Welcome to the Message Board, in this section of the website we would like to invite those of you who have ridden the Rally in previous years to send us your experiences and give new riders an insight into what they might expect. MessageBoard@nationalroadrally.co.uk
What a fantastic weekend, the 2006 Road Rally, with great weather, great atmosphere and twice as much fun, and an award at the end of it. Having the joy to see a badger run out across the road in front of me in the early hours was just memorable too.
Thank you to the volunteers and I can't wait for next year too. This years Award seem to be a little different, the trophy has already fallen off, due to the double sided tape, only after four days.
Gary
My first rally and I had a huge amount of fun while doing it - achieved a Gold which is what I set out for and raised a few quid for Mencap as well.
Can I say a special thank you to all concerned with the rally particularly the good folks manning the checkpoints. At times I suspect it was a thankless task but everyone I met had a smile and gave plenty of encouragement.
A huge thanks to one and all.
Phil Bromley
This was my first rally and I hope not the last, however I will be hitting 70 in a couple of months time so time will tell. What I can say is that this was the best motorbiking Iv'e ever experienced in 50 years, my total miles was also 743, just wait till someone calls me a "born again biker" My thanks to all organisers, helpers and fellow riders. Oh, next year my two sons may join me!
Keith Chambers
I'd like to thank you and all the people involved in organising this year's National Rally. I had enormous fun :) I'd also like to thank all the marshalls who spent so much time working on the checkpoints - without them etc. I took a few pictures, mainly of checkpoints.
I wonder if I might ask that the organisers consider a few things for the 2007 rally?
Firstly, the controls details list. The work involved in preparing a good route is, in my mind, at least /tripled/ by the way this list is prepared and published. I can see that it is sorted alphabetically by the name of the checkpoint (Abingdon, Accrington, Amesbury etc). This is the root cause of why this list is so difficult to use. The list may be sorted that way but the identifiers for each checkpoint do not correspond to that listing, whether they are inner or outer controls. 06, for example, is listed after 08. Check 19 is on pg 5 (just after 14) and check 20 is on pg 11!
Might I suggest that the list be re-created as two lists? The first for inner controls, ordered in code numerical order and the second for outer controls in code alphabetical order? The data for the details list appears to have come from a simple database and so re-ordering the report or creating new reports should be an achievable task. I cannot stress enough how much of a difference this would make to rally planning. At the moment the only way to efficiently plan is to have memorised which code means which checkpoint as it takes so long to look things up.
I am aware that riders who have been doing the rally for some years will know the current ordering system however I should like you to consider that for newer riders to the rally the details list is a slightly pointless extra challenge. For the rest of us its just a pain in the unmentionables ;)
The second thing I would urge the organisers to consider is moving some of the checkpoints. I overheard a chap saying that he's been doing the rally for 15 years now and doesn't bother with a map any more as he knows where all the checks will be. If that really is the case (and I'm sure he was exaggerating to a degree) then there is a possibility of the rally becoming very stale. I have to confess that the dearth of out-in-the-countryside checks compared to in-town and in-city checks makes route planning (I'm not a keen urban rider - I can do that every day on the way to work) wearisome. Further, some of the descriptions on the details list could do with updating. A postcode would be useful - especially for some of the more obscure checks.
In the middle of the night I turned up at a check where a pub had kindly stayed open to provide goodness knows what services to rallyists. Hopefully not beer ;-) but sandwiches and the like. I turned up rather fatigued as it was around 3ish and could have done with a glass of squash or cup of coffee. Foolishly I'd forgotten my plastic and so was doing the rally on the cash I had in my jacket. I wasn't therefore inclined to waste fuel money in the pub so I rode on. I'm sure I wasn't alone. Most checks provided water or squash for contestants FOC. I am exceptionally grateful to all those that did. It would have been nice to get a little tap water without having to pay the pub for the privilege... Mean of me, I guess but funds were most limited.
