012?

The long-awaited Pack Easter weekend break on the edge of Dartmoor finally arrived and e-mails were sent to all 11 participants to let them know when and where to join the group on Good Friday morning. The Pack Leader, Mrs RAT and Ted were joined at Cardiff West Services by newcomers Mike and Ruth, who were joining us for their first weekend away with the Pack. Everybody arrived there in good time and we set off at 9.30 a.m. to meet up with Bob & Nonie and Martin & Fay in Magor Services at 10.00 a.m. Bob & Nonie were waiting for us all when we arrived approximately 10 minutes early, so we waited in the car park for Martin & Fay. And we waited........... and we waited. Eventually, at around 10.25 a.m. they pitched up, having mistakenly thought that departure was at 10.30 a.m. They say old age doesn't come on its own!

With Martin & Fay now present, we set off across the bridge and down the M5 to meet up with Bill and Sarah at Sedgemoor Services. As has been the case in previous Easter Weekend breaks in the west country, obligatory filtering through the M5 Bank Holiday traffic was the order of the day to get to Sedgemoor Services. However, after meeting up with Bill and Sarah, the 11 Pack members on 8 bikes left the M5 just 7 or 8 miles further on, at Junction 23 and took the A39 over the Quantock Hills towards Minehead. We then cut across Exmoor and over the Brendon Hills on 'B' roads, again stopping for lunch at The Exeter Inn, just north of Tiverton. After lunch we headed through the Exe Valley to Crediton and then worked our way through delightful Devon villages, around Okehampton and down to our accommodation at the lovely old thached Bearslake Inn. Bearslake Inn and Restaurant nestles in the beautiful North West corner of Dartmoor in the hamlet of Lake. Located between Okehampton and Tavistock on the A386 three miles south of the A30, Bearslake Inn is ideally situated for those wishing to discover this wonderful unspoilt part of Devon. From the pub garden there is a spectacular view across farm land up to the rugged heights of Dartmoor. Sourton Tor, Corn Ridge and Great Links Tor are just a walk away along the Bridle Path that runs past the pub carpark.

With the 8 bikes all neatly parked and the luggage deposited in our superb rooms, there was no other option but to meet up in the garden, beside the brook which tumbled through it, and enjoy a selection of real ales before dinner. We all met for a group dinner that evening and enjoyed the culinary delights and friendly service of this wonderful restaurant.

The next morning, Pack members were free to do as they wished. Bob, Nonie and Ted rode into Tavistock for a bit of retail therapy and then Bob subsequently decided that they should visit a rare breed farm that he remembered from the time that he lived in the area. By all accounts, they took a long and circuitous route to find the farm, only to be told when they got there that the farm closed down twenty years ago! However, they all enjoyed the ride!

Because of the beautiful weather on the Saturday, the Pack Leader, Mrs RAT, Martin and Fay decided to put their walking boots on, get a map and packed meals from the pub and set off onto Dartmoor for the day. What a super day it turned out to be; fabulous scenery, hot sunshine, treacle tart and clotted cream in a railway buffet car out in the sticks, lots of wildlife, and lots of exercise! We returned to our accommodation after a six-hour excursion, having walked around eleven miles. It was just the way to work up a thirst, which could only be satisfied by more real ale in the pub garden. All the Pack members started to arrive back at the pub from their days activities at around 5 p.m. and partook in the obligatory bikers' beers, before brushing up for another group meal in the restaurant.

After the sleep of the dead and a slightly later breakfast on the Sunday, we all set off to nearby Morwellham Quay, an award-winning World Heritage site, featuring the Tamar ketch "Garlandstone" in the historic Great Dock, the George & Charlotte Copper Mine, working Victorian farm, railway, heavy horses and museums of costume and mining. Just four miles west of Tavistock and bordering the beautiful River Tamar, amidst towering cliffs and gently rolling farmland, this lost world has been renovated to provide visitors with an insite of how people lived, worked and played 150 years ago. For many, a highlight of the visit is the narrow-gauge Mine Railway, enabling visitors to travel by train along the banks of the River Tamar before venturing deep underground in the George & Charlotte copper mine. Here, in their real abandoned workplaces, displays illustrate the harsh working conditions of Victorian miners. The train driver offered an expert commentary on the technical aspects of hard rock mining.

By way of contrast the Victorian farm and nature reserve offered us the chance to escape the hustle and bustle of 21st century life as we wandered through the tranquil countryside with only the wildlife for company.

Around mid-afternoon, some headed back to the pub, whilst the Pack Leader, Mrs RAT, Mike and Ruth headed off across Dartmoor to visit Castle Drogo, a country house near Drewsteignton. It was built in the 1910s and 1920s for Julius Drew (businessman and founder of the Home and Colonial Stores) to designs by architect Edwin Lutyens, and is a Grade I listed building. Castle Drogo was the last castle to be built in England, and probably the last private house in the country to be built entirely of granite. The castle took many years to complete, with the First World War and the economic downturn causing many delays. Castle Drogo was finally completed in 1930, considerably reduced in scale from Lutyens's 1911 designs, and only a year before Julius died; he had, however, been able to live in the house since around 1925. The castle has a fine formal garden, designed by Lutyens with planting by Gertrude Jekyll, which contrasts effectively with its striking setting on the summit of a hill on the edge of Dartmoor. The garden is noted for its rhododendrons and magnolias, which were a blaze of colours when we visited. We were just in time to complete a half-hour tour around the castle and gardens and still get a cream tea in the cafeteria before closing time!

Once again, evening beers were taken in the garden, before we again met up for a splendid last night meal in the restaurant.

After a leisurely breakfast on Monday morning, we all suffered a pain in the wallet before saddling-up and heading for home on empty 'B' roads across Dartmoor, to join a brief section of M5 around Exeter and then a stretch of A30 to Honiton and A303 to Illminster. From Illminster we escaped the traffic on the trunk routes and headed north across Somerset on more deserted 'B' roads. These took us through Curry Rivel, Somerton, Street, Glastonbury, Wells, Green Ore, Chewton Mendip and on through the beautiful Chew Valley, where we stopped for lunch at The King's Arms in Litton.

After lunch, we continued on minor roads to join the M5 at Gordano Services, just before the junction with the M49. We enjoyed an easy ride back along the M4 to Cardiff, where we arrived at around 5 p.m.

All the ingredients were there to make this a really enjoyable Pack weekend away: great weather, superb accommodation and food, fabulous riding roads and scenery and of course, great company. we look forward to the Pack weekend away to Much Wenlock in September; if you want to come, call me or e-mail me at the shop to book your place.

Photos are on the gallery page now.

Pack Ride to Avebury and the Pewsey Valley ~ 10th April 2011

After a long cold winter with no Pack ride-outs since the previous October, the first ride-out of the 2011 season finally arrived. And what amazing weather we were blessed with for this opening event beautiful warm sunshine and a perfectly clear blue sky! The combination of both the sunshine and the long winter wait ensured that lots of Pack members turned out for this event.
Nineteen people on 15 bikes left Cardiff West Services at a very gentlemanly 10.00 a.m. on the Sunday morning to head east along the M4 to Junction 18. We were joined by Roy and Howard at Junction 30 and by Martin, Bob and Nonie at Junction 23A. The first stop was at Sweetapples Tearooms in the quaint old village of Marshfield, where time seems to have stood still for the past 50 years or more. We were joined here by Bill and Sarah who were both running in their new 800 Tigers before the Pack Easter weekend in Devon later in April. So, the numbers had swelled to 26 people on 21 bikes the staff of Sweetapples Tearooms must have wondered what had hit them! Certainly the inhabitants of Marshfield seemed surprised to see such a procession of Triumphs along their usually quiet and sleepy main street.

After suitable refreshments (yes Andrew, I saw you have the huge slice of cake after your bacon butty!), we saddled up and headed off to the village of Avebury to visit the world famous stone circle at the heart of a unique prehistoric landscape. Avebury Ring and the Kennet and Beckhampton Stone Avenues constitute the world's biggest and most complex monument of the Megalithic Age. It is a World Heritage site, administered on behalf of the British nation by the National Trust. The Avebury ring is located about twenty miles to the north of Stonehenge and is the oldest stone ring that is known to be in existence anywhere in the world and is even older than Stonehenge. The bikes made an impressive spectacle all parked together in the National Trust car park and we were to meet up with the final 2 bikes and 3 people, bringing the final total to 23 bikes and 29 people. Of the 23 bikes, 19 were Triumphs.

Pack members did their own things around the village of Avebury, generally enjoying the gorgeous weather and the beautiful landscape, before meeting back at the bikes in readiness for a mystery tour along the near deserted lanes through the Pewsey Valley. All 23 bikes headed off to Marlborough, and then threaded their way through the sleepy hamlets of Oare, West Stowell, Stanton St Bernard, Allington and Horton, before making their way through Devizes. From Devizes we headed towards Chippenham, but at Sandy Lane we cut down through the back lanes to the national Trust village of Lacock, in order to enjoy the spectacular vista from the top of Derry Hill - well worth the detour! All but one bike (who had headed back east to Berkshire) arrived in Lacock to join the A350, but thereafter, people began to take their own routes back to their homes. However, there was still a very strong contingent of bikes when we stopped for afternoon coffee at The Crown in Dyrham, shortly before joining the M4 back to Cardiff.
Without a shadow of a doubt, this had been a very popular and long-awaited ride in the sunshine lets hope this is a good omen for the rest of the season! The day had undoubtedly been a TRIUMPH!

RAT Trip to Bethlehem & Defynnog ~ 4th December 2010

This years trip to post our Christmas cards at the hamlet of Bethlehem, on the northern edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park, coincided with the early Big Freeze that was gripping most of the U.K. As a result of this, it was decided on safety grounds to use cars for this trip. A message was sent round to pack members to meet at either the post Office at Bethlehem, where the annual Christmas Fayre was being held, or afterwards at The Castle Arms Coaching Inn at Trecastle for a pub lunch.
Although temperatures on the Saturday morning were in fact just above freezing, the outside lane of the A470 was covered with slushy snow in many places and we saw the aftermath of two accidents as we drove north; indeed, the A470 was closed shortly afterwards in both directions because of these accidents and several Pack members had to find an alternative route. The decision to use cars rather than bikes was probably a wise one!

The A4215 from the A470 to Defynnog had been cleared of snow and enabled us to cut across onto the A40 to Llandovery. At Llandovery, we wondered whether to remain on the A40 and skirt around to Llandeilo and approach Bethlehem from the north, or whether to take the A4069 from Llandovery to Llangadog and then approach Bethlehem from the south along the narrow minor roads. The A4069 looked clear as we arrived at Llandovery and so Plan B was adopted. The minor road from Llangadog to Bethlehem had also been cleared and so we arrived at Bethlehem with no real drama.

On arrival at the Post Office, we discovered that several exhibitors had not turned up, Roy Noble had not turned up to open the Fayre and to cap it all, the Post Office was closed because the postal staff had not turned up! However, after we explained that we had driven 73 miles through the snow to post our cards at Bethlehem, a helpful lady looked up the price of a first class stamp on the internet and agreed to take our cards and money and post the cards for us once the Post Office re-opened. It appeared that the difficulties had been caused by impassable icy roads on the north side of Bethlehem, somewhere near Llandeilo it was lucky that we went for Plan B.

With cards posted and Christmas Fayre purchases safely stashed in the cars, we headed for the Castle Coaching Inn at Trecastle. On arrival, we found that despite the opening hours published on their fancy new website, the pub was in fact locked up as tight as a drum (as indeed it had been the previous year!). A man came out of a nearby house and told us that the landlord and his wife had decided to go to Spain to play golf! Once again, Plan B was called into action and a combination of luck, mobile phones, good timing and intuition resulted in all 14 Pack members turning up at The Tanners Arms in Defynnog for lunch! This was another splendid choice (previously suggested by Bill its his local!) as the landlady made us all very welcome and pulled all the tables together in the dining room so that all 14 of us could sit down together for lunch by the fire.

Good food, good beers, good company and good service guaranteed that we would all enjoy our lunch and so a very pleasant couple of hours soon passed. All too soon, it was time for us all to bid our farewells and head for home. However, virtually all present (and several more as well!) will meet up again at Pentyrch for the Pack Christmas Dinner in just 12 days time.

Photos are on the gallery page of this website.

Saturday 4th December:

There will be another Pack trip to Bethlehem to get those Christmas cards posted early for Christmas, with the Bethlehem postmark on the envelope. Because of the freezing weather, we will make the journey by car and will aim to get to Bethlehem Post Office at around 11.00 a.m. Once again, the Annual Christmas Fair will be held at Bethlehem, between 10am and 4pm. and will be opened by Roy Noble. Gifts, cards, entertainment and refreshments. Post Office will be open to frank letters with Bethlehem postmark.

We will then head for a pub lunch at The Trecastle Coaching Inn (with its big log burner to warm us through!) and we hope to be there at around 1 p.m.

We look forward to meeting you at Bethlehem and/or the Trecastle Coaching Inn for a winter social meet.

Trip to the NEC Show ~ 28th November 2010

The freezing cold weather and heavy snowfalls that had gripped and covered the north and east of UK for the week preceding the NEC Show was forecasted to spread further south and east within a couple of days; so on Friday 26th November, the Pack Leader e-mailed all Pack members to tell them that the ride-out had been cancelled. Just an hour or two later, Cardiff was covered in snow as well! However, that didn't mean that Pack members would miss this major Show!

Roy had bought his ticket on-line, but then fell off his bike and cracked a bone in his ankle just a few days before the Show opened, so that meant that he would not be going. Roy passed his ticket to the Pack Leader who decided that going by car, whilst a poor substitute for a bike, would at least enable him and Mrs RAT to see the Show. So, at 7.30 a.m. on the Sunday morning, with road salt and a shovel, plus sleeping bags and food in the back of the car, they set off for the NEC with -8 degrees C showing on the temperature gauge. The good news was that the roads were dry and empty, so rapid progress was made to the NEC, where they met up with Bob & Nonie and Martin & Fay just before 10 a.m.

Once through the turnstiles, the Pack members made a bee-line for the Triumph stand in order to get a good look at the two new 800cc Tigers before the crowds arrived. The bike appeared to be a real hit with show-goers, with Pack members making all the right noises (I can feel a pain in my wallet coming on!).

Mark and Jessica, complete with latest addition baby Abigale, met up with the others on the Triumph stand - but as they left us, Mark was heard to say that they were looking for a siodecar for Jessica's Bonneville....!

Those Pack members who had been on the 2 previous trips to the States headed off to see the staff on the H-C Travel stand to suss out the possibilities of a South Africa trip in 2012 ........ it all looks very hopeful!

After looking around the Show, some of the Pack members met up for lunch around the food hall area, which was unusually quiet; no doubt the result of the freezing weather. Whilst enjoying lunch we spotted Ted, who had travelled up by car with a neighbour - clearly, Bevan's RAT Pack had made a good presence at the show, despite the weather.

With our purchases and "freebies" safely stowed in our cars, we left the NEC at around 3 p.m. and made it back to Cardiff just as darkness fell. This is the first time during the last 6 years that we have not used our bikes for this planned ride-out; let's hope that the weather is kinder next year!

Photos are on the gallery page of this website.

COWBOYS & INDIANS USA TOUR ~ 3rd to 17th OCTOBER 2010

Five members of the Bevans RAT Pack left UK for the USA on Sunday 3rd October for a 2,700-mile, 2-week tour through "cowboy & indian" country, which included Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Pack members included Mr & Mrs RAT, Martin & Fay and Ted; we hired 4 bikes in Las Vegas and returned them at the end of the one-way journey in Dallas, Texas.

The itinerary was as follows:

Monday 4th October 2010 ~ Las Vegas to Laughlin, Nevada

Tuesday 5th October 2010 ~ Laughlin NV to Sedona, Arizona

Wednesday 6th October 2010 ~ Sedona AZ to Thatcher, Arizona

Thursday 7th October 2010 ~ Thatcher AZ to Bisbee, Arizona

Friday 8th October 2010 ~ Bisbee AZ to Silver City, New Mexico

Saturday 9th October 2010 ~ Silver City NM to Las Cruces, New Mexico

Sunday 10th October 2010 ~ Las Cruces NM to Carlsbad, New Mexico

Monday 11th October ~ Carlsbad NM to Fort Davis, Texas

Tuesday 12th October 2010 ~ Free day at Historic Prude Ranch, Fort Davis, TX

Wednesday 13th October 2010 ~ Fort Davis TX to Marathon, Texas

Thursday 14th October 2010 ~ Marathon TX to San Antonio, Texas

Friday 15th October 2010 ~ San Antonio TX to Austin, Texas

Saturday 16th October 2010 ~ Austin TX to Dallas, Texas.

For the first 2 days we dodged tornadoes on our way south, but then the weather turned to beautiful, hot sunshine and stayed that way for the duration of the tour. The route took us through almost deserted countryside, through the old mining town of Oatman on the historic Route 66, through classic cowboy towns such as Tombstone in Arizona, Indian reservations, ancient indian cliff dwellings, Jugdge Roy Bean's courthouse at Langtrey, Texas, Fort Davis in Texas and of course the Alamo in San Antonio. We had a free day on a dude ranch at Fort Davis, where we spent the day horse riding on the Texas range, shooting all sorts of guns and then finishing off the day with a barbecue.

Some photos from the tour are displayed on the Gallery page of this website.

As has become tradition, the Pack Christmas Dinner will again be held on the December Club Night (i.e. the 3rd Thursday in December) at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch on Thursday evening 16th December 2010. With the current financial climate in mind, the management of the Lewis Arms has sought to provide us with good value for money and the price for the Christmas Party menu will be 13.95 per person.

Last year we seated 27 people for the dinner (this is the absolute maximum) - with Mr & Mrs Bevan attending, plus Mr & Mrs RAT, there are only 23 places remaining; accordingly, can I ask that you contact me as soon as possible at the shop (by e-mail preferably) and let me know if you wish to attend. I have scanned the Christmas Party menu and it appears in the RAT Photo Gallery on this site under the category heading "RAT Christmas Party Menu 2010" - please make your choices from the menu for yourself and partner (if applicable) and include them in your e-mailed reply. I will co-ordinate the group's requirements with the Lewis Arms. Vegetarians are requested to contact The Lewis Arms directly (Tel No: 02920 891641) to determine the vegetarian meal options and then include that menu in your response to me. Don't worry about sending a deposit - we will each pay in full for our meals/drinks on the night.

Ted has again put a superb DVD together from photos taken by Pack Members throughout the year and this will run during dinner - a free copy of the DVD will be available on the night for each couple (or individual as applicable) attending. There will be a spot prize for one lucky diner and a relaxed atmosphere for dinner can be guaranteed.

Please e-mail the Pack Leader at the shop (rat@bevanmc.co.uk) with your requirements as soon as possible.

Pack Ride to the Penderyn Whisky Distillery ~ 26th September 2010

Bob Millard came up with the idea of a trip to the Penderyn Whisky Distillary and a good idea it turned out to be. The day included a bit of everything beautiful sunny weather, stunning scenery, good venues, comedy and a lot of drama.
This was only a short ride to Penderyn, so we met at Cardiff West services at the very gentlemanly hour of 11 a.m. It was a fine sunny morning, but a little on the cool side. Pack members gradually arrived at the start until there were 12 people on 11 bikes. This included two guest riders on Ducatis, Rory and Ian, that Howard had brought along for the ride. Rory had ridden once before with us when we did the Bibury ride to the Cotswolds.
We set off westwards along the M4 to Junction 35 and then turned north to pick up the A473 towards Pencoed. Shortly before the start of the B4280, which runs across the heath land to Bryncethin, we spotted Frank and Gloria heading towards us from the opposite direction! We gave them a big wave and expected them to do a U turn and join onto the back of the group. We continued in the sunshine, through Blackmill and Price Town to Treorchy and then over the Rhigos Mountains to Hirwaun. The weather was very clear and the views from the top of the mountains were exceptional.
We arrived at Penderyn Distillary at about 12.15 p.m. for our scheduled group tour at 12.30 p.m. and met up with Ray & Gill, Bob, Kerry & Donna and Bill, who had all made their own way there from more northerly starting points. This brought our party size to 18 people on 15 bikes although it could have been more if Frank & Gloria had read the e-mail which advised of the start place and the time!
The trip around the distillery was very informative, amusing and good value the group charge was 3.50 per person which included a miniature to take away. The miniatures were around 4.50 each to buy from the shop, so this really was a value for money visit.
After packing away our purchases, we set off for a ride over the open hill tops on the beautiful stretch of A4059 to meet the A470 at Cantref Reservoir. We then turned south on the A470 for just 7 or 8 miles to just before Llwyn-On Reservoir, where we stopped at the Garwnant Forest Centre for lunch. This was where the drama occurred. Several riders followed the Pack Leader into the car park and parked up, but the Pack Leader noticed that Mrs RAT had not turned up. Someone said that she had stopped to wait for others at the turning into the Forest Centre. Mrs RAT turned up after a few minutes to tell us that one of the group members had come off his bike at the entrance to the Forest Centre. The Pack Leader returned to the scene of the crime to find Rory lying in the road, his Ducati on its side nearby and Pack members tending to him. There was no mobile phone signal, so Ian rode up to the Forest Centre restaurant to use a landline to call an ambulance, which quickly arrived from nearby Prince Charles Hospital at Merthyr Tydfil. Somehow, Rory had performed a fearsome stoppie on his Ducatti as he approached the right-hand turn off the A470 into the Forest Centre and had been thrown over the handlebars. The bike then landed on top of him, so he was undoubtedly feeling a bit shabby. Later in the day we learned that Rory had broken both wrists in the fall and we all wish him well with his recovery (hell certainly find out who his friends are with two broken wrists!).
With Rory safely on his way to Hospital, Howard contacted Dragon Rescue to collect Rorys bike and waited at the roadside for their arrival. The remaining Pack members had lunch in the Forest Centre amid speculation about how Rory could have achieved such a spectacular stoppie! All will become apparent in due course.
After lunch in the new restaurant at the very attractive Garwnant Forest Centre, we set off for home after what, but for Rorys accident, had been a great day out.

Ace Cafe & Brighton Reunion Ride ~ Sunday 12th September 2010

At 450 miles for the round-trip, this is a fairly high mileage event for a one day ride. However, the spirit of the Ace Cafe, London, the massed ride to Brighton and then the blast back across country from Brighton to Cardiff, through beautiful West Sussex and Wiltshire scenery, makes the effort worthwhile. Inspired by rich heritage and traditions, the Ace Cafe still embodies the same values as it did when it was first home to the Ton Up Boys (and girls) and the Rockers. What could be found on a Triton in the 50s and 60s is emulated today on modern sports bikes and streetfighters. The Ace has an unparalleled and almost religious significance to an ever-increasing number of riders from around the world who share the passion. The bikes and the music may change but the spirit remains the same. The Brighton Burn Up & Ride With The Rockers, has been an integral part of Ace Cafe Reunions since 1996, and is a free, grand day out at the seaside on Brighton's famous seafront road, Madeira Drive. With trade and club stands, displays, live music and special guests, it's an experience not to be missed! Brighton Council estimate that 40,000 bikes turn up at Brighton for this event!

Four Pack members on four bikes left Cardiff at the ungentlemanly time of 6.30 a.m. to head for The Ace Cafe, London, where we hoped to arrive at 9.30 a.m. It was still dark, but the forecast was for a warm, sunny day. As we popped eastwards along a near deserted M4 into a rising sun, the Pack Leader spotted a lone motorcyclist ahead and so upped the pace to catch him up, in case it was one of the gang. As we caught and passed the rider, on a Triumph Rocket, we acknowledged him and carried on, but the rider tucked in behind us and followed our group. As we approached Junction 16, there were unwelcome signs that the eastbound M4 was closed from Junction 16 to Junction 14, so there was no alternative but turn off and find an alternative route. There were no diversion signs displayed, so we decided to cross the M4 and head towards the A4 at West Kennet and then continue east on the A4 - this would have been a long and tedious detour. However, no sooner had we exited the M4 at Junction 16 than we saw the B4005 heading directly into the sun towards Wroughton and Chiseldon. We popped along this deserted B-road for about 7 or 8 miles and came to a crossroads with the A346. A right turn would take us to the A4 at Marlborough, some 8 miles further south, but a left turn would take us back to the M4 just a mile to the north. We didn't know whether we would be arriving at Junction 15 (still closed) or at Junction 14 (supposedly open), but it was worth the chance. In fact we arrived at Junction 15, but there was nothing to say that the motorway was closed, so we re-joined and enjoyed an empty motorway for the next 13 miles!

Our first planned stop for coffee was at Reading Services, where we hoped to meet Mark Lewis. We all stopped in the car park, including the lone Rocket 3 which had tagged onto our group - you can imagine our surprise when the rider took his helmet off and we could see that it was Nigel! He had just part-exchanged his Speed Triple for another Rocket because it was hoped that Sarah would ride pillion on this once she was kitted out! We met up with Mark, who had part-exchanged his lovely Scrambler for an almost new Thunderbird, so it was like musical bikes. Mark said that their baby girl had been delivered 7 weeks early (but if I want anything by post it always comes late) and that Jessica and baby Abigale are both doing well.

We were soon back on the road and we arrived at The Ace at spot on 9.30 a.m., where we all managed to park together in an attempt to ride as a group during the massed ride to Brighton. We had almost an hour to get a cup of tea, buy goodies in the shop and generally enjoy the craic at The Ace. The Pack Leader stopped for a natter over a fine Goldie to a senior citizen, who turned out to be Barry Cheese, a star of the recent book 'The Ace Cafe - Then and Now'.
Barry was convicted on several charges in 1961 for speeding opn the North Circular, failing to stop for the police, ignoring red traffic lights, driving without due care and attention...etc,etc. The book shows a recent photograph of him with the police motorcyclist who eventually tracked him down the following day and booked him!

We headed off from the Ace at 10.30 a.m., as part of the massed ride. Despite all parking together, we nevertheless got split up within the first mile or so. However, four of us joined up after a while and rode on to Brighton. Parking at Brighton is a bit hit and miss (not surprising with 40,000 bikes all trying to park in the same bit of sea front!). The Pack Leader dived into the first gap he saw and Ted followed him in. The others continued along the front and were not seen again until we met up at the pre-arranged Departure RV at 3.30 pm! The weather by this time was absolutely glorious, so riding gear was locked to the bikes and we headed off for a fish & chip lunch on Madeira Drive. After an easy stroll amonst the displays, a listen to the superb live skiffle band (The Jets), a chat with some traders and then an ice-cream, we headed back to the bikes and then on to the RV, which was an unmistakeable garage on the sea front as you head west out of Brighton towards Shoreham. Five of the six bikes made the RV by the appointed time, so we headed west on the cross-country route on the A283 and the A272 which took us via Petworth, Midhurst, Petersfield, Winchester and Andover. We then took the delightful A342 across the Salisbury Plains through Ludgershall, Everleigh, Upavon, Devises and on to Chippenham. Initially, the traffic out of Brighton was quite heavy and before we reached Petworth, we had lost Roy, Mark and Nigel. Mark was behind the Pack Leader at the start, but after a while Ted was in his mirrors. When the front two bikes stopped at Petworth, Ted said that the guys in front of him had disappeared somewhere.
We rode on together, but encountered another road closure at the point where the A272 exits the A3 near Petersfield. As we stopped on the roadside to consult the map for an alternative route, the police appeared and removed the cones and the 'Road Closed' signs - that was lucky timing! Ted and the Pack Leader had a really spirited ride on some great roads, without too much traffic - we stopped at the pub on top of Derry Hill, near Chippenham, at about 6.20 p.m. and sat outside with a coffee to watch out for other Pack Members in case they rode past.
After a long but splendid day out, we got back home at around 8.30 p.m. with 446 miles on the clock. Long live the Ace Cafe.


e-out.

Pack Weekend at Much Wenlock ~ 4th & 5th September 2010

Based on the popularity of this weekend away on each of the two previous occasions, it came as no surprise that the event was again fully subscribed. Seven double rooms had been reserved at The Plume of Feathers at Harley, near Much Wenlock, and a table for 14 people had been reserved in the dining room for a Pack evening dinner. Unfortunately, just a couple of hours before departure on the Saturday morning, the Pack Leader received a call to say that someone had not been well throughout the previous night and so would not be joining us for the weekend.

Three Pack member on 3 bikes left Cardiff West Services at 10 a.m. and headed up the A470 to the first planned stop at the Erwood Craft Shop and Cafe. On the way, we collected Frank & Gloria on their Bonneville and Roy on his new Daytona 675 at the garage next to the A470 at Abercynon. Traffic was extremely light on the A470 and we made good time to Erwood. On arrival, Bob & Nonie and Martin and Fay had already arrived on their matching Tigers, so the party now totalled 10 people on 7 bikes.

After coffee, we continued for 15 miles along the winding, but empty B4594 to Burlingjobb and then took the B4357 to Knighton. From there we continued on an almost empty A488, through New Invention, Clun and Lydham, to the hamlet of Black Marsh. At this point we turned right onto un-numbered minor roads through the spectacular Shropshire Hills hamlets of Shelve, The Bog and Bridges to Rattlinghope, where we again stopped for lunch at The Horseshoes pub, in the middle of nowhere. Good food was enjoyed outside in the sunshine, but the wasps caused Bob to seek shelter away from the food and drinks!

The afternoon ride took us up over The Burway, along Long Mynd and down through the precipitous winding road into Carding Mill Valley and then into Church Stretton. There can be little doubt that this part of the ride takes us through some of the most spectacular scenery in Shropshire and is the reason that Pack members continue to support this event so enthusiastically. However, the riding needs plenty of concentration on the very narrow roads, where the skid demons lurk in the gravel at almost every corner. Indeed, the newcomers on the ride later explained that their fear and trepidation at that point was only made worthwhile by the sense of achievement and elation at having driven through such beautiful scenery! We all stopped to refuel at Church Stretton, before taking the B4371 up over Wenlock Edge to Much Wenlock and then on to The Plume of Feathers at Harley. After the usual post ride chatter, it became apparent that Fay and Martin on their Tiger and Roy on his Daytona 675 had not arrived at the pub, so the Pack Leader rode back towards the garage at Church Stretton to see what had befallen them. It was the first opportunity of the day for some spirited riding and he almost reached the garage, some 12 - 15 miles away , before he saw them both coming the other way. After turning round, there was another opportunity for some spirited riding to catch them up! Once at the pub, it transpired that Roy had been unable to start his Daytona as we all pulled out of the garage and Martin had spotted this and waited to see what was wrong. Roy couldn't fathom why the bike wouldn't start, but the garage was right next door to Church Stretton Motorcycles and the nice men there soon diagnosed a loose battery terminal.

As we booked in at Reception, Berie and Mary arrived as planned from Swindon on their Trophy to complete the party. Twelve of us sat down to evening dinner, which was the customary culinary delight (the food at The Plume of Feathers is both very good and excellent value for money), accompanied by plenty of good humoured banter.

After a full English breakfast at a very civilised hour on the Sunday morning, we left the pub in light rain and headed off to Bromfield by a series of 'B' roads and then through the delightful Tene Valley villages of Leintwardine, Adforton and Wigmore for our first coffee stop at The Watering Hole at Aymestrey. From there, three bikes split to head back to Abergavenny and points east, with the remaining 5 bikes heading back to Cardiff via the A438 and A470.

This was the last 'away weekend' on the Pack's 2010 schedule and it was once again well supported - photos are on the Gallery Page. We will hope to include similar events in 2011, so keep an eye open for the new schedule when it is published on the web site around November/December. The next ride is the 'Iron Butt Ride' to The Ace Cafe London, to join the massed Reunion Ride to Brighton on Sunday 12th September - join us for the 6.30 a.m. start if your are up for a 440-mile round trip.

Pack Ride to Arlington &Bibury ~ 22nd August 2010

The plan for the day was to ride to the Cotswold villages of Bibury and Arlington, near Cirencester, after stopping for lunch at the Old George Inn, a 17th century coaching inn set in the idyllic Cotswolds countryside, in the small village of South Cerney.
Despite the very wet weather that we had suffered for the preceding 3 or 4 days, the forecast for the Sunday was more optimistic. Indeed, the day started off dry and bright as we assembled at the start at a very civilised 10 a.m. and then got steadily sunnier as the day wore on. Eight Pack members on 6 bikes left Cardiff West Services and headed east along the M4 towards Junction 18. We were joined by Frank and Gloria on their Sprint ST at Junction 30 and then by Martin & Fay and Bob & Nonie on their Tigers at Junction 23A.

At Junction 18 we headed north to Old Sodbury for a planned coffee stop at the Cross Hands Hotel, where Howard and his mate Rory caught up with us. This brought the complement to 16 people on 11 bikes.
The web site for the Cross Hands Hotel recounts the fact that our own dear Queen sought shelter in this old posting house, which dates from the 14th century, during a blizzard in 1981. We arrived just as the bar opened to be told that they didnt have the staff available to make us any beverages other than two large pots of instant coffee and then proceeded to tell us that they didnt have enough cups because they had just served 30 breakfasts, we should have telephoned before our arrival, someone would have to collect all the individual monies and so on. I cant believe it was like that when the Queen took shelter there nearly 30 years ago (she obviously didnt arrive on a motorbike)! Notwithstanding the frosty reception, we all enjoyed our coffees in the sunshine.

We set off along the B4040, through the delightful villages of Acton Turville, Luckington, Sherston and Easton Grey to Malmsbury, where we were forced to look for a petrol station for Howard, who was clearly looking to take over the mantle of Fuel mismanager of the day from those previous miscreants Roger and Roy. With fuel on board, we continued to South Cerney to find the Old George Inn. South Cerney, twice winner of the Bledisloe Cup for best kept village, boasts a 1000 year old history dating back to a Saxon charter in 999 AD. The Old George Inn is at the very heart of the Cotswold Water Park set amongst acres of lakes and nature reserves. We received an extremely warm welcome from the pub staff and locals alike (who seemed to like the novelty of 16 bikers turning up on their forecourt to join the locals for lunch) and we all enjoyed superb food in the sunshine. To make things even better, Nigel and Sarah had arrived at the pub earlier by car and so swelled our presence to 18 Pack members.

After lunch we continued our ride to visit the village of Bibury and managed to squeeze our bikes between the cars parked at the Bibury Trout Farm. From there it was just a short walk back into the village to get an ice-cream and wander around this picturesque Cotswold village. The area is actually made up of two villages, Arlington on one side of the River Coln and Bibury on the other. Attractions in Bibury include Arlington Row, a row of weavers cottages built of local stone next to the River Coln, and the Saxon Church, the Church of St Mary. The north Chancel wall of the Church is home to a stained glass window which was designed in 1927 by Karl Parsons and was featured in the 1992 Christmas stamp set issued by the Royal Mail. The River Coln flows through Bibury, sandwiched between the main village street and an expanse of boggy water meadow known as Rack Isle. With Arlington Row as a backdrop, it makes one of the most picturesque scenes you will find in the Cotswolds. Although it is one of the "must see" destinations in the Cotswolds, and has a place on the itinerary of most tourists visiting the Cotswolds, Mark reckoned that once youve seen one cottage, youve seen them all and contented himself with sitting on the corner in the sunshine whilst the rest of us explored the village.

At about 4 p.m. we met up at the bikes and headed off for the 100-mile trip back to Cardiff, using the A417 and then the A40 to skirt around the north of Gloucester, towards Ross-on-Wye. Before reaching Ross, we turned south through the Forest of Dene to Monmouth, then through the Wye Valley to the outskirts of Chepstow and then along the A48 through Crick to join the M4 at Junction 24.

From the comments throughout the day, I am sure that everyone had a really enjoyable time. The weather was superb all day, the roads were a delight to ride, the pub and food were just what we had hoped for and the beautiful Cotswolds scenery just has to be seen by motorbike. The next ride is for an away weekend at Much Wenlock on 4th & 5th September and is fully subscribed, but the following ride is the 440-mile Iron Butt ride to the Ace Cafe, London and the Annual Re-union massed ride to Brighton on Sunday 12th September. If you are up for it, we will leave Cardiff West Services at 6.30 a.m. sharp!

Five people on 5 bikes, each well-packed with camping gear, assembled at the start on Saturday 7th August, ready for the ride to New Radnor. We were particularly pleased to see Harry on his 1200 Trophy, having ridden across from Holland especially for this weekend. The Pack Leader had brought along his new Tiger 1050, respendent with capacious Metal Mule panniers, which everybody was keen to prod and poke. They only kept away after being warned that they might wake up the manservant in the righthand pannier! The weather forecast for the Cardiff area was not very good, but the weather was forecasted to improved as we headed north towards mid Wales. We set off along the A470 to Erwood, where we would meet Martin & Fay and Bob and Nonie at the Old Station Cafe and Craft Shop. The weather did indeed look brighter ahead, but I guess that the weather forecasters did not have Erwood on their charts, because approximately 2 or 3 miles before Erwood, the clearing drizzle turned into heavy rain! We made a dash for the cafe and were soon enconsed with coffee and cakes. No sooner had we arrived, than the others turned up on their well-loaded Tigers, having been caught in the same downpour. The rain soon stopped and the new-comers ventured out to see the bling on the Pack Leader's Tiger. Bob clearly admired the auxilliary lights and spent the whole weekend pandering to Nonie's every need, whilst extolling the virtues of these lights to her. Bob has a birthday coming up, but if I was him, I wouldn't hold my breath.
We set off along the B4594, through Painscastle and Gladestry, to New Radnor, where we easily found the small (but perfectly formed) Old Station Caravan and Camping Park. The owners have attempted to preserve the tranquillity and history of the site and modernisation work has been in keeping with the character of the area. The site has only sixteen caravan pitches and space for only a few tents, but it has a new toilet block with showers and a laundry room. Amenities included the local shop and the Radnor Arms pub in the village of New Radnor just a short walk away. The drizzle stopped as we arrived, so we pitched our tents in a circle and headed off to the local pub for lunch. With our leisurely lunch over and the weather looking much more settled, we headed into Kington to buy supplies for the evening barbecue.

On arrival back at the camp site, some members headed to the local pub again (to make up for the real ale that they couldn't drink before riding to the supermaket), whilst others misappropriated a couple of wooden benches and some folding chairs from outside the laundry block and set them up for the barbie. Roy, who had been on child minding duties throughout the day, arrived on his Sprint ST at about 5.30 p.m. to bring the camping complement to the planned 10 people on 8 bikes. At around 6 p.m. Bill & Sarah arrived in their 4x4 with a large kettle BBQ in the back and so it was not long before this was fired up and cooking began. The others soon arrived back from the pub with the news that they had persuaded the landlord to open his pub and cook us all breakfast at 9 a.m. the next morning. Result! All the usual barbecue fare appeared, but Fay worked wonders when she served up fresh strawberries on merangue nests with double cream for everyone. Magic!
When the time came for Bill and Sarah to depart, we emptied the hot coals from their kettle BBQ into a smaller 3-legged item which we found around the back of the laundry block. This was placed in the centre of the tent circle and as darkness fell, we added dead wood, collected from around the site, to make welcome campfire. This provided the focus for plenty of beer, wine and banter. Eventually, we had to try and sleep, but this was made almost impossible for some because of Ted's incessant snoring (some said the sides of his tent were expanding and contracting like a lung), and the never-ending squeaking from Bob and Nonies' new luxury air mattress (what could they have been doing on it at their ages?).
On Sunday morning we laid in until 06.45 a.m., but then decided we would have to get up eventually. After cups of tea were brewed, the tents soon came down and were packed away, in time for us to walk to the local pub for breakfast. After a really splendid breakfast, we rode along local lanes to visit The Judges Lodgings at Presteigne. Once called the most commodious and elegant apartments for a judge in all England and Wales (Lord Chief Justice Campbell, 1855), decay beckoned Radnorshires disused Shire Hall into obscurity. Now, aided by an interior hardly touched by time and original furnishings discarded in attics, extensive research and restoration has re-awakened this Victorian fossil. From the stunningly restored judges apartments to the dingy servants quarters below, we were able to explore their gaslit world. Damp cells reminded us of the buildings true purpose, along with the vast courtroom where the scene was set for the trial of William Morgan, local duck thief. His sentence of 6 months hard labour contrasts sharply with the suspended sentences and community service dished out today.
We departed Presteigne to the east on the B4362 to Mortimer's Cross and then north up the A4110 to find The Watering Hole for a planned coffee stop. Suitably refreshed, we headed for home via the pretty half-timbered villages of Eardisland and Eardisley and then along the A438 to Bronllys. We then followed 'B' roads through Llangorse, Bwlch and Llangynidr, then over the mountains to meet the A465 at Beaufort.The final part of the journey was via the A465, A4060 and A470 back to Cardiff.
Everyone agreed that this had been a really enjoyable, laid-back weekend with good riding, a really nice camp site, good food and company and, after a shaky start, dry weather. Photos from this camping weekend are on the Gallery Page of the website. The next rideout is on Sunday 22nd August, when we will be riding to the Cotswold village of South Cerney for a pub lunch and then onto Bibury and Arlington, possibly the most photographed scenes in the Cotswolds.

Pack Ride-out to Tresaith and Mwnt ~ Sunday 25th July 2010

The pack had not done this ride to the quiet and uncommercialised hamlets of Tresaith and Mwnt on the west Wales coast for several years, so it was decided to head out there for lunch at The Ship Inn. The weather forecasters had promised us a reasonable day, so 7 Pack members on 7 bikes left the start at 9.30 a.m. and headed up the A470 to the first planned coffee stop at Sennybridge Garage/Cafe. We picked up Frank & Gloria on their Bonneville and Roy and his daughter Angharad at Abercynon on the way up and then Ray and Gill on their Sprint St were waiting on the side of the A470 a little further north. By the time we reached Sennybridge, Nigel had caught up with us, having arrived a minute or two late at the start. Once at Sennybridge cafe, several others joined us; Fartin & May and Nob & Bonnie arrived from the Abergavenny direction on their 1050 Tigers, Sarah and Bill arrived on their Street Triple and 1050 Tiger respectively, and Harvey arrived on his T100. Mrs RAT had her mother visiting, so they both turned up by car. We know that there were 16 bikes and 1 car at this point and we think that there were 23 people!

After a very leisurely coffee break, we adopted the "second man drop-off" scheme and headed north west through Llandovery to Lampeter and then west towards Newcastle Emlyn. At Aber-Banc, we turned north on the B4334, through stunning scenery to meet the A487 at Brynhoffnant. From there, it was just a short trip along very narrow lanes to the tiny beach at Tresaith. The narrow lanes and lack of parking mean that the beach will never be crowded - indeed, we had trouble finding enough places to park our bikes! The ship Inn is located on the hill, about two hundred metres before the sandy beach and has a commanding view across the bay. By the time we arrived, the sun had well and truly come out to play and so we all had al fresco dining on the pub terrace, overlooking the beach. Sarah and Bill had both failed to appear for lunch and someone said that they had seen Sarah take a wrong turning on the way and that having heard this, Bill followed to track her down. Both eventually arrived at the pub for lunch where Sarah said that New Quay, some 10 miles to the north of us, was delightful!

With lunch over, we continued the planned ride along even narrower lanes to the National Trust coastal area at Mwnt. With the bikes safely parked up, most of us scrambled to the top of the steep mound for the coastal view from the top. On the previous 2 occasions, we had seen bottle-nose dolphins swimming close to the shore, but we were out of luck on this day. However, the view of Cardigan Island and Mwnt beach beneath us still made the scramble worthwhile. Moreover, the small, whitewashed, remote church beneath us was holding an outdoor service in the sunshine.

The trip back to Cardiff took us south west along the coast road towards Fishguard and then south on winding B-roads over the Prescelly Mountains to met the A40 near Narberth. We then followed the A40 to Carmarthen and, rather than join the M4, we continued on an almost deserted A40 to Llandovery where we stopped to re-group at the West End Cafe. After coffees, we made our farewells and headed off in differnt directions for home. The group which headed through Sennybridge, Defynnog and then south down the A470 had a very spirited run home, adding greatly to what had already been a superb day out (providing that brown envelopes do not appear on the doormats within the next 2 weeks!).

Photos from the day can be viewed on the Gallery page of this website. If you like the sound of the Bevan RAT Pack's rides and would like to participate, then join us on Sunday 22nd August for a ride to the Cotswold village of Bibury, near Cirencester - details will appear on this website shortly.

Pack Weekend at Bala ~ 17th & 18th July 2010.

Since the Bevans RAT Pack formed, more than 5 years ago, the summer weekend ride to the Castle Cottage Hotel at Harlech has been a firm favourite every July. However, the landlord has never recognised this loyalty with any concessionary rates, so it was decided that we would try an alternative venue for 2010. The main ingredient of any Pack ride-out is the quality of the ride itself and the ride up to Harlech has always been regarded by the regular attendees as very special. So, a venue was sought which encompassed the best part of the ride to Harlech, but to which could be added more fine riding in the north Wales area. The solution was to employ the first two- thirds of the Harlech ride, thereby enjoying the ride over the Eppynt Mountains, the beautiful B4518 from Rhayader, through Llanidloes to Staylittle and then the minor mountain road from Dylife to the outskirts of Machynlleth. At this point, we amended the route to turn north east for a few miles to Dinas Mawddwy and then took the minor road over the mountains to Lake Vyrnwy. We included a circuit of the lake before heading north-east over the Hernant Pass to Bala.

This annual event has always attracted a full house. We had booked all seven rooms at the Fron Dderw Country House Hotel at Bala, but still this was not enough. We booked more accommodation at a nearby B&B, so that others could join us for the evening dinner at Fron Dderw, but still we could not satisfy demand, because the hotelier could not cater for more than 16 diners. However, this did not deter Howard and Nigel from joining the 16 diners, just for the ride up to Dolgellau!
Participants for this event came from as far afield as Swindon to the east, Glyn Neath to the west and Brecon to the north, so a number of meeting places were arranged en-route for their convenience. Mr & Mrs RAT, Ted and Howard left from the start at Cardiff West Services and picked up Ray and Gill at the Texaco petrol station at Abercynon, but the late Mr & Mrs Spragg were late again at this point and so had to catch us up on the A470. We collected Kerry and Donna at the burger van on the Veranda, near the Storey Arms, before heading off through Brecon and over the Eppynt ranges. During a brief cigarette stop on the top of the Eppynt, the Pack Leader needed to take a leak and whilst clambering down a short steep bank to natures gents toilet, he slipped onto his backside and sprained his wrist into the bargain. This resulted in uncomfortable riding for the rest of the weekend, but drew much sympathy from the assembled Pack members (you know words like you wont be able to use that wrist tonight and thats the end of your fun for the weekend). We pressed on to the final meeting point at The Halt Cafe, just south of Rhayader, where we met up with Roy, Bill & Sarah, Fay & Martin, Bernie & Mary and Nigel. This brought the total to 18 people on 13 bikes.

After a leisurely coffee break, we set off in fine weather to our lunch stop at The Star Inn, near the disused mines up in the hills at Dylife. This pub appears almost deserted when we pitch up each year and it appears to be a major challenge for the staff to provide sixteen of us with lunch! It appears to be the bus syndrome none come along for hours and then three or four come along together! However, major excitement had been experienced in the early hours of the morning at The Star Inn, as it had been turned over by a highly organised crime syndicate who had taken the till and all the baguettes. Some wag in the Pack remarked that it wouldnt take long to catch them, once they started spending the ten-bob notes and the half-crowns from the till! The barman said that it would have been helpful if we could have telephoned earlier to let them know we were coming, so the Pack Leader reminded him that we had done this the previous year and it had made no difference! However, the barmans sense of humour returned and we had the usual boisterous lunch with lots of banter.

After lunch, we set off over the mountain road towards Rhayader and on to pick up another mountain road at Dinas Mawddwy, which would take us to Lake Vrynwy. This very narrow road provided a challenging ride which was rewarded with absolutely stunning scenery, but unfortunately Frank indulged in a bit of unauthorised dismounting from his Sprint ST, which left him and Gloria shaken, but not stirred, on the tarmac. Fortunately there was no serious damage to man or machine, although poor Gloria picked up the second sprained wrist of the day! Whilst trying to repair the damaged pannier retaining clip so that we could re-attach the pannier, the key broke off in the lock, so it was pull-down straps, cable-ties and gaffa tape to the rescue. Gloria rode the rest of the route on the back of the Pack Leaders demonstrator Sprint GT to give Frank an easier time. During the stop beside Lake Vrynwy, Roy broke the news that his Sprint ST 1050, with its 200-mile tank range, was mysteriously down to its last 18 miles of petrol after just 130 miles (is he taking over the mantle from Roger?). Sarah, God bless her, had a litre of fuel in her luggage (well, what else do ladies carry in their luggage?), so we promptly topped up Roys tank to give him about 28 to 30 miles of usable fuel. The problem was that we were unsure whether this would get him to Bala, so Bill checked out the nearest petrol station on his GPS and escorted Roy there, whilst the rest of us headed for the hotel to face the challenge of getting Frank and Glorias clothes out of two locked panniers without a key!

Paul and Veronica Short made us very welcome at their comfortably appointed hotel, the Fron Dderw Hotel, set in a commanding position overlooking the town and lake at Bala. With the luggage unpacked (yes, we got Franks luggage open with the broken key), some of us headed down to the town in search of real ale for the now traditional bikers beer. Suitably refreshed, we all made it back to the hotel, where sixteen of us sat down to a splendid evening meal together. This was followed by a relaxed get together and a few more drinks in one of the well-appointed lounges. The eventful day drew to a close at around 12.30 a.m. as we headed up for a well-deserved nights sleep.

