Category: Tourism & Travel

1. Biking Destinations for Road Trips

   Posted on 9:00am Thursday 1st Apr 2021

   The UK is blessed with some fine roads that are perfect for bikers, and they are also lucky that there are many friendly bunkhouses and hotels. The list of biker friendly pubs is not too shabby either. Sometimes though, it is nice to know that there might be some other entertainment available on a trip.

   The last year saw many travel restrictions that curtailed long journeys, or even unnecessary short ones. So, it seems that now restrictions are loosening and the lockdowns are once again over, it might be time to get back on the road if you haven’t already.

   Here are some ideas for destinations, some of the roads are included but of course, half the fun is making up your own route.

   Choosing a destination for a bike trip

   For some, the journey is everything, but for others, the destination is of as much importance too. One of the most enjoyable things about travelling around the UK is that there is something for everyone.

   Some people enjoy travelling between the big cities, while others prefer the country roads, discovering new areas, making new friends in out-of-the-way pubs and/or head to Wales to the Snowdonia National Park.

   Not too far from Snowdonia is Wales’ highest pub, the Sportsman’s Arms, in Denbigh by the moors. This is the fun of choosing destinations for a bike trip, as long as time allows, you can just keep adding more on.

   Cat and Fiddle / Forest Distillery    

   While on the subject of the highest pubs, the Cat and Fiddle was built in what is now the Peak District National Park back in 1813. It was the second-highest pub in the UK, and now has the honour of being the highest distillery instead. 

   The A537, or Cat and Fiddle Road, will take you from Macclesfield to Buxton and has been a popular route for bikers for years.

   Brighton & Hove

   It is nearly sixty years since the Mods and Rockers met and clashed in Brighton. Now it has been joined to Hove and been named as a city. While many of the roads around the seafront and centre are becoming pedestrianised, the place is still worth a bike trip. 

   Brighton itself is home to the British Airways i360 observation tower, the Royal Pavilion, and of course, Brighton Pier. No trip to the city is complete without a stroll down the pier, a bag of chips, and a few quid in the arcade.

   The north and south Lanes offer the chance to amble around window shopping before stumbling on one great pub after another. When it comes to eating, there is no end of choice, and no one could fail to find something they like.

   The Game of Thrones

   This trip doesn’t technically involve any entertainment destinations, more it happens to visit several sites that were used in the filming of the Game of Thrones TV show.

   For any serious fans of the books and show, and those who also enjoy stunning scenery, then the Antrim Coast Road in Northern Ireland is a must. 

   Traveling from Belfast to the Giant’s Causeway means taking in a wonderful route. Along the route, you can visit sites such as Dunluce Castle. Before you head off, download the app from the Official Northern Island tourism website. This will show all the Game of Thrones filming locations along the Causeway coast.

   Summary

   There are far more worthy destinations in the UK than could fit into this article. For those who love a bit of seaside and kitsch, then Blackpool might be for you. For others, Edinburgh can offer culture and some fine modern restaurants.

   Head through the home counties and take in towns like Marlow and Henley-on-Thames. There are fine pubs along the Thames and plenty of sightseeing to do. 

   Or, now the weather is here perhaps a longer trip is due. Head to Cornwall for a few days of biking between towns and discover beaches, coastal paths, and great sights such as Minack Theatre, and Padstow Harbour.

    

    

    

   article supplied by Dennis Hamming - SERPTrust - Unpaid for

   Sent article for publishing - did not pay, then Sent abusive messages, very unprofessional and dishonest - avoid www.serptrust.io

    

2. Manchester doubles amount of motorcycle parking, and it’s FREE

   Posted on 12:00pm Tuesday 23rd Mar 2021

   The number of dedicated parking places for motorcycles in Manchester car parks has more than doubled – and they are all free! A review of motorcycle parking within the city showed that demand for parking exceeded the supply, and as a result a considerable number of motorcyclists were parking unofficially, and sometimes illegally.   

   There are now 127 dedicated motorcycle spaces; a mixture of on-street (63 spaces) and covered car parks (64 spaces), and full details are available on the council’s website at: https://secure.manchester.gov.uk/info/500346/city_centre_parking/332/motorcycles    

   The measures were informed by consultation with various motorcycle community groups and organisations such as the British Motorcycle Federation and Motorcycle Action Group. They told us that having spaces in car parks and on the ground or first floors, making sure they were well-lit and having CCTV coverage was important, along with anchor points or rails for chaining bikes to. All of these suggestions have been adopted.   

   A grace period informing motorcyclists of the new provisions will run from 12/03/21 – 6/05/21, where motorcyclists who are parked illegally will receive an information leaflet informing them of the new parking provisions across the city centre.  During the grace period motorcyclists will not receive a parking ticket. However, after the grace period ends, MCC will enforce penalties (£70 penalty, discounted to £35 if paid within 14 days of issue) for motorcyclists parking in the wrong place. This includes designated cycle parking spaces and racks. Motorcyclists can park in a normal pay and display bays anywhere across the city, provided that they purchase a pay and display ticket. It is advisable to write 'M' for motorbike and the registration number of the bike on the ticket before attaching this to the motorbike, to discourage theft.  

   A motorcycle parking policy will be produced in order to finalise and formalise the changes.

