Here at RallyMoto we pride ourselves on bringing our riders some of the best riding routes in the UK. The network of scenic backroads, windy lanes, stunning singletrack, forestry roads and beautiful byways are plentiful, but there’s a lot more to route planning than joining junctions on an OS Map and hoping for the best. ‘On the bike’ recces are an essential element when it comes to checking how our routes translate into the real world.
Our goal is to create roadbook routes specifically for adventure bike riders. We want our routes to offer a challenge, but at the same time not end up with too many big bikes in ditches. We want our routes to be fun for the less experienced and perfectly rideable on a fully loaded GS. We to guide you into the wilderness, off the beaten track and into regions of no reception, but not too far beyond your comfort zone. The UK is riddled with options for enduro, trials, and road riders, whilst finding suitable off-road routes for bigger adventure bikes takes a bit more exploring.
Many hours are spent on a computer creating routes, recalling roadbooks from the past and using local knowledge to plot waypoints into the desktop map. It’s then down to us to physically check it’s current state of rideability and access. We aim to do this as soon as possible once the route is written to allow for ammendments and possibly more recces, but close enough to the day of the event so we can be sure it’s condition won’t change too much.
Some obstacles aren’t apparent until you’re face to face with them. There may be unexpected road closures to navigate around or areas of roadworks which are best avoided. Sometimes a route rewrite is forced, as was the case for the Salisbury 200 Adventure Cannonball a few weeks ago. A last minute phone call from the military informed us of training exercises planned for the day of the event, making large portions of the roadbook we’d written off limits. A visual check of the new boundaries was required, so off on the bikes we went to find a new way around.
The time of year also plays a major role in determining where can be ridden on a big bike. Re-using routes from a roadbook that was previously used for a summer event may not be feasible to use in December depending on the weather resistance of the terrain. Wet chalky trails become as slippery as ice, river cossings become inpassable after heavy rain and byways through grassy fields become bogs. Not very fun on an adventure bike. So just like the best way to see what the weather is doing is to look out the window, the best way to check the rideability of the route is to ride the route, always keeping the big bikes in mind 😉
Riding the routes ourselves allows us to know first hand what our riders are up against, so you can be assured we are never sending you in blind. Blood, sweat and tyres have gone into the creation of that paper scroll to ensure you and your adventure bike have the best roadbook rally experience ever..
Ok we’re can’t pretend that we don’t love the fact that getting out on the bikes and exploring is an essential part of our work. But don’t worry, our discoveries are for sharing! In our quest to find the best, our roadbook bank continues to expand, translating into more frequent and diverse roadbook adventures in the future, written and ridden by the team at RallyMoto especially for rally and adventure riders. Let’s keep the good times rolling!