We awoke the following morning to wet and rainy day, with barely a break in the overcast sky. We had a leisurely start with a 9 a.m. cooked breakfast and decided that we would change the homeward route to a straightforward ride down the A470. Eight of the group had made arrangements to stay on in north Wales for a few more days, so we made our farewells and half of us set off for Cardiff on seven bikes. After a damp start on almost empty roads, the weather improved and we were able to enjoy the ride, stopping for our first coffee stop at a roadside cabin after about 50 miles. We continued to the Halt Cafe at Rhayader for our second stop, where the weather was kind enough for us to enjoy our cakes and desserts in the garden.

Once on the road again, we by-passed Builth Wells to avoid the traffic arriving for the Royal Welsh Show, by using the back-roads through Newbridge on Wye, Beulah, Garth and over the Eppynt ranges to Brecon. From Brecon we routed to Abergavenny and over the mountain at Blaenavon to Fay and Martins house for tea and coffee. After negotiating their steep and almost impossible access driveway with its hairpin bends, we were certainly ready for tea and coffee!

The remaining homeward journey was uneventful, which is unusual for this annual trip to north Wales! The trip was undoubtedly a success with all participants, who all played a very significant part in achieving that success. There is something to be said for riding with the Bevans RAT Pack ride with nice people and enjoy the craic on each one.

Photos are on the RAT Gallery Page of this website.

Pack BBQ at Bill & Sarahs' Place ~ 10/11th July 2010

Clearly the 5th Annual Pack BBQ at Bill & Sarahs' smallholding in the Brecon Beacons still holds much attraction for Pack members. This was evidenced by the 22 people who turned up on 9 bikes and 4 cars at the Sennybridge Cafe and Garage on the Saturday evening 10th July 2010 to join Bill and Sarah. Bill arrived right on time to shepherd us through the 7 miles or so of country lanes from Sennybridge to his home. He had previously collected most people's camping gear at pre-arranged pick-up points, so when we arrived at their home on unladen bikes, our kit was waiting for us on the grass where we were to camp. Despite a forecast of later rain, we were able to get our tents erected quickly and easily, amid the usual banter (Has anyone got a match, so that we can see if Roger's tent really is flame retardant?...etc, etc.), accompanied by helpings of tea and cake brought around by Sarah to ease things along.

With the sleeping accommodation sorted out, old hands and new-comers alike were inevitably drawn to the garages and workhops where Bill spends much time renovating a variety of old bikes. We were rewarded with a run-down from Bill on some of the technical aspects of the restorations and we admired the results of his efforts. Then of course, as the barbcues were lit, we drifted to the supply of real ales, wines and other beverages which our hosts had generously provided for our enjoyment. There was no mistaking the effort that Bill and Sarah had gone to once again to make sure that every detail had been attended to. This ranged from cutting the grass in our camping ground, the provision of washing and toilet facilities for the campers, indoor accommodation for the non-campers, ample outdoor dining facilities, a gazebo, ample supplies of chicken wings, steaks, burgers, sausages and kebabs, plus delicious deserts to round it all off (one of the deserts even included a jelly made from sparkling rose wine!). The rain held off long enough for us to cook and enjoy our food in the garden, but the forecasted drizzle appeared eventually and forced us to congregate under the gazebo. After much eating, drinking, talking and singing, we eventually made our way to our beds at around midnight turned, and managed to get fully ensconced in our tents before the heavier rain arrived. Despite artillery fire from the nearby MoD ranges, the rain, Roger's snoring and the 4 a.m. dawn chorus, we all managed to get some sleep.

Sunday dawned as a bright fine day, with promise of sun to follow. People gradually sufaced from their tents and Gill was on hand to make everyone a morning cup of tea or coffee. Bill and Sarah soon had masses of hot toast, scrambled eggs, sausages and bacon available for everyone and then Bill disappeared to his computer to print off some routecards for the Sunday ride, whilst the rest of us broke camp and loaded all our gear ito Bill's Warrior for return during the coming week. Everything was going to plan and we pulled away from the back of Bill & Sarahs' house in perfect time to reach the Sennybridge Cafe for the 11 a.m. start of the Sunday ride. However, as the Pack Leader exited Bill's muddy driveway onto the narrow lane, he heard a crash behind him as Roger demonstrated his 'second man drop-off' skills to perfection. After we stopped to pick up Roger and his bike and dust them both down, we were able to see that little damage had been done to either, so we set off to the cafe. By the time we arrived, the weather had turned sunny and warm, so we quickly collected those who had arrived for the ride and said farewell to those who had to head back for home. The net result was that 10 bikes set off for the Sunday ride in lovely sunshine to enjoy country lanes through spectacular scenerey around Llanwrtyd Wells, Abergwesyn, Beulah, Garth, Upper Chapel, Gwenddwr and Erwood. After a leisurely coffee stop in the sun at Erwood Station, we headed off via the road on the old disused railway, across the suspension bridge over the River Wye and then continued through Llyswen, Talgarth, and Llangors to Bwlch. From Bwlch, people began to split off on their individual journeys home.
This was another thoroughly enjoyable event, which was made possible only by the generousity of Sarah and Bill. Despite the time and effort that they had clearly invested in the event, as well as the expense of the catering etc, they steadfastly refused to accept payment from the RAT Pack members who attended. To offset this, the Pack members made a significant donation to the Wales Air Ambulance, the charity of choice of our hosts.

Photos of the event are on the Gallery page.

Pack ride to Devil's Bridge ~ Sunday 4th July 2010

Despite the extended period of dry weather and the almost unheard of dry Wimbledon fortnight, the forecast for our ride to Devil's Bridge on Sunday 4th July was for strong winds and plenty of rain! As we gathered at Cardiff West Services for the start of the ride, the weather was bright and sunny, but there were ominous black clouds to the north - exactly where we were going! Eight bikes and 12 people arrived for the start of the ride, with the Pack Leader appearing on the new Sprint GT demonstrator. To get a pillion rider's perspective on this new model, Mrs RAT agreed to leave her trusty Bonnie at home and ride pillion for the day.

We set off for a cross-country, 70-mile route to our first planned coffee stop at Sennybridge. Our route took us through Bryncethin, Blackmills, Price Town, Treorchy, over the Rhigos mountains to Hirwaun and then via Glyn Neath, where we met up with Kerry and Donna on their Adventurer. We continued through Abercraf and Glyntawe to Sennybridge. Although the first 50 miles or so had remained dry, we had encountered strong winds over the Rhigos mountains and then the rain started around the Glyntawe area. By the time we reached the cafe at Sennybridge, people were just starting to get wet!

During the coffee stop, Ray and Gill arrived on their Sprint ST, Bob and Nonie arrived on their Bonnie and Bill arrived on his Tiger; this brought the total attendance to 12 bikes and 19 people. However, the prospect of another 150 miles in the rain was too much for some, so 3 couples disappeared after the coffee stop to the comfort of their settees and TVs!

Because of the reduced visibility in the drizzle, the Pack Leader decided to leave out the planned minor lanes to Tregaron, but to take the A482 towards Lampeter and then the B4343 through Llanddewi-Brefi to Tregaron instead. Although the drizzle continued on and off throughout the day, there were many places where the roads were scarcely wet, but due caution was the order of the day on the back roads. We all lunched at the Devil's Bridge Hotel, before continuing our ride in improving conditions, across the mountain road around the Elan Valley reservoirs to Rhayader. No matter how many times you ride around the Elan Valley, the views and beauty of the place never seem to diminish.

From Rhayader, we routed via Newbridge on Wye and then more B roads through Beulah, Garth, the Eppynt ranges, Upper and Lower Chapel and on to Brecon. Somewhere over the Eppynt ranges we got split up after some riders stopped to see if Ted was O.K. when they saw him stop for a cigarette on top of the mountain. As a reult, some continued on the advertyised route back to Cardiff via Talbont-on-Usk, whilst others took the direct route back down the A470.

Despite the drizzle, the route and good company ensured that this was another good Pack ride - certainly everyone seemed to enjoy their day. The Pack Leader was particularly impressed with the improved engine power and easy handling of the new Sprint GT, plus the capacious 31 litre panniers and ABS which come as standard on this model. After 240 miles as a pillion rider, Mrs RAT was able to confirm that the new Sprint GT offered an extremely comfortable ride, good visibility, and ease of access (both getting on and off the bike), even with both panniers fitted to the bike.

RAT Packs Lake District Rally ~ 25th-27th June 2010

The Bevan RAT Pack had a good representation at the Durham RAT Pack's 4th Annual Ratbash at the Patterdale Hotel, Cumbria over the weekend of Friday 25th - Sunday 27th June 2010. Nine Pack members on seven bikes attended this function and were blessed with good weather, fabulous Lakeland riding, good food and the company of another 150-or-more like-minded Triumph owners.

Bill and Sarah were already on a biking holiday in Scotland and so rode south to meet us at Patterdale, whilst Bob and Nonie decided to split the journey into two parts and so set off on Thursday afternoon for an additional overnight stop near Tarporley, in Cheshire. This left Mr & Mrs RAT, Bob and Ted to ride up on the Friday on 4 bikes (Bob's wife Gail could not get the day off from her new job and so had to follow on later in their car). As always, the plan worked to perfection and, after an enjoyable 270-mile ride up the A49. M6 and Lakeland roads, we met with the others at the Patterdale Hotel at about 5 p.m. We were all soon in posession of the obligatory 'bikers' beer' and making plenty of banter with the huge gathering of Triumph owners from RAT Packs right across the U.K. Needless to say, individual bikes came under close scrutiny and Dee's Bonnie attracted much attention because of its Tiger 1050 knuckle guards (I reckon that I could have sold 3 or 4 kits over the weekend if I had taken them with me!). The evening meal in the hotel was very good and we rounded off the night with a quiz (even 59 points out of a possible 69 points did not get us in the top three!).

After a hearty breakfast on Saturday morning, we were invited to join any one of three guided rides which had been organised for us by the Durham RAT Pack. The majority of the Bevan Pack joined a route which took us on a 100-mile ride alongside numerous lakes and over 3 passes. It included a ferry crossing across Lake Windermere, a brief stop at a working slate mine and a visit to an ancient stone circle. It was soon evident that there were far too many bikes on the ride for a 'follow my leader' style of ride, so it was soon changed to the 'second man drop-off' system, which then enabled us to make sensible progress. Early cloud soon burnt off and the weather became hot and sunny, with very good visibility - in fact, perfect for a ride in such beautiful countyrside. Having left the hotel at around 10.30 a.m., we returned at about 5 p.m., in time for a 'biker's beer' and a wash and brush up before another splendid dinner. After dinner we were entertained in the bar by a female country-singer who really was very good.

On Sunday morning we settled our bills, had breakfast and bade farewell to new friends that we had made, vowing to return next year. Bob and Nonie joined us for the return ride and we rattled off the first 103 miles in 103 minutes before stopping at the top of the A49 for a coffee break and a leg-stretch. The ride down the A49 between England and Wales was superb, being made the more so by an almost entire absence of traffic because of the England v Germany World Cup football match (these people really don't know what they are missing!). Another coffee stop at the Lazy Trout Cafe near Woofferton and a final ice-cream stop at the Queenswood Countyry Park at Hope-under-Dinmore were taken, before we arrived back in Cardiff at about 5 p.m.

This was a really good weekend - the ride up and back were straightforward and easy rides; the weather was perfect for motorcycling throughout the entire weekend; the scenery in the Lake District was absolutely beautiful and all aspects of the hotel were just what was needed - helpful staff, good food, real ales, good food and good company. What else can one ask for from a weekend RAT Bash?

Pack Tour of France, Corsica and Sardinia ~ 29th May to 14th June 2010.

Wow, what a tour! Three thousand miles, five ferry crossings and eleven different hotels allowed 15 people on 10 bikes the opportunity to explore France, Sardinia and Corsica during this sixteen-night tour. Other than torrential rain on the trip down to Dover at the start of the holiday, the weather was generally dry and sunny for the remainder of the time.

We departed Cardiff on Saturday 29th May in pouring rain and rode to Dover for an overnight stop, before catching an early morning ferry to Calais on the Sunday morning. After an uneventful crossing, we met up with Huw and Allison on their Speedmaster at a pre-arranged spot on French soil (they had elected to use the Channel Tunnel for their crossing) and commenced our first days riding in France. We had a brief autoroute ride as far as Exit No 11 of the A26 where we waited in a rest area outside the Peage payment booths for all Pack members to join up before riding on beautiful and deserted D roads to our overnight stop at Bar-sur-Aube. However, Bob and Angela had stopped in an autoroute rest area to don their wet weather gear and then promptly missed the exit at Junction 11. We waited until we got a text message which let us know all was well and then set off again, having agreed to meet them at the hotel. The exterior of the hotel at Bar-sur-Aube looked a little shabby as we parked by the open-style street urinal opposite the front of the hotel! However, once inside, the hotel was delightful and there was secure parking for all the bikes. It was Mothers' Day in France and the landlady had reseved a table for the 15 of us at a nearby restaurant and insisted on escorting us there. Delicious food and a great start to the holiday.

Monday 31st May dawned as a beautiful sunny day for our ride along beautiful D roads through forests and nature reserves and then over the fabulous Cret de la Neige to Annecy for an overnight stop by the lake. We arrived at the hotel, hot and sweaty after a 235-mile ride, to be greeted by the hotelier with those immortal words "I'm sorry, you do not have 8 rooms reserved for tonight at this hotel". After waving the booking confirmation under his nose and refusing to move until they sorted it out, the rooms magically became available. We had another grand group meal in the hotel restaurant, with some of us still munching our way through a seven-course meal some 4 hours later!

On Tuesday 1st June we set off to ride along the stunning D902 through Val d'Isere and over the Col de Iseran (the highest mountain pass in Europe at 2770 metres) on our way to Genoa to catch the overnight ferry to Sardinia. We had ridden this pass last year at almost the same time of the year, but as we joined the D1090 towards Bourg-St-Maurice, we saw traffic signs advising us that the Col de Iseran was closed. This necessitated a bit of 'on the hoof' planning to re-route us via the A430 and the A43 to Modane, where we re-joined our originally planned route over the Col du Mont Cenis, crossed the Italian border and swooped down spectacular bendy mountain roads to Susa, where we stopped for a pasta lunch in the hot sunshine. After lunch we joined the Italian autostrada towards Torino and then down to the Mediteranean coast near Savona. Parts of the autostrada system were amazing to ride - just 2 lanes wide and built high up on stilts, many sections had tight turning spiral bends where it would have been easy to get your knee down, had it not been for the trucks in the nearside lane that always appeared to be drifting into the outside lane on the tight spiral bends! We entered Genoa in the evening rush-hour and the traffic was manic. Somehow we all managed to stick together and follow the Pack Leader's GPS to within about half-a-mile of the ferry port, which had been incredibly poorly signed throughout the city. We all managed to park-up in a roadside carpark, whilst the Pack leader set off on foot to search out the final route. With this done, we eventually rolled up to the ticket office to be greeted with those imortal words "I'm sorry, we don't have your reservation for 15 people and 10 motorbikes on tonight's ferry!" Once again, the Pack Leader produced the e-mails confirming the reservations and eventually tickets were issued to us all. This enabled us to ride to the queue for the boat, where the next official started the procedure all over again! By good fortune, we had all arrived at the port in good time, so we were not up against the clock and the banter with the port staff was good humoured. When we eventually embarked on the ferry, we were directed to park the bikes close to the ferry's sides, where a single piece of nylon cord was provided to secure each bike! With the bikes "insecurely secured", we set about finding our cabins for a well-earned nights rest. The ferry sailed at around 11 p.m. and we awoke as we entered Olbia, on the north-eastern coast of Sardinia, at about 7 a.m. on the Wednesday morning (2nd June).

Because our hotel was only 60 miles from Olbia and there was no need to book into the hotel until mid-afternoon, we headed south along the Sardinian coastline San Teodoro in search of Belt Beach, reputed to be one of the finest beaches in the area. We soon located a bar near to the beach where we all enjoyed breakfast before splitting to do different things. Some rode to the hotel to book in and laze around the pool, some went for a ride around local roads and some headed for the beautiful soft white sand and turquoise sea of Belt Beach. By late afternoon we all ended up at our superb hotel high in the hills at Bitti, with a commanding view over this small town and the adjoining hills. Another group meal in the hotel restaurant followed and the wine and banter continued until the early hours.

We enjoyed 3 nights accommodation on Sardinia, which allowed us 2 free days to enjoy ourselves as we wished. On one such day, Chris, Dee, Martin and Fay headed down to a local harbour at Cala Gonone and took a trip on a RIB to the Grotta Bue Marino, a 25 km-long cave system on the east side of the island, which can only be accessed from the sea. After the tour, once back on dry land, we rode a 40-mile stretch of the Ss125 south from Dorgali to Arbatax. This road runs over the mountains and through a National Park and is described in guide books as the most spectacular and scenic ride on the island. The weather was perfect, the air was filled with the scent of pine, juniper and eucalyptus, the road was nearly deserted and I can't remember one straight section in 40 miles of riding - sheer motorcycling heaven! The route was planned on the back of an envelope, with all measurements being made with a Swiss Army penknife - the complete route was estimated to be 150 miles and turned out to be 152 miles! When we returned to the hotel, others had just returned from exploring other parts of the island and it was clear that everyone had enjoyed the experience immensely.

On Saturday 5th June we rode from our hotel at Bitti to the small and attractive ferry port at St Teresa to catch the afternoon ferry to Corsica. The ferry sailed right on time and we sun-bathed on the top deck during the 40-minute crossing to Bonifacio. Once off the ferry, we rode the 112 miles up the eastern side of the island, past some beautiful sandy beaches, to our hotel in the hills behind Bastia in the north of the island. This hotel was well off the beaten track and was reached via a very narrow and tortuous 6-mile winding single-track road. However, the approach was worth it, because the hotel enjoyed a spectacular setting on a hillside with stunning views across the treetops and out to sea. The food in this hotel was of a particularlt high standard and all meals were enjoyed on the hotel balcony with the spectacular views.

We spent 2 nights at this hotel and so again had free days to explore the island. On Sunday, several people wanted to laze around the pool, so Ted and I rode around Cap Corse - the northern most Cape of the island. Once again we enjoyed beautiful sunshine and kept stopping up the north eastern coastline to take photographs. At one such stop we commented on how good the minor roads were - we should have kept quiet, because that all changed as we crossed from the east coast to the west coast, across the northern-most roads of the Cape. The change of surface kept us on our toes and the deserted small sandy beaches amongst the otherwise rocky coastline invited us to stop for a while. We found a small beach bar, where we had ice-creams and a soft drink after a wonderfully refreshing swim. By 3 p.m. we were both back at the hotel to join others around the pool, before the majority took evening dinner on the terrace and a few walked into the local village to sample the pizzas there. After dinner, Huw entertained us on the terrace with a display of tricks with his yo-yo.

On Monday (7th June) we vacated the hotel and rode over the Col de Teghime to St Florent, the fastest growing resort on the island. This pretty little marina, with its chic bars and designer shops, was in sharp contrast with the rustic charm of those parts of the island which we had explored hitherto. A seafood meal on the quay was enjoyed before we set off to spend a last few hours on the beach before riding back to Bastia to catch the overnight ferry to Toulon, where we arrived on the French mainland at about 7.30 a.m. on Tuesday morning

After clearing the port at Toulon, we rode east on the A57 to Draguignan (we were not to know that just days later, flash floods would kill more than 20 people in this area), then along beautiful D roads to Comps-sur-Artuby and finally around the Gorges du Verdon for a night stop at Greoux-les-Bains. The Gorges du Verdon provides spectacular riding on a motorcycle, especially if one explores the 15-mile Route des Cretes on the D23, which takes you along the very edges of this precipitous gorge. After a light lunch in a biker bar on the Route des Cretes, we soon arrived at our hotel in Greoux-les-Bains in time for an afternoon swim and a beer before dinner.

On Wednesday 9th June we continued west via 'D' roads, south of Avignon, around Nimes and along the heavily wooded "Corniche des Cevennes" through the Parc National Des Cevennes, through Florac and then through the spectacular Gorges du Tarn to Millau. Here we stopped for the obligatory photo-shoot of the Grand Viaduct du Millau, before attempting to join the A75 for the short ride over the bridge. The bridge is 2.5 km long and is supported by 7 enormous pillars, the tallest being 326 metres (taller than the Eiffel Tower). We were determined to ride across the bridge, but it proved tricky to find the way out of Millau town to join the northbound carriageway of the A75 - it appears as though some direction signs had been turned around, which resulted in us going round and round the town for two or three circuits! However, we persisted and eventually joined the A75 to cross the viaduct. However, signage on this strech of autoroute is poor and there were no signs for either Rodez or the D911 at Exit No 44.1; instead, signs indicated that Rodez was further along the autoroute. We continued along the A75 for what seemed to be much too far, so we turned up a slip road to check the map. The map showed that we needed to continue on the A75 to the next junction, but we had exited the autoroute at a restricted junction and couldn't re-join it without taking a long detour! We all walked our bikes backwards down the slip-road and rapidly re-joined the autoroute! We entered the beautiful city of Rodez for our overnight stop at the Hotel du Clocher, an ancient building tucked away in a narrow street behind the cathedral. Once we had found the hotel, the proprietor was more than helpful; he removed his van from the private garage and allowed us to park most of the bikes in the garage free of charge. Only the last 2 stragglers were relegated to parking in the town sqare!

On Thursday 10th June we started our journey north with a short detour to the medieval village of Conques, to view its great abbey. It occupies a spectacular position on the flank of the steep, densely wooded gorge of the little River Dourdou, a tributary of the Lot. We then continued via Aurillac, along country 'D' roads, to join the autoroute A75 approximately 25 miles south of Issoire. We continued on the A75 to Issoire, where we stopped overnight at the Hotel Le Pariou. We all went out to eat at bars or restaurants in Issoire and eventually most people ended up at an Irish bar, where there was live music and dancing. Ted was seen dancing with the locals and he eventually escorted the last RATs from the bar at around a quarter-to-one in the morning. Needless to say, one or two people were not on top of their game when we set out the following morning!

On Friday 11th June we rode north along scenic 'D' roads through Vichy and Chateau-Chinon, in the Parc du Morvan, where we stopped for an afternoon coffee break. Whilst there, someone spotted that Bernies rear tyre was worn to the canvas, and so he had to organise a recovery vehicle to transport the bike to the nearest place where he could get a new tyre. As the tyre could not be obtained until the next day, Bernie and Mary had to find an alternative hotel for the night and re-join the gruop at the next hotel. More drama occurred at the coffee stop when the RATs spotted a large 4-wheel drive Chelsea tractor careering down the hill towards their parked bikes, with nobody at the wheel. By sheer luck the vehicle mounted a kerb and came to a halt in a flowerbed, having missed the bikes by inches! We eventually continued to Avallon, where we stopped overnight at the Hotel Relais Fleuri. The route card for the day included an optional 15-mile ride from Avallon to Vezelay to view the picturesque hilltop hamlet, surrounded by ramparts, and with some of the most picturesque, winding streets and crumbly buildings in Burgundy. Only 2 of the group found time to visit Veselay, so we await their photographs with interest! Angela paid the Pack Leader a sideways compliment when she said that if Chris had included this optional detour on the route cardf, then it must be worth doing!

On Saturday 12th June we did not stop for breakfast at the hotel, but instead set off to Reims for our last night stop in France, with the intention of stopping for breakfast along the route. This proved to be an inspired choice because we soon arrived at the medieval citadel of Noyers where, after passing through the towns huge old wooden gates, we parked in the cobbled main street and sought out a quiet cafe with outside tables and umbrellas. The cafe provided the coffee and fruit juices and we were encouraged to buy our own croissants and pastries from the boulangerie across the street. Some people bought extra pastries to have for a picnic lunch later in the day. Indeed, we later stopped at an idyllic spot by the river at the sleepy village of Marcilly-sur-Seine and enjoyed a relaxed lunch on the grass under the shade of some large trees. Whilst there, Ted spotted that the left-hand side of his front tyre had worn virtually bald, so when we later passed a motorbike shop on the northern outskirts of Epernay, Ted stopped off to have a new tyre fitted and then joined us at the hotel about 12 miles further on in Reims. We would have ridden directly to this hotel in the middle of the city, except for the Route Baree sign at the end of the approach road. This necessitated a detour around the dug-up centre of Reims, to approach the hotel from the opposite direction. This detour around the road works-riddled, busy city centre in the heat did little to prepare the Pack Leader for those immortal words from the proprietor of the Hotel I'm sorry, you do not have 7 rooms reserved for tonight at this hotel! After a short and somewhat heated discussion with the proprietor, the Pack Leader called the Central Reservations Office for the Logis de France chain of hotels and explained in words of one syllable that 13 people would be sleeping on the floor of the hotels reception area unless they got the rooms that they had previously booked at the agreed tariff. Needless to say, the rooms magically materialised and we were all able to book in. Evening meal that night was spent in a nearby Italian restaurant.

On Sunday 13th June, the majority of the group rode across country to Calais to catch a late afternoon ferry to Dover. Once clear of customs in Dover, it was just a 40-mile hop down the A20/M20 for our final night stop at a small country guest house at Detling, in Kent, where the landlady made us all an evening meal before we walked to the local pub for a few farewell drinks.
After a leisurely full English breakfast (or the vegetarian equivalent) on Monday 14th June, we packed our bikes for the last time on this holiday and rode from Detling back to Cardiff.

As usual, the route for this trip was planned around minor roads through fantastic scenery, and with the very minimum of traffic. Daily distances were generally around 220 miles, give or take 50 miles or so. From the complimentary e-mails received from participants since their return, it is obvious that everyone enjoyed the trip. We are already considering Croatia's Dalmatian Coast as a venue for the 2011 Pack tour, so keep your eye on this website for details.

You can find some photos on the gallery under the heading "Pack tour of France, Corsica & Sardinia".



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Sunday 16th May:

Last year, this trip was all but rained off, with only 4 intrepid die-hards prepared to battle the elements to see the display of rhododendrons at this 18th century landscaped garden. Surely, you might think, that it couldnt be that bad two years in a row? Well, after a beautiful Saturday, Sunday was forecasted to have heavy showers throughout the day and the morning started true to form, as we rode through showers and leaden skies to the start point at Cardiff West Services.

The gentlemanly 10 a.m. start was not enough to encourage many RATs out for a ride in potentially wet weather; just 4 bikes and 5 Pack members left Cardiff West Services and headed east along the M4, picking up Howard on his Thunderbird at Junction 30 and Martin and Fay on their Tiger at Magor Services. Despite damp roads and heavy skies at the start, the weather stayed more-or-less dry as 8 people on 6 bikes turned off the M5 at Gordano Services to start a cross-country route through the Chew Valley towards Shepton Mallet. The first coffee stop was beside Chew Lake where we watched people, who were even madder than us, sailing dinghies on the lake. The remainder of the journey was completed in dry weather along winding B roads to join the A303 near Wincanton and then across to the gardens at Stourton. However, just like last year, it started to rain as we parked our bikes in the car park, so we scurried to the cafe for lunch and shelter. The tactic worked, just like last year, and we were able to head off to the gardens after lunch in dry weather. As we headed to the garden we met up with Bernie and Mary from Swindon, who had spent the Saturday night with friends near Yeovil, and had decided to take pot-luck and try to meet us at the gardens! Their R.A.T. spirit and optimism paid off, so we headed off to admire the gardens with them.


Lying in secluded privacy in a valley just 8 miles south of Frome, Stourhead Estate is one of the finest landscape gardens in the world, quite often referred to as Paradise. Stourhead garden was created by Henry Hoare II in the 1740s when the River Stour was dammed to form a great lake. Around the lake Hoare laid out a landscape garden to provide his guests with stunning views and lakeside walks. As the garden developed, he added classical features, such as the Temple of Flora, the Pantheon, the Temple of Apollo and Gothic ruins to enhance the series of splendid and unexpected vistas. The weather steadily improved as we walked around the lake, until the sun broke through and blue skies appeared. We visited the grotto, the waterfall, the Pantheon with its statues of the Roman Gods, the Temple of Apollo with its spectacular vista across the lake, and we admired the spectacular show of rhododendrons and the colourful rare and exotic trees.

After a group ice-cream, we bade our farewells to Bernie and Mary (well meet up with them again in 2 weeks as we all head off for the Pack Tour of France, Sardinia and Corsica) and saddled up for the 100-mile trip across country back to Cardiff. The weather stayed dry, the scenery and roads were delightful (although we were lucky to have missed the car which appeared to have careered across our side of the road only minutes before and was balanced almost vertically in the field on the other side of the hedge!).

We were back home after our 200-mile ride in time to watch World Superbikes from South Africa, having escaped the rain throughout most of the day. Those who were not deterred by the weather forecast were rewarded with a good ride and an enjoyable day out certainly better than we had experienced the previous year! Photos from the ride are on the gallery page of this site.

The next event will be the Pack 2-week tour of France, Sardinia and Corsica, but we will be back for the trip to the lake District for the Durham RATs Lakeland Weekend over the 25th 27th June. Well see some of you for that weekend!

Pack Ride over Gospel Pass to Eardisley & Erwood ~ 9th May 2010

Despite the cold start to the day, there was the promise of a dry day with sunshine breaking through later. This, coupled with the good turnouts on the runs so far this year, led to optimism that the run would be well supported. Indeed it was! when we left Cardiff West Services there were 8 bikes in the pack, which swelled to 11 bikes by the time we reached Abercynon. We continued across the Heads of the Valleys road to Abergavenny and made a rare stop at the bus station for a pre-arranged meet-up with more Pack members and a quick ease-springs, coffee and bacon sandwiches. By the time we left Abergavenny to head off for the start of the Gospel Pass, the pack of bikes had grown to more than 20. As we were about to pull out of the bus station, Roger appeared on his Sprint ST, having turned up late at the start and found that we had left (not surprisingly!). His first words to me were "I need petrol!" - after his petrol shortage on the previous trip, I thought he would have remembered to fuel up before the start, so that he didn't keep all the other 20 bikes waiting! However, we knew of a garage near the start of the pass, so all was not lost.

The sun had broken through by the time we tackled the Gospel Pass, a very narrow and very poorly surfaced minor road which runs for 20 miles from Llanfihangel Crucorney to Hay-on-Wye, through Llanthony and over Hay Bluff at around 2,000 feet. Considerable concentration was needed to complete this stretch of road and at least one unlucky rider came to grief when he exceeded the co-efficient of friction between wet rubber and wet mud! However, we were rewarded for our efforts when we rounded the final corner at the top of Hay Bluff and saw the world spread out before us! What a view - it was well worth the photo stop. From there we theaded through Hay-on-Wye and over the rickety toll bridge beyond Clifford and continued to Eardisley, where we stopped for coffee at the delightful New Strand Book and Coffee Shop. The owner had been pre-warned that we were coming, albeit she may not have been expecting more than 20 bikers turning up at lunch time! Howevert, she soon got us organised and coffee, tea and cakes were soon in full flow. As we arrived at the cafe, Ray & Gill were waiting for us!

After Eardisley, we continued to Kington and then along a short stretch of A44 to Burlingjobb, to meet the start of the B4594. This is a beautiful, undulating switchback of a road, which runs from Burlingjobb, over Hergest Ridge and continues for nearly 20 miles through breathtaking scenery to Erwood. At Erwood, we stopped for a pub lunch at The Erwood Inn (the landlord is a biker and looks after us well) and enjoyed plenty of banter and warm sunshine in the pub garden.

Finally, we departed for Cardiff, but still via 'B' roads that took us via Taslgarth, Llangorse, Bwlch, Llangynidr and then over Mynydd Llanwenarth to Beaufort. From Beaufort we rattled off the final few miles along the A465 and down the A470.

This had been a really fine 160-mile circular route, with the added bonus of clear, dry sunny weather. It was heartening to see such a large turn-out of bikers all relaxing and enjoying themselves - this is what R.A.T. is all about!

Photos are on the Gallery 'Gospel Pass, Eardisley & Erwood Ride'

Pack ride to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard ~ Sunday 25th April 2010

After 2 or 3 dry sunny weeks at the beginning of April, it rained during the small hours of Sunday morning of the day we were due to depart on this ride! The weather forecast for the day was mostly dry, but we should expect short showers towards the end of the day. So, it was under leaden skies that nine people on eight bikes left Cardiff and headed east along the M4 to Junction 18, the exit towards Bath. The first coffee stop was taken at The Tollgate Tearooms, just 3 miles south of the M4 on the side of the A46. Its a neat little place with spectacular views to Lansdown Hill and across the Avon Valley; however, re-crossing the A46 after just half-an-hour in the tearooms could have been a time-consuming manoeuvre. The traffic had built up incredibly during that time, but an on-coming biker saw our predicament and stopped in the middle of his carriageway to let us get half-way across the road; traffic from the other direction soon got the message and reluctantly let us across in front of them.

After the initial motorway ride to the coffee stop, the remainder of the journey utilised scenic A and B roads to cut south-west across country; this took us across Salisbury Plain, through Upavon and on through chocolate-box villages of thatched cottages at the Wallops. We stopped on the outskirts of Winchester for fuel and a leg-stretch, where Roger was the only rider not to refuel (Its alright; Ive got two-thirds of a tank left). Now lets see, Im no mathematician, but a Sprint ST has a 200-mile tank range and we had just done at least 130 miles, so how can there be two-thirds of a tank left? This would come back to haunt Roger! We headed off again on B roads to complete the last 20 miles or so to Portsmouth, where we parked up in the multi-storey car park close to the Historic Dockyard. Parking fees were advertised as 4 for 4 hours for all vehicles, so Howard went off looking for the man to do a deal with; he found him and chipped him right down to 1 per bike for a four-hour stay. We left jackets and helmets in panniers and walked across to the dockyard; as soon as we got out onto the street, we saw the free parking area for motorbikes! After buying our tickets, we split up to visit the main attractions, which included HMS Victory, HMS Warrior and the Marie Rose Museum, agreeing to meet back at the bikes at 5 p.m.

HMS Victory was launched in 1765 at Chatham Dockyard and was commissioned in 1778. She continued in active service for the next 34 years which included her most famous moment-the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. In 1812 the Victory was retired from frontline duty and anchored in Portsmouth Harbour, on the south coast of England. For the next 110 years the Victory remained at her moorings in Portsmouth Harbour fulfilling a combination of practical and ceremonial roles. In 1922, amid fears for her continued survival, the Victory was moved into Portsmouth's Royal Naval Dockyard and placed in No2 Dry Dock. Work then began on restoring the Victory to her 'fighting' 1805 condition and continues today. The Victory currently has a dual role as the flagship of the Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command and as a living museum to the Georgian navy. Great work has been done to restore and preserve the ship so that generations can explore this fine ship and try to imagine the conditions that must have prevailed on board during active service. We also toured HMS Warrior, a teak-hulled, steel clad fighting ship which was commissioned in 1860. With its breech-loading 110-pounder artillery and twenty-six 86-pounder cannons, this must have been a formidable vessel in its day.

Whilst we could clearly see the nearby Spinnaker Tower, there was insufficient time visit this attraction. Towering over the historic Portsmouth Harbour, this 170m (558-ft.) tower has become one of the biggest attractions of southern England. On a clear day, you can see for 37km (23 miles) in three directions. You can glide to the top in a panoramic lift or else take a high-speed internal lift. The panoramic elevator glides to the top in 90 seconds, the internal elevator in 30 seconds.

After a ham, egg and chips meal in a pub near the Dockyard gates, we returned to the bikes and departed Portsmouth at around 5.45 p.m. At the very first set of traffic lights, Roger pulled alongside and said I need fuel the gauge seems to have gone down all of a sudden! So, we cruised down a short stretch of M27 towards Southampton and stopped at the first services we came to. As we all filled up, I looked to around for Roger, but he was nowhere to be seen. The general view from the last man in the group was that he had turned off the M27 to find petrol elsewhere; however, that meant that we didnt see Roger again for the rest of the ride.

After the fuel stop we exited the M27 and headed back across country along deserted A and B roads that were a delight to ride. We caught a light shower somewhere for about 10 to 15 miles, but generally the route was dry, deserted and sheer motorcycling pleasure! We stopped for coffee after about 100 miles, at The Crown at Dyrham, before hitting the M4 for the final 50 miles back to Cardiff.

Some photos from the visit are on the Gallery page under "Portsmouth Dockyard".

The next ride, on Sunday 9th May, will take us over the Gospel Pass from Abergavenny to Hay-on-Wye and then along The Black and White Trail through Eardisley and Kington. We will return along the B4594 (a great back-road on a motorbike), from Burlingjobb to Erwood, and then through Talgarth, Llangorse, and Llangynidr to meet the A465 at Garnlydan. It promises to be a good ride, so join us if you enjoy good motorcycling!

Pack Easter Break in Devon ~ 2nd to 5th April 2010.

The weather at Easter can be really unpredictable we had experienced some dry mild weather for our first two runs of the year during March, but then just days before Easter, the snow returned to high ground and a fair amount of rain was forecasted for the Easter Bank Holiday period. This caused two couples to use four-wheeled transport for the weekend, whilst five others elected to take their chances on four bikes.

Some left from Cardiff West Services at 9 a.m. and met up with others, who had travelled down from their homes north of Cardiff, at Magor Services. From there we headed along the M4, M49 and M5 in the rain, to our first coffee stop at Sedgemoor Services, just before M5 Junction 22. This was a timely stop, because when we came out of the Services, we noticed a narrow band of blue sky above the north Somerset coast and so we elected to stick to the planned route over the B roads of Exmoor rather than use the bad weather alternative route down the M5. This turned out to be a real bonus, as the weather remained dry for the rest of the day, there was very little traffic and the scenery over the Quantock and Brendon Hills was just superb. As we dropped down through the Exe Valley, hoping to find somewhere good for lunch, we spotted the Exeter Inn near Bampton and decided to call in. What a warm welcome we received! The staff were both helpful and friendly, there were at least two log fires burning and the food was good value. Just as we were about to leave, Bill and Sarah walked in they had followed the recommended route in their 4-wheel drive and had seen our bikes outside the pub. We had seen Bob and Nonie at Magor Services, so we knew that everyone was on the road somewhere!

The afternoon was spent criss-crossing Devon on minor roads north of Dartmoor, before arriving at around 4 p.m. at The Coach House Hotel in the small hamlet of Ottery. This was just a couple of miles from Tavistock and would serve as our base for the next 3 days. We settled into our accommodation, had a couple of bikers beers at the bar and then enjoyed an evening meal together in the hotel restaurant.

After a hearty breakfast on Saturday morning, we decided to ride to Finch Foundry, a 15th century forge in the quiet village of Sticklepath on the northern edge of Dartmoor, just 24 miles away. Seven people elected to travel in two vehicles because it looked like certain rain at some time of the morning, whilst two others elected to ride their bikes. We set off with Bills 4-wheeler in the lead he had a route card, 4 navigators and a GPS, so nothing could possibly go wrong, could it? After just 150 metres, Bill turned off the listed A386 and headed across Dartmoor towards Princetown. Well, the prescribed return route would have brought us that way, so no sweat, hes just doing the route in reverse. But then he ignored the left-hand turn that would have taken us north across Dartmoor and instead carried on due east right across the moor, through Widecombe in the Moor, to Bovey Tracey! When Bill stopped to discuss where we might be, he said that he had been using the Good Beer Guide software in his sat nav to find a pub on the way unfortunately, hed selected the wrong pub! What the heck the weather was still dry, we were in no hurry and the views across Dartmoor were fantastic.

We eventually arrived at the Foundry in Sticklepath, where we were given a guided tour of this fascinating old working forge by volunteer National Trust staff. The water-driven shears and tilt-hammers were demonstrated and the long history of the forge was recounted. Despite the fire in the forge, those Pack members who were not in bike gear soon felt the cold as the forecasted rain and wind arrived. That was our cue to head for the tea room at the back of the foundry and wait for the weather to improve! Once the rain stopped, some of us poked around the thatched round summerhouse in the garden that was once the property of Tom Pearse (of the Widecombe Fair poem fame) and then around the Quaker cemetery where Tom Pearse was buried in 1875. Eventually, we headed back to Tavistock (by the 24-mile route, rather than the 45-mile route!) and had a poke around this lovely old market town.

Dinner that evening was spent at the Bearslake Inn, a fine old thatched pub about 14 miles distant from our accommodation. Bob drove us all in his 9-seater Land Rover, so we enjoyed a splendid meal together to round off another very fine day (N.B. Ive already booked all six rooms in this pub for next Easter!).

On Sunday, people elected to head in various directions for the day some headed to a local otter sanctuary, some to see Rosemont Gardens near Torrington and some to visit a Honey Farm and Bee Centre at South Moulton. Wherever we went, we enjoyed beautiful scenery on almost deserted roads indeed, during our ride up to south Moulton, Dee clocked 17 miles without seeing another vehicle in either direction! On our way back, we stopped off at Lydford Gorge and walked the three-and-a-half- mile route around the gorge to see the 90-feet waterfall and the Devils Cauldron rapids. The recent heavy rain and snow-melt meant that the river was in full spate; it was well worth the walk even in full winter biking kit!

Bill selected the venue for our final evening meal - at the Dartmoor Inn at Merivale and Bob once again drove us there in his trusty Land Rover. At several times throughout the weekend, Bob had recounted tales of his fondness for the sheep that he once kept. Not surprisingly, this generated much banter and resulted in Bob being presented with a very pretty, fleecy sheep on the last evening. Amidst the discussion about what name she should be given, Bob just said You can call her what you like, shell always be Darling to me!

After a lazy breakfast on Monday morning, we set off for Cardiff, with the bikes travelling together. Despite the earlier forecast for rain on the Monday, it remained dry and mild and we again enjoyed a scenic route home across Dartmoor, Honniton, Illminster and then via more back roads around Glastonbury Tor, Wells, over the Mendips and through the Chew Valley to join the M4 at the Severn Crossing.

This had undoubtedly been a thoroughly enjoyable Easter break for all concerned join us next year when we head back to the Bearslake Inn, on the edge of Dartmoor. Photos from the weekend are on the Gallery page.

Pack ride to Llangammarch Wells ~ 28th March 2010.

After the grand turnout for the first ride of the season in beautiful sunshine just 2 weeks earlier, it was interesting to see how many might turn up for this ride with the forecast of heavy rain. We need not have worried, 15 bikes and 20 people finally joined up for lunch at the Aberceiros Arms at Llangammarch Wells.
We departed Cardiff West Services at 9.15 a.m. sharp and routed via J34, then Llanharan, Bryncethin, Blackmill and Price Town to Treorchy, where we had hoped to stop for coffee; however, the cafe was shut (had they forgotten to put their clock forward the night before?), so we decided to press on over the Rhigos Mountain and ride thro' Glyn Neath, Abercraf, Craig-y-Nos and over the mountain to Trecastle to meet the A40. At that point we would detour slightly to Sennybridge for coffee to meet up with Bill, Sarah and Martin. Whilst riding over the mountain road between Glyntawe and Trecastle, one errant rider had a nasty surprise when his right-hand pannier overtook him on a frost-damaged, bumpy surface. It was not the fault of the equipment - the owner had forgotten to lock the pannier to the bike! After a brief stop to collect the offending item and lock it onto the bike, we set off again, only for one of the riders (and his pillion) to show off that they could slide down the road better than a pannier. The lesson here was to keep your eyes peeled on the road surface after the severe winter weather and avoid using the front brake on loose gravel!
We arrived at the A40 in Trecastle and detoured down to the garage and cafe at Sennybridge. Whilst there, we had a call from Nigel and Howard, who had turned up late at the start and had hoped to join us for coffee at Treorchy - they too had just found out that the cafe there was closed! We waited for them to join us at Sennybridge and then headed back through Trecastle, where we met up with Ray and Gill, before turning right at Llyewl, over the army range and past Tirabad to The Aberceiros Arms in Llangammarch Wells.
Eighteen of the 20 people sat down to a roast Sunday lunch in this out-of-the-way, quiet country pub, where the landlord really went out of his way to look after us. I'm sure the 15 bikes in his car park was an unusual but welcome sight.
After lunch, we routed back over the Eppynt ranges, through Upper and Lower Chapel to Brecon and then down the A470 back to Cardiff. Despite the poor weather forecast, we encountered no rain at all throughout the day and, unlike the previous run, we all arrived together at the pub and we all kept together on the homeward run (except for those who had forewarned us that they would be leaving the group at specific places).
This was a really good day out on the bikes - the group gelled well together, almost everyone enjoyed lunch and there were many complimentary comments about the route and the beautiful Welsh countryside. It was an undoubted success - join us for the next one to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard on Sunday 25th April, after the Pack Members' Easter Break at Tavistock.

Pack Season Opening Ride to The Chainbridge Inn ~ 14th March 2010

After the long, cold winter, the day finally arrived for the 2010 Season Opening Pack ride. The dry sunny weather that we had experienced during the previous week continued and we were blessed with a glorious sunny, spring-like day. The ride was designed as a gentle introduction to the new season, especially for those members who had not ridden throughout the winter. As a consequence, we were able to leave at a very gentlemanly hour (11 a.m.) and head via a short stretch of motorway and then wonderful B-roads through the countryside around Caerleon, Llangybi, Llanbadoc and Usk, to The Chainbridge Inn at Kemys Commander.

We collected various bikes along the route and a couple of riders had pitched up late at the start and so made their own way to the pub (how can you be late for an 11 a.m. start?). Some other riders, who live in the Abergavenny area, met up with us at the pub. The final attendance at the pub appeared to be 15 bikes, 2 cars and 21 people! Because it was Mothering Sunday, the tables in the restaurant area were all pre-booked, but the landlord allocated us a dedicated room and had laid on a limited pub-grub menu for us. Service was a bit slow, but with 20-odd people all pitching up at once, I suppose it is understandable. Notwithstanding that, the hot beef baguettes were the best that I have ever tasted and being able to sit outside in the sunshine made the perfect biking day.

After lunch, we headed off to continue the ride towards Hereford and then through the lanes of Monmouthshire, past Skenfrith and then through Rockfield to Monmouth. However, as we negotiated the large double roundabout complex outside Abergavenny, 2 or 3 riders peeled off to make their own ways back home, but several other riders inadvertantly followed them. So, it was a somewhat reduced number of riders that pitched up at the Abbey Mill tea rooms near Tintern Abbey! However, some of the lost souls stopped to check their route cards and so caught us up at the afternoon tea stop.

The sunshine remained throughout the ride back from Tintern to Cardiff and we arrived back at around 4.30 p.m.after 135 leisurely miles
of motorcycling. This was obviously a long-awaited event, as evidenced by the large turnout and good humour. However, I must remember in future to brief those leaving a ride before the end to make sure they are at the back of the group before they turn off, otherwise we will lose people again!

RAT Pack Ride to Bethlehem ~ 5th December 2009

Despite all the rain and cold weather we had been having throughout November and the start of December, there was an enthusiastic turn out for the last pack ride of the year to Bethlehem, to get our Christmas cards hand-franked at the sub-post office there. Six bikes and seven people left from Cardiff West Services at the uncommonly decent time of 10.00 a.m. and headed up the A470 in dry (-ish) weather, hoping to meet more Pack members at the Sennybridge cafe and garage, where we stopped for a coffee-break. Sure enough, we met up with another 5 people on four bikes and four people in two cars! So, the number of Pack members who actually went to Bethlehem to post their cards was 16 people, 10 bikes and two cars!
The Christmas Fair, which had been absent for the previous 2 years, had made a welcome return to Bethlehem, so parking in the narrow lanes outside the Post Office and school was at a premium.

However, with that problem solved, some queued to post the cards, whilst others busied themselves poking around the stalls of the small Christmas Fair. It might have been small, but there was something there for everyone who wanted to take home a keep-sake or some produce for Christmas. A band in the playground played traditional Christmas carols, there was a fiddler playing jigs and reels and the smell of hot roast meats and crepes cooking in a couple of the stands was almost too much to bear! Some people bought locally made Christmas cards depicting Bethlehem and then posted them to get the Bethlehem postmark on the envelope. Others made a bee-line for the locally made preserves and chutneys and also the local cheeses and fudge.

Ah well, you cant get strawberry and balsamic preserve or apricot, orange and walnut chutney at your average village school! If that wasnt enough to please those who went, then the flying display given by several Red Kites must surely have done so.
We headed back across the minor roads of the Brecon Beacons National Park, past Usk Reservoir, to Trecastle, where we expected to meet up with three more Pack members for lunch at the Castle Coaching Inn. On arrival, one was waiting, but the other two had left, because the hotel was locked up as tight as a drum. So, we headed across to the Mountain Centre near Libanus, where we eventually met up with the other two Pack members (so 19 people had actually turned out to support this last ride of the year).

After a relaxing lunch and plenty of banter, we headed back to Cardiff in a light but steady rain, arriving home at around 4 p.m. This had been a fitting final ride of the year and was clearly enjoyed by all there now just remains the Pack Christmas Dinner to enjoy in a fortnights time and then its on with 2010!

Bevan Motorcycles R.A.T. Pack ~ Activity Schedule for 2010. Version 1 dated 27 Oct 2009

In addition to the monthly Club Nights, which are held at the Lewis Arms in Pentyrch on the third Thursday evening of each month, the following activities are planned for 2010:

Thursday 21st January: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Thursday 18th February: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sunday 14 th March: Pack Ride-out to Kemys Commander for a pub lunch at The Chain Bridge Inn. This is planned to be a low mileage season opener and a gentle re-introduction to the bikes for those who have suffered a winter abstinence!.

Thursday 18th March: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sunday 28th March: Pack ride-out for lunch at The Aberceiros Inn at Llangammarch Wells.

