Devil's Bridge - great roads, tears, scraping footpegs and sleepybobs!!

After promising and cancelling and begging and more promises finally arranged for the kids to go on a proper ride out, (instead of me taking em round the block 1 at a time)!!

Sunday morning couple of mates turned up, kids were textiled up and extra helmet borrowed and were off to Devil's Bridge, my best friend is an experienced rider of 30 years and pillioned thousands of miles so I had no qualms about entrusting him with 1 of my offspring, I took my lad and we were off.

First 20 odd miles were boring motorway and dual carriageway, (apart from a gorgeous sweeper of a bend on the A56) which some cock in a "Polite" hi viz jacket spoiled somewhat as we all slowed down!! It was an eye opener for my daughter who'd never been on the motorway and found the wind and general buffeting about a little un-nerving at first but she soon got used to it.

Anyway we left the A56 just after it Intersected the M65 and a few turns later we were on some tight and twisties, now I must have been to Devils Bridge half a dozen times in my short biking career but because we always seem to take a different route I'm never quite sure how we get there. This was no exception and we switched between A roads, B roads, single track and everything in between, it certainly kept the kids (and me) pretty focused for the journey.

Any way we arrived and the kids were very excited about the journey that had just passed, barely noticing they were surrounded by hundreds of bikes and it was cracking the flags, but anyway after the obligatory "dirty burger" (which are actually lovely) and a drink we were off again, my friend electing "the scenic route" back (I'll never get my bearings). Incidentally we also swapped kids and I took my daughter whilst my lad jumped on the ST3. Almost forgot my companions for the day were a ST3 tourer and a 996.

So off we go again and we're barely 5 minutes down the road when I remember I need fuel, so we head toward Hawes (I remember it from SnT) and while refuelling we meet up with another friend who'd been out for a blat and also pillions are swapped back as my lad is a little squirmy in the seat which wast to Dave's taste, (especially when he decides he's not comfortable and starts moving around mid corner).

So off again and not long before trouble strikes.... Travelling down the road all my gauges start going haywire, me thinking the worse pull the clutch and everything dies, manage to limp into a lay by safely but the rest are gone. Turn the ignition off and on and it momentarily comes back to life but soon dies again, loose wire springs to mind. Eventually the rest come back as I'm stripping The bike down to get to the battery, after a bit of poking and prodding around I find the complete battery terminal has sheared off the battery. With a bit of ingenuity from one of the lads he lifts the plastic of the battery and we jam a stone under it, squeezing the connection back together and the she fires back up first time. Once we know the problem isn't serious it's time for the customary "broken down" picture, just for future shits and giggles. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] then we're off again.

Only problem now is the my boy has deserted my "unreliable" Honda for the 996, it's a fair cop it hadn't broken down all day, so we were off again. Feeling the freedom of no passenger I decide to push on a little more, really stretching the blades legs and enjoying my new found freedom, the roads were great and perfect biking conditions but I soon had to have my wits about me as a car pulled out on the car in front of me and he slammed on, not helped by an oncoming car I had some quick decisions to make and whilst its all a bit of a blur the hazard avoidance exercise on my test and watching Keith Codes video about 100 times paid off as I managed to avoid the car in front, the one that pulled out and inexplicably froze before cutting back to avoid the oncoming car to the sound of my footpeg scraping on the ground and nearly crushing my foot. 

The severity of the situation didn't hit home until we stopped a couple of miles up the road for a brew and I realised I have no hero blobs on my pegs so I must've been dragging pretty low, plus the two lads following me were surprised to not be scraping me off a car bonnet.

A couple of fags and coffee later we decide to head off for home, gentle stretch back to the motorway and home, no more incidents required..... Or so I thought. Following the 996 (with my lad on) I notice
He looked a little relaxed on the back, looked like he was draped over my mate so I pulled along side to check up on him and my worse fears....... He'd fell asleep on the back!!!! Couple of Horn beeps gently woke him and I realise it could have been a lot worse, after that scare kept an eye on h for the 5 or so miles home.

Absolute great scary exciting terrifying day out, thanks to the lads for everything. Oh and the kids want to know if it'll be a regular outing from now on...... Yeah maybe once I've gaffer taped my lad on just in case!!

get a tandem skydive harness for him. bloody hell mate, joking aside that could have been bad to say the least.

Power of dreams and the stuff of nightmares all rolled into one there Steve.

       

Glad everything worked out.

Cheers
Rosco

My daughter always fell asleep, Once in the fast lane of the M1!

I knew she had when she head butted me between the shoulder blades.

I know a few adult pillions that do too and apparently it's common.

Pleased you had a good & safe rideout Steve.

i know fred as nodded off on the bike once or twice
pete

Nice write up Steve, can tell you really enjoyed it in spite of the battery.

I've felt that tap on my back too.

SteveCat wrote:Nice write up Steve, can tell you really enjoyed it in spite of the battery.

I've felt that tap on my back too.

It was frightening Nick, especially as he was on a bike with someone else as well, the consequences don't bare thinking about but luckily alls well that ends well.

You're right I really did enjoy it, these lads can seriously ride but being two up with my kids did slow them to more like my pace which made for a much better ride. I like following and learning lines from more experienced riders but its never easy when they just tear away from you, as I found following Terry's mate at SnT and DBD at BC!!

Snowcat wrote:It was frightening Nick

Quite right, you shouldn't be going around frightening Nick  
My pillion doesn't nod off anymore, she very quickly realised the consequences. If I do feel the tap, I'll talk to her or tap her leg otherwise I'll stop as the last thing I want to do is give her a fright.

You want to nip over to the other Devils bridge too, not far from Aberystwyth you'd enjoy that too

stretchie_ wrote:You want to nip over to the other Devils bridge too, not far from Aberystwyth you'd enjoy that too

Funny you should say that in my quest to pinpoint exactly where Devils Bridge is that's the one that comes up on google maps

I did the same thing Steve, couldn't quite work out what all the fuss was about - this is all I saw when I got there

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
img_2995.jpg by stevephi, on Flickr

The roads around the area are quite nice

Think it was two years before I went to the other one!

Is that a numpty nomination Mr Snowcat? For calling Stevecat Nick?

ellie wrote:Is that a numpty nomination Mr Snowcat? For calling Stevecat Nick?

Me thinks you're in a glass house with a kettle, a pot, stones and the stick's wrong end on fire Ellie.

I'll see your nomination and raise you one.

Hopefully Snowcat will be along shortly to deliver a nomination to one of us.
You could be doing with catching me up.
You could be doing with catching me up.

Cheers
Rosco

Ps - I'm not bitter - I can however remember the days when these numpty points were much harder to get.

Nick was the guy on the 996 who had my lad on the back  
He was frightened

To be honest I've never actually STOPPED at Devils Bridge, just been through it going from Rhayader to Aberysthyth