I'm a born again pillion and ache to go to rallies...went to first Dragon rally in Snowdonia in 1973 ...love to have a bop to the bands and all the other stuff. Doing my best to get myself on two wheels but it just hasn't happened yet...but I'm excluded from some rallies because if I travel independently it has to be on 4 wheels and that ain't allowed...I most certainly am NOT a car-driving wannabee but I'm excluded. Taint fair
I've done a few rallies now, from John O'Groats to Co. Cork, southern Ireland, and Faro, Portugal...but i must admit, we flew to Faro!
It was, after all, £125 flight and a 10 min walk from the airport, or at least a week riding down and about £2000 for us both for the week!?...
But back to the rallies over here, I find the smaller ones are a lot better too, you are always made welcome and people will always befriend you if you are on your own, and like DC says, you are more likely to meet up with friends you've made previously.
I have been to a couple of rallies in my car, before i had to confidence to ride my 125 ( yes i only have a 125..but i am still a biker) but have mostly been on pillion. I did my first proper rally on my bike last year to the Farmyard but only had to pack minimal gear, then this year i did my first full rally packed up with all my gear...Leeds Lions... and I loved it!
I don't see why I should be looked down upon if I want to go to a rally, but don't 'yet' have the confidence to ride 300 miles or so, maybe on my own to a rally, when the alternative is to take the car...and have to pay on average an extra £20!
I do understand that people who aren't bikers might just be looking at rallies as a 'cheap weekend' and they should not be welcomed, but I really don't see how it can be stopped?
I remember going to the Farmyard in 2008 and seeing 2 lads get their sports bikes out of the back of a transit van and get their gear out of the Audi TT parked next to it and riding the last 1/2 mile to the site............. are they proper bikers?
With regards to the food, yeh take your own as long as you can, although some rallies won't permit you to take your own alcohol, tho theres always ways round this......but look out for the 'Biker's Mum' trailer... they selll tea/coffee for 50p and have a large selection of sweets from your childhood!
If you want a rally to be bikers only how could you keep the wannabees out other than by saying bikes only? Some kind of test on the gate and you only get in if you pass? It wouldn't work. The only (simple) way to enforce it is to just say bikes only. It's a shame that they have to do it like that, but I can't see any other way. Plus not all of the rallies are bikes only, there are still some you can go to if you have too many wheels.Personally it doesn't bother me if people turn up in cars, but I'm not an organizer so nobody cares about my opinion.
lol yeah with the pouch opening on the back side PMSL.....
"remember sticks and stones will break your bones but Kangaroo suits at PIL will excite you"
PMSL
minnie... you just need to take the car... loaded with loads of luxuries.. like plenty food.. beer.. more beer.. park up by the rally site..get your bike gear on.. and flag a biker down.. and ask him/her to come back for you and pilly you in.. you'd get in and could even turn out a profit in the end with all the beer you could flog
Have hijacked blueboys account(with his consent of course) to have my say so please do not hold him responsable for my comments:those of you who know me already know my views those that don't i am cassie1966 aka the fiery gobby one!!
I have to agree with some of the comments already made,yes "rallys"have become just another profit making scam but as long as people keep on attending these events they will only get worse.
Evreybody would like to think they are the exception but to put it bluntly rules is rules and if you don't fit the criteria,tough.There are rallys out there to suit evreyones tastes so find one that suits you and stop moaning about those that don't.
As a founder member of the friendly bikers,who evolved purely to create our idea of a good rally,i have recieved personal criticism on our policys and am sick and tired of hearing..."why should i be excluded cos i drive a car...have children....need x amount of luggage....or simply must have a power point for my hair straighteners...ectect"A Bike rally is by definition for bikers.At the Ure welcome we do not allow cars unless pre arranged due to disability for example,we do not allow under 14's,we are bikers not butlins and although you are welcome to bring your own food and drink it is restricted to campsite only.We have had to bring in this ruling this year purely because last year certain people took real liberties and expected to be able to use all the facilaties laid on by the bar yet not pay a penny to do so.Lets be honest,you wouldna take a picnic to maccy d's.
