WAM Newsletter - January 2022 by WAMbikes

January 2022 Online Edition

Issue No 255

January/February 2022

W I R R A L A D VA N C E D M O TO R C Y C L I S T S Group Council 2020-2021 IAM Group 5115 Web Site

http://www.w-a-m.co.uk

Chairman

Ken Smith

chairman@w-a-m.co.uk

Vice Chairman

Rob Tutchings

vicechairman@w-a-m.co.uk

Honorary Treasurer & Gift Aid

John Temple

treasurer@w-a-m.co.uk giftaid@w-a-m.co.uk

Membership

Andy Poustie

membership@w-a-m.co.uk

Associate Coordinator

Derek Jeffries

associatecoordinator@w-a-m.co.uk

Trainee Observer Coordinator

Steve Hunter

TOC@w-a-m.co.uk

Chief Observer

Derek Jeffries

chiefobserver@w-a-m.co.uk

Honorary Secretary

Rob Cooper

secretary@w-a-m.co.uk

Minute Secretary

vacant

minutes@w-a-m.co.uk

Events Organiser

vacant

events@w-a-m.co.uk

Newsletter Editor

Peter Lovatt

newsletter@w-a-m.co.uk

Data Manager

vacant

DataManager@w-a-m.co.uk

Social Media

Steve Lord

SocialMedia@w-a-m.co.uk

Group Shop

Martin Titley 0151 632 3570

groupshop@w-a-m.co.uk

Rob Tutchings

rideouts@w-a-m.co.uk

Ride Out & Bike Safe Coordinator Other Council members

Pete Montgomery, Mike Hurst, Dave Rees

MAGAZINE Editor: Peter Lovatt Contributions welcome! 2

Happy New Year and Welcome to the next instalment of the WAM Newsletter The January/February Edition Hope everyone had a good Christmas, and Santa brought all the things you wanted. Bike wise that is….. Big Thanks to Hadyn for organising the WAM Christmas club night, we had a good turn up for the evening, and it was nice to see everyone enjoying them selves.

So what does 2022 hold in store for WAM? Well we are starting the ARC courses again on 12th March. WE had a really good year in 2021, with about half of tests resulting in a F1rst for the riders involved. Lets see if we can keep up the standard this year.

Also as I am typing this before the famous WAM AGM in February, we should expect some changes in the Council list of names. Thanks to Tim for providing an article for the Newsletter. An interesting write up about a motorcycle ride last year into Wales. But not on tarmac. If anyone has something of interest of the club please send it in and you can have your moment of fame, and see your work in print! So I'll sign off, and hope to see you all at the WAM AGM. Take Care and keep sunny side up! Pete

IAM RoadSmart Polo Shirts

We can now take orders for polo shirts. These are a charcoal shirt showing the new logo plus two lines of text Wirral Advanced Motorcyclists Your Name Size Guide: S: 36/38" M: 40" L: 42" XL: 44" XXL: 46/48" Female: 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 £20 each - Nina Jeffries will take your payment at the group social evenings (second Tuesday of every month).

You may see some WAM members wearing them at club nights

Congratulations to the following on passing the IAM Advanced Test:Lee Newton Congratulations to Rob burns who has just passed his National observer assessment with Andrew Bloomer A note from Derek:-

We have had a fantastic year results wise with just over 50% of associates getting a First which shows we are doing a great job but as always there’s room for improvement and we’ve had lots of feedback from examiners and from Nat OBS assessments which we need to factor in. if you don’t wish to continue to as an observer please let me know. Steve Ellis has said if you haven’t observed for a year you’re meant to be reassessed prior to taking an associate out which is logical but makes it difficult to stay on our list without observing.

Westward to Wales & over the top! {Rideouts on a Honda XL185S}. Date: Wednesday, June 2 2021. Location: Meols, North Wirral, England. Weather conditions: Dry & warm. Time: 10:00 BST. The Mission: Go "over the top" of the Clwyd Hills on a track, closed to motor cars. Equipment: Honda XL 185S - Manufactured 1989.

