Devon TRF Group Forum

A couple of us braved the weather and attended the Adventure Bike Rider Winter Rally at Lymington in Dorset last weekend.

Just beyond the bank there, was the Isle of Wight!

It was on a great campsite that allowed campfires just about anywhere and there was also a communial bbq on offer 

Also a communial campfire to keep yer c0ckles warm.

There was a mixture of bikes there, mainly big GS Beemers and 3 rides on offer, a road ride to Sammy's Motorcycle Museum, a greenlane ride for the big bikes and a 120 mile greenlane ride out on smaller trailees. So, myself on my WR250R, RichT4 on his DRZ-E and Tigerman on his TTR250 all trailered our bike to the site on Friday night, where we met another 40 fellow riders braving the chilly weather. We also met 3 other guys from Surrey TRF, who we were also riding with on Saturday.

RichT4 was glamping it in his VW camper van and I decided to test out a log fire that I could use in my Tipi tent 

It was a cold night, but we stayed toasty and also a bit smoky if you attempted to stand up inside the tent

In the morning it was a 22 mile road ride to meet the other riders at Eastleigh for me and Tigerman, but the rest trailered there bikes to the start point for a 10.00am kick off. We eventually set off at 10.25am, with the intention of completing 3 x 40 mile sections in 6 hours daylight. So we hit the first few lanes which were really slippery as it was wet stone ruts to kick us off The lanes were fast and undulating and as we got towards Salisbury, the lanes were like being on a fairground ride as they were like riding a jackhammer around a merry-go-round, arms and suspension pumping up and down.

We grabbed lunch at a garage in Salisbury and ate it at the start of the Shaftesbury Ox Drove which begins near the Salisbury race course.

Tigerman wanted to get a group piccy, so was moving back to take his shot, when he fell into a pile of dumped horse/cow crap Oh how we all laughed, but we all had to move as he bloody stank!

So we set off on the Ox Drove which was a approx 15 miles long and was fantactic with some great views out across Wiltshire.

We bumped into the big trailees as well, this was one of the big wet lanes, we and they encountered.

After some more great lanes, we then made our way onto the Salisbury Ox Drove which is also approx 7 - 8 miles long The drove was wet chalk mainly. At about 2 miles into the drove we hit a slippery patch of wet slimy mud on top of the wet chalk, it was at this point I had a badger and went down hard onto the chalk.

It took me a while to get up, and I'd hurt my right shoulder and left thumb. Another group of unknown riders pulled up behind us and the leader went down in the same place as I did

I didn't feel that I could really greenlane any further, nor did I want to hold anybody up, so as the time was now 2.45pm and we were about 55 miles from the campsite, decided to head back, with Tigerman coming back with me.

Rich and the other compadres carried on the remainder of the drove back to Salisbury, then they picked up the morning route and headed back along it in reverse, but they had to break off onto the road early as they'd run out of daylight, getting back to base at 5.30pm

It was a long cold road ride home for myself and Tigerman and we eventually got back to the chippy near site for 4.30pm, by which time was all dark now Bugger the chippy wasn't open until 5.00pm and I was in a fair bit of pain, so didn't fancy cooking. That night we returned to the chippy for tea, I took some brufen and about 6 tins of Strongbow for the pain

After a painful nights sleep, we were all up early doors and Tigerman gave me a hand loading my bike on the trailer.

I've go to say that the lanes weren't technical, but were really long and flowing, with no need to stop for ages. So, I've got unfinished business on those lanes

For the record I decided to go to A&E as the SWIMBO was chewing my ear off. Anyway I've broken my collar bone, damaged my shoulder ligaments and badly bruised to bone in my forearm I'm already planning my next long jaunt away

-- Edited by Harty on Thursday 24th of November 2011 12:03:25 AM