Weekend adventure – exploring rural England on a motorcycle

I love exploring new places and new countries, especially when I can do so on a motorcycle. I recently spent a weekend exploring rural England on a bike and had a blast. I was fortunate because the ride was a last-minute decision, but with some research I was able to pull it together.

I found a couple of shops that rent motorcycles in the distant suburbs outside London, and made a last-minute request for a rental bike for the weekend. This was actually on Saturday morning, and I had very low expectations that I’d be able to find a bike on short notice – or be able to coordinate timing such that I could return it Sunday afternoon. I made the call anyway, to Roadtrip Motorcycle Rentals in Woking, England. To my surprise, they had a few bikes available and were willing to accommodate my rather hurried weekend schedule.

Now that I had the bike, I had to decide where I would ride – and where I would spend Saturday night. A couple of Duckduckgo searches gave me some ideas, and I found a room for rent above a local pub in a village called Ockley. I booked the room using hotels.com, packed up a few things and headed out the door.

I hopped a train at London’s Waterloo Station for the 25-minute trip out to the town of Woking. A five-minute taxi ride got me to the shop, where I picked up the bike, a helmet, gloves, riding jacket and GPS unit. The owners of the shop, Keith and Iain, were super friendly and helpful. When I walked up to the shop, they were

just finishing polishing up the Yamaha Tracer 700 bike that I would be taking out.

They gave me some good suggestions for routes I might ride, reviewed the motorcycle with me, and had me on the road quickly. When all of that flurry of logistics was finished – the moment of truth arrived as I pulled onto the roadway, riding on the left side as they are wont to do in England, and getting accustomed to a motorcycle I had never ridden before. What an exciting way to start a Saturday!

The GPS guided me out of Woking, along a couple of highways, and finally on to the two-lane roads I planned to ride endlessly that weekend. I was not disappointed! The weather was perfect and rural roads here are just amazing and beautiful.

I had a number of noteworthy adventures on this weekend, starting with a couple of characters I met at a food truck out in the country.

I had only grabbed a banana for breakfast at the train station, so when I spotted a food truck with two motorcycles pulled off nearby, I figured it was worth a stop. Indeed it was. I met three local characters there, one riding a Harley Davidson, a second riding a BMW, and the third running the food truck.

I struck up an easy conversation with these guys about local riding, quality of food at this food stop, and most importantly – speed cameras. Speed cameras are everywhere in the UK, providing a proper incentive for motorists to mind the local regulations. I was happy to learn from these chaps that cameras aren’t everywhere, and a rider can generally feel free to enjoy the freedom of the road as he or she pleases. And I was regularly passed by riders on sport bikes really enjoying the freedom of the road!

While we chatted, Chef Dave created a mountain of a breakfast sandwich that carried me through the rest of the day’s riding.

As the day wore on, I made my way to my accommodation, a traditional inn just across from a community green/park, thus the name Inn on the Green. The front half of the foyer level of the inn is the pub/restaurant,

with a breakfast dining room taking up the back half. Sleeping accommodations are up the stairs.

My first order of business after dropping off my gear in the room was ordering up dinner in the pub. They had a traditional British pub menu, including a number of fresh baked pies (pot pies as my American readers will know them) and, of course, fish & chips. The pie was fabulous and I highly recommend it!

This pub, like most in UK communities, was a local gathering place with plenty of interesting conversation and characters around. One fellow came in with two beautiful golden retrievers who socialized among the patrons – and me! A pool game was afoot in the adjacent room, and the World Cup finals were on the TV. Everyone was very friendly and chatty as I ate dinner and enjoyed a pint of beer.

My room for the night was a cozy studio as one might say – small, but functional.

On Sunday I headed west a bit toward North Wessex Downs, just south of Swindon, and explored many 2-lane roads before turning east again toward Woking to return the bike, and hop a train back to central London.

All in all, it was a fabulous weekend and a terrific way to explore rural England. The weather was as perfect as I have ever seen it there and I am very thankful for the adventure. If you have the opportunity to ride in England, I highly recommend Roadtrip Motorcycles for your equipment needs.

Here are a few additional photos that highlight the trip.