Stuart’s GoldWing Blog

Bowness Waterfront, not always as quiet

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On a weekday in April this year I had a whole day to myself and since the weather was set fair, it was the perfect opportunity to get out and enjoy some riding with no one to please but myself.  The combination of a GoldWing and some decent biking roads is a huge blessing for which I am always grateful and never take for granted, even for a moment.

And since it was some time since I been anywhere near Wast Water, the hauntingly beautiful lake on the western side of the Lake District, that was the place that came to mind to head for.  By virtue of its relative inaccessibility, it’s steep-sided and dramatic appearance and its lack of development, Wasdale and indeed the Western Lakes as a whole, are a world apart from the Lake District which most of the tourists get to see.  So that was it then, off I would go to the Western Lakes.

The English Lake District is a beautiful area, arguably one of the most scenic in the UK and it’s also continues………

The best biking road (and the most dangerous one?) in England

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The Cat & Fiddle is one of the most, possibly the most famous biking road in UK.  On the one hand it can provide a scenic, if somewhat twisty, route over the hills from Cheshire into Derbyshire, on the other it offers an exceptional combination of challenging bends which, if you try to make progress through them, will certainly test your riding skills.

For these reasons it attracts bikers galore – and therefore the almost permanent attention of traffic police.  This is no place to take any liberties.  If the car and motorcycle police don’t get you, the police helicopter will. continues………

Malham Tarn in the distance - and this parking angle was OK

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This 25 miles circular ride takes in some marvellous scenery and it is not a difficult ride, although there are a couple of fairly tight climbing bends which call for a bit of concentration.

I did it part of this ride a week earlier in company with some IAM rider friends I bumped into at Settle and it was such attractive scenery I couldn’t resist going back with my camera.

From the Market Square in Settle, where the excellent Naked Man Cafe will provide any sustenance you might need before setting off, head North past the car park and petrol station and under continues………