Royal Enfield Himalayanists

Next up will be from the A417 to Tintern/Chepstow if you fancy riding it together. No idea how much off road or what it’s like mind you 😀

United Kingdom

Nice. What sort of length is that section?

How fantastic, I do like the look of that Voge.

I’m not sure. Less than today at a guess. Although then obviously the Welsh section carries on (not downloaded that GPX yet).

Does this link work?

https://www.strava.com/routes/3125853012311632316

I’ll try downloading the TET app 👍

I can change the access if it doesn’t work?

Trying to work out what’s left. I’ve done 313 miles now I think. And that’s 55 miles from Birdlip to Tintern.

So that leaves 210 miles or so in the East.

To fit in around work and life, I reckon I need to do 2×105 mile days. Buzz down to Dover, do 105 miles of TET back this way, then bail out at Hailsham and buzz home. Around a 330 mile day.

Then the last piece will be to buzz back again and finish off the Sussex leg 🎉

In the Spring I’ll then look at doing the Great Western Trail whilst camping. And maybe smash some of Wales early summer.

Does this link work?

No, but I’ve not got a Strava sub if that’s why?

Ooh, like the look of the Voge, more pics please! @crosshair

@kayak23 made it public now. I thought it might still work as private with the link.

https://www.strava.com/routes/3125853012311632316

I think those above pics cover it at the minute. But I did take more 🤣

Just fitted the spots from the Himmy

It’s nice that 👌

What are people using for navigation? Do you download the TET onto a device or use your phone?

I’m getting very Garmin curious for the MTB and was wondering if it could do double duty. That would make it easier to justify the expense of a posh head unit.

There’s loads of wiggly TET stuff so close to me in Sheffield. I’m dying to explore it.

I personally use my Wahoo Elemnt Bolt which is designed for cycling but works very well on the motorbike.

Obviously it’s very basic but I rarely need more than it shows and when I do I have offline OS maps available on my phone.

I believe you can download the TET route and then use a gpx editor to cut it up into sections. I’ve not done that. I actually haven’t focussed on the TET at all, but joined the Trail Riders Fellowship and plotted routes linking up green lanes on their Green Road Map.

Sections of those of course fall into sections of the TET but so far I’ve not knowingly ridden any TET sections.

At the moment, I use the OS maps app to plot my routes. I have the Green Road Map up on my laptop and then use the OS map on my phone to plot a route of a decent length and then generate a gpx file that I can then upload to the Bolt and follow on the bars.

Works really well.
The only limitation is if you go off course because of a diversion for example, it doesn’t route you back on course. You have to use your sense of direction or stop and figure it out on the phone.

Yeah I use my Garmin Edge 530. Or my iPhone with Guru maps. (Usually have both running and have one angled for sitting, one for standing).

I often found myself wondering why I had so many clever features on my Garmin as I never used them on my push bikes but on the Motorbike I have!

Spots, sticker and paint added 🤣
I think it makes the dash side feel cozier when it’s blacked out and it’s an insanely satisfying job to do 🙄🤣

I watched this video last night. It’s interesting to me because if I do get a bike these will be my local trails. It’s close to home but I only recognise the very last bit on Houndkirk Moor.

Some of it looks a bit spicy in sections. Knowing how a go-pro flattens everything out, those are some big old rocks he’s riding over in places. Probably good for him that he’s not on a Himalayan!

Congleton is around 90 minutes away from home. I think going out on the road and coming back via those trails would be a mega day out especially for a noob.

Some nice filming at the start and evidence of the durability of the Enfield motor.

Looks like a good run that @sharkattack.
Get it bought! 😉👍

Summer is fading fast @sharkattack splash the cash!

Nay bother for a Himmy 💪🏻

Lovely little evening blast down Gloucestershire way.

109 miles. Some cracking lanes, some of a decent length. A few rocky climbs and a couple of rocky, greasy, woody descents. 😊👌

I went to see this today…http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175771651158

It’s been there so long that it’s gone down £300.

There’s a few tiny chips and scrapes on it but it looks brand new from across the room.