Friday 2nd April to Monday 5th April (Good Friday to Easter Monday): Join us for a Pack ride to the Devon/Cornwall border for a 3-night Easter break at The Coachouse Hotel & Restaurant, Tavistock. Hidden amongst rolling farmland on the edge of the tiny hamlet of Ottery, but only two miles from historic Tavistock, birthplace of Sir Francis Drake, The Coachouse is close to Dartmoor National Park and is is conveniently situated for day rides to any part of Devon or Cornwall.
The Coachouse Hotel, originally built in 1856 for the Duke of Bedford, was sympathetically renovated in 1989. Much of it's charm and character has been retained by the preserving of many old timber beams and the granite open fire in the Lounge Bar.
A warm welcome awaits you upon your arrival at The Coachouse, where guests can relax totally and enjoy the peace and tranquility of the rural setting. I have reserved 5 of the hotel's 12 bedrooms for our use (3 x doubles and 2 x twin-bedded rooms), at a flat rate of 67 per room per night B&B (incl VAT). Please let me know as soon as possible if you would like to join us for this trip (I can probably increase the number of rooms to meet extra demand, but this needs to be known in good time).

Thursday 15th April: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sunday 25th April: Pack ride-out to the Historic Dockyard at Portsmouth to visit HMS Victory and the nearby Spinnaker Tower.
HMS Victory was launched in 1765 at Chatham Dockyard and was commissioned in 1778. She continued in active service for the next 34 years which included her most famous moment-the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. In 1812 the Victory was retired from frontline duty and anchored in Portsmouth Harbour, on the south coast of England. For the next 110 years the Victory remained at her moorings in Portsmouth Harbour fulfilling a combination of practical and ceremonial roles. In 1922, amid fears for her continued survival, the Victory was moved into Portsmouth's Royal Naval Dockyard and placed in No2 Dry Dock. Work then began on restoring the Victory to her 'fighting' 1805 condition and continues today.
The Victory currently has a dual role as the flagship of the Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command and as a living museum to the Georgian navy.
If you choose to, you can visit the nearby Spinnaker Tower. Towering over the historic Portsmouth Harbour, this 170m (558-ft.) tower has become one of the biggest attractions of southern England. On a clear day, you can see for 37km (23 miles) in three directions. You can glide to the top in a panoramic lift or else take a high-speed internal lift. The panoramic elevator glides to the top in 90 seconds, the internal elevator in 30 seconds. Sightseers experience the thrill "walking on air," or daring to cross the largest glass floor in Europe. On the top deck, Crow's Nest, visitors are exposed to the elements. In addition to the open-air view, there is a trio of glass-enclosed viewing decks. On-site is the Tower Caf & Bar, where you can order and enjoy coffee, cakes, and sandwiches while soaking up the view.
The Historic Dockyard opens at 10am and the last tickets to the attractions are sold at 4.30pm and the Dockyard gates do not close until 6.00pm, so we will have time for a scenic ride to Portsmouth and then a more direct route home after spending time on HMS Victory and/or the Spinnaker Tower.


Sunday 9th May: Pack ride-out to Eardisley and Erwood. We will head over the Gospel Pass and Hay Bluff to Hay-on-Wye and then by mostly 'B' roads to Eardisley and Kington. From Kington we will ride to Burlingjobb and then take the B4594 to Erwood. A pub lunch will be taken en-route.

Sunday 16th May: We will try another 'Rhododendron Run' to Stourhead Estate - last year the ride was virtually rained off, with only 4 intrepid die-hards turning out to get soaked! However, the ride and the gardens are well worth a visit at this time of year.
Lying in secluded privacy in a valley just 8 miles south of Frome, Stourhead Estate is one of the finest landscape gardens in the world, quite often referred to as Paradise. Stourhead garden was created by Henry Hoare II in the 1740s. The River Stour was dammed to form a great lake. Around the lake Hoare laid out a landscape garden to entrance his guests with stunning views and pacify them with serene walking pleasure. As the garden developed, he added classical features, such as the Temple of Flora, the Pantheon, the Temple of Apollo and Gothic ruins to enhance the series of splendid and unexpected vistas. Such was the accomplishment of this wondrous garden that Henry Hoare II became known as 'Henry the Magnificent'. Hoares successors cherished his brilliant original conception, while enriching it with new planting. Today, Stourhead is essentially the same as Henry IIs vision a self-contained and timeless masterpiece.
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Thursday 20th May: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Saturday 29th May - Monday 14th June: 16-day Pack tour of France, Sardinia and Corsica.

Following the undoubted successes of the 2008 2-week Pack Tour of northern Spain and the 2009 2-week tour of France, I have put together a 2-week tour of France, Sardinia and Corsica for our 2010 tour. We are planning a 2-week tour down through France and across to Genoa in Italy, to catch the overnight ferry to the Italian island of Sardinia. We are planning to base ourselves at a coastal resort (possibly Alghero in the north west of Sardinia) for three nights and then take the one-hour ferry crossing to trhe French island of Corsica, where we plan to stop for another three nights near Bastia. Corsica is almost the perfect holiday destination, basking in the mediterranean sunshine, with perfect beaches, magnificent mountain scenery, fine towns and villages that simply belong in the surrounding landscape. Corsica enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate, with summers being hot and dry. From there, we will take the 5-hour morning ferry crossing to Nice or Marseilles, before heading north through the Massif Central and Bourgogne regions on our way back to Calais. The holiday will be planned to leave Cardiff on Saturday 29th May and return to Cardiff on Monday 14th June 2010.

The likely cost of this proposed 2-week holiday has not yet been assessed, but based on the cost of this years 2-week tour to Nice, it is likely to be in the region of 1500 euros for 2 people on one bike (based on 2 people sharing double or twin-bedded rooms), or 1700 euros for 2 riders on 2 bikes, sharing a twin-bedded room (i.e. 850 euros each). For a single rider who wants single accommodation, the cost is likely to be in the region of 1250 euros. These costs should include all ferries and 15 night's accommodation (mostly on B&B basis). The proposed costs do not include petrol, tolls, lunches or drinks.

If you are seriously interested in joining us for this planned holiday, please contact Chris Finch at Bevan Motorcycles, Cardiff, as soon as possible, so that we can gauge the level of support and therefore the accommodation requirements. Telephone 02920 227477 or e-mail rat@bevanmc.co.uk

Thursday 17th June: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Friday 25th - Sunday 27th June: Let's join the Durham RAT Pack's 4th Annual Ratbash at the Patterdale Hotel, Cumbria. Bookings are now being taken for the above event which is being organised by Durham RAT. For this event, because of the contract that Durham RATs have with the Hotel, you will need to book the accommodation yourself, over the phone. There is a plus side to this - it means that although you have to pay a deposit of 25 pp at the time of booking, the balance is not due until you leave the Hotel on the Sunday. Durham RATs have reserved all 57 rooms in the hotel; however, early booking is a very good idea as it is expected that the hotel may be full before the end of March. Check out the website on http://www.choicehotels.co.uk/patterdale-hotel/
To book, have your credit or debit card handy. Decide what sort of room you want. The Lakeland rooms overlook the front of the hotel and cost 112.0 pp DBB for the weekend. The Patterdale rooms cost 102 pp DBB for the weekend and overlook the fells at the rear.
Telephone "Choice Hotels" reservations at Blackpool on 0845 458 4333.
Tell them you require 2 nights DBB on the 25th & 26th June 2010. Tell them it is with "Durham Rat" otherwise they will tell you the hotel is full that weekend.In the event of any confusion the booking reference is 180610 and it is in the name of Stu McCarthy.
Pay 25 pp non refundable deposit on your card. Choice Hotels will send you confirmation in the post.
This is what you get for your money:
Over 100 Rats meeting in the perfect environment of a biker friendly hotel, good roads, good food and good beer.
Two, or probably three, guided rides around the beautiful English Lake District on the Saturday.
Advice on other local rides you can do yourself if you want to "go your own way".
Visits to some Local attractions, identified especially for the first time visitor, or for those who THINK they know the Lakes.
Good accommodation and first class food and some great (real) ale, for two nights.
Singer on Saturday evening.
Sole RAT use of the hotel, bar and restaurant.
Charity auction with proceeds to the Air Ambulance
Please E-mail me to let me know that you are going and I will co-ordinate a group ride.

Sunday 4th July: Pack ride to Devil's Bridge. Always a firm favourite - the scenery is fantastic and there are great biking roads for almost the whole journey. We may have done this ride before, but not by this route!

Saturday 10th July: Pack Barbecue. Bill and Sarah have again agreed to host the RAT Pack annual BBQ at their small-holding in the Brecon Beacons. This is always a most enjoyable affair, with overnight camping (Bill may even take your camping gear up there on the Friday and return it to Cardiff during the following week). There will be a ride-out in the local Brecon area on the Sunday - more details in due course. Keep your diaries clear for this.

Thursday 15th July: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sat & Sunday 17th/18th July: Instead of the traditional annual ride to Harlech, I have changed the venue to the Fron Dderw Country House near Bala. We will retain most of the superb ride to Harlech, but will divert near Dolgellau and ride around Lake Vyrnwy to Bala.
Enjoying spectacular mountain and lake views, Fron Dderw is a fully refurbished early 17th Century dower house of considerable period charm. Fron Dderw has four double rooms, one twin room and one single room, all with en-suite facilities and one triple room with its own shower room - all rooms have colour T.V., hospitality tray and newly installed power showers. An emphasis on fresh Welsh produce can be savoured in the generous traditional breakfasts and imaginative three course dinners.The quality of fine wines available reflects the owners' interest in the subject with vintages stretching back to 1975.
I have reserved all seven rooms for our exclusive use on the Saturday night and I have negotiated a flat rate of 67 per person (incl VAT) for Dinner, Bed & Breakfast.
On Sunday, we will ride on the beautiful A4212 to Trawsfynydd, through the Coed Brenin Forest Park back to Dolgellau and then on through Newtown, Builth Wells and Brecon to Cardiff.
Please let me know as soon as possible if you would like to join us for this trip.

Sunday 25th July: Pack ride-out to Tresaith for lunch at the Ship Inn. Afterwards, a ride to Mwnt, where we might be lucky enough to see the bottle-nose dolphins swimming near to the shore.

Saturday & Sunday 7th & 8th August: Pack ride and camping weekend to New Radnor.
We will ride to New Radnor by a scenic route on the Saturday and pitch our tents at the small (but perfectly formed) Old Station Caravan and Camping Park. The owners have attempted to preserve the tranquillity and history of the site and modernisation work has been in keeping with the character of the area. The site has only sixteen caravan pitches and has a new toilet block with showers; a laundry room will be open in the near future. Overnight rates are approximately 5 per small tent. Amenities include the local shop and the Radnor Arms pub can be found in the village of New Radnor just a short walk away. Barbeques (not campfires) are permitted, but must be raised off the ground.
On the Sunday we will ride in the local area and visit The Judges Lodgings at Presteigne. Once called the most commodious and elegant apartments for a judge in all England and Wales (Lord Chief Justice Campbell, 1855), decay beckoned Radnorshires disused Shire Hall into obscurity. Now, aided by an interior hardly touched by time and original furnishings discarded in attics, extensive research and restoration has re-awakened this Victorian fossil. From the stunningly restored judges apartments to the dingy servants quarters below you can explore their gaslit world. Damp cells remind you of the buildings true purpose, along with the vast courtroom where your imagination in captured by the echoing trial of William Morgan, local duck thief.
Although the owner of the campsite assures me that pre-booking is not usually required, I will nevertheless do so once I know how many people wish to attend the event.

Thursday 19th August: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sunday 22nd August: Pack ride to The Cotswold village of Bibury, near Cirencester.

The area is actually made up of two villages, Arlington on one side of the River Coln and Bibury on the other. It is one of the "must see" destinations in the Cotswolds, and has a place on the itinerary of most tourists visiting the Cotswolds
Attractions in Bibury include Arlington Row, a row of weavers cottages built of local stone next to the River Coln, the Bibury Trout Farm and the Saxon Church, the Church of St Mary.The north Chancel wall of the Church is home to a stained glass window which was designed in 1927 by Karl Parsons and was featured in the 1992 Christmas stamp set issued by the Royal Mail.
The River Coln flows through Bibury sandwiched between the main village street and an expanse of boggy watermeadow known as Rack Isle. With Arlington Row as a backdrop, it makes one of the most picturesque scenes you will find in the Cotswolds.
The picturesque Arlington Row cottages were built in 1380 as a monastic wool store. This was converted into a row of weavers' cottages in the 17th century. The cloth produced there was sent to Arlington Mill on the other side of Rack Isle. The cloth was then hung on wooden timber frames on Rack Isle after being degreased at Arlington Mill.
Arlington Row is probably one of the most photographed Cotswold scenes.

Saturday & Sunday 4th & 5th September: Pack weekend at Much Wenlock, Shropshire. This ride was voted the best of the 2008 season by those who took part. Deserted roads, fabulous scenery and a great overnight stop at The Plume of Feathers. Please let me know as soon as possible if youy would like to join us for this weekend, so that I can reserve the accommodation.

Sunday 12th September: Pack Iron-butt ride to the Ace Cafe, London, to join the massed reunion ride to Brighton. This is an early start and is a 440-mile round trip. This was a fabulous 60s day out in 2008 and even more popular in 2009 when 16 Pack members on 15 bikes turned up for the ride. The ride is well worth the effort ~ just ask those who attended in previous years!

Thursday 16th September: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sunday 26th September: Pack ride-out to the Penderyn Whiskey Distillery. We will have a group booking at the Visitor Center at 12.30 p.m. and follow this with a pub lunch in the Brecon Beacons. Entrance fees for the Penderyn Visitor Centre are 5 for adults or 3.50 for senior citizens.

Sunday 10th October: PACK RIDE-OUT CANCELLED - the Pack Leader will not be back from the New Mexico and Texas trip until 14th October.
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Thursday 21st October: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Thursday 18th November: Club Night coincides with the National Launch Evening for the new Speed Triple, so Club Night will be held at Bevan's showroom in Hadfield Road, Cardiff. Unveiling of the new model will be at 7 p.m. - there will be complimentary drinks and snacks and there will be a 25% discount on Triumph Clothing and Personal Accessories throughout the evening. The 2011 Schedule of RAT Activities will be available and there will be news of Winter Servicing Offers. Shop closes at 9 p.m.

Sunday 28th November : Pack ride to the NEC for the International Motorcycle Show.
To book advance tickets, call booking line on 0844 5812345. Closing date for advance tickets is 5 p.m. on 27th November 2010. Please book your own tickets in advance - this will save unnecessary queueing to get into the show on the day. We will leave Cardiff West Services (M4 Junction 33) at 07.30 a.m. in order to arrive at the NEC at 10 a.m., with a coffee stop at Strensham Services on the M5. This will allow us plenty of time at the show and enable us to leave at 3 p.m. to get most of the return journey completed before dark.

Saturday 4th December: There will be another Pack ride to Bethlehem to get those Christmas cards posted early for Christmas, with the Bethlehem postmark on the envelope. A pub lunch will be taken on the return journey (with a big log burner to warm you through!) at The Trecastle Coaching Inn.

Thursday 16th December: Christmas Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

During the spring and summer it is hoped to introduce short, mid-week evening rides to various pubs so, if you have a favourite, please let me know. Details of these and other events will be published on Bevans website as soon as they are finalised. New ride-out routes and ideas for events are always welcome, so If you have any ideas, please see me in the shop, telephone me on 02920 227477, or e-mail info@bevanmc.co.uk .

Chris Finch
Bevan Motorcycles RAT Pack Leader

Sunday 29th November : Pack ride to the NEC for the International Motorcycle Show.

At just after 8 a.m. on Saturday 28th November, the 'phone rang in the RAT household - it was Bob Millard at Cardiff West Services, asking where everyone was! "It's tomorrow Bob, that's why there's nobody there!"

Bob probably had the best idea, because the weather on Saturday was definitely better than on the Sunday - the forecast showed rain and low temperatures for most of the day. Notwithstanding this, five Pack members on five bikes left Cardiff at 8 a.m. to head for the NEC. Ted went up by car, as he was continuing on to Lincolnshire after the show to stay for a week or two with family.

The run up was uneventful and, other than spray off the motorway, the rain held off virtually all the way there. We stopped at Strensham Services for coffee, hoping to make a pre-arranged meet with Mark and Jessica on their two Triumphs. The weather must have put them off, because they didn't show at Strensham, but were later spotted at the NEC, having travelled up by car!

We were inside the halls by 11 a.m. and the crowd level was not too bad - you could get to see the exhibits and talk to the representatives on the various stands. We made a stop at the Triumph stand and said hello to Pete Clarke and Wendy Shepherd, who told us that the National RAT Party, held the night before at Sutton Coldfield, had been a successful event (it's a shame we had no takers for the event). Dee had a sit on the new Rocket Roadster and reckoned that it would be a piece of cake to ride after experiencing vibration white finger on her 3,000-mile ride around America on a Harley Davidson!

We spent a good deal of time talking to the representatives on the motorcycle touring holiday stands - checking out new overseas destinations for 2010 and 2011. The Pack overseas ride in 2010 is to Corsica and Sardinia, but South Africa is beckoning, as well as another trip to the USA! We bumped into several people that we knew at the show "Are you running the Dragon Rally next year?" seemed to be the general theme. I pointed out that we were already committed to a lot of work planning the Corsica/Sardinia tour and that we were committed to supporting the Durham RAT's Lake District weekend in June. Accordingly, it was unlikely that Bevan Motorcycles would be planning the Dragon Rally in 2010.

We all met up in the covered bike park at 2.30 p.m. to head off back to Cardiff, hoping to complete most of the jouney before darkness fell. We were not so lucky with the weather on the return trip and had to put up with steady rain for most of the journey. On the A449 dual carriageway, the bike behind me decided to pull into the Services for fuel and all the other bikes followed him. After a couple of miles of watching my mirrors and seeing nobody behind me, I stopped in a lay-by to wait in the pouring rain. Nobody came, so I had to strip off my gloves and helmet, remove the waterproof cover from my tank bag to find my 'phone and glasses and ring to find out what the problem was. Imagine my joy, sitting in the pouring rain, to learn that they were all in the services! It was not possible for me to turn back, without going further on to find a roundabout or flyover and, even if I had been able to do that, it wasn't possible to turn into the services from the opposite carriageway! So, all I could do was ride on by myself, muttering curses under my breath.

Overall, this had been a good trip, where Pack members braved the elements, having had the foresight to buy new gloves, fit or repair heated grips and handguards etc before they went. This should stand them in good stead for the Icicle Run to Bethlehem next week to post our Christmas cards. See you at the start?

As has become tradition, the Pack Christmas Dinner will again be held on the December Club Night (i.e. the 3rd Thursday in December) at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch on Thursday evening 17th December. With the current financial climate in mind, the management of the Lewis Arms has reduced the price for the Christmas Party menu to 12.95 per person.

We can seat 24 people for the dinner - with Mr & Mrs Bevan attending, plus Mr & Mrs RAT, there are only 20 places remaining; accordingly, can I ask that you contact me as soon as possible at the shop (by e-mail preferably) and let me know if you wish to attend. I have scanned the Christmas Party menu and it appears in the RAT Photo Gallery on this site under the category heading "RAT Christmas Party Menu 2009" - please make your choices from the menu for yourself and partner (if applicable) and include them in your e-mailed reply. I will co-ordinate the group's requirements with the Lewis Arms. Vegetarians are requested to contact The Lewis Arms directly (Tel No: 02920 891641) to determine the vegetarian meal options and then include that menu in your response to me. Don't worry about sending a deposit - we will each pay in full for our meals/drinks on the night.

Ted has put a superb DVD together from photos taken by Pack Members throughout the year and this will run during dinner - a free copy of the DVD will be available on the night for each couple (or individual as applicable) attending. There will be a spot prize for one lucky diner and a relaxed atmosphere for dinner can be guaranteed.

Please e-mail the Pack Leader at the shop (rat@bevanmc.co.uk) with your requirements as soon as possible.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL OF THE 24 PLACES ARE NOW TAKEN (AS AT 31ST OCTOBER 2009).

Pack Ride-out to Cheddar Gorge and the Chew Valley ~ 18 October 2009

With only the ride to the NEC in November, plus the Christmas card ride to Bethlehem in December remaining, this was effectively the last scenic Pack ride of the year. With the autumn weather creeping up on us and the clocks due to go back one hour the following weekend, people obviously thought that they would make full use of the beautifully sunny Sunday and join us for the Pack ride to Cheddar Gorge and the Chew Valley. Ten bikes and 11 people left Cardiff West Services at 9.30 a.m. and we collected another 5 bikes and 8 people at various bridges over the M4. In total, 15 bikes and 19 people joined this Sunday ride.
Top get to Cheddar, the only real option is to churn off the miles on the M4 and M5, something that is quite alien to members of the Bevans RAT Pack. However, it was a means to an end and soon we had turned off the motorway onto the A371 towards Cheddar. An early coffee stop was called for after about 60 miles because although the weather was sunny, it was nevertheless a bit nippy! Smells of frying bacon attracted the Pack Leaders attention as we passed a garden centre somewhere between Banwell and Sidcot, so 15 bikes did a smart U-turn and headed into the garden centre for breakfast. Once suitably refreshed, we headed on along empty A-roads to Cheddar and took the B3135 which wends its way up through the gorge to the top of the cliffs.
The Cheddar Gorge area has been a destination of travellers and holidaymakers for centuries, each one curious to view the magnificent limestone gorge carved into the southern slopes of the Mendip hills above the village of Cheddar. The Mendip hills are an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty the limestone plateau is noted for its landscape beauty and wildlife. Reaching 500 feet in places, the sides of the ravine boast the highest inland cliffs in the country. After 2 weeks of riding through canyons of the wild west in the USA, Mrs RAT was heard to say I think Im canyoned out now whilst Cheddar Gorge may be smaller than its American counterparts, it is nevertheless small but perfectly formed!

From the top of the Gorge, we rode on to Green Ore and Chewton Mendip, then via more B-roads to Chew Stoke, where we stopped at Chew Valley Lake for lunch. Tucked away in the shadow of the Mendip Hills, the Chew Valley and its lakes are a haven of tranquillity between the the cities of Bath and Bristol. The Chew Valley has a history that dates back more than 10,000 years and is rich in mystery and myths. The area's heritage can be traced among the many chocolate-box villages that thread the valley with names such as Nempnett Thrubwell, Hinton Blewett and Norton Malreward. At the heart of the valley is the pretty town of Chew Magna which offers pubs, traditional butchers, delicatessen and other local services.

Chew Valley Lake is set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, surrounded by unspoilt meadows and woods. Built as a reservoir in the 1950s it is now a haven for wildlife and is popular with anglers, birdwatchers and dinghy sailors. The picnic facilities at Chew Valley Lake provide a pleasant setting for a lunch stop.

After lunch we continued our loop through the Chew Valley as far as Chew Magna and then followed more B-roads to the outskirts of Bristol, before picking up the M5 at the Gordano Services. A brisk ride back along the motorway enabled most people to be home around 3.30 p.m. in plenty of time to see Jenson Button do enough in Brazil to be crowned F1 World Champion!

Five members of the Bevan Motorcycles RAT Pack completed a 3000-mile tour of western USA during September and October 2009 - some pictures from their tour can be found in the photo gallery.

RATs on tour in USA

What started as an idea for Mr & Mrs RAT to treat themselves to motorbike tour in the USA to celebrate their Silver Wedding, turned out to be something rather different. Three other Pack Members asked to come, so eventually five Pack Members flew from Cardiff to Los Angeles to pick up four bikes for a 2-week, almost 3,000-mile tour around the deserts and canyons of western USA.

The route would take us east from L.A., through the San Bernadino National Forest and over the Jacinto Mountains to our first overnight stop at Palm Springs. The following day we looped through the Joshua Tree National Park, in temperatures above 100 deg F and on through the Mojave Desert to meet Route 66 at Amboy. We followed the Mother Road to the gambling town of Laughlin, where we stopped overnight at The Tropicana Express Casino & Hotel. The following morning, Sarah's bike wouldn't start (you need to treat it more gently Sarah!), so it was loaded onto the support vehicle trailer and Sarah climbed onto a pillion for the start of the day. We rode on to the old gold mining town of Oatman, still on Route 66, where we stopped for a short break. Inexplicably, Sarah's bike started easily on the trailer, so it was unloaded for her to continue the ride. We continued on Route 66 to Kingman " the heart of Historic Route 66", then through the Hualapai Indian Reservation to Seligman and then on to the Grand Canyon for our overnight stop.

The following morning was Mr RAT's birthday and so we took a helicopter ride into the Grand Canyon before setting off for Monument Valley, the classic Wild West landscape of stark sandstone buttes and forbidding pinnacles of rock poking out of an endless expanse of drifting red sands. With us all ready to roll out of the hotel car park, Sarah's bike again refused to start. Once more it was loaded onto the trailer and Sarah rode pillion with Mr RAT along the southern rim of the Grand Canyon to the various spectacular viewing spots. At one of these, Sarah's bike again started easily on the trailer and so was unloaded again to enable Sarah to ride on. We continued on to the Cameron Trading post for lunch and then rode on through Navajo country, along endless straight roads to Monument Valley. Only when we arrived at Monument Valley did we come to realize how much of our perception of the West has been shaped by this one spot. The statuesque rock formations towering majestically above the sandy desert floor, are indeed a humbling sight. That evening we stayed overnight at the small, one-horse town of Mexican Hat, where we enjoyed barbecued steaks in the "Swinging Grill" restaurant - the only one in town! I cannot think of a better way to spend a birthday!

After breakfast the following morning at the small cafe down the road, we prepared to leave for the days 300-mile ride to Bryce Canyon. But before we could set off, Sarah's bike again refused to start, so it was once again loaded onto the support trailer and Sarah rode pillion behind Mr RAT. This was probably just as well, because we turned off the asphalt and climbed for several miles up Moki Dugway, a steep dirt road with tight hairpin bends to get to a view point overlooking the Valley of the Gods.

The spectacular vista from high up on the steep mountainside revealed the various pinnacles of rock standing out of the desert floor, each one an Indian god. The rusting vehicle chassis which lay on the rocks beneath us were testament to those non-believers that had come this way before us. After soaking up the view, we rejoined the asphalt and rode on along Utah Route 95 to Fry Canyon where, during a brief stop, Sarahs bike once again started on the trailer, so it was unloaded and Sarah continued on her bike for the rest of the day. From this point we rode along fabulous road, through seemingly endless rock formations with amazing colours, through White Canyon and over the Colorado River before it pours into Lake Powell at the northern end of Glen Canyon and then on to a lunch stop for buffalo burgers at the small town of Hanksville (the bikes had been flat out at 108 mph on the long straight approach to Hanksville). The afternoon saw us ride on winding mountain roads up to 9,300 ft through the beautiful wooded Dixie National Forest, down again through Boulder, up again to 9,600 ft through the Escalante Mountains, where the Aspen trees were already turning to autumn shades of yellow, gold and orange, before finally riding along the Devils Backbone to the small town of Rubys Inn, near Bryce Canyon for our overnight stop. A steak and lobster dinner in the hotel restaurant was the perfect way to end a fabulous days riding.

The next morning we saddled up for an early ride into Bryce Canyon National Park. After overnight rain, the day dawned bright and sunny, but quite cold (Rubys Inn is at around 7,500 ft). The 18-mile-long road through the park affords outstanding views of the park and southern Utah scenery. From many of the viewpoints, you can see more than 100 miles on a clear day it was a really clear morning when we visited. Sunrise, Sunset, Inspiration and Bryce Points encircle Bryce Amphitheatre, the biggest natural amphitheatre in the park. The amphitheatre encloses hundreds of spectacular and beautiful pinnacles and fins of pink rock, known as hoodoos the result of millions of years of erosion.

After a 2-hour ride around the park, we returned to the hotel to load up the luggage and prepare for our 250-mile ride to Las Vegas. Mr RAT had a theory that Sarahs bike may have had a dirty fuel filter (Sarah had necessarily gone onto reserve towards the start of the trip) and that with the bike standing on its sidestand overnight, this may have led to sediment in the tank settling on the fuel filter. So, before trying to start the bike that morning, it was given a vigorous shake (the Shadow Shake) eureka, the bike started with the first touch of the starter button. This was to become the daily starting routine for Sarahs bike and it worked each time.

We set off through Red Canyon, before turning south on Rote 89 through Hatch, Long Valley Junction, Glendale, Orderville and Mont Carmel, where we headed west on Route 9. This took us on a fabulous switchback ride through Zion National Park, reputed to be the most beautiful rock formations anywhere on earth. The multi-coloured mountains of mostly sedimentary and shale rock, the switchback road, the tunnel through part of the mountain and the Zion River itself certainly combined to reinforce that view! There was certainly plenty to talk about as we rolled into Springdale for lunch at Wildcat Willies. By mid afternoon, we joined Interstate 15 near St George and rode south west, in fairly close formation, to Las Vegas.

We were to spend a free day in Las Vegas the next day, and Mrs RATs eldest son and his fianc had travelled from Australia to get married that day! To complete the reunion, Mr RATs eldest son and his wife flew in from Canada for the occasion. So, the arrival evening in Las Vegas became a fairly liquid affair and good use was made of the extra hour gained by the change to West Coast Time. The following morning, the RATs decided to explore The Strip Las Vegas Boulevard and Faye (who had been to Vegas before) was appointed tour leader for the day to make sure that we visited all the theme hotels, tall buildings and other must-see attractions.

We walked our feet off throughout the day, finally reaching the top of the Stratosphere Tower at the far end of The Strip, where one can get a birds-eye view of the city and begin to appreciate its incongruous setting in the Nevada desert. We caught the bus back along The Strip to our hotel, where we freshened up and then all headed off to the wedding and afterwards to the wedding breakfast in the Voodoo Bar on the 51st floor of the Hotel Rio.

The following morning, it was business as usual as we made an early start for our 350-mile ride, through Death Valley to Mammoth Lakes. We headed along Route 160 for the first 50 miles, stopping at a service station next to brothel in Pahrump (brothels are legal in Nevada, but it brings a whole new meaning to the term service station). From there we took Route 178 into and across Death Valley, the hottest, driest, lowest point in the USA. This is a superlative desert of streaming sand dunes, snow capped mountains, multi-coloured rock layers, water-fluted canyons and three million acres of stone wilderness a place of legend and a place of trial. The temperature change from the top of the mountain ranges that surround Death Valley, down to the valley floor at nearly 300 feet below sea-level, is dramatic.

We stopped at the Visitor Centre for lunch in the shade, before riding on through Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells, Panamint Springs, Lone Pine and on to Bishop for a welcome stop at the Dutch Bakery for wonderful cakes and coffee. Warm clothing was required for the final 45-mile ride over the Sierra Nevada Mountains to Mammoth Mountain and our hotel at around 11,000 ft., where we arrived just as darkness fell. An Indian meal and a bottle of wine in the hotel dining room finished off another grand day.

The next morning dawned sunny and bright, but fortunately not as cold as the freezing temperatures that had been forecasted. We set off at 9.30 a.m. and rode to Lee Vining to fuel up the bikes and then over the 9,945 ft Tioga Pass to the entrance of the Yosemite National Park. This must rate as the mother of all National Parks and raises expectations to dizzying heights once you are there, it does not disappoint. Towering granite rocks, waterfalls, clear lakes and rivers, giant sequoia trees, animals and the very purest of air it is indeed a magical place. At one point we stopped the bikes to walk about a mile into the woods to see the giant sequoia trees; after walking about half-a-mile, we rounded a corner of the track to see a brown bear foraging in the undergrowth, not more than 25 metres from us!

Instead of thinking about how we might get out of there before the bear saw us, we all went for our cameras to get a picture of the creature! Fortunately, it sidled off into the forest and so we continued on our way to see the giant sequoias, nevertheless keeping a watchful eye open for any of his friends or family! Martin did some tree-hugging once we found the trees, before we returned to the bikes and continued down to Yosemite Village for lunch. The actual village in the valley floor has little to recommend it it is the only area of commercialism in the entire park and so is full of cars and visitors.

After a pic-nic lunch, we decided to ride about 20 miles to Glacier Point at an elevation of nearly 9,000 ft, where it is possible to get a spectacular vista of the park. Unfortunately, we heard that there were road-works en-route and an element of graded dirt road would be encountered. Undeterred, we set off for Glacier Point and were rewarded with a most spectacular ride up the mountain and an even more spectacular vista of Yosemite Village and the surrounding Park from the top. It was well worth the effort!
Unfortunately Sarah was running low on fuel and so turned back once it became evident that the detour would be in the order of 40 miles we would meet her on the way back.

As the sun dropped behind the mountains it started to get quite cold, so we headed down the mountain and out of the park, looking for our hotel at El Portal. On the way we saw Sarah on the side of the road, asking directions from a couple in a parked car we waved enthusiastically as we rode past and Sarah must have broken off her conversation in mid sentence because, within a minute or so, she was back on the end of our group of bikes, heading for the hotel!

After a good nights sleep and a decent breakfast, we were ready to face the day and look forward to the 200-mile ride to San Francisco, where we would enjoy a free day the following day. We rode up to Mariposa, where we stopped to refuel the bikes. Whilst there, some Americans pulled in on three Triumphs a 1050 Tiger, a 955 Tiger and a Thruxton. We went over to talk to them and it transpired that they had been hoping to ride through Yosemite National Park, but the Tioga Pass had been closed because of snow! How lucky were we? We had come over that pass the previous day in bright, but cold sunshine! The guy on the Thruxton had an Ace Cafe sticker on his bike, which he had obtained from the internet we explained the origins of the cafe racer cult and the part played by the Ace Cafe Im sure I could have sold him my Ace Cafe bandana for a huge profit afterwards!

We rode on in the sunshine along a fabulous winding road over Mount Bullion and down into Coulterville, an old 1850s gold mining town, which looked almost the same as it had in its hey-day. The riding up until lunch time had been on superb, winding roads, but after lunch we joined the busy Interstate 4 into San Francisco, after stopping off at Sausalito for delicious cakes and coffee at an Italian cafe near the marina.
We rode over Richmond Bridge, past San Quentin Prison with its infamous Death Row, and then over the Golden Gate Bridge into down-town San Francisco and our hotel on Fishermans Wharf.

We were just in time for the daily free wine-tasting in the hotels reception area, before ending the day with a luxury meal at a restaurant on Pier 39, with hundreds of sea-lions bedded down for the night on the floating wooden walkways on the water outside. Magical.

The following day, it was Sarahs turn for a reunion. She was meeting a friend whom she had not seen for many years and they were going to catch up on old times over a meal in Sausalito. Meanwhile, the other RATs bought a daily travel card to ride the trams, cable cars, street cars, trains and buses around San Francisco. We visited Golden Gate Park, and lunched al-fresco near the marina, watching sea lions swimming nearby and pelicans diving for their lunch. After another session at the hotels daily wine-tasting, we all set off for an evening meal at Aliotas Restaurant.

After the desert and canyon riding of the previous week and a half, we were now about to head south down the Pacific coast of California on Highway 1. We left the hotel to ride the famous zig-zag section of Lombard Street, before riding to high ground above the city for a final photo opportunity. The day was so clear that we could see Richmond Bridge in the distance, Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge and Alcatraz Island, apparently this is an unusual occurrence. We continued on Highway One through Half Moon Bay and past Pigeon Point Lighthouse, to a lunch stop at davenport. The afternoon ride took us through Santa Cruz to our hotel at Monterey, with its historic Cannery row. We arrived early enough for people to spend some free time before dinner. Some went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which is located in a former sardine cannery on Cannery Row, some people relaxed around the hotel swimming pool and a couple of riders rode to the nearby Laguna Seca race circuit on the off-chance that they might get in to see the circuit, Their luck was in and they were able to walk around the circuit to get a first-hand impression of the notorious Corkscrew; moreover, the circuit souvenir shop was open, so they were able to get mementos of their visit. The evening meal on Fishermans Wharf was a splendid way to end the day.

The following morning we rode through the very attractive town of Monterey and the historic Cannery Row, before heading along Ocean View, where the rich and famous have their houses with fabulous views of the Pacific Ocean. We continued to Carmel and once back on Highway 1, we continued south through Big Sur, that awesomely beautiful 90-mile stretch of rugged and beautiful coastline between Carmel and San Simeon. At San Simeon, we stopped to admire a colony of elephant seal cubs lazing on the beach, apparently oblivious to our presence, before riding the final stretch to our hotel at Pismo Beach.

On the final morning of the tour, we set off early along Highway 101 to Santa Maria, where we cut inland to enjoy the great back roads and scenery around the wine producing regions. We stopped for coffee in the delightful old wooden town of Los Olivos, where every other building offered wine-tasting. In the garden of the coffee shop, the owner was cooking many large joints of beef on a large barbecue, over oak logs, for use in the store. The beef needed to cook for two-and-a-half hours over the fire the aroma was just mouth-watering.

After the coffee stop, we visited the gates to the late Michael Jacksons Never Land Ranch, before continuing on to Santa Barbara for lunch at the end of Stern Wharf. Whilst sitting in the warm sunshine, eating the freshest clam chowder ever, we watched a sea otter swimming off the end of the pier and the now familiar sight of pelicans diving for their lunch. We rode on after lunch, through Santa Monica, back to Los Angeles, where we returned the hire bikes and headed back to the hotel.

The five Pack members stayed on in California for a further three days three spent their free days relaxing at Long Beach, whilst Mr & Mrs RAT rode out to Yucca Valley, on the edge of the Mojave Desert to visit Mr RATs older brother whom they had not seen for 20 years. He and his son both own motorbikes, so after barbecuing under the star lit desert night sky, we spent time riding together through the San Bernardino Mountains.

The flight back home was uneventful and all the luggage arrived at the right place at the right time. This had undoubtedly been the holiday of a lifetime the question now is where do we go next time?

Pack Ride to the Severn Valley Railway ~ Sunday 20th September 2009.

The long-awaited Indian summer appeared to have arrived and several people heeded the Pack Leaders call to make the most of the dry weather before the colder autumn days begin to close in. As a result, 8 people on 6 bikes left Cardiff at 8 a.m. and headed east along the M4 under overcast skies, wondering when the forecasted sunny weather would appear. Our plan was to head up the A4042 to Abergavenny and then take the A465 towards Hereford, with a planned coffee stop at Wormbridge, just beyond Pontrilas. We need not have worried about the weather the skies soon cleared to blue and the sun came out, giving us near perfect biking weather. We arrived at the cafe in Wormbridge just as the waitress was putting the Open signs outside and promptly ordered coffee and cakes whilst we waited the arrival of another 3 Pack members on 2 bikes. Bob and Nonnie arrived first on their Bonneville to join us for their fist Pack ride and Bill arrived soon after on his Tiger. So after refreshments, 11 people on 8 bikes continued in the sunshine on near deserted roads to Kidderminster for a trip on the Severn Valley Railway. Free parking for bikes in the car park adjacent to the station, followed by a 100 metres walk to the platform, enabled us to arrive in time to catch the 11.40 a.m. train to Bridgnorth.

The SVR is a full-size standard-gauge railway line running regular steam-hauled passenger trains for the benefit of visitors and enthusiasts alike between Kidderminster in Worcestershire and Bridgnorth in Shropshire, a distance of 16 miles. The journey is full of interest; the route follows closely the meandering course of the River Severn for most of the way on its journey between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth. The scenery is varied and largely unspoiled, punctuated by the quaint 'olde worlde' charm of country stations, each one being beautifully kept with flowers and bric-a-brac of a bye-gone age. There being few roads in the Severn Valley, some of the views are only visible from the Railway. One highlight of the trip is the crossing of the River Severn by means of the Victoria Bridge - a massive 200-foot single span, high above the water. On arrival at Bridgnorth, we began to appreciate the scale of this privately run railway and the efforts of the many volunteers who make the service what it is. We saw several locomotives in passenger service and several more beautifully restored engines and rolling stock in the sidings .
After a brief stop and a snack lunch at Bridgnorth station, we caught the 1.35 p.m. train back to Kidderminster. Just as we were about to pull out of the station, Dee thought saw Nigel on the in-coming train. A brief exchange of text messages confirmed this, but it was too late for us to meet up we can only hope that Nigel had an equally enjoyable day!

Once back on the bikes, we headed back down the A449, looking for the elusive coffee-stop; this is the one that magically appears at just the right time and distance, has outside seating in the sunshine, has adequate parking and, of course, serves good food. This was not to be the case along the A449, so at Monmouth, the Pack leader turned onto the A466 and headed through the Wye Valley for a stop at a favourite watering hole at Tintern. Unfortunately, several pack members had necessarily turned off for their homes in Brecon, Abergavenny and places in between! After a brief stop, the remaining Pack members headed back to Cardiff.
This had undoubtedly been a highly successful Pack day out; everybody appeared to appreciate all that the Severn Valley Railway had to offer beautiful scenery, nostalgia by the bucketful and that wonderful smell and sound of live steam! Combined with fine, sunny weather and virtually empty roads, it is easy to understand why the day was successful.

Saturday and Sunday 5th & 6th September 2009.

This away-weekend was very popular last year and that proved to be the case again this year. All seven rooms at The Plume of Feathers pub were booked months ago for this event and even when one couple needed to cancel at short notice, their room was quickly snapped-up by another couple. Indeed, we were even joined by another Pack member who just wanted to come along for the ride. So, on Saturday 5th September, 15 Pack members set out on the ride to Much Wenlock. We headed over the Eppynt Mountains, where we stopped briefly to scatter Liz's ashes at the spot she had often said was her favourite spot on our many ride-outs together. From there, we headed via Garth, Beulah and Newbridge-on-Wye to The Halt Cafe near Rhayader for our first coffee stop. Despite the wet weather of the previous weeks, we were blessed with dry wether for the entire weekend and people were undoubtedly in good spirits - well, it's difficult not to be in good spirits when faced with the ride on the B4518 to Llanidloes and then the A489 to Newtown. Traffic had been virtually non-existent, but there was a real bottle-neck in Newtown, so some serious filtering was required to beat the queue through the town and get back onto the deserted A488 towards Shrewsbury. Near Black Marsh, it was time to turn off onto a single track road which climbed high over wild moors, through the delightfully named hamlets of Shelve and The Bog, before dropping down to the Hamlet of Rattlinghope, where we stopped for a pub lunch at The Horseshoe Inn.

Just before setting off after lunch, Ted suggested that he rode on ahead with his wizzy new camera, to get a bit of DVD footage of us riding along the Burrway over Long Mynd and down the vertiginous descent into Carding Mill Valley. This footage would form part of the DVD which we traditionally show at the Christmas Pack Night and dinner. "Great idea" said the Pack Leader "you can't get lost along there". So, having allowed sufficient time for Ted to find an appropriate spot and get himself organised, we all set off for the ride along the Burrway, to enjoy the spectacular views and become video stars into the bargain (the girls had all done their hair and left their helmets off, put on fresh lippie etc, etc). You are probably beginning to guess by now and you are probably right - we rode on, thinking "Ted must be around the next corner", but it was not to be. Ted had somehow missed the turning to Church Stretton, which takes you over The Burrway and down into Carding Mill Valley, and continued on almost to Shrewsbury! He then gassed it back down the A458 to Much Wenlock, just in time to join on the back of the group as we pulled in for petrol. Great photographer - but very poor navigator!

Once at the pub, we were greeted by an embarrassed barman with the words " Hello, we have a bit of a problem...we have enough beds for you all, but not enough rooms!" Apparently, they had double booked another couple into one of our rooms, but they had gone out for the day and could not be contacted. We declined the management's suggestion that they move a second single bed into an already tiny single room, but finally accepted their offer to locate us in a nearby hotel and provide a taxi to and from the hotels. This was supplemented by allowing us to leave all our gear in the single room as well as using it to shower and get ready for dinner. So, disaster averted and no tempers lost!

Fourteen of us sat down to evening dinner, and a fine affair it turned out to be. All very relaxed, with lots of banter - not the least of it being about Martin's rigid protuberence that he sometimes wears on his forehead (a picture of this now features in the Bonneville 50th Anniversay category of photos on the website gallery under the caption "Why does everybody call me Dickhead?". Mark started his order for food by getting the waitress to agree that she wouldn't let anybody else have any treacle tart, so that there would be plenty for him. Needless to say, when the order for desserts was eventually called, we insisted that the waitress started form the other end of the table and everyone ordered treacle tart!

On Sunday, after a full English breakfast for most of us, we made a leisurely departure at around 10.30 a.m. and headed for Leominster, via a number of 'B' roads through the beautiful Shropshire countryside. Once on the A44 to the west of Leominster, we stopped for coffee at the Monkton Dairy and Cheese Factory, an idyllic, quaint old country building, where the outside tables and chairs were set amonst the many flowers in the well-kept garden. We continued to Burlingjobb and took the very scenic, twisting and undulating B4594 through Gladestry, Newchurch and Painscastle, to Erwood. From there, we again routed on 'B' roads via Talgarth, Llangorse, Bwlch, Llangynidr and Beaufort to meet the A465 and then A470 back to Cardiff.

The weather stayed dry for the entire weekend and the company was, as always, first class. The route took us on largely deserted biking roads, through spectacular scenery. Little wonder then that this was another very successful ride, which will almost certainly be repeated next year.

Pack Iron Butt ride to Ace Cafe & Brighton Reunion ~ Sunday 13th September 2009:

What can you say about the Ace Cafe and the annual Brighton Reunion? Its a phenomenon. What else would make sane people get out of bed at 5.30 a.m. on a Sunday morning and complete a ride of more than 400 miles just to see motorcycles parked on a seafront? But its not just the parked motorcycles - it's being part of this massive gathering of motorcyclists and just enjoying the craic.

Six Pack members on six bikes left Cardiff at 6.30 a.m. on Sunday 13th September to ride up the M4 to the Ace Cafe, London, to join the start 10.30 a.m. start of the massed ride to Brighton. As we rode east, we collected more Pack members with military precision, and by the time we reached Reading Services for our first coffee stop, our numbers had swelled to 16 people on 15 bikes. Suitably refreshed after some hot drinks (it was surprisingly cold in the mist along the M4 at that time of the morning), we set off on the last 40 miles to the Ace Cafe. Arriving at the Ace for this particular ride is difficult to describe - there were literally hundreds (if not thousands) of bikes parked in every conceivable spot outside the cafe by the time we arrived at about 10 a.m. However, we were marshalled onto a footpath and wriggled our way between the parked bikes and the crowds, and eventually managed to park.

We had about half an hour to look around or get a coffee, but in reality, most of that time was spent trying to find the other members of the group to brief them on a departure time and place when leaving Brighton! Previous experience of taking groups to Brighton for this event has taught me that it is impossible to park together and near impossible to find each other once you have parked! We settled for a garage on the sea front, with a departure time of 3 p.m.

The bikes started to leave the Ace Cafe promptly at 10.30 a.m. in a sort of organised bun-fight and were soon being marshalled through red traffic lights by the police to get us onto Western Avenue and thence out onto the M25. The customary groups of spectators were on all the bridges over Western Avenue to wave us off on our trip to Brighton and many more bikes were waiting on fly-overs and slip roads to join the cavalcade. I often wonder what the car drivers on the M25 think when they find themselves surrounded and outnumbered by motorbikes on just one day of the year. With no dramas (other than the Pack Leader hitting a black cat as he joined the M25), we enjoyed the ride to Brighton and arrived at about 12.15 p.m. If we thought parking at the Ace was congested, we now had to find parking spaces amongst 40,000 other bikes, most of whom had got there before us! Marshalls sent us further and further along Madeira Drive, until we were almost at the marina before we could find somewhere to park the bikes.

By the time we had parked our bikes and checked all the missed calls and text messages from other members of our group who had got split up, it was getting close to 1 p.m., so we headed off through the bikes and crowds towards the Ace Cafe stage and live bands. The first Pack member that we bumped into was Bill, but with no sign of Sarah. Wheres Sarah? we asked, only to be told I dont know I havent seen her since the North Circular! However, we neednt have worried because we saw her on her bike, fighting her way through the mle to find a parking place. Bill headed in that direction and that was the last we saw of them that day! We spotted Roger in a similar predicament, but they were the only Pack members that we saw before departure from Brighton.

Everybody did their own thing until it was time to leave and, unbelievably, 13 of the 15 bikes all assembled on time at the garage on Brighton seafront! The other two (Bill and Sarah) had previously briefed us that they would be making their own way back, because they had booked accommodation in the Reading area. So, with everyone fuelled up, we set off for the 200-mile ride back across country on the A283 to Petworth and then the A272 to Winchester, before heading north-west on the A34/A303 to Andover. From there we picked up the A342 across the Salisbury Plain, through Devises and down to Chippenham. We made our first stop at a pub at Derry Hill, just before Chippenham, at around 6.00 p.m, after 110 miles of A road riding. Six people had departed the group at pre-arranged places and one got separated from the main group at some point before the meal stop, so six of us relaxed over food and drink, whilst waiting for the feeling to return to our backsides! We left the pub and managed to reel off the rest of the A-road riding before it got dark as we reached the M4 at junction 18 for the last dash back to Cardiff. We arrived at home at 9 p.m., some 15 hours and 440 miles after leaving home that morning.

In 2007, just Dee and I did the ride and thought that others might enjoy it as a pack ride. In 2008, 11 people on 7 bikes made the pilgrimage. In 2009, the numbers had swelled to 16 people on 15 bikes. Clearly there is something that attracts people to make this ride, but as Ally and Huw said after their first ride-out with the Pack, Its just so mad you couldnt explain it to people who hadnt been there!

