I'll be going for the first time. Heading up on Friday with Bakerman.
ABR 2023
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We've been toying with the idea of travelling up a lot easier and lighter in the van without the bikes and associated riding clutter. Is it really worth lugging all that crap up there to ride around what appears to be a beginners grass track trail, albeit a pretty long one? Mate I'm going with has a Huserberg that's not even allowed on the big trail. He thinks fitting in the riding around what's to see might be tricky anyway.
Opinions welcome...
Opinions welcome...
I went in my van last year
Took the XR400R
Wish I hadn’t bothered
The Adv trail looked overcrowded & tedious - so didn’t bother with it
On a Husky 350/701 it will be tedious
The Little London enduro course is 10-15 mins away and meant to be small & nadgery
Thought about the TRF rides but didn’t as the queue was long and it sounded tame
Only took the bike out to ride to a few local villages
Personally I wouldn’t unless you want to ride out to the Cotswold villages to a pub or tearoom
The TRF rides are just short "taster" rides I read somewhere, maybe here.
Thanks for the info JB
Thanks for the info JB
They are and the leaders said as much, out for about 60-90 mins and as an experienced trail rider not aimed at us, but people who are new to the pastime
Plenty to see and do at the festival (even canoeing and paddle boarding)
Take your bike gear and licence though, if you fancy a spin out on a demo bike
I doubt I have the patience to queue for a demo.
It can drag out, unless you go for something ‘left field’ to try
In 2019 with about 4000 there, it was easy (relatively) to try a bike
I tried a T700, WR450F (private test ride - as they weren’t available to try really, but Yamaha UK off-road took me out) and Multi Strada 1260 and a Monkey etc
Last year with 10,000 bods, it was manic and just managed to get out on the World Raid (which was my objective)
This year with 12/13,000 it will be nigh on
Impossible
Like most events just get bigger but necessarily for the better.
I remember when Festival Of speed (FOS) was not several people deep and the massive commercial event it is now.Or when the chap flew a Spitfire down the finish line at Goodwood Revival.
Too true
12/13000 at ABR this year might well be too many
I thought it was rammed (& becoming a bit tooo big) last year with 10,000
A thing I noticed was that it seemed to be The weekend (and only annual camping trip) for a lot of folk, so it was a grand occasion. Sort of like the 1 weekend they got allowed out....They were happy to wait in queues
This year will be my 4th. visit, usually tent camping but now i have the camper i'm going in that with my Himmy on the Hydralift trailer ready for it's annual bashing round the trail.
Decided to do the VIP thing so will be there this evening for the VIP bash, free food and a beer by all accounts and of course get to camp in the VIP field alongside a few luminaries
of this parish. I have enjoyed attending the ABR Weekend over the years and, it has got better and better but, at the same time more expensive (the £15 to get on the trail when it
was originally included is a piss take) and i go along with other comments here regarding test rides, i queued for ages last year to get a ride on a Yamaha 700, i'll not be bothering
with any test rides this year! A trip out with the TRF is always good craic so may give that another go this year.
Will i do it again next year? Perhaps not, we'll have to see.
Decided to do the VIP thing so will be there this evening for the VIP bash, free food and a beer by all accounts and of course get to camp in the VIP field alongside a few luminaries
of this parish. I have enjoyed attending the ABR Weekend over the years and, it has got better and better but, at the same time more expensive (the £15 to get on the trail when it
was originally included is a piss take) and i go along with other comments here regarding test rides, i queued for ages last year to get a ride on a Yamaha 700, i'll not be bothering
with any test rides this year! A trip out with the TRF is always good craic so may give that another go this year.
Will i do it again next year? Perhaps not, we'll have to see.
I drove past the bike shop in Farnborough yesterday. There were two T700s outside with stickers saying 'test me'. Didn't see a queue..!
I haven't been to the festival but it appears that the quality of the speakers they attract is improving. Itchy Boots and Ryan - I'd enjoy either of those.
Are you GSers planning to all meet up for a pint?
I haven't been to the festival but it appears that the quality of the speakers they attract is improving. Itchy Boots and Ryan - I'd enjoy either of those.
Are you GSers planning to all meet up for a pint?
So it’s advertised as a huge estate with miles of off-road tracks to ride, on yer own bike , but , if I’m understanding , it is necessary to book an escorted ride to do this ? Is that correct ?
No it’s incorrect. The test rides I believe are in groups and are escorted. The trails are not, just marshalled. Get on your bike, ride as much as you like.
You can't ride any bike on the trails...it has to meet there criteria. Some bikes and riders treated it a bit too off roady in 2021 causing a ruckus and some criteria has now to be met. I think they were hooning and harrasing a few beginner types on their fully specced off roaders..I might be wrong though
The …..
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Got back 10 ish this morning.
Had a good weekend. The only bike I tried was one of the little electric ones. Great fun…. But 6k?….
Not that I am overly interested in round the world types, I did listen to a couple of talkers… for a while. Some of it was quite interesting. Itchy boots is quite easy on the eye.
Can’t remember which one it was kept saying ‘just do it’. I think you have to be a bit single minded to clear off and leave family and your life. One of the girls did say she missed her Dads death while she was away.
There was a good selection of food stuff to eat. Guiness went down well… a lot. I took cash, much less hassle than card.
Some the the music was excellent, not a fan of Beatles music and didn’t watch them.
Let there B/DC were bloody excellent , but 3pm??really???? 9pm and the place would have been rocking.
Fleetwood Mac started off a bit weak but soon warmed up.
Went elsewhere when oasis came on. Queen was ok.. you knew it wasn’t Freddie but was ok.
And who decided to put the large sound control tent thing right in front of the stage!!!!!
The market place was quite well attended.
And I did speak to Bruce aka Teapot one.
but only briefly.
I went round the easy track, did encounter a couple of gentlemen that were a bit excitable in their riding style. Muttered some obscenities under my breath and let them go.
I enjoyed it, second year of going.
Had a good weekend. The only bike I tried was one of the little electric ones. Great fun…. But 6k?….
Not that I am overly interested in round the world types, I did listen to a couple of talkers… for a while. Some of it was quite interesting. Itchy boots is quite easy on the eye.
Can’t remember which one it was kept saying ‘just do it’. I think you have to be a bit single minded to clear off and leave family and your life. One of the girls did say she missed her Dads death while she was away.
There was a good selection of food stuff to eat. Guiness went down well… a lot. I took cash, much less hassle than card.
Some the the music was excellent, not a fan of Beatles music and didn’t watch them.
Let there B/DC were bloody excellent , but 3pm??really???? 9pm and the place would have been rocking.
Fleetwood Mac started off a bit weak but soon warmed up.
Went elsewhere when oasis came on. Queen was ok.. you knew it wasn’t Freddie but was ok.
And who decided to put the large sound control tent thing right in front of the stage!!!!!
The market place was quite well attended.
And I did speak to Bruce aka Teapot one.
but only briefly. I went round the easy track, did encounter a couple of gentlemen that were a bit excitable in their riding style. Muttered some obscenities under my breath and let them go.
I enjoyed it, second year of going.
Enjoyed it immensely. Camped with several mates, did the TRF circuit a few times on mates’ KTM 350 and did the other course on the monkey bike. Conquered the Bog o’Doom on the KTM after wimping out every year prior. Only thing I struggled with was the temps, got to be thankful for the weather but I don’t handle 30C well. All in all a great weekend!
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