September 2011 - Spain and France - Day 4 : Such roads Do Exist !! (199 miles)

Yesterday’s entry ended with “Our enthusiasm for this ride will depend greatly upon the weather forecast....”. Not only was the forecast rubbish but the early morning was misty, damp and had rain in the air.

The group was reduced to myself, Phil and his son, Ed; the others deciding to do their own thing. So, at 9:40 we set off; Phil leading and Ed at the rear. The plan was to run down into Spain and join some of the very best biking roads - ever! The mist started to clear and the sun started to shine. We crossed over the Col d’Aspin where we stopped for a few minutes admiring the stamina of the elderly men who had just cycled to the top. We then joined the D929, passing through Arreau and heading for the tunnel which leads to Spain.

The photo is us waiting for the green light which allows us to ride through the 3km tunnel.

On the other side we entered the region of Aragon and the start of what can only be described as an astounding road. It is wide; great surface and has multiple bends; the traffic is extremely light and it was almost a question of how quickly do you wish to go ? Police of other enforcement was non existent; except that we did come across a police “check point” where we were simply waved through.

The GT and her rider were experiencing a new level of motorcycling enjoyment and I had clearly selected Sport mode to ensure that the bike was optimally set up for the task. At around 11:50, we stopped for a breather and a drink before setting off again. The plan now was to continue to Ainsa where we would turn onto the N260.

Once more, our motorcycling senses were taken to new levels as the combination of scenery, road surface, camber and bends allowed full enjoyments at whatever velocity suits your style and ability.

We stopped for fuel a few miles from the French border and had a tasty dish of eggs, bacon, Corizo sausages and chips !! However the best part was that the Misano MotoGP was on live and we were able to watch a fabulous race.

The return to Phil’s place was via the D934 then turn off onto the excellent D35 heading towards Lourdes. We arrived back at 16:45 having had a thoroughly exhilarating day. My GT really earned some browny points today; she averaged 53 mpg despite being run in 2nd - 4th gears for long periods. The Michelin PR3s behaved well with the amount of lean angle clearly visible!