Outline Information on Proposed Sardinia Tour 2010

The Bevan Motorcycles R.A.T. Pack, Cardiff, has organised successful 2-week Pack summer tours for the last 4 years. These have included south-west Ireland, the west coast of Scotland, northern Spain and most recently, a 2-week tour over the French Alps to Nice and return via the Route Napoleon and the wine regions of Burgundy and Champagne. The tours all include pre-booked accommodation at boutique-style hotels, with a number of free-days included to allow participants to relax and see some of the places where we stop. A comprehensive briefing pack is provided to each participant, including daily routecards and fully marked-up Michelin touring maps.

For 2010, we are planning a 2-week tour down through France and across to Genoa in Italy, to catch the overnight ferry to the Italian island of Sardinia. We are planning to base ourselves at a coastal resort (possibly Alghero in the north west of Sardinia) for three nights and then take the one-hour ferry crossing to trhe French island of Corsica, where we plan to stop for another three nights near Bastia. Corsica is almost the perfect holiday destination, basking in the mediterranean sunshine, with perfect beaches, magnificent mountain scenery, fine towns and villages that simply belong in the surrounding landscape. Corsica enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate, with summers being hot and dry. From there, we will take the 5-hour morning ferry crossing to Nice or Marseilles, before heading north through the Massif Central and Bourgogne regions on our way back to Calais. The holiday will be planned to leave Cardiff on Saturday 29th May and return to Cardiff on Monday 14th June 2010.

The likely cost of this proposed 2-week holiday has not yet been assessed, but based on the cost of this years 2-week tour to Nice, it is likely to be in the region of 1500 euros for 2 people on one bike (based on 2 people sharing double or twin-bedded rooms), or 1700 euros for 2 riders on 2 bikes, sharing a twin-bedded room (i.e. 850 euros each). For a single rider who wants single accommodation, the cost is likely to be in the region of 1250 euros. These costs should include all ferries and 15 night's accommodation (mostly on B&B basis). The proposed costs do not include petrol, tolls, lunches or drinks.

If you are seriously interested in joining us for this planned holiday, please contact Chris Finch at Bevan Motorcycles, Cardiff, as soon as possible, so that we can gauge the level of support and therefore the accommodation requirements. Telephone 02920 227477 or e-mail rat@bevanmc.co.uk

Saturday 22nd/Sunday 23rd August 2009: Photos are posted on the Gallery page of this website.

The Triumph Bonneville is now 50 years old. This design icon of British engineering and the Triumph marque is worthy of celebration, having first rolled off the production line on 5th September 1958; accordingly, the Bonneville Celebrations were organised by The Triumph Owners' Motorcycle Club to celebrate this milestone and the event was held at the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon on the 22nd and 23rd August 2009. Throughout the weekend there were various events taking place and for those stalwarts who stayed at or near the site, there was a hog roast and live bands to provide entertainment.

RAT Packs from across the UK had been encouraged to attend and of course this invitation was taken up by Bevans Motorcycles R.A.T. Pack. Numbers were necessarily small for this ride, because feed-back on whether Pack members wanted a day-ride or a camping weekend was slow to happen; accordingly, once the decision to camp was made, it was almost too late to get tickets for camping on the site at the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon. Indeed, with just three weeks to go (the tickets had been for sale on-line for several months), it was only possible to get 4 camping tickets. Three bikes left Cardiff at 8 a.m. on Saturday and collected Martin & Fay on their Bonnie T100 at Junction 23A of the M4. We were surprised that Bob had not turned up at the start and so we left a message on his answerphone service - it's lucky we did, because Bob had forgotten all about it! (He subsequently pitched up at Gaydon, much later in the day). We routed via the M4 and then M5 to Junction 11A, where we turned off to cut across through Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wolld, Moreton-in-Marsh and onto the Fosse Way. From there, it was just a short run to the Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon, where we arrived at about 11a.m. With the tents errected and riding gear discarded, we walked into the nearby displays at around noon.

Triumph Bonnevilles were obviously the stars of the show and the organisers had probably succeeded in their aim to display fifty bikes from each year. There were Bonnevilles galore on display - if you had ever thought that it was rare to see a 1959 Bonneville, imagine what a surprise it was to see dozens of them, all resplendent in blue and orange (the 'tangerine dream'). These were complemented by many of the 2009 50th Anniversay Bonnevilles in the same livery. There were modern-day Triumphs in one-off paint schemes, including a 1050 Tiger in Leicester Tigers Rugby Club livery, a Jack Lilley T100 in chrome, black and gold, and a pink Thruxton in Agent Provocateur livery! There was a wide range of unique merchandise, an international array of special guests, historic machines shipped in from across the globe and a full programme of entertainment. Towards the end of the afternoon, we strolled across to the marquee where the awards were to be presented and where the lucky winner of the draw - a new Bonneville - was to be announced. Whilst waiting, we had a call from Bob to say that he had arrived on site, so Mr RAT set out into the crowds to look for him. He soon spotted him being directed away from our camping area by the stewards (not surprising really, because we had his camping ticket!) and broke into a sprint to catch Bob on his Sprint! He hopped on the back and showed Bob to the camping area, they put up Bob's tent and then walked back into the showground, stopping only briefly at the beer tent for refreshments! Once prize-giving was over, we walked about a mile to the local pub, where we had a good meal in the restaurant and a few drinks, before heading back to the tents for the night. Head torches were the order of the night as we sat around the tents and brewed up the coffee; the long, stiff, protuberence strapped to Martin's forehead had us rolling around with laughter - see what you make of it by looking at the photos on this website callery (picture entitled: Why does everybody call me Dickhead?).

The following morning, we cooked breakfast and broke camp before heading off to the show-ground again to look around the Heritage Motor Centre. It's a fascinating collection of vehicles - well worth a look if youn are ever in the area.
Around mid-day, we headed for home, via a scenic route which kept us off the motorways, except for a final dash between J24 and J29 of the M4.

Although numbers were necessarily small for this ride, it was undoubtedly an enjoyable, laid-back camping weekend, with enough nostalgia to last for the next 50 years. If anyone missed the celebrations, then join us for the 100-year celebrations in August 2059.

Sunday 16 August:

Pack Ride to Carew Castle & Lawrenny Quay

The 2009 Schedule of Pack Events listed the ride on Sunday 16 August as a ride-out to West Wales for lunch at The Old Point House Inn, right on the beach at Angle. Dee and I recconnoitred this route beforehand and found that whilst it would be a good ride, the final half-mile approach to the pub was along a badly pot-holed off-road track, with a shale and gravel incline to the car park. I thought that this might prove to be unsuitable for some riders, especially those with a pillion passenger, so I decided not to visit the pub, but instead visit Carew Castle and the nearby tidal mill and then route via Cresswell Quay to Lawrenny Quay for lunch.

The weather forecast was for a cloudy but dry day, so 9 people on 7 bikes set off westwards along the M4 from Cardiff West Services, under threatening skies. However, after about 30 miles the skies brightened, just in time for us to turn off the motorway at Junction 48 and take the B4306 from Hendy, out through Pontyberem, to meet the A40 just before St Clears. This delightful back road, with almost no traffic, climbed and fell across the rural west Wales landscape and enabled us to miss out most of the A40. We stopped for coffee just before St Clears at the Forge Restaurant, where one of the staff who took my order told me that we would have to claim our food when she returned with it because we all looked the same with our leathers on! Now let me see.....is that Jill Newberry or Nigel Hicks? Well, they both look the same with bald heads and grey whiskers!

After coffee, we pressed on for the next 30 miles to Carew and stopped in the car park to visit Carew Castle and the nearby Tidal Mill. Carew Castle is a 13th Century castle with Tudor additions. There is a substantial amount of the castle remaining and it is possible to access the upper floor in places, to get a god view or the river and the mill. The nearby 19th Century tidal mill, powered by the rise and fall of tide on the Carew River, is the only Welsh mill of its kind in tact. It was worth the short walk to the mill to see how it was set up with French millstones to grind wheat into flour I bet it was better than the supermarket rubbish we get now!

From the mill, we set off around the single track lanes, through West Williamston and Creswell Quay to Lawrenny Quay, where we stopped for lunch at the stunningly situated Quayside tearooms. The superb food, quick friendly service and a stunning location all combined to make this a memorable lunch stop if you are ever down that way, then seek out the Quayside for a lunch stop.

Biking around the inlets of the Creswell and Carew Rivers is very scenic and so we continued after lunch, eventually picking up the B4315 through Cold Blow and Princes Gate and then the B4313 through Tavernspite and Red Roses to Pendine. From Pendine we routed through Laugharne and then back to Cardiff via the A40 and M4. This enabled us to arrive back indoors at around 5.30 p.m., just in time for the highlights of the Moto GP. Seeing Lorenzo fall off and Rossi win the race and extend his lead in the Championship to 50 points was the perfect way to end a superb 200-mile ride around west Wales with like-minded friends.

Pack 2-week Tour of France (14th to 27th June 2009 The Highs and the Lows.

The 2-week summer tour has become the highlight of the Bevan R.A.T. Pack's annual schedule of events. These tours started in 2006 with a tour of south-west Ireland, followed in 2007 with a tour up the west coast of Scotland and then last year we headed into mainland Europe with a tour of northern Spain. This year, we decided to ride down the Eastern border of France, over the Vosges mountains and the French Alps to the Mediterranean and then head back up the Route Napoleon to Grenoble. The final legs of the return journey would take us through the Burgundy and Champagne regions on our way back to the ferry. Three free days had been built into the holiday to break up the riding and allow participants time for sight-seeing or relaxation in some of the most attractive areas. We knew that the route would provide highs and lows it would take us high over the highest passes in Europe at around 9,000 feet and we knew that we would be looking down a sheer 2,500 feet drop to the water below as we rode around the rim of Europes largest gorge, the Gorges du Verdon. What we didnt know was which other highs and lows would affect our journey.

The group left Cardiff on Sunday 14th June 2009 and headed for an overnight stop in Dover, to enable us to get a full nights sleep before catching the 8.30 ferry to Calais the next morning. The journey to Dover started in a fairly eventful way. Ted and Liz left early on the Sunday morning because Liz had completed a night shift and wanted to get to the Dover accommodation early, so that she could get some sleep and try to revert to a more normal sleep pattern in time for her holiday. On the ride to Dover, Ted filled Lizzy's bike up with diesel at a service station and had to call the AA to drain it out before they could continue. Meanwhile, Chris, Dee and Sarah left Cardiff Services as planned and headed along the M4 to collect the others at pre-arranged places. Howard was waiting at Junction 30, Fay & Martin were waiting at Junction 23A and we rolled into Membury services to meet Bernie and Mary, just as they arrived there. Perfect you might think, but wait a minute, where is Howard? I know that he joined us back at Junction 30. The others look at me coyly; nobody has seen him since Newport! A quick phone call confirms that he is sitting by the side of the M4 at Newport, waiting for a recovery truck to take him back to his house! The bike had cut-out in the fast lane, with smoke coming from the wiring loom under the tank. Howard hoped to get the bike home, see if he could repair it and then catch up with us in due course. The rest of us met up at the accommodation in Dover and had a group evening meal, interspersed with calls to and from Howard, who appeared to be winning the battle of the wiring loom.

(Monday 15th June)
We left the hotel in good time to arrive at the ferry terminal Check-in booth to catch the 8.30 a.m. ferry. There was no sign of Howard, so the remaining seven bikes queued for their tickets; five queued behind me and Martin headed for the booth opposite (theres not such a long queue - it'll be quicker he thought). I shouted across to Martin to make sure that he refused the earlier 7.45 a.m. ferry should they offer him that option. I obtained my ticket and rolled forwards for 50 metres to stop and put away the ticket etc, when I spotted that they had given me a ticket for the earlier ferry. I ran back to the booth, but all the others had also been given the early ferry, except Martin at the opposite booth! To make matters worse, Martin had pulled away and was making for the lane reserved for the 8.30 ferry. We followed him as closely as we could, hooting and signalling for him to come to the same lane as us, which fortunately he did. We explained the problem (my mistake, his fault), so Martin left Fay with us and headed back to the Check-in desk to re-book for the earlier ferry. As soon as he left, they called us forward to load onto the early ferry! We rolled on and secured our bikes and then set about watching for Martin. He did make it back in time, but not before Howard turned up and rolled onto the same ferry as us, by sheer chance! Top man Howard! So, finally, we were all on the same ferry and three-quarters-of-an-hour ahead of our planned departure.

We arrived at Calais ferry port at 10.45 a.m. local time and rode south-east for about 80 miles along the A26, before turning off at Cambrai and taking mostly rural 'D' roads for the next 100 miles to Sedan. Just beyond Sedan, we crossed the Belgian border and rode the last few miles to Bouillon, where we would stop overnight at the Hotel La Porte de France. The group had kept together well throughout the day, despite fairly heavy rain throughout the afternoon. However, after passing Sedan, Martin dropped off the back of the group and, despite Bernie waiting for him at the next turning, he didnt appear. The rest of us checked in at the hotel and waited for news from Martin & Fay. After about an hour we got a text to say that they had been round and round Sedan 3 times and had started to head back to the town before that! They were only 6 or 7 miles away but they were lost. They eventually turned up at the hotel an hour or two after the others. The days ride had been approximately 195 miles.

Day 2 (Tuesday 16th June)
After a continental breakfast we headed off in fine sunshine, in a south easterly direction into the Alsace region and the forests of the Vosges Mountains. The Vosges Mountain range, whilst wholly in France, stretches along the west side of the Rhine valley in a N.N.E. direction, from Basel to Mainz, for a distance of 150 miles. Since 1871 the southern portion, from the Ballon d'Alsace to Mont Donon, has been the frontier between France and Germany. There is a remarkable similarity between the Vosges and the corresponding range of the Black Forest on the other side of the Rhine; both are characterized by pine forests on their lower slopes, above which are open pasture land and rounded summits of a uniform altitude.

During the ride, Martin & Fay and Bernie & Mary dropped off the back of the group and headed into Verdun for a coffee stop. The rest continued to St Miheil, where we stopped for coffee, before turning east to Chateau Salins. The ride up over the Col du Donon, to find our hotel at 727 metres (Hotel - Restaurant Le Velleda, located on the Col du Donon) was appreciated by all and provided an excellent learning curve for the hairpins that would be encountered in the French Alps later in the holiday.
We all arrived at the hotel within a short space of time, parked our bikes in the barn, unpacked and had a well-deserved bikers beer on the terrace of the hotel, which offered panoramic views from its position on the Col. The evening meal was included with our accommodation and was a gastronomic feast which included soup, pate fois gras, Maigret de Canard, a host of French cheeses and finally sorbet and ice-cream doused with schnapps. Oh, and the vegetarians had omelettes!
The days ride had been approximately 180 miles.

Day 3 (Wednesday 17th June)
Because the ride today would be around 310 miles, everybody was up bright and early, ready for an 8 a.m. departure from the hotel. We left the hotel in brilliant sunshine and soon joined the Routes des Cretes (road of the crests) and headed south along the ridges of the pine-clad Vosge Mountains, over the Col des Bagenelles to a coffee stop in the bikers cafe at the top of the Col de la Schlucht, just short of Gerardmer. We pressed on to the half-way point, where we found an excellent roadside restaurant in the countryside and so stopped for the express plat du jour (pork fillet, pasta, sauce and cheese) on a shady patio. After lunch, we set off for Salins les Bains, where the Bonnevilles were in dire need of petrol and we were in dire need of ice-creams and coffee! When we set off after our coffee stop, it was around 5 p.m. and we still had another 100 miles to ride through the Alps and Jura region of France to Annecy. The riding was fabulous even the recently re-tarred and gritted Cret de la Neige (D991) from Mijoux to Bellegarde-sur-Valserine offered fabulous views if you were brave enough to take your eyes off the road! We rode around the outskirts of Annecy and down the west side of Lake Annecy at about 8 p.m. to find our hotel, L Auberge Letraz at Sevrier, right on the side of Lake Annecy.

The hotel was superb, with a swimming-pool in the rear garden and lawns that ran right down to the edge of the lake. The views of the Alps across the lake were fabulous. It was definitely time for the bikers beer! Everybody agreed that the route had been fabulous for biking.

Day 4 (Thursday 18th June)
We spent a free day on Thursday 18th June on the side of Lake Annecy. We skipped breakfast in the hotel and instead strolled along to the nearby boulangerie to buy pain-au-chocolat and other such delights, which we then took to the local beach hut on the side of the lake to consume with copious supplies of coffee and tea. The location was great, so we booked an outside table for ten people for an evening meal and then split up to explore and amuse ourselves for the day.

Sarah and Howard walked into the ancient town of Annecy, a splendid town full of art treasures and beautiful buildings and then caught the water taxi back across the lake. Several of the group members took a stroll along the side of Lake Annecy (which stretches for over ten miles) before swimming in the hotel's outdoor pool and relaxing in the beautiful hotel garden. The evening meal at the lakeside bar was a real success and we remembered to raise a glass to those Pack Members attending the monthly Club Night at the Lewis Arms in Pentyrch!

Day 5 (Friday 19th June)
After our free day for sight-seeing in the Annecy area, we again headed south, for a day of high altitude riding, mostly through the mountains. We rode south east, continuing through the Alps and Jura region, through Val-d'Isere, over the Col de L'Iseran (at 2764 metres, this is the highest pass in Europe and is a must-see sight from where, on a clear day, you have views of the Italian side of Mont Blanc and the whole of the frontier chain of peaks), over the Col du Galibier at 2,556 metres and on to Briancon, Europe's highest town. From there, we continued over the Col du Izoard (2360 metres) to a planned night stop at the Hotel Villa Morelia, a small chateau at Jausiers, near Barcelonnette, in northern Provence. We stopped at the summit of each pass, well above the snow-line, where the gleeful cry of "this is the best yet" was always heard! I have to say, that I have ridden many mountain passes in France, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy, but this days riding was up there with the best of them. The entire group rode exceptionally well to cope with the never-ending staircase of hairpin bends on the Alpine passes and it would be wrong to single-out any particular person for special praise; however, I felt that the lady riders all did particularly well. The weather remained hot and sunny virtually all day, although there were dark clouds behind us throughout the afternoon. We arrived at our hotel in Jausiers just before 6 p.m. and parked our bikes in the secure grounds of the chateau. We unpacked and had a bikers' beer on the terrace, to await the arrival of Martin & Fay and Bernie & Mary, who pitched up at about 7.30 p.m., having been caught in torrential rain.

We had a table for 10 people reserved in the private dining room at this hotel and, after pre-dinner drinks, we were shown to our table and treated like royalty throughout the meal. Langoustines with Fois Gras and truffles, turbot, lamb with wild mushrooms, an extensive cheeseboard, followed by a dessert of baba, sorbet and vanilla creme panifolia. Each course was accompanied by a wine selected by the owner to compliment the food on offer. The rooms were of classical French period decoration, mostly with four-poster beds. The bill for such extravagance? A mere 298 euros per couple.
Todays ride had been approximately 230 miles.

Day 6 (Saturday 20th June)
Todays ride would only be around 160 miles, so we had a leisurely start to the day. We walked in the sunshine to the village for coffee and cakes at the boulangerie, before heading south, over the Col du Restefond (2680m) and the Col de la Bonette (2715m) before dropping down into the Tinee Valley and through the Mercantour National Park into Nice, where we stopped at Atoll Beach for lunch. We were able to park our bikes in the free Moto parking slots almost on the Promenade des Anglais, and walk just 100 metres to find a seafood restaurant almost on the waters edge (research beforehand is always worth the effort I had entered the car park as a way point in my GPS). After a superb lunch, we took our boots off and paddled in the Mediterranean (well, it had to be done, didnt it?), before turning north through Grasse (the town is famous for its perfume production) to join the fabulous Route Napoleon. Weaving in and out through the Alps, La Route Napoleon, or the N85, follows the treacherous path taken by Napoleon Bonaparte when he returned to France in 1815. Stretching in length for more than 200 miles, it starts in the glitzy Mediterranean resort of Cannes and winds its way through Grasse, Castellane, Sisteron and Gap to end at the alpine town of Grenoble. It is one of those awe-inspiring journeys that you must tick off. The road meanders through everything imaginable, from rugged, snow-capped peaks, to rustic French villages, taking in coastal views and passing over forbidding valleys thousands of feet deep. The roads that link the villages are some of the finest stretches of blacktop you are ever likely to ride across and there is little traffic around. The N85 might sound like just another A-road but it is generally regarded as one of Europe's best biking roads; this is the real deal. We rode as far as Castellane, where we stopped for two nights at the Grand Hotel du Levant. We arrived in good time and were able to park the bikes in the hotel garage, before sitting out the front of the hotel for a bikers' beer. The hotel is extremely popular with bikers, owing to its superb location part-way along the Route Napoleon and close to the Gorges du Verdon. The town square is immediately outside the hotel, surrounded by restaurants and bars, so it was not difficult to find a place to eat that night.

Day 7 (Sunday 21st June)
Today was a free day to explore the nearby Gorges du Verdon. The Gorges du Verdon is one of Europe's great natural wonders; formed where the blue-green Verdon river cuts a deep swathe through the high limestone plateau of Haute Provence. Often called Europe's Grand Canyon, this truly spectacular canyon is over 25 kms long and in places over 1000 meters deep. The world's 2nd largest canyon, it may not compete with the Grand Canyon, Arizona, but it is still the largest canyon in Europe. The Verdon river is named after it's unusual colour; Verdon is derived from the French word for green. A full loop around the canyon is just over 60 miles, including the Route des Cretes and can be comfortably ridden in a day, including frequent stops to admire and photograph the views.

The day started like any other, but finished like no other. We had decided to take a picnic lunch to eat beside the lake at the far end of the gorge and so walked into the town to purchase bread, meats, cheeses, fruit and cakes. With these loaded into Ted's empty top box, six of us on six bikes left the hotel at 10.15 a.m. The others had decided to remain in Castellane and walk up to the church that dominates the town from a high rocky outcrop. We rode around the northern rim of the gorge and included the optional 15-mile Route des Cretes, which follows the very edge of the northern rim of the canyon and offers spectacular views. We stopped to admire the views so many times that after 2 hours, we had covered only 25 miles. From high up on the canyon rim, we could see the beautiful, vivid, blue lake at the western end of the gorge and the bridge across the river at Moustiers. We felt that the lake shore would make the perfect picnic spot and we were right. We were soon parked up in the shade of some trees, enjoying the food we had bought earlier (well most of it the fruit tartlets had been thrown around inside Ted's top box and had spread the fruit and filling all around the inside. Ted managed to clean out most of it, but his tongue couldn't quite reach into the very bottom of the top box!). After lunch we meandered along the southern rim of the Canyon (the Corniche Sublime) and stopped again at the Pont de l'Artuby, which spans the Artuby river at a height of 590 feet. We bought cold soft drinks and watched people bungee jumping off the bridge and Lizzy told me what a great day she had been having. We set off for the final leg back to the hotel in Castellane, turning left onto the straightforward D955 near Combs sur Artuby. After dropping down a hill and starting along a wide straight section of road, I could not see other headlights behind me. After a few moments, Dee pulled up behind me and said that Lizzy had been behind her, but had disappeared somewhere. We turned around and rode back along the D955 for about three-quarters of a mile, to the obvious scene of a bike accident. My first reaction as I parked my bike was to look for the other members of our group and thankfully I could see them all milling around on the roadside amongst a large number of other bikers who had stopped to help. But when I found Howard, he explained that Lizzy had collided with an on-coming Italian biker near the middle of the road. The Italian was on the grass verge having his left leg attended to, whilst Lizzy was standing talking to other members of our group, reassuring them that she was okay, except for a pain and swelling in her left wrist. After a short while we showed Lizzys injury to the para-medic, who told her to get into the ambualance to go for an x-ray at the local hospital. The rest of the party returned the last 16 miles to the hotel, where Ted collected her passport and EU medical card to take to the hospital. He rang to check on Lizzy's condition and was asked to ring back in about an hours time, as she had just gone down to radiology. Just about an hour later, the hospital rang the Hotel to ask for Ted to go to the hospital. Both Ted and I rode to the hospital, expecting to bring Lizzy back to the hotel, ready to continue the holiday on the back of Ted's bike. However, when we arrived at the hospital, we were told that Lizzy had suffered 2 serious heart attacks and that the prognosis was not good. After seeing Lizzy and speaking with the doctors, we were advised to return to the hotel and call again in the morning. After a 35-mile ride back to the hotel in the pitch dark, we broke the news to the others.

Day 8 (Monday 22nd June)
The early telephone call revealed no change in Lizzy's condition, so we agreed that the others should continue with the scheduled ride to the next accommodation at the small hotel La Ferme Bonne at the village of St-Christophe-La-Grotte, just north of Grenoble, approximately 175 miles to the north. Ted, Dee and I would go to the hospital and work out what could be done. When we arrived at the hospital, we were given the news that Lizzy had suffered another heart attack with the last hour and that they had been unable to save her. Ted, Dee and I spent the Day at the hospital making all the necessary arrangements and stayed overnight in a nearby hotel.

Day 9 (Tuesday 23rd June)
After a night-stop at St Christophe La Grotte, Howard, Sarah, Martin & Fay and Bernie & Mary continued north through the Rhone Valley and through the wine growing areas of Macon, Beaune and Nuits-St-Georges in the Burgundy region, to the planned night stop at the walled town of Langres, in the Hotel de la Poste. The planned ride was approximately 220 miles.
Meanwhile, Ted, Dee and I continued our administrative efforts at the hospital and at the Gendarmerie, eventually being cleared to leave at around mid-day. With repatriation action fully initiated, we decided to ride the 430 miles to catch up with the others at Langres. With stops for fuel and food, we eventually reached Langres at 10.37 p.m., just 7 minutes after our estimated time! The others gave us a welcome that we will not forget as we rolled in to the car park of the hotel.

Day 10 (Wednesday 24th June)
Another beautiful sunny day dawned for the easy 150-mile ride north-west along country roads to Epernay, near Reims in northern France. Group members took the opportunity to walk around the charming old walled town of Langres, before making a leisurely departure from the hotel at 10.30 a.m. We all stopped in the small town of Arcis-aux-Aube for a plat du jour lunch, before rattling off the final part of the journey through Epernay to Reims. The route through the centre of the city would have been fine in normal circumstances, but at one of the central roundabouts the inevitable Route Baree sign appeared across the road we wanted and then it was "hunt the detour" to get back on the right road. We got split into 2 or 3 groups, but magically managed to meet up at various road junctions (except Howard, who had to soldier on by himself), until I found a footpath that took us back onto the right road, just past the end of the road works! It was no more than 6 or 7 miles to our hotel (Champagne Mont d'Hor) in the tiny hamlet of St Thierry, but even with the hotel in sight, there was yet another Route Baree sign across the approach road - needless to say, we ignored this one and rode into the hotel grounds. This establishment was a working vineyard with its own pressing room. The lady greeted us with a warm welcome and showed us our accommodation which was spacious and modern, with each room having a different theme. She told us to park our bikes in the pressing room and agreed to my request to put 2 bottles of their champagne in the fridge so that we could have them for our Bikers' beer out on the decking they were superb.

Whilst there was no evening meal available here, the lady took Dee into a nearby village to pick up our order for take-out pizzas, as well as to a supermarket for a carton or two of beers. Our evening was spent out on the decking chatting, above the garden and the vinyards, next to a paddock of horses, until the sun went down behind the church across the fields; truly magical.

Day 11 (Thursday 25th June)
For the planned free day here, I had arranged, for us all to take in a tour of the cellars at Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, one of the many famous champagne 'maisons'. Our one-and-a-half hour tour, with an English speaking guide, was planned to start at 11.30 a.m., so we took 2 taxis to Reims, just 5 miles to the south. The visit was good value and there was a particularly poignant moment at the end, when our young French guide appeared in tears to offer a bottle of vintage champagne to Ted.

Whilst in Reims, we visited the supermarket to purchase all the ingredients for a fine al-fresco evening buffet on the hotel decking. Another memorable evening.

Day 12 (Friday 26th June)
The 195-mile cross-country ride back to Calais, using rural minor roads through Soissons and a number of quiet, rustic French villages, meant that an early start was needed if we were to arrive in good time to catch the 3.25 p.m. ferry back to Dover. Some riders elected to take the Autoroute all the way back to Calais and catch an earlier ferry if they arrived too early, but Ted, Dee and I elected to ride the planned cross-country route. We stopped en-route for coffee in Roye and after continuing, we could see black thunder clouds and fork lightning ahead of us. We stopped just in time to don waterproof linings, before the heavens opened. With about 30 miles remaining to reach Calais, I elected to cut across onto the Autoroute and take the straight line to Calais. As we arrived at the ferry terminal, the rain stopped and I noticed that none of the others were waiting for the ferry. We assumed they had caught an earlier ferry but, just before we were due to embark, the others turned up, having been forced to stop by the heavy rain on the Autoroute. So, once again, we had all made the same ferry!

The ferry arrived in Dover at 4 p.m. local t time. Once off the ferry and clear of customs, we rode 40 miles along the M20 towards Maidstone and then diverted just 2-3 miles off the M20 at Junction 7 and rode to our nearby accommodation at the Detling Coach House for our final overnight stop. Once there, we settled in and got changed, before walking to the local pub for our evening meal. This was a sensible way to finish off the holiday; we had already ridden 200 miles to the ferry earlier in the day and we still had 200 miles to ride back to Cardiff.

Day 13 (Saturday 27th June)
After a leisurely breakfast we tackled the remaining 200 miles back to Cardiff, remembering to drive on the left!

Pictures from the tour are in the Photo Gallery.

Ride-out to Rykas Cafe ~ 26th July 2009

Rykas Cafe at Boxhill, near Dorking in Surrey, has been a meeting place for bikers since the 1920s and is still one of the top bikers cafes in the U.K. On a sunny Sunday, there can be 500 bikes or more visiting the cafe. However, the day we went to Rykas, was not a sunny Sunday! The forecast for the Sunday was for plenty of rain and I guess that the thought of an early 8 a.m. start to ride 350 miles in the rain was enough to put most people off; as a result, the ride was poorly attended.

Three bikes and riders pitched up for the dry, early start from Cardiff West Services and we waited there a while for those people who had earlier indicated that they might be coming. With no more people showing, we headed off along the M4. The obvious route to Rykas from South Wales is a blast along the M4 and then around the M25 to the Dorking turn-off; however, as you know by now, the Bevans R.A.T. Pack doesnt do much riding on motorways, so after approximately 45 miles we turned off to ride the remaining 130 miles across country. Our route took us along the old A4, through Calne, past the White Horses carved into the hillside, past West Kennet Long Barrow and on to Marlborough. From there we dropped down the A346 to Burbage and then via a series very minor roads through the delightful Hampshire countryside, through the villages of Oxenwood, Fosbury, Upton and Ibthorpe to Hurstbourne Tarrant. With the roads and weather perfectly dry all the way, this was a beautiful route. We passed through villages where 90% of the buildings were thatched, we saw an old steam car driving past us in the opposite direction, and we saw the signs for the British BBQ Championships and much more besides.

From Hurstbourne Tarrant, we followed the B3048 and then the B3400 through Whitchurch and Overton to Hook, near Basingstoke. It was as though time had stood still for 60 years or so as we passed through these villages several were decorated along their main streets with colourful scarecrows. However, we had made such good time on these deserted roads, that we couldnt find any cafes that were open for our coffee stop! We tried one in Hook that I knew from the time when I lived there, but that was closed. We tried the local Tesco store, but they have subsequently done away with the cafe in favour of more retail space. We eventually pulled into the Raven Hotel in Hook where we were successful, but as we rode into the car park, Bob announced that he had got a puncture in his rear tyre! We set to with a plug repair kit and a pump and soon had the puncture repaired so Bob was in the chair for coffees all round! From Hook we set off through Farnham and then via B-roads through Elstead, Milford, Godalming, Cranleigh and Ewhurst, to meet the A24 which took us the last few miles to Rykas, at the foot of Box Hill.

Although the weather was not sunny, the rain had held off for the entire ride to Rykas and was sufficiently bright to have attracted a sizeable biking crowd. The car park contained some pretty exotic bikes (not to mention the woman with the hot pants and legs up to her armpits!), including an old hand-change Norton, an Egli-Vincent, a brace of Vincent Rapides, a Black Prince and lots more besides.
Rykas is well-known for its burgers, so we all had a healthy meal of burgers and chips outside in the extensive grassed surrounds of the cafe. (Photos are now in the RAT Gallery on this site).

The journey home was via a different route, using the fast A31 around Guilford and down to Alton, then the A339 past Lasham airfield, before taking a series of B-roads and minor roads to get to Andover. From Andover, we crossed the Salisbury plains through Ludgershall and Upavon to Devizes and then on to our coffee stop, high up on Derry Hill. The weather had stayed dry for the first 100 miles of the return journey, but from our vantage point on the hill top, we could see that this wouldnt last much longer. Sure enough, we met the start of the wet road surfaces at Chippenham and then ran into the rain proper as we joined the M4 at junction 18 for the run back to Cardiff, where we subsequently learned that it had been raining all day! Fortunately, the rain was not heavy and we arrived back home, still dry, at around 6 p.m., having ridden about 350 miles.

This had been a splendid days riding, where the emphasis had been on the ride itself; the venue was of secondary importance, but was nevertheless a top bikers cafe. Now lets see.......weve done the Ace Cafe, the Ponderosa Cafe, Rykas Cafe.....I can feel the Busy Bee Cafe and The Cat & Fiddle coming on!

Following all the beautiful weather that we had experienced during Wimbledon, people would have been hoping, if not expecting, good weather for Bill & Sarahs barbecue at their smallholding in the Brecon Beacons. Unfortunately, that was not to be the case. Instead, the forecast of persistent rain for most of Saturday and Saturday night proved to be correct, so it would prove to be a tough test of motivation for Pack Members! Of course, we should not have worried 14 people turned up on 7 bikes and in 3 cars to enjoy Bill and Sarahs hospitality.

We assembled at the Sennybridge Garage and Cafe, where Bill met us and escorted us to through the country lanes to their home in the hills. As it was not raining too heavily on arrival, the first job was to pitch the tents and get the sleeping bags sorted even before we had finished that, Sarah appeared in a long dress and wellingtons to welcome us with cups of tea, Welsh cakes and Barrabrith (amongst compliments about how welliegant she looked) . This was closely followed by an inspection of Bills workshop facilities and bikes. Inevitably, we were drawn towards the sound of corks being drawn from bottles, the gurgle of real ale into pint glasses and other such sounds which it would be downright rude to ignore.

Bill had got the barbecue set up beneath a gazebo, just outside the front door and we all congregated in the house in traditional party style. The tables were laden with food to accompany the steak, burgers, sausages and kebabs that Bill was busily cooking on the Barbie. Additionally, there were numerous freshly made desserts for those with a sweet tooth and big enough bellies!

With all the cooking and eating done, we were ready for an evening of banter and convivial conversation, but this was not before Ted poured vintage pink champagne for us all (brought back from Veuve Clicquot cellars in reims) to toast our late Lizzy.
Eventually, people began to drift towards their tents (of course, Martin had to have his glass levered from his hand and be kicked out of the lounge into the night, still protesting that he needed another pint of real ale!).

The following morning, the weather looked a little more promising, so after breakfast we packed away the tents and saddled-up to ride down to Sennybridge cafe, where Howard was waiting on his Thunderbird to join us for the Sunday ride-out. After coffees and farewells to those who could not make the Sunday ride, we set off towards Llandovery to ride around Llyn Brianne Reservoir and then over the Abergwesyn Pass and the Devils Staircase, to Beulah. After a brief shower when we set off, the weather improved to a fine sunny afternoon, allowing us an enjoyable ride over the mountain roads, with ample opportunity for photo and coffee stops.

However, between Beulah and Garth, the throttle cable on Howards Thunderbird broke, so there was a short delay whist we sorted out a way for Howard to continue. The inner Bowden cable had snapped at its mid-point, so we removed both parts of the inner and tied them together with a reef knot, before covering the knot with gaffa tape. With a pad gaffa-taped to the side of the tank to prevent damage, Howard was able to pull on the throttle cable with his right hand and do everything else with his left. It seemed to work and we made good progress along the A483 to Builth Wells and then down the A470 to Cardiff (we elected not to cut across the Eppynt Mountain, but to instead stay on the straighter roads).

Once again, the annual RAT BBQ was a great success and enjoyed immensely by those who attended. Our thanks go to Bill and Sarah for once again making this possible.

Pack Ride to the Heddington & Stockley Steam Rally and Country Fair 5th July 2009

After the rigours of the 2-week, 2,500-mile ride over the French Alps to the Mediterranean and back, the first Pack ride-out on the following Sunday was designed to be a more relaxed affair. With a civilized 10 a.m. departure, 9 people turned up at the departure point on 6 bikes and set off along the M4 in warm sunshine. On the way along the M4, we picked up Howard on his Thunderbird at Junction 30 and then Martin & Fay on their 1050 Tiger at Junction 23A to swell the party to 8 bikes and 12 people.
The distance to Stockley, near Calne, Wiltshire, was only around 80 miles and so to enable the later start, the first 50 miles of the journey were quickly polished off on the M4. Once off the motorway, we routed via the A46, and then the A420 through The Shoe and Ford, almost to Chippenham. From there it was down the A350 to Lacock, then through country lanes to Sandy Lane, before finally taking more quiet country lanes into the sleepy hamlets of Heddington and Stockley, where we arrived at around 12.30 lunchtime.

The countryside around Heddington and Stockley is beautiful and the gorgeous sunny weather made it all the more so. The short walk to the entrance took us past the thatched village pub, which of course we would return to for refreshments before leaving!
We hadnt been inside the grounds of the Fair for more than a few minutes before Dee announced that she had won a bottle of white wine on the school tombola stand. It transpired that this was not strictly true, but she had won a kids toy and exchanged it for the bottle of wine that the little girl next to her had won; everyone was a winner, but the little girls dad didnt look too happy!

The exhibits included vintage traction engines in full steam, fair-ground organs, stationary engines, tractor pulling contests, classic cars and motorcycles, falconry displays, shire horses, kite-flying displays, lawn mower racing and much more. Indeed, the whole experience was a step back into yester-year, to a time when Health and Safety had not been thought necessary. Where else could we have stood next to a totally un-guarded, belt-driven, four-feet diameter circular saw as it effortlessly cut planks from tree trunks? For that matter, where else could we have stood in a field, close to a Rolls Royce Merlin aero-engine, complete with propeller, as it was being run on the back of a small trailer, staked to the ground? What a sound!

After an enjoyable afternoon, we had refreshments in the garden of the local pub, before making our way back to the bikes. The route home was a direct reversal of the outward journey, but as we got onto the M4 and headed towards Wales, there were threatening black clouds in the west. Sure enough, these soon unleashed copious, torrential rain for a few miles, and may have been responsible for the traffic accident and consequential traffic jam that we encountered just east of the Newport tunnels!
Everybody appeared to have enjoyed their step back into yester-year, in the sunny, quiet hamlet in the Wiltshire countryside. This event may not have been the most obvious choice for a R.A.T. ride, but it looks as though it was a certain success.

Pack Ride-out to Harlech ~ 18th & 19th July 2009.

The annual ride to Harlech for an overnight hotel stop and Pack dinner was again well subscribed this year. Thirteen people stayed at the hotel and sat down to evening dinner, and another 3 Pack members accompanied us to Harlech and stayed locally in B&B accommodation. In addition to that, another 3 bikes accompanied us for most of the ride to Harlech In all, the ride attracted 13 bikes and 16 people, with another 2 Pack members, on their Trophy, meeting us at Harlech on the Saturday afternoon.
Despite wet weather over the previous couple of weeks, we were lucky enough to get a dry, but overcast day for our ride to Harlech. We met Pack members at pre-arranged places along the A470 and by the time we reached the cafe van at the Verranda, just beyond The Storey Arms, we were up to 13 bikes. Three of these were accompanying us for part of the way, just for the ride. The first brief stop was on the top of the Eppynt Ranges to enjoy the view and allow a smoke break for "those who must".

We then continued along more B roads to our first coffee stop at The Halt Cafe near Rhayader. Bryn left us here to return to Cardiff, but the rest pressed on along B roads to Llanidloes and then enjoyed the spectacular ride from Llanidloes to Machynlleth across the mountain road. Lunch was again taken at the remote Star Inn along the mountain road, just for the challenge! Despite advising the management there some three or four days previously that 16 people would be arriving for lunch on Saturday, we still received the same response that we have received over the previous 3 years....sorry, weve run out of brie for the brie and bacon baguettes, sorry, weve run out of fishcakes... Frank agreed to have cheddar in his cheese and bacon baguette because there was no brie left, but when it arrived, it didnt have any bacon in it! Ah, its a challenge indeed.

At Machynlleth, Ted and Bill headed back to Cardiff via Aberystwyth and Aberaeron and the rest of us continued to Harlech. After a gathering in The Lion pub for a couple of beers, Pack members then scrubbed up for evening dinner at the Castle Cottage Restaurant. Once again, dinner there was a fine affair beautiful food, good service and great company I can easily understand why this weekend is always well attended.

A leisurely 10 a.m. start was planned for the Sunday morning, which allowed the first heavy rain shower of the day to pass through whilst we were having breakfast. Somebody broke the good news that a severe weather warning had been broadcasted for the south Wales region, so it was clearly going to be a wet ride back to Cardiff. We set off in a gap between the showers, but once we reached the A470 we encountered heavy rain and a lot of caravans, definitely not a good combination. Luckily the rain stopped as we turned onto the A4212, a fast and traffic-free road to Bala. More heavy rain from Bala to Druid, where we joined the A5, but the sky looked clearer to the north, which allowed us to stick to our plan to ride over The Horseshoe Pass near Moely Gamelin (578 metres) for a coffee stop at The Ponderosa Cafe. The stop was well-timed, as more heavy rain fell whilst we relaxed over a coffee, but we managed to leave between showers and head through Llangollen to meet the A5/A483 south. Traffic was heavy along this trunk road (because the Royal Welsh Show started the next day at Builth?) and some serious overtaking was needed to make sensible progress. However, once south of Oswestry, the traffic eased considerably and we were able to enjoy the ride, despite running in and out of frequent light showers. People dropped off the group to find their own routes back to Swindon, Malvern and the Forest of Dene and so it was just 6 bikes that cut across to the Halt Cafe once more for hot food, coffee and petrol. Once again, heavy rain fell whilst we were in the cafe, but once we left, we had improving weather all the way back to Cardiff, arriving in warm sunshine!

There is no doubt that this event was once again a real success the routes alone are worth the ride and the beautiful accommodation and fine food are the icing on the cake! I feel sure that this weekend trip to Harlech will appear again on next years calendar.

Pack Ride to Stourhead Estate ~ 17th May 2009

The weather had been pretty poor, with heavy rain during the previous few days. When Sunday 17th May dawned, nothing had changed - it was still pouring! The Pack Leader suggested that Mrs RAT stayed in bed, forecasting that there would not be anyone at the start point and then set off himself for the 10 a.m. start from Cardiff West Services.

During the ride in to the start point, the weather brightened significantly and Phil Saunders was waiting on his Rocket III. Roy Chandler soon arrived and so the three of us set off along the M4 at 10 a.m. As we passed under the flyover at Junction 30, Howard joined us on his Thunderbird, so the four of us continued on the ride. By good fortune, the weather stayed mostly dry as we wended our way around the back lanes of Wiltshire and Somerset, where we stopped for coffee at Chew Magna. We parked on the car park of the Waldgrave Arms, but the pub didn't open for another 30 minutes. The landlord came straight out when he saw us park 4 bikes in his car park and told us to move them, as he expected to be very busy! What a welcome to Chew Magna! We reasoned with him and left the bikes there whilst we walked to the take-away coffee shop next to the pub and then sat on the pub's outside tables to enjoy our drinks! We cotinued across country to Stourhead, where we parked up in the Estate pub's carpark, hoping to get a pub lunch. The pub was full and heavy rain began to fall as we walked to the Estate cafeteria to have lunch and wait for the rain to stop.

Lying in secluded privacy in a valley just 8 miles south of Frome, Stourhead Estate is one of the finest landscape gardens in the world, quite often referred to as Paradise.
Stourhead garden was created by Henry Hoare II in the 1740s. The River Stour was dammed to form a great lake. Around the lake Hoare laid out a landscape garden to entrance his guests with stunning views and pacify them with serene walking pleasure. As the garden developed, he added classical features, such as the Temple of Flora, the Pantheon, the Temple of Apollo and Gothic ruins to enhance the series of splendid and unexpected vistas.

The plan worked - the rain stopped, and so the four of us walked around the lake, visiting the grotto, the waterfall, the Pantheon with it's statues of the Roman Gods, and by no means last, we admired the spectacular show of rhododendrons.

On the homeward run, the heavens opened - it rained so hard that you could scarcely see with the visor down, but if you raised the visor, it felt like someone sticking needles in your face! Howard's Thunderbird started missing badly, we missed a turning and it was raining too hard to stop and get a map out! We had to re-plan on the hoof and so headed into Bristol on the A37, picked up the M4 and then the M4 back to Cardiff.

This was a great route and the gardens are spectacular - it was a shame that the day was marred by poor weather. However, we have a planned ride around the Chew Valley later in the year and it would be easy to bolt this visit onto that ride, with a pic-nic in the park!

Nine bikes and 11 people met at the usual start point, but at the more leisurely time of 10.30 a.m. The weather forecast for the day was favourable and so we set off on Sunday 10th May on a Pack ride-out for lunch at the Thames Head Inn, Gloucestershire. This pub, situated on the A433 between the popular Gloucestershire towns of Tetbury (5.7 miles) and Cirencester (2.8 miles), is said to be named after the spot where the River Thames begins its 154 mile journey to London Bridge. But first, we headed up the beautiful Wye Valley, past Tinturn and on to Brockweir for our first coffee stop. Here, we had planned to meet bill, Sarah, Martin and Fay on their 3 bikes, but we also met up with Bob on his Sprint ST; he had been late for the start and had guessed where we might stop for coffee and so took the motorway route to get there ahead of us.

With numbers now swelled to 16 people on 13 bikes, we headed off via B-roads through the Forest of Dene to the outskirts of Gloucester and then on towards Cirencester to meet the Cirencester to Tetbury road. We met very little traffic on these beautiful roads through idyllic Cotswold countryside and, after approximately 90 miles we all arrived together at the Thames Head Inn. There was the opportunity for people to walk the mile-and-a-half across the fields to find the source of the Thames, but everyone had more sense than that and had lunch in the sunshine in the pub garden and watched the free historic aircraft flying display overhead, courtesy of nearby RAF Kemble. Lenny had to take his shirt off in the sunshine to show us all his new tattoo, although someone said that it looked like he'd got a nasty case of ringworm in his shoulder!

After a lazy lunch and the obligatory group photo, we saddled up and headed for home via more scenic roads. The plan was to take a B-road to meet up with the Old Severn Crossing and then continue back along the A48; unfortunately, we got to within about a mile of the bridge and took a wrong turning, which eventually meant that we joined the M4 and crossed the Severn on the new bridge - oh well, it was at least on the way home! For those who stayed on the M4 west beyond Junction 30, there was a massive traffic jam between Junctions 30 and 32 as a result of a lorry-load of hay that caught fire on the motorway. Serious filtering was needed to make progress, as well as frequent use of the horn to clear rubber-necking car drivers who were strolling around the carriageway!

This was another superb day out - good riding, good weather, good venue and above all, good company. See you at the next one on Sunday 17th May 2009?

Pack Ride to the International Classic Motorcycle Show, Stafford - 26 April ‘09.

With a weather forecast that looked favourable for anyone heading northeast, eight Pack members on eight bikes met up at the start point, ready for the 8.30 a.m. start.
The initial part of the 150-mile ride involved a spirited dash up the A470, which was virtually deserted at that time on a Sunday morning. The first planned coffee stop was at the Erwood Station Craft Shop & Tea Rooms; however, we were concerned that we might arrive before opening time. Indeed, that transpired to be the case, when we arrived there at 9.30 a.m., half an hour before the scheduled opening time. However, before the Pack Leader could break the news to the others in the car park, the door opened and we were beckoned inside. After coffees all round, plus the obligatory cake, we set off up the B4594 through Rhosgoch and Newchurch to Burlingjobb. From there, we linked onto the B4357 through Evenjobb to Knighton, then up to Clun, before turning onto the B4368 to cross the A49 at Craven Arms. From Craven Arms, we continued on the B4368 over Wenlock Edge to Much Wenlock. After Much Wenlock, we routed via “A” roads around Telford to Stafford, arriving at the Stafford Showground just after noon.
The show itself again lived up to its billing as the nation’s biggest classic motorcycle show; Carl Fogarty was the guest of honour and the Bonhams auction was held on the Sunday, where the Eric Oliver Norton outfit (on which he won the World Sidecar Championship) appeared to be the star of the show. There was a Classic Racer GP Paddock, club stands, autojumble, trade stands and, of course, classic bikes galore! We split up to view the show as we wished and met back at the bikes for a 4 p.m. departure. Unfortunately, it did not take long for the group to get split by the flow of traffic leaving the Showground. In fact, within 3 or 4 miles, we had been split into 2 groups and that is how we made our way home! The Pack Leader followed the prescribed route, back around Telford and down to Bridgenorth, before picking up the B4364 to Ludlow. Finding the start of this road at the back of Bridgenorth was a little tricky, but was worth the perseverance. At Ludlow, we followed the A49 down to Hereford and then the A465 back to Abergavenny. It appears that Ted took the other party under his wing and shepherded them back via the A449 past Wolverhampton to Kidderminster, before taking the cross-country route back from Great Witley (the Red Marley Hill Climb venue).
Both groups made coffee stops on their respective routes and both arrived back at Cardiff at around the same time. There is no doubt that the day had been a great success – the swift, cross-country riding along traffic-free, scenic B-roads in good weather was what the day was all about; the time spent at the Classic Bike Show was an added bonus! If you want to experience the craic for yourself, then join us for our next ride for lunch at the Thames Head Inn, near Cirencester, on Sunday 10th May.

