My First Tour Experience
Here’s a review from Alexander Bridgwood, who had never been on an organised tour before and came on a five day Biker Spirit tour to Southern Ireland in June 2010.
I decided to have my first taste of touring 'abroad' with Biker Spirit. Their 5 day Southern Ireland tour seemed an ideal fit for me to get some touring under my belt. My aim with this article is to give you an honest and independent account of my experience, so here goes...
Day 1 – Lincoln to Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire
There were 7 of us going to Ireland, so it was a nice group size. As we were all from Lincolnshire Steve and Pete offered to guide us all down to Fishguard, Wales instead of us making our own way there. We all met up locally, made our introductions and set off with Steve taking the lead and Pete taking ‘tail end Charlie’. I soon learnt that this was ‘standard procedure’ on a Biker Spirit tour, allowing us customers to enjoy the ride, not worry about route finding or directions and not getting lost or left behind.
The guys had planned the route and booked our hotel for the evening in Ross-on-Wye. Our first day’s ride was varied and enjoyable, with long winding roads and no motorways, great scenery and plenty of stops.
Upon arriving at our hotel we parked up in the secure garage, then checked into our rooms. A quick shower and change, we made our way into town to get some food and to get to know each other.
It was a good first day. The ride was relaxed and we soon got to know each other’s riding style. The evening also helped to break the ice and I felt sure this was going to be a great holiday!
Day 2 – Ross-on-Wye to Enniscorthy, Southern Ireland
We wake to a rainy day, but after a good breakfast we gear up and head off to explore the Welsh countryside. Again we avoid motorways and ride some brilliant roads up hills, down valleys and along the Welsh coast. Having only been as far into the South of Wales as Swansea this was all pretty new to me.
We arrive at Fishguard well in time, having breaks and fuel stops roughly every hour to hour and a half. Once we refuel, as it’s cheaper this side of the water, the guys give us a briefing about boarding the ferry. This was helpful and reassuring to those of us who haven’t taken their bikes on a ferry before! We follow Pete through check-in, along the ramp and park up as described, leaving the ferry staff to tie down the bikes.
The ferry crossing itself is uneventful and again we relax and get to know each other. We are supplied with some sandwiches and drinks for lunch, compliments of Biker Spirit – a nice touch, given the price of refreshments on the boat! About 3½ hours later we dock in Rosslare and beautiful sunshine awaits us; a great start to my first time riding abroad.
We disembark and make our way to the hotel in Enniscorthy, a small traditional Irish town. I was very impressed upon arrival and the place we were staying at was very snazzy and comfortable. We even had secure parking round the back which was great. I did however have a slight incident where I lost my footing and dropped the bike. A typical low-speed spill and nothing too serious, with just a broken mirror and brake lever. Pete and Steve immediately checked I was OK and were very reassuring that the damage was superficial and could be easily fixed.
We put the bikes away, showered, changed and met again to do a temporary repair job on my bike. Steve’s improvisation of using a fork, some tape and cable ties sorted out the brake lever and we swapped the left hand mirror over to the right hand side. Pete found out details of local bike shops and I felt happy that we’d get things sorted in the morning, so we enjoyed some great food and toasted my spill with a Guinness.
After dinner we head into town and settled into a quaint pub. This was a small room, no larger than most people’s lounge, however it had a lovely atmosphere and everyone was very welcoming. A pleasant end to the day.
Day 3 – Enniscorthy to Clonakilty
After a hearty breakfast and a briefing of what the day has in store for us, we start our first full day touring in Ireland. First stop is to a bike shop in Wexford, which was closed, but a second shop proved successful. Thirty minutes later and Steve has my bike back to its original state. I have to say Pete and Steve did a fantastic job in dealing with this matter. It just shows how dedicated they are to customer service and looking after those who come on their tours.
Some fantastic roads, amazing views of the countryside, tranquil villages and the sun shining brightly puts us all in good spirits. Our ride brings us to Ballyhack, where we take a short ferry crossing and have the opportunity to stretch our legs and get some brilliant photos of the surroundings. We follow the coast road through Tramore and on to Annestown beach, a great place for photos.
Continuing along the Copper Coast we reach Dungarven, a lovely market town dating back to the 12th Century. Here we park up for lunch; Pete stays with the bikes (another Biker Spirit norm) allowing us to go and explore without having to take helmets and kit and knowing that our bikes are safe. The weather is still lovely and we’re not pressured to return to the bikes until we are ready, so we have a good look around.
Having fuelled ourselves and our bikes, we continue on to another short ferry crossing at Ballynoe before reaching Timoleague Abbey. This dates back to the 13th Century, has a lot of the architecture remaining and sits close to the water’s edge with some great views.
