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General => General => Topic started by: brooker81 on 02 July 2015, 08:10:47 am
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Are they really everywhere ?
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Personally, I don't think it's as bad as some folks make out. The areas to be really careful are Snowdonia and the Brecon Beacons, but I don't think I've ever seen any in mid Wales yet. The roads around Bala you have to be wary on, and of course keep to the limits through towns and villages, but don't let the horror stories put you off. Just be aware that, like anywhere else, they can crop up now and again, and they do have little campaigns, usually more in the two areas I've noted. Could be worth asking the locals at one of the cafes popular with bikes if there are any particular clamp-downs going on, and there are websites you can check for this too I think. But no, it's not a seething mass of speed traps. Weekends will generally be worse for it than during the week also.
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Thanks nick.
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I saw 2 scamera vans when out on the Guzzi tuesday , one on the A38 at the end of the village of Highbridge , one as i went through Street heading towards Glastonbury , i knew they were there as i was warned by oncoming traffic , i have also been told that they are no longer using the 10% + 2 , Avon and Somerset seem to be having a purge at the moment .
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My experience of wales is be careful around towns and villages and you can rag it a bit in the unpopulated bits.
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Powys(mid-Wales) is the largest county so police & other resources have to be spread a bit more thinly.
As Nick Crisp mentioned be careful around the Brecons & North Wales(Snowdonia National ParK). North Wales not quite so bad as a few years ago when Brunstrom was chief constable. Observe speed limits in built up areas and just exercise common sense.
Beware the usual rural hazards-tractors, sheep, mud on road etc and enjoy some of the best biking in this spectacular country.
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I live in Wrexham and do a lot of riding in an 80 mile radius, mostly in North Wales. Operation Darwen was launched at Easter which is aimed at reducing motorcycle related deaths and serious injuries on North Wales roads. Since last year, when there were several deaths on the,A5104 Llandegla to Corwen road alone, many local roads, including the A5104 have had their speed limits reduced, in this case from 60 to 50 mph. I come across detector vans on a regular basis, as follows.
A525 Wrexham to Llandegla. Van in Coedpoeth High Street, Van on the straight after the Moors Inn, Bwlchgwyn in the 50 mph section, van on the bend by the fishery at the end of this straight, 60mph, van in layby after the mountain bike centre turn off, 60mph.
A5104 Llandegla to Corwen. Van on Bryneglwys straight, 50mph.
A494 Druid to Bala. van in layby just before Glan Yr Afon. He was there today when I was coming from Bala.
Bala High Street. Van outside ambulance station, 30mph.
A4212, Bala to Trawsfynydd. Van at top of hill as you leave Bala, 30mph.
A4212 at turn off for Ffestiniog, van on grass verge, 60mph.
I could go on and on but this gives you an idea, and these are within 35 miles of home.
Operation Darwen has certainly intensified the scrutiny of motorcyclists so please take care if you are coming here.
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As mentioned earlier when ever I go in to mid wales I call in to dinky's for a brew the guy's there are usually clued up on where the mobile traps are and I also keep to the limits through villages
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best to avoid bikers rout at weekends.
you can bet your bottom dollar they will be there somewhere.
if you go during the week not many are out but around tea time and evenings you may come across one.
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Head out tommrro. Points don't mean prizes in this case I'm sure we will find some nice bits of roads where we can have a little blast. Fingers crossed no points will update thread in ride out daily with pics etc etc thanks for all your help guys.
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My experience of wales is be careful around towns and villages and you can rag it a bit in the unpopulated bits.
+1 :)
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I have lived here for forty years, still got a clean licence, 8), keep your eyes wide open,
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Enjoy North Wales and just don't act like a dickhead.
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apparrently they caught 7 speeds last night--and I thought that speeds were on the endangered species listings. :pc
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I live in South Wales and go for rides all the time and tbh I've only ever seen 2 speed traps near llandeilo. Maybe I'm just lucky and they don't want to be out when I'm on the road
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it,s a myth, a load of bollocks,just something to talk about at biker pull up,s, ,wales welcomes foreigners . :)
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Anquetil's post makes the myth look true, but I think everywhere in the UK has a clamp down now and again, especially if there have been a few road deaths attributable to excess speed.
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Yeah plus blanket 50s everywhere (or at least every road that a councillor, mayor or politician lives on)
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I can only say the truth, I live here, :rolleyes. every day at least, 10,, in my van, it must be the same everywhere, keep your eyes open.??
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I can only say the truth, I live here, :rolleyes. every day at least, 10,, in my van, it must be the same everywhere, keep your eyes open.??
