The Black Rat Rideout is all about honouring the tremendous work The Black Rats are doing during their tour of Helmand Province in Afghanistan during 2010.  It will also be an opportunity to remember all the fallen and injured servicemen and women of the 4^th Mechanized Brigade.

By putting on this event we at The Black Rat Fund hope to raise sufficient funds to ensure that we can take proper care of the soldiers and families from the Black Rats when they are in need or suffering.

This update is to let you know as much detail as we have finalised at this time.  Further information updates will be released in due course.

We will be launching an online registration system for all those who wish to take part.  This system is currently being prepared. 

We anticipate that it will go live on Monday, 14 June 2010. 

This date will be confirmed closer to the time.

There will be limited places available for the Ride Out, so we are encouraging you to complete your registration early.

We also want you to enjoy the Rally as much as possible, and part of this is ensuring that we are set up so that all ride groups depart on time (or as close to it as reasonably possible).

We cannot cope with everyone arriving at the same time, therefore we have divided the Rally into 5 Ride Slot timings.

These are :

Ride Slot 1             Riders will depart on their circuit between 10am and 11am

Ride Slot 2             Riders will depart on their circuit between 11.15am and 12.15pm

Ride Slot 3             Riders will depart on their circuit between 12.30pm and 1.30pm

Ride Slot 4             Riders will depart on their circuit between 1.45pm and 2.45pm

Ride Slot 5             Riders will depart on their circuit between 3.00pm and 4.00pm

When you complete your Registration Form you will be required to pick one ride slot to indicate (within approximately 1 hour) when you will wish to depart to ride the Ride Circuit. 

Remember that the Ride Circuit will take approximately 45 minutes to complete.

Please note that there are a limited number of vehicle places (2,500) in each slot.  When all the places in any particular slot are full, you will no longer be able to select that particular slot option during registration.

If you are planning on riding with a group from your own Club, local area, or Association, we would advise you to all agree beforehand which slot you wish to ride in as it will be very difficult to switch people between slots.

RIDE SLOT ARRIVAL TIMES

In order to allow you time to enjoy the event - get yourself a drink, have something to eat, have a chance to meet up with friends and enjoy the atmosphere of the day - and give our stewards and marshals enough time to register all the riders, direct them to their particular group, and brief them, we will require you to arrive at Marne Barracks within a specified timeframe. 

To ride in Slot 1          You must arrive between 8am and no later than 9am.

To ride in Slot 2          You must arrive between 9.15am and no later than 10.15am

To ride in Slot 3          You must arrive between 10.30am and no later than 11.30am

To ride in Slot 4          You must arrive between 11.45am and no later than 12.45pm

To ride in Slot 5          You must arrive between 1pm and no later 2pm.

IMPORTANT NOTE:   If you fail to turn up on time to ride within your allocated slot we will not be able to guarantee that you can complete your circuit.

The Black Rat Rideout will commence from: Marne Barracks, Catterick, North Yorkshire.  The only entry point to Marne Barracks for riders will be the Main Gate.  (See maps below).

Map 1 – General Location of Marne Barracks

Map 2 – Access to Marne Barracks Main Gate from A1 – Northbound access shown in green, Southbound access shown in red.

We anticipate that these gates will be available for rider entry from 8am to 3pm.

Riders will be able to pass freely through the main gates and will then be directed to the Marne Barracks airstrip.  There you will be met by Marshals who will direct you to the designated parking and registration zones on the runway and on the perimeter road.

The organisers will be providing:

·         portable toilet facilities 

·         a range of catering vans

·         litter bins

·         first aid cover

We also hope to have a number of different regiments (who are part of the Black Rats) represented at the Rideout departure point.  We will release more information on this as it becomes available.

There will be no shelter in the event of adverse weather so make sure you bring both warm and waterproof clothing.

Rather than disrupt local traffic and normal road users with a continuous convoy of motorcycles, groups of approximately 500 bikes will be led from the departure point by Support Riders, who will accompany the group for the duration of the ride.

The planned ride circuit around the Garrison will take approximately 45 minutes to complete.

Riders will be requested to ride in two offset lines and leave plenty of space between themselves and the bikes around them.

Riders are also advised that the maximum speed that the riding groups will reach over the duration of the course will be 30mph. 

The ride route will terminate at a location where riders will be able to easily disperse either to the A1 southbound, or A1 northbound. 

 

It is likely that temporary speed cameras will be setup in the surrounding area.  Most of the local roads have clearly displayed speed limits.  Don’t spoil your day by getting a ticket either on your way to the Rally or on the way home.

We are requesting that you do not sell memorabilia or collect ad-hoc charitable donations in the local towns or villages as you are not licensed to do so.   The organisers will be putting licensed collectors on the streets at the event.