DAY RIDE: In search of the Rarebit

Mikko Niemenen reports…

Wales is a much-loved destination for lots of riders, but it’s only when you get a little off-piste that you find the hidden gems it has to offer 

The ride in brief: A round route from Lake Vyrnwy to the coast, taking in some of the lesser known, but best to explore, small roads in Mid-Wales 

Wales doesn’t always get the credit it deserves as a biking destination. Many of us bikers regularly head up to the Lakes or Scotland in search of biking Nirvana, but there are plenty of good roads and natural beauty to be found in Wales. 

The National Parks of Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons are the best-known areas to visit but scratch a bit deeper beneath the surface and you’ll find miles of roads and tracks just waiting to be discovered. The best way to get to know the ideal places to ride is to follow someone who knows their way around the area. This time it just so happened that this person was the record-smashing round-the-world rider Nick Sanders, who runs his Expedition Centre on the outskirts of Snowdonia National Park.

The centre is a place for bikers to meet fellow adventurers and plan their next trip. Nick offers food and accommodation, and as you might expect from a man who has ridden around the world seven times and up and down the Americas eight times, it’s not your average Premier Inn that you find nestled in the hillside.

Nick has had his hand in organising motorcycle tours for years, and in addition to travelling around the world, he knows the Welsh countryside like the back of his hand. Who better to follow on the roads then? 

Riding with Nick

We start our tour from the shores of Lake Vyrnwy with Yamaha Tracer 700s. The reason we’re on these bikes is that Nick’s Expedition Centre is part of the Destination Yamaha programme (www.destination-yamaha-motor.com) and frankly it would be rude not to jump on these ‘MT-07-turned-into-tourer’ bikes for a gentle spin to the coast. The little Tracer is a delightful bike to ride, and perfect for our relatively slow roads. There’s loads of torque in the twin-engine, and if you so wished, you could wheelie all the way to the coast – we didn’t, honest. 

Skirting Lake Vyrnwy, we dip in and out of the early-morning shade, trying to adjust our eyes to the light. The roads are wonderfully curvy, and settling into a rhythm of riding happens before you know it. Turning away from the lake, we climb through a forest to reach a narrow road, just wide enough for a car, winding round a hillside. As the valley opens up, we are treated to vistas almost reminiscent of Lakeland; we take a quick stop for photos. “Isn’t this wonderful,” says Nick as he’s taking in the scenery. “These are my backroads. Absolutely fantastic!”

Our tour continues on even smaller roads (they’re more like Tarmac tracks really) towards Dolgellau. We pass farms, fields, hills, waterfalls, and oh-so-many sheep. In fact, the only thing you really need to watch out for on Welsh roads is sheep. They are everywhere, and they have no road sense whatsoever. Dodging sheep soon becomes second nature and keeping the speed sensible helps.

Over and out

Nick makes his way back to his centre from Dolgellau. I pick the coastal road to Llwyngwril because I want to see the sea before I return to the base at Lake Vyrnwy. On these roads you can pick up the pace a bit between the villages as the road is wide, and there seems to be a curious lack of sheep. The Tracer loves the smooth Tarmac and fast corners that I find here. If you really push it fast on bumpy roads the suspension struggles to keep up, but on flowing bends like these it’s an absolute joy to ride. Admittedly, we haven’t done mega miles here, but some of the going has been pretty bumpy and I still feel as fresh as a daisy. 

The Welsh coast is about as tranquil as it can ever be. Having seen the sea, and discovered the nature of the Tracer, I head back to the hotel on bigger roads, the A470 and A458. Again, I’m treated to some lovely riding – although very different from this morning. There’s very little traffic and I make great time. Time for a beer in the sun before dinner then!

As I sit on the hotel balcony watching the setting sun, I feel invigorated not just by the local ale, but also a thoroughly pleasant ride. It was short and mainly quite slow, but the range of scenery from rolling hills to windswept coastline, and bustling towns to sheer emptiness, was astounding. I make a mental note to ride like this more often, then order another beer and watch the red sun sink into Lake Vyrnwy. 

Wales offers some fantastic riding even if you just turn up and tell the sat-nav to show you the way, but for a properly unforgettable experience local knowledge is key.