In these uncertain times it’s good to learn of an event that we can all take part in, with our scooters, before the year ends.
The National Road Rally is a riding event and therefore meets all the criteria required with regards to social distancing. The event is a navigational scatter rally organised in conjunction with the ACU (Auto Cycle Union) and the BMF (British Motorcyclists Federation). The event is not a race and each rider follows their own route, visiting different controls around the country, the only time stipulation is that riders complete their route in the allotted time. The number of controls each rider visits will depend on the award that they are competing for and the location of the controls will be shown on the ‘Matrix’ which is issued to entrants five days before the event.
Anybody with a full motorcycle licence can enter the National Road Rally, you don’t need a competition licence or any previous competition experience to compete. You can enter online on the National Road Rally website here with the closing date for entries being 7 September 2020.
I last entered the National Road Rally with Sticky and three other scooter riders back in 2000 when we began riding in the afternoon, rode all night, encountered numerous incidents, and finished around 9am the next morning. Due to Covid-19 however, the event this year has changed a little from its usual format. The 2020 rally will be a daytime only event starting between 9am and 10am and finishing at 8pm, but you don’t have to ride for the entire duration. Unlike previous years, there will be no manned controls for the 2020 rally and instead, riders will be asked to collect unique numbers which will be displayed at each control location. These numbers can then be submitted via the National Road Rally website after the event. The choice of where you start and finish is up to you and once you receive your Rider’s Pack and Matrix, you can start planning your route. There are many different ways to plan a route, but a good way is to start at the control where you choose to finish, then work backwards, trying various alternatives until you reach a solution combining the mileage, number of controls and starting point that suits you. There are rules and regulations of course, one being that you cannot travel between controls for which there is no link. Also be aware of the availability of food and petrol and your proposed rest points. More details can be found online here.
Billed by the organisers as the ‘best excuse for a ride out ever’, and the fact I’ve not done it for 20 years, is all the encouragement we needed to enter for 2020, along with numerous friends and club mates from both the Lambretta Club Great Britain and Vespa Club of Britain too. After all, if you can’t have fun riding your scooter, especially with a little competition involved, what else would do you on a weekend? And don’t worry. It’s not as difficult as you might think. At least it wasn’t 20 years ago…
Visit https://www.nationalroadrally.co.uk for more details and entries.
Andy
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