Ryedale Rally

[Mudwiz]

Sorry - no photos, but I'm sure some will turn up!

Briefly 'cos my bum's still a little sore .

Fab weekend - wonderful people.

Got there Fri pm, Ralph and Jonesy came over with beer. Bivi'd i their gazebo, Sat start. Weather got worse and worse, not dusty but muddy!

Fast special, had the privelidge to follow ISWooley through - ATs do fly!

Wonderful hospitality from J and R, shelter, food, beer etc. I owe them big time .

Pretty wet! Pickering petrol, nearly late to start.

Wet again, special just after start - single track muddy bumpy etc. Ended up for me as a speed paddle - no grip. Some nice gravel, then some boggy bits, some falls and some waiting to start it again!!

Finished, just! Nearly houred out at the last check, about 2 mins clear, but made some up on the last section.

Ralph was well fast - finished ages before me - a wildly wonderful effort .

Ride home was cold, wet, and a little scary as it got dark. Metal brake pads are not the best either!!

.

[phil w]

You are certifyable for sure

[Ralph]

What a fab event the Ryedale is!

Great people, atmosphere, scenery etc. It was great to meet up with Mudwiz again along with Iswoolley, Double’O’ and many others whose name escapes me.

The weather did it’s best to make it as hard as last year and day 2 was pretty tough. The marshals were fantastic and the amount of praise I received for hauling the heavy AT to the finish in good time was truly flattering.

I am still buzzing from barrelling down those tracks at 70+ mph picking off the enduro bikes one by one.

It just goes to show what you can do with the right tyres/pressure and a partial lobotomy.

[iswoolley]

Good to see a couple more ATs at a big bike rally. Not the best weekend for me though.

Arrived in plenty of time on Saturday morning, underneath heavy skies, and the rain started as I went through scrutineering. Started with a road blast across the moors to Langdale forest, then onto the event proper. First lap was okay in the light rain. Some fast gravel, some slow rocks, some fast gravel, some sandy two-track, some fast gravel, a short steep descent, some fast gravel, a wading pool, some fast gravel... you get the idea. The special was quite suitable for the bigger bikes, not rough enough to make it a trial, but a couple of tight bits to keep you concentrating. Then back to the start of the lap, via a man punching holes in the lap card.

By the second lap 170 bikes had chewed up the sodden tracks. The rain mixed with the sandy soil made for an efficient grinding paste, and my front brake pads were quickly disappearing. Also we started in capacity order, rather than competancy order. So as the slowest of the rally bike class I had a gaggle of fast trail bikes always on my back. Sometimes they'd be patient, sometimes they wouldn't. I know I should just keep to my line and let others find their way past me, but I'm too polite to ignore a blipping throttle behind me, so kept getting myself into trouble letting people past.

On lap 3 I was soaked, couldn't see through the hail, and my brake pads were down to the metal. I expect my special stage times were somewhat pathetic by this point. I also managed to catch my ankle on a rock which made me very glad to be wearing mx boots. By the time I took my boot off later in the evening I couldn't put any weight on that foot. If I'd not been wearing mx boots I dread to think what state I'd have been in.

So whilst the marshalls were fantastic with their support I started lap 4 with a desire for the day to just be over. The steep descent was the scary bit of the lap as I'd nothing but an on/off rear brake. Still I got to the hole punch man and headed back to the start. Unfortunately we should have been directed off another way to get back to the camping area. By the time I arrived there was a full-on lightening show playing out over the moors!

I tried to get some more brake pads in Scarborough, but ran out of time to fix the bike up for the Sunday. My first DNF. So it was pack up and head home time.

Having said all that it's a really good event. The organisers and marshalls were very supportive and helpfull, the course was pitched just right, the location is spectacular, and if the weather would only play ball it'd be complete.

There were times when I looked at Mudwiz's XR650 with distinct envy, but then Ralph would race past me and remind me that it's not the bike that's the limiting factor! Looking forward to seeing how my special stage times compared!

[Steve T]

Respect.

Your all hero's - what ever you ride, you've got the cahoonahs to do it, which is more than most of us!

Respect again

[Mudwiz]

Found a photo! NEEC site - here's me!!

.

[Ralph]

Iswoolley, it's a shame you couldn't locate any rear break pads for the Sunday. I wore my rear pads down to the metal half way round so had to make do with engine braking and a fist full of front brake.

On Sunday the mist cleared and the scenery was amazing! On lap 2, I thought to myself, I wish I had a helmet cam, just as a couple of dear leapt across the track and disappeared into the forest. Then the trail turned a corner and a large vista opened up with the trail stretching out into the distance. Awesome!!!

Rode fast and hard burning a whole tank of fuel in under 100 miles. Only just made it to the finish on reserve! The boggy sections were a nightmare though!



Thanks to Mudwiz for the tyre advice which saved my skin loads of times. Here he is helping Jonesy with an early morning tyre change from the relative comfort of his bivvy bag!



What a guy!

[Mudwiz]

NOOOOOO, don't post those sort of pics!!

I like the ones where I'm unrecognisable!!

[Ralph]

Here are the XRV members at the start;

Double '0' (nr 21)



Isowoolley (nr 23), no 24 was a nice chap who originally listed his AT but due to a burnt out clutch came on his KTM, & Myself on nr 22.




Mudwiz lurking for a surprise attack on nr 26.





And Jonesy (nr 73) on his XR400

[TTRMike]

Chris having just arrived at the site on Friday evening;



You get the award for Man of the Event in my book. Glad ya got back OK and cheers for the smokes. Would have gone by the end of the weekend if i'd kept trying to make them lol