A motorcyclist killed in an accident near Dinas Mawddwy in Gwynedd on Sunday, November 12 has been honoured by his family as a man who “died doing what he loved, with his friends.”

Robert Neil Patterson, known locally as Rob - or Pogo to his friends - was 51-years-old and lived in Llandudno Junction.

Born on August 24, 1966 in Bangor, Rob grew up in Groesffordd, just outside Gyffin in the Conwy valley.

The avid biker was raised with his late brothers Alan, who died in his 20s, and Brian - who died ten years ago – and sister June.

Father to Anthony 27, Faye 24 and Imogen, seven, Rob was also a father figure to his partner of nine years Lizzie Day’s son Toby, 15, and was perhaps best known as a window cleaner who worked as far afield as Abergele.

Anthony Patterson said: “When his brother Alan died young, he decided to live his life to the full and never focused on working too much. Why wait for retirement to do the things you love when you can you can do them now?”

“Growing up in the countryside, he was always an outdoors kid from a young age. He loved the mountains and was passionate about walking.”

The biking enthusiast was transfixed with motorcycles, teaching himself mechanics from old biking manuals leading him to build his own bikes from scratch. Rob became a respected biker and mechanic, and earlier this year toured Italy with his friends.

Anthony said: “He got his first motorbike when he was 12, and it changed his life forever. He was known in the area as the “go to” person to get your bike fixed.”

“A lot of his friends have said they’ll be lost now because he was the person who fixed their bikes.”

Rob was a member of Earlystocks Motorcycle Racing Club, racing all over the country for old-school motorbike enthusiasts with a passion for machines made prior to 1987.

Anthony remembered: “People always underestimated him, and he’d always finish in the top three. He would turn up with a bike that didn’t look all that great and was dirty, because he didn’t care too much about how the bike looked - it was all about how it rode.”

Alongside walking, the mountains and motorbikes, one of Rob’s many other passions was rugby, and he was due to visit the Principality Stadium for Wales’ Autumn International clash against Georgia last Saturday for a friend’s stag party.

Anthony said: “He loved rugby, but he always moaned that it was better to spend the money on beer at the pub with his friends than spend it on tickets!”

“The only thing he loved more than his bikes were his family and friends. I never saw him angry, he was always positive.”

“He died doing what he loved with his friends.”

Rob’s funeral was held yesterday – Wednesday November 22 – and was well attended by friends and family, filling St Mary’s Church in Conwy with hundreds of well-wishers.