Assen

[Lily]

Well guys.. Assen is going ahead for this year but we are low on numbers. The Dutch club have to turn people away from other classes to let us race and tbh it's looking likely that with such a low turnout we won't get an invite back!!

so.. if anyone was hoping to do it next year please think about this and do whatever you can to come this year. Start talking to each other and see if you can share costs.

The cost of entry is about the same as a UK race and the track day is cheaper - but you dont have to do this!! the ferry can be cheap if you share and get odd times to sail at so with a few in a van it's not that bad!!

C'mon folks, this might be your last chance!

[Earkle]

Fudge it!! hopefully next year!!!

Please dont shout me down for this but, was it ever discussed to maybe get i couple of transporters or sumthing to take the bikes over? it's an after thought now i know! but i'd gladly volunter next year to be driver of one of those huge sprinters!! you could get about 6 bikes in 1 of em!! easy! like i said it is an after thought,

Don't mean to stir anything up.... no offence was ment or grief!!

[Lily]

not really Earl as generally alot of people sleep in their vans etc so not necessarily economical.

If you look at the cost for Oulton last week:

trackday £159
Race £125 with only 10 mins qualy
extra race to get practice £25

So most folks paid between £274 and £299 for the weekend plus travel

Assen will be approx £150 for the race which gives 2 longer qualy sessions
trackday just over £100 which is option as well - ok only 3 sessions, but this is ASSEN!!

If you get a small van you can get ferry for under 100 quid, shared between 2 thats £50 each

so for trackday, race and ferry is about same price as going to Oulton .. only extra is a bit more for fuel to get there (but not much more tbh)

[harriebird]

i justified the cost to myself on the basis that it really is a holiday, sitting around the paddock with my friends, popping out for a few laps of the track, coming back in, re-running the last session over and over again, then popping out for some more.

a million miles away from life here!

food and beer are unbelievably cheap there, between us we had a kitty system last year and i think we put about £20 in each for the whole weekend, and had quite a few bevvies!

[Gilps]

Originally Posted by harriebird

i justified the cost to myself on the basis that it really is a holiday, sitting around the paddock with my friends, popping out for a few laps of the track, coming back in, re-running the last session over and over again, then popping out for some more.

a million miles away from life here!

food and beer are unbelievably cheap there, between us we had a kitty system last year and i think we put about £20 in each for the whole weekend, and had quite a few bevvies!

And don't forget the track walk. I think it was a 4 beer circuit, and took one hour. Thankfully Lily gave us cool refills half way round.

[trouty]

i have a guest who is travelling all the way from western canada just a few days before we head out to Assen... Never been to europe before! I hope the event is going to as good as it sounds as it'll be a nice 'welcome to europe' for her

[harriebird]

well, in terms of sightseeing it's pretty flat, but i'm sure you can find something other than the circuit to see. our cultural adventures consisted of a brief coffee in the sunshine one day after the supermarket

zimbo has dared me to try 5 beers this year, so i have suggested we may need a shopping trolley to get me round the last few corners. i'll be spannered!

[ducbird]

Originally Posted by harriebird

well, in terms of sightseeing it's pretty flat, but i'm sure you can find something other than the circuit to see. our cultural adventures consisted of a brief coffee in the sunshine one day after the supermarket

zimbo has dared me to try 5 beers this year, so i have suggested we may need a shopping trolley to get me round the last few corners. i'll be spannered!

will give you a piggy back harrie.....

[harriebird]

done

[CK & AK]

Originally Posted by The-Duke

Please dont shout me down for this but, was it ever discussed to maybe get i couple of transporters or sumthing to take the bikes over? it's an after thought now i know! but i'd gladly volunter next year to be driver of one of those huge sprinters!! you could get about 6 bikes in 1 of em!! easy! like i said it is an after thought,

Don't mean to stir anything up.... no offence was ment or grief!!

That was offered the first year, but then it came at a cost of approx £150 per bike, to include a small space for spare tyre, in a big truck to take well in excess of 30 bikes.
However, once folks found they would still need to take all their kit, share cars, pay for ferries & accom, it worked out to be too much for many. It also meant more time off work to take bikes to collection points - and then collect again later.

We totalled it to about £450ish in total in 2006, to take 1 x LWB van, 3 people, 2 bikes, ferry, diesel (for 9 hrs max that side & 3 hrs this side from Dover/Calais, going out Thurs 9am & back 10pm Sunday), TD & race fuel, brekkie, snack lunch & evening grub for 5 people for 3 nights - and we slept in van & tents saving on accom, also included race entry in that too for 2 riders (not insurances tho) and had to add the Friday TD on top later to total.
Last year for same was just under the £500, not including Uncle Browns ferry & petrol for his car.

This didnt include Ciggys, alcohol or extra grub (like cooked brekkies etc) on ferry....