At least ten what? Speed traps? Never seen one in Oxfordshire (a handful of fixed cameras), never seen one in Wiltshire (they removed all the fixed cameras years ago). I'm not talking about fixed cameras in 20, 30 and 40 limits here though, I tend to stick to those. And it's a lot easier if you only ride roads that you're familiar with all the time; you'll have a good idea of where they like to operate. But if you like to explore a bit, you have to be more wary, don't get complacent (and yes, I have found this to my own cost - somehow, I don't think I'm the only one ;) ).
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Taylor, I think you and me will just have to agree we don't understand each other at all :rollin
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well put .mr crisp, ;)
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I think Taylor must be pissed up on the Vino in his pi...mobile home :lol
I rarely see the mr speedy van....or coppers.....or the outside world.
Seriously it isnt bad....except on weekends....coz then i cant even see the road forget th speed traps :b
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I give up mr nog, someone telling my whats it is like in my area, its like me saying there are speed cameras in England, there are,, watch what you are doing, if they cant ride a bike don't get on it,,,,, v an 2 wisemans bridge, ask for steve, my school was not good, :eek
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I must have missed something on this thread i reckon.
anyway its the hobgoblins people should be worrying about
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Well I went from swansea to Aberystwyth and back yesterday and didn't see a single police car.
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Well I went from swansea to Aberystwyth and back yesterday and didn't see a single police car.
nah you would coz they're hiding,its might what you call stealth tactic..
let us know when you receive the NIP. ;)
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We never saw a single speed trap. :eek
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I give up mr nog, someone telling my whats it is like in my area, its like me saying there are speed cameras in England, there are,, watch what you are doing, if they cant ride a bike don't get on it,,,,, v an 2 wisemans bridge, ask for steve, my school was not good, :eek
Does anyone have any idea what taylor is banging on about? :pokefun :lol
I don't even know where your area is ;)
I actually think I'm more or less in agreement with you though. But speaking generally, there are definitely areas in both England and Wales where the police tend to be a little more zealous about speed enforcement - as I said, where there have been a number of road deaths or other nasty accidents, they'll clamp down a bit - unsurprising and quite understandable. My experience is that some of the roads around Bala is one such area. That doesn't mean to say that every time you go there the place will be crawling with vans. I get the impression that certain places in the Peak District seem to have similar, and I am sure there are other places around the country that get a bit more attention in this regard too.
So it is just a case of being sensible about where and when you 'have a bit of fun', wherever in the country you go, and keep your eyes open. My view is that wherever there is a place - café, popular bike meeting spot etc - where there are also good biking roads, you need to be especially careful, and particularly on weekends. I have seen a number of places over the years that have been spoiled, and even closed down so that someone has lost their business and livelihood, because of a small number of idiots who can't refrain from going nuts, pulling high speed wheelies etc, in some cases losing their lives in the process, right outside those venues and around the best roads. (For an example, the White Bear pub in Essex, between Abridge and Ongar - used to have rallies, bike shows, popular bike meeting spot on a sunny Sunday - somebody got killed doing something daft on a bike, others had accidents from being silly there).
On the subject of Wales, it just has such a large number of roads that could be considered as great biking roads that I think maybe there is a larger group of experiences in the matter to draw from, so I guess you're bound to hear more stories of speeding convictions among bikers, because so many like to head there for a bit of fun. It's probably just a proportional thing though.
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read somewhere yesterday on trip 73% more likely to die on a motorcycle in wales. :eek :eek :eek :eek :eek
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read somewhere yesterday on trip 73% more likely to die on a motorcycle in wales. :eek :eek :eek :eek :eek
(http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b550/nicknicklxs/the%20colonel_zpssiih4eos.jpg) (http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/nicknicklxs/media/the%20colonel_zpssiih4eos.jpg.html)
:lol
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More chance of being struck by lightning..(sorry).
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ohhhhh. thats bad. 2 hours later we will have been caught up in that.
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Just arrived home from Bala. Speed van parked at end of Bala High St on the way out. Same van parked at Glan yr Afon in the 40mph zone on the way back. Lots of bikers at the lake. Talking to one and he told me that there is an unmarked Grey BMW police vehicle based in Bala that has pulled several bikers over. I was very well behaved, as always, so not expecting anything nasty by post.
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Thanks for the tip-off Anquetil - might be heading that way tomorrow - I'll be a good little boy :D
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You're very welcome, Nick. Have a good and safe ride.
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I'm now in Aberystwyth with wife and kids we traveled in cage via Shrewsbury and Welshpool, got the boot down and the plod where not to be seen. Happy Hooning lads.ps the roads and scenery is top notch here
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Saw lots of posters up about this operation Darwen thingy yesterday, but they seemed more suggestive of an education campaign than a speeding clamp down.