As Grant suggested there's interest, but no space at the Ace. How about pooling ideas from the floor for another meet? I can only think of Box Hill as having a large parking area and cafe. I in no way suggest it as super but I throw it open. What do we want? A day's meet or a camp-over? Linzi.

Doh! .. just posted this on the original thread.. note to self read all threads then post....

Expanding it has a bike meet every week (or is month), it also host a landy club meet.. so it is very used to this kinda thing... it is easy to find has a huge parking lot.

and there can be some nice roads around it too.

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2000 Africa Twin
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That sounds pretty good Xander, how about 28 March as the weekend of the start of British Summer Time? Linzi.

There's already a big adventure biking meet that weekend (27th - 29th March)

Touratech UK are having their now annual "open day"/ Adventure Travel Event that weekend. Last year (in september) hundreds turned up for the weekend in South Wales - including a lot of HUBBers ... Grant, Susan, Austin Vince et al ....

Use that as the venue.

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I guess i'll have give that one a miss..

(although it sounds like a good plan) ... I reckon that there is a picture of me at TTUK head quarters with orders to shoot on sight for all the bad reviews and complaints i have posted about them... (they dont even respond to my emails and phone messages anymore, and then they wonder why i bih and complain).

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2000 Africa Twin
http://two-up-ona-twin.blogspot.com

Then its the perfect opportunity to pin them down ... they cant run away from you when you are camped on their doorstep with 200 other adventure bikers

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Very good point and well made!

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2000 Africa Twin
http://two-up-ona-twin.blogspot.com

We could do with ideas/feedback on dates that would be allround convenient. I also thought, why not organize a meet for the people who would normally be asked for autographs or to give presentations to simply relax? All of us to relax. Linzi.

The TTUK open day last year was a success, but mainly because of the calibre of the presentations and presenters (yep, thats you Grant).

The format for this year has not been announced yet but if its just TT and their shop then its not worth a visit if you have to travel miles and miles (IMO)

If Globebusters are open and the usual adventure biking clebrities are coming along to give talks then it is worth while.

I would like to think that this year would follow the same lines as last year but its only 6 months between the two meets so will everyone be coming back ??

This is just my opinion, some of you might feel that a long distance trip to TT is worth while. I did not camp overnight so maybe that made the experience even better for thise who did.

Lee

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'Never worry about things that YOU cant change'

My humble opinion is that the TT event puts commercialism before spirit of adventure, whereas you can definitely escape becoming a captive audience with HU meets where it's about banter, old friends and travel stories (and then maybe finding that whattyamacallit for the thingymywhatsit that fell off in Randomistan last year). People make it, not the venue. The field in Bristol was mega . Apart from the rave nextdoor lol.

So perhaps somewhere that doesn't have a vested interest in our wallets (other than just a coffee//snack) such as Box Hill etc. I'd definitely travel for a weekend of camping.

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http://bigben.to/ London to....? The big bike annual rally.
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Yep I have to agree to feeling the same way. But to please "all" of the people this time it's got to be central to UK, best time possible and not too uncomfortable or rough I think. It will benefit from as much input as possible. Date is surely likely to be hardest to decide. Is early autumn best target? Linzi.

Totally agree. I was at the TT event in September and didnt see any of the presenters. For me it was all about catching up with like minded people. I definately didnt feel there was any captive audience mentality there. A lot of people turned up and thats what made it a success.

Same with the Ace cafe ... It was a success because a lot of people turned up. It didnt matter that the Cafe doesnt care two hoots about Adventure motorcycling - it was a purely commercial venue. Touratech may be just as commercial, but at least they are rooted in Adventure Motorcyling ... which is a lot more connection than Ace Cafe had. I dont think the commercialism of the Ace Cafe put people off. After all, many seem to be asking when can we have another one there. I thought it was a great day.

Sometimes I fear there is a "us and them" mentality developing, in which anything commercial is seen as "evil" and belonging to a different crowd ... "them". On this board, some people even criticise adventure motorcyclists who have published books as having gone commercial ... or rather its the successful writers that get the flack as having sold out, the unsuccessful (or self published) writers are still deemed "us". The board (which doesnt charge membership fees) itself has been criticised for taking paid adverts. !

Not sure I can subscribe to this partitioning of adventure motorcycling .... where non-commercial = good, commercial = evil.

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Exactly how I feel. I'd like to have a knees up with all of us together. A good aspect would also be a chance to swap or sell/buy unwanted gear that some of us might have. Linzi.

I spoke to Nick at the Ace and the reason for the March date was a 'start-of-season' launchpad. So I guess March will be the date for future TT events as well.

There's no reason why we can't encourage a big HU attendance at TT--use the event, rather than have the event use us, if you follow what I mean.

I'd be keen on another HU-oriented event maybe Apr/May.

Have bike will travel.

Tim

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"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)

Can we home in on an Apr/May date then and presumably a Sat or Sun. Linzi.