Lastly, I forgot to nominate my favourite checks - I guess its too late but can I put in a good word for Basingstoke and Sutton Maddock?
Anyhow, sorry for the length of this. Thanks again for a great rally. I hope my comments are useful.
Mike Cater
Many thanks for your e-mail. I'm glad you enjoyed the Rally and the pictures are great. Thankyou also for the comments. I have passed them on to the Committee who are always pleased to discuss ideas to change or improve the Rally.
Hope to see you again next year.
This was my second national and my fellow riders and I had learned from previous experience. It went extremely well and we achieved the 540 miles this year with two hours to spare, unlike last year when we fell behind schedule and had to settle for 525. The rest breaks rule was much better this year. It allowed us to rest when we needed to, rather than when the rules specified. We had no serious trouble finding checkpoints (although to be fair we had been to most of them last year) and signage seemed better this year. With one exception (which I shall not identify) they were very friendly - I'm sorry we rushed through some of them as we had resolved to save time at checkpoints if we were not taking a rest.
Among the highlights this year were again some glorious riding on near empty roads in the west country and Shropshire; a flock of hot-air balloons rising just beyond Bath (I counted eight at one point); the amazingly cheerful Waney Edge café at Melksham where my chums tucked into their regular all-day breakfast ; a very friendly control at Sutton Maddock which dispensed tea, coffee and sandwiches just when we needed them; sunrise in exquisite pastel shades over Darley Moor Race Circuit, near Ashbourne.
I agree that satnav is against the spirit of the rally: the risk of getting lost is part of the challenge.
As last year, the worst bit was the ride home - 190 miles for me - after the event. The adrenalin had all been used up and physical and mental tiredness set in, exacerbated by the heat this year. Perhaps I can arrange a taxi and trailer home next year!
My sincere thanks to all involved in organising the rally including the many motorcycle clubs manning the control points, to my fellow riders Barry and Richard for their planning and company, and to all in my office who kindly sponsored me. The thought of taking money off them (for good causes, naturally) helped to keep me going at three in the morning as the damp chill seeped through my biking gear.
Keith Masson
Another brilliant Rally. I covered over 700 miles including the ride home from Birmingham and thoroughly enjoyed it, although it was way too hot on Saturday afternoon! Thanks to all the Control teams - they always make you feel so welcome. Only downside was listening to the World Cup penalties at the Slough checkpoint!
New Rest Break rules are excellent allowing breaks when you want them and where you want - so much better, but I still ate too much junk food!
Three days on and I'm still smiling (and aching!). See you all next year.
Steve Kirby
The National Rally is well-named, as it really brings home everything that's great about English roads. Curves. Fields red with poppies. The smell of a pine wood. Stonehenge. And, of course, speed cameras, unhelpful road signs and kamikaze deer.
Worst bit: Buxton to Congleton, which must be glorious in daylight but was a nightmare at two in the morning. I inched round the corners braking in all the wrong places and got overtaken by dozens of more competent bikers.
Best bit: Cleobury Mortimer to Worcester in the early morning, the satisfying certainty of being on the right road with plenty of time in hand, finishing with an impressive shortcut to the admiration of my companion.
Thanks to everyone who manned the controls, especially Aylesbury (they remembered me from last year!) and Sutton Maddock (clearly signposted, cup of tea on arrival and a friendly dog to cuddle); to Ron Compton's of Catford for lending me a scooter when mine broke down the week before the Rally; and to partner in crime Howard for route planning and putting up with me.
Alice Dryden
Many thanks to all the control operators. All the drinks and sweeties were much appreciated. This was the first time for me and my mate Derek Tate. What a great experience that was! I'll be there next year and hope to make more time to talk to other competitors. This time round I was too wrapped up in a new experience. Thanks again to all people who made the event possible.
John Tizzard
Just to say a big Thank You to all the volunteers and organizers that manned the checkpoints I visited on my first Rally. Everyone was brilliant with time for a chat, advice and much needed food and drink. All in all it was a very enjoyable (if tiring) experience.
