The 2026 Castle Poker Challenge

Wales, Castles, and Everything That Makes Riding Special

Some rides stay with you. This was one of them.

The 2026 Castle Poker Challenge took us deep into Wales across a weekend that delivered everything motorcycling is supposed to be — epic roads, stunning scenery, great company, and more than a few moments that reminded you exactly why you ride.

Friday — The Road North

I left Cornwall at 7.30 on Friday morning, picked up a fellow rider in Bodmin at 8am, and we pointed north. Our first stop was breakfast — 61 miles up the road at the Jolly Bike Shop in Bovey Tracey — and the timing could not have been better. A couple from the Foundry IMRG were there delivering an Indian Challenger to Chris, the owner. A perfect start to the weekend and a reminder of just how small and connected this community is.

From Bovey Tracey it was another 120 miles north to the Baffle Haus near Pontypool for a well earned cup of tea and to collect our third rider. Then a sweeping, scenic 50 miles across to our base for the weekend in Rhayader — roads that set the tone perfectly for everything that followed.

Our accommodation was outstanding. A stunning four bedroom house set across three floors with two full bathrooms, a well laid out kitchen, and a spacious living and dining room. Outside, a large decking area with a picnic table and BBQ overlooked the surrounding hills. Beneath the decking sat a large double garage that swallowed all the bikes with room to spare. Our Wales Ambassador arrived last, and once everyone was settled we headed out to meet the locals. A couple of the town’s pubs, a very good evening, and our first castle of the weekend ticked off before the night was out.

Saturday — The Castles

We left the house around 9am and the day that followed was one I will not forget in a hurry.

Our first stop was Powis Castle — around an hour and twenty minutes from base. We stopped on the way for a coffee and a breakfast roll before riding down the long sweeping entrance road to the castle itself. We had made a decision early on about how we were going to approach this challenge — rather than covering as many castles as possible from the road, we were going to get up close to each one. It meant we would visit fewer, but the photos would be worth it. At every castle we visited we drew a crowd, and Powis was no different.

Next came Chirk Castle, around 50 minutes away. The access road was a challenge — long, one way, and peppered with potholes — but we rode it all the way to the entrance. A castle guard approached us, turned out to be a genuine bike enthusiast, and not only gave us permission to photograph the bikes at the entrance but joined us for a few shots himself. The ride out was the real test — mostly gravel, rough surface, and a very long way back to the main road. We made it.

From Chirk it was an hour and fifteen minutes across to Denbigh Castle — the smallest of the day but no less impressive for it. The town is picturesque and the roads leading up to the castle are steep and winding. We found a temporary track across the grass that gave us the perfect angle for some great shots. The access roads up to Denbigh had been a real challenge for the Roadmasters though, and it made us think carefully about what came next.

We found a pub just outside town for a much needed lunch and a rethink. The day had already delivered some of the best roads any of us had ridden — two of the routes we had taken are among the officially recognised best roads in Great Britain — but the steep, rough access tracks to the hilltop castles were taking their toll on the bigger bikes. We adjusted the plan and pointed ourselves toward Conwy — just over an hour away.

The ride to Conwy took us along the Irish Sea coastline — a completely different landscape to everything we had seen so far, and all the better for it. Conwy Castle sits in the centre of town and the roads in were straightforward. We parked right alongside it and the photos were some of the best of the weekend. It is a remarkable place and one I fully intend to go back to and explore properly on foot.

To close out the day we took a long, sweeping ride across Eryri National Park — Snowdonia — around 100 miles of some of the finest roads and most breathtaking views this country has to offer. We stopped at a layby overlooking the Clywedog Reservoir and nobody said very much. Sometimes the view does the talking. We rolled back to the house at 7pm. We had left at 9am. In between we had covered over 240 miles, visited four castles, ridden two of the best roads in Great Britain, and crossed one of the most spectacular national parks in the country. What a day.

Sunday — The Road Home

Sunday morning was pack the bikes, take a few reluctant last looks at the house, and prepare for the journey home. We rode as a group for breakfast at the Oasis Snack Bar in Abergavenny — about an hour away — and while we were there a large convoy of vintage military trucks, jeeps, and motorcycles rolled in. Quite a sight over a morning coffee.

We said our goodbyes there. Two of us pointed south toward Cornwall — around 184 miles home — but not before squeezing in one more castle. Raglan. A place I had visited about five years ago, and this time I managed to find the exact spot and replicate the photo I had taken back then. A small thing, but it meant something.

When you add it all up — Friday’s ride from Cornwall through Devon and into Wales, Saturday’s 240 miles across some of Wales’ finest roads, and Sunday’s journey home via Abergavenny and Raglan — the weekend accounted for well over 500 miles of riding. Every single one of them worth it.

What It Was Really About

The castles were magnificent. The roads were, at times, genuinely extraordinary. But if you ask me what the weekend was really about, it was none of those things.

It was the rider collected from Bodmin at 8am. It was the unexpected connection at the Jolly Bike Shop. It was the castle guard who loved the bikes and jumped into the photos. It was the pub in Rhayader on Friday night. It was 240 miles on Saturday and nobody wanting it to end. It was Raglan on the way home because we could.

It does not matter whether you ride alone or with a group of ten. It does not matter which Indian you ride or how many miles you cover. What matters is getting out there — and sharing it when you do.

We will run more rides throughout the season and I hope our Ambassadors in other regions will do the same. We will share every one of them right here. And if you have a ride story of your own — whether you are part of IMRGlobal, an IMRG or another Indian riders group, or just a rider who loves the road — send it to us. I will happily help you turn it into a story worth reading.

That is what this community is for.

Ride. Connect. Grow. Together.

Written by Stewart Quinney

Special thanks to our Wales Ambassador Llewellyn Jones