Detour #222: The Best of Snowdonia on Four, Three and Two Wheels, Wales, UK
If it’s got wheels then it’s fit for a Detour, we say. Putting that theory into practice Nik Berg explores Snowdonia by Caterham, Morgan and Norton.
As the first insect impacts my forehead it occurs to me that Morgan didn’t build the Super 3 for motorways. It has no roof, windows, doors or even a windscreen – just a couple of pieces of sculpted yellow perspex, which, like a pair of tinted glasses are mostly there to look cool.
I pull over into the nearest services and put on a crash helmet for the remainder of my run up the M1 and M6 to North Wales and it’s not until I reach the A5 that I remove it, now smeared with the remains of a bounty of bugs.
Here the mad Morgan starts to make a bit more sense. Over the border and onto the B4396 I begin to wiggle through Wales, with slightly exaggerated inputs of the oversized Moto Lita steering wheel telegraphed to the gigantic front wheels. To position the Super 3 accurately I find it best to poke my head out into the slipstream and track the right front wheel against the centre line in the road. Once I get used to the 2.5-metre width of the Morgan’s front end it’s brilliantly fun to punt along. The gearshift is sweet, there’s plenty of performance from the little 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine and it makes a glorious, slightly off-beat sound.
Bala marks the entry to Snowdonia proper, but along the A4212 I’m staying clear of the mountains, skirting past the lovely-but-hard-to-pronounce Llyn Trawsfynydd lake and picking up the A470 and A487 to Minffordd. I take my first Detour to meet up with a couple of colleagues in Portmeirion – a little Italy right on the coast. Together we squeeze through its narrow Mediterranean-style streets and pose for photos. Driving the Super 3 is basically like being in one long Instagram Story - you get snapped constantly.
From here we convoy along the coast to Black Rock Sands. It’s one of the few beaches in the UK that you can actually drive (slowly) on. Motorcycles aren’t usually allowed, but we’re given permission to push our Norton Commando 961 into position alongside the Morgan and a Caterham Super Seven 600 for more snaps. Even though it’s still early in the morning the beach is packed with holidaymakers and, by the time we leave, a huge queue has formed down the narrow lane that leads to the beach.
In Porthmadog it’s time to go from three wheels to two and I swing my leg over the Commando in a petrol station. Taking the A498 north east the ascent into Snowdonia begins. It’s been some years since I’ve ridden a motorcycle and, after the width of the Morgan, it’s wonderful how every road simply opens up when you’re on two wheels. The Commando is full of personality, feeling more like a classic than a new bike, and its characterfully-clattery parallel twin makes a stupendous sound. As the road opens up past Beddgelert on the way to Capel Curig I take in the views across the valley. It’s tempting to tackle the Pen-y-Pass, but the holiday traffic looks too intense, and while I could probably breeze by on the bike, the guys on three and four wheels might not be so lucky.
We stop for sustenance at biker-friendly Caffi Siabod, filling up on suitable stodge before passing through Betws-y-Coed – the most popular village in Snowdonia and the base for many mountain adventures. The A410 takes us south through a landscape that reminds me of the Scottish Highlands, albeit on a slightly smaller scale, and for the last part of the trip I jump into the Caterham.
The Super Seven 600 feels surprisingly civilised at first. It’s tiny, of course, but having been battered by the elements in the Morgan and on the Norton, having a full windscreen and doors is a luxury. It’s even got quite a comfy ride quality. It might have the smallest engine of the trio at just 660cc, but it’s turbocharged for added performance and aural entertainment. Every push of the accelerator is accompanied by the whoosh of the turbo, and every lift is followed by pops and chatter from the wastegate. It’s not especially fast by Caterham standards but, in truth, there’s more than enough on tap for road driving and it’s a hoot on the final run from Ffestiniog to Bala on the B4391.
It’s been brilliant to drive these roads in three distinctly different ways. Each vehicle has its own charm which only adds to the road trip experience, but it’s Snowdonia itself which has me wanting to return. Be it on four wheels, three wheels or two I’ll definitely be back for more.
Words Nik Berg Twitter | Instagram
Photography Jake T Nash Instagram