I will be back next year.
Steve Harrison
It all looked so good - entry in really quick this year, start number of 3, and leg healing well after an operation to insert some scaffolding last year. Still not ridden the bike but it'll be fine won't it? Then came May, then June and little improvement. Weekly attempts to swing a leg over the bike all failed, as did my temper on a few occasions. My riding mate Steve (no 5, ha ha) was beginning to see through my blind optimism and set up for a solo ride. So off he went on his (successful) quest for Gold. Rather than sit about and sulk, I went along to help fellow TOMCC members Tracy and Dave at the Romsey checkpoint, conveniently located in a pub car park. After several years of riding the rally, it was nice just to be involved. OK, yes I would rather have ridden, but you are where you are. It was great fun, much more than I thought. Met loads of nice people and generally had a good time. Underlined to me what a brilliant event this is, whatever your biking preferences and abilities. Lots of sympathy for those toiling in the heat wrapped in biking kit, but our job was not without its challenges too; three times I had to move my deckchair to stay in the shade, after a while the Guinness went all warm and once our sheets blew off the table. So there's a lesson - even if you can't ride you can be involved AND enjoy it. All I can say is thanks to Tracy and Dave for putting up with me and thanks to all those who came by RO and endured the gimpy grumpy old sod in the yellow t-shirt. And no, I still don't understand what the quiz sheets were all about. So, here's to next year when no 3 will resurface with a new bit of metal in his leg as no 1!! Where's the finish going to be in 2007?
Kevin, Hants
This was my first time on the National Rally and it is certainly on the agenda for next year.
Started at Aylesbury and proceeded on the journey in scorching weather and empty roads due to the football. I was able to ride favourite roads like never before and not have to worry too much about other traffic. Great way of gaining time for resting. Thanks to all of the people on the checkpoints who, without their unstinting help, this event wouldn't take place. The main highlight for me was the whole event and ethos, along with the jovial greetings at the checkpoints.
One comment would be on rest breaks. Myself and friend took a rest break and told the next checkpoint, as detailed in the instructions and they didn't seem too interested so we didn't do it again, even though we took a number of rest breaks, the most memorable was a burger and cup of tea at Dunchurch at 3:30 in the morning. The best burger I have ever eaten, as I was quite peckish at the time.
Great event and can't wait until next time.
Alan Allmond
Just to confirm to you that I started the National Rally 2006 at the COTTESMORE control. As you will see from my route card it is not stamped because THERE WERE NO OFFICALS AT COTTESMORE. Other riders signed each others cards to verify we were at the start. I'm also concerned that in the code box I wrote C instead of CO for COTTESMORE.
Also what BREAKS were we supposed to indicate on the card where we took our breaks? Because if so I had a superb Indian at Carterton and a full English breakfast at Uttoxeter!!
I'm also unsure what is happening on the awards from. I see that the Platinium no longer has the special test, but the questionnaire. Now I thought the platinium was the special gold with tests. If I have done the Special Gold and also completed the questionnaire that was handed in at the NMM Birmingham am I eligible for a platinium?
First of all I would like to apologise for the situation at the Cottesmore Control - the Committee were not made aware that the Control couldn't be manned. I am pleased to say that we will treat Cottesmore as a ' virtual Control' and will accept your signature to say you visited it. Confirmation that you had taken the required rest breaks per 3.3 of the Regulations should have been noted on the back of the Control Card. Regarding the awards, there was no Platinum award this year (see page 5 of the Regulations booklet). A winner will be established from those who complied with the Special Gold requirements and had a successfully completed questionnaire. If you did both of these you may be in with a chance !. I hope you enjoyed the Rally and that you will take part again next year.
