THE BIG RIDE
Only a short hop across the Menai Strait from Snowdonia, this Welsh island is perfect for a day exploring its deserted lanes and rocky coastline
THE FACTS
The route A 101-mile, four-hour clockwise ride of the Isle of Anglesey in North Wales, from bridge to bridge (Pont Britannia to Menai) around the sandy south and rocky northern coastline.
Why it’s great Because it’s relatively undiscovered, the scenery is outstanding and it’s home to the greatest racetrack in the world.
When to go No later than this month – the notoriously fickle weather can change from calm and sunny to howling gales in an instant.
Where to visit Ty Croes and Trac Môn – Anglesey circuit – but also the extreme western and eastern tips of the island, which are both stunning.
THE GUY ON the FireBlade looked confused. “You’re going round Anglesey? The good roads are that way,” he said, pointing back down the A55 to North Wales. Luckily, we don’t entirely agree. Anglesey isn’t the most popular destination for riding – it’s a long way from anywhere, even if you’re already in Snowdonia. And its roads aren’t your grandiose sweepers or your pretty mountain hairpins. But the island, floating off the north-western tip of Wales, has a lot to offer fans of two-wheeled touring – the southern coastline is scattered with picturesque beaches, while the north is rockier and dramatically cliff-topped. And while the riding might not be epic, the pace is a perfectly kicked ‐back way to explore the landscape’s nooks and crannies – and discover amazing places on the way.
The ride starts crossing the Pont Britannia on the A55, the southern of the two bridges to Anglesey from the mainland crossing the swirling waters of the Menai Strait. Built by Robert Stephenson in 1850, the bridge was originally only used for trains – but a fire in 1970 wrecked the rail line, so the painstakingly rebuilt bridge retained Stephenson’s impressive masonry pillars, and added a car deck.
Immediately off the bridge, we swing left on the A4080 through Llanfairpwllgwyngyll – easy for you to say – and whose name was lengthened as a tourist stunt in 1869 to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwll-llantysiliogogogoch – the longest place name in the UK. The A4080 is also called Ffordd Brynstencyn – Welsh is impenetrable for English speakers, but Anglesey is a heartland of the language and has the highest ratio of speakers in Wales – more than half the population.
The Triumph Tiger 900 GT Pro paces smoothly over farmland between tree-lined verges, rich in oak, sycamore and silver birch, relishing the pungent, earthy early morning smell after overnight rain. The A4080 u