Our last leg of the day takes us on to Clonakilty, a town founded by the Great Earl of Work in 1588. We stay at a family hotel, run by the O’Donovan’s since it was built in the 1800s, and receive a warm and friendly welcome. After a good evening meal we head out to a small bar with live music and enjoy chatting about the day’s ride.
Day 4 – Clonakilty to Killarney
I wake excited about the day ahead, knowing that we have some great roads to ride and am not disappointed when we make our first stop at Bantry. This is a beautiful coastal town, with a picturesque bay and mountain back-drop and we have plenty of time for a coffee and to explore.
We leave Bantry and head for the Ring of Kerry, following the coast line until we are riding through the Caha Mountains. The new road surface is smooth, with perfect curves and corners on the way up. Once at the top there is a great stretch winding down to the bottom with some fantastic cornering opportunities. At this point I decide to have a little blast and take off to try out my new tyres on the corners. Steve goes on ahead to take some pictures of us riding. This was one of the best roads I have travelled upon; not just the corners but the breathtaking scenery is amazing at every turn and we encountered no traffic on the climb or the descent!
Through the Caha Mountains we stop off in Sneem, a small painted-house village, with a fast flowing river through it and lovely views from the bridge. Again, Pete stays with the bikes and we have a relaxing lunch, before we continue on the coast road. We make several stops along the Ring of Kerry to take in the stunning views and are lucky enough to have perfect weather with us. Mountains, beaches and a Virgin Mary monument add to the colour of the tour, before we reach our hotel in Killarney.
Our host greets us with a warm Irish welcome and we check in to fantastic rooms, before relaxing in the lounge area. We all head out again as a group for dinner; there is no pressure for us to stay together, and we are free to go out as we please, but it is nice that we all get on really well. We see plenty of Harley’s around as it’s the annual Ireland Bike Fest, originally an event for Harley owners, and the town is buzzing. After dining we head for a friendly bar the guys know and spend the evening chatting, before a few of us move on to see some live music.
Day 5 – Killarney to Wexford
Having ridden across the breadth of Southern Ireland, it’s now time for us to head back to Wexford. The breakfast again was another great start to the day and we set off in glorious sunshine. Just over an hour’s ride and we are at Blarney Castle for a refreshment stop, and (for those who want) to, an opportunity to kiss the famous Blarney Stone and be enamoured for life with 'the gift of the gab'. I am pleased to say that I decided to take a quick look round the castle and even kissed the stone!
Our route then takes us North away from Cork and through the countryside to our lunch stop at Lismore. After a relaxing wander around, we bid the castle farewell in our mirrors, and ride ‘The Vee’, a twisty road with a climb offering great views across the Knockmealdown Mountains. A few photos later and we push on through country roads, across meandering rivers and through rolling hillsides to our last coffee stop just outside Carrick-on-Suir, which offers us a place for some last minute souvenir shopping.
We arrive at our hotel just outside Wexford by 5pm, our hearts heavy knowing that the next day we would be catching the ferry back to Fishguard. However, an excellent dinner, a few beers and the sharing of stories about our week cheer us all up before we head off to bed.
Day 6 – Wexford to Fishguard
We’re up and having breakfast for 7am, giving us enough time to load the bikes and ride the 12 miles to the ferry. Unfortunately just as we’re about to set off one of the group has a flat tyre, so the Biker Spirit tool kit comes out and the compressor sets about re-inflating the tyre. Pete and Steve’s breakfast and hotel departure timing is spot on, building in enough contingency for any bike problems, and we all board the ferry in plenty of time. While we get comfortable, Steve and Pete stay down in the hold to take another look at the tyre and to see if they can fully repair it. It appears that the valve tyre is the problem and the guys recommend that for safety reasons the bike is recovered in Fishguard, and make the arrangements for this to happen.
Once disembarked, we all wait for the AA; we started as a group and want to all leave as a group, so we wave rider and pillion off as the recovery truck departs. The rest of us continue with our ride home and the guys take us on a great planned route through mid-Wales, Staffordshire, Derbyshire making the long ride back interesting and fun.
In all this was a fantastic holiday and motorcycle tour. For my first tour experience I felt comfortable with the distances covered, the pace of each ride, the comradeship from my fellow riders and the helpfulness of Pete and Steve. Their dedication to the job and to the tour astounds me; they obviously want the very best for their customers. If you have any problems on your tour they will do everything they can to put it right. The accommodation was top class with every hotel being clean, having excellent food and facilities. The routes were well planned, the roads were fantastic to ride, the places I visited interesting, and the fun I had will never leave me.
