High Wales Tour
We run longer distance place-to-place tours from April to October. We introduced adventure bike tours visiting the ten highest roads in Wales during the summer of 2021, and they have proved to be very enjoyable! We now offer a several different routes, and are working on a "Castles" one. If you do not have your own adventure bike, you may hire one of our Honda CRF250Ls. Most popular are the three day tours, with a choice of route, although we offer two, four and five days too. You may be surprised to learn that the smaller bikes are ideal. The bigger bikes can be a bit of a handful on the minor roads we use. Here is pdf leaflet. Slideshow about our tours.
Our all tarmac tour is aimed at owners with GS1200s, Guzzi Stelvios, Multistradas, V-Stroms, Crossrunners, etc. Riders on smaller bikes who prefer to stay on tarmac are welcome to join this tour. There are some tricky hairpin corners on narrow steep hills up and down which some riders with short legs and big bikes have struggled, so please be aware of this. The big bike green road option includes gravel and grass if the weather is dry.
The Green Road route is mainly for middle and lightweight adventure bikes. It includes several gravel and grass roads, as well as a lot of single width lanes where the tarmac is in poor condition. This tour is suitable for novice trail riders on lightweight bikes such as Honda CRF250 or 300L and Rally, and more experienced trail riders who are happy to take bigger bikes such as KTM Adventure, Yamaha Tenere, Africa Twin and GS310, etc, on gravel, rock steps and rougher surfaces, some of which may have surface mud. If requested, we can include more challenging green roads for experienced trail riders on light bikes.
If you all have your own bikes, we can start the tour in South Wales, not far from Caerphilly, or in Machynlleth, Mid Wales. Tours with hire bikes and the the two day tour always start in Mid Wales. If you come in a car and trailer or van, safe parking is available (may be a small fee). We go to cafes for morning coffee and then have a late lunch. If the weather is bad or you become tired, we can usually shorten the route by using major roads.
If you wish me to let you know details of forthcoming tours, please fill in the form, or send me an email.
If you are hiring a bike, Trail Rides Wales undertake:
To provide a Honda CRF250L and protective clothing if required.
The motorcycle is insured third party for any rider aged over 25 years, with a full motorcycle licence and no more than two minor endorsements.
No charge is made for the use of protective clothing or accidental damage to the bike or clothing, except if a rider ignores a direct request from the guide.
Please inform us if you have physical restrictions or a medical condition when you book.
We expect you to treat our motorcycles and personnel with respect. The motorcycles do not have indicators so please use hand signals.
FOR ALL RIDERS:
You must wear appropriate clothing, including a back protector and boots that cover your ankle and shin. You are welcome to borrow any items you do not have. We can supply an adventure style helmet (with removable liners which are washed between each use), gloves, boots, knee pads, body armour, jacket and trousers. Sizes available: boots 5 to 13, helmets XS to XXL, trousers waist 30” to 46”, jackets S to XXL.
At junctions, please check that the rider behind you is still there. If he/she isn’t, wait at the junction. The leader will realise that he/she has lost some of the group, and will return.
The minor roads we use have gates. If you open a gate, you are responsible for making sure that it is closed (by you or someone else). Please do not ride off, otherwise riders following may assume that it was already open and fail to close it. Or they may close a gate which the farmer has left open (waste of effort!)
Many groups use the second man open, third man close, but some prefer one rider to open and close the gate. If it is a large group, do not close until the tailender has passed. If the gate has an unusual fastening, please close it yourself or tell the person closing how to secure it.
If riding on a grass surface, please accelerate and brake gently to preserve the surface. Once torn up, grass takes a long time to recover.
Please do not wheelie, do stoppies or roost. If it goes wrong (and it can do) you may injure another rider or involve a member of the public. Wheelies on main roads or towns may be witnessed by Police, and lead to the whole group being stopped. The day will be ended.
Please do not go “off piste” or ride off the track. It is the farmer’s livelihood and it is discourteous to damage his land, as well as committing the offence of “riding on land not forming part of a road”.
