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Blue Skies and a Reservoir Run

125 kma bright winter afternoon on the road

A crisp, blue-sky February afternoon β€” the kind that makes up for all the grey ones β€” and the Honda CRF300L out for a loop into mid-Wales and a reservoir tucked up in the hills, about 78 miles out one way and home another. Proper riding weather for once: dry roads, low winter sun, and a causeway across the water for the highlight. No GPS on this one, so the map's reconstructed from the footage. Tap a thumbnail to ride along.

Whole trip route map
Shropshire β†’ mid-Wales reservoir loop β†’ home (inferred, no GPS)

A bright afternoon, February 2023

Shropshire β†’ mid-Wales reservoir β†’ home

~125 km Β· a bright winter afternoon

Out west on the lanes under a hard blue sky, the low sun throwing the bike's shadow long across the tarmac. A handful of overtakes where the road opened up and the usual nods to oncoming riders making the most of a rare dry day. Up into the hills to a mid-Wales reservoir β€” a lake road hugging a rocky bank, then a stone causeway right across the water, which is about as good as a winter afternoon gets on two wheels.

Back through quiet stone villages and over a couple of old bridges, the long way home with the light going golden. Short ride, big grin β€” exactly what the little Honda is for.

No GPS logged this one, so the exact roads (and which reservoir) are inferred from what's on camera β€” if you know these lanes and I've drawn it wrong, tell me and I'll fix the line.

Photos

Shorts

The whole ride, end to end

Every clip

The raw mini-montages β€” one for roughly every ten minutes of the ride.