old - Fazer Owners Club - old
General => General => Topic started by: adeejaysdelight on 26 February 2014, 11:42:35 am
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I am off on my annual solo bike tour next week. For a change I am heading to the Lake District. I usually head up to the highlands, but my bike could ride around there on its own, such is its experience of those roads :rolleyes . So I thought I would head "down souf" for a wee change.
I am looking for recommended roads and must do's from local experts. I am staying at Grange over Sands. I plan to batter down the motorway to somewhere like Penrith, then ride the rest through the countryside. Once I arrive at my accommodation I will dump my stuff and head out to play until it gets dark. I then have another 2 days to explore the area.
Any advice on roads, views, eateries and drinking holes most welcome :D .
Thanks
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A686 Penrith to Alston, stopping off at the Hartside Cafe
Heading west from near Ambleside, try the Hardknott & Wrynose passes, not roads for speed really worth doing for the views and the 1 in 4 gradients and hairpin bends, a few decent pubs in Boot village and a good campsite at Eskdale.
A6 over Shap, a great stretch of road & fairly quiet as most of the traffic will be on the M6.
A few starters for ya, I'm sure lots more will be posted :)
Here's (http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/campsites/uk/cumbria/holmrook/eskdale) a link to the campsite we stayed at in Eskdale, couple who ran it were really nice (think they're still there), even to the point of letting me park my Fazer in their garage overnight :)
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Second the recommendation of hard knott pass that's fun.
Andy
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I second all that Nakedadder says. i did these roads last year driving a VW Golf and it was the best fun. The Hardknot and wrynose were awesome and proper lock to lock driving. My wifes screams were a delight. The road up to Hartside was amazing too. I met up with some mates in Morecambe and was lent an ageing KLR 600. Awful tired bike but it was a bike so still great fun. We went to Devil's bridge (I think) which is a great bike meeting place and a cracking burger van.
You lucky sod
Mickey
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You could try A590 from Grange over then T/Right A65 past Kirkby Lonsdale and then on to Settle and maybe on to Skipton???
Nice roads.
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A592 kirkstone pass windermere to ullswater ;)
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Try this for a wee jont (http://https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Grange-over-Sands,+Cumbria,+UK/Windermere,+Cumbria,+UK/Ambleside,+Cumbria,+UK/Kirkstone+Pass+Inn,+Ambleside,+Cumbria+LA22+9LQ,+United+Kingdom/CA11+0DQ,+UK/Keswick,+Cumbria,+UK/Grange-over-Sands,+Cumbria,+UK/@54.4197495,-3.5071549,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m43!4m42!1m5!1m1!1s0x487c90a2b12cf54d:0xbcf2fc315e856ec1!2m2!1d-2.910688!2d54.191009!1m5!1m1!1s0x487c934574be0139:0xd17f1c1611bb5b79!2m2!1d-2.906785!2d54.380685!1m5!1m1!1s0x487c94bd934b51e3:0x65a479dfb2ad3093!2m2!1d-2.961333!2d54.428736!1m5!1m1!1s0x487cebbf8a73b6dd:0xd1bcc70c75803322!2m2!1d-2.925211!2d54.464435!1m5!1m1!1s0x487cfb410cf3df97:0x1c72f94e718f3a34!2m2!1d-2.7811143!2d54.647418!1m5!1m1!1s0x487cc2477a050ef9:0xc5fde4338572418d!2m2!1d-3.134706!2d54.601276!1m5!1m1!1s0x487c90a2b12cf54d:0xbcf2fc315e856ec1!2m2!1d-2.910688!2d54.191009), Kirkstone pass is a defo don't miss.
My link no workie !!!! :'(
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Great views to be had from Grasmoor....might have trouble getting a bike up there though :lol
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Consider Keswick through Borrowdale to Honister Pass and onwards to Buttermere then Newlands Pass back to Keswick.
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This is all sounding great Foccers. Keep it coming :D
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Head over to Kirby Lonsdale and on to Settle down the A65. Head into Settle and pick up the B6479. Follow that until T junction with B6255 at the Ribbleshead Viaduct. Follow B6255 into Hawes. This stretch is my all time favorite, quite, open and good surface and a jump! Good food in Hawes. Then back into Sedburgh and from there back to Kirby Lonsdale. A nice 1 1/2 hours without a stop, but plenty of brew / food stops available.
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Consider Keswick through Borrowdale to Honister Pass and onwards to Buttermere then Newlands Pass back to Keswick.