Visitors from England are now allowed into Wales again, as part of the easing of the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. So for the first time this year, 2021, I wheeled out the newly MOT'd and trusty Honda XL 185 S. Over the top, in the introduction above, refers to the unsurfaced track starting near Cilcain, {about 4 miles West of Mold}, in the East and leading to Llangynhafal in the West - located in the beautiful Vale of Clwyd in North Wales. See Image 1. The unsurfaced section is only about 2 miles in length but it passes through some stunningly scenic countryside with expansive views over the Welsh mountains and valleys. At the summit of the track it crosses the section of the Offa's Dyke path between Moel Arthur, to the North, and Moel Famau, to the South. There are numerous roads in the Vale of Clwyd and the Clocaenog Forest area, mostly single track, which are well worth exploring. Of course you need a suitable bike for such an enterprise as well as plenty of time to simply potter around, stop and take in the sights & smells of the countryside. The WAM Club runs tend to focus more on the A roads and B roads which pass thru' these areas. These are indeed rewarding to ride on the right bike - but miss out on some of the specific charms of the unclassified roads nearby. My 32 year old 185cc trail bike will cruise happily at around 45-50mph & will go faster if pushed, but it does not feel so happy at higher speeds. However take it on a single track road & it is in its element, especially if the road surface be poor. So using my 1965 historic, linen bound, Ordnance Survey Sheet # 108, Denbigh, one inch to the mile map, I planned a day out riding "over the top" and into the Vale of Clwyd, onwards to Ruthin and then into the Southern part of the Clocaenog forest. During my student days I had spent many happy holidays in the vicinity & explored the local roads both by motor car & motor cycle. On the return journey I explored the large, Innogy Renewables UK Ltd., 96 MW capacity wind farm in the Clocaenog Forest. The wind farm consists of twenty seven 3.6 MW Vestas Wind Turbines, each with a tip height of 145m. I then rode down into the Vale of Clwyd, crossing the Clwyd Hills - by Moel Arthur, back into Mold and home to the Wirral. I do not have a GPS and I prefer to use a map when travelling. It gives a better

overview of the journey and helps one plan a more interesting route. Whilst at home though I make use of Google Earth to gain a better feel of the terrain. I find, for places such as rural Wales, the use of an old map more interesting than studying the latest editions. For example; my map still has the railway line between Rhyl and Ruthin marked and the railway station at Mold indicated. The line down at Llangollen was still open then extending past Corwen. It's fun to look out for historical artefacts still present in the current landscape & to gain a greater understanding of what may still be seen today. Setting off from home for Wales soon after 10:00 BST I was surprised at the very heavy traffic, on a weekday, heading into Wales, on the A494 in the vicinity of Queensferry. Much of the slow moving traffic seemed to be associated with the three lanes merging into two as you approached the bridge over the Dee River. How the flow & safety would improve with effective zip merging. Looking on the bright side - it's a good opportunity to hone one's filtering skills! Mold, too, was very congested - not helped by the fact that Wednesday is a market day and there were also road works and diversions in place. Anyway, soon more interesting parts were reached. It is quite remarkable what beautiful landscape there is, almost on our doorstep. Even areas which may look fairly small on the map or on Google Earth seem somehow to be much bigger in reality - when you actually pay a visit. The charming little village of Cilcain lies about 4 miles to the West of Mold. Ride up past the White Horse Public house and soon you will reach a junction with a cul-de-sac sign at the end. Do not be put off by this sign as further along the road you will reach a gate with a newish looking sign - for motorcyclists {only}. See Photograph 2 - {NB: taken at the Western end of the track}. Before you reach this gate there is a lovely little spot to stop and admire the views South towards Moel Famau. See Photograph 3. The Local community have kindly provided a wooden bench where you may sit and relax. At this time of year the bluebells were out, the trees in blossom and leaf, birds singing and sheep frolicking in the fields. Shut your eyes and Merseyside could be a thousand miles away. I tucked into my cheddar cheese sandwiches on brown bread, {plenty of HP sauce}, & my flask of ground coffee. A few walkers passed by and two of them stopped for longer chats, which was very pleasant. Motor cycles are allowed on the unsurfaced track which lies past the gate - limited to 20mph. That's actually a much higher speed than it would be safe to ride it's not the Paris-Dakar rally. Also walkers appreciate motorcyclists being considerate and keeping on the designated track. It's a short gentle ride to the summit, some 400m in elevation, of the pass, which lies on the route of the historic Offa's Dyke Path. There is a four finger signpost at the top. You cross the footpath, only, between Moel Arthur and Moel Famau. Ahead & below you lies the village of Llangynhafal. At this point the real challenge becomes apparent - the short but exceptionally

