Gospel Pass, Feb 2016

I needed to do a proper ride-out to see how the new K&N filter had affected the Yam’s fuelling, so set out on a cold Sunday towards Hay-On-Wye: applied a few psi to the tyres, donned a pair of shades to counteract the grey gloom of the February clouds and chose a mostly B-road route.

First stop was the trusty Steel Horse Cafe for a coffee, but I never made it through the door. Instead I got waylaid by a 6’5″ Polish biker called Big Bart, a Super Ten rider: had a good chat about the intrinsic superiority of Yamahas over Beemers then ended up showing him the scenic way to Hay.

Steel Horse Cafe

This was back to my old stomping ground from when I lived in Hereford: one year we kept 24/7 watch on a peregrine scrape on the cliffs at Cwmyoy for 4 months, suspecting egg-stealers – we were tooled up with radios from the SAS, a powerful loudhailer and searchlight torches: scared a few innocent climbers shitless… then found that the tiercel was playing away, regularly deserting his Cwmyoy falcon and clutch of eggs to go off with a gorgeous looking female for days at a time. So much for raptor life-long pairing!
Think the H2R is fast?  Peregrines have been recorded stooping at 242mph…..

Cwmyoy cliffs

After winding past Llanthony Priory  and Capel y-Ffin through the narrow, mud-covered lane and over the cattle grid, the view opens up – Twmpa, more commonly called Lord Hereford’s Knob, on the left with Hay Bluff on the right.

Going up Gospel Pass

Up through Gospel Pass and down the other side, overlooking the Vale of Ewyas, (near Hobbiton, apparently).

The Vale of Ewyas

Under Lord Hereford’s Knob

No traffic…

It’s all downhill to Hay-on-Wye

Into Hay then back down the Golden Valley, where Bart split off and made his way back to Evesham. Past Kilpec Church, ignoring the call of those sexy sheela-na-gigs, down into Monmouth and back up into the Forest: 90 miles of muddy B-roads, not a dual carriageway in sight. And still no rain. Result!

Well, the fuelling seems pretty good: that K&N filter improves pickup so that the last remnants of snatchiness are almost gone…. But the tyres are still on their way out: one slide on gravel (allowed) and one on dry tarmac (not clever) reminded me not to skimp on rubber this year….