Adventure for everyone as new ‘Wales 500’ trail route opens
Wales 500 promises forest trails for anyone with an adventure bike
If you’ve got a big adventure bike but not yet had the chance to stray off the beaten path, this could be just the challenge for you. The new Wales 500 is a navigation event that takes in the best scenic roads and forest trails that Wales has to offer. The event is organised by Robert Hughes, owner of RallyMoto, an international rally veteran who helps organise the UK rally series.
“If there’s one question I get asked all the time it’s: ‘Can you really do it on road tyres?’ The answer is yes,” says Hughes. “This event is about having fun on adventure bikes, not spending all day wrestling with them. There are a couple of little challenges along the way but they’ll make for the perfect war story in the pub later.”
As you might expect, the real highlight of the event will be the high-speed forest trails. Hughes has struck a deal with numerous forestry associations to gain access to stunning tracks that are normally closed to the public. He says it’s some of the best adventure riding in the UK and having sampled some of the route ourselves we totally agree. There are two options for navigation. You can either use a GPS, or RallyMoto can fit a temporary roadbook and you take the instructions off a paper roll just like they do in the Dakar. No ride is complete without a bit of competition, so there is a winner but it’s the person who most accurately tracks the mileage (and makes the least navigational mistakes) that will triumph, rather than the fastest rider. You can also enter in teams, if you don’t fancy doing it solo.
As well as riding the main event, there will also be skills tests and evening talks from adventure legends like Patsy Quick and kit experts Adventure Spec.
The 500 kilometre route has been tested by riders using a Triumph Explorer 1200 on road tyres and a BMW F800GS on dual sport tyres to ensure it’s a route suitable of all levels of riders on big adventure machines. The event is limited to 150 riders, so enter now (at rallymoto.co.uk) if you fancy a blast on some of the UK’s best trails. Camping is available and a Saturday night meal is included. MCN plans to tackle the event and will report back.
‘This is about having fun, not having a wrestle’
ROBERT HUGHES