Ep62 | WE RIDE THE WORLD’S STEEPEST STREET? – So YOU don’t have to!

Can we drive the steepest road in the world? We meet another biker riding around the English and Welsh coastline.

#steep street

Hello and welcome to the Great British Biking Adventures Coast Series. In this series we are travelling around the coast on our motorcycle, a Honda VFR1200X Crosstourer.

A lot of our viewers are bike enthusiasts but this series will appeal to a wider audience. Why? Because there’s so much more to the Coast series than motorcycles. There’s the challenges, the journey, geography, history and people. You get to travel the entire coast of England and Wales with us, see how we did it, share our ups and downs, experience English culture, the history and hear about the people that made Britain ‘Great’!

What’s also good about the coast series is it doesn’t matter when you start watching, it’s like one of those open top bus tours – you can get on at any point and just keep going until you arrive back where you started.

Who are we? We’re a husband & wife living in an unremarkable coastal town in England. We’ve been married 35 years and were brought together by motorcycles. One day, Esther’s Honda Melody broke down and she brought it to Jarrod’s motorcycle shop – the rest (as they say) is history.

One cold February day, we started riding along the seafront and just kept going. We wanted to record the experience to have something to watch in the future – the YouTube channel was an afterthought. Take a look at those first few episodes to see just how novice we were, cobbling together what little phone footage we had to try to make a story. To make up for our amateur recording and shyness we added information in the editing. This set the tone and style of our videos, we hope you like it. We like to think we’ve improved and hopefully you’ll agree, take a look, compare our earlier videos with the later ones and let us know in the comments.

There’s also the filming and production journey. When we started we knew nothing about filming, video and audio production, editing, YouTube and the like. We’ve learnt loads and spent loads in time and money along the way but it’s been almost as enjoyable as the journey itself. You’ll hopefully appreciate how far we’ve come.

But what’s with all those bible verses we hear you say. We know some of you don’t appreciate this aspect, one or two have told us in the comments! That’s fine – it really is. All are equally welcome here, believers and unbelievers. It would be a pity if you enjoyed everything else but just stopped watching because of the Christian references but we completely accept you’re free to do as you please.

Our faith has prompted us to include a bible verse in our videos and sometimes a Christian perspective on the things we talk about. The channel is not about Christianity but our faith cannot be separated from it. We hope and pray that it will make you think, inquire and even bring you into a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Don’t know which way we’re going this way 40% 40 oh my Goodness look at the old Rover on the right hand side the sd1 vest beautiful do you want cup of tea or an ice cream cup of tea go here and go away with this off you go hello and welcome back to our Coast Adventure what started as an impulsive

Crazy idea when we set off on a cold February day has turned into 62 episodes of a YouTube series we feel we’re just about getting the hang of it by now but we’ll let you decide keep watching to see what a road with a 40% gradient looks like and meet a special

Guest now where were we oh yes in the last two episodes we’ve made our way around the Linn peninsula in Wales don’t worry we’ll definitely get to our destination for this day by the end of the episode you join us at quith having pretty much completed the Linn

Peninsula if you like what you see then we’d appreciate a thumbs up and a comment it would be great if you joined us on this journey of our lovely English and Welsh Coastline it’s going to be quite a binge watch to catch up but don’t worry just hop on now and pick up

Episode 1 when we get all the way around we’d like to apologize to all of Wales for our Dreadful pron iations we’re doing our best but fully accept that we have probably caused many of you to cringe please don’t get too annoyed with the limitations of our English Tongues I mean I could have gone into Woodworking and bought £1,000 2,000 lathe or whatever do you know what I mean or there’s all sorts of things you could have done oh you videoing I’m videoing yeah sorry you’re videoing my Chit Chat yeah yes you could have bought a wood

Wood work wood turning toward you could be a fish or a golfer or a golfer but instead you’re a motorcyclist and that’s something that you don’t mind me perching on the back of the M bike you with you perching on the back of the motorik oh I love it

Wow it’s just this Coast is everywhere I’m filming it over there and now I see it over here it’s wonderful ah this is the Esty I see over there coming in by the look of it oh wow just got to move the camera over here as well now it’s just beautiful Rolling Hills

Well not Rolling Hills really they’re mountains aren’t they so I think this is Black Sands ah oh yeah oh yeah then it’s Sandy so the beaches up there we might get stuck car there are cars on it but is it sand and then we’re going to go all over the place what do

You think I’m glad you asked that Esther I think anyone who releases a song titled motorcycle emptiness is going to get my attention but the Manic Street Preachers was more than that to me for a while especially through their album This Is My Truth tell me yours the front