Wow, the fine Easter weather was just the tonic that Pack members needed to get their bikes out and spend a day on the roads. Indeed, 15 bikes and 17 people left Cardiff West Services to head for Great Witley, near Stourport-on-Severn. This number was swelled to 18 bikes and 22 people by the time we arrived at Great Witley (this does not account for Lenny's partner Angela and her 3 foster children who accompanied us in their car!).

There was very little traffic on the A and B roads and we made good time to the first planned coffee stop at the Gallanthus Gallery at Wormbridge, just south of Hereford, We all arrived there. only to be greeted by a sign on the gate advising us that the cafe was closed for the day on Easter Monday! In search of the essential coffee, we stopped a short distance further on at garage and farm shop, where the proprietress advised us that the pub behind the shop would be open to serve us all coffees. We all re-mounted and drove round to the pub, only to find it closed until midday - no earthly use to us! Being so close to Hereford, we decided to press on and look for another suitable coffee stop on the other side of Hereford.

The traffic through Hereford was quite heavy,and a good deal of filtering was required to make progress; accordingly, we adopted the "second man drop-off" sytem to leave markers on road junctions to help prevent people from taking the wrong turnings. Approximately 6 miles outside Hereford, on the A465 Bromyard road, the Pack Leader spotted a likely coffee stop at The Monkton Farm Shop and Cafe, where we could all finally get a coffee and re-group. Unfortunately, of the 17 bikes that should have assembled there, only 12 appeared. Someone had managed to take a wrong turning and had been followed by another couple of bikes, whilst two others stayed with the car, which was following GPS instructions and not our route card! Notwithstanding, we all arrived at Great Witley in time for the racing and all of us met up on the hillside near the start line. Only Plil, who had arrived on his Rocket 111 accompanied by Lenny on his new America, was not seen again throughout the day.

The action at the hill climb is fast and furious - we hadn't been there very long before a rider cartwheeled over the handlebars, having landed badly on his front wheel. The bike then cartwheeled over him and everything stopped whilst the medics administered first aid and evacuated him from the hill in the 4x4 ambulance. The sunshine got hotter and people fashioned hats out of neck-tubes to keep the sun off their heads (except those organised people who had brought hats with them!). The smells from the pig roast persuaded many to part with their money, as did the vans selling bottled water.

After a watching a few hours of racing, as well as another ambulance evacuation, we decided to call it a day just before 4 p.m. and head for home via an alternative route, which would take us throgh Great Malvern, over the Malvern Hills and down the A449 through Ledbury to Ross on Wye and back to Cardiff. in spite of an ice-cream stop on the top of the Malvern Hills, we were home in time to see the re-scheduled opening Moto GP on the telly!

This was a great day out, with good riding, fabulous weather and good company provided by the large number of riders who supported the event.

Friday 5th – Monday 8th June: Pack long weekend ride from Whitby, North Yorks to Cockermouth in the Lake District.

Several of the Pack rides that we have ridden over the last two or three years have appeared in Collette Coleman’s latest book “Great Motorcycle Journeys of the World”. We have ridden through the northwest highlands of Scotland and from Cork to the Cliffs of Moher in southwest Ireland. In June, ten of us will be riding the Annecy Loop via the Cote d’Azur and, in September, five of us will ride through the Wild West Canyons of Arizona and down the Californian coast. The ride from Whitby to Cockermouth was inspired by Collette Newman’s description of this route in her book and promised to provide an unforgettable riding experience.

Despite this ride having been published for several months in the Annual Schedule of Pack Acivities for 2009, and despite reminders, I have not received confirmation from anybody who wants to participate in this ride. As time is now getting too short to source suitable accommodation along the route, this scheduled trip is now reluctantly cancelled. This ride might be included in next year’s Schedule of Pack Activities.

With less than a week to go to the Classic Bike Guide magazine sponsored “Big Breakfast” at the Midway Truckstop at Prees Heath near Whitchurch, Chris and Dee decided that they would take a weekend off from R.A.T. duties and have a private ride to this annual event, which attracts hundreds of motorcyclists. However, the Pack Leader decided to e-mail details of this last minute Sunday ride-out to the rest of the Pack members, to see if anyone wanted to join him and Dee for a 300-mile ride for breakfast!

With the promise of a bright, sunny day, seven people on six bikes arrived at the start point for the 7.30 a.m. start – this included Bob on his Speed Triple, who had ridden across from Port Talbot to join us for the first time. We got away promptly for the short initial run along the M4 to J 26 and then cut up through Cwmbran on the A4042 towards Abergavenny. At the junction with the A465 Hereford road, we met up with Howard on his Thunderbird and Martin & Fay on their brand new Tiger 1050 – what better way to run in your new bike? So, with the pack now swelled to 10 people on 8 bikes, we continued on our way to join the A49 at Hereford and then ride up the England/Wales border through Leominster, Ludlow, Church Stretton and round Shrewsbury to Prees Heath, just this side of Whitchurch. However, despite the early sunshine, the overnight frost ensured a cold start to the day and so we stopped at the Queenswood Country Park at Hope-under-Dinmore for a welcome coffee break.

After a half-hour break, we set off to polish off the remaining 55 miles to Prees Heath, at the junction of the A49 with the A41. All went uneventfully until new-boy Bob on his Speed Triple decided to stop for fuel after 100 miles, without letting anybody know – undoubtedly, he thought that he would see us at the café for breakfast, just 30 miles further up the road, but he probably hadn’t bargained on just how many bikers would turn up at the café for this event. As we approached the Midway Truckstop Café, it was evident that many hundreds of bikers were already at the café by 10.30 a.m. and more were pouring in by the minute. The normally extensive parking was full to bursting and we eventually each found a place and then met up outside the café entrance. Unfortunately, we did not have new-boy Bob’s phone number and he did not ring the Pack Leader’s number on the bottom of the route card, so unfortunately, that was the last we saw of him that day.

Several of us managed to commandeer 3 adjacent outside tables, whilst Dee patiently waited in a long queue to order all the “Big Breakfasts”. She then ‘phoned for assistance to carry out the meals once she had successfully been served! The meals were aptly described, but were soon polished off by the now ravenous Pack members. With food inside us, we then had a wander around the extensive array of parked bikes, including 2 new 1600cc Triumph Thunderbird cruisers that had been brought along by Staffordshire Triumph. Joe and Dymphna were in there like a shot – Joe is thinking of selling his fine 955 Tiger to get one of these.

At about 1.15 p.m. we saddled up and headed for home via an alternate route, which took us around Whitchurch and then along the A495, past the lakes at Ellesmere, to Oswestry. From Oswestry we followed the A483 back through Welshpool and Newtown to Builth Wells and then the A470 back to Cardiff. The last coffee stop of the day was taken at The Wye Knot Stop at Llyswen, where we enjoyed coffee, cake and ice-creams and reflected on a day well spent. Indeed, six people in the group will be partaking in the Pack Tour of France in just 10 weeks time, so this 300-mile ride was an excellent pre-cursor to this and reminded people, after the winter lay-off, that 300 miles is easily accomplished in a day.

If you want to join us for the next ride, it is on Easter Monday and will be to Great Witley, near Stourport on Severn, to watch the Red Marley “Freak” Hill Climb.

This was the first Pack Ride of the 2009 season and was designed as a gentle opening ride to enable riders who had not ridden throughout the winter, to brush up on their ridding skills. Many of the stalwarts arrived at the start in beautiful sunshine and blue skies, together with new members Darren and Maurice who had pitched up to ride with us for the first time. Indeed, there were 11 bikes and 13 people eager to get the new season underway.
To avoid a pretty boring trip directly along the M4, a circuitous route was planned, which took us along the A48 through Crick to Chepstow, then over the Old Severn Bridge, along A and B roads through Elberton, Alveston, Rudgeway, Yate, Chipping Sodbury, Acton Turville, Burton and Yatton Keynall to Chippenham. A quick detour around a housing estate in Chippenham soon got us back onto the A4 the other side of Chippenham (O.K. so perhaps we didn’t really need to check out those houses), whereupon we took the A342 towards Devizes, through Derry Hill, finally dropping downhill on a minor road with magnificent views of the local area, into the National Trust village of Lacock.
Lacock Village, dating back to the 13th-century, remains largely unchanged over the centuries and has many limewashed, half-timbered and stone houses. During the Middle Ages Lacock became a prosperous and thriving town through its wool industry. The village has been used as the film set for several films, including two Harry potter films and the recent “The Other Boleyn Girl”. The village was famously transformed into the Cheshire town of Cranford and also starred in the BBC adaption of “Pride and Prejudice”.
Lacock Abbey has unique architectural styles encompassing over 750 years of history. It was founded in 1232 as a nunnery and, after the dissolution during the reign of King Henry V111, it was purchased by Sir William Sharington in 1539 and turned into a family home. He preserved the beautiful medieval cloisters and added a three-storey tower, and a stable courtyard complete with brewery and bake house. Sharington’s descendants have been connected with the Abbey ever since, the most renowned being William Henry Fox Talbot (1800-77), owner and resident of Lacock Abbey. A gentleman scholar of considerable means and social standing, he studied the arts and sciences and kept detailed notes of his endeavours. His experiments in the mid 1830s led him to discover the negative/positive photographic process. The small Fox Talbot Museum celebrates the life and work of William Henry Fox Talbot.

Pack members strolled the streets of this historic village in beautiful sunshine, checking out the local pubs, bakery, tea shops and craft shops for a suitable lunch; some explored the grounds around the Abbey, whilst some took in the furnished Abbey rooms and cloisters. After a couple of hours “on location”, we fired up the 11 bikes (to the apparent awe and envy of the other visitors in the car park) and headed back along the A350, A420 and M4 back to Cardiff.
This certainly seemed to be a successful start to the season and the beautiful weather, country roads and good company has left us all looking forward to the next Pack ride, which will be to Red Marley, near Kidderminster, on Easter Monday.

Photos from the trip to Lacock are on the Photo Gallery under the category "Season Opener to Lacock 2009"

The first ride-out of 2009 to the Triumph factory at Hinckley will be on Wednesday 15th April. The factory tour, which takes 2 hours, starts at 14.00 hrs, so we will leave Bevan’s shop at 9 a.m. to enable us to take a leisurely ride through the Cotswold countryside and stop for a farm shop lunch on the way there. There is a charge of £12.50 per person to visit the Triumph Factory and we are limited to a maximum of 18 people per visit.

PLEASE NOTE THAT DEMAND HAS BEEN HIGH FOR THIS VISIT AND THE TRIP IS NOW FULLY SUBSCRIBED.

Keep watching this web site for any future trips to the Triumph factory.

Saturday 6th December 2008 was the day for the Pack ride to Bethlehem to post Christmas cards and get that special Bethlehem postmark on the envelopes. Last year, there was torrential rain all day and only the Pack Leader braved the elements and rode to Bethlehem, albeit that Frank and Gloria supported the effort by car! This year, things were a little different – it was freezing cold and icy!

The weather forecast was spot-on for the area – clear, sunny and very cold. Four Pack Members on three bikes left the start point at 8.30 a.m. and headed up the A470. Despite the cold, the weather was bright sunshine, the sky was completely blue, visibility was excellent and there was almost no traffic. As we passed the reservoirs at Llwyn-On, the surface of the water was so still that there were perfect mirror-image reflections of the surrounding scenery. As we passed through Halfway, we saw the first of the Wales Rally GB cars arriving for the local stage. By the time we reached Llandovery, we were ready for our hot chocolate and bacon roll stop at The West End Café, where one or two other hardened bikers had also stopped to watch the rally cars go through. We then set off along the A4069 to Llangadog. There really was plenty of ice along this road – indeed, Ted later told me that what he had originally thought was spray coming from Dee’s rear wheel was actually ice crystals! However, even icier conditions were to be encountered as we turned off the A4069 onto the minor untreated roads that run through the back of beyond to the hamlet of Bethlehem. Indeed, when we stopped outside the post office at Bethlehem, it was so slippery underfoot that we had trouble parking the bikes!

On arrival at the post office, we met up with Bob on his Triumph America and Frank and Gloria who had travelled up by car (Frank’s broken ribs are still not up to riding the bike – at least, that was the excuse!). Bob had waited at Junction 34 of the M4 instead of the advertised assembly point at Junction 33, so no small wonder that nobody else was there. However, Bob was undeterred and set off across country by himself to meet us there – brave man!

With the cards posted, we set off for the Trecastle Coaching Inn for a well-deserved lunch around a blazing log fire but, just as we got off the minor roads, we were held up at a traffic bottle-neck in Llangadog as a stream of rally cars came through from the opposite direction. I got an acknowledgement from Valentino Rossi as I folded-in the rear view mirror of the 1050 Sprint ST to let his car squeeze through!

When we arrived at the Trecastle Coaching Inn, Ray and Gill had driven up to meet us, so the party now totalled 9 Pack Members for lunch around a reserved table, right in front of the fire – perfect! The food was good, the company was great and I think that most people would happily have stayed there all afternoon; however, we needed to get away before it started to freeze again, so we bade our farewells and headed back to Cardiff. I finished the day off by washing the bikes on the drive before putting them away in the garage.

For those who ventured out on their bikes for the last planned ride of the year, it was a fairly challenging ride, but one which has added to each of the rider’s experience banks. I think we would all agree that this was literally an ice day out.

Despite the very cold day, with thick frost overnight, four intrepid Pack members turned up at the start point for the 8 a.m. departure to the NEC. The plan was to pick up a 5th rider at the Junction 24 interchange.

When Roger pitched up at the start, he was already cold and borrowed additional inner gloves from someone in an attempt to keep warm. He added that he suffers from the cold and would give the ride a try, although he didn't know how far he would get. That's the spirit!

We set off and reached the agreed meeting point, where Phil was waiting for us on his 955 Sprint ST, so five Triumphs headed up the A449 en-route to the NEC. Unfortunately, Roger did drop out of the ride a short while later and, although we pulled over and waited, he did not re-appear (but good for him, he pulled over for about three-quarters of an hour to warm up and did subsequently carry on to the NEC).

People had taken my advance to pre- book their own tickets in advance and this saved unnecessary queueing to get into the show on arrival. Bikers at the Show were looked after with free under-cover secure parking for motorcycles and the "Riders for Health" truck was in the parking area so that we could safely leave our lids and leathers with them whilst we enjoyed the show in comfort.

We agreed to meet back at the bikes at 2.30 p.m. and set off to enjoy the Show at our leisure. First stop as we entered Hall No 1 was the Triumph stand, where the new 1600 cc Thunderbird was on display - very impressive! The new Bonneville models were also there, with the new cast wheels and lower seat height; again, these looked very stylish 'in the metal' - certainly the earlier press pictures did not do them justice.

We visited all the stands that we had included on our 'must do' list: the Harley -Davidson stand so that Dee could try out the seat heights of various models before a planned trip to the States next September, a visit to the Garmin stand for advice on the latest updates, the Touratech stand for those goodies that make long-distance touring so much easier, the Yamaha stand to watch and listen to James Toseland and his band 'Crash' playing, the touring holiday stands for ideas on future RAT rides and many more.......

After four hours of pushing amongst the crowds (it was surprisingly busy), we met up back at the bikes and headed off back to Cardiff, stopping just once for a hot chocolate to warm the inner man (and woman!).

This was a good day out, despite the low temperatures ; this served to remind us that it is well-worth investing in good thermal under garments, good gloves and neck-wear, plus of course, heated grips and knuckle guards.

In addition to the monthly Club Nights, which are held at the Lewis Arms in Pentyrch on the third Thursday evening of each month, the following activities are planned for 2009:

Thursday 15th January: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sunday 15th February: Pack Ride-out to the Bristol Classic Motorcycle Show at the Bath & West Showground. This is planned to be a low mileage season opener.

Thursday 19th February: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Thursday 19th March: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sunday 29th March: Pack ride-out to Lacock Abbey, Fox Talbot Museum & Village, Wiltshire.
Lacock Village, dating back to the 13th-century, remains largely unchanged over the centuries and has many limewashed, half-timbered and stone houses. During the Middle Ages Lacock became a prosperous and thriving town through its wool industry. The village was well placed for communications, sited as it was on the 'cloth road' from London and the River Avon, which gave access to the sea at Avonmouth near Bristol.
The Fox Talbot Museum celebrates the life and work of William Henry Fox Talbot (1800-77), owner and resident of Lacock Abbey. A gentleman scholar of considerable means and social standing, he studied the arts and sciences and kept detailed notes of his endeavours. His experiments in the mid 1830s led him to discover the negative/positive photographic process.
Lacock Abbey has unique architectural styles encompassing over 750 years of history. The Grounds and Gardens provide the perfect foil to the house and are managed in the style of a Wiltshire squire who governs his surroundings in partnership with nature. The woodland garden is of the 19th-century style and contains an historic collection of formal and native trees. Early plans show the form of an elaborate 18th-century water garden hidden beneath the surface, intermingled with the remnants of the working medieval landscape.


Monday 13th April (Easter Monday): Pack scenic rideout to Great Witley (near Kidderminster) to see something a bit different - the Red Marley ‘Freak’ Hill Climb. The Red Marley Freak Hill Climb was founded in 1928 – the grass hillside is 550 yards long, with an initial gradient of 1 in 10, steepening to 1 in 1.5 and then back a 1 in 3. Four riders go up the hill simultaneously on pre-1974 bikes, the first man to the top going through to the next round. Lots of action, thrills and spills, plenty of nostalgia and that wonderful smell of Castrol 'R'. There are usually a few trade stands, refreshment wagons and a hog roast on the hill-side. It's a good day out.

Wednesday 15th April: This is the first complimentary ride-out of 2009 to the Triumph factory at Hinckley. The factory tours, which take 2 hours, start at 14.00 hrs, so we will leave Bevan’s shop at 9 a.m. to enable us to take a leisurely ride through the Cotswold countryside and stop for a farm shop lunch on the way there. There is a charge of £12.50 per person to visit the Triumph Factory and we are limited to a maximum of 18 people per visit. Please call the shop to book your place(s).

Thursday 16th April: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sunday 26th April: Pack ride to the International Classic Motorcycle Show and Auctions at Stafford County Show Ground. An early start will enable us to take a scenic route via Brecon, Erwood, Burlingjobb, Knighton, Clun, Craven Arms, Much Wenlock, Telford, Newport and Stafford.

Sunday 10th May: Pack ride-out for lunch at the Gloucestershire Thames Head Inn. This pub, situated on the A433 between the popular Gloucestershire towns of Tetbury (5.7 miles) and Cirencester (2.8 miles), is said to be named after the spot where the River Thames begins its 154 mile journey to London Bridge.

Sunday 17th May: Pack 'Rhododendron Run' to Stourhead Estate. Lying in secluded privacy in a valley just 8 miles south of Frome, Stourhead Estate is one of the finest landscape gardens in the world, quite often referred to as ‘Paradise’.
Stourhead garden was created by Henry Hoare II in the 1740s. The River Stour was dammed to form a great lake. Around the lake Hoare laid out a landscape garden to entrance his guests with stunning views and pacify them with serene walking pleasure. As the garden developed, he added classical features, such as the Temple of Flora, the Pantheon, the Temple of Apollo and Gothic ruins to enhance the series of splendid and unexpected vistas. Such was the accomplishment of this wondrous garden that Henry Hoare II became known as 'Henry the Magnificent'. Hoare’s successors cherished his brilliant original conception, while enriching it with new planting. Today, Stourhead is essentially the same as Henry II’s vision – a self-contained and timeless masterpiece.

Thursday 21st May: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Friday 5th to Monday 8th June: Pack long weekend ride from Whitby, North Yorks to Cockermouth in the Lake District. EVENT CANCELLED.

Several of the Pack rides that we have ridden over the last two or three years have appeared in Collette Coleman’s latest book “Great Motorcycle Journeys of the World”. We have ridden through the northwest highlands of Scotland and from Cork to the Cliffs of Moher in southwest Ireland. In June, ten of us will be riding the Annecy Loop via the Cote d’Azur and, in September, five of us will ride through the Wild West Canyons of Arizona and down the Californian coast. The ride from Whitby to Cockermouth was inspired by Collette Newman’s description of this route in her book and promised to provide an unforgettable riding experience.
Despite this ride having been published for several months in the Annual Schedule of Pack Acivities for 2009, and despite reminders, I have not received confirmation from anybody who wants to participate in this ride. As time is now getting too short to source suitable accommodation along the route, this scheduled trip is now reluctantly cancelled. This ride might be included in next year’s Schedule of Pack Activities.


Sunday 14th - Saturday 27th June: 11-day Pack tour of France. THIS EVENT IS NOW FULLY SUBSCRIBED.

Following the undoubted success of the 2008 annual 2-week Pack Tour of northern Spain, I have put together a 2-week tour of France for our 2009 tour. We will ride to Dover on Sunday 14th June and stop overnight, before catching the 8.30 a.m ferry across to Calais. This will allow us to reach our first night-stop, just beyond Sedan and across the border to Bouillon in Belgium. The proposed package includes 11 overnight stops in France, with 3 seperate free days to break up the riding and allow you time for sight-seeing in some of the attractive areas. The route includes The Vosges Mountains in Alsace, Lake Annecy, The Alps & Jura region, spectacular passes through the High Alps region, Nice, The Route Napoleon from Cannes to Grenoble, the spectacular Gorges du Verdon, the Burgundy region and finally back through the champagne country of Epernay on our way back to Calais. We will arrive back in Dover at approximately 4 p.m. local time on Saturday 27th June, stop overnight in the Dover area and then ride back to Cardiff on the Sunday.

Thursday 18th June: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sunday 5th July: Pack ride to The Heddington and Stockley Steam Rally and Country Fair, next to The Ivy Inn, off the A4, near Calne, Wiltshire. The Heddington and Stockley Steam Rally is one of the biggest steam rallies in the area, attracting exhibitors and visitors from all over the country. Exhibits include vintage traction engines in full steam, miniature steam, stationary engines, tractors, classic cars, motor cycles and bygones. There is also a large display of military and commercial vehicles. The craft tent houses a display of models, in addition to Craft and Giftware. A large trade stand section provides a variety of goods. Entry is £7 for adults or £4 for senior citizens.

Sat & Sunday 11th/12th July: B-B-Q and overnight camping at Bill Plenty’s farm near Brecon. Planned ride-out on Sunday in the local Brecon area. This has been a fabulous event in 2006, 2007 and 2008 - don't miss this one!

Thursday 16th July: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sat & Sunday 18th/19th July: The annual ride-out to Harlech for an overnight stop and gourmet evening meal at the Castle Cottage Hotel on the Saturday night. This will be combined with a ride over the Horseshoe Pass to Llangollen on Sunday, where we could take the Thomas Telford motor narrow boat across the Pontcysyllte Aquaduct, 126 feet above the River Dee. Or, we could take a scenic steam train ride from Llangollen before heading for home. The Castle Cottage Hotel has seven delightful suites, an adjacent cottage and a very good restaurant – I have provisionally booked all 7 rooms and the cottage for Pack members. Please contact me a.s.a.p. if you wish to join us for this ride as I need to confirm the accommodation booking. This has been a particularly successful overnight venue for the past 4 years - last year 17 Pack members attended this weekend event!.

Sunday 26th July: Pack ride-out to Ryka's Cafe at Boxhill, the South's No. 1 bike destination. Box Hill and Ryka's is one of the best biking destinations in England and is the place to be seen on your bike. Box Hill is a natural beauty spot situated on the A24 between Leatherhead and Dorking in Surrey, run by the National Trust and is so named because of the box trees that grow on it's slopes. Since the 1920's it has been a meeting place for motorcyclists from all over the south of England and the odd European biker, and is comparable with the likes of Devil's bridge and Matlock. On every Sunday there can be any number of bikers on the site enjoying the delights of "Ryka's"; on sunny days this can easily run to 500+ bikes.
We can make Boxhill via a cross-country ride, without the necessity for a motorway blast.

Saturday & Sunday 8th & 9th August: The proposed Pack ride and camping weekend to watch British Superbikes at Brands Hatch has been CANCELLED.

Sunday 16 August: Pack ride-out to West Wales for lunch at The Old Point House Inn, right on the beach at Angle. Calling at Cresswell Quay, Bosherton and Stackpole en-route.

Thursday 20th August: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Saturday 22nd August: In August 2009, the Triumph Bonneville will be 50 years old. This design icon of British engineering and the Triumph marque is worthy of celebration; accordingly, The Bonneville Celebration is being held to celebrate this milestone and is being held at the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon on the 22nd and 23rd August 2009. Throughout the weekend there will be various events taking place as well as nightly entertainment for those wishing to stay at or near the site. There are several hotels nearby and camping will be available on site. Triumph Bonnevilles will obviously be the star of the show and the organisers are hoping to display fifty bikes from each year. There will be a wide range of unique merchandise, an international array of special guests, historic machines shipped in from across the globe and a full programme of entertainment. RAT Packs from across the UK have been encouraged to attend. On Saturday, displays open to the public at 10 a.m. For those wishing to camp overnight on the Saturday, there will be a hog roast and live bands to provide entertainment.
The Bevan R.A.T. Pack will have a scenic ride up on the Saturday morning and then some of us will camp on-site overnight on the Saturday to enjoy the craic, but you can of course get overnight accommodation locally or return home on the Saturday if you so wish.
Tickets can be purchased in advance at 16 per adult for a weekend ticket, or 13 for Senior Citizens. Advance entry tickets can be booked on www.bonnevillecelebration.org before 1st August. Thereafter, tickets will cost 25 and 22 respectively. Some of us have bought advance tickets for the weekend and the overnight camping, but tickets for on-site camping have now sold out. However, I have 1 spare weekend camping ticket for 1 tent (at the advance ticket rate of 16) if anyone wants to take advantage of this hens-teeth offer (e-mail me or 'phone me at the shop; first-come. first-served) .
If you want to come, then use the link above to get discounted on-line entry tickets before 1st August. It should be a fun weekend.

Saturday & Sunday 5th & 6th September: Pack weekend at Much Wenlock, Shropshire. This ride was voted the best of the 2008 season by those who took part. Deserted roads, fabulous scenery and a great overnight stop at The Plume of Feathers. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS EVENT IS NOW FULLY SUBSCRIBED.

Sunday 13th September: Pack Iron-Butt ride to the Ace Cafe, London, to join the massed reunion ride to Brighton. This is an early start and is a 440-mile round trip. This was a fabulous day out in 2008 and was well supported by 13 Pack members on 11 bikes. The ride is well worth the effort - just ask those who attended last year! ("Wow, how cool is this?" was the reaction from one of the wives last year).

Thursday 17th September: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sunday 20th September: Pack ride-out for Sunday lunch on the Severn Valley Railway. The SVR is a full-size standard-gauge railway line running regular steam-hauled passenger trains for the benefit of visitors and enthusiasts alike between Kidderminster in Worcestershire and Bridgnorth in Shropshire, a distance of 16 miles. The journey is full of interest; the route follows closely the meandering course of the River Severn for most of the way on its journey between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth. One highlight of the trip is the crossing of the River Severn by means of the Victoria Bridge - a massive 200-foot single span, high above the water. There being few roads in the Severn Valley, some of the views are only visible from the Railway. The scenery is varied and largely unspoiled, punctuated by the quaint 'olde worlde' charm of country stations, each one giving ready access to local villages and riverside walks.
Tickets cost 14 per adult for the return journey (12 for senior citizens) and if you wish to have a 3-course Sunday lunch on board, then this will cost an additional 21 per person.

Thursday 15th October: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sunday 18th October: Pack ride-out to Magna Valley and Cheddar Gorge.

Thursday 19th November: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sunday 29th November : Pack ride to the NEC for the International Motorcycle Show.

To book advance tickets, call booking line on 0844 5812345. Closing date for advance tickets is 5 p.m. on 27th November 2009. Please book your own tickets in advance - this will save unnecessary queueing to get into the show on the day.

Saturday 5th December: There will be another Pack ride to Bethlehem to get those Christmas cards posted early for Christmas, with the Bethlehem postmark on the envelope. The Postmaster assures me that the Christmas Fayre will be held there again in 2008. A pub lunch will be taken on the return journey (with a big log burner to warm you through!).

Thursday 17th December: Christmas Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

During the spring and summer it is hoped to introduce short, mid-week evening rides to various pubs so, if you have a favourite, please let me know. Details of these and other events will be published on Bevan’s website as soon as they are finalised. New ride-out routes and ideas for events are always welcome, so If you have any ideas, please see me in the shop, telephone me on 02920 227477, or e-mail info@bevanmc.co.uk .

Chris Finch
Bevan Motorcycles RAT Pack Leader

PACK RIDE TO WESTONBIRT ARBORETUM – 26th October 2008

Planning rides to take place during the autumn and winter months is obviously a tricky job and of course that’s why the frequency of rides drops off sharply after September each year. However, for the small core of hardy riders, something was needed, so a trip to the National Arboretum at Westonbirt was planned for Sunday 26th October. Westonbirt, The national Arboretum is one of the most spectacular tree gardens in the world. an historic collection of over 3000 different trees and shrub species many of which are rare or endangered in their native lands. Covering 600 acres, the arboretum is an inspiring place to visit and, at this time ogf the year, the colours of the leaves on the hardwood trees would look spectacular.

After the clocks were put back one hour in the early hours of Sunday morning, the day dawned with pouring rain – exactly as forecasted. Mrs RAT was none too enthusiastic to go tip-toeing about on wet leaves on her Tiger, so Mr RAT headed off alone in the rain to the nominated starting point at Cardiff West Services. Ted & Lizzy were there waiting and Mike Heap turned up on his Sprint ST. However, Lizzy opted to go and spend the day with Mrs RAT doing girly things, so the three of us set off down the motorway in the rain, hoping that the forecast for clearer weather later in the day was going to be correct!

We headed up through the Wye Valley, through Tintern, and then turned across minor roads to Brockweir, where we stopped at the general store for coffee and croissants. Whilst there, Howard pitched up on his Thunderbird having (understandably) had some trouble finding the place – well, we don’t like to use the obvious coffee stops each time do we? The weather began to brighten as we dallied at the café, so Howard thought it would be a good time to take off his waterproof oversuit, despite the views of caution expressed by the other sages. Sure enough, ten minutes after taking it off, the rain was back, albeit not so heavily. We set off carefully along B roads through the Forest of Dene to join the A4136 at Edge End and were then able to make better time through the forest to join the A40 Near Huntley. Extensive road works on the A40 approaching Gloucester meant that serious filtering was called for, before we again got clear roads along the A417 and then the A46 to Stroud. The rain had stopped by this time and the weather steadily improved, doing justice to the beautiful Cotswolds scenery. More filtering was called for in Stroud, before we were able to cruise on through Nailsworth and Tetbury, to the Arboretum at Westonbirt.

Once parked and with blue skies and sunshine appearing, we soon sorted out a route through Silk Wood, along quiet paths set in woodland dating from the thirteenth century, which took us through some of the most spectacular autumn colours to be seen. Clearly, we had timed the visit about right – the Acers and Japanese Maples in particular were a blaze of deep reds, burnt golds and yellows and contrasted beautifully with the bright and dark greens of the evergreen trees.

After enjoying the walk and the views, we sat outside in the sunshine for cakes and coffee, before setting off at about 4 p.m. to take the direct route home, down the A46 to join the M4 at junction 18 and then directly to Cardiff.

Pack Weekend at Much Wenlock - 27th/28th September 2008

This Pack ride to Shropshire for an overnight stop near Much Wenlock was limited to 10 people, purely because that was the maximum accommodation that remained at the Plume of Feathers Inn when the Pack Leader organised it! These weekend breaks are always popular and all of the places were quickly taken. After a couple of weeks of dry weather, everyone was anticipating good weather for the ride - they were not disappointed!

Five bikes set off up the A470 from Cardiff and picked up another couple on their bike at Storey Arms; the six bikes then continued through Brecon, along the Upper Chapel road and then over the Eppynt ranges, where we just had to stop to admire the spectacular view from the top. We were sitting in beautiful, golden autumn sunshine with a clear blue sky, whilst the whole of the valley beneath us was shrouded in dense white fog. As we set off down the other side of the Eppynt Mountains, towards Garth, the temperature plummeted in the thick fog, but after a few miles, we were back into glorious sunshine, which lasted for the rest of the day. From Garth we cut through Beulah to Newbridge-on-Wye and on to our first coffee stop at the Halt Cafe near Rhayader. Here we met up with Bill on his Tiger and Sarah on her brand new T100. After suitable refreshments, the eight bikes headed off along back roads to Llanidloes and then via an almost empty A489 and A488 towards Shrewsbury. However, a minor road on the right at Black Marsh took us over beautiful high moorland, through Shelve and The Bog, to find the hidden-away Horseshoe Inn near Rattlinghope.

The locals here were friendly - a guy on a Triumph Thunderbird Sport recognised that we were a visiting R.A.T. Pack and introduced himself. He said to Ray that we were lucky to find the pub, but Ray jerked his thumb towards the Pack Leader and said that he had found it. The local then assumed that the Pack Leader was a local, but when it came out that we had ridden over from Cardiff, he changed his view to "Christ, you were REALLY lucky to find this place!"

After a pleasant lunch stop in the sunshine, we headed off over the Burr Way, across the top of Long Mynd and down through Carding Mill Valley, where the views in the autumn sunshine were nothing short of amazing. The road was extremely narrow and winding, with a precipitous decent down to the valley floor to Church Stretton. That was not the end of the spectacular riding - we crossed the A49 and promptly started to climb up and onto Wenlock Edge, which we followed all the way to Much Wenlock and then just another couple of miles to the north we found The Plume of Feathers Inn, which was our base for the Saturday night. The weather was still clear and sunny when we arrived so, after a cup of tea, the Pack Leader took Martin out for a ride on the Bevan's demonstrator Tiger 1050 and two other riders came along for the ride as well (Sarah can't get enough of that new Bonneville).

A table for 10 was reserved for us for the evening - quite befitting the Pack Leader's birthday celebrations! The food was excellent (fillet steak with king prawns etc), as was the friendly helpful service from the staff - the value was quite exceptional. A stuffed rat made an appearance at the table as the newest Pack member (names for the rat on a postcard to the Pack Leader please...) Lizzy seemed to spill more glasses of red wine than she actually drank and Ted spent the evening moving the glasses around like chess pieces to conserve at least some of the wine.

After a comfortable night and a hearty breakfast we headed away from The Plume of Feathers at 10.30 a.m. to head back via different, but nevertheless equally beautiful, biking B-roads back to Cardiff. Even the first coffee stop was taken at an unusual venue - a cafe at a small water garden, hidden away along a track across the fields - superb! On through Kington to Burlingjobb and then along the lovely B4594 through Gladestry, Newchurch, Rhosgoch and Painscastle, to Erwood. Some may have turned left onto the A470 and followed it back to Cardiff, but not us - there was still beautyiful countryside to be explored by empty back roads. So, we headed down through Bronllys to Talgarth and took the B4560 down through Llangorse to Bwlch and then on through Llangynidr, over Mynydd Llangatwg, to meet the A465. Only then were we content to follow the A465/A470 back to Cardiff.

This weekend had been a spectacular success - wonderful sunny weather, fabulous routes through spectacular Welsh and English countryside, good food and accommodation and of course, great company. The weekend was judged by some as the best U.K. riding so far this year - well, the Pack Leader's birthday ride onlry comes around once each year, so the ride is worth waiting for!

The promise of fine weather, coupled with the approaching end of the riding season, prompted 17 riders to meet for the Pack ride over the Gospel Pass and Hay Bluff, then through Eardisley and Kington for a lunch stop at Erwood.

The large number of bikes and the proposed difficult route along a maze of minor roads, meant that the "second man drop off" system was employed to avoid loosing people en-route. This was briefed to the assembled group in the car park at the start and everyone was given a route card for the day. At the first junction, one of the new faces was riding as second man and completely ignored the signal to mark the junction for the riders behind him and it was touch and go as to whether the rest of the group would take the correct route! Fortunately, most did, with only Dilwyn heading off alone for Abergavenny. Despite the rear-gunner's best efforts to chase him down and get him back on course, we never saw him again that day!

The ride took us along the Gospel Pass from Llanfihangel Crucorney, past Llanthony Priory, through Capel-y-ffin and over Hay Bluff to Hay-on-Wye. This road is extremely narrow along most of its length, is very poorly surfaced and weaves its way tortuously up hill and down dale for approximately 20 miles; however, the reward for the effort and concentration needed to ride this road comes in the form of the spectacular views which are afforded from Hay Bluff. Whilst there is almost no traffic along this pass, we did encounter 3 occasions where we came up behind a car that had stopped because of a car coming in the opposite direction. On the first occasion, the on-coming bus driver reversed effortlessly for about 100 metres to let us pass; However, on the second occasion an elderly man was unable to reverse his car into an adjacent passing place and so after 4 attempts, the on-coming car reversed about 200 metres to let us past. On the final occasion, a young lady driving the on-coming car was incapable of reversing for about 10 metres into a nearby driveway and, after much gesticulating and anguish, she got out of the car and left the manoeuvre to her partner in the passenger seat! How do some people ever get a driving licence?

The first coffee stop was at The Strand Bookshop and Coffee Shop in Eardisley - a most unusual place, where the corridors take you through the coffee shop, numerous rooms crammed with second-hand books, and even past the bar of the pub that seems to be part of the building! Suitably refreshed, we pressed on to Kington, along the A44 to Burlingjobb and then down the delightful B4594 through Gladestry, Rhosgoch and Painscastle, to Erwood. The steep drop down from Llanbedr to Erwood, with its attendant three hairpin bends, again needed full concentration to avoid the gravel that had been washed onto the road surface by the previous heavy rains. Unfortunately at least one rider dropped his bike in the final hairpin and another rider managed to drop his whilst stationary, waiting for the other rider to pick his bike up! Fortunately, more damage was done to pride than the bikes concerned!

Lunch was taken at the Erwood Inn, where service was excellent - the landlord is a keen biker and he looked after us well. After lunch, we headed down to Talgarth and took the B4560 through Llangorse and Bwlch, then over the hills through Llangynidr, to meet the A465 and then the A470 back to Cardiff.

This ride was superb and will undoubtedly be repeated next season. The company was good, the weather was perfect for UK biking, the scenery was spectacular and there was very little traffic - what else could we want?

Sunday 14th September 2008

The Pack ride to the Ace Café, London, to take part in the massed Annual Brighton Reunion ride was advertised in our website as an “Iron Butt” ride because it involved a 450 mile Sunday ride-out. As such, I was apprehensive about how many people would be keen to take part. I need not have worried! In total, 11 bikes made the ride, two of whom carried passengers.

Six bikes left Cardiff West Services at spot on 6.30 a.m. and headed along the motorway, where they expected to meet a few more Pack members on the Magor Services flyover at junction 23a. Despite being right on time, there was only one Pack member (Howard) waiting on the bridge. With no time to hang around and with thick cold fog threatening to delay us, the 7 bikes pressed on to the first coffee stop at Reading Services – no sooner had we got our hands around large steaming cups of coffee, than Mark and Jessica turned up on their two Bonnevilles, together with Gerry and Dawn on their Bonneville. A few minutes later, Bill turned up on his Tiger, so all 11 bikes were able to head off for the Ace Café together.

After leaving the Reading Services, the weather began to improve dramatically – indeed the sun came out and the temperature soon rose – this must have been our third day of summer! We arrived at the Ace at around 9.45 a.m. to find a sea of bikes in the car park and all down both sides of the road (and pavements); however, the Pack leader spotted a gap big enough for a couple of bikes and dived in. Others then parked their bikes across the front and then, a complete stroke of luck – two or three bikes immediately next to us, pulled out of their parking places. With no delay, Pack members dived in to get virtually all our bikes together, ready for the start of the massed ride at 10.30 a.m. The look of amazement on Pack members faces was clear to see – Jessica was even heard to say “Wow, how cool is this?” If people thought there were lots of bikes at the Ace, they were definitely in for a surprise later in the day. We jostled for positions to get out of the parking spaces as the massed ride got underway, gradually picking up a bit of speed as the police waved us all through red traffic lights to get us out onto the A40 dual carriageway and then onto the M25. Amid the confusion, a number of Pack members got split from the main group, but this had been foreseen and people had been briefed to meet up at the Ace Café’s outdoor stage at Madeira Drive, Brighton at 3.30 p.m. for the ride home. At flyovers along the A40, M25 and M23, people waited to watch and wave as the “procession” of bikes rode below. Bikes waited on flyovers and motorway junctions to join in with the cavalcade – the numbers were swelling all the time. When we reached Brighton sea front, there were bikes everywhere – the council’s estimate of 40,000 bikes seemed very conservative! As we threaded our way through the parked bikes, looking for our own few inches of vacant tarmac, we were treated to ‘60’s rock ‘n’ roll being belted out by The Rhythm Aces at the Ace Café’s outdoor stage. Eventually, everyone found somewhere to park and set off to enjoy the craic.

Ted, Bill and I linked up to check out the classic bikes in the sunshine and promptly bumped into Ray and Ritchie, who had needed to park their bikes much further along the promenade. We had the obligatory fish and chips in the sunshine (and even managed to sit down at an outside table!) and followed these with a cornet each! More bike looking followed, and then it was time to check out the Re-union T-shirts at the Ace’s merchandise outlet. Amazingly, time rushed past and it was soon time to try and round up the other Pack members and head off across country to Cardiff. Rounding up the others was easier said than done with the crowds outside the Ace’s stage. First, I saw Dawn (whose husband Gerry had already gone off to get his bike) and I said that we would all meet at the exit ramp at the end of Madeira Drive, where Ray, Ritchie and Joe were already parked. Next I found Mark and Jessica, who had parked their bikes on the top road above Madeira Drive, so we agreed to look out for them once we managed to get onto the top road. This accounted for 9 of the 11 bikes, but I was unable to find either Howard or Andrew at the appointed meeting place and time. By the time we had got off Madeira Drive and up onto the top road at about 4.15 p.m., we had managed to get a group of 8 bikes and so we set off westwards along the seafront to start the 182-mile cross-country route home.

The planned route took us along the A283 to Petworth, and then onto the A272 through Midhurst and Petersfield, almost to Winchester. We then picked up the A34 northwards, to meet the A303 near Andover. From Andover, we took the A342 across the Salisbury Plain, though Upavon and Devises, before stopping for refreshments at The Lansdowne Arms at Derry Hill, near Bowood House. When we arrived there, the bike count had diminished to four; the tail-gunner recounted that Bill and Ritchie had not been seen since the outskirts of Brighton and Mark and Jessica were believed to have continued up the A34 to hit the M4 and take the fast route home! However, as we eat in the pub, trusty Bill pulled into the car park with Ritchie in tow on his Bonnie Scrambler (well, that is why we all have route cards!). After brief refreshments, the six bikes headed off into the darkness to complete the final 69 miles back to Cardiff. Joe felt that it would be quicker to head due north from Chippenham and pick up the M4 at junction 17, rather than the proposed route along the A320 and then the A46 to meet the M4 at junction 18. There cuoldn’t have been much in it – as I arrived at the lights at Culverhouse Cross from junction 33 on the m4, Joe and Dymphna crossed the roundabout right in front of me, having come from the A48 direction!

Notwithstanding the almost inevitable separation from each other, as a result of the crowds and the parking, it certainly looks as though everyone thoroughly enjoyed their 450-mile ride, the beautiful weather and the special atmosphere created by many thousands of bikers all converging on one seaside town, with the obvious intention of enjoying their own parts in this very special Ace Café Brighton Reunion.

Twelve Pack Members from Bevan's R.A.T. Pack signed up to attend the Wight RAT's Rally on the Isle of Wight on Suday 7th April 2008. Accommodation had been booked on the Island for us to enjoy a long weekend, with a leisurely journey home planned for Monday 8th September.
We waited apprehensively throughout the preceding week, as the rain hammered down and reports of flooding were widespread. Indeed, at 7 a.m. on Saturday morning, the planned morning of departure to the IoW, it was still sheeting down in the local area. Just before departure, we received a 'phone call to tell us that one Pack member had fallen out of bed the previous night and had broken 2 ribs and needed to go to the hospital for treatment, so he and his wife would be unable to attend (a likely story!!!). The rest of us set off from Cardiff at around 9 a.m., just as the rain eased to almost nothing.

As we headed eastwards across the Severn, the weather looked distinctly more hopeful and indeed, we were lucky enough to have a virtually dry ride all the way to the the ferry terminal at Lymington. Our first coffee stop was taken at the Canal Centre at Limpley Stoke, where we sat outside by the canal to enjoy a break. We kept to A roads for most of the journey, to avoid the mud and shale that would undoubtedly have been left on the surface iof little-used B-roads; however, the route was scenic and free-flowing, with little traffic (except aroun Salisbury!). We took pot-luck for a lunch stop just outside Lymington, at the Filly Inn. This was the perfect choice, with a great ambience, good food and friendly service. I heard someone say "This is not just an ordinary lunch...this is a Bevan's R.A.T. Pack luinch...."!

The ferry trip from Lymington to Yarmouth was uneventful and we arrived at our accommodation at around 3.30 p.m., to be greeted with cream teas and cake in the comfortable lounge. Some bright spark suggested that we walk into East Cowes to work up an appetite for our group evening dinner - but no sooner had we got changed into casual clothes and set off, it started to rain steadily. We took the Floating Bridge chain ferry across to Cowes, whereupon it started to rain stair-rods! We had managed to ride 160 miles and keep dry, but we had got soaked during a two-mile walk into town! Once back at the hotel, showered and changed into dry clothes, we all enjoyed a superb meal and wines in very comfortable surroundings.

We were up and had eaten breakfast on Sunday morning in time to meet Tim, from the Wight RATs, who had come to the hotel to escort us to the Roman Villa at Brading, where the Rally was due to start at 11 a.m. Around 50 Triumphs (including 2 beautifully turned-out Trophies with Merlin "chairs") and a handful of other makes had gathered at the start and looked impressive in the car park. After a chin-wag with RATs from other Packs and a group photograph for the local paper, we set off in two large groups for a mystery tour around the Island. The riding was laid-back and gentlemanly, with beautiful scenery and cliff-top vistas. We again took the notorious Zig-Zag Road down into Ventnor sea front, but everyone managed to keep the rubber side down and the shiny side up. From Ventnor, we rode along to Shanklin for lunch on the sea front. After lunch, we completed another lap of the Island before ending the rally at a marina cafe outside East Cowes.

For our final evening meal, we decided to book a table for 10 people at the nearby Folly Inn, a venue we had used on our previous visit to the Isle of Wight a couple of years ago. The meal rounded off a very enjoyable day for us all and somehow all 10 of us managed to squeeze into a 7 or 8 seater taxi for the bumpy, pot-holed drive from the pub back to the accommodation. Martin sat on Ray's lap for the trip and as we lurched over the bumps, cries of "I hope you are not trying to get me pregnant" could be heard ringing around the back of the taxi.

Monday dawned as another fine, dry day, making the ferry crossing and the ride home a real pleasure. The Pack leader had ordered an early breakfast for everyone, so that we could catch the 9 a.m. ferry. It was only during breakfast that someone spotted that the tickets were for the 9.30 a.m. ferry and ribald comments followed about how we could have had another half-hour in bed. However, when we arrived at Yarmouth ferry terminal, we were perfectly in time to just drive straight on to the 9 a.m. ferry that was just about to leave. The advantage that all the European touring gives the Pack leader is that he can smell empty places on an earlier ferry from 10 miles away!

The ride home was via the B3084 through the tiny hampshire villages of Middle Wallop and Over Wallop, and then the A342 through Everleigh, Upavon, Devises and Chippenham, to meet the A46 at Pennsylvania. We had hoped to stop there at the Tollbooth tea rooms for our lunch, but on arrival, we found that it was shut all day on Mondays. However, the owner was outside and he directed us along a narrow single track lane to the village of Marshfield, some two-and-a-half miles away. Marshfield has been by-passed by the A420 and as a resuilt, it retains its Dickensian style and old fashioned charm (we kept expecting to see Foggy and Compo stoll into the tea rooms). Once again, the pot-luck selection of a coffee stop was a sure-fire winner. After a late lunch, we scooteed back along the M4 from Junction 18, to arrive in Cardiff at around 3.30 p.m.

There is no doubt that this was a thoroughly enjoyable and relaxing weekend and our thanks go to Andrew Welling and his Wight RAT Pack members for organising and marshalling the rally in such fine style. This, coupled with good company, dry weather, good routes and comfortable accommodation, innevitably led to the overall enjoyment of the event.

Pack Ride to Tregaron and the Abergwesyn Pass – Sunday 31st August 2008

You will undoubtedly remember Saturday 30th August 2008, as it was the only day of Summer that we have had this year! However, despite the beautiful sunny day and clear, balmy evening, it did not last until the next day! At 8 a.m. it was raining fairly heavily, when I received the first call of the morning to establish whether the ride would still go ahead. Well, go-ahead it did, and I was surprised to see four other hardy Pack members at the start, ready to brave the elements. Mrs R.A.T. did not turn out for this ride (only the second or third that she has missed in almost 4 years) as we had company staying for a long weekend.

