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Around the Severn


boboneleg

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I decided to get out for a road ride today as I shall be starting back at work tomorrow after being out for 4 months due to the covid situation.  So I was thinking where to go and in the end plumped for a loop around the River Severn, over to Wales, up through the Wye Valley and back down to home via Gloucestershire.

So a blast along the M4 and M48 to get to Chepstow and then up the A466 for a stop at Tintern Abbey..............

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So I carried on up to Monmouth but the place was shut ?  they were diggin up the High St and there were roadworks everywhere so I gave up trying to get to the spot where I was going to stop for a coffee went back over the Wye and up into the Forest of Dean........

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I by-passed Ciderford and took a back road through Blakney which took me past Soudley Ponds.  This was a new spot to me so I stopped and had a walk along the bank, there were some big Roach cruising in some of the shallower parts......

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I carried on down to the A48 and headed north until I got to Newnham where you can get some good views of the upper reaches of the tidal part of the Severn.........

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That’s great, very UKish

I am fighting the urge to go look at a T700 as a stablemate to the GS, for more offroad oriented trips, your reports aren’t helping

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So on up to Gloucester where I used the ring road to escape the traffic and then up Birdlip Hill and into the Cotswolds to find some roads like this......

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I liked this bridge over a stream at Cowley because of the deorative railings..............

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So I did some more back roads and then stopped to eat my sandwiches here............

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Eventually I came out on the A435 near North Cerney and spotted this really old church.............

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I took some more back roads to bypass Cirencester and then the A433 down to Badminton and back home.

I really enjoyed the ride but it wasn't exactly very warm for July but apparently it's going to hit 30c on Friday so we'll probably all die :classic_laugh:

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9 minutes ago, Pedro said:

That’s great, very UKish

I am fighting the urge to go look at a T700 as a stablemate to the GS, for more offroad oriented trips, your reports aren’t helping

They are a cracking bike Pedro. Enough speed on the road, can handle the dirt and devoid of all the electronics (that you don't need) imo.  I would say that it would be a bit of a push if you wanted to carry a pillion though.

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I know that area well......I lived in Chepstow from 1997 to 2001.

And most of that time I commuted to Gloucester and Cheltenham every day because I was managing Computer superstores there.

The Foresters are the truly the thickest fuckers in the UK. Some used to come into the store looking to buy computers and they couldn't read.

I actually had to read out the product description on the display card for them. No....I'm not joking.

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Just now, XTreme said:

I know that area well......I lived in Chepstow from 1997 to 2001.

And most of that time I commuted to Gloucester and Cheltenham every day because I was managing Computer superstores there.

The Foresters are the truly the thickest fuckers in the UK. Some used to come into the store looking to buy computers and they couldn't read.

I actually had to read out the product description on the display card for them. No....I'm not joking.

Having dealt with foresters when I used to work there for a couple of years I don't disbelieve you for one moment ?

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1 minute ago, boboneleg said:

Having dealt with foresters when I used to work there for a couple of years I don't disbelieve you for one moment ?

I know Bristol very well too.....I've worked there a few times over the years. I always liked the place......saw loads of bands in the Colston Hall.

Found the people very friendly too......but the women are very easy to shock compared to Welsh girls! 

I remember saying the word "vagina" in a conversation once.......and one of them said in shock......"Oh my god.....he used the word vagina".

I said "Yeh.......but you should hear the word I use on the other side of the fucking bridge". :classic_laugh:

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18 minutes ago, XTreme said:

I said "Yeh.......but you should hear the word I use on the other side of the fucking bridge". :classic_laugh:

I used to get a lot of that when I was getting to know Maria's friends in Lisbon, they never swear down there, while my northern self am used to a more colorful language. I used to get a few blank stares when I opened up to them :classic_laugh:

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29 minutes ago, boboneleg said:

They are a cracking bike Pedro. Enough speed on the road, can handle the dirt and devoid of all the electronics (that you don't need) imo.  I would say that it would be a bit of a push if you wanted to carry a pillion though.

 

I wouldn't trade my GS for anything else, except maybe if I wanted to go on a proper offroad route across Portugal, or maybe exploring Morocco properly by myself. Part of me wants to take the GS which is the bike I love, but part of me also wants to spare it the abuse and take something that deals with the terrain in an easier fashion.

They don't have tubeless tires though, are the rims easy to convert? I hate the idea of changing tubes on a hot afternoon.

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55 minutes ago, Pedro said:

 

I wouldn't trade my GS for anything else, except maybe if I wanted to go on a proper offroad route across Portugal, or maybe exploring Morocco properly by myself. Part of me wants to take the GS which is the bike I love, but part of me also wants to spare it the abuse and take something that deals with the terrain in an easier fashion.

They don't have tubeless tires though, are the rims easy to convert? I hate the idea of changing tubes on a hot afternoon.

I've got a mate who has done his already, personally I wouldn't covert that type of wheel . If I wanted to do that I'd get a a proper set up with rims like the BMW's and Aprilia's.

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1 hour ago, XTreme said:

I know Bristol very well too.....I've worked there a few times over the years. I always liked the place......saw loads of bands in the Colston Hall.

Found the people very friendly too......but the women are very easy to shock compared to Welsh girls! 

I remember saying the word "vagina" in a conversation once.......and one of them said in shock......"Oh my god.....he used the word vagina".

I said "Yeh.......but you should hear the word I use on the other side of the fucking bridge". :classic_laugh:

My son has sung at the Colston hall several times.  Of course, we're not aloud to call it the Colston Hall anymore but everyone over 40 years of age will just keep calling it the Colston Hall :classic_unsure:

You should have said 'yer fanny' then they'd have known what it was ?

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14 hours ago, boboneleg said:

I've got a mate who has done his already, personally I wouldn't covert that type of wheel . If I wanted to do that I'd get a a proper set up with rims like the BMW's and Aprilia's.

Can you still have narrow rims with those?

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5 hours ago, Pedro said:

Can you still have narrow rims with those?

I can't see why not, as long as the wheel builder can get the correct length and bend for the spokes.

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Great pics Bob, that church looks like middle ages, though possibly post renaissance  ( 13th -14th century) or something like that. There's plenty older churches around in eastern england but don't know your area at all from that point of view. Thanks for the pics.

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Beautiful countryside, I wish we had old buildings where I live.  Eastern Canada is better then the West for interesting old buildings, but nothing compared to what you see. ?

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18 hours ago, MooN said:

Great pics Bob, that church looks like middle ages, though possibly post renaissance  ( 13th -14th century) or something like that. There's plenty older churches around in eastern england but don't know your area at all from that point of view. Thanks for the pics.

Looks like 12th century originally but has been added to several times...........

 

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1090185

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