   

3. Crieff Cloverleaf touring route

   Posted on 12:00pm Monday 18th Jan 2021

   The Crieff Cloverleaf is a new multi-day motorcycle touring route in Scotland, featuring a set of four spectactular all-day rides that have been especially designed for motorbike touring by fellow bikers.

   Soaring through the northern alpine Cairngorms and the southern rolling hills of the Borders, curving around dramatic West Coast mountain lochs and East Coast ocean vistas, the Crieff Cloverleaf provides plenty of the best of Scotlands biking in every direction.

   From sweeping progressive A roads to winding country byways and adventurous single-tracks, the Crieff Cloverleaf has something to thrill every rider. It takes in some of Scotlands most-loved biking roads and some hidden gems too, and each route provides a great mix of riding.

   Every Cloverleaf route starts and ends in the beautiful hillside town of Crieff, Perthshire, so all four routes can be explored while staying each night in the same accommodation. This simplifies travel planning, and avoids problems with trying to book single-night stays.

   The four Crieff Cloverleaf routes travel north, south, east and west respectively, and each involves around 6 hours on the bike, divided into four separate legs. Daily distances range from 188mi/383km to 238mi/303km, depending on terrain. Each leg ends at a suitable spot for a coffee stop or lunch break. Wherever possible, stops also have a petrol station and toilet facilities available.

   For those who prefer shorter riding days or are visiting for the weekend, the Crieff Cloverleaf additionally offers the Little Leaf, an enticing set of four three-hour routes also centered on Crieff.

   The town of Crieff and the surrounding Strathearn area provide a wide range of holiday facilities, including luxury hotels and B&Bs, a variety of self-catering options, bunkhouse stays and camping. Crieff also has a great selection of top-notch cafes, restaurants, pubs, bars and take-aways, plus superb specialist food and drink shops, a petrol station and full supermarket facilities.

   Scotlands incredible landscapes and exceptional roads make it a must-ride destination for motorcyclists from all over the world. We look forward to welcoming riders to the Crieff Cloverleaf in 2021.

   www.cloverleaf.scot

4. Predictions of wintery weather are bad news for local roads

   Posted on 1:00pm Monday 26th Oct 2020

   Weather forecasts of freezing air to sweep over the UK by the end of October could prove to be bad news for those local roads that have not be well-maintained believes the Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA).
   
   Weather forecasters WXCHARTS are predicting that Artic air from a north-westerly direction will sweep over the UK and see temperatures drop to freezing lows of 0C by the end of this month. Meanwhile, the Met Office has also predicted that north-western parts of the UK could see snow falling by the end October.
   
   This is bad news for those highway authorities who have failed to properly maintain their road networks and for the motorists who use them as the freezing temperatures could result in more potholes.
   
   Potholes are caused by water or snow freezing in cracks in the road surface. The expansion of ice results in damage and breaking up of the road surface which is made worse by repeated freeze-thaw cycles. The late start to the preventative maintenance season in some authorities due to Covid-19 led to smaller programmes being completed this year, with many unable to carry out all their planned, preventative maintenance. This is likely to lead to more expensive reactive patching over the winter.
   
   “Cold icy weather has a detrimental impact upon roads resulting in more potholes where planned proactive maintenance has not been carried out, particularly where budget has meant smaller programmes than required by carriageway asset lifecycles over a number of years ” warned Paul Boss RSTA chief executive.
   
   Boss called upon the government and local authorities to work together and invest the necessary funding to carry out planned programmes of road maintenance rather than expensive reactive pothole repair: “Patch-and-mend defies economic logic”, said Boss. “It costs only £3 to £5 per m2 to surface dress and maintain a road but costs on average over £50 per m2 to repair potholes. The expensive, emergency patch and mend repair of potholes is not a sensible use of highway budgets unlike the implementation of planned programmes of maintenance.”

    

5. Sat Nav vs maps on a Motorbike...

   Posted on 9:00am Wednesday 16th Sep 2020

   I used to like the idea of being spontaneous and also did not fancy using a sat nav however once you have tried to get a room somewhere to find you cannot get one as they are full due to a local festival, overpriced (Italy circa 2001, 11pm in a roadside motel style @ €175 comes to mind) , you cannot find one (sounds strange I know but there are miles and miles of nothing in parts of Germany and France - well apart from excellent scenery) and to book into somewhere and find it awful, we now have a final destination and plan route around it. 

   We use a combination of Biker Friendly accommodation on www.thebikerguide.co.uk and if there is nothing in the area we want we also look on other accommodation websites. 
   
   We did a trip a couple of years ago with the final destination being Colditz Castle, which you can stay in. Went in July for 3-ish weeks with everything booked, set into Sat Nav and you know what - thank goodness as it rained everyday but one. We would set off with the next place in the Sat Nav - take off route when we wanted and arrive at destination stress free.

   We stayed at some great places, travelled fantastic roads and routes, ate well, found our way easy even with the many roadwork diversions and would pass by others at the side of the road battling with a big wet soggy map to find their way. We did also pack a map as back-up or to look at a vaster area on a larger scale, however we are happy to say it return dry and not soggy. 

   I think once you have used a Sat Nav on a big trip which gets you to destinations easy, gets you out of a diversion and back on route, helps you navigate/find food and petrol, you wonder what you did before the United States military released the technology for GPS!

   The first way around a small budget for such a trip and/or even the Motorbike is to take out a small loan which will enable you to enjoy the trip, without having to save up for a long time.