Our first stop was the café at Sennybridge, where we met up with 4 other Pack members on 3 Triumphs; this brought our total to 9 Pack members on 8 bikes – not a bad turn-out given the weather forecast. From Sennybridge we rode via Llandovery, up the wonderful A482 towards Lampeter and then along the B4343, through Llanddewi-Brefi, to Tregaron, where we lunched at The Talbot Hotel. The initial heavy rain had settled down to intermittent drizzle; this, with the almost total absence of traffic, made the ride quite a pleasure and everyone arrived at the pub in good spirits.

After lunch, we took the drovers’ road across the Cambrian Mountains and then over the Abergwesyn Pass, to Llanwrtyd-Wells. The Abergwesyn Pass is a very narrow strip of poorly surfaced tarmac that tenuously connects Tregaron and Llanwrtyd-Wells, climbing and plunging across an exposed, almost uninhabited upland region where the views seem to go on forever. Rough pasture and barren moorland roll in waves to distant horizons; farms are few and far between and the hairpin-bends called Devil’s Staircase are aptly named. This pass is not for the faint-hearted at the best of times, but in the drizzle, with rain-swept and misted visors and with the narrow road covered with loose shale that had been washed from the banks, the ride is demanding but rewarding.

From Llanwrtyd-Wells, we rode to Garth and then up over the Eppynt ranges, through Upper and Lower Chapel to Brecon and then back to Cardiff down the A470, with a welcome coffee stop at the Veranda near Storey Arms.

Despite some initial heavy rain and then intermittent drizzle throughout the afternoon, the group remained in high spirits and was unanimous in the view that this had been a worthwhile and enjoyable ride.

Saturday & Sunday 16th & 17th August: Pack camping weekend in Dorset and visit to Monkey World.

The Pack trip to Monkey World was planned several months ago, when it was decided to incorporate the day visit with two nights of camping at Luckford Wood Camping Park near Wareham, which is hidden-away, nestling between heathland to the north, woodland and forest to the south and within reach of the coast near Lulworth Cove. Five couples subscribed to the trip, but much happened between their original bookings and departure for the event! Bob and Gail's Trophy came to an ignominious end on its way back from Harlech a couple of weeks ago and a replacement bike is not yet available; consequently, Bob & Gail travelled independently by car to the campsite. Lizzy was working a night shift until 6 a.m. on the morning of departure and was too tired to safely ride her bike without sleep, so she and husband Ted travelled down independently in their car. Bernie and Mary travelled independently on their new 1200 Trophy from Swindon, leaving only Mr & Mrs RAT and Martin & Fay to travel in convoy from Cardiff to Wareham. The ride down was uneventful, but the campsite is hidden away in the countryside with no signs from the road. As we turned into the car park of the local pub to seek directions and get a spot of lunch, Ted & Lizzy approached the pub from the opposite direction at exactly the same time! If that was not coincidence enough, Bernie & Mary rolled into the car park whilst we were having our lunch! We all set off after lunch in loose formation for the last one-and-a-quarter miles to the campsite, where we met up with Bob & Gail who had arrived about half-an-hour earlier.

The big advantage that we gained from Ted & Lizzy travelling in their estate car, was that they were able to transport a large 20 ft x 10 ft marquee, table, chairs, cookers etc, which proved invaluable for providing the RATs with all the home comforts, especially when it rained! With all the tents errected, it was time to chase up the campsite owner to deliver the fire brazier and wood. A 45-gallon oildrum was duly delivered to our tent, together with 20 wooden pallets and a sledgehammer to break them up with. The fire was soon alight and this enabled some Pack members to drive into the nearest supermarket for the all important BBQ provisions and wine. The evening stayed largely dry and enabled us to chill out around the fire, shoot the s**t, sing and sup a beverage or two until around midnight. However, after turning in for the night, there was a good deal of heavy rain, but this had cleared away by Sunday morning.

On Sunday morning we headed to the local pub for breakfast and then continued on to spend several hours at Monkey World. From there, some rode into Weymouth and Lulworth Cove, whilst other went back to the campsite to stoke up the fire and relax. The day was rounded off with a mile-and-a-quarter walk to the local pub for evening meal and a few beers and then a walk back in the dark for a few more beers around the camp fire. However, the rain started to fall again at around 11 p.m. so it was early to bed that night! It was probabnly just as well that we did turn in when we did, as the rain became torrential and the wind blew a hooley for most of the night.

The heavy rain and wind had largely died away when Monday morning dawned, so we were able to have breakfast and break camp without the added hastle of wet weather. We set off for the homeward journey at about 10 a.m. and kept largely to 'B' roads through delightful Dorset and Somerset villages and towns (White Lackington, Alton Pancras, Duntish, Northover, Somerton, Street, Glastonbury, Wells, Green Ore, Chewton Mendip, Litton, Chew Stoke, Chew Magna and Winford) to meet the M5 at the Gordano Services. We had already lunched at the lovely Waldegrave Arms in Chewton Mendip, so we continued along the M49 and M4 to Cardiff, just managing to beat the rain which had been threatening along the M4.

Despite the changeable weather, the weekend proved to be good fun and was enjoyed by everyone. Whilst the Pack does not do many camping events (just 2 each year for the last 2 years), we will run something similar again next year. If camping is your bag, then keep an eye on next years R.A.T. schedule when it is published and join us for the craic.

The long weekend breaks still appear to be popular with the leisure-seeking, motorcycle-loving members of the Bevan's R.A.T. Pack. Seven rooms were booked at the Buck Inn in Malham, so that 14 people could enjoy the craic of a motorcycling four-day weekend in the fabulous countryside of the Yorkshire Dales and enjoy the company of other like-minded people.

Twelve Pack mebers left Cardiff (but not all at the same time!) for the Pack long weekend in the Yorkshire Dales from Friday 8th – Monday 11th August 2008. Bill & Sarah and Martin & Fay headed up to Yorkshire on Saturday 2nd August to enjoy a week's holiday walking in the Dales, whilst a further 8 Pack members (Chris & Dee, Frank & Gloria, Ray & Gill, Ted & Lizzy) rode up to join them there on Friday 8th August. Guest members Sandy and his son Rory rode down from Scotland on the same day to join us in the Dales. We routed to the Yorkshire Dales via the scenic A49 border road between England and Wales and there were rideouts planned for the Saturday and Sunday in the Yorkshire Dales so that we could enjoy the best scenery and roads that the area had to offer.

Unfortunately, the weather forecast for the weekend was not good - it was dry for the ride up to Yorkshire on the Friday, but heavy rain was forecasted for the whole country on the Saturday. This was indeed what happened! After an uneventful and enjoyable ride to Yorkshire, six of us arrived together, without managing to lose each other; indeed, we were still unpacking our bikes on arrival at the Buck Inn, when Bill, Sarah, Martin and Fay arrived from a day out in the Dales, followed almost immediately by Sandy and his 15-year-old son Rory, who had travelled down from Aberdeen on their Rocket III. After exploring our rooms and the facilities at Fawlty Towers Hotel, we met up for a few real ales and a group evening meal in the Lister Arms, just across the road. Within half-an-hour or so, Rory had scored with the local talent in the bar and was pulled away to do something or other on the pool tabel (or was it the football table?). Rory was soon back, aghast that his companion was only 12-years old (coming on 16-years old), and soon headed off bak to our hotel to escape her clutches. However, the young girl must have been more impressed, because she gave her telephone number to Rory's dad, aked for his 'phone number and even wanted to know where he was staying. Fortunately, Sandy had been around long enough to stall her on all these issues, so the lovelorne sub-teenager had to pine alone.

Saturday dawned to the sound of pouring rain and remained that way virtually all day. We decided to leave the bike where they were parked and to instead head out in groups to do our own things. Two took a train to Leeds, four took a taxi to Skipton, whilst the remaining eight donned lightweight waterproofs and headed across the hills to explore Malham Cove, a huge limestone cliff that was once a spectracular waterfall, before the river found an alternate route to the bottom! It was a fairly strenuous climb to the upper level of the cliff and I have no doubt that Lizzy's blisters will remind her of this for some days to come! The real ale in the bar afterwards and a group meal in the dining room at Slow Wet Farty Hotel that evening, rounded off another enjoyable day.

The weather on Sunday was a little kinder - the heavy morning showers gave way to dryer spells and lighter showers! We had invited Pack members from the York R.A.T. Pack to join us for the 75-mile ride on the Sunday, around beautiful Dales, villages, moors and tiny lanes. There was no doubt that this was a splendid day out and people were unannymous in their views that the ride was superb. Even Sandy on his Rocket III coped manfully with the task and enthused about the ride, even though "this was certainly not Rocket III territory"! Fay and her love machine, Martin, did not come on the ride with us....we could only suppose what they might have been up to, back at the Inn by themselves! Pack Members rounded off their last night in yet another local restaurant, where the food was good and all the wines were £9 per bottle........splendid!

After a final breakfast in Twaty Flowers Hotel, where we celebrated Gill's birthday and rewarded the most hard-working and welcoming member of staff, we set off for the ride back to Wales. All went to plan for the first hundred miles or more, but then we became split up with traffic and stops to put on wet weather gear, which innevitably led to us getting split up. However, Mr & Mrs RAT stopped at the Halt Cafe near Rhayader for a hot meal, having just split with Martin & Fay. Whilst there, they had a phone call from Ted & Lizzy, who were at the Storey Arms having a cup of tea and just as they were about to leave, they met Bill, Sarah and Frank & Gloria, arriving at the Halt Cafe. At least we knew everyone was home and safe!

This was a superb, relaxing weekend with some good riding, good craic and great company - join us on future runs if you want a piece of the action!

Pack Ride-out to Aberglasney Gardens – Sunday 3rd August 2008

With changeable weather prevailing for most of the preceding week, it was questionable whether people would be tempted to get their bikes out for a ride to Aberglasney Gardens, near Llandeilo. However, Sunday morning dawned overcast but dry and 10 Pack members on 8 bikes congregated at the car park to the rear of Cardiff West Services at 10.30 a.m. for a leisurely start (even Frank was there on time……..although he did need to fill up with gas before we could start!).

Rather than heading straight along the M4 or A48, we took a scenic route across Hirwaun Common to Bryncethin, through the Ogmore Valley and over the mountain road to Treorchy, where we had the obligatory coffee stop at the café next to Wayne Bowen Motorcycles. From there, we continued over Mynydd Ystradffernol and the hairpin bends at Mynydd Beili-glas, before meeting the A465 at Hirwaun and following the road west to Glyn-neath. From Glyn-neath, we linked across through Abercraf, Gurnos and Rhosaman to Brynamman and then took the delightful A4069 over the Black Mountains up to around 500 metres and on to just beyond Llangadog to meet the A40. From there we breezed along the A40 until just west of Llandeilo, to arrive at Aberglasney Gardens.

With a history stretching back to the 15th Century, Aberglasney was reworked by the 17th century Bishop of St David's, the 18th century poet, John Dyer and the 19th century surgeon John Walters Phillips. Falling into disrepair through the 20th century, the restoration of Aberglasney Gardens to their original Jacobean splendour is one of the country’s most remarkable garden projects. Visitors can explore the ancient formal gardens, complete with pools, parapets and cloisters; they can explore the surrounding gardens and also visit the unique indoor garden with its orchids and other exotic plants from around the world. The old stone-built tea rooms served a fine lunch and we were made very welcome by all of the staff at Aberglasney. In the above picture, Bevan’s RATs pose on a bench made from a single plank of Welsh oak from Aberglasney Gardens.

We returned via B roads through Dryslwyn, Ffairfach, Bethlehem, Felindre and across the Brecon Beacons National Park to join the A40 at Trecastle. After a fuel and coffee stop at Sennybridge, it was a spirited ride back through Defynnog and then down the A470 to Cardiff, where we caught our only rain of the day!

The beauty of the cross-country route drew favourable comment from all the riders and was, of course, the main purpose of the day. However, the Gardens at Aberglasney provided the destination for the ride and made an unusual and beautiful day out.

Pack Lunch at Usk Inn, Talybont on Usk - 27th July 2008

This short ride to Talybont-on-Usk for Sunday lunch was included in the calendar with the hope that we would get a decent sunny day to dine al fresco in a pleasant garden. Well, we certainly got that! The weather on Saturday had been perfect and, when Sunday dawned, it was equally fine and sunny. The relatively short ride to Talybont-on Usk, and the fact that the pub did not open until noon, meant that we did not need to leave until 11 a.m.; this resulted in a good number of bikes turning out to join this rideout.

Nine bikes left Cardiff and headed up the A470 and stopped briefly at The Storey Arms, where we met six more Pack members on five more bikes, bringing our total for the day to 15 people on 14 bikes. Of these, 12 were Triumphs and 2 were guests on a BMW and a Honda. The final 12 miles or so to the Usk Inn were soon rattled off and we all arrived at around 12.15 p.m. for a 12.30 lunch – perfect timing! The Usk Inn was nominated ‘Wales Pub of the Year 2007’ and it served well-kept real ale, good food and it had a very pleasant, quiet garden, which the 15 of us virtually commandeered.

After a leisurely lunch, we left the pub for a scenic, summer ride back around the Talybont, Pentwyn and Pontsticill Reservoirs, before splitting at Merthyr to head our own ways back home.

Clearly, the sunny weather had enticed a lot of people to come out on their bikes for the day and the ride was undoubtedly successful – let’s hope this extends to the next ride to Aberglasney Gardens next weekend.

The annual Pack trip tro Harlech for a gastronomic overnight stop just continues to get more and more popular. This year, on the fourth annual run, it was attended by 17 people on 14 bikes!

We set off from Cardiff in damp conditions, to head up over the Eppynt Ranges, Beulah and Newbridge-on-Wye to our first coffee stop at the Halt Cafe, just south of Rhayader. Here we met up with four more Pack members to bring us up to our full compliment. The route then took us via B roads through LLanidloes to Staylittle and then via a mount6ain road through Dylife to Machynlleth, with our usual lunch stop at The Star Inn in Dylife. From there, we followed the A487 to Dolgellau and then the coast road through Barmouth up to Harlech. The journey was uneventful and the steadily improving weather added greatly to our riding pleasure. Indceed, by mid afternoon it was hot and sunny as we strooled to the foot of the hill to sup real ale in a nearby hotel (apparently it was Bill's idea to walk down to the pub, but nobody admitted to the idea of walking back up the hill to our hotel!!).

The evening meal was again superb, with the constant ribald laughter only occasionally punctuated with sensible conversation. Prime contributors were Tony, (I've parked my ice-cream van round the corner - I'll show you my light display later, when it gets dark), Mike and company. Gill was in charge of laughing and providing the eggs for Sunday breakfast.

Sunday morning showed promising weather for the planned run up over the Horseshoe Pass for a stop at the Ponderosa Cafe and then a run down into LLangollen. However, no sooner had we fired the bikes up, when Frank found the puncture in the rear tyre of his Bonneville (this is the second time on a R.A.T. ride - you are supposed to change tyres and tubes occasionally Frank). We had no kit to repair tubed tyres, so we limped on to the nearest garage to use the airline. This looked hopeful and the tyre appeared to have only a slow puncture - this was clearly going to be a case of garage-hopping all the way home! Unfortunately, the first garage was not open for fuel, so all the errant riders, who did not fill up on Saturday afternoon as they arrived at Harlech, had to take a detour to get some gas. We sent Frank on along the documented route to avoid his tyre deflating whilst waiting for the gas hunters to return, telling him that we would catch him up shortly. We forgot however that Frank is not the world's best navigator (even with turn-by-turn instructions) and so he was not spotted for several hours. We did get a telephone call when we were at the Horseshoe Pass, to tell us that he had eventually found his way to Bala, some 30 or 40 minutes behind us!

The day was to get worse still for two more Pack members on their 900 Trophy as they approached the roundabout at the start of the climb up the Horseshoe Pass. Bob somehow managed to clip the extensive surface gravel as he approached the roundabout, lost the front end and slid noisily and expensively through the roundabout. Bob was largely uninjured, Gail was feeling decidedly shabby with an arm injury, but the bike was unrideable with extensive front wheel and forks damage. After a checkover in the ambulance, both Bob and Gail were allowed to proceed on their way, suitably bandaged and with Gail's arm in a sling. We all waited at the Cafe with Bob and Gail for the recovery vehicle to arrive, before continuing our journey down into Llangollen.

The time lost as a result of the accident meant that several people did not stop as planned in Llangollen, but instead carried on on various routes back to their homes. Our route was the prescribed route back down the A483 through Oswestry, Welshpool, Newtown, Llandrindod Wells to Builth Wells and then the B4520 through Upper Chapel to Brecon. The weather was beautiful and the road was almost empty for most of the journey. Fortunately, Bill and Sarah came across Frank and Gloria, still hopping from garage to garage, and escorted them back down the A470 as far as Sennybridge. With one final puff of air, Frank and Gloria made it back to Cardiff.

This was another splendid trip, albeit that we could have done without the roundabout incident. However, both Bob and Gail are okay, so once another bike is sorted out.......!!! See you again on the next trip - if you have never come on this annual ride before, get your name on the list early for next July!

Despite the wet and windy weather in the weeks preceding this planned event, the weather stayed dry all day (and night) for the Pack's overnight camping and BBQ at Bill & Sarah's smallholding in the Brecon Beacons on Saturday night 12th July. This was followed by a ride-out the next day (Sunday 13th July) around back roads to Rhyader and the Elan Valley, when the weather stayed fine and sunny.

This has been a great function over the last couple of years and this third running of the event was no exception. We had been asked to arrive an hour earlier than usual, because Bill had planned a surprise for us. Unfortunately, I am not at liberty to disclose the details of this surprise with the rest of the reading world, but I can say that this was the first time that I have done this sort of thing on something as old as this and I am eternally grateful to Bill for sharing his prized possession with us all. He let us climb on it, kick it, rub it, salivate over it and listen to it wheezing - yes it really made our weekend!

The BBQ was again superb, with as much barbecued food and buffet as the 19 partygoers could munch their way through. The desserts were home-cooked and mouth-watering, there were barrels of real ale, fine wines, post-prandial brandy and liqueurs and a very fine red dessert wine.....!!! The log brazier was alight and the singing lasted well into the early hours before we all staggered back to our nearby tents.

Sunday morning broke with fine sunny weather across the Brecon Beacons and after breaking camp and eating a hearty breakfast, we rode to the Sennybridge Garage and Cafe to meet others who had asked to come on the Sunday rideout. Twelve bikes set out around little used back lanes to Rhayader and then around the Elan Valley reservoirs to the Visitor Centre, where the majority enjoyed bacon butties before setting off on their various routes home.

This was another perfect weekend, made possible by the generousity, effort and thoughtfulness of our hosts - thanks again to Bill & Sarah.

After several months of planning, the day eventually arrived for nine members of the Bevan's R.A.T. Pack to depart from Cardiff and head for the Plymouth Ferry Port to catch the 4 p.m. Brittany ferry for the 18-hour crossing to Santander. At the ferry port, we met up with five more R.A.T. members from the Warrington area and two more from the Swindon area. This completed our planned compliment of 16 people on 11 bikes.

The planned format for the holiday involved a clockwise circular tour of northern Spain, stopping in pre-booked Parador accommodation on a half-board basis. We stopped at each Parador for two nights, thereby allowing a free day on each alternate day for participants to do as they wished. The following people participated in the tour:

Chris Finch - Triumph Tiger 1050;
Dee Finch - Triumph Tiger 1050;
Sarah Bailey - Triumph Street Triple;
Dilwyn Collier - Triumph Sprint ST 955i;
John & Sue Rimmer - Triumph Tiger 955;
Derek & Rosie George - Triumph Thunderbird;
Adrian Burley - Triumph Sprint ST 1050;
Ian Davey – Honda Pan European;
Martin & Fay Silk - Honda CB1300
John Richardson & Molly Holmes - BMW R90
Bernie & Mary Hewlett - Triumph Thunderbird


After a relaxing night on the ferry, where people enjoyed the range of catering from snacks to full-blown a la carte silver service in the restaurant, we arrived at Santander Harbour at 12.30 p.m. local time and rode approximately 120 miles on mostly main roads to Santo Domingo (inland, approximately south east of Santander), for an overnight stop in the Parador de Santo Domingo, a former 12th Century hospital which sheltered the pilgrims on the road to Santiago. The building, which is next to the cathedral in the pedestrian area of the old town, was the first of many impressive buildings in which we would stay during our tour. On the following day, the first of our free days, several people took advantage of their position in the Rioja region and chose to take a taxi to visit the vineyards of Haro approximately 10 miles away to discover the famous Rioja wines, whilst others visited the cathedral and other historic sights in the old town.

On the third day of the tour, we rode south for approximately 180 miles from Santo Domingo to Siguenza. The route took us through Cantabria and through the Sierra de la Demanda on scenic minor roads alongside the Rio Najerilla. Coffee and lunch stops were unplanned and were taken en route wherever we fancied. The route continued over the Puerto de Santa Ines at around 1700 metres and then wound on past rivers and lakes, past Soria to the next Parador at Siguenza, a 12th Century medieval castle. Installed in a Moorish citadel constructed on a Roman settlement, this imposing castle was begun in 1123 and was the residence of bishops and cardinals until the end of the last century. The interiors are splendid and the food reflected the cuisine of the region.
During the following free day, several people chose to visit Madrid, which is just 80 miles to the south-west, whilst others chose to look around Siguenza, a beautiful city in the northern region of the province of Guadalajara. The city, with its lofty architectural heritage, was declared a Historic-Artistic Site in 1965. The castle, the cathedral, and the main square, or Plaza Mayor, were three spots that should not be missed by visitors to the city, although most of the streets in Sigüenza are filled with gorgeous civil and religious buildings. At present, the castle houses the town's Parador de Turismo. It was built after the Arab invasion in the 8th century, around the same time that the Alcazaba (citadel) was built. Significant parts of the wall are preserved, whose gates and towers begin at the castle. The cathedral was started in 1130 and Its exterior resembles a medieval fortress. It has Romanesque towers and portico, as well as an impressive rose window. The interior houses the sarcophagus of Martín Vázquez de Arce, also known as "El Doncel de Sigüenza", (the Young Nobleman from Sigüenza) and visitors can admire the sacristy of Cabezas, built by Covarrubias, the cloister, the choir with Gothic stalls, and a very significant art collection that includes a painting of the Annunciation, by El Greco.

On the fifth day we rode west for approximately 240 miles across the great plains of Spain, passing north of Madrid and on through Segovia with its impressive Roman aquaduct and Roman Walls. We took lunch there, beneath the aquaduct, before continuing to one of the jewels of Spain, the city of Salamanca. This city has some of the finest architecture on the Iberian Peninsular. This modern Parador, which overlooks the city with its magnificent cathedral and imposing skyline, affords spectacular views at night when the old area of the city is lit up. On the following free day, virtually everyone chose to stroll and 'people watch' in this fabulous ancient city. I will never forget the old tramp pushing a supermarket trolley and occasionally holding out his hand to beg. He never said anything, but kept turning his head to look at the punters, and then shuffling further down the street. Only very close examination revealed that it was a radio controlled dummy being operated by a concealed, nearby operator! This generated untold interest amongst visitors in the city. A number of us visited the Cathedrals and the “Casa de las Conchas” – the house of shells.

On the seventh day we rode 250 miles north-west across the north-eastern corner of Portugal and then re-entered Spain and headed to the picturesque region of Galicia and the next Parador at Monforte de Lemos – a town that sits between the Rio Sil and the 1607 metres high Pico Piapaxaro. This Parador is one of the more recent additions to the Parador chain and was once a monastery in the 16th Century, although its origins as a Benedictine convent date back to the 10th Century. Whilst out on the minor mountain roads, about thirty miles before reaching Monforte, the Pack Leader was stopped by the police for a random document check and breath test. The international driving licence proved its worth, as did his policy of only drinking on the arrival night at each parador, but sticking to water or soft driks the evening before riding! The Spanish drink/driving rules are much tighter than ours in U.K. and their penalties are administered on the spot - it would be hard to continue your holiday with no bike! Happily, the breath meter registered 00.00. During the next free day a number of people chilled-out in the small town of Monforte or at the Parador, whilst the more energetic explored the nearby hills and natuaral park.

From Monforte we headed north-east on scenic minor roads for approximately 210 miles, across the region of Asturias, past Oviedo to the last Parador base of the tour – the monastery of San Pedro de Villanueva at Cangas de Onis. This monastery, declared as a national monument in 1907, is set on the banks of the River Sella, with the Picos de Europa in the background. This was a fitting venue for the final stop, with excellent food and service. More importantly, it is ideally situated for exploring the Picos mountains on our final free day!

The last free day dawned with beautiful warm, sunny weather and many of us walked into the local town, following a footpath alongside the river and through the woods and fields. After coffee and sight-seeing in the town, we walked back to the Parador and planned a trip into the Picos, leaving our panniers at the hotel. Fortunately, those who had ridden up into the Picos in the morning, warned the rest that it was a bit on the cool side up in the mountains. At about 2.30 p.m. a small group of us set off for a 120-mile trip around the mountains and for the first half of the journey, the weather stayed dry and clear - a picnic lunch beside the river was the order of the day. However, as we set off after our lunch and climbed up into the mountains, the low cloud and peristant rain soon manifested itself. The road wound up and up to the summit at around 5000 feet and visibility was reduced to almost nil. As we rode over the top and began the descent, visibility improved, but the rain persisted. At just that point, with some 80 miles still to ride to the hotel, Sarah picked up a large shard of rock which instantly punctured the rear tyre of her Street Triple! Help was at hand in the form of the Pack Leader with his tyre plugger kit - it will be difficult to forget the repair episode in the pouring rain! Helmets were kept on in an attempt to keep the rain off our heads and the Pack Leader's reading glasses kept misting up as he tried to read the repair kit instructions. Finally, Martin read out the instructions as the Pack Leader effected the repair "insert the plug through the tyre and pull to ensure head of plug seats on the inside of the tyre. Use pliers (not supplied).........!!! Eventually, the repair was sufficient for us to ride the bike the remaining 80 miles to the hotel, albeit that we didn't get there for dinner until around 10 p.m. The tyre still had a slow puncture and we needed to organise an electric pump to re-inflate the tyre before setting off to the ferry terminal the next day. A gentle ride through parts of the Picos and a final stretch of motorway saw us safely back at Santander to catch the ferry home after a memorable trip.

Northern Spain is a very much understated area for motorcycling - the roads through many of the mountain ranges are superb for biking and are virtually traffic free. Many of the roads have fast, open bends and the majority are well surfaced; however, we did do a bit of off-road riding as well...!!

This was a memorable trip - if you want to be in next years 2-week annual overseas R.A.T. Pack ride, just get in touch with the Pack Leader for more details.

The weather for this run on Sunday 18th May 2008 was dry and bright, but with a brisk, cool, breeze blowing. With only a week remaining before the Pack departure for the 10-day tour of northern Spain, the Pack leader decided to experiment with his ventilated riding gear with tee –shirts and a new micro-light EDZ windproof liner for the jacket. This proved to be a big mistake and led to chattering teeth for most of the ride to Gloucestershire!

Eight bikes and 9 people assembled at the start and set off to meet up with another two bikes and 3 people outside Abergavenny. All ten bikes then turned down the B4521 in a loose line-astern formation, with the Pack Leader desperately seeking a suitable coffee stop location. This was eventually found at a garden centre near Broad Oak, where the hot chocolate proved to be perfect for our immediate needs!

The final blast took us along the quiet, scenic bye-ways of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire to the Penny Farthing pub at Aston Crews, where we stopped for lunch.

The brisk breeze had still not abated by the time we left the pub, so the Pack leader accepted Gill’s kind offer to get inside her thermal jumper (not whilst she was wearing it!) – this was just the frog’s knob, so another thermal pullover will be going to Spain next week! The ride home went according to plan, except for the closure of the B4234 at Upper Lydbrook. A diversion on-the-hoof took us around the glorious bends along the A4136 to Monmouth and then down the A466 through Tintern Parva towards Chepstow and then along the A48 and M4 to Cardiff.

This was an easy run through the Welsh and English countryside and allowed us to get home in good time to see the re-run of the French Moto GP at 4.30 p.m. Some Pack members will be away in northern Spain until 6th June, and then the Pack Leader will be away riding twice down to Italy and back, returning on 10th July. Accordingly, the next R.A.T. Pack event will be Bill and Sarahs’ Barbecue in the Brecon Beacons on Saturday12th July, with overnight camping and a mystery tour of the area on the Sunday. Please let me know if you want to join us for this superb event, so that we can give our hosts adequate notice for the catering requirements!

Wouldn't you just know it? We had a fine sunny day on Saturday and another on Monday, but on Sunday it was wet roads with low cloud and drizzle! However, Bevan's RATs are made of stern stuff and 10 bikes turned up at the start, with 12 people on board.

Because of the weather, we amended the route to keep us off the nadgery lanes and mountain roads; instead, we routed up the A470 to Sennybridge and then continued with the route as advertised, across the military range at LLywel and on to Llangammarch Wells, where we stopped at the Aberceiros Inn for Sunday lunch. The Aberceiros Inn is a quiet country pub, where a roast Sunday lunch cost the princely sum of £5.45 and dessert cost £2.75. The service was friendly and welcoming and the food was exceptional value.

The return route took us over the Eppynt Ranges, thro' Upper and Lower Chapel, thro' Brecon and then down the A470 back to Cardiff, still in time to see the second Wold Super Bike race on Sky TV!!!

The next ride is on Sunday 18th May to Aston Crews in Gloucestershire, where we will stop for a pub lunch at The Pennyfarthing pub. Again, it will be riding on back roads through beautiful countryside - we look forward to meeting regulars and new-comers at the start.

Thankfully, the early morning rain on Sunday 13th April abated in time for the 10. 00 a.m. start for the beautiful cross-country ride to the National Motorcycle Museum. Six bikes left Cardiff West Services in dry but darkening weather and set off on a route that was almost all 'A' and 'B' roads, with the exception of the initial few miles of M4 to J26 and the final 6 miles on the M42. The plan was to meet up with another 3 bikes outside Abergavenny, but as these had not arrived by the agreed time, we continued to Ledbury for a coffee stop by the old market buiding in the centre of town. However, during thye coffee stop, the remaining bikes appeared - Bill had found a puncture in his Tiger when he wheeled it out of the garage, so he had to ride Sarah's Honda CB500 - well, she wasn't going to let him ride her Steet Triple was she? After refreshments, we continued across country, along beautiful 'A' and 'B' roads, through picturesque towns and villages, finally arriving at the museum (still dry) at around 2 p.m.

The National Motorcycle Museum is recognised as the finest and largest motorcycle museum in the world. It is a place where ‘Legends Live On’ and it is a tribute to and a living record of this once great British industry that dominated world markets for some sixty years. It is a place where an older generation can once again view with nostalgia the machines they rode in days gone by, and younger generations can study the development of the motorcycle from its earlier days to the golden years of the 1930s-60s, when British motorcycles ‘ruled the world’. Since opening, this magnificent centre has become the largest motorcycle museum in the world and attracts around 250,000 visitors a year. One of the biggest attractions for many guests is the comprehensive cross-section of machines, spanning the “60 Glorious Year” of motorcycle manufacturing in this country. Within the five exhibition halls will be found some 650 plus machines, fully restored to the manufacturers original specifications.

After a liesurely look around the museum and a spot of refreshment, we set off for a motorway blast to Cardiff and arrived home at around 6 p.m.

This event was all about the ride, with the Museum visit included for interest - it definitely worked and was yet another early opportunity to get in some riding to sharpen up the skills before the spring and summer riding starts in earnest. Join us on the next on Sunday 27th April when we will be riding to Llangammarch Wells for lunch at The Aberceiros Inn. Watch this page for departure timings etc in due course.

With the Chinese New Year recently publicised as the Year of the RAT, it was timely for the Pack to hold its opening ride of the season on Sunday 10th February 2008.

Fine, dry, sunny weather had been forecast for the entire weekend and the forecast had been correct! Eleven bikes and fourteen people assembled in the carpark at Cardiff West Services for a liesurely 10.30 a.m. start. It was nice to see some new faces on the day, albeit that one newcomer arrived with an empty fuel tank! We headed off east along the M4 to Newport and took the B4596 to Caerleon and then on to Usk. From Usk, we took the B4598 to Kemeys Commander, where we stopped at The Chain Bridge Inn for lunch. It's a nice pub with a deck at the rear, overlooking the river - we must have an evening ride there in the summer.

After lunch we continued on B4598 towards Abergavenny and took B roads out through Llanvetherin, Cross Ash and Skenfrith to Monmouth. From Monmouth, we headed down through Tintern Pava, where we stopped at the Abbey Mill for coffees. Bob and Gail Millard were conspicuous by their absence at the Abbey Mill, having taken a wrong tuirning outside Abergavenny! Why do I give everyone a route card before we set off???? We all negotiated the ice-cream sign, which had been carefully positioned in the pathway, and parked all the bikes right next to the outside seating area - very neatly done!

After coffees and teacakes the size of dinner plates, we headed back to Cardiff via the A466, A48 and M4.

This was an ideal 110-mile route for a Season Opener and the weather was perfect. Clearly, everyone enjoyed the day, the company and the beautiful scenery - yes, the 2008 season has certainly started well.

Notwithstanding the forecast of snow across virtually all of the UK for the Easter period, 8 intrepid RAT Pack members on 4 Triumphs, departed from Cardiff on Good Friday morning for the ride to the hamlet of Tinhay, on the border between Devon and Cornwall.

Despite a fearsome wind, the ride down the M5 was uneventful and surprisingly free of traffic. We quickly found our accommodation at Tinhay Mill Guest House and Restaurant and were given a very warm welcome by the owners Margaret and Paul Wilson, who greeted us with tea and cakes. Tinhay Mill nestles in the quiet village of Lifton, close to where the rivers Lyd and Thrushel meet, just 2 miles from the Devon/Cornwall boundary and 10 miles from Dartmoor. In 1993 the village was bypassed and became what it is today, a delightful retreat with so much history to be discovered. Guests step back in time in this former 15th Century Coaching Inn.

The group meal on the Friday evening set the tone for the rest of the weekend - good company, fine wines and excellent food and service. On Saturday, after a liesurely breakfast, most of us elected to ride a 60-mile circular trip, which ran on minor country lanes through the spectacular Lydford Gorge, Kit Hill, Trethevy Quoit and the Hurlers, a ring of stones high up on Dartmoor. We had almost all weathers during the ride, from winter sunshine to snow flurries, but returned warm and dry to the sanctuary of Tinhay Mill to snooze, scub-up and relax over the evening meal.

On Sunday, half of the group headed for the Eden Project, whilst the remainder headed for the Tamar Otter Sanctuary, where we enjoyed a 'nature trail' through the woods to see fallow deer, owls, wallabies, herons and a whole host of other wildlife. We were in time to witness the afternoon feeding session for the Asian and British otters and get an informative and very enthusiastic briefing by the dedicated staff there. Sunday evening was another gastronomic delight.

We departed the accommodation at around 10.30 p.m. on Easter Monday and headed across Dartmoor on 'B' roads through Two Bridges to Dartmeet, and then via country lanes to Widecombe in the Moorand Bovey Tracey. We then picked up the M5 at Exeter and, deaspite some heavy traffic on the M5, we routed back to Cardiff on the M5, M49 and M4.

This was a relaxing and convivial long weekend break in beautful countryside and excellent accommodation. If you like the sound of this, then join us for our long weekend in the Yorkshire Dales in August, or the long weekend trip to the Isle of Wight R.A.T. Rally in September.

On Saturday 29th September, six Pack members on five Triumphs left the Cardiff West Services to head for a weekend break in the Cotswolds. The weather was fine and bright for the ride, which took us down the M4 to junction 18, but we then headed north-east on ‘B’ roads through beautiful Cotswold countryside and villages, including Acton Turville, Sherston, Malmesbury, Charlton, Minety and Cricklade. We continued on ‘B’ roads to Faringdon and then a short section of the A4095 to Radcot-on-Thames, where we stopped for a pub lunch by the River Isis. The lunch was long and leisurely, as we had only a few miles further to ride to our hotel at Clanfield, where some had planned to watch Wales play for their place in the knock-out rounds of the Rugby World Cup.

Once ensconsed in the hotel, some headed across the road to a real-ale pub to watch the rugby, whilst others saddled-up and headed into the pretty, local town of Burford to check out the craft and antique shops.

Evening meal at the Plough Hotel was a delightful occasion; we had our own discreet dining area, adjacent to the main dining room, where the flagstone floors and substantial oak dining room furniture gave the room a Cromwellian air. The food and wine was superb and the service was professional yet friendly and attentive. After a late night of dining, we all headed for our beds, knowing that there would be a leisurely start the next day.

After a cooked breakfast, we decided to visit Woodstock and hurriedly plotted a route. However, Mrs R.A.T’s Tiger would not start because the battery was flat (parking light left on all night?), so we had to ask the landlord for some jump leads and start the bike from the Speed Triple’s battery. Once started, we headed out to Woodstock where we looked around the town and stopped for coffee and biscuits at a Hotel full of teddy-bears!

The route home was essentially ‘off-the-cuff’; we continued to Evesham and then Perhore, where we found an idyllic farm shop which was still open for lunches. After wonderful homemade soups, salads, desserts and even cream teas, we struggled back onto our bikes for the final run through Upton-upon-Severn to Little Malvern and then down the A449 to join the M4 at junction 24.

This was a very genteel weekend away in the countryside – next year (2008) a long weekend away is planned in the Yorkshire Dales from Friday 8th to Monday 11th August. If you want to be part of it – just book

I guess most of you can remember what the weather was like for the planned Saturday ride to Bethlehem on 8th December - it was bowing a gale and pouring with rain. Why then, was I expecting to see any motorcyclists at the agreed start point at 9 o' clock in the morning?
I did however see 4 other members of the R.A.T. Pack at the start, but they had all arrived in tin boxes with four wheels (albeit dry tin boxes)!

So, I set off alone on the Tiger (I couldn't even persuade anyone to come on the back!), with Frank and Gloria following in their car. The trip was non-stop for me, as I didn't want to strip off all the layers of waterproofing just for a coffee stop. However, once at the Bethlehem post office, there were cups of tea and hot mince pies available, so that seemed the ideal opportunity for a coffee stop. Filming was taking place in the post office for BBC 1's Country File series, presented by John Craven on a Sunday morning. Consequently, the process of stamping the cards was done very efficiently!

Once the business was completed, I bade farewell to Frank & Gloria and headed straight back to Cardiff to dry out and wash off the bike - the minor lanes around Bethlehem had been covered in mud and debris resulting from the wind and rain!

Let's hope next year's run has better weather for this festive occasion - the postmaster is confident that the Christmas Fayre, which has been absent for the last two years, will be held there again next year.

Bevan Motorcycles R.A.T. Pack Activities for 2008

In addition to the monthly Club Nights, which are held at the Lewis Arms in Pentyrch on the third Thursday evening of each month, the following activities are planned for 2008:

Thursday 17th January: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sunday 10th February: We will head out through Caerleon to Usk and on to Kemys Commander, where we will stop for a pub lunch. We will continue to Abergavenny and then back via Monmouth, Tintern and Chepstow.

Thursday 21st February: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Thursday 20th March: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Friday 21st – Monday 24th March (Easter PH): Pack trip to Devon. Five double/twin-bedded rooms have been reserved at Tinhay Mill Guest House and Restaurant, between Launceston and Oakhampton. Accommodation is for the nights of Good Friday, Saturday and Easter Sunday. Cost of double/twin-bedded room with double occupancy, for 3 night's B&B is £230. Ride-outs on the Saturday and Sunday into the Lydford Gorge, the Dartmoor National Park and possibly the Eden Project. Please contact me a.s.a.p. if interested, so that I can confirm accommodation.

TBD April: This is the first complimentary ride-out of 2008 to the Triumph factory at Hinckley. The factory tours, which take 2 hours, start at 14.00 hrs, so we will leave Bevan’s shop at 9 a.m. to enable us to take a leisurely ride through the Cotswold countryside and stop for a farm shop lunch on the way there. Please call the shop to book your place(s).

Sunday 13th April: Pack ride to the National Motorcycle Museum near the N.E.C. Route will be via the Cotswolds with a farm shop lunch. Return route will be via country roads through Evesham, Pershore, Upton-upon-Severn and Little Malvern.

Thursday 17th April: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Friday 18th - Sunday 20th April: The 2008 R.A.T. Dragon Raid will be based at the Ruthin Castle Hotel, Ruthin, North Wales and the ride-outs will take in Snowdonia, Anglesey and the North Wales coast. This year, the event is being is being organised by Woods R.A.T. Pack in conjunction with Woods Motorcycles of Abergele. Full details of the event will be available in due course.

Sunday 27th April: Pack ride to Llangammarch Wells for lunch at The Aberceiros Inn.

Thursday 15th May: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sunday 18th May: Pack ride via back roads to Aston Crews, for lunch at the Penny Farthing pub.

TBN May: Triumph Factory Visit – please call the shop to reserve place(s).

Sunday 25th May - Thursday 5th June: 10-day Pack tour of Northern Spain. TRIP NOW FULLY SUBSCRIBED.

TBN June: Triumph Factory Visit – please call the shop to reserve place(s).

Thursday 19th June: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sat & Sunday 12th/13th July: B-B-Q and overnight camping at Bill Plenty’s farm near Brecon. Planned ride-out on Sunday in the local Brecon area. This was a fabulous event in both 2006 and 2007, as all who attended either will testify. Don't miss this one!

Thursday 17th July: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sat & Sunday 19th/20th July: The annual ride-out to Harlech for an overnight stop and gourmet evening meal at the Castle Cottage Hotel on the Saturday night. This will be combined with a ride over the Horseshoe Pass to Llangollen on Sunday, where we could take the Thomas Telford motor narrow boat across the Pontcysyllte Aquaduct, 126 feet above the River Dee. Or, we could take a scenic steam train ride from Llangollen before heading for home. The Castle Cottage Hotel has seven delightful suites, an adjacent cottage and a very good restaurant – I have provisionally booked all 7 rooms and the cottage for Pack members. Please contact me a.s.a.p. if you wish to join us for this ride as I need to confirm the accommodation booking. This has been a particularly successful overnight venue for the past 3 years.

Sunday 27th July: Pack ride to Llangynidr for a pub lunch at The Coach and Horses, beside the Brecon and Monmouth Canal.

Sunday 3rd August: Sunday Brunch at The Fig Tree at Dryslyn, followed by ride to Aberglasney Gardens or National Botanic Garden of Wales.

Friday 8th – Monday 11th August: Long weekend in the Yorkshire Dales. Following last year's Pack tour of Scotland, which took in an overnight stop in the Yorkshire Dales at the end of the first day, Pack members have asked for more time to explore this beautiful countryside. Accommodation has been reserved at The Buck Inn at Malham, on a B&B basis, for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights; we will return to Cardiff on the Monday. The accommodation is reasonably priced at £70 per night for a standard double or twin-bedded en-suite room (based on double occupancy). Please contact me a.s.a.p. if you would like to join us for this long weekend break.

Saturday & Sunday 16th & 17th August: Pack camping weekend in Dorset and visit to Monkey World. Join us for a camping weekend in Dorset and a visit to Monkey World. We will leave on Saturday and camp at Luckford Wood Caravan and Camping Park near Wareham, which is hidden-away, nestling between heathland to the north, woodland and forest to the south and within reach of the coast. The park is fringed by woodland, sheltered with many secluded areas. It is within easy reach the Jurassic Coast, beautiful sandy beaches, woodland and forest walks. At Luckford Wood you can pitch your tent where you want [within designated areas] - the management does not insist on rows of tents and caravans.
The world famous Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door are a must for those who appreciate magnificent scenery, but we intend to enjoy camping on the Saturday and Sunday nights and include a visit to nearby Monkey World on the Sunday. We will then ride home on the Monday.
For 25 years, Luckford Wood Caravan and Camping Park has allowed traditional open camp fires [conditions apply]. They even supply the kindling wood, a fire basket/brazier and a water container for your safety, all you need are long balmy evenings to enjoy the crackle and aroma of the burning wood. Cooking is so easy using our braziers which in turn contains your camp fire.
To avoid carrying too much gear on the bikes, the all important BBQ provisions and wine can be purchased at Supermarkets in nearby Wareham and there are convenience stores in the nearby villages of Wool, Stoborough, Sandford and Carey.
There is a great choice of pubs, restaurants, cafes, and bars, which meet all tastes and are all within a reasonable distance.
If you want to join us, let me know at the shop in good time and I will pre-book a camping pitch for you. The cost for a 2-man tent with two people for two nights is £32. The cost top enter Monkey World is £10.50 per adult or £7.25 for senior citizens.

Thursday 21st August: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

TBD August: Triumph Factory Visit – please call the shop to reserve place(s).

Sunday 31st August: Pack ride to Tregaron for lunch at The Talbot Hotel. Return by Devil’s Staircase to Beulah and then over the Epynt Mountains.

Saturday & Suday 6th & 7th September: Those who came on our Easter weekend trip to the Isle of Wight in 2006 will remember the fabulous accommodation and food that we enjoyed at Crossways House and the dancing on the tables at the Folly Inn. Well, we have the opportunity to do it again!

For the fourth year running the Isle of Wight R.A.T. Pack (WightRATs) will be hosting the WightRAT Run. This one day run will start from Brading Roman Villa on the east of the Island, gathering at 10am for an 11am departure for the morning run. Lunch at the Steamer Inn on the picturesque sea front in Shanklin will be followed by a further afternoon run. Ferries will be met at Fishbourne and Yarmouth for arriving pack-groups and returned again after the afternoon run.
There are discounted WightLink ferries for this event, which will leave from either Portsmouth and travel to Fishbourne or Lymington to Yarmouth. It is recommended that bookings are made in advance and this can be done by contacting our Reservation Office on 08713 761000. The customer should mention at time of booking that they are attending the ‘WIGHT RAT RALLY’.

A booking may be made in advance or upon arrival at the Portsmouth or Lymington ports that you are attending the WIGHT R.A.T. run and you will receive the discount fare of £23.50 for motorcycle, rider and where applicable pillion.

I have reserved 5 double/twin-bedded rooms at Crossways House for the nights of Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th September 2008. There are 3 rooms at £85 per room per night B&B and 2 rooms at £65 per room per night B&B.

Please let me know as soon as possible if you would like to join us for this weekend away on the Isle of Wight - I understand that Three-Cross RATs (New Forest) and Laguna RATs (Maidstone) are already committed to this - lets have a south Wales contingent there!


Sunday 14th September: Pack “Iron-butt” ride to the Ace Café, London, to join the massed reunion ride to Brighton. This is an early start and is a 440-mile round trip. This was a fabulous “60’s” day out in 2007 and is well worth the effort.

Thursday 18th September: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sunday 21st September: Pack ride-out around Erwood, Painscastle, Kington and Eardisley. Return via the Gospel Pass, Llanthony Priory and the crooked church at Cwmyoy.

TBD September: Triumph Factory Visit – please call the shop to reserve place(s).

Sa\turday 27th & Sunday 28th September: - Pack weekend away at Much Wenlock, Shropshire.

Thursday 16th October: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sunday 26th October: Pack ride-out to the National Arbouretum at Westonbirt.
Join us as we approach the final 3 rides of the year when we ride to Westonbirt Arbouretum, near Tetbury in Gloucestershire. Westonbirt, The national Arboretum is one of the most spectacular tree gardens in the world. an historic collection of over 3000 different trees and shrub species many of which are rare or endangered in their native lands. Covering 600 acres, the arboretum is an inspiring place to relax, get back to nature and indulge your senses. At this time ogf the year, the colours of the leaves on the hardwood trees should look spectacular. Again, we will route via scenic roads and countryside to prevent a boring bash down the motorway. The arbouretum is open until dusk; admission for adults is £8, or £7 for senior citizens. There is a coffee shop in the arbouretum for refreshments/lunch.

Thursday 20th November: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sunday 30th November: Pack ride to the NEC for the International Motorcycle Show.
Show open 10.00AM to 6.00PM

TICKET TYPE IN ADVANCE ON THE DOOR
Adult £15.00 £17.00
OXFORD SNUG PROMOTION
FREE Oxford SNUG worth £12.99 + Entry Ticket
Promotion closes 26th November at 5pm £18.00 Not Available
Senior (60+) £5.00 £5.00


To book advance tickets, call booking line on 0844 5812345. Closing date for advance tickets is 5 p.m. on 26th November 2008. Please book your own tickets in advance - this will save unnecessary queueing to get into the show on the day.

Saturday 6th December: There will be another Pack ride to Bethlehem to get those Christmas cards posted early for Christmas, with the Bethlehem postmark on the envelope. A pub lunch will be taken on the return journey (with a big log burner to warm you through!).

Thursday 18th December: Christmas Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

During the spring and summer it is hoped to introduce short, mid-week evening rides to various pubs so, if you have a favourite, please let me know. Details of these and other events will be published on Bevan’s website as soon as they are finalised. New ride-out routes and ideas for events are always welcome, so If you have any ideas, please see me in the shop, telephone me on 02920 227477, or e-mail info@bevanmc.co.uk .

Chris Finch
Bevan Motorcycles RAT Pack Leader

R.A.T. Pack Ride to Machynlleth - 21st October 2007

Okay, so it was getting towards the end of October and there had just been a couple of frosty nights and early mornings. I’ve no doubt that a number of you thought that a Sunday at home in the warm was preferable to a 9 a.m. start for the 250-mile round-trip to Machynlleth; however, the reality was that, for those who turned up, they were amply rewarded for their efforts with a superb day out in gin-clear, sunny weather and dry, traffic-free roads.

