G'day from Oz! I'll be going over for the Manx GP next month..... My bike is parked in Whitby, Yorkshire, and I have a friend riding up from Southern Germany. I was thinking about meeting up with her and riding through the Peaks District, as I've heard there's some pretty cool riding through there. So have I heard right? And if so, can anyone recommend some roads that will take us in the general direction of Liverpool? Cheers!
Depends on how long you want to spend in the Peaks and if you want trails or just tarmac... Ive compiled a route on Google, which sticks to the main roads but includes a few biker friendly cafes: A - Whitby ... a nice route through the moors B - Fimber Cafe set in the woods and homemade snacks C - Seaways Cafe - standard biker food D - Squires Cafe - a large bikers pub / cafe and shop with free camping E - Matlock Bath - a small town very popular with bikers + ...a little tour of the peaks including the well known Snakes Pass F - Cat and Fiddle Inn - said to be the 2nd highest pub in Britain G - Adventure Bike Warehouse - a friendly bike shop just outside Manchester and a short stop from Liverpool https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?sadd...Bbhc_bwTcQg&mra=dpe&mrsp=5&sz=9&via=5&t=m&z=9 You can avoid motorways but the journey will slow down considerably due to our love of speed traps. Navigating Doncaster or Sheffield is a nightmare so use the highways to avoid them :) I'm in Leeds so don't know the Peaks intimately, I'm sure someone who knows them better will be along soon.... have fun :)
Thanks for that. Snakes, got a good ring to it... About the speed traps, are these human beings, or the automated, camera types? Done a heap of miles around England, Scotland etc., never had a problem.......( That I know of.....Oz registered bike and all)
Both, but mainly automated cameras that are triggered when you ride/drive past - there are very few actual patrols around these days, although often they park on the entry to villages to catch people who haven't slowed down in time - which is fair enough to be honest, the no.1 complaint from people who live in these areas is bikes (and cars) driving too fast through villages - stick to the limit and keep your revs down, and you'll gain a lot of friends x Unfortunately, a lot of the more major roads (including the Snake Pass) these days have what are called 'average speed cameras' too now - rather than just snapping you if you pass a particular camera over the limit, they record you at one point, and again at another, and automatically work out if your average speed between those two points is higher than the limit... nasty. There is some leeway, but not all that much... best to avoid those roads if you like to press on a bit... note. Most average speed cameras on motorways record your front licence plate, so bikes are kind of immune... ahem. However, some (such as on the Snake Pass) have a rear facing camera specifically to catch bikes too - it's a great road, but best enjoyed at a more leisurely pace these days... A foreign licence plate used to be a 'get out of jail free' card, but increasingly if the authorities can find a way of tracking you down (and fining you) they will - especially if your speed is excessive. Certainly between European countries there is now a loose exchanging of information, but I don't believe there is currently any way they can trace vehicles from outside the EU. That said, if you are bringing your vehicle in from another country, they are likely to record your registration number as part of your immigration process, and it's not hard for them to cross reference your reg number with your passport number for instance - not with computers these days... Best advice I can offer is take it easy on the more popular roads, and look for the less busy routes - fortunately we have great maps here in the UK - the Dales and the Peaks are both surrounded by major cites and so are very busy with tourists over the summer and a honey pot for fines... ideally you should head to Wales or Scotland for less populated and more dramatic scenery... Jx
Oh, I had forgotten about those! North Yorkshire police have invested in 3 new types of safety camera van. "The camera technology used within the van can detect the speed of approaching and receding traffic from up to 1,000 metres away and captures 360 degree images of the location. The device is particularly effective at detecting motorcycles and produces high-quality images of vehicles and the riders or drivers.The camera can also detect mobile phone and seatbelt offences." Just be careful and aware when riding around the region. North Yorks and Cumbria police have made public announcements regarding targeting bikers this summer. Make sure you're riding legally.
No worries. I never speed through towns, can't see any point really. The last thing you want to do is run over a kid or something.....And really, I never tend to ride hard in foriegn countries. Long way from home and all that. Plus, I'm there to enjoy, not stress! I've got a cupla good track bikes and the worlds best race track (Phillip Island) less than an hour away, so a 1100GS with panniers and stuff doesn't get my blood up too much.. But thanx for the advice, much appreciated!
