Winter may be drawing in, but the roadbook adventures don’t stop!
Whilst the pros prepare for the season of desert racing, here in the UK, the bold and the brave are getting ready for their own rally series, the Ice Breaker Challenge.
WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT?
Born from an era of restricitons in 2020, the Ice Breaker Challenge was created to allow riders the opportunity to go roadbooking in their own time along the byways and back lanes around the UK. Every winter, a number of routes are released to RallyMoto members which they can ride anytime within a three month period.
This year the event runs from December 1st until Feb 28th and includes six routes which are available via the RallyMoto App.
Results are generated as the routes are completed, and entered onto an online league table.
Prizes are awarded for riders who complete the challenge (complete three routes) and for those who ride all six routes, there is a special ‘Ice Man Yeti’ award.
Precise Navigation Zones
For the 24/25 Ice Breaker, we’ve decided to up the ante in regards to navigation. Riders are getting very good at navigating the routes correctly, so we’ve introduced a brand new concept to participants on their toes!
Previously, penalty points were only allocated for missed waypoints and overspeeding. Going off course never incurred penalty points, so long as the rider made it back on track and hit every masked waypoit along the route… until now.
Precise Navigation Zones, or PNZs, are sections of the roadbook where riders must not deviate off the course. Taking a wrong turn in a PNZ will mean a rider will likely enter a geozone which will ping on the tracking system and incur three penalty points. When entering a PNZ, it’s advised to go slowly, focus on the navigation, use your CAP heading (bearing) and do your best to get it right the first time!
Watch the video below for a thorough explanation and demonstration of PNZs.
What if I’m new to roadbook navigation?
Many member of RallyMoto use the Ice Breaker Challenge as a way to learn to navigate in their own time. Having six routes to ride in three months means there is plenty of time to get your head around roadbooking. The digital roadbook app provides everything you need to get started, so with as little as a second hand android tablet, you can unlock a whole new world of rallying adventures, learn to navigate over the winter, and be ready to enter some of the bigger events in 2025.
We strongly recommend watching the video series ‘Getting Started with Roadbook Navigation’ to understand the basics, and also to join the RallyMoto facebook group as it’s a fantastic source for advice and support from fellow members.
Also remember that whilst there are prizes involved, this is all for fun and is not intended to be a highy competitive event. Precise navigation is key and it’s all about taking it easy, enjoying a day on the bike riding new routes, improving your navigation skills and getting out and about during the darker months!