steep descent towards Llangynhafal. The problem is that there are numerous loose boulders, some 4 to 6 inches in diameter, on the track. Also, even on a dry day, water from somewhere, finds its way onto the surface and forms wet and muddy ruts. Once committed to a steep descent stopping is not straightforward. The loose boulders make steering extremely difficult and braking to a stop virtually impossible. In any case the locked wheels are likely to skid on the underlying mud. It's vital to weigh things up before you start on a really steep section & then somehow operate the brakes so that you do not lock the wheels, whilst maintaining a low speed. I use my legs, dancing a jig - normally remaining seated, to try to guide the machine on a reasonable path and away from any deep, narrow ruts. It's on this type of track that a lightweight trail bike comes into its own. Clearly a standard road bike would not handle this type of terrain and it would be dangerous to attempt a transit on one. By the same token I would not like to attempt this passage on a larger, higher, heavier trail bike. The greater power is of no advantage, when descending, and the sheer bulk is, in my opinion, a major disadvantage. It is very physical and demanding making such a descent and at the end I felt pretty hot and tired, with aching muscles. I imagine that a proper, lightweight off road trials type machine, with lower gearing and more grunt & torque - fitted with suitable tires & carrying a younger, stronger rider should have no problems performing on even steeper and rockier tracks. My main concern is to ride within my limits & enjoy it. Once on less steep ground near to Llangynhafal, near a gate at the end of the culde-sac, for motor cars, I stopped to take in the view, rest and photographs. I rode on thru' Ruthin on the B5105 towards Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr, but not going quite as far. The road passes the South side of the Clocaenog forest. I turned right and headed Northwards towards Hiraethog. The road surface is, for the most part, better than I remember. However there can still be sudden changes in surface quality and the grass verges are pretty soft. A particular problem seems to be triangles of unswept gravel left at road junctions and along some lengths of the road too. Regular sweeping of the road would be a great boost to safety - especially for those on two wheels. Constant vigilance is necessary when taking riding and taking in lungfulls of the sweet smelling forest air. After passing thru' a couple of shallow fords, by a remote farm, I arrived in the small village of Cyffylliog. There is a delightful public house there called "The Red Lion". See photograph 4. Inside the deceptively large building there is a quaint olde worlde atmosphere. The company, beer and food are most agreeable and they prepare, in house, delicious home made curries. I arrived mid afternoon, when it was closed. I checked the opening times for a future visit. See photograph 5. Leaving Cyffylliog; I meandered up along the narrow lanes, lined with high hedges and trees either side. A pheasant or even two would sometimes break cover and hurry across the lane, or along it in front of me - before scurrying off to the side. You may even see a rabbit or is it a hare? I stopped to take in the views 8

