My 230 out on the ice and snow of Wales UK.

[mxscotty]

There ended up just the 3 of us going, myself, camsdad and drew

Our street was like a giant sheet if ice and you could hardly stand up but gary was on his way from Yorkshire and drew was coming out of his brandy induced stupor so there was no going back !!!

It was a bit dicy getting the bikes up the ramp but my roll of carpet came in handy again as a grip mat so after loading all 3 bikes in my van we were off towards Wales

We were cruising along the M56 in the inside lane doing about 55-60mph when we were passed by about 5 ambulances with the blue lights flashing so we beginning to think there must have been something serious ahead but after stopping for drew's petrol at Chester services and then heading for Wrexham we were fine.

It was sensible to stay in the left lane as it didn't look too safe in any other and we were soon met by the sunshine and blue skies of Llangollen. After breakfast at Mc Donalds we parked below 'the staircase' and got ourselves ready to ride!!!

Seeing as 'big chief broken thumb' (dan ) was absent we thought we'd take his flask along instead ??

[mxscotty]

This was how Dan broke his thumb a fortnight ago

He was 'advised' to keep some momentum to get up a nasty slippery slate bedded uphill section called Pandy near Llangollen but attacked a bit too much and hit a tree:bonk:

http://vimeo.com/17059674

You'll see various references to 'Dan's flask' and broken thumbs etc as we took loads of pictures of his flask in random places along the way just so we could 'wind him up' on the forum when we got back, i don't know if you can access NUKB from the other side of the pond though?

http://www.northukbikers-videos.co.uk/discuss/forum/Blah.pl?m-1291413374/

Edited December 6, 2010 by mxscotty
adding link to NUKB

[mxscotty]

Me 'enjoying' a sausage and egg McMuffin washed down by a nice cuppa out of dan's flask

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a201/scotsy/dans%20flask%20in%20Wales/05122010122.jpg[/img]"]

As we were getting ready to leave 'the flask' was playing with snowballs!!!

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a201/scotsy/dans%20flask%20in%20Wales/05122010123.jpg[/img]"]

We romped up 'the staircase' and negotiated a few icy roads to get to the bottom of Pandy where dan went tree hugging a fortnight ago and with a gentle approach we made it to the slippery climb that contains 'dan's tree'

I went first and after losing momentum i found my self being attracted to 'dan's tree' but i managed to resist copying dan and got up the complete hill without stopping and closely followed by drew so i got the camera out for a few pics and a breather in the balmy sunshine and blue skies ?

http://vimeo.com/17501262

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a201/scotsy/dans%20flask%20in%20Wales/05122010124.jpg[/img]"]

Gary got a bit stuck so drew had to go down and help him over the hardest part and by the time he got back to the top i thought he deserved a cuppa

http://http://vimeo.com/17501712

http://vimeo.com/17513242"]http://vimeo.com/17513242[/url]

So out came 'dan's flask' again ......

here's drew enjoying a nice cup of coffee

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a201/scotsy/dans%20flask%20in%20Wales/05122010127.jpg[/img]"]

In honour of our absent mate dan we built a small snowman to pose with his flask at the top of pandy

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a201/scotsy/dans%20flask%20in%20Wales/05122010128-1.jpg[/img]"]http://

I was doing OK on the slippy stuff as i was trying out a moderate sprinkling of tyre studs on both tyres but as we had to do some tarmac roads as well i didn't want to go overboard

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a201/scotsy/dans%20flask%20in%20Wales/05122010125-1.jpg[/img]"]

The inevitable 'thumb' shot at the top of the slippy lane

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a201/scotsy

/dans%20flask%20in%20Wales/05122010129.jpg[/img]"]

We did some icy tarmac and a lane or two to end up at the west arms in Llanarmon DC for our lunch

Dan's flask took centre table much to our amusement

L to R are scotsy, drew and gary enjoying our lunch

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a201/scotsy/dans%20flask%20in%20Wales/05122010132.jpg[/img]"]

[mxscotty]

http://vimeo.com/17513535

After lunch we headed for 'the wayfarer' to further progress 'The travels of Dan's flask' and we got tangled up with someone on a DRZ Gary got stuck behind him on a frozen bed of slate like slabs (my 230 went past him without trouble so i walked back to film Gary's struggle:smirk:)

http://vimeo.com/17513671

i stopped a few times to film the other 2 lads tootling along this scenic lane

http://vimeo.com/17513857

http://vimeo.com/17513940

http://vimeo.com/17514044

We then arrived at the head of 'the wayfarer' lane and stopped for a 'flask pic' to annoy dan with:lol:

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a201/scotsy/dans%20flask%20in%20Wales/05122010134.jpg[/img]"]

Not long after the wayfarer pic we took the right fork to try out some virgin snow on a lane we had never done before ?

