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FAQs
More like PAQs (Possibly Asked Questions really!)
Do rides run from when I start the ride or from January 1st?
The annual charity ride runs from January 1st until December 10th of the same calendar year. For the charity ride I will aim to send out certificates before Christmas so will assume nobody is going to claim any more rides after December 10th unless advised otherwise. Other rides can be started and completed any time - there are no time restrictions on these.
Can I complete more than one ride at the same time?
Yes - for example on one rideout to Derbyshire you could visit the Peaks National Park, Arbor Low (on the Standing Stones Ride), Winnats Pass (on the Mountain Passes ride) and the Old Thirteenth (on the Pub Crawl).
When can I claim for a ride?
You can claim for a ride at anytime after you have completed it. However, once you have claimed for a touring ride you cannot use the same landmarks to claim for another ride - e.g. if you visit five national parks and claim for a Touring Bronze award, you cannot then visit another five parks and claim for a Silver award as well. For this reason it is advisable, especially with the Charity Ride, not to claim until the end of the year (by 10th December). This does not apply if you have completed the rides as Challenge Ride or event. e.g. if you complete a Challenge Bronze award by visiting five windmills (or visit them on the Winter Challenge or Treasure Hunt)
and then visit the other ten windmills you are entitled to claim for a Touring Gold award.
Landmarks visited on the Winter Challenge ot Treasure Hunt cannot be used to also claim for a separate Challenge Ride award for the landmarks visited but will be recorded as Challenge Rides on the website.
Can you supply mapsource files for any of the rides?
I have files for all of the rides and can supply them in a variety of formats, including Autoroute, Mapsource (for Garmins) and Tom Tom Navigator files. Please only consider them as advisory - I have done what I can to check the accuracy of all data but have not (yet!) visited all the landmarks on all the rides!
What if I can't get my bike to a place where I can photograph it in front of the landmark?
If, for any reason, you cannot do this then take two pictures - one of your ride flag in front of the landmark, and one of your bike and ride flag in front of something obviously nearby e.g a relevant roadsign or shop name. I have tried not to prescribe set locations for photographs - basically if you can show you went there and travelled by bike that will be sufficent - so for example if you have a photo of your placard at a sign for the battlefield and a picture of your bike next to the village sign or similar, that will do fine!
Can I do the rides if I do not have a GPS?
Yes, there is no necessity to have a GPS - although it does make things easier (for me, and hopefully for you!). The roadbooks for each ride should provide enough detail of addresses and locations for you to locate all the landmarks on a map. For Challenge rides contact me beforehand and we shall arrange a suitable way of proving your ride.
My internet connection does not enable me to send photographs because of their size, can I post them?
Firstly, check the size of the images you are sending, making them smaller should make sending easier (240x180 is fins as I will reduce them to this to put on the website anyway). If you still have a problem, youa re welcome to send in a CD of your photographs or print them off - please enclose an SAE if you would like them returned.
What time do I need to complete a Challenge Gold ride in?
There are no set timescales for any of the rides - unlike some organisations who will only reward you for completing a ride in a set time, I am happy for you to take as long as you like over the ride and enjoy the experience - only stipulation is that you complete the award in one ride (and your time will be recorded on the website) but if you want to start, take a leisurely tour, stopping for whatever rest you need that is fine - or if you want to do them all in 24 hours, that is up to you: set your own challenge and put a marker up for others! Just whatever you do, keep yourself safe and remember that no ride is worth pushing yourself beyond your limits.
I want to complete the Welsh Counties Ride, how do I enter for this?
All riders need to sign up for this year's charity ride and send in a reasonable donation for the WNAA. This gives you membership of Grim Riders MCC for the year and entitles you to take part in any other ride. There is no other way to gain recognition of having completed a ride.
What do I need to send in to claim an award for a ride?
You need to send an email to grim@thegrimrider.com detailing which award you are claiming, and attach photographs of all the landmarks you have visited, and copies (either photographs or scanned images) of any receipts required. You also need to send me a copy of the completed application form and ride record sheet for the ride (either by email or post) and the fee of £10 (either by cheque made out to R Roalfe or, preferably, via paypal to grim@thegrimrider.com) for each ride being claimed for.
Can I enter with a sidecar outfit or 3-Wheeler?
Yes, you can use an vehicle you can ride/drive on a motorcycle licence.
Why are you running the Winter Challenge and Treasure Hunt rides?
The main reason for these rides was for riders to use them as training events for the longer distance rallies which come up later in the year, such as the Brit Butt Rally. |