I will be booking another tour with Biker Spirit this year and I would recommend anyone looking for an excellent fully guided touring holiday to speak to Pete at Biker Spirit.
Day 1 – Lincoln to Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire
There were 7 of us going to Ireland, so it was a nice group size. As we were all from Lincolnshire Steve and Pete offered to guide us all down to Fishguard, Wales instead of us making our own way there. We all met up locally, made our introductions and set off with Steve taking the lead and Pete taking ‘tail end Charlie’. I soon learnt that this was ‘standard procedure’ on a Biker Spirit tour, allowing us customers to enjoy the ride, not worry about route finding or directions and not getting lost or left behind.
The guys had planned the route and booked our hotel for the evening in Ross-on-Wye. Our first day’s ride was varied and enjoyable, with long winding roads and no motorways, great scenery and plenty of stops.
Upon arriving at our hotel we parked up in the secure garage, then checked into our rooms. A quick shower and change, we made our way into town to get some food and to get to know each other.
It was a good first day. The ride was relaxed and we soon got to know each other’s riding style. The evening also helped to break the ice and I felt sure this was going to be a great holiday!
Day 2 – Ross-on-Wye to Enniscorthy, Southern Ireland
We wake to a rainy day, but after a good breakfast we gear up and head off to explore the Welsh countryside. Again we avoid motorways and ride some brilliant roads up hills, down valleys and along the Welsh coast. Having only been as far into the South of Wales as Swansea this was all pretty new to me.
We arrive at Fishguard well in time, having breaks and fuel stops roughly every hour to hour and a half. Once we refuel, as it’s cheaper this side of the water, the guys give us a briefing about boarding the ferry. This was helpful and reassuring to those of us who haven’t taken their bikes on a ferry before! We follow Pete through check-in, along the ramp and park up as described, leaving the ferry staff to tie down the bikes.
The ferry crossing itself is uneventful and again we relax and get to know each other. We are supplied with some sandwiches and drinks for lunch, compliments of Biker Spirit – a nice touch, given the price of refreshments on the boat! About 3½ hours later we dock in Rosslare and beautiful sunshine awaits us; a great start to my first time riding abroad.
We disembark and make our way to the hotel in Enniscorthy, a small traditional Irish town. I was very impressed upon arrival and the place we were staying at was very snazzy and comfortable. We even had secure parking round the back which was great. I did however have a slight incident where I lost my footing and dropped the bike. A typical low-speed spill and nothing too serious, with just a broken mirror and brake lever. Pete and Steve immediately checked I was OK and were very reassuring that the damage was superficial and could be easily fixed.
We put the bikes away, showered, changed and met again to do a temporary repair job on my bike. Steve’s improvisation of using a fork, some tape and cable ties sorted out the brake lever and we swapped the left hand mirror over to the right hand side. Pete found out details of local bike shops and I felt happy that we’d get things sorted in the morning, so we enjoyed some great food and toasted my spill with a Guinness.
After dinner we head into town and settled into a quaint pub. This was a small room, no larger than most people’s lounge, however it had a lovely atmosphere and everyone was very welcoming. A pleasant end to the day.
Day 3 – Enniscorthy to Clonakilty
After a hearty breakfast and a briefing of what the day has in store for us, we start our first full day touring in Ireland. First stop is to a bike shop in Wexford, which was closed, but a second shop proved successful. Thirty minutes later and Steve has my bike back to its original state. I have to say Pete and Steve did a fantastic job in dealing with this matter. It just shows how dedicated they are to customer service and looking after those who come on their tours.
Some fantastic roads, amazing views of the countryside, tranquil villages and the sun shining brightly puts us all in good spirits. Our ride brings us to Ballyhack, where we take a short ferry crossing and have the opportunity to stretch our legs and get some brilliant photos of the surroundings. We follow the coast road through Tramore and on to Annestown beach, a great place for photos.
Continuing along the Copper Coast we reach Dungarven, a lovely market town dating back to the 12th Century. Here we park up for lunch; Pete stays with the bikes (another Biker Spirit norm) allowing us to go and explore without having to take helmets and kit and knowing that our bikes are safe. The weather is still lovely and we’re not pressured to return to the bikes until we are ready, so we have a good look around.
Having fuelled ourselves and our bikes, we continue on to another short ferry crossing at Ballynoe before reaching Timoleague Abbey. This dates back to the 13th Century, has a lot of the architecture remaining and sits close to the water’s edge with some great views.
