National road rally 2008

I will be doing it if they don't cancel again but have not seen form yet. Have got platinum, special gold, gold, silver and finisher's medals so may just trundle round for a bronze to get the fulls set!
Do you do the Welsh Rally (much better than National rally - more interesting roads, more navigation, better scenery and a bit more of a challenge) :)
 
Really a Virgin - NO - a Rally Virgin!!

I will be doing it if they don't cancel again but have not seen form yet. Have got platinum, special gold, gold, silver and finisher's medals so may just trundle round for a bronze to get the fulls set!
Do you do the Welsh Rally (much better than National rally - more interesting roads, more navigation, better scenery and a bit more of a challenge) :)

Hoping to do this for the first time this year - I don't think the entry forms are out yet (according to their website).

http://www.nationalroadrally.co.uk/2008/entry.htm

Seasonal Greetings to all Tossers
 
NR 2008

Yep, done English a few times and Scottish too.
Got my entry 2 days ago in the post.
From what I can see on a few other forums, the rally 2007 was cancelled because of a few Southern softies couldnt be bothered to ride a few extra miles after the finish. (We, in the North, have to do it when the finish is in the midlands ???)
 
Got my form yesterday but I won't be doing it this year even though it's the 75th. I was hacked off with them this year when it was cancelled due to lack of interest as I usually do the Three Nations Challenge which involves completing the Welsh, English and Scottish rallies. As has been said the Welsh is the best closely followed by the Scottish. All are good fun and an excellent way to spend a weekend on the bike.

Cheers
Dave
 
Yep, done English a few times and Scottish too.
Got my entry 2 days ago in the post.
From what I can see on a few other forums, the rally 2007 was cancelled because of a few Southern softies couldnt be bothered to ride a few extra miles after the finish. (We, in the North, have to do it when the finish is in the midlands ???)


One of the reasons I was hacked off with this years poor effort.
 
Wots the dates for the Scottish and Welsh ones then , and what formats do they take these days. (Avnt done Scottish for a while).
?????????????
 
Welsh Rally

Forms for National Rally came today and looks to be better format, at least special test at MIRA is on morning of the start.

Welsh rally is similar format, of a scatter rally - starts at Welshpool or Castle Caereinion up the road from Welshpool and finishes at Castle Caereinion as is now a day rally (start about 8.30-9, I finished Platinum course by 6.30 last year but was the first finisher - but note that means nothing in the final results!). Used to stop at Aberystwyth at about 10 then start again at midnight and go throught the night but a few people died on the rally int he [ast few years and they have stopped the night section.

You choose route (basically can go round South Wales or North Wales) and which course you are doing decides how many controls you must visit. Controls are of two types - unmanned, where you have to go to a place and find the answer to a question on a sheet you are given at the start (eg what is the animal on the pub in the middle of the village); and manned, where you have to sign in and then answer ten multiple choice questions. Think Platinum couse was 14 unmanned and four manned controls last year.

Then at the end there is a special test (has been throwing three darts at a board, racing model cars round a track, knocking down skittles, and last year how fast you could unscrew and screw in a spark plug to a cylinder head!).

In addition there is a dragon course you can do as well which involves visiting four particular places (eg four castles; four train stations etc) for which you get a special coaster!

It is quite a fun event and certainly more interesting than the National Rally which tends to be get on the bike, drive straight to the next control, sign in, go to the next one etc. It is held on May 10th by the Clive Motorcyle Club - details from www.clivemcc.co.uk, they say regs will be up in mid Jan.
 
I agree the Welsh is a great event well organised, however personally I prefered it when it ran the night section as well. Once they dropped that there just didn't seem the same challenge somehow:rob
 
We cancelled the night stage because it was very hard on the people running checkpoints.

We have to single man several of the manned checkpoints as it is, I did the Cricceith one on my own this year. (dont forget - we have to ride there for 9 ish and home again afterwards)

Do agree that the night run is excellent fun though - especially with a full moon.

As I have said before - CliveMcc meet at Cock hotel, Forden nr Welshpool - first Tuesday of month.
Nice people - free sandwiches:thumb
 
I got my Nat Rally entry form a few days ago but I have decided to give it a miss. The first time I did it I didn't have a GPSR and I found it quite challenging, especially at night. Now it is too easy with the GPSR and the southern finish just increases the miles to an extent that my bum can't handle :rob

I think I might give the Welsh Rally a go though...

GJ
 
I think it is going to recommended to not use GPS for the Welsh this year.

We have had some problems/complaints with GPS is Wales - mainly inaccuracy and no signal.

We certainly dont use it when we set the checkpoints.

Will let you know more details when planning starts in Feb.
 
I don't intend to use it anyway. For me, the advantage of the Welsh is the relative proximity to home, the shorter overall distance and better scenery.
 
How boringly easy even the biggest Rallys must be with a GPS.Ive done the English and Scottish loads of times and surely going wrong at times is part of the fun isnt it ?? Besides which, surely a big part of the deal is to do the map work beforehand. (And dont forget even GPS'S arent bulletproof)
Esp for the English,I/We always worked out how much time to allow for each "section", and would therefore know if we were "up to speed" or not at each checkpoint. We always made small mistakes at times but I NEVER remember having to go "hell for leather" just to finish the rally.

Why would anyone use a GPS, (unless im being unfair on people who cannot read maps too well ?????)
 
Besides which, surely a big part of the deal is to do the map work beforehand.

What makes you think that using a GPSR avoids the need to do map work beforehand :confused:

But, in any case, as I said, it makes it too easy to follow the desired route and I won't be using it again. The Welsh rally will, I hope, be an interesting challenge.
 
Mmmmm, when using GPS,surely people/competitors wont be interested in the roads/routes between the checkpoints, as the GPS will take them straight to the destination anyway(without the rider needing to know the route).
Like I say, its only personal. I wouldnt use GPS, I like maps and routefinding, old style
(I do know guys who wont use GPS for these events as they think its actually cheating !!)
 
Mmmmm, when using GPS,surely people/competitors wont be interested in the roads/routes between the checkpoints, as the GPS will take them straight to the destination anyway(without the rider needing to know the route).
Like I say, its only personal. I wouldnt use GPS, I like maps and routefinding, old style
(I do know guys who wont use GPS for these events as they think its actually cheating !!)

The whole point for me of doing the rally IS the roads and routes. I really don't see the problem of using a GPS - it is only an adjunct to maps and I spend just as much time with the maps planning the route beforehand. For me, it's the ride - not battling with a map in the wet and dark.

It actually tends to let me take more interesting routes because I don't have to memorise a complex course.
 


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