There’s no denying that it was a bit chilly at the start of the day when seven Pack members left Cardiff West Services for the start of the run up the A470 to Brecon. A new face, Phil the Rocket Man, joined us for the run (he’s obviously wanted for something, as nobody found out his surname) and then Ray & Gill Newberry joined us on their Sprint ST as we passed by Abercynon.

Once leaving Brecon on the Upper Chapel road, the ride really began. We climbed up across the Eppynt Ranges and stopped briefly on the top to re-group and warm up frosty fingers. The top of the hills were bathed in brilliant sunshine, whilst beneath us, the valley was shrouded in dense mist, with the occasional hill-top or tree just breaking through in the distance. It was like being in an aircraft above the clouds. Phil was heard to say “It’s like another world up here…”. After much clicking of camera shutters, we rode on through Garth and Beulah and then along the B4358, that beautiful sweeping switchback of a road, to meet the A470 at Newbridge-on-Wye. We turned towards Rhayader, but stopped for our first planned coffee-stop at the Halt Café, where we met up as planned with Bill and Sarah. We were now up to 11 Pack members on 9 bikes. Once warmed and refreshed, we took the B4518 out of Rhayader to Llaniloes and then climbed across Fan Hill, past Llyn Clywedogon to Staylittle. If the scenery in its brilliant autumn colours had not been spectacular enough to this point, then it was certainly going to be as we turned onto the minor road that wends its way for about 15 miles over the hills between Staylittle and Machynlleth. This is one of those biking roads where you just want to test your ability to the maximum, but the scenery is so spectacular that you settle for the views! From Machynlleth town centre, it was just a couple of miles further along the A487 to the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT). Here, we boarded the water-powered funicular railway at the foot of the hill to ascend 200 feet to the C.A.T. for lunch.

The return trip was via the coast road to Aberystwyth and then via the B4337 through Nebo and Tal-sarn to meet the A482 near Lampeter. This stretch of road between Lampeter and its junction with the A40 at Llanwrda, really does need to be ridden to appreciate its biking qualities. With the sunshine fading and the temperature beginning to dip sharply, it was time for the final coffee and hot chocolate stop in the Sennybridge Café before making our individual ways home.

Another splendid day out – bring on the next one!

Seven bikes and 8 Pack members assembled at Cardiff West services on Sunday morning, 25th November, ready for the 8 a.m. departure for the N.E.C. Despite being a bit nippy at that time of the morning, the weather was nevertheless clear and bright. Running in the new demonstrator Tiger 1050 meant that Warp 1 speeds had to be avoided, but nevertheless progress along the motorway route was swift enough. Unfortunately, we came up behind a police panda car at the start of the M50 - the driver kept to a steady 75 mph all the way up the motorway, so it was questionable what his response would have been if we had overtaken him. Oh well, discretion is the better part of valour and I was running the bike in after all. The police car then turned up the M5 in the direction that we wanted to go, so we decided to take a coffee break at the Strensham Services. The rest of the journey was uneventful (except for the onset of light rain) and we arrived at the NEC at about 10.30 a.m.

we split up tp explore the show, agreeing that we would meet up again for the return trip at 3.30 p.m. unless anyone wanted to leave earlier. There was lots of shiny new metal to be seen, crash helmets boots and leathers by the truck-load and of course the arena events. However, I scarcely looked at any of these, but confined my interest to the Touring Zone, the Garmin GPS and Touratech stands, Bluetooth receivers and various other after market accessories. Even so, I only just made it back to the indoor bike park by 3.30 p.m. to leave with the remaining 2 bikes!

The trip back was uneventful, the weather stayed dry and mild and with just one stop for fuel, we were back home by around 5.45 p.m.

The weather forecast for Sunday 23rd September had not been good - rain all over Wales for most of the day, with possible sunshine coming in from the west later in the afternoon. Clearly, you can't cater for the weather when you plan these trips months in advance, so I am always apprehensve about how many Pack members will turn up on the day if the weather is rainy. I should not have worried about this, as the Bevan's Pack members are clearly not just fine weather riders. A dozen people on nine bikes turned out for the Pack ride to the pictureque town of Cenarth on the A484 between Carmarthen and Cardigan.

The forecast was correct - we had a steady drizzle all the way up the A470, which turned to cold low cloud and rain over the hills at the Storey Arms; consequently, the coffee stop at Sennybridge was welcomed by all and was a chance to warm up. The second leg of the journey took us along the A40 and then up the A482 to Lampeter, before taking a left down to Newcastle Emlyn and on to Cenarth. Once parked up in the car park adjacent to the river, we headed out in small groups to forage for food, agreeing to meet up later for the return journey.

The forecasted sunshine made a timely appearance during our stop at Cenarth, where there was the opportunity to visit the National Coracle Museum, partake in a pub lunch or just take the opportunity to watch for the salmon leaping up the beautiful Cenarth Falls. Our group elected to have an outside lunch in the sun at a delightful thatched coffee shop, where we took the opportunity to strip off the wet weather gear and dry the clothes which the rain had worked its way through to.

The return journey started off dry and sunny as we headed off over the hills on the B4333, through beautiful countryside with spectacular vistas. We routed via Carmarthen and then the A40 back to Sennybridge, but by this time some light drizzle had returned so we stopped for coffee and bade our farewells at the cafe there.

Despite the wet weather for most of the trip, the outing was enjoyed and appreciated by those hardy riders who braved the wet start. Let's hope that we return to our usual record for dry weather runs by the time we set off for the weekend away in the Cotswolds next weekend!

The Scotland tour, followed almost immediately by the Pack Leader’s absence to Italy for a couple of weeks, had resulted in there being an absence of 1-day ride-outs since Bill and Sarahs’ BBQ in the 3rd week in July. This must have been felt by Pack members, who turned out in numbers to support the ride into mid-Wales on Sunday 2nd September. Many of the usual faces were at the start point, plus an unusually large number of new faces. Three of these were on classic bikes and were keen to understand how fast we rode and how far the run would be. Once they found out that the planned run was 230 miles, the classics departed to play amongst themselves and the remaining 13 bikes set off at 9.30 a.m. towards Chepstow. Because of the large number of bikes and the frequent turnings onto a succession of ‘B’ roads, it was decided to adopt the “second-man drop-off” procedure to ensure that nobody got lost or left behind. This worked perfectly, and after a wonderful run through the lanes of Monmouthshire, we all arrived for the planned coffee-stop at the Galanthus Café at Wormbridge, where we met up with 3 more Pack members on two bikes. The ride continued through Abbey Dore, along Golden Valley to Hay-on-Wye and then on through Clifford and along the “Black & White Trail” to Kington. From Kington, we took more ‘B’ roads through Presteigne and Norton to Knighton, where we joined the A488 to our lunch stop at The 100 House Inn at Bleddfa.

The 100 House Inn has grown considerably in popularity with bikers since it was refurbished by new owners back in February of this year (maybe it’s the biker décor or the plasma T.V. screen showing Moto GPs……who knows?) and so we found ourselves confined to the garden for lunch! This was O.K. because the weather had been fine all morning, but by the time we were ready to move off, grey skies had replaced the blue and rain looked a distinct possibility. The 100-mile return route took us further along the A488 to Penybont and then along the wonderful A483 to Builth and on to Llandovery. This part of the route enabled an alternative, shorter route to be taken from Builth to Brecon for those not used to 200-mile rides! The last part of the journey involved the final coffee stop at Sennybridge, where we bade our farewells, before riding back in light drizzle to Cardiff.

This was a well-received ride by all riders, which generated a lot of positive feed-back. The next one-day ride (which will be a bit shorter), is scheduled for Sunday 23rd September and details will be promulgated shortly. The following week we are planning a weekend away (29-30th September); again, details will be promulgated very shortly.

The Pack's 10-day tour of Scotland from 28th July - 6th August got off to a good start as five of the seven Pack members left Cardiff in fine dry weather, to meet up with the other two members at the Halt Stop Cafe outside Rhayader.

The 10-day tour took us through the Yorkshire Dales, up the west coast of Scotland, to Cape Wrath at the very north-west tip of Scotland, a distance of approximately 1000 miles from Cardiff. Daily mileages were in the order of 200 miles and we stopped at pre-booked hotels each evening. On the first day we rode north between the borders of England and Wales, into the Yorkshire Dales National Park, to our first night-stop near Skipton. Day 2 took us through North Yorkshire to Penrith and on past Carlisle and Dumfries to our second night stop at Rockcliffe, Dumfries & Galloway and then on Day 3 we started our ride up the west coast of Scotland to Ayre, across the Firth of Clyde, through Dumbarton and up the western shores of Loch Lomond. Our third night stop was at Lochgoilhead, where we spent Day 4 as a free day to enjoy the beauty of the area. On Day 5 we rode north again along the shore of Loch Linnhe, through Fort William, to our Hotel at Erbusaig, near Kyle of Lochalsh for our overnight stop. Day 6 was another free day, which everyone used to explore the beautiful Isle of Skye (where surprisingly, most riders recorded around 180 miles), before heading north again through the Highlands on Day 7 to Durness, near Cape Wrath.

The 3-day return trip of approximately 700 miles took us south-east across the Highlands to Tain and then thro Inverness, Grantown-on-Spey and Braemar to Perth, where we stopped overnight on Day 8. On Day 9 we continued across the Forth Road Bridge, rode south around Edinburgh, Galashiels, and then through the Borders to Carlisle. From Carlisle we took in a short section of M6 (about 10 miles), before taking the A6 through Penrith and over Shapp Fell to Kendal where we spent our final night of the holiday. The final leg of the journey on Day 10 was down the A6 though Lancaster, a short section of the M6 and then down the A49 between the borders of England and Wales back to Cardiff.

Accommodation Details.

Day 1 -: Tarn House Country Inn , Stirton, Nr Skipton, North Yorkshire.

Day 2 - Baron's Craig Hotel, Rockcliffe

Day 3 - :The Shore House Inn, Lochgoilhead, Cairndow, Argyll.

Day 4 - :Second night stop at same location.

Day 5 - :Tingle Creek Hotel, Erbusaig, Kyle of Lochalsh.

Day 6 - :The Plockton Hotel, Harbour Street, Plockton, Wester Ross

Day 7 - : MacKay's Restaurant with rooms, Durness.

Day 8 - : Sunbank House Hotel, 50, Dundee Road, Perth

Day 9 - : The Wheatsheaf at Beetham, Nr Kendall, Cumbria.

The weather was generally fine and dry, although we did encounter heavy rain for the last 40 miles of the 180-mile journey up to Cape Wrath. Heavy winds blew up overnight and, although the rain had passed through by the time we left the next morning, the wind was still blowing at about Force 6 - this made it interesting on exposed roads, where it was necessary to lean to the right to take left-hand bends! However, once away from the exposed north coast, the effects of the wind diminished and we had probably the best days riding of the tour. Whilst it is difficult to say which was the best day with so many memorable roads and views, this 240 mile ride included a whole range of scenery, together with deserted roads that were a joy to ride. On other days the weather was also beautiful – this was definitely the case when we were heading north through the Highlands near Fort William and decided to divert slightly off route to view Glencoe. On our way back we diverted again onto the B863 around Loch Leven – wow, what a spectacular road to ride! We found the Loch Leven Sea Food Café beside the loch and stopped for a seafood lunch – amazing! My entry in the visitors’ book read: “A fast lap around the loch, a fresh seafood lunch - bikers' Heaven!"

This tour was another success for the R.A.T. Pack. Next year we plan to run a 10-day tour around northern Spain in late May/early June, using National Paradors for accommodation. Let me know early if you would like to join us.

This was the third time that the Bevan’s R.A.T. Pack had made the ride to Harlech for a “gastronomic” weekend. Amazingly, the numbers have grown each year; this year, despite the very rainy weather, 15 Pack members on 12 bikes committed to the event. For their commitment, they were amply rewarded.

We set off from Cardiff West services on Saturday 14th July in clear dry weather, with the forecast of it remaining that way for the rest of the day. From Brecon we took the back roads through Lower and Upper Chapel, the Eppynt military ranges, Beulah, and Newbridge on Wye to our first coffee stop at The Halt Café outside Rhayader. Here we met up with Bill and Sarah who had ridden up from near Sennybridge. With the complete complement of 12 bikes, we headed off via more back roads to Llanidloes and then via the stunning B4518 across the hills from Llanidloes to Machynlleth. Next was the sweeping A487 to Dolgellau and then the coast road around Barmouth Bay and on to Harlech, where well-earned ‘bikers’ beers’ were promptly enjoyed. This was a fabulous ride in its own right and the group meal in the restaurant was still to come!

Saturday evening was a blur of banter, laughter, good food, fine wines and good company until the early hours of the morning, with the promise of a leisurely breakfast and a 10.00 a.m. start the next day.

The heavy rain forecasted for Sunday 15th July was not evident as we left Harlech for the ride to Llangollen, but the temperature had definitely dropped a few degrees. By the time that we were at the top of the Maesyrychen Mountain and about to start the Horseshoe Pass, the rain started to fall and so we stopped at The Ponderosa Café on the top of the mountain for a warming coffee break. With the rain almost stopped, we rode on to Llangollen for a look around the town (a trip on the steam train or a a canal barge would have been delightful on a sunny day), before heading off back towards Cardiff via Oswestry, Welshpool, Newtown, Llangurig and Rhayader. At Newtown, Ray discovered a problem with his Sprint’s rear wheel, which we thought might have been a collapsed wheel bearing. With no tools to investigate the problem, Gill rode pillion with the Pack Leader whilst Ray nursed his bike about 30 miles or so to the Halt Stop Café at Rhayader. From there, we elected to call the recovery service and waited in the café with a good meal until the recovery vehicle arrived.

We managed to avoid any heavy rainfalls whilst out on the roads and by the time that we arrived home, our riding kit was dry!

Undoubtedly, the weekend had been a success and 15 Pack members had enjoyed themselves. My thanks go to them all for their commitment and safe riding – we will do this again next year, so watch out for it on the 2008 schedule and commit early to reserve your place(s).

Sat & Sunday 21st/22nd July:

Because of the heavy rain and lack of seasonal weather over the past few weeks, we might have expected this event to be cancelled through lack of support, but Bevan's Pack members are made of much sterner stuff than that and 17 people turned up for the B-B-Q and overnight camping at Bill Plenty’s farm near Brecon. Some camped on the front lawn, some slept in their van, some used Sarah's spare rooms and some just stayed for the splendid BBQ and good craic.

Clearly the adverse weather leading up to the event had deterred several people who might otherwise have come. Indeed, Dee and Liz had travelled by car to Northamton on Thursday, expecting to be home by lunchtime on Saturday to prepare for the ride to Bill & Sarahs' place. However, they got held up in the flood chaos on the M5 around Tewkesbury and didn't get back to Cardiff at all on the Saturday. Instead, they managed to eventually cut across country on the A40 and met us at Sennybridge in time to be escorted by Bill to his farm at Paradise in the back of beyond.

By amazing good fortune, the weather stayed mostly dry for the evening and the event was as big a success as it was last year. All the organisational details were again clearly evident, with the addition of a large gazibo that covered most of the outside tables. This proved its worth at around midnight, when the first showers of the night started. Again, there was lots of beautiful food, real ale, fine wines, deseret wine, port, spirits......(hic), in fact everything that you could possibly wish for at a BBQ.

On Sunday morning we set off for the planned ride-out around parts of the boundary road of the nearby army ranges. These roads formed part of the “Welsh TT” of the early ‘50’s – and provided superb riding roads and some spectacular views over parts of the Wye Valley. We ended up at the Erwood Station coffee and craft shop for refreshments, before "going our own way" back to variuos locations (to watch British Superbikes, World Superbikes and the Moto GP on the telly!).

This was a fabulous event and our thanks go to Bill and Sarah for their generousity, their attention to detail and for finding the time in their busy working schedule to stage the event.

Despite the short notice given for this Pack ride-out (it replaced the planned Treasure Hunt, which was under-subscribed), there was a good turn out on the day. Indeed, 10 bikes and 11 people left from Cardiff West services at 7.30 a.m on Sunday morning (10th June 2007) and Ray joined us at the Ace, having had too late a night the previous evening to make the arranged start time!

Frank Spragg called on Saturday evening to say that he would not be able to make the run as he had just found out that his Bonnie desperately needed new rear brake pads – however, after discussion it was agreed that he would borrow his son’s Kawasaki 1100 and Gloria would ride pillion on the Pack Leader’s Tiger (so, who was the bravest?).

The weather looked better than promising as we set off and it improved to “South of France” proportions as we neared the Ace. The first part of the route was along the M4 to Junction 18 and then along country lanes through Cotswold villages and the coffee stop was at the Swan Hotel in Radcot – on -Thames. Many will remember this delightful setting in the English countryside, close to the river’s edge, from previous trips. Unfortunately, Antonio roared ahead of us (on one of the 4 Speed Triples) along the M4 (having not collected his route-card beforehand) and failed to realise that everyone behind him was turning off at J18. To his credit, he made his own way to the Ace from that point and met up with us there (however, he didn’t move off my back wheel for most of the route home!).

The sun shone fiercely at the Ace and for the rest of the day. We enjoyed the ambience of this Bikers’ Mecca, as well as the hundreds of Triumphs, old and new, that graced the car park and all of the adjoining pavements! The Ace Cafe London welcomes all who share a passion for motorcycles, cars and rock 'n’ roll. The cafe is devised, designed and built by fellow petrolheads, so it is easy to enjoy the ambience and, by using the facilities and activities, we can help to ensure that its history lives on.

After filling up with greasy food and coke, and with photos taken and Ace merchandise safely stowed in our tank bags, we set of for a scenic ride along the A40 through Oxford, Cheltenham and Gloucester, where we stopped for a well-earned ice-cream break, and then on through the Forest of Dene and past Tintern Abbey to join the M4 for the last few miles back to Cardiff.

This was a fairly long run at around 370 miles, but the venue, the scenery and the almost empty roads made this a very worthwhile and rewarding ride. We will do it again some time, so watch out for it. My thanks go to those Pack members who turned out to make this a successful day.

Despite the very wet and changeable weather that we had been having for 2 or 3 weeks prior to the event, seven hardy Pack Members set off from Cardiff West Services at 9.30 a.m. on Saturday 23rd June to ride to the New Forest to camp overnight at Roundhills Camping Park near Brockenhurst, just 2 miles from Beaulieu. This was to allow us to visit the fabulous 2-day Motorcycle World festival in the grounds of Beaulieu Estate and Motor Museum at opening time on the second morning. There is usually plenty to see - stunt riding displays, rare and unusual bikes being 'raced' around a closed road in the estate, static exhibits, club stands, manufacturers' stands etc., so it seemed worthwhile to make the effort despite the weather and the forecast!

Although rain threatened throughout the day, we successfully avoided it for the first 100 miles and we were lucky to be having our lunch in the Half Moon at Shaftsbury when the heavans opened. Even luckier, it had stopped by the time we moved on and we made it all the way to Lyndhust before it started to rain heavily. Unfortunately, Mrs RAT got knocked-off her 1050 Tiger by a 4x4 driver who decided that he couldn't sit in the traffic queue any longer and so did a U-turn in the road without checking his mirror, just as Mrs RAT was passing by. Mrs RAT was O.K., as was the Tiger (to which Mr RAT had fitted a set of new engine bars just one week earlier - they work!) - unfortunately, the same could not be said for the driver's door of the 2-day-old 4x4.

We arrived at the campsite in the pouring rain and set about trying to find a reasonably drained spot for our 4 tents - this was not easy on a fairly flat site that was heavily waterlogged! When we did find a suitable spot and got the tents pitched, Mr Jobs-worth turned up to tell us that we would have to move them because they were the wrong side of some imaginary fence-line! After some fairly carefully selected words and phrases, we moved the tents to another area that at least seemed to be above water-level. With the tents pitched and the rain stopped, the boys headed into Brockenhurst for the all important wine, whilst the girls got the BBQs lit and drunk the G&T. The rain held off all evening to allow us to barbecue the fillet steaks and sit around the camp fire singing, playing the harmonica and generally "shooting the s**t" until about 1 a.m.

After turning-in, some slept like logs, whilst others were kept awake by torrential rain for long periods throughout the night. However, we were all up and packed away by about 9.30 a.m. on Sunday morning to make our way the last 2 miles to Beaulieu. The rain scarcely let-up throughout Sunday morning - much of the display programme had to be curtailed and many of the exhibitors did not attend; however, the AWOL Streetfighters put on a stunning display of burn-outs, wheelies, stoppies and more - well done boys.

After lunch, we plotted a return route along main roads to avoid the 'nadgery' back lanes that we had travelled down on - it was unlikely that we would be admiring the view! However, we were mistaken, because we had a dry and pleasant run back, arriving in the sunshine at around 5 p.m.

My thanks go to those who supported the event despite the weather and whose company made this a worthwhile weekend away.

Despite the extremely changeable weather that we had been having over the past couple of weeks, coupled with absences of some regular members to the French Moto GP, there was still a group of 11 people on 9 bikes that headed of for the barbecue at Mallard’s Pike Lake, near Blakeney in the Forest of Dene. However, the Pack member who actually asked for this run to be included in the schedule did not turn up!

We had a leisurely start, leaving Cardiff West Services at 10.30 am to route down the M4 to J24 and then A48 to Blakeney. We arrived at Mallard’s Pike Lake shortly before noon and set up the barbecues close to the lake edge and it was not long before the culinary skills of the male hunter gatherers was in evidence! Bob had more chicken drumsticks than you could shake a stick at; it wa just a shame shame about there being virtually no charcoal in his disposable barbecue though! However, resources were pooled and eventually all the steaks, chops chicken and burgers were cooked to perfection and enjoyed in beautiful sunshine in the forest setting (together with lashings of banter!).

After a couple of hours, we headed back through the Forest on a variety of winding, but quiet 'B' roads before the joining the A48 and then the M4 for the return journey.

This was another good day out in bright sunny weather - watch out for the next one and join us.

The National R.A.T. Dragon Raid was held from Friday to Sunday 20th – 22nd April at the Vale Hotel at Hensol. Our Pack had again been asked to plan some memorable riding and help with marshalling duties on the Saturday and Sunday.

Set in the Vale of Glamorgan and focusing the riding through Mid Wales and the Elan Valley, this years Dragon Raid was a great success and was an event not to be missed. The event followed the same popular format as previously, with three course sit-down meals on the Friday and the Saturday, live band entertainment, competitions, and giveaways, and of course not forgetting the spectacular riding offered by riding in Mid Wales.

There were two rides to choose from on the Saturday (long and short) which left the car park of the Vale Hotel shortly after 10.00 a.m. The long ride was around Devil's Bridge and the Elan Valley, whilst the short ride was a circular run around Llantrisant, Aberdare, Glyn Neath, Abercraf, Dan-yr-Ogof Caves, Glyntawe, Trecastle, Pont Aber, Brynaman, Gurnos, Hirwaun, Treorchy, Blackmill, Bryncethin, Llantrisant and back to the hotel. Close to 100 bikes attended the event and the majority elected to ride the long route in the perfect sunny spring weather. Many willing Bevan's Pack members acted as marshals on both routes throughout the day and did a splendid job of marking the routes - my thanks go to each of them for their active support.

After the Saturday night bash, we all set off via a scenic route over the Rhigos Mountain to the Brecon Beacons Visitor Centre at Lianus, where we stopped for coffee, lunch and farewells, before making our various routes home.

Photos are on the gallery on this site.

Twelve Pack members on 8 bikes left Cardiff in brilliant sunshine on Good Friday morning for the trip down to Cornwall. A splendid weather forecast for virtually the entire Bank Holiday was a real bonus, but could we keep away from the thousands of other ‘grockles’ who would undoubtedly be heading to the west country?

The tour was planned as a Pack trip to Cornwall for the Easter break, with 3 nights accommodation at different places; these included Boscastle, Falmouth and Liskeard. Fine dining was the plan for each evening, to round off the carefully chosen routes each day. Attractions on the rides included Tintagel Castle, Port Isaac, Padstow harbour, Land’s End, the Minack Theatre, the National Seal Sanctuary at Gwent and, of course, Cornish cream teas.

After a brisk run along the M4 and a hopeful start on the M5, we soon encountered the dreaded stationary queues, apparently caused by an accident on the south-bound carriageway much earlier that morning. Undeterred, we all engaged serious filtering mode and after some many miles of dodging open car doors, people walking about on the carriageway and dogs drinking from bowls, we popped out at the front near Sedgemoor Services, where we stopped for well-deserved refreshments.

The planned route required us to leave the M5 at Junction 24 and pick up the B3227 outside Taunton and follow this right down past Great Torrington, almost to the north coast of Cornwall. What a fabulous road this turned out to be! We probably didn’t see more than a dozen cars on our side of the road and passed through lots of sleepy Devon villages and gorgeous scenery on the way. Arrival at Boscastle was uneventful and we all settled into our respective guest houses, had a beer and met up for our first evening meal together at the Bottreaux Hotel.

The next day we set off at 9.30a.m. to head south along country lanes, planning to follow the coastline south through Tintagel, Port Isaac, Padstow, Perranporth and St Ives, around Land’s End, visit the open-air Minack Theatre at St Levan and then continue along the coast through Penzance and Helston to our accommodation at Falmouth. However, lazy stops at Tintagel and Padstow - to enjoy the sunshine, pasties and scenery - meant that we had to cut the ride short at St Ives and head directly to Falmouth to book into our accommodation in time to walk into the town for our evening meal at the Bistro de la Mer. The meal was absolutely superb and thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. The following day we elected to ride to the National Seal Sanctuary at Gweek and then continue on to take in the Minack Theatre and Land’s End – well, it would have been a shame to have missed it, wouldn’t it? The seal sanctuary was delightful, set remotely on the Helford River in beautiful quiet countryside at Gweek – most of the ladies agreed that they wanted to adopt a seal and take it home! The Minack theatre is a fascinating spectacle, resembling a Roman arena cut out of the side of the cliffs near Land’s End. However, it is much more recent than that – indeed, the first production was held there in 1932. Evening productions are still performed there throughout the summer season – it must be delightful to watch a production with moonlight bathing the sea and theatre. Whilst we were there, the weather was hot and sunny and the views afforded over the adjacent St Levan Bay were truly magnificent. After the mandatory cream tea stop at the Barn Tea Rooms, we briefly visited Land’s End for the ‘tick in the box’ before heading off to Liskeard for our final nightstop of the tour and an evening meal at The Smugglers’ Cott in East Looe.

All good things come to an end eventually and so the next morning (Easter Monday) we meandered along the B3212, right across Dartmoor to join the M5 at Exeter. Some elected to return along the beautifully quiet B3227 that we had used on the way to Cornwall, whilst others elected for the high speed M5/M4 dash back to Cardiff.

The glorious weather, the good food, the great riding roads and the excellent company all combined to make this an excellent Easter break for Pack members. If you want to experience this for yourself, then book yourself onto either the Harlech weekend trip on 14/15th July or the 10-day tour of Scotland from 28th July to 6th August 2007 (inclusive). Details of both are on the Bevan website at www.bevanmc.co.uk – just follow the link on the homepage to the R.A.T. members’ area.

At 9.30 a.m. on Sunday 29th April 07, a small but perfectly formed group of 6 bikes and 8 people left Cardiff West services to head for a day out at Eastnor Castle, near Ledbury. Naturally, we routed via scenic roads past Tintern through the Wye Valley, the Forest of Dene and up through the Malvern Hills to reach Eastnor Castle, which lies between the Cotswolds and the Welsh Marches, just 2½ miles east of Ledbury on the A438 Tewkesbury road. The coffee stop on the way to Eastnor was at a little known and off-the-beaten-track eco-friendly cafe and village shop at Brockweir.

Eastnor Castle, a fairytale Georgian castle in the dramatic setting of the Malvern Hills and surrounded by a beautiful deer park, arboretum and lake - is the home of the Hervey-Bathurst family. Inside this family home you'll find richly decorated Gothic interiors, fine art, armour and much more.....Assault Course, Knight's Maze, Tree Trail, Lakeside and Woodland Walks and Special Events. The Arboretum contains some of the finest Cedars in Britain.
Eastnor is one of those British anomalies - something new pretending to be something old. It was begun in 1811 by the 2nd Lord Somers (later Earl Somers) to provide a home more suited to his elevated status as a peer of the realm. The house itself, if such a large structure can really be called a house, is built with a symmetrical central block with corner towers. The west wing is given over to family quarters. There is a series of show rooms on display, including the huge Great Hall (60 ft. high ceiling) with its armour collection, the drawing room by Pugin, the library by George Fox (with Flemish tapestries which were originally ordered by Catherine de' Medici), the dining room, and the state bedrooms. Throughout the house there is an excellent collection of art, including the expected group of family portraits.

Most of Eastnor Castle's exotic trees were planted in the second half of the 19th century, at the height of the Victorian passion for plant collecting. The 2nd and 3rd Earls Somers collected seed on their travels. Many more plants came from botanical expeditions and from specialist nurseries where trees were raised from seed imported from all over the world. Eastnor's Arboretum is surprising for the beauty and exceptional size of the trees, growing as they do in the alkaline soil of the Malvern Hills rather than in the acid soil where most other conifer collections are found. It has been said that the arbouretum includes the most magnificent collection of cedars in the British Isles.

After a lazy few hours at the castle and its beautiful grounds, we decided to try the Knights' Maze before departing. This clearly demonstated who had no sense of directionn at all - we all waited at the bikes for Bob to find his way out and if Lizzy hadn't been given instructions from someone in the tower at the centre, then she would probably still be there!

This was another fine Pack day out in the sun - watch out for the next one on this website and join us!

Despite a week or more of unseasonably sunny weather, the forecast for Sunday 18th March was for cold weather, cloud, sleet and even snow. This, coupled with the fact that it was Mothering Sunday (a fact which Mr R.A.T. overlooked when planning this event several months ago), could have meant that nobody would turn up on the day! But Bevan’s R.A.T. Pack members are made of sterner stuff than that, possibly buoyed by the good weather we often manage to find in the past. So, 15 Pack members on 11 bikes headed away from Cardiff at 10.00 a.m. in bright wintry sunshine, through Carleon and Llanbadoc towards Usk Castle for the first card of the poker hand to be dealt. Despite a very light flurry of sleet, we rode on in sunshine along the B4598, through Kemeys Commander to Abergavenny. Here we stopped at the bus station biker’s café to deal the second card to each rider, under the watchful gaze of Abergavenny Castle. Onwards along the B4521 through Llanvetherine, to find White Castle, the venue for the deal of the third playing card. This castle was built by the Normans in the twelfth century as one of three castles to protect their lands in this area. Both the castle and its moat are still in remarkable condition, thanks to the National Trust, and the Pack members clearly enjoyed this scenic stop out in the sticks. The next stop was at Skenfrith Castle, before heading to Grosmont to deal the fifth card of the poker hand. In fact, we stopped at the Part-y-Seal Tea Rooms at Grosmont to do this over lunch. The Part-y-Seal tea rooms are in a traditional country house and gardens, set in wonderful surroundings in the beautiful Monnow valley. As well as the tea rooms, a wide selection of oriental gifts and furniture are on sale there. However, quick service at the tea-rooms was not the strong point that day and several people were still waiting for their lunches after others had finished and paid for theirs! However, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise because the dark storm clouds that had gathered during lunch eventually dumped a heavy shower of sleet and snow whilst we were inside. This caused us to change the plan; instead of stopping at the sixth castle in Monmouth for players to change cards, we elected to complete the hand at the lunch stop. After careful evaluation, Frank and Glorias’ King flush was adjudged to be the winning hand. Magically, after the long lunch and the prize-giving, the clouds had cleared and skies were blue with bright sunshine again, so we headed off to join the A466 to Monmouth and on to Tinturn Pava for a coffee stop at the Abbey Mill. The weather continued to hold out, despite light flurries of rain, and enabled us to return to Cardiff via the A48 and a short stretch of M4.

This was a good day out for those that attended and they must now be feeling quite righteous – after all, they do say that the sun shines on the righteous

Three members of the Bevans Motorcycle R.A.T. Pack left Heathrow airport on Sunday 18th February 2007 to undertake the 12-day Enduro India charity motorcycle ride through 2000 km of some of the most challenging and dramatic countryside that south India has to offer.

Chris Finch, the Bevan Motorcycles Pack Leader, together with his wife Dee and George Webb, joined around 140 other individuals from all walks of life to participate in their own personal challenge to help others less fortunate than themselves. Their aim - to complete a gruelling motorbike ride across southern India, covering some of the most beautiful and demanding terrain this stunning area can offer. They travelled long distances across the Western Ghat mountains and desert plains, through protected wildlife reserves and ancient forests, through tea plantations at 6000 feet, through coffee and spice plantations and through chaotic traffic in towns and cities. The majority of the riding was on minor roads with horrendous pot-holed surfaces and much of the riding was done off-tarmac during this ‘dawn ‘til dusk’ adventure.

Enduro India aims to donate 50% of all monies raised to the following charities:

Rainbow Trust

World Wide Fund for Nature

Wildlife Conservation Society India

Mother Theresa Educational & Charitable Society India

As a result of monies raised this year, £220,000 will be donated to the above charities; over the 5 years that Enduro India has been running these events, a total of £1 million has been raised for these charities.

This event lived up to its billing as "the adventure of a lifetime" - if you get the opportunity, take it!

The first planned ride of the season in early February after the winter lay-off …..it might be freezing, snowing, pouring who knows? How many might turn up? How many lunches will needed at the pub? Despite these posers for the Pack Leader, an astonishing 21 people turned up on 16 bikes for the short season opening ride to visit the Roman town of Caerleon, and then on through Usk to Kemeys Commander for a pub lunch at the Chainbridge Inn. The return journey took us up over the mountain at Blaenavon, past the Big Pit, over the mountain at Caerphilly, past Castle Coch and back to Cardiff. The route was just over 100 miles and, on a beautiful clear and sunny winter day this was the perfect way to ease the Pack Members back into their saddles after the winter lay-off.

Caerleon was the site of one of Britain's three Roman Legionary Fortresses and many believe it to be the location of King Arthur's Camelot. In 830 AD Nennius listed Cair Lion as one of Britain's 33 cities. The amphitheatre, which could once seat a whole legion of up to six thousand spectators, stands just outside the walled area. However, it was decided that racing Triumphs around the arena was perhaps not a good idea and so, with the terraced seating long since vanished and there being no ice-cream or pop corn on sale, Pack members strolled into the town for a coffee at Maggies Café.

After a short break (to make sure that the pub would be open at the next stop!), we rode to Usk along minor, but well-surfaced roads, and then took the old road to Abergavenny and stopped at the Chain Bridge Inn at Kemeys Commander for a bar snack lunch. The food was good and made the long wait worthwhile ….but, with all the banter, some scarcely noticed the wait! With the tables on the open-air decking along the banks of the River Usk, this would make a good venue for a mid summer evening Pack ride.

The impressive turn-out, the beautiful weather and the easy lanes (okay, so there were hairpins and mountain roads in places), good food and company made this a really enjoyable ride for everyone.

In addition to the monthly Club Nights, which are held at the Lewis Arms in Pentyrch on the third Thursday evening of each month, the following activities are planned for 2007:

Thursday 18th January: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sunday 4th February: Pack Ride-out. This is planned to be a low mileage season opener to the Roman town of Caerleon and then to Usk for a decent pub lunch.

Thursday 15th February: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Thursday 15th March: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sunday 18th March: The Poker run. Ride-out to six castles in Monmouthshire - collect a playing card at the first 5 castles, change one card at the sixth castle and the winning hand gets a prize!

Friday 6th – Monday 9th April (Easter PH): Pack trip to Cornwall for Easter Break. Ride-outs on both Saturday and Sunday - this might be "Tors, Towers and Tin Mines", a visit to the National Seal Sanctuary, "the three ferries run", a castles run (Pendennis, Launceston, St Michael's Mount, St Mawes, Tintagel.....), or even something entirely different!
THIS TRIP IS NOW FULLY BOOKED


Tuesday 10th April: This is the first complimentary ride-out of 2007 to the Triumph factory at Hinckley. The factory tours, which take 2 hours, start at 12.00 noon, so we will leave Bevan’s shop at 9 a.m. to enable us to take a leisurely ride through the Cotswold countryside and stop for a farm shop lunch on the way there. Please call the shop to book your place(s).

Thursday 19th April: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Friday to Sunday 20th – 22nd April: National R.A.T. Dragon Raid based in Cardiff area at the Vale Hotel, Hensol. Our Pack has again been asked to plan some memorable riding and help with marshalling duties on the Saturday and Sunday. After the splendid Pack support for the 2006 National Ride to Devil's Bridge, can I ask for your support for this event?

Set in the Vale of Glamorgan and focusing the riding through Mid Wales and the Elan Valley, this years Dragon Raid will be an event not to be missed. This year will be on the same popular format as previously, with three course sit-down meals on the Friday and the Saturday, various entertainment, competitions, and giveaways, and of course not forgetting the spectacular riding you will get from riding in Mid Wales.

There will be two options this year. Firstly there will be the full weekend option at £75.00 per person, which includes meals on the Friday and Saturday night, entry to all competitions, the weekends entertainment and of course the route books. Secondly there will be the Saturday only option at £40.00 per person. This includes Saturdays meal, entry to Saturdays competitions, Saturdays entertainment and again of course the route books. There will be an event souvenir T-Shirt available to those who want them, simply order yours at the time of booking.

To open this Raid up to more people, accommodation is not included with this event; this gives you the choice of either staying on site in one of the top suites at the Hotel or if you prefer, you can keep the cost of the event down by attending on the Saturday only.

You are advised to book early to avoid disappointment. If you would like to guarantee your place on the now legendary Dragon Raid - simply fill in the application form on the downloadable flier avalible from Triumph's website at www.triumphmotorcycles.com or contact Ben Gray direct on 01455 891515.

Sunday 29th April: Pack ride-out to Eastnor Castle, Ledbury.

Sunday 13th May: Pack ride-out CANCELLED.

Thursday 17th May: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Thursday 24th May: Triumph Factory Visit – please call the shop to reserve place(s).

Sunday 20th May: Pack ride-out to Mallards Pike Lake in the Forest of Dene. This time, it’s a ride-out and barbecue combined! It’s only a relatively short ride (approx 55 miles) to Mallard’s Pike Lake, near Blakeney in the Forest of Dene, where there are a couple of permanent BBQ stands set up for communal use.
Let’s see how imaginative you can be with your culinary skills and how you manage to pack it on the bike! In addition to your food, remember to bring charcoal and fire-lighters (or if you prefer, you may decide to bring the instant/disposable BBQ kits).

The two BBQ stands are close to the shore of the lake, there is usually a small mobile catering trailer on site for coffee and burgers (if you really can’t manage your own!), there are toilets and washing facilities close by and there is a pleasant, short walk around the lake.

We will leave the car park of Cardiff West Services at Junction 33 of the M4 at 10.30 am and route down the M4 to J24 and then A48 to Blakeney. We will be at Mallard’s Pike Lake by noon and can afford to spend a couple of hours or so for the barbecue, before heading back through the Forest on the return journey.


Sunday 27th May: The planned Pack ride-out to Batsford Arbouretum has now been changed to a ride-out to the Penny Farthing pub at Aston Crews for a pub lunch. The route is about 145 miles for the round trip and is mainly along delightful 'B' roads. We will leave Cardiff West Services at J33 of the M4 at 10.00 a.m. sharp.

Sunday 10th June: The planned Motorcycle Treasure Hunt in the Vale of Glamorgan has been cancelled due to lack of interest. Instead, there will now be a Pack ride-out to the Triumph Bike Day at The Ace Café in London. The Ace Cafe London welcomes all who share our passion, based upon the traditions of motorcycles, cars and rock 'n’ roll.
This cafe, devised, designed and built by fellow petrolheads, is your café, so enjoy the ambience and make the most of the facilities and activities to ensure that its history lives on. The way of expressing oneself, the music and the machines may have changed over the last decades, but the spirit and motivation remains the same, - individual and authentic. So set the wheels in motion and take a journey with us to experience the unique Ace Cafe London experience!

We did this trip a couple of years ago and it was quite popular - indeed, I've had
people ask me if we could do it again. We will use the M4 as far as J18 and then use a series of country 'A' and 'B' roads to cut north-east to Witney on the A40. We will then cruise down the A40 into London. Ace Corner is the junction of Beresford Avenue and the old North Circular Road, between the A40 and the A404 (Harrow Road). Travelling clockwise on the North Circular Road we will take the first exit after Hanger Lane (sign-posted for Park Royal), turn left at the traffic lights & immediately right onto the old North Circular Road. The Ace is 100 yards on the left.

We will probably come back down the M4 to save time.

It's about 190 miles to the Ace, and we will be leaving Cardiff West Services at M4 J33 at 7.30 a.m. on Sunday morning, so that we can spend time at the café. Also, the London Motorcycle Museum is only 3 miles from the Ace and some of you might like to have a look in there before we return.


Wednesday 20th June: Triumph Factory Visit – please call the shop to reserve place(s).

Thursday 21st June: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sat & Sunday 23rd/24th June: Scenic Pack ride to Beaulieu, with overnight camping, to see Motorcycle World in the grounds of the Beaulieu Motor Museum. This has been a superb event over the last 2 years and is well worth attending - indeed, the ride there and back is worth it by itself! Let me know your interest a.s.a.p.

Sat & Sunday 14th/15th July: Ride-out to Harlech for an overnight stop and gourmet evening meal at the Castle Cottage Hotel on the Saturday night. This will be combined with a ride over the Horseshoe Pass to Llangollen to visit the Pont Cysyllte Aquaduct and then a ride home on the Sunday. The hotel has seven delightful suites and a very good restaurant – I have booked all 7 rooms for Pack members as well as the self-contained holiday cottage next door. This was a particularly successful overnight venue in both 2005 and 2006 and so, unsurprisingly, the event is fully subscribed for this year.

Thursday 19th July: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sat & Sunday 21st/22nd July: B-B-Q and overnight camping at Bill Plenty’s farm near Brecon. Planned ride-out around parts of the boundary road of the nearby army ranges. These roads formed part of the “Welsh TT” of the early ‘50’s – superb roads and views. This was a fabulous event in 2006, as all who attended it will testify. Don't miss this one!

Saturday 28th July to Monday 6th August: 10-day Pack tour of Scotland (this was to have been to northern Spain, but popular opinion seems to favour Scotland. Let me know if you think differently!). Places are likely to be limited to around 12 people, so please let me know your requirements a.s.a.p. so that I can organise hotel accommodation.

Thursday 16th August: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Tuesday 21st August: Triumph Factory Visit – please call the shop to reserve place(s).

Sunday 2nd September: Pack ride-out. There will be a Pack ride-out around mid Wales, with a planned lunch stop at the Hundred House Inn at Bleddfa. This is a bikers' pub with a small garden, which should make a good place to stop if the weather is fine. We will leave Cardiff West services (M4 J33) at 9.30 a.m. - see you all there!

Thursday 20th September: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sunday 23rd September: Pack ride-out TBD.

Wednesday 26th September: Triumph Factory Visit – please call the shop to reserve place(s).

Sat & Sunday 29th/30th September: Pack weekend away in the Cotswolds.

Thursday 18th October: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sunday 21st October: Pack ride-out to Machynlleth, with lunch at the Centre for Alternative Technology (ascend the 200 feet cliff from the car park to the cafeteria, using the unique water powered railway).

Saturday 10th November: The National End of Season Party, which was to have been held at the Manor Hotel in Meriden, , has unfortunately been cancelled by the organisers.

Thursday 15th November: Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

Sunday 25th November: The International Motorcycle and Scooter Show is the only Motorcycle Show you need in your diary. The Show is brimming with excitement, bikes, accessories & clothing, offering something for visitors of all ages.

2007 not only sees the Show move to new Halls, but also to a later date, allowing more manufacturers to exhibit, bringing more bikes, more brands and more impressive displays.

If you arrive at the Show on your bike you will be given access to secure, undercover – FREE, bike parking to allow you to experience all the Show has to offer without the need to step outside – unless of course you want to try some of the latest models from our array of manufacturers in which case book yourself on to the Bike Ride Out, but don’t forget to bring your licence.

As well as offering you the chance to try the latest models on the open road, the Show will also offer you the chance to try your hand at Off Road riding, mini moto riding and new for 2007 Karting! For those new to biking there’s BSM Training Centre where you will be given expert tuition to get you your first taste of life on two wheels.

The Thunderdome Games Arena is back for 2007, proving extremely popular in 2006 the skilled riders will once again face the Thunderdome as part of an exciting show incorporating daring & dangerous stunts performed by some of the Worlds most skilled stunt riders.


NORMAL PUBLIC OPENING - 24TH NOVEMBER - 2ND DECEMBER 2007
Ticket Prices:
Adults in Advance £13.00
Adults on the door £15.00


Saturday 8th December: Following the success of the 2005 Pack ride to Bethlehem, there will be another to get those Christmas cards posted early for Christmas, with the Bethlehem postmark on the envelope. A pub lunch will be taken on the return journey (with a big log burner to warm you through!).

Thursday 20th December: Christmas Club Night at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch.

During the spring and summer it is hoped to introduce short, mid-week evening rides to various pubs so, if you have a favourite, please let me know. Details of these and other events will be published on Bevan’s website as soon as they are finalised. New ride-out routes and ideas for events are always welcome, so If you have any ideas, please see me in the shop, telephone me on 02920 227477, or e-mail info@bevanmc.co.uk .

Chris Finch
Bevan Motorcycles RAT Pack Leader

Support for the Bevan's R.A.T. Pack grew significantly throughout 2006 - I'm sure this arose from the diverse and frequent events that were held and word of mouth recommendations made subsequently by those who attended and also because of the great bunch of people that make up this Pack. Whatever the reason, I will try to make 2007 even better for your riding enjoyment!

The season started particularly well for me - as you can see from the above photo, I collected a new 1050 Tiger on the last day of 2006 and both Dee and I are looking forward to riding this in 2007. This really is a lovely bike to ride - it has the performance characteristics of the Speed Triple, with the commanding riding position and comfort of the Tiger. Couple this with heated grips, a decent pair of hard panniers and a tank bag and you have a very capable and comfortable long-distance tourer. I'm sure Dee will appreciate the upgrade from the trusty Bonneville. having said that, the Bonnie is too nice to get rid of, so it will be used alongside the others throughout the year.

As you will all be aware, the programme of events for the whole of 2007 is on this website, so please take a few minutes to have a look and enter into your diary any of the events that interest you. Some obviously need accommodation to be booked (e.g. Easter in Cornwall, the tour of Scotland, Motorcycle World at Beaulieu), so if you are thinking of attending those events, then please contact me as soon as possible so that I can make the necessary arrangements. There are still a number of dates shown for one-day ride-outs where the venue is still shown as TBD. I have no shortage of routes to fill these dates, but I have left them vacant in the hope that Pack members (i.e. you) will suggest their own favourite routes for a Pack ride-out.

The season got underway with a gentle ride to the Roman town of Caerleon and on to Kemeys Commander for a pub lunch on Sunday 4th February; this season opener was attended by 21 Pack members on 16 bikes - very impressive for February! This will be followed by another short run on Sunday 18th March when we will have a 'Poker run' around six castles in Monmouthshire. You collect one playing card at each of the first five castles, change one card at the sixth castle if you wish and the winning poker hand wins a prize. This should prevent you from forgetting about the bike out in the garage and have you all champing at the bit to spend the Easter weekend touring the bye-ways of Cornwall with us! Pack social nights will of course continue at the Lewis Arms, Pentyrch, on the the third Thursday evening of every month.

Before most of that happens, Dee and I will be doing our charity ride with Enduro India - riding 350 cc Royal Enfiels Bullets approximately 2000 kilometres across the Western Ghat Mountains in southern India. We're both looking forward to that and then to the series of Pack ride-outs that follow throughout the year.

The rideouts have already started for 2007- we look forward to seeing you all at future rides and Club Nights.

Best regards,
Chris Finch
Pack Leader

Another Christmas party I can hear you groan - so what? Well, this was our R.A.T. Pack party and that made it a bit special. With the Pack going from strength to strength, new friendships have been forged throughout the year, experiences have been shared and Pack members were in festive mood. Staff at the Lewis Arms did a splendid job to prepare the dining area for our exclusive use, with a single long table arrangement set for 30 Pack members. But to ensure that the evening had a few extra ingredients, several Pack members contributed time and effort for the benefit of all. Over the last month or so, Dave Howells had been obtaining photos from those Pack members who had taken them on Pack ride-outs throughout the year and, with a little help from his computer whiz-kid boss, had turned them into a DVD, complete with appropriate theme music. This was playing on a lap-top and projected onto a screen throughout the meal. The final result was a professionally finished item, copies of which were provided as place-setting gifts for all members present. Yet more contribution had been made by Ray Newberry, who had obtained a confectionary mould in the shape of a motorcycle and had made both plain and milk chocolate motorcycles that were again positioned as place-setting gifts. Hector was called on to say grace before the meal, Ted Parry was called upon to recite his latest ode that recounted some of the more memorable moments from the year's riding and Nick Green provided the post prandial port free of charge! Thank you to you all.

After a fine meal, prizes were drawn and presented (but how did Sarah manage to pull her own name out of the bag?). Anecdotes were recounted about Nigel "the Party Victim" Hicks at both Harlech and the Firework Party (three strikes and you're out Nigel!), as well as tales of those who fell off, got lost, turned up late, went to the wrong places.....etc.

This was a friendly, relaxing evening amongst like-minded generous people; Mr and Mrs R.A.T. recounted that their next significant adventure during the 'closed season' was to be a 2,500 km ride on Royal Enfield Bullets across the Western Ghat mountains in south west India. This ride was in aid of 4 different charities and, within a very short period, Sarah set the ball rolling with a pledge of support and Jeff Greenman promptly collected £53 from some of those present. Once again, our heartfelt thanks to you - this will all help the charities in question.

