Episode 1: Our 2024 bike adventure – Getting to the Picos Mountains

John and I start our annual adventure as we ride from the north west of England to.the Picos De Europa National Park. We see the Picos for the first time and are blown away.

We also start what becomes an ongoing debate over which is the best – Ducati or KTM lol

Please enjoy this first episode of our tour covering over 2,500 miles across 14 days of excitement, drama and life long memories.

well here we go we’re off on our Holly Bobs and look what I woke up to this morning mist and fog anyway off to see John catch up with John go through mid whales fire Breen onto Plymouth and head to Spain and the peos hope you enjoy the series cheers guys okay we’ having a great ride down just come through Breen Breen the beacons absolutely beautiful roads and as you can see the the Mist has gone the fog’s gone you see a little bit of still in The Valleys uh what a beautiful way to ride down to Plymouth we we’re so pleased we’ come through Wales rather than booting down the motorway we just stopped for a nice cup of coffee and a pastry now we’re heading to Western super mare we’ve got plenty of time ahead of us and we’re going to have fish and chips and an ice cream for lunch at Western super May and then head down towards P but thoroughly enjoying the day bikes a uh just had to tighten up the uh rear suspension just put on firm a little bit and move the um Treo to Auto obviously with my weight and the luggage it just needed a bit more support in the back but no bike’s being a so far got about 165 miles on the clock before I to fill up but I had four liters left in the tank so that’s that’s showing 180 190 true range to empty so happy with that as well yeah thoroughly enjoying the day going to get to Plymouth nice and relaxed no drama not having to push on although saying that would being pretty brisk uh thoroughly enjoying the day so next up Western super mayare then on to pth into the ferry what a beautiful day already decompressed already chilled out yeah living the life we’ve just had a dry run of this video and unfortunately John put on photograph rather than video and he’s been telling everyone about our love life I love like it’s not very good the sun is in the the screen so we need to turn around that way yes that’s the one oh no I can’t see I can’t see no I know but we go that way we can see so here we are uh now we’re on the boat and we’re on the boat it’s gone from Plymouth to Sant andur and uh John which ocean are we in right now uh we’re in the Bay of bis oh we oh yes sure oh yes and our boat our bike I was going to say our boats are downstairs our bikes are downstairs and we’re having a really good time but where’s Keith uh Keith koala is on the back no he’s in the hold he’s in he’s in he’s in the basement he’s on the back he’s on the back of the bike but guess what Pepe Lew is going to be born Pepe Lew doesn’t exist at the moment no Pepe isn’t but I know my Peppe is going to come to life and I’m going to go to a place and then Pep’s going to say I want to be with you anyway anyway right so we’re on on our trip to Spain and Portugal on the bikes John’s gone off and one he’s had a couple of drinks no I haven’t I haven’t had any drinks I I and we’re having a good time and it’s Ace and the bikes have been Ace we’ve ridden through mid Wales we’ve got to Breen beacons we actually went to the we went to the town of Breen it was really really good we had L um and we’ve had a rather good time John was slower than me by the way on his KTM very very slow the biggest problem with the KTM is keeps want to gallop past that but it can’t it just can’t make it it’s very economical that’s all I can say it’s very economical and very orange where they to caty it’s just like 47 to the gallon 47 to the gallon yeah but biggest miles per mile anyway anyway we’ve been talking to loads of people on the boat uh some people are bit a bit worried about John and he’ve been talking about all sorts of stuff lots of people are worried about state lots of people he needs purifying definitely need our cabin is very very small oh yes got bunk beds but John’s on the bottom and he’s been told it’s a nogo area and st’s on the top oh my God so we’re going to be arriving in Sant tomorrow about lunchtime 1:00 and then we’re off to poz anyway this is a little quick vid little quick little quick video this is a little video to say that we’re all happy safe we haven’t fall off the bikes yet and not no nor nor shall we but we’re having a great time time meet loads of people and um we’re having a bit of a May the ducatti rule no no no no the KTM still rules it’s an absolutely machine it’s an old man’s bike an old man’s old man’s bike 165 horsepower versus 180 horsepower the biggest problem is he gets out talked every time so he can’t get away from the I’ve never seen him in front of me all day he’s always been behind chasing my ass end off right so we’ll see what happens oh dear dear anyway oh dear anyway time for food time for steak say goodbye John goodbye John good say goodbye Steve goodbye Steve goodbye Steve byebye Steve bye so um here we are on the back of the boat pontoon just about to land at Sant andere