looking back East towards the Clwyd range. See photograph 6. It was peaceful except for some very heavy breathing behind me and the occasional tinkle of a running liquid falling on the muddy field. Looking behind I saw a herd of brown cows peering intently at me, with their large eyes, thru' a hedge and over a farm gate. See photograph 7. From time to time the sound of a tractor could be heard as he/she did laps of a sloping field spraying something: slurry - presumably. The road rises up higher and you enter the Clocaenog Forest again. In recent times much of the forest has been cleared to create new, {private}, access roads to wind turbines dotted around the summits of the hills on the rolling countryside. The public roads now have much better sightlines than before, due to the removal of the trees and some public roads have an improved surface locally. The result is that there are some nice sweeping sections of road with slopes and bends, pleasant for laid back riding along. I stopped for a while near the highpoint on the road and watched the turbine blades spinning in the gentle breeze. I thought how much like a platoon of alien invaders, the wind turbines seemed, advancing over the yellow wild flowers carpeting the hilltop. See photograph 8. I headed back East, dropping down into the farmlands of the Vale of Clwyd and then crossed the Clwyd range on the single lane, surfaced highway, which passes just to the South of Moel Arthur, where there is a car park. This beautiful road is not easy to find and not well signposted. Maybe those in the know like to keep it a secret! I arrived home in Great Meols some 8 hours after setting out, having covered 109 miles and used a gallon of 95 octane, E5 fuel - £5.68/UKgallon @ Sainsbury's in Upton. Not too bad, I felt, for a most agreeable day out. So agreeable in fact that I decided to do a similar ride again on the Friday, June 4 2021. "Take advantage of the fine weather and long hours of daylight", I thought. It's always a good idea to ride routes in both directions - to experience the different views and road conditions, bends, hills and so on. In particular I wished to try the steep ascent on the track between Llangynhafal and Cilcain - travelling West to East. See Image 9. So I decided to cross the Clwyd range using the Moel Arthur road - stopping at the car park to eat my home made sandwiches and drink a flask of coffee. The timing was lucky as a Ranger came by and we got chatting. He was able to tell me where I could ride legally off road and where I should not go. We discussed the numerous conflicts between walkers, off roaders, horse riders, cyclists and many other users of the countryside. The pressures on land are high and the legal aspects are somewhat murky as there are many different landowners and users and historical precedents. He pointed out, on my map, some of the old Roman routes in the area and where on the current Offa's Dyke path one could legally ride. Other sections of the path are for walkers only; being Sites of Special Scientific Interest. 9

There is a beautiful section of trail for riding, legally, along which heads up Northwards on the West side of the Clywdyian range, towards Bodfari. See photographs 10 & 11. There are several gates on the way, but as the ground is fairly level there is no problem in parking a bike on its side stand, without it rolling off. See photograph 12. You arrive high on the hill near to the tall TV mast in Bodfari. There is a small car park here, accessible from the A541, Denbigh to Mold road, at Afon-Wen. {Interestingly at Afon Wen the road up to the TV mast passes over a railway bridge on the former Mold to Denbigh junction railway. This line closed to passengers in 1962. The line once hosted regular passenger services between Corwen, Ruthin, Denbigh, Mold and Chester. What a pity this most beautiful route is no longer open!}. I chose to descend towards Bodfari from the car park on what is the marked Offa's Dyke path. It is pretty steep, stony and challenging - especially at the gates. It is not easy on such a slope to find a safe place to stand a motorcycle. See photograph 13. Also the gates seem to have leaning posts meaning that they tend to swing shut - sometimes quite fiercely. The gates need to be propped open securely. Once past the gates they need to be closed again and there is the issue of safely standing the bike, a second time. See photograph 14. Near Bodfari there is another gate past which off road vehicles are not allowed as it is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. See photographs 15 & 16. It's all quite hot, physical effort this section of the Offa's Dyke Path, so by this time I was ready for a rest and refreshment. Riding South I entered Llangynhafal and was delighted to find another quaint Welsh pub, The Golden Lion open. There is a large beer garden in the rear with sweeping views & plenty of parking space. See photograph 17. I enjoyed sitting and supping a cool glass of beer, whilst relaxing & chatting to a local couple - who seemed interested in bikes. It was tempting to stay there all afternoon, but I had to be responsible........ I was riding and I wished to make a safe ascent on the track over to Cilcain from Llangynhafal. It was late afternoon when I started the ascent and there was no one else to be seen. It was only the sheep and myself around. I took things easily, all first gear work, or course. The little Honda took it all in its stride, whilst giving the suspension and tires a good workout. Hitting a stone I managed to stall the bike. It wedged its rear tire against a stone too. I was able to stand the bike and dismount to take a couple of photographs. See photograph 18. With some manoeuvring I managed to get going upwards again, before parking at the summit to take more photographs. See photographs 19 & 20. I sat on the grass, surveying the view before me across to Snowdonia. It was quiet and there was no wind. I listened to the sounds of silence. I became aware of someone and I noticed a long distance jogger, running in the direction from Moel Arthur to Moel Famau, who appeared on the Offa's Dyke Path. We stopped briefly to exchange pleasantries, then he was on his way. These joggers like to keep to time!