Our last leg of the day takes us on to Clonakilty, a town founded by the Great Earl of Work in 1588. We stay at a family hotel, run by the O’Donovan’s since it was built in the 1800s, and receive a warm and friendly welcome. After a good evening meal we head out to a small bar with live music and enjoy chatting about the day’s ride.
Day 4 – Clonakilty to Killarney
I wake excited about the day ahead, knowing that we have some great roads to ride and am not disappointed when we make our first stop at Bantry. This is a beautiful coastal town, with a picturesque bay and mountain back-drop and we have plenty of time for a coffee and to explore.
We leave Bantry and head for the Ring of Kerry, following the coast line until we are riding through the Caha Mountains. The new road surface is smooth, with perfect curves and corners on the way up. Once at the top there is a great stretch winding down to the bottom with some fantastic cornering opportunities. At this point I decide to have a little blast and take off to try out my new tyres on the corners. Steve goes on ahead to take some pictures of us riding. This was one of the best roads I have travelled upon; not just the corners but the breathtaking scenery is amazing at every turn and we encountered no traffic on the climb or the descent!
Through the Caha Mountains we stop off in Sneem, a small painted-house village, with a fast flowing river through it and lovely views from the bridge. Again, Pete stays with the bikes and we have a relaxing lunch, before we continue on the coast road. We make several stops along the Ring of Kerry to take in the stunning views and are lucky enough to have perfect weather with us. Mountains, beaches and a Virgin Mary monument add to the colour of the tour, before we reach our hotel in Killarney.
Our host greets us with a warm Irish welcome and we check in to fantastic rooms, before relaxing in the lounge area. We all head out again as a group for dinner; there is no pressure for us to stay together, and we are free to go out as we please, but it is nice that we all get on really well. We see plenty of Harley’s around as it’s the annual Ireland Bike Fest, originally an event for Harley owners, and the town is buzzing. After dining we head for a friendly bar the guys know and spend the evening chatting, before a few of us move on to see some live music.
Day 5 – Killarney to Wexford
Having ridden across the breadth of Southern Ireland, it’s now time for us to head back to Wexford. The breakfast again was another great start to the day and we set off in glorious sunshine. Just over an hour’s ride and we are at Blarney Castle for a refreshment stop, and (for those who want) to, an opportunity to kiss the famous Blarney Stone and be enamoured for life with 'the gift of the gab'. I am pleased to say that I decided to take a quick look round the castle and even kissed the stone!
Our route then takes us North away from Cork and through the countryside to our lunch stop at Lismore. After a relaxing wander around, we bid the castle farewell in our mirrors, and ride ‘The Vee’, a twisty road with a climb offering great views across the Knockmealdown Mountains. A few photos later and we push on through country roads, across meandering rivers and through rolling hillsides to our last coffee stop just outside Carrick-on-Suir, which offers us a place for some last minute souvenir shopping.
We arrive at our hotel just outside Wexford by 5pm, our hearts heavy knowing that the next day we would be catching the ferry back to Fishguard. However, an excellent dinner, a few beers and the sharing of stories about our week cheer us all up before we head off to bed.
Day 6 – Wexford to Fishguard
We’re up and having breakfast for 7am, giving us enough time to load the bikes and ride the 12 miles to the ferry. Unfortunately just as we’re about to set off one of the group has a flat tyre, so the Biker Spirit tool kit comes out and the compressor sets about re-inflating the tyre. Pete and Steve’s breakfast and hotel departure timing is spot on, building in enough contingency for any bike problems, and we all board the ferry in plenty of time. While we get comfortable, Steve and Pete stay down in the hold to take another look at the tyre and to see if they can fully repair it. It appears that the valve tyre is the problem and the guys recommend that for safety reasons the bike is recovered in Fishguard, and make the arrangements for this to happen.
Once disembarked, we all wait for the AA; we started as a group and want to all leave as a group, so we wave rider and pillion off as the recovery truck departs. The rest of us continue with our ride home and the guys take us on a great planned route through mid-Wales, Staffordshire, Derbyshire making the long ride back interesting and fun.
In all this was a fantastic holiday and motorcycle tour. For my first tour experience I felt comfortable with the distances covered, the pace of each ride, the comradeship from my fellow riders and the helpfulness of Pete and Steve. Their dedication to the job and to the tour astounds me; they obviously want the very best for their customers. If you have any problems on your tour they will do everything they can to put it right. The accommodation was top class with every hotel being clean, having excellent food and facilities. The routes were well planned, the roads were fantastic to ride, the places I visited interesting, and the fun I had will never leave me.
I will be booking another tour with Biker Spirit this year and I would recommend anyone looking for an excellent fully guided touring holiday to speak to Pete at Biker Spirit.