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a201/scotsy/dans%20flask%20in%20Wales/05122010135.jpg[/img]"]

I ploughed on uphill as far as i could (about 50 yards ) and as it looked to be deeper drifts ahead i called it a day and got my camera out instead

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a201/scotsy/dans%20flask%20in%20Wales/05122010136.jpg[/img]"]

The drifts of snow seemed to be formed like 'whoops' which made it harder than it looks

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a201/scotsy/dans%20flask%20in%20Wales/05122010136.jpg[/img]"]

http://vimeo.com/17515554

I had one last go and managed about another 25 yds before i felt sorry for the little crf230 and gave up so we all turned around and rejoined the wayfarer at the fork and carried on along to corwen

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a201/scotsy/dans%20flask%20in%20Wales/05122010137.jpg[/img]"]

[mxscotty]

Drew had a bit of 'fun' while turning around

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We carried on along the wayfarers taking advantage of some 4 x 4 tracks

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As we reached the tarmac at Corwen we took one last shot of 'dan's flask'

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a201/scotsy/dans%20flask%20in%20Wales/05122010138.jpg[/img]"]

back at the van the flask still had a brew in it so i just had to have a cuppa seeing as i had carried and photographed it all bleedin day

Cheers Dan ?

Listening to myself trying to get Gary's attention reminded me of a funny animal clip i'd seen before so i just concocted this short p1ss-take of myself

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Edited December 6, 2010 by mxscotty
added funny clip

[NitroRoo]

that looks like a lot of fun!

[daled]

looks like a fun (if not cold) trip

the 230 forks don't look like OEM units.

have you made a change ?

[mxscotty]

the 230 forks don't look like OEM units.

have you made a change ?

It was modded when i bought it with diffferent forks (xr250 maybe?) and a BBR link under a Hagon rear shock, also seems to have the power up kit (well i know for sure it has the 132 main cos i checked)

PS. wasn't very cold till later on when the sun dropped but its been around -5 degrees C for over a week so lots of black ice around

[muddy xr]

It was modded when i bought it with diffferent forks (xr250 maybe?) and a BBR link under a Hagon rear shock, also seems to have the power up kit (well i know for sure it has the 132 main cos i checked)

PS. wasn't very cold till later on when the sun dropped but its been around -5 degrees C for over a week so lots of black ice around

hope you manage better on the 230!

http://vimeo.com/17530383

Edited December 7, 2010 by muddy xr
not worked

[mxscotty]

hope you manage better on the 230!

http://vimeo.com/17530383

Hello Brian (muddy xr )

Brian is the guy over here who sold me back my CRF230 that he bought from me about 15 months ago. He also takes us to remote locations on trail rides that sometimes don't even have a path to follow but which he has 'plotted' using an OS mapping system and a sat-nav. That vid is of me (450x), wr_kid 'Dan the flask' (wr250) and a bit of muddy-xr himself going first through a small gully followed by myself when Dan got a hold of the camera, all shot in Scotland around September. He's been threatening to post videos of me and dan making fools of ourselves for weeks and what does he do?

he posts them on an american based website first ?

Cheers Brian

You should have come to Wales when i invited you last week

Ian

[xr_kidd]

im missing my flask

great ride report ian and vid from muddy ?

Im suffering from a large dose of cabin fever... cant wait to get out on the bike again

[muddy xr]

apparantly, the yorshiremans broadband works fast over there!

[muddy xr]

im missing my flask

great ride report ian and vid from muddy ?

Im suffering from a large dose of cabin fever... cant wait to get out on the bike again

what about this weekend Dan?

has it mended?

[xr_kidd]

what about this weekend Dan?

? has it mended?

the splint is off but the thumb is stiff and sore. im going to give it another week before i roll the bike out again

[muddy xr]

the splint is off but the thumb is stiff and sore. im going to give it another week before i roll the bike out again

I'll get mi maps out then ?