I headed off for home after another marvellous day in the saddle. I only rode 87 miles, doing 102mpg, but in that distance I experienced a totally different world from suburban Wirral. I enjoyed the riding and that's what motorcycling is all about. Happy riding! Timothy J Dishman - WAM Great Meols June 2021

Photograph 2. June 2 2021-View East near Llangynhafal - Sign for motorcyclists at the Western end of the track over the summit of the Clwydian Mountains.

Photograph 3. June 2 2021View South East towards Moel Famau Honda XL 185S.

Photograph 4. June 2 2021View South West - Front door at The Red Lion PH, Cyffylliog.

Photograph 5. June 2 2021View South West - Front door at The Red Lion PH, Cyffylliog.

Photograph 6. June 2 2021View South East near Fron Fawr - Cyffylliog, North Wales.

Photograph 7. June 2 2021-View North West near Fron Fawr-Cyffylliog, Curious cows.

Photograph 8. June 2 2021- View West - Clocaenog Forest Wind Farm - turbines.

Photograph 10. June 4 2021View South over Vale of Clwyd from trail near Llangwyfan.

Photograph 11. June 4 2021-View West on trail near Llangwyfan, Tim & Honda XL 185S.

Photograph 12. June 4 2021 View North - Gate along trail near Llangwyfan.

Photograph 13. June 4 2021 - View West-Gate on Offa's Dyke Path near Bodfari.

Photograph 14. June 4 2021 - View East - Gate on Offa's Dyke Path near Bodfari.

Photograph 15. June 4 2021 - View North - Sign on gate on Offa's Dyke Path near Bodfari Use of motorised vehicles on this hillside is an offence.

Photograph 16. June 4 2021 - View West-Sign on post on Offa's Dyke Path near Bodfari. Site of Special Scientific Interest. - Off road activity beyond this point unlawful.

Photograph 17. June 4 2021-View East-Beer garden at The Golden Lion PH Llangynhafal.

Photograph 18. June 4 2021-View South along trail between Llangynhafal and Offa's Dyke Path, near summit.

Photograph 19. June 4 2021 - View NE - Honda XL 185S at summit on trail between Llangynhafal and Offa's Dyke Path.

Photograph 20. June 4 2021-Summit on trail between Llangynhafal and Offa's Dyke Path.

Tyre Pressures - Somethng to Think about! There are several reasons for doubting the truth of the odometer and trip-meter when you read off the length of a journey. Won’t the figure be higher if the tyres are worn, because of their slightly reduced radius? For similar reasons, won’t the mileage depend on whether the tyre pressures are correct or not, and whether the Nike is loaded up? And then doesn’t the pressure rise as the tyres warm up on the journey — and as the day warms up?

Let’s start with this last question. You are supposed to check the pressures when the tyres are cold. But how cold is cold? From freezing-point up to 25°C you can expect the pressure to rise by about four pounds (per square inch). There’s not much point, then, in trying to keep exactly to the recommended values! Hot sun on the tyres will add another pound or two, and so will sustained ridinging at 70 because of the heat generated in the tyre walls. If the bike is fully loaded then the tyres will flex and warm up even more, but will also be more squashed. Anyway, there’s no doubt that the mileage readings are going to be all over the place, depending on how much of the tyre is flat against the road. I decided to demonstrate this with a simple experiment, measuring the same journey of about four miles twice, changing the pressures by four pounds in between. The two readings differed by no more than one-fortieth of a mile! In other words, an odometer is consistent to rather better than one part in a hundred, when there are moderate changes in tyre pressure. This was quite a surprise but, on thinking about it, the reason must be that even though the apparent radius of the tyre may vary a bit, its circumference stays constant as it measures out the road.

Back now to the first question: what is the effect on the odometer as the tread wears down — from 8 mm to 2 mm depth, say? This will certainly reduce the circumference of the tyre, by at least 2%, so you can expect your measured journey mileages to increase by this much over the life of the tyres. So There you go for those riding up to Scotland in 2022 19

DISCLAIMER:-

The articles published herein do not necessarily represent the views of the Institute of Advanced Motorists Ltd, or the Wirral Group of Advanced Motorcyclists. They are the opinions of individual contributors and are published with the view that free expression promotes discussion and interests. So you have been warned. Interested in doing the Advanced Car Test? Wirral Advanced Motorists are the people to see. Go to www.wirraliam.co.uk