Wild One Tours

CH CH CH CHANGES: June 2019 Tour: Every year I consider making the planning of the group tours easier by using the same (albeit mix and match) route plans and staying at the same hotels as our tours of years past. But invariably I come to the realization that in the interest of creating changes for the better I find myself re-evaluating every section of the route and all other facets of the tour plan. In the same vein as our June/ July 2018 tour, our June 2019 tour is based o...n longer duration tours of past years, compressed into the more popular 9 day tour format. This time I've made more of an effort to accurately calculate the daily mileage and to steer us clear of other traffic. I've further cut down on delays caused by stopping at road toll stations and traffic lights. But most notably for those of you who have rode sections of this route with me before, I have changed some of the hotels we stay at, to hotels which are better suited to the demands of covering the higher mileages, without compromising on the quality and function of their locations. Considering that the return Dover - Calais ferry crossing seems to be more expensive next year, I also seem to have done a good job of keeping the total cost of return ferry and eight nights (own room) hotel accommodation at about £500. Three of the hotels have outdoor swimming pools, seven have a bar and the one that doesn't has a nice licensed restaurant just next door. It is after all a touring holiday and the choice of hotels should reflect how enjoyable that is.
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JUNE 2019 TOUR: On the afternoon of day 2 we turn away from dual carriageway and motorway into the mountains of the Massif Central and the mostly sweeping bends of the D940. Where we're going is a long way, so to make the most of the day we won't be stopping at the 'Riders Rest', but I thought to give them a plug while sharing a video of theirs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxn_KqzJJ JQ

THE JOY OF MOTORCYCLE TOURS IN EUROPE

Saturday 22nd to Sunday 30th June (inclusive) 2019 is when we are next on tour. Those of you who want to join in, please make sure to clear your diaries for those dates and if you need to, do get your leave applications in. One of the fabulous roads that feature on the tour is the N260. Well the best 40 mile stretch of it does. This chap seems enthusiastic about riding it and although the best bit he describes is a much longer stretch, most of his footage appears to be filmed in our best bit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN0G0d1mq b4

WILD ONE TOURS GO TO FRANCE AND SPAIN 2019: Time for a little information about our 9 day (8 night) June 2019 tour. The tour is operated on a not for profit basis. I volunteer my services as an experienced tour guide and pay my own way. Therefore I am not bound by any form of contract with you, nor you with me. Based on expressions of interest received to date, I intend to print 12 tour information packs ready to distribute before Christmas. Tour information packs consist ...
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TRIUMPH SPRINT GT SE: 5 YEAR 42,000 MILE REVIEW Some 6 years ago I was the owner of a Triumph Tiger 955i which I'd had from new since October 2005. A capable touring bike, but being an exceptionally tall, chunky and arguably less attractive looking example of the adventure theme bikes, I started looking around for something that was very different. Only when I focused my mind on what I wanted the new bike to be capable of, it seemed that in many ways I needed more of the same...
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Meanwhile in Britain more and more roads are changed to 50mph limits and many of those are speed camera enforced.