Someone buy it before me.

That looks like a nice one. Hopefully someone buys it before you have to 😉

There’s a lot of them about for sale.

That one looks good but I’d perhaps suggest that the extra £300 it’s come from is kind of what you might expect a dealer to add.

For reference, mine looks exactly like that but is a 2022, bought with just under 2.5k on the clock and came with pannier racks, bought privately for 3.4k

Fantastic ride today on a section of the TET from the A4170 near Birdlip down to Tintern with Mr @crosshair from here.

I ended up a touch late to meet up due to a navigation error and Crosshair had started down the route. In my stress for being late and because the very first lane was very unforgiving, being really slick, muddy ruts,i ended up dropping the bike and smashing out the two screws from one side of my screen and knocking my mirrors so that they were loose and flapping about.

After a while i settled down a bit and the trails got more rocky rather than muddy. The Himalayan was incredible all day, even when i had to lift the blummin thing several times when we came to one or two impasses, and it weighs about as much as a family hatchback😂

Some really great sections with fun descents and pretty challenging climbs at times.
Incredibly scenic route. Really enjoyed it 👌

Good effort and another great post on this thread!

I think the RE is the nicer looking of the two bikes 😉

Really good thread.

I bought a bmwf800gs back in January for commuting and road riding with the aim of doing some green lanes and tet . It’s a very good bike but the weight and height of it makes it scary for  proper off road riding,for me anyway ,plus it seems a shame to trash it.

Seriously thinking of adding a Himalayan/ voge/ CRF to the garage!

Bit more of the Trans European Trail today, and a Peak District section from Congleton to Buxton.
Little bit on the edge of my comfort zone riding alone to be honest because there was some pretty gnarly sections and the possibility of breaking body or bike seemed fairly high.

The Himalayan did amazingly well but it is looooowww, and so has a few new battle scars underneath! 😊

Rode up the M6 to Congleton from Warwickshire in just under 2 hours. Bailed at Buxton before the TET started heading Northerer as i was knackered from riding yesterday too and had quite a ride South still to home.

Incredible scenery up there as ever, and a great day out 😊
Seen a lot more of the Peak today doing this that i probably wouldn’t have seen had the Tet not been the focus.
Body is already aching!

Wincle Minn (I think)

Clough Brook. The trail actually follows the river here.

Name the hill in the distance for 3 points.

3 Shires head descent.
The descent was technical with a few ledge/rock drops and some boulders.
The climb out was harder, especially with an audience. Lots of big baby head boulders made the heavy bike dance about all over the shop under me! Kept it together and rode it out 😎

3 Shires head descent

A really lightweight flickable bike, perfect for technical balance moves… and next to it, some trials bikes 😂

3 Shires head

Hollinsclough

Fair play for doing 3 shires on the Enfield, I’ve been dying to have a look there for ages and finally walked down to it last week with the Mrs while we were stopping in the peaks for a few days .I thought it looked  hard going for an adventure bike,-I’m not sure I’d try it on my 800 , not alone anyway. Would be a piece of cake on a trials/ enduro I think. That’s what got me considering  adding a lighter bike to the garage 😂

Would you say that’s one of the harder lanes you’ve come across so far ?

Would you say that’s one of the harder lanes you’ve come across so far ?

Yes and no. I think a few bits me and Crosshair did on Saturday down the Wye valley were fairly difficult. I suppose greasier and tended to be more kind of rooty and gravelly with pronounced ‘steps’ to get up.

The climb out of 3 Shires was definitely more sustained difficulty. The main difficulty was the sheer amount of baby head rocks, which made picking lines pretty much a waste of time. I just kept it rolling at a decent pace in 1st, kept my body and grip loose on the bike and hoped for the best.

You get bounced about all over but i think just staying loose helps a lot. Also try to ignore the sounds of your bash plate getting mullered! 😂

It’s actually harder with people watching/walking.
I hate to upset walkers but you’ve no choice when you start, you’re committed.
They were fine though. I think they enjoyed seeing me getting thrown about on an unsuitable bike 😂

I think you could do it on most bikes to be honest. It’s ground clearance that matters and the Himalayan hasn’t got much.
I was worried about smashing my foot into boulders a few times so had some interesting one-legged moments, but it worked.

