Force Ten Rally

The 2010 Mayflower Club's Force Ten Rally started on New Year's Day.

The venue was The Green Man at Long Itchington, Warwickshire. I made a later than planed start due to failing to keep my new year resolution to not drink too much celebrating the new year!

Colin Swan had a horrific ride down to the Rally from Barrow taking over twice as long as normal to do the journey in the ice and snow

- Ted

It was a chilly ride and after the boring motorway bit I had to be careful on the Fosse Road because it looked a bit icy in places.

It's a good location for a rally as the landlord and staff of the Green Man could not be more friendly or helpful, and the lawn out at the back of the pub where we were camping was nice and flat.

This year as usual there were plenty of fine outfits and trikes to be seen in the car park, sensible transport for these conditions. The weather was again very cold and frosty especially Friday night.

The Icy conditions didn't put off the solo riders though, and Nigel Woodthorpe was there on his all year round rally bike, his Rocket Three!

The MZ250 looked quite a good rally bike too, despite giving away 2050cc to the Rocket!

There was free tea and coffee available in the pub and also a very cheap but fairly basic menu. If you fancied more elaborate meals, there were eight other pubs within walking distance, most offering real ale and good food.

The weather in the North West was a bit more extreme and Colin Swan had a horrific ride down to the Rally from Barrow taking over twice as long as normal to do the journey in the ice and snow, with lots of accidents on the M6 holding things up. Why do we do it? I suppose it will make a good tale to tell in summer!

- Ted Trett