48th Dragon Rally

[tart]

It's nearly time for the Dragon Rally in North Wales and I need a new front tyre, it's a bit cold out but her she is with her new tyre.

Still a couple of weeks to go so a visit to the bike show in London.

I like this one.


And this one.And this one.

Monday morning brings the heaviest snow the UK has had for twenty years.


Waiting for a train.Regents Park, Central London.

Friday late afternoon, still lots of snow but nearly home.Got some packing to do.
Saturday morning, all packed, only 170 miles to go.


Getting close to the rally site on Anglesey.



All set up. no snow on the island.


A little suprised to see a track day taking place, the rally is on Anglesey race circuit grounds.



Some of the other campers.



Hope my bike lasts as long as this one.



There is a band playing at the front.



The temperature for tonight was forcast to be -6, this was to be my secret weapon to combat the cold as I could wear it and then climb into my other sleeping bag. As it turned out I think the forcasters were wrong and although there was a little frost when I went to bed there was none in the morning.



A few pictures taken on my way home.

[GB]

The UK is looking like it does here some times...

Keep it comin'

[Colemanfu]

Looks cold - your brave to go out in that white stuff.



Your bike has too much plastic - no way it will last as long.

Last pic: is that high water? Or do they live in the middle of the lake?

[erichthered]

Originally Posted by Colemanfu

Last pic: is that high water? Or do they live in the middle of the lake?

I was wondering the same thing.

[Richard-NL]

Hey, I was there too and recognize myself on one of your pics in the tent. Got back home yesterday.

The rally was great. The road up and back was beautiful. We first rode up from the Netherlands through Belgium, France and England to South-Wales. From Cardiff we took small roads into Snowdonia, were we camped in the snow and a day later rode to the snow-free Island of Anglesey. Was there last year too and hope to go again next year. Some pics:


Brecon Beacons:



Crimea Pass:



For those wondering about the house in the water. Although there are floods in GB at the moment, this House can been seen from the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Street between the mainland of Wales and the Isle of Anglesey.

Richard-NL

[Tarka]

Smart little report.

I was at the Dragon too !

Richard NL,I spent some time looking at your outfit without realising it was yours .... we probably stood next to each other without knowing .

Here`s some shots from my ride.


That`s actually a LAKE on the right hand side of the photo...




This should actually be a WATERFALL.......wasn`t falling very much when I was there !




They may be ugly,but there`s no beating handlebar muffs for keeping yer paws frost free.
Once again,Skaya..my trusty 650 Ural...did the rally and she did me proud.

[Tarka]

Originally Posted by Colemanfu

Last pic: is that high water? Or do they live in the middle of the lake?

The house is on a small island.....it`s not a lake,it`s the Menai Strait ... a strip of water between the Wales mainland and the island of Anglesey.
The two are linked by the Menai Bridge and the Britannia Bridge.

[Richard-NL]

Originally Posted by Tarka

Richard NL,I spent some time looking at your outfit without realising it was yours .... we probably stood next to each other without knowing .

So this must be your bike



I allready told you a while ago in another thread I was going to the Dragon. We were not that close to you, because, as you know now, we were standing here and I was probably the only one with Dutch license plates:



Seen my muffs?

Our troop was from the yellow German sidecar (you must have noticed that one) all the way along the road down to the large tent.

Here a pic of our camping spot somewhere near Dollgellau.



You should have come to us, we had plenty of drinks and food.

BTW: What was wrong with my explanation of the house below Brittania Bridge?

Richard-NL

[Tarka]

Originally Posted by Richard-NL

So this must be your bike

YUP....That`s my beloved Skaya !

The one behind is my mate Vince`s from Ireland....he has fitted a 3 adult Gemini sidecar to his Ural sidecar frame and made it fit using Ural attachment points so the two sidecar bodies are interchangeable.


I saw the other outfit near yours too......didn`t think of asking if you were about,because for some reason I thought you were coming over on a Ural or Dnepr.

Next year then eh ??

Originally Posted by Richard-NL

BTW: What was wrong with my explanation of the house below Brittania Bridge?

Hey...nothing was wrong...I had quoted the person asking the question and given them some info,but your reply got in before mine.

[Richard-NL]

Well, I didn’t have much time, since tomorrow I’m off to the Altes Elefantentreffen at the Nürbürgring in Germany and I (we) got back from the Dragon just two days ago and had to do some time-eating boring stuff, like going to work. Still I wanted to show your something about our beautifull ride to the Dragon Rally.

Everything is home-made, even the music (my sons band with other kids from our village)

I hope you like it. It’s the second vid I ever made.






Thanks guys, for everything, hope to see you all next year (sooner would be better) and be carefull out there on the road.

Richard-NL

[cymruduc]

Nice to see a RR from Northern Wales...even with snow
Hope to make it there someday...maybe tied in with the IOM TT.
My dads side of the family emigrated to the colonies before the
revolution. Need to visit my ancestral homeland.

[trophydave]

Originally Posted by Richard-NL

Sad individual that I am,if you look across the road you can just see my red and white Transalp behind my mates AT.I know-I really should get out more.

[Frey Bentos]

Brrr. You chaps are nuts.

[stickysidedown]

Yay I was there too, and hope to do the elefentreffen next year as well.
Heres one of me in training the day before the rally


Heres a couple of shots from the trip

Coming along the A5







I was a little cold but couldnt resist getting off the main roads and finding some lonelier small roads



After a few miles of black ice heading over the hills with my reserve light on I was glad to get from the small roads




onto some beautiful big, small roads


Reserve light still flashing but hey, I thought this river was quite a pretty little spot and wanted a photo.



Glad to find some petrol, weird little attended petrol stop (V unusual in the UK), you sort of park on the pavement of this narrow village street and get your petrol



Stopping for some scram en route I spy a couple of fellow dragoners, these caught my eye





Another stop for views and photos at this canal, Canals preceding railway and being the catalyst for industrialisation and therefore the modern age as we know it, now they are peaceful idyll's for those who live aboard their narrowboats, there was an enormous and gorgeous aqueduct here but couldnt get a good photo of it on my mobile phone, I love Victorian engineering.





Then came the freezing rain and I wasnt so inclined to stop for photos for the next 200 miles home!