Just a quick note to say thank for all your help before the rally and to all the volunteers at the checkpoints. Unfortunatly I had to retire with a combination of machine problems and arriving too late at my penultimate point on the outer circuit. A 34 year old machine cannot travel as fast as the modern exocets but it was close! I enjoyed what I managed to do but felt that the signing to a number of checkpoints could do with improving. Basingstoke was badly marked and although nice people, the actual checkers were hidden behind the garage. Stevenage was diabolical being in the middle of a town. It took me 45 minutes to locate and contributed to my demise. Surely they could have found a more prominent spot perhaps on the motorway junction. I'm not sure that yellow square marker cards are right as every garden fete etc on the journey were using the same. Perhaps large flourescent orange arrows would be more visible and more associated with a motoring event.
Thank you for your e-mail & I'm sorry to hear of the problems you had at the weekend. I have forwarded your e-mail on to the Committee so that the points you raise can be considered for the future. I hope you aren't too despondent and will enter again next year.
Would just like to thank you and all the team for organising yet another great Rally. Definitely the hottest Rally I've done so far! Regarding the change to Rest Breaks arrangements - you've got that absolutely right. It was far too hot to stop during the afternoon and I was able to more breaks later on. Really worked well. Another thoroughly enjoyable event. There's nothing else like it. Thanks
Many thanks for your e-mail which I have forwarded to the Committee. I'm glad that you enjoyed the weekend and hope you can make it next year.
finished! 540 miles! Fantastic. Would have loved more time to chat to the others.
High points, Hebden Bridge to Harrogate A59 (yes I know its the long way, but ...) Beverly to Keadby via Humber bridge at sunset (yes I know its the long way, but ...) Just making Penistone before closing time (last of outers for me) Not getting lost in Stoke (always a bonus)
Low points losing maps on the A59 and not bothering to stop (I had my route sheets separate) No Sat nav, no speed camera detector, single cyl Pegaso but a self inflating pad fom Lidl. I hope I thanked everybody who manned and womanned the controls - pls pass on my heartfelt thanks for their support. If I have to name only one it has to be Leeds for me - excellent use of the poster, marshalls waving at 100 yards, photo, Lion bar (my favourite) all bike facilities ramp/chain lub/visor clean.
Some points, if you like :- Make closing time of all outers 12 midnight. Early closing made re jigging of routes (if running late ) very difficult. Make start from any point. I could have had a better variety of routes if able to choose any start. Include Skipton - a good choice of quiet routes from here. Make all controls highly visible - Rotherham was at McDonalds but the huge MuckyD sign is completely hidden behind a pub when approaching from the motorway direction. Penistone -control set up behind brick car wash and invisible from the road (bikes also parked out of sight) - otherwise all OK
Dave Griffin
This was our first attempt at the rally which didn't go the way we thought for a number of reasons. This isn't a complaint though! The world cup match intervened and we stopped in a hotel to watch it. Waste of time really! Without knowing where outer zone control points were when we decided to do it, we had envisaged doing a tour of the Derbyshire Dales as my wife has never been there. When the matrix arrived it wasn't possible to do this during the day as part of the rally. We did it anyway and started the rally proper at 9pm instead having already covered 200 miles! Living in Hereford, there was no outer zone in the west so we had to travel to start with making the day longer than anticipated. Is there likely to be western start points in future? Or does this vary according to the chosen finish point? The use of sat nav is getting more popular. I certainly intend getting one. Is it possible to give post codes or OS grid references for control points in future? Grid refs would be useful to those without sat nav too, as getting lost adds to the dangers. Why do the inner zones open so late? For those not wishing to miss a nights sleep (my wife wouldn't consider this!), it can mean a race in the twighlight to get to a hotel not too far away from the finish point. Despite appearences above we did enjoy ourselves (though very tired after a very long day in the saddle on Saturday) and will most likely do it again next year - with sat nav to avoid getting lost so often!