NARKS: As both a high mileage rider and driver I don't get into the always righteous rider v reckless driver and vice versa whinges that are often seen on biker group facebook pages. As both rider and driver I've been in the right and conversely wrong many times over, with such little consequence that it doesn't warrant the waste of time thinking about them. Rights or wrongs aside, there are also some grey areas, such as 'zip merging' which may warrant a little consideration...
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FACT CHECK: Riding in France In response to an extremely negative social media biker group post of a few weeks ago, about riding motorcycles in France. I have recently had the pleasure of riding for 9 days (making 18 days in total this year) in France. Contrary to the opinion expressed in that post, I can confirm it is no less enjoyable riding there than any previous year, since I began doing that in 1981. 1. I have not needed a CritAir badge. 2. The single carriageway countr...y road speed limit in France is now 80kph (50mph). This is generally no more adhered to than the 90kph (56mph) limit of old. If you see a speed camera (usually forewarned with a sign) and you're exceeding the speed limit, you merely need to slow down a bit more. 3. In towns and villages, the speed limit remains at 50kph (31mph). At certain areas such as school crossing zones there continue to be 30kph (19mph) areas which are generally short and clearly marked as you enter and leave. They are often accompanied by speed humps as an encouragement to slow down. These have been with us for years and aren't really that much of an issue when it comes to how long it takes to get from a to b on the roads where they feature. 4. Much of the dual carriageway speed limit remains at 110kph (68mph) and most of the dry motorway speed limit is still the same at 130kph (81mph).
Meanwhile my ride from Cheshire to Kent and return was marked by a lot of average speed camera enforced 40 and 50mph speed limits. Even on the motorways!
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It bemuses me to read accounts of motorcycle touring in which people try to portray their own individual style of doing this as the best way. For me every style has potential and only by trying new ways of doing, do we we find out which of these work and what doesn't. Also what works in some situations i.e. touring with a group won't necessarily work out so well touring as an individual, or couple and vice versa. Our original plan for this Continental tour was to camp through...
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WILD ONE 2019 NINE DAY TOUR VIA FRANCE AND THE PYRENEES TO SPAIN AND THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST: Although as per this year I'll be doing lots of motorcycle touring, it looks like I'll only manage to get in a solitary nine day group tour again next year. The nine day format (Saturday to a week on Sunday inclusive) seems to be the most popular for full time workers who normally have the weekends off, because it means they need to take only one week (five days) leave from work. As ...per this year in which I crammed what was previously a longer duration tour into the nine day tour format, I've done that again for next year. Only next year we cover an even greater mileage and while I've excluded some of what didn't work well this year in order to cover the miles, I've also found that it will be necessary to not separate the outward and return legs of the tour with a two night stop at the same hotel. BUT after a late lunch on the last bit of the outward leg we will arrive at the hotel at around the earliest possible 3pm check-in time. As always what each person does with their time there is up to them, but my plan is to check-in to my room and chill with a cold beer at the hotels swimming pool. Then take the 15 to 20 minute stroll along the sea front to the towns beach promenade, relax on the sandy beach and swim in the sea. After that I'll probably remain in town for dinner, before strolling back to the hotel for a nightcap. As per this year about half the time spent riding will be on amazing mountain roads, only this time a lot of the motorway we ride getting to and from them will be toll free. I'm looking at late June, when there is more chance of it being a bit cooler than the highs of 30°C to 37°C we had on every day of the tour this year and the roads we ride are really quiet. I'm looking at a group of about 12 bikes. If it's 10 like this year, or a few more than 12 it really doesn't matter. But in the interest of knowing how much effort I'll need to make to put a group together I'm asking for expressions of interest in taking part now please.
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WILD ONE 2018 FRANCE TOUR CONCLUDED: A group of 10 riders travelling North coast to South coast and back again on all manner of road. Have posted a day by day account with photos on the Wild One Tours page if anyone is interested. We saw evidence that at least some new 80kph speed limit signs have been put up in place of the 90kph signs and speed cameras recalibrated. However there were no indications of the police or gendarmerie making a special effort to enforce this new sp...eed limit. In fact we had no personal interactions with the French rozzers at all and didn't even see many of them on our travels. Crit'Air vignettes were not needed (for anywhere we went and at the times we were there) on this tour. Which is just as well because I think that one of our motorcycles wasn't eligible (by reason of age) to get one. However considering their low cost, if the scheme is still running then I think I'll personally get one (just in case) for next year. The currency exchange rate was more or less the same as last year. Motorway tolls, eating and drinking out were about the same cost as last year. Only petrol is ever so slightly more expensive now. As to British relations with the French people, we had a ball. So with the Entente Cordiale holding firm and amazing roads to ride, France is still a bikers paradise.
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would recommend to any biker looking for any accesories

Would like to thank mike for his help today. Got a cracking deal. Highly recommended. Thanks again.

What a great weekend on tour to Hollyhead thank you Mike & everyone who made it so enjoyable.

Having trawled the internet and local shops Wild One beat the lot on price. Worthy of 5 Stars in my book.

Great eight days riding some of the sights fantastic quality of the roads and to Mike the tour guide the routes you ride along and places he shows you are second to none

First visit to shop to buy winter gloves. Very friendly welcome, helpful and great service.

would recommend to any biker looking for any accesories

Would like to thank mike for his help today. Got a cracking deal. Highly recommended. Thanks again.

What a great weekend on tour to Hollyhead thank you Mike & everyone who made it so enjoyable.

Having trawled the internet and local shops Wild One beat the lot on price. Worthy of 5 Stars in my book.

Great eight days riding some of the sights fantastic quality of the roads and to Mike the tour guide the routes you ride along and places he shows you are second to none

First visit to shop to buy winter gloves. Very friendly welcome, helpful and great service.