RIDES FOR 2012?

Back to the National I think it should be on the NYM or the Dales as they offer some of the best riding in the country and with good road & rail access.

Ben
As far as established rides only for Nationals,
well as I understand it as long as the necessary H/S risk assessments have been done and the route has been reccyed then its all systems go.

The Scottish National was untried and so will the Leith Hill one be, these will have been ridden but only as a local ride.
I think the Three tribes is a good idea but on the moors or in the dales if its to be proposed as a National.

What we need to do is think about what makes riding in the NE & Yorkshire so special,
and some how use that in the ride to make people want to come back and ride here again.

Some very interesting discussion on this thread. Nice to see plenty of ideas being put forward and it's great to see such enthusiasm for riding next year.

It was a real shame not to have had a 'National' in the NE&Yorks area this year and having ridden on the NYM and at Dalby before, I think that either would be an excellent choice for one in 2012.

I can also echo what Ben says about the 3 Tribes. With the Peaks ride being a well established favourite, I can't see any possible reason that it wouldn't be the first choice for a National ride next year.

For the NWA and EastMids groups, much of the route follows sections of the Peaks ride. So I feel it wouldn't be at all appropriate to have two nationals which share so much terrain.
The NE&Yorks start point has always meant that those riders get the best riding on the 3 Tribes ride with the excellent Cut Gate section along with the shared Ladybower loop.

I'd really like to see the 3 Tribes take place in a completely different area in 2012 so that we can have some variety. The Dales spring to mind, or perhaps somewhere like the North Pennines around Penrith, Cross Fell or Alston.
The Three Tribes for this could be the NWA, NE&Yorks and MacRetro.

I'm very keen to work closely with the neighbouring regional AECs and Deputies to ensure that we can put on some really good and varied riding next year, avoiding date clashes and ensuring a high quality retro experience. So please hang fire with publishing dates until we've had some dialogue about it.

Finally in terms of which routes are suitable for National status. While some routes this year like Drumlanrig and Leith Hill hadn't previously been used for a retro meet, they had/have been thoroughly recce'd and assessed in advance by the AEC and Deputys who organise the ride.
So there is no reason why a completely new location and route can't be used next year as long as it's all assessed prior to inviting everyone along.
As with all rides which fall under the banner of Retrobike there have to be a few guidelines met to ensure they don't end up harming anyone.

I'd love to find something on the NYM that is untried and tested. I've spent countless hours looking at maps OL26 and OL27 to try and find something I haven't ridden before but to no avail.

Btw, I wasn't suggesting the established Three Tribes as a national in its current location, rather the concept of the three tribes be used as a national.

Si

rides for 2012

wow. the lid has really been lifted here.

plenty to muse over for us all. it feels like more 'when' rather than 'if' there is a veritable selection of retro rides on offer for 2012 in both area groups and national series.

Si, is there nothing even vaguely promising on the maps?

It would be nice to get out there one weekend with a map and see what we could come up with.

rides for 2012

a guy at my work rides in the harrogate district of north yorkshire.

no idea where or what the standard is or the general logistics but, when possible i will recce this and see if its worthy.

as far as regional sq mileage goes you cant get much more central. i will look into it.

giant-one":1mofzrhx said:

Second that for Mark.

We just don't get the chance to ride that much. beavis (Graham) has a young family, myself and the Mrs are expecting our first born at the begining of Dec so thats me out and Edd (Brock) is too busy with work, beer and women to even ride

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I've told you before dude, my new hobby is drinking, smoking, chasing women. Work is simply a side issue that can be avoided with prior notice.

Might be worth doing the Skipton loop like Richard sugested. El Pedro seemed to think it was a worthy retro route when we had a ride out a while back. There's also lots of other great routes around the Malham area that are worthy of closer inspection. I work in Harrogate and know of a few routes but there's nothing too special imo. Masham/Nidderdale's a different kettle of fish though and I know someone that runs a camp site in Masham

Oh, and Kaya for boss!

So it sounds like the Skipton route deserves a date in next years calendar.

What distance is it and Ed and has it got the all important cafe/pub somewhere on route?

chrisv40":321cjfxw said:

So it sounds like the Skipton route deserves a date in next years calendar.

What distance is it and Ed and has it got the all important cafe/pub somewhere on route?

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It's around the 20mile mark but we'll have a ride round it to make sure.
Pub shouldn't be a problem round these parts.

chrisv40":udc12r62 said:

Si, is there nothing even vaguely promising on the maps?

It would be nice to get out there one weekend with a map and see what we could come up with.

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I think you missed my point Chris. What I'm saying is there is nothing untried and untested, i just struggle to find something that I haven't ridden in the last 25 years. There are some absolutely fantastic trails up on them there moors. There are some brilliant opportunities for a National ride on the moors without resorting to places we have already visited on several occasions over the last few years.

The trick is to find somewhere with plentiful parking, a mid point Pub/Cafe and a good mix of open country and exciting singletrack. Oh, and judging the numbers now on nationals, somewhere away from large tourist spots.

A National needs to be really special. Its our chance to show of our beloved region. You have to strive to make it the best event on the calendar. Its a huge task that needs lots of thought.

Si