Many thanks for your e-mail and I'm glad that you enjoyed the Rally. I have passed your comments onto the Committee as we are always interested in hearing rider's views. As you say, the Outer Zone Controls are partly governed by the location of the Final Control. Although you perhaps had further to travel at the beginning of the Rally at least you didn't have as far to go afterwards ! The opening times of the Controls in the Inner Zone are determined by the nature of the Rally and the requirements for some of the awards. The same applies for the Outer Zone Controls who phase in their closing times according to their location. The use of 'Sat Nav' equipment and OS references does not fit in with the intended ethos of the event and the Committee don't encourage it. Part of the 'fun' in planning your route and overcoming unplanned events along the way are what we think make the Rally the event that it is !!. I'm pleased that you would like to enter next year.
" Never again...."
....the unanimous response from our Club members, at 'Café 99' (that celebrated breakfast stop of hundreds of wide-eyed Red Bull overdosees and their various bits of spent machinery). No surprises to find a similarly universal sign-up for the following year's event as soon as the entry forms are released. Why do we do it? There's only one way to find out. Make a date in your diary for the first weekend in July and share in the fun and games that is the 'National Road Rally'.
The uninitiated must wonder why, every year, they witness an unending procession of motorcycles and three-wheelers, maps and control cards flapping in the breeze, their pilots hell-bent on a mission that, to many, will remain a mystery.
To do is to understand. This is a challenge and we have risen to the cause. 2006 will be personal rally number eight but there's no room for complacency as there will undoubtedly be a trial or two in the planning and expedition of the route. Poachers Motorcycle Club's claim to fame has been in the management of 16 participants to the coveted 'Gold' (and all in one year)! Quite an achievement in consideration of the pressures of staying together throughout six hundred miles in twenty hours, the breakdowns (mechanical and emotional) and even the occasional involuntary dismount. How we laughed....
Even the thought of this much caffeine would cause palpitations to many but these brave souls are made of sterner stuff, though pills and potions give only temporary respite from the inevitable fatigue. The real motivators are the camaraderie, the control-stamps-under-the-belt and the vision of that 'Gold' award; all of which counteract the hunger, weariness, the rain and the wrong turnings.
Don't worry if this doesn't appeal to the masochist in you. There are a number of other options that could get you going on a 'daylight', bronze, silver or finishers' run. The extremely perverse could max out and go for the Three Nations Challenge (the hat-trick of the English, Scottish and Welsh rallies). With so many options, it would be rude not to.
What can you look forward to? The release of the 'Matrix' some two weeks before the Rally weekend calls for a gathering at the local. Eager participants thrash out a route that will clock up the required number of miles (scenery optional), while managing the devilishly-designed ploys that provide the challenge. With the route done, dusted and distributed and with sponsorship secured, we wait in anticipation for 'the off' at two o'clock on a Saturday at the beginning of July.
The first control point sees a rare mix of machinery and victims (invariably topping-up with petrol and pies) making ready for the endurance run that will worry the nation. Acquaintances are renewed as we prepare for permission to leave. We are let out at last!
The motorcycling mayhem at the time of release dissipates to a procession that is enough to quietly bemuse onlookers. We settle into our adventure, navigating the shortest route and the pilgrimage (or is that the grim pillage?) that takes us towards our goal. Each control acts as a milestone and another step towards the finish. We are careful to make sure that the rules are obeyed, maximum of 270 miles in the outer zone, fewer than 200 miles between rest breaks (two of an hour each) and other considerations, not least of which is the need for fuel.
This is the Rally. Apprehension and anxiety are dispelled and replaced with a steadily mounting satisfaction while cards are stamped up with the tokens of battle. As day drifts into night (and back again) the enthusiasm is maintained by the quest for the finish and the knowledge that we are all in this together. Sunday dawn wrings out a dribble of energy for the last push and the countdown to the end of the card.
The final control brings a strange elation, tempered by nagging muscles, limbs that would much rather be on a bike and a real need for sleep. But we are still just high enough to compare notes, get checked in and maybe push some food around a plate for a while, before setting the auto pilot for home.
It's done, and so are we.
Thanks and congratulations are once again in order for the all the
participants, volunteers and organisers of the 2005 event. See you in July!
Roy