Cover of which was taken at this beach ohning be Co it’s quite good under tires F incoming tide it says motorcycles and quads aren’t allowed as you can see it’s a stunning Beach the short Wikipedia entry states it is unusual as cars are allowed onto it although this means there can be

Problems with irresponsible drivers of all the things the author could say about this beautiful place they chose to highlight something I suspect isn’t nearly as much of a problem as they’ve made Out something tells me someone has a chip on their shoulder my suspicions are supported by the plethora of sign AG reinforcing the rules there were a lot of rules but we honed in on the no motorcycles or Quads wondering if I may have contravened an ancient Covenant a local bylaw or one of the latest acts of parliament that’s been introduced for my safety I looked it up all I can find is a long arbitrary list of don’ts produced by the local Haven holiday park with

Absolutely no reference to the law or authority they are based upon my guess is if anything the right of vehicle access has either been established or granted in days gone by when having your own form of independent transport wasn’t treated like a crime against humanity I’m not sure how they

Can Prejudice motorcycles and quads from the benefit enjoyed by others especially with no apparent real law to back it up finally I step down from my soap box and brush the chip from my shoulder with this final warning from the Manic Street Preachers themselves we have to go Inland a bit

Now to get around a couple of eseries as we make our way back around to the coast we pass through or skirt around several places and things of interest that we ought to mention we’re currently passing through Port madog the port here flourished in in the 1800s because of the demand for high

Quality Welsh slate that was extensively used for roofing in the rapidly growing cities of England it was brought to the port by the narrow Gage fog Railway and from here shipped around the nation right it’s a bit of a different um level crossing isn’t it it’s a Destiny or grow is it oh

Yes remember this no I remember this from the Welsh holiday Caravan holiday back day originally the loaded wagons were operated by gravity taking advantage of the different altitude between the start and end points with the expansion of the mainline Railways by 1925 less than 5% of the late was distributed this

Way there it is train beautiful mountains the lake see on the other side of Railway there is steam yeah the fog Railway limped on but ceased commercial operations by 1947 shortly afterwards Railway enthusiasts set about saving the railway and it has operated as a Heritage tourist and indeed commuting passenger line ever Since Port Marion is the creation of one man’s dream between 1925 and 1975 cclu William Alis constructed this quirky Village in the Barack style and in tribute to the atmosphere of the Mediterranean its unique design provides a place for visitors wanting to escape reality among the more notable guests

Have been nol coward George Bernard Shaw HG Wells Gregory pet ingred Bergman Paul m and George Harrison it’s certainly a colorful place with a colorful history today Port Maran is owned by a charitable trust which still use most of the buildings as hotel rooms or self-catering Cottages together with

Shops a cafe t- room and restaurant what Marion is a major tourist attraction in North Wales which is why we pressed on day visits can be made on payment of an admission charge bre so we’re coming into harck um the one thing I know about harck is there’s a famous Welsh song

With the line men of harle it’s a Male Voice Choir song bit of an Anon as far as the Welsh are concerned although I also know Harlot has a castle but what French French what Welsh Town doesn’t and he got the Welsh and French mixed up there don’t know which way we’re

Going this way 40% 40 oh 40 that’s fine yeah as I sit in my comfortable study editing this video with the benefit of hindsight time and not sat on a moving motorcycle heading rapidly towards Oblivion I can look back and reflect here’s a list of my mistakes and the

Signs I missed number one I was paying more attention to the route than the road number two my first instinct was right but I simply couldn’t believe I was facing a 40% Street in a fraction of a second I reversed my understanding of gradient measures and thought it must be

On the gentler side of 25% number three I missed the additional sign that said unsuitable for Motors I blame Welsh Road signs being in two languages number four I mistook the shopkeeper’s stare for a friendly glance he knew exactly what was coming and could have warned me but instead he

Quietly went about his business number five I missed the massive Banner that said the steepest street in the world join us next time to see what happened only kidding do you really want to keep watching you L her as bad as the shopkeeper don’t know which way we’re going this way

40% 40 oh 40 that’s fine Yeah [Applause] oh my goodness lordy lordy Oh my goodness lordy lordy thank you Lord wow that’s got to be the worst yet I think we going down anyway yeah especially with the water on it well done yeah but thank God it was one way so yeah I when I saw 40% my initial reaction was shock and horror because I

Thought that’s steep cuz 25% is steep yeah so 40 and I thought oh no it goes must go the other way and then I then started to think does it no it doesn’t go the other way and then obviously when we saw that um coming down on us wow that was

