National Rally Preparation Begins

This really is going to be the Max for me. 500 miles in 20 hours, in the National Rally this weekend. I have never ridden so far in a day before. And I will have to ride during the night.

I've done the (English) National Rally twice before, but only the 'daytime' version, which ends at midnight. That can add up to nearly 400 miles, including getting to the start and home from the final control, and it includes 2 hours of riding in the dark. But at least I got a good night's sleep at the end of it. This time, going the whole hog and doing the 'full' rally, means starting at 2pm on Saturday and finishing at the final control, at Bletchley Park (of Enigma Code fame), before 10.00 am on the Sunday morning.

In other respects the rules are the same as for the daytime rally. Plan your own route, visiting whichever controls you like, provided you clock up the required number of miles for the award you're aiming for. In my case, this year, it's Gold. Before you swoon with admiration, bear in mind there are in fact two awards above this: Special Gold and Platinum. So at least I'll have a target for the next year or two after this.

Why do people want to do an event like this? If others are like me, it's two things. Firstly, a challenge, and secondly, a long ride on the bike. The challenge starts before the ride itself, at the planning stage. Beside the obvious point of needing to get the number of miles right, you need to know the route, and exactly where the controls are. You do not want to waste time looking for them if you can help it. I use a GPS, which is a boon, but I need back-up information in case the GPS fails or the battery runs down. It's also wise to think where you might get fuel at 3 am, for example; and where the best places to rest are going to be.

Another difference from last year is that I'm not starting from home. I fancy a change from the south, but I also want to avoid starting the rally with a ride through London on the Saturday. Unnecessary hassle. So I've booked a B&B near Bedford – in a village called Clapham, actually, for Thursday night, and I'll start at the Corby control. This also has the advantage of allowing me to collect another three landmarks on the Round Britain Rally.

Unlike on the Welsh rally, the family aren't joining me on this one. There's a lot going on (still builder-related) and in any case the format of this one doesn't lend itself to a meet-up.

Am I looking forward to it? Of course, but slightly daunted, too.