A PM bid for AR11

[timwilky]

Seriously people, much as I would love to do Hartside, I don't think it is feasible for an AR. Imagine 100+ bikes playing follow my leader over. You have to cope with a full range of ability and experience. Maybe run a second ride next day etc. But the AR itself need to be ridable by people with a few weeks experience on a 33bph bike without risk from either the road or other riders.

+1, I will be back on wheels shortly so would be up for reccy.
If we need entertainment besides Dave I have been promoting gigs in Leeds this summer so i know loads of acts both music & Comedy.

[dizzyblonde]

Originally Posted by timwilky

Seriously people, much as I would love to do Hartside, I don't think it is feasible for an AR. Imagine 100+ bikes playing follow my leader over. You have to cope with a full range of ability and experience. Maybe run a second ride next day etc. But the AR itself need to be ridable by people with a few weeks experience on a 33bph bike without risk from either the road or other riders.

Originally Posted by SmudgeK3

+1, I will be back on wheels shortly so would be up for reccy.
If we need entertainment besides Dave I have been promoting gigs in Leeds this summer so i know loads of acts both music & Comedy.

Indeed, its not all about, how much us up here ride the roads and are used to them, we have to cater for everyone. Granted we need someone who is good enough(or willing) to be a leader of such a vast group, someone to TEC, markers etc, and turn off how much we know the roads and put ourselves in the position of those who are new, those who are faster, those who tour, and those who just can't be assed and bimble. Also we have to cater for petrol, bikes with crap range, big ones, small ones.
Its not as simple as...oh we'll just do a route between A and B. You really have to think out of the box.....for everything.

Entertainment would be an interesting and different thing to bring to the AR, I have thought about it before, but we have to go find a venue that will allow this. I know my suggestion has the facility, but I doubt they would pay too kindly to an open air version in a field. In which case, we need a pool of campsites to recce.
DavePreston will be looking into places over his way shortly, and as we have spoken on the phone.
Smudge it would certainly be an aspect to look at, if you have been organising entertainment, it would be a shame not to look down this avenue.

I'm with Wilky on this one - Hartside might be a little too much for the inexperienced rider, on a few counts. The road itself is challenging, and if the weather turns out nice like we'd hope, it'll be crawling with other groups. The less said about doing it in bad weather, the better...

Speculating wildly on routes, I'd also note that the route to and from Hartside (not including the ride over) would be as long as this years route, without anything that you could consider a rest.

Tim do you mean the Kirkstone pass near Patterdale, if so we've got to do "The Struggle"

[Richie]

Originally Posted by timwilky

Seriously people, much as I would love to do Hartside, I don't think it is feasible for an AR. Imagine 100+ bikes playing follow my leader over. You have to cope with a full range of ability and experience. Maybe run a second ride next day etc. But the AR itself need to be ridable by people with a few weeks experience on a 33bph bike without risk from either the road or other riders.

Aye Tim, Remember this muppet from the North V South ride out a few years back :0)

Sorry for being so daft and perhaps over enthused when suggesting Hartside, but have not ridden in a large, well organised group for many years. Perhaps the Kirstones a bit narrow for this.

[timwilky]

Yes I remember come round the very first bend to find him in the ditch on the far side of the road. I led the chase Mark out from Hawes and he was seriously on my backside and once off the twistier stuff Jelster and co with raw power took off (in the wrong direction). I have to admit when I found out he was only weeks into riding I wondered just how he had survived the seat of the pants. Therefore whilst I believe envelopes are meant to be pushed, they are also designed to contain.

The AR has a reputaion of everyone coming home safe. We wouldn't want to be accused of putting people at risk. Hmmm day 2 the passes plus Hartside. Smile Smile

wilky i see reccies ahead

[Bri w]

http://www.hadrianswallcampsite.co.uk/

http://www.fallowfielddene.co.uk/tariffs.html

http://www.demesnefarmcampsite.co.uk/

http://www.theaa.com/route-planner/c...p?details=true

If the PM fancy the above I've got next Sunday free to have a look at the route, and camp sites.

The route is, a relatively short, 125 miles but as you can see from the map it is tweakable. Maybe staying on the A68 up to Melrose, and picking up the A7 down thro' Melrose and Selkirk. Ideally I'd like to fit in a slight detour to Keilder Water for one of the breaks. Still really good biking roads for those of you who know them. Ride time would be about 4 hours plus breaks plus the the 'usual' allowance for a large, marshalled, group. 10:00am start would see people filtering back to the site from 3:00pm onwards.

Ideally, for camping I'd rather a site relatively close to the A69 to give those travelling long distances from the south, a) any easier finish to the journey up and, b) an easier start to their journey back home.

If you PM'ers think we can do it, emphasis on "we," I don't mind putting a proposal together for the Org.