This could be tied in with the route I put up ( if the bloody link would work ). Newlands pass is very nice :)
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Not being a kill joy a great roads BUT at this time of year, good luck.
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Hardknott & Wrynose passe.....FOC.....I've done them in a car and a van.....don't fancy hill starting a bike going up there! :eek :eek :eek :eek
Great fun though :-)
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Not being a kill joy a great roads BUT at this time of year, good luck.
Lew, I live in Scotland and ride all year. I sat my test in -3 and snowing. Unless it goes below -5, I take the bike and have done for years. I usually head up to the highlands for my solo-spring aunt. An early spring in the Lakes is like summer up here mate. EASY
And for the rest of you guys, I am getting a good idea of a route now. Thanks for all the input. Seems the hardknott and wrynose are a MUST. As well as the A591.
I will work more on the route over the weekend and put it up on Monday, before I set off.
Keep it coming
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Done all the above many many times, they're all superb roads!
My favourite has to be hardknott pass though. It can catch out even the most experienced riders, but gives the most thrills.
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A592 kirkstone pass windermere to ullswater ;)
Good road and you can continue up to Hartside Cafe.
Hardknott and Wrynose are great but only if weather is reasonable! The area around Grange is pretty boring so you need to head north for decent rides. You will take pot luck on the weather at this time of the year but the bonus is that the traffic will be lighter. Remember, those Lakes don't fill themselves :)
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The A5087 from Ulverston to Barrow-in-furness, also known as the coast road is another favourite of mine.
Stop 1/2 way for an ice cream or brew at Roys ices. A lifetime biker himself and your all welcome!
[Free plug alert!!! He's my dad :D ]
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The A5087 from Ulverston to Barrow-in-furness, also known as the coast road is another favourite of mine.
Stop 1/2 way for an ice cream or brew at Roys ices. A lifetime biker himself and your all welcome!
[Free plug alert!!! He's my dad :D ]
Is he the ice cream van at the Bardsea beach front?
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Is he the ice cream van at the Bardsea beach front?
The very same one!
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Ah HA, A fine selection of ice creams, and always some bikes there. We holiday in Ulverston every year.
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I am off on my trip tomorrow.
My plan is to take the motorway from Glasgow to Penrith and stop there for lunch.
From Penrith I will follow this route to my destination, which is Grange over sands.
And that will be day 1 ;)
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Oh aye, the map :rolleyes
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So day one is over. After a long day in the saddle riding the dales and moors of Yorkshire, I am ready for a big sleep before taking on the lakes tomorrow. I plan to hot most of the roads suggested and will deffo hot the wrynose pass and hardlnott pass.
However, I have a question to the locals. What the hell is that white silt all over the roads? Its on my tyres lime chalk and its pretty slippy in the bends? Is it some kind of residue from an anti-iceing agent or something?
Anyway, recommendations so far have been ace.
Thanks
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My trip around Yorkshire was ace guys. Thanks for the recommended roads. They were all good, although some better than others. I had a blast though. Lovely people in the region too ;) .
Here is a wee vid of the Hardknott
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grC68LihBGE&feature=youtu.be (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grC68LihBGE&feature=youtu.be)
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Nice one Adee, glad you had a good one. You got the hairpins on the Hardknott without any cars coming the other way, lucky bleeder! :lol
I did it going up the hairpins in dry conditions - going down in wet, slippy conditions must have taken some concentration :eek
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Great road that, was up there years ago on a 400/4 Honda, before I got a real bike :lol
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Oi...unfazed...I heard that :lol
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Oi...unfazed...I heard that :lol
Is yours the real 400/4 with the rear footrests on the swinging arm or the newer one. :lol
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Yep...the real F1 400/4 supersport in fast red....1975 registered in the same month as they were launched.. :D
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I bought my red one in July 1976 and traded it for a Suzuki GS550 4 months later with 10600miles on it. The sales man came out looked at the clock went back into the shop and came out again to read the clock a second time. :lol
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I also had a red 400/4 around 1979....good times!
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Yes, those were the days when we had rear drums, one front disc with one piston and took a week to stop in the wet :lol
My brother in law owns the fore runner of the 400//4 an American import 350 four, I took it for a spin last summer and he took the Fazer, told him to watch the brakes on the Fazer. All was fine until he rode into the driveway, he locked up the front of the Fazer and it fell over on top of his leg. We struggled to lift off him because we were :rollin. When he eventually got up he only comment was "At least I have ABS on the 350" then he elaborated "Anything But Stop". Yes those were the days :lol