Steep in 2019 this harloc street was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the steepest in the entire world the title had been held for many years by New Zealand with with a gradient of 35% but after a stringent verification process Guinness announced harlick had a gradient of

37.4% but a year later in November 2020 New Zealand sent a surveyor to harck who said the tight bends could be measured in such a way that made it less Steep and persuaded Guinness to change the way they measured the gradient that favored New Zealand’s Road consequently they

Reinstated the new Zealand street is the steepest however it might not last long a street in San Francisco is looking at taking the title away from them 25% okay we can do this oh here we go sport I’m putting it into sport yeah and plenty of speed and it’s is it one

Way again no don’t believe it is nice and wi power on power on power on power on keep going ride it and again nice and wide nice and wide power on power on we are gluttons for punishment aren’t we well I Blame You last one few stress over for now we should have

Come down this road to visit the castle and then ridden down the 25% Hill to join the main road to barmouth instead we took a wrong turn and ended up going down what we now know is the world’s steepest street and then going up the

25er I’m not sure I’ve got it in me to tell you about how harck is one of the 10 castles built by Edward I to secure his conquest of Wales and if you’ve been following our journey you’ve heard it all before in episode 53 at Flint Castle

Episode 56 at B Maris castle and of course in episode 59 at canavan Castle if you don’t mind I think we’ll press on to barmouth where before the end of this episode we’ll meet a very special person Know with its imposing Castle Harlot can hardly be described as hidden but it is a gem and a perfect place to spend a day or two wandering its ancient streets what Jared should have told you about the castle is that in 1404 it was captured by Owen glendow during the

Welsh Revolt Harlot became Glenda’s official residence and Court it was here that he was crowned as Prince of Wales the castle was recaptured by the English in 1409 under the command of Harry of mouth the Future King Henry V and Victor at the Battle of aenor Legend has it that once a person

Sets foot in harloc they will always return drawn back to this land of myths and mountains we’ve been a few times and hopefully we’ll return again someday see you thank You This day was full of surprises we decided to take a break at the far Northern end of barmouth beach where we met another biker going round the coast encountering a fellow coaster made our day we exchanged experiences and went our separate ways if you’re watching this video Ashley it’d be great to hear

From you you’re the first we’ve met I guess we’re probably the first you met yeah well we’ve count we counted um 76 Coles or 77 78 okay yeah yeah and 782 motores oh right you be oh fair play it’s been really funny cuz like for a

Whole eight days I had Callum jumping on and off doing the fuel and paying for things so was really quick at F and we’re trying to do it within the one clock which is 100 hours okay so I’m just past the 90 hours and 30 minutes Mark wow wow that’s impressive the rest

Of the North Wales coast and angle see and home are you going to do the little Peninsula below Angley cuz we’ve done that today yeah it takes a lot longer than you think it will I know it do I know I know it does but hopefully this

Time an item should do how true do you try to stay cuz yeah you can’t go down every if it a dead end we skipped it yeah um but if it was a dead end with a purpose so if it was the furthest east west north south on the headline let me

Take that so it’s was down at Port CL which is s David South yeah David today um that was really nice but we skipped a chunk between uh St David’s and um fair not fairb um fish fish card fish card so we skipped that bit just straight lined

It otherwise there’s no reason to come back yeah you got to be pragmatic because we figured out very early on we could be doing it for years if we went to absolutely every Corall but we wasn’t it you know we we’ve we”ve tried we’ve cried we we we were the first leg the

First stage we weren’t that good really because I think it’s cuz he on our doorstep yeah we uh we completely missed out ilon you didn’t miss much I know I know we know it so well I said that on the video yeah oh that’s brilliant lovely to

Me you Ashley yes thank you care and you watch out for those tourists Oh back along I’ve viewer posted that he had done the coast and was enjoying reliving The Experience through this series if you’re still following do let us know also if you have traveled the coast or large sections of it or indeed have been inspired to do so we’d love to hear from you Too [Applause] Maybe the residence only gravel be careful okay well day what a day this has been we’ve experienced some of the UK’s most spectacular roads in scenery fallen off the bike in the middle of a golf course how embarrassing and met another coaster now to top it all we have to

Climb four floors to get to our hotel room before we grab something to eat and get some rest we need to check out the start of tomorrow’s Adventure as it is potentially going to be a bit stressful we’re hoping to ride the barmouth rail Bridge across the EST to avoid a 13m ride

Around but the ride isn’t going to be easy with us two on a fully loaded Honda cross tourer it looks like the most difficult part of the crossing is going to be this end of the bridge join us next time to see what Happens