and I’d just like to formally introduce Pierre Pierre Lew this is Pierre Lew this is called finding Pierre leie he’s searching for his best friend and Buddy Pepe Leu so he’s our company when we’re away there’s four of us now we’ve got Pierre we’ve got Keith the koala you’ve got me J and we got Ste anyway over and out byebye here we go Pon Haven thank you Pont Haven for looking after us we’ll need to stop and sort the um satav out in a bit John that was a good trip over that you can yeah yeah that’s it that looks L there do it yeah nice little place very nice indeed nice quiet roads no one on the road beautiful great Road like the b500 in Germany yeah look at that ahead isn’t that beautiful wow wow sh bit like frog is it yeah on the hill as well those lights must be to slow people down coming into the village cuz there wasn’t a junction or such it was just a set of Lights yeah this must be the village type of thing yeah that’s incredible it’s beautiful yeah pretty the flowers maybe we should stop and just that jagu uh two them look at that look the right oh after 75 minutes that beautiful Let’s see we can get onto that uh what’s his name do you think we get over there yeah let’s try have some pictures R Loa Kos so play to chamilos so let’s go there play to cam oh these cars beautiful the Jag them I think so yeah feel like having an ice cream oh the Porsches two Porsches a look Porsches I think they are yeah a few and a half in it yeah a little come wish we can just stop there got a nice oh yeah yeah let’s just go there where’ you want to park fabulous fabulous let’s go in this one pull forward of it m thank you of the tree lined Avenue there go mate lovely tree lined Avenue what a lovely road and the surface is so good in there you notice there got one pothole hey and this is us just getting to the Pico’s not there yet now these R are going ACR nice La venti San [Music] ventti nice isn’t it well the mountains over here on the left [Music] need to be careful with the boats there you can easily ground the boat yeah everyone’s having a chill out afternoon in the sun def m in front couple of them is it yeah Britain like shrouded in Miss the mountains aren’t they two up there high aren’t they tall mountains yeah snow on the top snow being there yeah lovely is it you come through there yeah only buy one I’m just one behind you oh there one guy in between us both going to go through right behind you now did you get through yeah I’m right behind you me around the corner there quite tight that little bit there front wheel keeps on lifting up the front wheel keeps lifting up all bouncing off the ground what’s going on here Road works is it yeah go stop is it yeah yeah stop stop stop oh what a lovely little place that’s nice little BL yeah nice yeah there 621 it’s on me list of Roads yeah we’ll come back next year I do I tell you what though you know you know with the ferry it’s pretty much off the ferry and in away is it it’s it’s not that far I’m very I’m quite impressed with like it’s a I think if I had a choice I’d do a a trip to the South wal and then do it in two long yeah yeah um then I was tired when it was doing it yeah I I don’t think the Plymouth run was too bad you know um we we got there plenty of time we had a couple of stops w super M we already made it by about an hourish didn’t we yeah but we did that that was the design wanted to get there about well we got there an hour beforehand but we embarked half an hour after we got there see the way all the Nets are capturing the um the Rocks see how many rocks have actually Fallen lovely River oh it’s beautiful so pretty go go go so we’ve just arrived in potz and we’re sluming it already it’s a hard life on a motorbike it’s a hard life isin’t it John very hard yes we just um you know having to put up with this uh pressure on riding this motorbike it’s tough is it it’s been such a hard day today anyway we’ve arrived in Potter’s uh Road from s Ander to here with Grace there bit of Road working so sort of made a bit stop and start but it’s been great so uh just chilled out cool down in the pool and we’re off to have a few beers and some some food in town tonight and then dropping the bags off and then we’ve got a full day just circling around the peac back here again tomorrow night uh before on the third day we head off further into Spain anyway live in the dream catch you all later bye here we are in potters and we’re in the uh hotter here we go nice I suppose looks like an old Villa converted into I think 15 16 apartment really nice there’s John’s bike there there’s my bike and there’s Keith the koala he’s he’s having a what he’s having a suntown he’s having a sunbathing session right now it’s beautiful 25° 7:00 at night and yeah so we’re going to Adventure out to Poes all these lovely little roads going to do a bit of exploring get something to eat couple of cold days we’ve just been for a swim in the freezing pool which has been great freshened us up and yeah we’re going to have a quiet T night the the mid of last night last night was the usual first night syndrome too many beers or too many wines I should say uh but we’re going to be sensible tonight anyway uh catch you all in a bit