This is a great thread, and good on those who get out there and give it a go!

Have you thought about removing the centre stand? I’ve heard of a few people removing them so they don’t get hung up on rocks and ruts. Also a lot of the clattering noise you can hear is actually just the stand flapping up and down.

Now sure how true this is, I haven’t ridden one yet!

Although, I did sit on a couple on Saturday morning. The seat is a bit low for my long legs and I’d want a nicer handlebar but I’m getting ahead of myself.

Trials bikes on the other hand… I’ve had one experience day at Inch Perfect and I loved it. It was like riding a DH bike but flying up cliffs and river beds. I felt like I’d found my new obsession but I haven’t been on one since.

If I still had a van I’d be shopping for a Sherco or TRS not a Himalayan. Maybe I need both.

Have you thought about removing the centre stand? I’ve heard of a few people removing them so they don’t get hung up on rocks and ruts

Yes very much so. I’m pretty close to doing it but having had a bad run of punctures,i can’t help enjoying the ease of putting it up on the centre stand to whip the wheels out.

There are ways of doing it without the centre stand, but i can’t help feeling that things are already such a mare with such a heavy bike that making it harder still for yourself isn’t immediately appealing! 😂

A couple of ways of doing it I’ve seen, with a strap to a tree, or a stick under the bash plate.

I can see myself doing it pretty soon anyway. Maybe have a bit of practise first with other methods.

Yay! Back from the Gulag 🤣

Was a brilliant day last Saturday. I feel bad now for setting off alone but sadly I’m always against the clock to return home.
The peaks sounded amazing too. I made the choice to head east on Sunday and do Lewes back this way on the TET.
As expected- the SD NP is lacking in trails but still enjoyed lots of nice views.

I have finished 420 miles of the Southern GPX now and I need to figure out how to have a crack at the remaining 140 odd miles from Dover —> Lewes.

One thing that may help is fitting a 15t front sprocket yesterday. It’s knocked about 800rpm off of 60mph so should make covering the motorway miles there more bearable. And it’s smoothed out the few vibes it used to have too.

Welcome back to the thread 😊👊

Thanks! This is the only tread I’ll be posting in from now on so hopefully won’t get interrupted again 🤣

Deposit paid. Bike going in for a PDI. It was bought new from Manhattan’s and has FSH from Manhattan’s and it’ll be going straight into Manhattan’s for the next service as well because it’ll be about a 90 second ride from home.

I ‘might’ have it by Monday it depends how busy they are this weekend.

If I get it on Saturday, I’ll be riding it straight up to the Lakes for the family holiday and coming back on my own on Tuesday night for work on Wednesday.

If it’s later than that, I’m home alone all week so I’ll be commuting and doing after work missions into the Peak District. Work is about 20 minutes ride from Ladybower, 30 from Hope and I finish at 4:30 every day so plenty of daylight to enjoy.

Now, I’ve always thought that Tabernas Desert looks like an amazing place to visit…

YES Sharkattack! 😊👏👊
Brilliant stuff.
I reckon you’re in for some fun times 😊

I’m a bit nervous about picking it up and riding straight out into the bedlam of Sheffield city centre traffic. It’s a war zone out there.

It’ll also be my first ever unsupervised ride with no instructions coming through an earpiece. When I get home I’ll be able to chill out a bit and plan some adventures. I’m interested to see if I’ve got the horsepower to get up Winnats Pass.

I’m a bit nervous about picking it up and riding straight out into the bedlam of Sheffield city centre traffic. It’s a war zone out there.

Dominate the road through vehicle position, there’s a horn on it for a reason, keep your eyeline up and as far forwards as practicable, earplugs for every ride.

Nice looking bike, you’ll have a blast!

Enjoy the bike sharkattack, keep us updated on your adventures