A lot of hard work and expense go's into putting on a rally for no reward except seeing people having a good time.If you are a rally goer of any description please bear this in mind and find a rally that suits you instead of bitchin bout those that don't.
Hah, recognised the voice anyway Cass!! knew it was you & not Mark..
Basically that,s the main reason I,ve not been to anything since the Ure Welcome
But now I,m 2 wheeled again!
I only go to smaller rallies. I usually pack a bottle of JD and sometimes some emergency munchies, but I've never found prices for food, tea and beer to be unreasonable so I've always ended up using the site caterers for the most part and never regretted it. I've not been to a huge amount of rallies, but so far I've found them all to be good value.
I try to avoid rallies that allow cars - IMO it's a BIKE rally at the end of the day. Being a grumpy old man myself, I'm pretty much with Shadowfax on that issue - although I am cool with disabled bikers being allowed in cars, but that's it. Personally I'd never dream of attending a rally if I couldn't turn up on a bike.
cassie, I agree rules are rules and bike rallys should be for bikers only....and as you say a biker who comes in a car for a valid reason, acceptable to the organisers is fine..... I do understand it takes a lot of time and effort to put one on and the ure welcome rally has had nothing but praise from everyone... but then again it isn't overly expensive compared to a few.....its not the entrance fees as usually for a weekend its very good value its the bar prices and food that get me at a few of them..... I would love to cook my own but I usually have a hangover that would kill a car driver and I just need coffee and bacon rolls to recover just can't be arsed trying to open my eyes, I need it belt fed.....lol...
I'd just hate to see the good ones go down the commercial route and detract from the original concept of them....smaller rallys are usually spot on all round.....long may they continue..
But bike rallys aren't just for bikers, they're for trikers as well, and anyone with a spare few grand can have trike stuck away in the garage that they roll out for the rally season and ride on a car licence.
So who's more of a biker - one who fits that bill or some poor sod who's bike's been nicked or trashed?
Like I've said on another forum - the only way you can limit something to bikers only is to check licenses, then what do you do about pillion riders? So if non bikers can get in anyway, why not drop the pretence and let everyone in...
some good comments on this one
only been too 4 or 5 rallies myself but have found that likes of farmyard and stormin that the bars have to stick to pub prices but we all know how they can vary as for food go to the mag canteen !!
and have to agree with sv shell about nabd !!! the bar was cheap !
i,ve found a bit of mix nd match bit of bring ur own nd buy on site works for me
Well it's great to know that as soon as any of us decide to have children we stop being bikers because we can't fit them all on the bike! What a ridiculous statement that you are not worthy of a bike rally unless you turn up on a bike. Once a biker, always a biker.
I agree that not all bike rallies are suitable for kids, but unless we are going to adopt the "big bad biker" stereotype should we not be welcoming bikers AND their families if that's the only way they can remain involved.
I thought all the dinosaurs were extinct! Most bikers I've ever come across are friendly, welcoming and non-judgmental - it seems a shame that I join a biker site and find the opposite. I have three kids and the two who are old enough love riding pillion but with the best will in the world I couldn't fit them both on the bike at once. They have grown up around bikes and will have their own as soon as they are old enough I expect, why should we be excluded simply because I refuse to get stuck in traffic on a trike on a daily basis.
I am sorry you feel that way Rock, for me its horses for courses,
For ME , its a weekend away from the kids where I can relax & have some fun & be ME for a while, its my personal choice (with 4 grown kids between us Mr_P & myself need some time off being mom & dad), but as I said , we have grown kids, we did our, taking them places when they were little, tho to be honest I am not sure I would have wanted to take them to rallies, not with some of what I have heard goes on, tho thankfully I have to say not with those that we have attended rallies with from off here.
Some rallies & the Ure welcome is one of these, to get insurance for kids to be able to attend as its close to a river would mean that the prices would be silly & it would have to be more commercial hence getting away from the 'friendly rally', it can also cause problems with cars for insurance.
There are lots of reasons for & against kids at rallies, just as with other 'clubs; in some cases some people will be excluded, its the old adage, you can please some of the people some of the time, but you cannot please all of the people all of the time.
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