2012
The National Rally is the second leg of the Three Nations Award. Like the Welsh and South West Peninsular rallies, you receive the rally pack a couple of weeks before the event, to allow for advance planning. Unlike those two, you do have some restrictions on the route you can plan, in that you can only travel between locations linked on a matrix, and the distance claimed is the distance shown on the matrix, regardless of the actual miles travelled.
As usual, I had decided to go for the long distance option, in this case Special Gold. For this, you have to ride 540 miles exactly (as per distances on the matrix), starting at 12:00 on Saturday and finishing between 06:00 and 08:00 on Sunday. You must also finish at one of five designated Finish Controls.
My first decision was where to finish. The “North” finish was at Squires Café near Leeds (although from my viewpoint that’s hardly North…), so I decided to go for that one to keep the homeward travel as short as possible, especially since I’d have been on the road
for 20 hours by then. I also wanted to start reasonably near the North end of the matrix, and it took a bit of fiddling, but I managed to get a route that met the 540 mile condition.
My first decision was where to finish. The “North” finish was at Squires Café near Leeds (although from my viewpoint that’s hardly North…), so I decided to go for that one to keep the homeward travel as short as possible, especially since I’d have been on the road
for 20 hours by then. I also wanted to start reasonably near the North end of the matrix, and it took a bit of fiddling, but I managed to get a route that met the 540 mile condition.
A: Rotherham
B: Thorne
C: Copmanthorpe
D: Harrogate
E: Skipton
F: Accrington
G: Standish
H: Lymm
I: Congleton
J: Whitchurch
K: Madeley
L: Church Stretton
M: Cleobury Mortimer
N: Worcester
O: Long Marston
P: Dunchurch
Q: Leicester
R: Kegworth
S: Darley Moor
T: Litton
U: Noblethorpe
V: Newthorpe
B: Thorne
C: Copmanthorpe
D: Harrogate
E: Skipton
F: Accrington
G: Standish
H: Lymm
I: Congleton
J: Whitchurch
K: Madeley
L: Church Stretton
M: Cleobury Mortimer
N: Worcester
O: Long Marston
P: Dunchurch
Q: Leicester
R: Kegworth
S: Darley Moor
T: Litton
U: Noblethorpe
V: Newthorpe
The one difference with this rally is that all of the locations are manned, which at least gives you someone to talk to at each stop. They vary from someone taking time to sit in a layby waiting on motorcycles to periodically stop by, to cafés and even local church groups doing coffee and cakes. It certainly makes a difference in the wee small hours, to be able to sit down and have a cup of coffee and a chat to keep you going. Time isn’t really a critical factor so you have time for this at about every third stop or so. I tended to “bank” some of these extended stops, so that I could have longer ones later on in the rally.
There are even some rather unusual sights to see at some checkpoints, like this one from the Raven Café, as well as a wonderful sunrise on Sunday morning.
There are even some rather unusual sights to see at some checkpoints, like this one from the Raven Café, as well as a wonderful sunrise on Sunday morning.
Obviously, as you might have noticed, I like to pick up locations from other rallies. This time they included Singing Ringing Tree (Round Britain), The Anchor Inn (Round Britain), Rous Lench (Two Wheel Poker and Grim Ride - Letterboxes). Kremlin (Grim Ride - Pub Crawl) and Arbor Low (Grim Ride - Standing Stones.
I didn’t find the rally too tiring, and managed to get back to the finish well inside the two hour window, along with several other riders. Mind you I wasn’t looking forward to the ride back up to Edinburgh.
On the way back, I just wanted to get back as quickly as possible, so for once, I didn’t pick up any other locations.
Yet again, I thoroughly enjoyed a rally, and I must take my hat off to all of those volunteers who man each checkpoint for the entire rally, including through the night. Now for round 3 of the Three Nations Award, the Scottish Rally.
Yet again, I thoroughly enjoyed a rally, and I must take my hat off to all of those volunteers who man each checkpoint for the entire rally, including through the night. Now for round 3 of the Three Nations Award, the Scottish Rally.