The South West Peninsula Spring Rally is not too demanding for the experienced biker, however poor weather is possible. The roads available are mainly A and B with a few minor roads for good measure. You will also be navigating for around 400 miles on the Gold award, 300 miles for the Silver award and some of the time it is likely to be dark, all this takes its toll.
Plan in advance
Decide how far you want to ride. This can either be distance or area. So if you only want to ride around say Exmoor and back you would be looking at a Bronze award and therefore need to visit 1 Manned and 9 Unmanned Checkpoints. This works out about 150 miles, depending upon your route.
Plan to get to the start in good time. Don't be rushed. If you are riding for a Bronze award time is not too critical. For other awards you will want to set off as early as possible to get ahead of traffic and try to complete as much as possible in daylight.
Tips
Navigation does not mean Sat Nav
Have a look at the outline map of the rally and study the legend. If you you want to visit Exmoor look at where the Manned Check Point (MCP) is in that area so you can plan a route to get half of your Unmanned Checkpoints on the way to MCP and half on the way back. The way the Unmanned Checkpoints are laid out generally means there is an interesting route between them. IF YOU RELY JUST ON SAT NAV THEN EXPECT SOME VERY TRICKY ROADS.Plot you proposed route on Google Maps or a similar Route Planning programme. This will give you an idea of the distance and time required for that route. Plan you rest breaks and fuel stops, which are particularly important if you are not used to riding Rallies.
Know who to contact and when
If you plan for a longer distance have a fall-back shorter route option; the weather may change, you may break down or get lost. Please remember to ‘phone the rally HQ on 07590 368808 or 01458 253352 if you leave the rally without returning to the finish point. You are advised to have a fully charged mobile ‘phone with you at the outset; be prepared.
Not everybody know what you are doing
At clue sites and check points. Remember that other road users may not expect you to be looking for a clue, ensure your intentions are obvious to others. Manned check points are in car park areas: enter and exit appropriately, park with regard to others and take heed of instructions from the Rally Organisers.
Keep the energy high
Take the opportunity at manned check points to have something to eat and drink and at the unmanned check points get off your bike and stretch your legs. We would also recommend you take a drink and some food to snack on. Put it where you can get to it easily at unmanned check points (eg with your control card). You may be surprised how much fluid you lose from condensation when you breathe. It may even be a very warm day…if this is the case then hydration is again very important. Keep an eye on your friends for signs of hypothermia and fatigue: erratic behaviour (bike wandering over the road) and slurred speech are warnings.
Be safe mate
If you are not used to riding and navigating practise. Don't try riding and studying a map, you will end up in a hedge!! Stop and be safe. After planning and making maps up I generally have a pretty good idea of where I am going in my mind which means a quick glance at a map now and then to confirm it.