For those that want to read Ted's R.A.T. Ode 2006........

R.A.T. Ode - 2006



Well here we are again at our Christmas bash,
All freshly cleaned and polished and our pockets full of cash,
So at this festive time of year let us spare a thought,
For those less fortunate amongst us that fate conspired to thwart.

One early April morning we set off for Dol-y-cothi,
With the obligatory stop for a cup of frothy coffee,
We didn't find our fortune, of gold there's not a trace
And Bob forgot his disc lock, some redness on his face,
Eighteen bikes consulted, a consensus was soon found,
It’s so much smoother pulling off - when the wheels go round.

Now it’s May, panniers packed off to Wight's fair Isle,
To meet the local RAT’’s and tarry for a while,
A good ride down, no sign of rain, the views were really splendid,
Till Roger got his knee down a bit more than he intended,
Zigzag Hill the culprit, the very name brings fear,
For on the next one Mrs. R.A.T. landed on her ear.

Just a fortnight later, it’s off to the Emerald Isle,
On the boat, a BM group, I just had to hide a smile,
With logos on every bit of gear, it was quite a caper,
I’ve even heard BM’s embossed on their toilet paper.
Headed down to Kinsale, that's our next port of call,
It went well until King Rat was almost wiped out on a wall.

The trip itself was fabulous, we must have eaten loads,
The only bit that’s not so smooth is the Irish roads,
On my bike I always find the comfort is just fine,
But three days later I’m sure I’ve got compression of the spine.
Sarah’s really got the hang on all the roads we travel,
The only time she gets upset is stopping on loose gravel.

July comes round, we all ride up, to Bill & Sarah’s farm,
With lots of signs along the way, no one can come to harm,
The spread that greets us when we stop would put the Ritz to shame,
And every single visitor was very glad they came,
The food, the wine, and the beer, that was brewed so true,
They didn’t miss a trick, we even had a private loo.



The Nobs at Hinckley asked if we’d organise a National ride,
To Devils Bridge, and cater for riders far and wide,
Weather good, the roads were great, it really was good fun,
Marshals outnumbered riders by at least fourteen to one,
A disappointing turnout but we won’t make a fuss,
If you don’t like our playground, then leave it all for us.

We’d been to Exmoor once before, the route we really rated,
And so did Frank until he found his tyre was deflated,
So all pitched in to fix the flat and then replace the chain,
Gloria hitched a lift just in case it popped again,
The M.D., Geoff had joined us, for the first time on a bike,
Funny day, he got lost, with two Goldwings, (one a Trike).

In November we all went, I’ll have you all believe,
To Chris and Dee’s to barbeque, an early Guy Fawkes eve,
The food was great, friends were there, it really was good fun,
And Chris attended to the bangers - in more ways than one,
One missfired just off the ground, he shouted “Oh my God”,
Are you OK - fine, I replied, It sure beats a sennapod.

In just a few short months, Mr & Mrs. Rat,
Are flying off to Delhi - now what do you think of that,
Riding Enfield Bullets they wont be in a hurry,
I hope amongst the jabs they’ve had there’s one that works on curry.
While yarning round the campfire, Dee is certain to astound,
Cos she’s sat astride a Tiger and her feet still touched the ground.

Now having wittered on a bit I’m sure that we would like,
To thank the guy who leads our pack and road tests every bike,
So when you buy a demo and your in charge you reckon,
I think, quite often you will find, it’s headed off to Brecon,
All PDI’d and polished up, you won’t have to tinker,
And the only part that's near worn out, is the right hand winker.

The best of roads, the best of friends, all heading out to play,
And ending up at lovely spots that just complete the day,
The effort and the planning is really quite fantastic,
I think that Chris has found a way to make his time elastic,
Though next year Dee’s retiring, and I know that he would like,
If she could find the time, to clean her own bloody bike!

Despite the previous few days of torrential rain and gales, we were greeted with a clear, sunny, but cold morning on Saturday 9th December when fourteen bikes with seventeen Pack members assembled at Bevan’s Motorcycles in Cardiff for our second annual ride to Bethlehem. The purpose of the ride to the hamlet of Bethlehem, on the western edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park, was to post Christmas cards and get the envelopes stamped with the Bethlehem postmark. We collected Ray and Gill Newberry on their Triumph Sprint ST at Abercynon on the A470 and headed for the planned coffee stop at Sennybridge café and garage at the 50-mile mark. The weather deteriorated steadily to rain and cold as we headed north and climbed to around 550 metres over the Brecon Beacons, so the coffee stop was particularly welcome for those with no screens or hot grips! We were joined at the cafe by Bob and Gayle Millard on their Trophy, who had overslept and missed the rest of us at the start! Another two Pack members, Bill Plenty and Sarah Bailey, joined us at the café (in their car!), bringing the grand total to 23 people, 16 bikes and one car! This was excellent support for the last scheduled Pack ride of the year.

From Llandovery, we took the deserted A4069 towards Brynamman as far as Felindre, where we turned right onto an unmarked minor road to Bethlehem. Unfortunately, at the fist T-junction along this road, the convoy took a right turn in accordance with the signpost, but promptly found itself in a dead-end private drive! A local, walking his dog, saw the fiasco of bikes turning around, and casually pushed the signpost around with his walking stick to point in the correct direction! Wise men or what?

Despite there being no guiding star in the east, we arrived at Bethlehem Post Office in time to post our cards and to see that the Post Office has now been given a permanent status (albeit only two half-days a week outside of the December period) in the newly refurbished old boiler room of the once village school. The construction work, only recently finished, had meant that there was no Christmas Fayre this year, but it is planned again for next year.

With the postal business completed, Pack members headed off across the minor roads over the Black Mountains to Trecastle for a pub lunch at the Castle Coaching Inn. This year the Pack Leader remembered the route across the mountains so that the ‘off-road’ part of last year’s ride was avoided!

After a wholesome bar snack and plenty of chatting around the warming log-burner, the Pack headed for home through Sennybridge and back down the A470 to Cardiff.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable Pack ride, which was enjoyed by all 23 of the members who attended.

Two other Pack members, Dave Howells and Kevin Dwyer, joined the Pack Leader to take part in the National Triumph Ride from Lands End to John o’ Groats on the weekend of 21st/22nd October 2006. With the Pack Leader’s favourite demonstrator Tiger temporarily out of action, he rashly agreed to ride the demonstrator Bonneville Scrambler! Kevin rode his Tiger and Dave rode his 955 Sprint ST.

The event was limited to 30 people and was fully subscribed. So, after a 250-mile ride to the start point, we joined the other participants at the Lands End Hotel for an overnight stop and briefing, with departure planned for Saturday morning after a hearty breakfast. To prove that participants had followed the recommended route, we were issued with forms, which we needed to get stamped at the garages we visited along the route for fuel stops. Provided that we obtained stamps from at least six places, we could forward the forms to the secretary of The End-to-End Club to qualify for membership.

The first day would take us 520 miles to Dumfries, largely avoiding motorways, for an overnight stop at Dumfries and Sunday would see us taking more ‘A’ roads (and a ‘B’ road) for the final 380 miles to John o’ Groats. Once there, we would again stop overnight, before mounting up once more for the 700-mile ride back to Cardiff.

We almost managed to miss the heavy showers on the initial ride to Lands End, but were eventually caught in a deluge whilst on the A30 around Bodmin. The rain was so heavy that the HT leads and coils on the Scrambler became soaked and the engine died. Fortunately, the last thing the Pack Leader packed in his pannier was a small tin of WD40. After drenching the wiring with the magic juice, the engine fired back into life and we soldiered on to Lands End.

The ride on Saturday took us along the north coast of Cornwall and Devon on the A39, through Lynton and Lynmouth and down Porlock Hill (which some will remember from our earlier Exmoor trip with the sheep collision!). We crossed the old Severn Bridge, up through Tintern and Monmouth to Hereford and then all the way up the A49 through the Wales/England border to Warrington. A stretch of M6 took us to Kendal and then the route should have taken a detour along the A6, before rejoining the M6 towards Carlisle and then the A75 to Dumfries. Unfortunately, despite having miraculously missed the rain all day, we were caught in an absolute deluge on the M6 near Kendal and the Scrambler electrics died again. Having run out of WD40 the previous evening, it was necessary to call the RAC (free service with every new Triumph!) to do the honours with a very large bottle of the magic potion! Once re-started, we elected not to take the A6 detour in the rain and pitch dark, but to instead stay on the M6 to recover lost time. We rolled into the night-stop at Dumfries at 8 p.m. – twelve hours and 520 miles after leaving Lands End. Needless to say, several people soon began to ask how far a Bonneville Scrambler would go on a litre of WD40! A simple cure for the problem would be to fit a front mudguard extender to the very short standard mudguard – this would stop the water being thrown up into the electrics by the enduro-style knobbly front tyre.

After a good night’s sleep and another big fried breakfast, we set off into Scotland for the 380 leg up to John o’ Groats. We were particularly lucky with the weather that day, escaping the frequent showers and enjoying periods of bright sunshine and blue skies. This really enabled us to appreciate the beautiful countryside of the Scottish Border area at its autumnal best. We crossed the Forth Road Bridge and took the A93 through the spectacular countryside of Glenshee, the Cairngorms National Park, through Braemar and over the Grampian Mountains to Grantown-on-Spey. From there we picked up the A9 to Inverness, crossed the Moray Firth, Cromarty Firth and Dornoch Firth and continued up the east coast, almost to Wick. There was a sting in the tail when the route then took us north-west to Thurso and then due east to John o’ Groats, rather than continuing on the shorter route up the east coast. On arrival, we dashed to the furthest point for the obligatory photographs, before getting our forms stamped with the final proof of arrival. The last job to be done before we could relax for the evening at a group buffet, was to unload the Pack Leader’s 1050 Sprint ST from the trailer which his wife Dee had trailed nearly 700 miles to John o’ Groats. The Scrambler, which the Pack Leader thought was an absolutely delightful motorcycle, was loaded onto the trailer in its place to conserve mileage on the demonstrator. Mrs R.A.T. would drive 700 miles back the next day with the trailer! After a couple of beers, a meal and a natter, we turned in for the night in readiness for the 700-mile ride back to Cardiff the next day.

When the alarm clock went off in the morning, it revealed pitch darkness and heavy rain – not what we had wanted to see! The 3 members of the Bevan’s Pack had ridden together throughout the journey, but became separated after about 70 miles on the journey home; well, give the Pack Leader a 1050 Sprint and what else would you expect? After 410 miles of mist and rain, the Pack Leader caught up with Dee and the Trailer (who had left 2 hours previous to the riders) at the top of the M6. Eventually, at around 7 p.m., we all managed to establish contact with each other and met up for a final coffee at Strensham Services on the M5/M50 interchange before heading our individual ways home.

This was a tremendous weekend of riding. My thanks go to the organisers who planned such a superb route, to my wife for her unstinting efforts to trail the bikes for 1400 miles (she would much rather have ridden a bike herself on the run) and lastly to my riding companions for their good humour and company (not to mention Dave’s ability to take a fistful of photos whilst on the move). Photos of the event are on the website gallery.

Eight bikes (seven Triumphs) and 9 Pack members left Cardiff at 7.30 a.m. on Sunday 29th October to visit the International Motorcycle Show at the NEC. After a dry, mild, traffic-free scoot up the M50/M5/M42, with a coffee stop at the Strensham Services, we arrived at the show at about 10.15 a.m. Free secure on-site parking was provided for motorcyclists and cloakroom facilities were again provided by Riders for Health. We split up to do our own thing at the Show and arranged to meet up at 4.30 p.m. for the ride home.

Triumph were showing all the new range for 2007, which of course included the long-awaited new Tiger. Mrs R.A.T. had been contemplating a new Tiger to replace the 4-year old T100, so this was her first opportunity to see one in the metal and try it for size. The first impressions were very good - we will now wait for the demonstrator to arrive at the shop in December to give it the acid test, before deciding. In the meantime, I'm top of Mr Bevan's order list for one!

Whilst a number of major manufacturers were not represented this year, there was still much to see. A fair amount of time was spent at the motorcycle Liesure Zone, discussing possible overseas holiday routes and costs for future exclusive R.A.T. Pack tours. Some time was also spent with the Enduro India guys on their stand, trying to understand what we have let ourselves in for on the forthcoming 2,500km charity ride down the south-west side of India on 350 c.c. Royal Enfield Bullets!

After 5 or 6 hours of nattering, discussing, dreaming, and occasionally buying, we met back at the bikes for the trip home and stopped once for coffee at the 'Little Theif' Services shortly before the A449/M4 intersection.

Whilst not the most exciting ride for Pack members, this proved to be an enjoyable day which enabled members to see and try many of the new models for 2007.

Despite thunder and heavy overnight rain, seven bikes and nine people met up outside Bevan’s shop at 9.30 on 30th September for a Saturday ride to Llandewi-Brefi and Tregaron. Llandewi-Brefi is the fictitious setting for the T.V. series “Little Britain”, well known for the character Daffyd (“am I the only Gay in the village?”). We welcomed Patrice and his wife Catherine, who joined us for the first time – little did they know that this would be baptism with fire!

We completed the first 60 miles to Llandovery in dry weather and stopped to meet up with Bill Plenty and have a welcome coffee break in the West End Café. The rain started whilst we were in the café and it was not the last time that we would see (and feel) rain during the day. We moved on via the A482 and the almost deserted B4343 to Llandewi-Brefi, where we stopped for an obligatory photo-call beneath the old AA sign in the village centre and spoke to a local who was out walking his dog. Apparently Daffyd, in the Little Britain T.V. series, has done more for the village that Saint David ever did!

A delightful lunch was taken at the Talbot Hotel in Tregaron, before setting off across the Abergwesyn Pass, over the Cambrian Mountains, to Beulah. The Abergwesyn Pass is a very narrow strip of poorly surfaced tarmac that tenuously connects Tregaron and Llanwrtyd-Wells, climbing and plunging across an exposed, almost uninhabited upland region where the views seem to go on forever. Rough pasture and barren moorland roll in waves to distant horizons; farms are few and far between and the hairpin-bends called Devil’s Staircase are aptly named. This pass is not for the faint-hearted at the best of times, but in the heavy rain, with rain-swept and misted visors, the ride is demanding but rewarding.

From Beulah, we rode to Garth and then up over the Eppynt ranges, through Upper and Lower Chapel to Brecon and then back to Cardiff down the A470, with a welcome coffee stop at the Veranda near Storey Arms.

Despite some heavy rain at some periods throughout the afternoon, the group remained in high spirits and were unanimous in the view that this had been a worthwhile and enjoyable ride.

R.A.T. Pack Ride to Ironbridge – Sunday 17th September 2006

Having just arrived back the evening before from a 2-week ride to Italy, some Pack members were surprised to see me at the appointed start for the Ironbridge run at 8 a.m. on Sunday morning! The weather was kind, although a bit chilly at the start of the day, when 15 bikes turned up for the run.

The ride took us up the A4020 towards Abergavenny, onto the A465 and then north on the A49 to Craven Arms, with a breakfast stop just north of Hereford at the Queenswood Forest Park. We lost our Rockrt 111 rider as we left the M4 – he sent a text to say that he was too cold to continue, so he was heading for home. With Autumn now upon us, it is time to call into the shop to buy some appropriate clothing to keep you warm and dry on future runs!

During the breakfast stop it became clear that Ted Parry had not arrived, but his wife Lizzy confirmed that he had made a pre-planned detour to deliver something to a customer on the way. However, Lizzy soon found out that Ted had picked up a puncture and was stopped somewhere back down the A465. As Lizzy had the puncture repair kit in her panniers, she needed to ride to Ted’s rescue and so we were then down to 12 bikes!

The rest of the ride was uneventful, but the party became split between 2 car parks at the Ironbridge site (Pack Leader’s fault – he went to the wrong car park!). There is much to see and do at Ironbridge, where there are 10 victorian museums on a large site. Half of us spent the entire time in the Blist Hill Victorian Village, where we had a sing-song in the New Inn, followed by another one in St Chad’s Mission Church! We visited the Victorian fairground, the chemist shop (where we lost Sarah for the rest of the day – well, she does run a string of pharmacies!), the undertakers (where the Pack leader was spotted taking a rest in a vacant coffin - see the photo gallery), and many other fascinating premises.

With activities over, the Pack departed in their various groups to head for Cardiff at around 4 p.m. Our group avoided the rain and had a quick, traffic free run back, with another stop at the Queenswood Park for coffee. We made it to the coffee shop just before they closed and were rewarded with free ice-creams all round!

This was a good day out and was well supported by Pack members – thanks to you all.

A Bank Holiday weekend in Belgium – who wants to go there? I bet many of you muttered these words when you saw this advertised on the annual R.A.T. Pack schedule back around Christmas time. If you rermember, accommodation was to be at the International Bikers’ Loft in Oudenburg, near Brugge – even the description of this unusual accommodation might have been enough to worry the more conservative amongst you!

You should not have dismissed this event so easily! Despite the forecast of wet and thundery weather across Belgium for the weekend, four intrepid Pack members set off early on Saturday morning to catch the lunch-time ferry from Dover to Calais. The ride was dry and uneventful and the ferry crossing was smooth and relaxing. The weather steadily improved as we rode north along the French coast into Belgium and homed directly into the Bikers’ Loft, which is tucked away beside a canal, just outside the sleepy town of Oudenburg. The loft is a splendid venue for bike enthusiasts. This old factory has had the ground floor divided into two areas – one side of the dividing-wall houses the bar, seating and recreational area and the serve-yourself kitchen, whilst the other side is an internal parking area for the bikes, with spotlighting, some recreational seating areas and the showers! Around the edges of the parking area are the bedrooms on both the ground and first floor. Nigel managed to park his bike immediately outside his bedroom door, but Liz, Dee and I had to carry our luggage at least 20 feet because we were accommodated on the first floor!

There were around 80 bikes of many international registrations parked there on the Saturday night and, with the spotlights switched on, it looked rather like a private motorcycle show!

Notwithstanding the fine atmosphere of the Loft, we decided to saddle-up and ride into Ypres, about 35 miles away, to view the Menin Gate and hear the Last Post being sounded by the Ypres fire brigade. This is an act of remembrance that has been carried out every evening at 8 p.m. since the end of the First World War. The Menin Gate has the names of some 56,000 allied soldiers who were lost at the Battles of Ypres and were never buried in formal graves. This represents just a small fraction of the half-a-million allied troops who were killed there. Clearly, there was much to be seen there, so after a fine al-fresco meal taken on a balmy evening in the town square, we decided to return the following day to see the sights of the town.

Despite the Belgian beers that were consumed at the Loft after our return, we all had a hearty breakfast and headed back to Ypres, but took the opportunity for a short detour around the beautiful old town of Diksmuide. Once parked in the town square, where dozens of other motorcyclists had also parked, we headed to the Flanders Fields Museum. This truly brought home the horrors of trench warfare and threw into focus the sacrifices that had been made by so many soldiers. However, after leaving the museum, we walked around the ramparts of this walled town and marvelled at the reconstruction of a town that had been razed to the ground by German artillery over a 3 year period (apparently only 2 buildings remained!). The re-construction has maintained the early style of the buildings and the catherdral and Cloth Hall in the centre of town are truly magnificent.

Equally magnificent of course were the Belgian chocolates, the beautiful cakes and pastries, the outside café culture……. However, we couldn’t sit around Ypres all day, so we set off to see the sights of Brugge. Well, although we didn’t arrive in Brugge until around 5 p.m., we felt that the beauty and magnificence of this old city could best be appreciated from an outside table at a café in the town square, with Belgian chocolates, beautiful cakes and pastries, café lattes etc…!

After another night at the Loft, we headed back to Calais on the Monday morning, where we managed to catch an earlier ferry back to Dover. Despite heavy overnight rain whilst we were at the loft, it stopped raining about a minute or two before we set off and we managed to avoid rain for the entire 300-mile trip back to Cardiff!

This was a really good weekend trip, which undoubtedly could have been made even better with a larger contingent – we could then have rivalled the numbers of the Fazer Owners Club, a Dutch touring club, The Black Widows, The Rain Bringers……and more. If you see it advertised for next year, commit yourself early and let me know. The place was fully booked this year, so I will need to make an early block booking!

Despite heavy rain and thunderstorms on the Saturday night and overcast skies on the Sunday morning, six bikes and nine people left Bevan’s shop on Sunday 24th September for a scenic ride on the lesser used roads around Tintern, the Forest of Dene, Ledbury, Great Malvern, Hereford and Abergavenny. At J24 of the M4 we met up with Martin & Faye on their Sprint ST and with Greg and Wendy at our firs coffee stop at Tintern. This swelled our numbers to 8 bikes and 13 people. Lunch was taken at Mrs Muffin’s Tea Rooms in Ledbury, which will forever be remembered for Gill’s hysterical laughter in the outside courtyard – the café will undoubtedly have fresh eggs for weeks to come!

The Pack Leader was allocated the Bonneville Scrambler for the day and, after 200 miles of riding on Sunday, was favourably impressed with its performance, handling and level of comfort. In fact, he was sufficiently impressed by it to decide that he would use it for the forthcoming iron-butt ride from Land’s End to John o’ Groats next month!

A beautiful B-road for bikers was sought out between the A466 south of Hereford across to meet the A465 near Abergavenny – this was virtually empty when we used it and it must have put a smile on all of the rider’s faces. We sacrificed ice-creams along part of the A465 to use this B-road, - I hope everyone thought it was worth it!

The final part of the ride was designed to take us through Caerphilly and over the mountain, so that we could get a final cuppa in the café on the top; moreover, it meant that we could run down the back roads past Castel Coch and avoid using the M4. However, most riders took the main Cardiff road from Caerphilly and so missed the coffee stop!

This was another good ride, where those who were prepared to set off when the weather looked questionable, were again rewarded with a fine dry day that was perfect for biking. As autumn is now upon us, join us for the last few rides of 2006 before Jack Frost gets his icy fingers upon the countryside. The next ride will be to Llandewi Brefi and Tregaron on Saturday 30th September - departing Bevan's shop at 09.30 a.m. sharp.

Photos of this ride will be posted on the web-site photo gallery as soon as Dave sends them to me!

The trip to Exmoor was well supported on Sunday 20th August, with 17 bikes (including a trike) taking part. We were blessed with dry weather all day and with real sunshine from around early afternoon onwards.

We used the 'second man drop off' system and all 17 bikes arrived at the Anchor Inn on the banks of the River Exe at the same time - most impressive! Geoff Bevan rode with us for the first time and kindly agreed to act as 'tail gunner'. Unfortunately, the system did not operate so well after lunch and Geoff found himself separated from the group, along with the Gold Wing Trike and a solo Gold Wing, for the rest of the day's riding! To make things more interesting, Frank's wife Gloria had accepted the offer to ride on the back of the trike for the afternoon!

Frank had a puncture in the rear tyre of his Bonneville - he discovered this in the car park imediately after lunch, so we had to carry out repairs before we could carry on with the ride. Many thanks to all the willing hands who pushed, pulled, lifted, lent tools etc! Many hands made light work (or tyre inflate) and off we went for a photo opportunity and an ice cream at Tarr Steps. From Tarr Steps we continued to Lynmouth for a cream tea and then headed back along the A39 over the moors and cliff tops towards Porlock Hill. Unfortunately, a ram ran across the road immediately in front of one of the bikes, causing the rider to swerve and come off his bike. Fortunately the rider was uninjured and the bike proved to be rideable, but there was significant superficial damage to fairings and paintwork etc. Ten out of ten to the rider concerned for the stirling effort of riding the bike home.

Whilst Bill Plenty set off to find and placate the owner of the errant ram, the rest set off to find much needed fuel (Petrol stations that remain open on a Sunday in Exmoor appear to be few and far between - especially when you need them!).

After a bash back up the M5, several members stopped for a final coffee and farewells at Magor Services before heading for home. Whilst at the Services, we did manage to re-establish communications to learn that the Gold Wing boys had indeed managed to return Gloria to her home in one piece - all we had to do was get Frank back!

Despite the misfortune of one rider hitting a sheep, the day was enjoyable and certainly eventful. The route through Exmoor is truly delightful and it is easy to see why it was used as the setting for Lorna Doone. The 280 mile trip was well worth the effort.

This ride to Devil’s Bridge was billed as a National Triumph ride, for which the Bevan’s Motorcycles Pack had been asked to arrange a suitable route and provide marshals. We had been led to expect that between 40 and 100 bikes from across the U.K. would partake in the ride. Well, 40 bikes did turn up at the start point which was at the Junction 33 services at on the M4. However, of the 40 bikes, around 75% were from the Bevan’s Pack. Considering that 3 other bikes belonged to a Dutchman and a Swedish resident both visiting the U.K. and the National R.A.T. Co-ordinator down from the Triumph factory for the weekend, it is obvious that this ride was very poorly supported as a National event.

The ride had the feeling of a mega Bevans Pack ride. There were a dozen Ride Marshals in evidence, all of whom had been pre-briefed on the route and refreshment stops and they did an excellent job of keeping the 40 riders on the right roads, at the right stopping places and just about on schedule. The weather stayed dry all day and became steadily sunnier as the day wore on. The route took us via the A470/A40 to Llandovery for the first stop at the West End Café and then via the winding and scenic A482 almost into Lampeter. At this point it was time to turn onto the twisty ‘B’ roads through Llandewi Brefi and Tregaron on the way to Devil’s Bridge, where the Pack stopped for lunch at the Hafod Arms Hotel and Tea Rooms.

After refreshments, the Pack set off over the mountain road from Devil’s Bridge to Rhayader, diverting off the road to ride around the Elan Valley Reservoirs with a planned stop at the Elan Valley Visitors Centre. I was one of the first riders to arrive at the entry road to the Visitor Centre and so I waited on the junction to point out the way to others. I must say that it was a most impressive sight to see a string of almost 40 motorcycles streaming down the hillside without another vehicle in sight. With the refreshments over and the mandatory group photographs taken, riders headed off through Rhayader to pick up the A470 down to Newbridge-on-Wye. Here, we took another wonderful ‘B’ road which threaded its way over a switchback of Welsh countryside down to Beulah. A left turn on the A483 towards Garth and then a right turn, again onto ‘B’ roads, took us up over the top of the MoD ranges where we had to stop to admire the stunning panoramic views. From here, we ran non-stop on ‘B’ roads through Upper and Lower Chapel, around the edge of Brecon (avoiding the town centre and the Brecon Jazz Festival!) and down the A470 to arrive at 6 p.m. at the finish, which was at the services on the M4 at Junction 33. The riders had covered a little over 200 trouble-free and enjoyable miles throughout the day.

The comments on the day and the e-mails that I have since received, clearly indicate that people thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie of the ride as well as the wonderful roads and scenery; indeed, many have asked when the next run is scheduled, because they want to be part of it. The next ride will be to Exmoor on Sunday 20th August, to explore the picturesque villages and hamlets, have lunch beside the River Exe and then visit the beach at Lynmouth for ice creams and cream teas.

A number of members' photos of the day can be viewed in the Photo Gallery, under the Natioanal Triumph Day category - see if you are on them!

Despite a change in the heatwave conditions and a forecast of scattered showers, 18 members on 14 bikes took the scenic ride to Tresaith, near Cardigan, for a pub lunch at the Ship Inn and an afternoon ride along to the picturesque, but almost unknown, cove at Mwnt.

Unusually, we used 'A' roads up through Llandovery, Lampeter and on towards Newcastle Emlyn, before branching off on deserted 'B' roads and lesser classified lanes to get to Tresaith. We arrived in perfect time for an al-fresco lunch in the sunshine outside the Ship Inn, overlooking the sandy cove.

Because of the forecasted showers, only one Pack member brought his swimmers, but he was too shy to go in the water by himself! Oh how the rest of us wished that we had done the same!

After lunch, we cruised along narrow and deserted country lanes to find the isolated and very picturesque cove at Mwnt. Mwnt boasts only a steep headland rising above a small car park, a tiny sandy beach beneath the cliffs and a tiny church. As we arrived, an open-air service was about to start on the gras outside the church. Pack members split up to do their own things for 45 minutes or so - the keen ones scrambled to the top of the headland for the view, some went down to the beach, some went into the church whilst others just admired the view from the cliff-tops and were lucky enough to spot the bottle-nose dolphins that regularly visit the area.

The return trip took us over the Prescelli Mountains, through Rosebush and Bethesda, to join the A40 near Narberth. After a final al-fresco coffee stop at the Pont Abraham services to make our farewells, the Pack split to find individual routes back home.

This was a superb day out, well worth the 240 miles clocked for the trip.

Imagine a secluded, picture-postcard farmhouse, with pretty cottage garden, set amid thousands of acres of beautiful, lush green Welsh hillsides and miles from the nearest neighbour. Imagine perfect sunny weather for an evening BBQ. Imagine three barbecues sizzling away under copious amounts of steak, lamb, chicken, sausage and burgers and a beautiful cold buffet to accompany the meats. Imagine fruit and meringue deserts with fresh cream for dessert, or helpings of delicious chocolate cake with cream. Imagine copious supplies of wine and real ales, as well as brandy and dessert wine after dinner. For those Pack members who attended the R.A.T. Pack Barbecue so generously staged by Bill Plenty and Sarah Bailey at their farm in the Brecon Beacons, there was no need to imagine any of this – it was a reality! To ensure that everybody could relax and enjoy the event to the full, Bill and Sarah had allocated a field for us to camp in, as well as providing all the essential amenities.

Clearly, much thought and effort had gone into organising and preparing for the event and this greatly appreciated by those who attended. But even after the evening party drew to a close and the last R.A.Ts. crawled into their tents, the weekend was still not over. The following morning, with tents packed away and breakfast under our belts, we set off at 10.30 a.m. for a ride across some of the deserted roads of the nearby MoD Army range, which once formed part of the Welsh TT. The planned route took in many areas of outstanding beauty and included a ride across the Gospel Pass that runs from the A465 (just north of Abergavenny), past Hay Bluff to Hay-on-Wye. We stopped off at Llanthony Priory for well-deserved refreshments on our way, somewhat surprised by the pub in the cellar of the Priory ruins!

Once at Brecon, Pack members headed in their respective directions for home, having all expressed their appreciation to Bill and Sarah for a splendid weekend. This is the kind of event that nobody will want to miss next year, so watch out for the R.A.T.s at the Ranch BBQ in 2007 – could you organise it as well as this?

Bevan’s R.A.T. Pack at Silverstone – 28th May 2006

The continuous wet weather of the past couple of weeks, which had already caused the cancellation of the British Super Bike racing at Mondello Park the previous week, clearly deterred the majority of the Bevan Motorcycles R.A.T. Pack from saddling-up for the 300-mile round trip to Siverstone to watch the 5th round of the World Super Bikes championship. However, those few brave souls who had pre-booked their tickets were rewarded with a dry day for the ride-out, and so 4 Pack-members on a trio of Triumph Sprint ST 1050’s left Bevan’s shop at three minutes past eight on the Sunday morning. The 90-mile hop along the M4 was easily and swiftly accomplished at that time on a Sunday morning and we were having a coffee stop with toasted teacakes in the Cotswolds after covering the first 110 miles in a little over an hour-and-a-half. By this time, the sun began to emerge and the whole day looked as though it might be dry, sunny and perfect for racing. The final 40 – 50 miles were polished off and we arrived at the circuit at around 11.15 a.m. to find a good vantage point to watch the first of the two WSB races scheduled to start at noon.

We elected to watch from a grandstand at Woodcote, where to our left we could see the starting grid and the straight into Copse corner, and to our right we could see the entry and exit at Luffield, the Final Chicane and the Finish. Racing started exactly on time, but a dramatic start to race one saw four riders fall at the first corner, after a highside from Fabien Foret (Alstare Engineering Suzuki). Another crash later in the same lap, which put Craig Jones (Petronas) out of the race, caused the red flag to come out, and all but Jones made the re-start. A front-running ride from Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) was overturned after 19 laps by eventual winner Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox). James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda) who started from row four, rode a Superhuman race to score third place, and with one more lap may have even improved on that. Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Berik Ducati) was fourth, his best race finish of the year so far.

In Race 2, Chris Walker on his PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse rode at the front for two determined laps, but was swamped by Bayliss, Haga, Toseland and co, finally finishing eighth. Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) scored fourth, with the slow-starting Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda) fifth.

Eventually, the finishing order of Race 1 was repeated in Race 2, with Troy Bayliss taking a double win on the Xerox Team Ducati (his 7th successive win in a row this season), Nori Haga takin second place on his Yamaha Motor Italia, and Britain’s James Toseland getting a double podium finish in third place on his Winston Ten Kate Honda. James was obviously delighted with his afternoon’s work and after the cool-down lap and the obligatory burn-out, he stripped off his gloves, helmet and leathers and threw them into the crowd! It was unusual to see someone riding back down pit-lane wearing only boots, shorts and a back protector!
After watching Sebastien Charpentier win convincingly in the World Supersport race, we left Silverstone just after 5 p.m. for a scenic, cross-country ride back to Cardiff. This took us along deserted B-roads through Banbury, Chipping Campden, Aston Sbedge, Bretforton, Evesham, Pershore, Upton-upon-Severn to the junction with the A449 at Little Malvern. From here we enjoyed the run down through Ledbury and Monmouth before joining the M4 for the short hop back to Cardiff.

Based on the success of this trip last year, the Pack again rode to Snowdon for a train ride to the top of the mountain. This was combined with an overnight stop and gourmet meal at the Castle Cottage Hotel in Harlech on the Saturday night, followed by the Snowdon trip and the ride home on the Sunday. The hotel has seven luxurious suites and a very good restaurant – we had booked all 7 rooms for members of our Pack, plus the hotel's adjacent, self-contained holiday cottage "Awelfryn". Additionally, we arranged to use a room in an adjacent Guest House. Thirteen Pack members on 11 bikes booked for this trip.

We departed Bevan's shop promptly at 9.15 a.m. on Saturday 1st July and met with other pack members at 3 pre-arranged locations en-route. The weather was brilliant sunshine and the route, which comprised mainly B-roads and lesser category lanes, took us through spectacular countryside with stunning views. Lunch was taken at The Star Inn at Dylife, but despite its stunningly isolated location, we will remember it more for the landlady who made it surprisingly difficult for us to order a dozen baguettes and a round of drinks! (She needs to take some customer-care advice from the landlord of our hotel in Harlech). The lunch stop revealed that 2 bikes had gone missing since the previous check – Lizzy had decided to ignore the instructions on her route card and was serenely heading for Newtown. Fortunately she was spotted by the rear-gunner, who chased her down to point out her errant ways; however, it took him several miles to catch her!

Traffic was very light throughout the day – possibly a result of the England v Portugal match - and the picturesque holiday town of Barmouth, which is usually a bottle-neck at this time of year, was almost traffic-free. This enabled us to make good time to Harlech, where we arrived at about 3 p.m. After an obligatory Bikers’ beer call at the local pub (where they sold an assortment of real ales), the Pack met for fine food and wine in the hotel restaurant. A relaxed and convivial evening was rounded off by a search for the “phantom dessert-leaver of old Barry town”, who had left his partially eaten dessert, with food still in his spoon, to just “step outside for a breath of air”. Some hours later, he was found to be fast asleep in his pit! The next morning, after we had ridden to Snowdon via the spectacular Llanberis Pass, one of the Pack members spotted some novelty socks in a gift shop, with the logo “Party Victim”. Needless to say, these socks were found hanging from the handlebar mirrors of the “Phantom dessert-leaver of old Barry town”.

The Pack left Snowdon at around 2.45 p.m. and had an enjoyable and hassle-free trip back to Cardiff, having covered around 400 miles during the weekend. It was agreed that this was again a most enjoyable trip, which should be included in the Pack schedule for next year.

Eight members of the Bevan R.A.T. Pack, on seven bikes, met up at Fishguard Ferry Port at 10.30 a.m. on Monday 8th May to catch the 11.30 a.m. Fastcraft ferry to Ireland. The party comprised the Pack Leader on a Tiger, his wife Dee on her Bonneville, Martin & Fay on their Sprint ST, Bill on his Sprint ST, Sarah on her new Honda CBF500, Lizzy on her CBF500 and Ted on his VFR800. Despite a squally start to the day and a wet ride to Fishguard, the Irish Sea was fairly calm for the 2-hour crossing to Rosslare. Having arrived at Rosslare Harbour, we rode approximately 140 miles to the pretty harbour town of Kinsale, just west of Cork, for an overnight stop in Actons Hotel. The final approach to Kinsale was down a narrow lane, where overtaking should have been nigh on impossible; however, this did not stop one car driver from doing so, almost forcing the Pack Leader into the near-side stone wall to avoid a head-on collision. With backsides still changing from half-a-crown to sixpence, we were then confronted by his racing mate who did exactly the same thing! Max’s Wine Bar in Kinsale was the first of many restaurants that we frequented and where they served us a particularly memorable meal.

After a hearty breakfast, we prepared to ride approximately 150 miles from Kinsale to Killarney on ‘N’ and ‘R’ category roads that follow the south and south-west coastline, around the Beara Peninsular, to our next hotel on the shore of Muckross Lake, on the edge of the Killarney National Park. This hotel was our base for the next two nights. However, we had not even left the car park of the hotel in Kinsale, when Ted realised that he had left his hot-grips switched on all night and his battery was as flat as a pancake. Even strenuous efforts to bump-start the bike had no effect, so a push to the local garage for the loan of some jump leads and a decent battery was called for. Once underway, almost every bend in the road revealed more spectacular scenery than the bend before. Onwards around Courtmacsherry Bay, Clonakilty Bay, Bantry Bay and then across to Glengarriff before riding the unspoilt Ring of Beara. The final leg of the second day’s riding took us to our luxury hotel on the very edge of Lake Leane in the Killarney National Park for our group evening meal and some well-earned drinks.

Our third day was a free day for Pack members to do as they pleased; however, the weather was brilliant, warm sunshine and all agreed that they wanted to ride the 100-mile route around the Ring of Kerry. The route took us through coastal scenery that took our breath away. We stopped in a remote roadside lay-by on the Ring of Kerry, where a trader had set up a small stall. Dee spotted a Clarrice Cliff jug for a few euros, which we bought and managed to get home in one piece. If it’s genuine, then it will offset the cost of the holiday - - if it’s not, then who cares? We turned off of the main Ring of Kerry route to Portmagee for a coffee stop and then onwards around the Skellig Ring. Again the roads and views were spectacular. Our lunch stop was high on the cliffs at Waterville, overlooking Hog’s Head and the afternoon run took us through the delightful town of Sneem (for an obligatory ice-cream stop), before wending our way back through the Killarney National Park, through Moll’s Gap to the the hotel. The Pack leader sampled the delights of the hotel massage service before we walked into Killarney town, about one-and-a-half miles distant, to eat in Danny Mann’s Bar and enjoy the craic.

On the fourth day we rode approximately 150 miles from Killarney to the small fishing village at Ballyvaughan, on the southern shore of Galway Bay. Here, the riding took us along the top of the Cliffs of Moher that rise vertically for 650 feet out of the Atlantic and then across the limestone Burren National Park to the tiny fishing village of Ballyvaughan where we stopped overnight. Well-earned bikers’ beers were followed by another memorable meal in the hotel restaurant, which specialised in local seafood dishes; the catch of the day, fresh from Ballyvaughan’s tiny harbour.

On Day 5 we headed inland for approximately 130 miles in a south-easterly direction to Kilkenny city, where we stopped overnight at a Farm guesthouse just outside the town. The route involved a mixture of ‘N’ and ‘R’ roads that took us across the Burren, around Lough Derg and past the Portumna Forest Park. It was like a scene from the Marie Celeste when we arrived – not a soul about, the doors wide open and the television on! Eventually our host appeared and welcomed us, fixed up our taxi and table reservation for our evening meal at The Café Sol in Kilkenny, and then disappeared for the night to see his girlfriend in County Clare! However, his son cooked our breakfast, in front of our eyes, complete with home-made butter and freshly laid farm eggs.

On our final day of the tour, we took a leisurely ride along approximately 60 miles of main ‘N’ and ‘R’ class roads, through the pretty riverside town of Inistioge, and back to the ferry port at Rosslare Harbour. The Tour was finished off with a spirited ride back along the A40, A48 and M4 to Cardiff.

This was a particularly successful tour, photos from which are posted on the Phto Gallery on this web site. However, it has left participants asking the question “ When is the next one and where are we going?” Don’t worry – I’m working on it and I suspect that northern Spain and tha Picos Mountains may feature highly on the list. Get in touch with me if you are interested in attending.

Chris Finch
Bevan Motorcycles R.A.T. Pack Leader.

Bevan’s R.A.T. Pack at the Isle of Wight – Easter 2006

Eleven Pack members set off on Good Friday morning on 9 bikes (and one car!), to spend Easter on the Isle of Wight. The route down was via the B3081 and B3078 from Shepton Mallet, through the beautiful countryside of Cranborne Chase and the Wiltshire Downs, across the New Forest through Fordingbridge, Godshill, Lyndhurst, Brockenhurst to the ferry terminal at Lymington. After a stop for lunch at Shaftsbury, the route took us up Zigzag Hill, where Roger ‘knee-down’ Davis demonstrated the art of getting the bar-end weights down on one of the uphill hairpins! A rummage through the Pack Leader’s luggage revealed a new clutch lever and a webbing strap to secure the pannier and we were off again to catch the ferry!

After a short run from Yarmouth to East Cowes, the pack settled into the accommodation at Crossways House (with a cream tea on arrival) and then set off to explore the surrounding area before the Friday evening group dinner. Whilst Tony Bray and Mike Bennett only made it to the Prince of Wales pub about 50 yards along the road from the accommodation, the rest made it to the Lifeboat Inn at East Cowes Marina, about a mile distant.

On return to Crossways House, we treated ourselves to the fine wines and cuisine prepared and served for us by our hosts Marde and David Sharpe and enjoyed the ambience of a candlelit dinner in this beautiful house.

After a hearty breakfast on Saturday morning, we were met at Crossways House by Andrew Welling, the leader of the Isle of Wight R.A.T. Pack. He escorted us to Dave Death Motorcycles in Newport, where we met up with another five of his Pack members, who proceeded to take us on a mystery tour of the Island.

All of the Isle of Wight Pack members that we met were most friendly and helpful; they made us welcome and had clearly put effort into arranging our day’s riding on the Island. After a lunch stop at the Brading Roman Villa, the weather deteriorated to a fine drizzle, but that did not stop us covering the best part of 100 miles whilst on the Island. On the ascent up Zig Zag Road (yes another Zig Zag road) out of Ventnor, Mrs R.A.T. was second in line behind the IoW Pack Leader, who signalled for her to drop off on the steep uphill hairpin junction so that successive riders in the group could see which way to go. Perhaps he should have explained more carefully what ‘drop off’ meant – that would have saved us having to pick up the bike and repairing the winker lens with bodge-tape and a polythene bag!


After a full day on the bikes (I’m sure we passed that Civic Amenities Site at least three times), we returned to the accommodation to scrub-up and take taxis to the nearby Folly Inn. History has it that The Folly originated from a barge that ran aground whilst selling illegal liquor in the 1700s. Today it is an extremely popular open plan, rustic pub on the riverbank, where good food, real ale, and live music provide an unbeatable atmosphere on a Saturday night.


When we arrived at around 8 p.m. the place was heaving and we had to join a jostling queue of ‘yachties’ to order our food at the bar. We perhaps wondered at that stage whether we had made the right choice of pub for the evening, but after we took our seats at our reserved table, the food and drinks arrived and the music started, there was no doubt that this was the place to be on a Saturday night.

The Pack Leader had previously told Pack members to bring their dancing shoes with them and some duly joined the many others who were soon dancing on the tables………

On Easter Sunday morning, after breakfast and Easter-eggs, the pack spent a couple of hours in Osborne House, which was Victoria's favourite residence. Osborne House is an Italianate villa, which has been preserved as it was the day that Prince Albert died. We marveled at the ceilings, the lavish furnishings, the beautiful porcelain and ceramics, the Indian collection, the banqueting hall, the paintings and of course the peaceful gardens and the views afforded from them.

Naturally, after such a fine weekend, the return journey from Lymington was made by a different route; this time via the B3084 from Romsey to the A303 near Amesbury, and then the A342 across Salisbury Plain through Upavon, Devizes, Rowde, St Edith’s Marsh to Chippenham. Whilst at a coffee stop in a quiet country pub near St Edith’s Marsh, Ted Parry completed the set of three weekend bike-drops, by leaning his bike over onto the side stand which had since retracted!

This was a weekend of good motorcycling, great company and a contrasting mix of fine dining and Saturday Night Fever. Everyone, but everyone, enjoyed themselves and this event is likely to appear on the Pack’s calendar again next year.….. watch out for it!

The National ‘BikeSafe’ event for 2006, which was hosted for the second year by Gloucestershire Constabulary, was held at Cheltenham Racecourse over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday the 1st & 2nd of April. The Pack had not visited this event before, so elected to open the year’s ride-out series with an April Fools’ Day run to the show.

Six bikes and seven Pack members made a leisurely departure from Cardiff on Saturday morning amidst blustery winds, gathering clouds and a pessimistic weather forecast. However, fortune favoured the brave and the sky cleared to bless us with a dry, bright sunny day for the carefully planned, scenic ‘B’ road route through the Forest of Dean to Cheltenham racecourse.

Once at the show, there were assessed rides across varied local routes, test rides of manufacturer’s machines, advice about how to get trained, trade stalls, protective clothing, accessories, motorcycle security advice and products, a vintage club, bands and family entertainment.

At the end of the day, the Pack enjoyed another scenic scoot back through the Glocestershire and Monmouthshire lanes towards Cardiff, with a welcome stop for refreshments at Tintern Parva.

This was an excellent run out – perfect for blowing away any winter cobwebs and for reminding people, (if indeed they ever needed reminding), that the ride-out season has well and truly kicked off!

Next week will see a ride-out to the Doloucothi Gold Mines, then 5 days later there will be a 3-day Easter tour of the Isle of Wight, followed immediately by a ride-out to the Red Marley Hill Climb on Easter Monday, followed a week later by a ride-out to the spectacular ruins of Carreg Cennen Castle and two trips to the Triumph factory before the Pack tours Southern Ireland for 6 days in early May……yes, the season has well and truly kicked off!

On the Bank Holiday Saturday, six bikes and seven Pack members left Bevan’s shop in Cardiff for a ride to Carreg Cennen. The weather was just about perfect for biking and the route had been carefully selected to provide the most breath-taking scenery, but with almost no traffic (yes, that’s still possible in Wales). A seventh bike and two more Pack members joined us at the scheduled coffee stop in Treorchy, before continuing over the Rhigos mountains and on to the Black Mountain.

Carreg Cennen is one of the most spectacularly sited Welsh Castles, located north of Swansea, a few miles south-east of Llandeilo on a minor road off the A483. Spell-binding views are waiting to be experienced from the sharp hilltop upon which the castle sits. Indeed, Carreg Cennen dominates its surroundings, and seems out of place in the mountainous farming terrain that it commands.

The story of Carreg Cennen Castle is a long one, going back at least to the 13th century. However, there is archaeological evidence that the Romans and prehistoric peoples occupied the craggy hilltop centuries earlier (a cache of Roman coins and four prehistoric skeletons have been unearthed at the site). The first castle on the site was probably built by the Welsh Lord Rhys, Prince of Deheubarth, in the late 12th century. His descendant, Rhys Fychan, eventually inherited the castle, but was betrayed by his mother (the Norman Matilda de Braeos) who turned over the stronghold to the English. Rhys Fychan regained control of the castle in 1248, but had it taken away by his uncle, Maredudd ap Rhys Gryg, and then seized in 1277 by King Edward I. From that time onwards, the fortress remained in the hands of the English.

Carreg Cennen sits on private farm property through which visitors must pass to gain access to the fortress, but the lovely old buildings of Castell Farm, which house its café and restaurant facilities, add charm to the day's events.

After a welcome rest and a light lunch in the farm restaurant, the Pack elected to return to Cardiff via Talybont-on-Usk and then alongside the Talybont and Pontsticill Reservoirs, where we stopped in the sunshine for an ice-cream and watched the Brecon Mountain Railway Train steam past.

This was another delightful day out, during which the Pack again experienced the beauty and solitude of the Welsh countryside and roads at their best.

On a beautifully clear and sunny but cold morning, 14 bikes left Bevan’s shop in Cardiff for a 75-mile ride to the Doloucothi gold mines in mid-Wales. At the pre-arranged coffee stop at the West End Café in Llandovery, we met up with another 4 Pack members, bringing the total participants to 21 people on 18 bikes. This was a record turnout for the Pack and sets the target to beat.

These unique gold mines are set amid wooded hillsides overlooking the beautiful Cothi Valley. The Romans who exploited the site almost 2000 years ago left behind a complex of pits, channels, adits and tanks. Mining resumed in the 19th century and continued through the 20th century, reaching a peak in 1938. Pack members exchanged their crash-helmets for miners’ helmets before a guided tour took our party through the Roman and the more recent underground workings. The main mine yard contains a collection of 1930s mining machinery, and an exhibition about the history of gold and Welsh gold mining. There was the opportunity for Pack members to pan for gold and sense the frustrations of the search for gold.

The return route provided glorious riding over the Brecon Beacons, valleys and heaths and the coffee stop in the old-fashioned sweet shop and café in Treorchy provided the perfect opportunity for Pack members to compare notes on their day out.