Steel Horse Cafe Bike Night this Friday

[Dynspud]

Hi Folks
Just a reminder that this Friday 7th September is bike night at Steel Horse Cafe near Abergavenny (NP7 9AY for sat navs).
Always a great turnout.
The cafe is open all day from 9am and closes at 9pm on monthly bike nights but late afternoon / evening is when the majority of bikes turn up.


Would be great to see some fellow Foccers there 

[AJM]

Hoping to go after work, not sure what time i'll be there but looks like a gorgeous evening to be out riding 

[Dynspud]

Nice one AJM.
I'm hoping to be there approx 6pm - silver FZS 1000 Gen 1 BX04 HVN.
Hopefully see you there.

[AJM]

Good to meet you at The Steel Horse Dave, enjoyed a chat and watching the bikes arrive, plenty of exotica to look at.

[Dynspud]

Same here mate.
Perhaps have a bit longer next time for a coffee.
Be good to meet up half way between us sometime - say Llandovery or the petrol station in Sennybridge - another favourite stopping place for bikers.
Don't forget the Old Golden Hen 

[AJM]

I will give myself more time next time, definitely up for a ride out to Llandovery will let you know when I'm out n about......Tesco this afternoon on the look out for some Golden Hen

[ogri48]

great biker café, and the last time I was there (silver/black fazer thou, black frame and motah) there was another bike like mine there...one of you two? you ever ride that usk to Chepstow road fellers? one of my all time faves..

[Dynspud]

Probably me mate.
Mine's on an 04 plate.


Yes indeed, the B4235 from Usk to Chepstow is an absolute beauty.
I live not too far away in Cwmbran so get to ride it quite frequently.


I don't know why but I also prefer riding it going from Usk to Chepstow rather than Chepstow to Usk, although that's being picky 
Do you have a preference?

[ogri48]

lol yeah I prefer it that way too, probably because I think you save the best til last, and it feels like your going uphill. I live forest of dean on the Chepstow road, and the missus works in usk prison, so I offer to take her to work a lot on the bike come summer. Its th same on the Monmouth to coleford road; I prefer going up the mountain to the forest rather than down (spend all your time hard on the brakes going to Monmouth!) though either way is a cracking road until winter arrives lol

[AJM]

Hi Ogri, i was on my Red 600, was next to Dave's machine for an hour then had to leave.
 
Yes the road to Chepstow is a really good one and also Monmouth to Coleford, first did the Chepstow road in winter, leaves and dead squirrels everywhere 
 
Dave, after talking about rusty down pipes i've just replaced mine last week with stainless  

[Dynspud]

I think you're onto something there Ogri.
Going uphill is definitely more fun and I do enjoy the Coleford road the same way around as you.

Nice one on the downpipes Andrew.
Did the header nuts come off OK?

[AJM]

Hi Dave, two of the exhaust studs had snapped previously but the rest came off no problem, i came up with a solution so that when i put everything back together it looked neater and clamped the headers to the engine block with even pressure. I'm well happy with the end result and the bike feels a bit livlier now, i think because proper back pressure has been restored.

[ogri48]

Yeah I know what you mean about the Chepstow road, I live in it just the other side of coleford and use it on my commute to go Chepstow/ bridge/frenchay uwe. In the summer it's a dream, but in the winter...as you say, leaves, gravel, ice and snow, roadkill and that lovely forest red mud the farmers love spreading, normally just around a bend or on the brow of a hill...then there's the wild boar, deer and free roaming sheep...lol
 

[celticbiker]

lol yeah I prefer it that way too, probably because I think you save the best til last, and it feels like your going uphill. I live forest of dean on the Chepstow road, and the missus works in usk prison, so I offer to take her to work a lot on the bike come summer. Its th same on the Monmouth to coleford road; I prefer going up the mountain to the forest rather than down (spend all your time hard on the brakes going to Monmouth!) though either way is a cracking road until winter arrives lol

I work in Bristol but live near Pontypool so take that road nearly every day in the summer.

[Dynspud]

Nice mate.
Makes going to, and coming home from, work that much more bearable I would imagine 

[ogri48]

it does. funny how when we are young we make all the time we need to get out on the bike, but as we get older we let it be pushed to the back of the queue, even though we love riding just as much if not more. I had forty years as a self employed builder sitting in traffic in my van/truck watching helplessly as commuters on bikes made easy progress. Im loving the fact I get to use the bike every time now im a mature student, regardless of the weather. And as you fellers say, the chepstow road is a blinding ride and a lovely way to start the day