Hi - Fro reasons beyond my contyrol or understanding the BBB website appears to be down so anyone who has a ticket but doesn't have joining instructions here is what you are missing:
Hi,
BRING A PRINT OUT OF THE PAYPAL RECEIPT EMAIL AND THIS EMAIL WITH YOU
This is your official Big Bike Bash welcome email. Welcome., the camp site open Friday evening and Beer tent open Friday lunch time (£2.50 a pint). Good food available from Friday evening (From £2 for a Beef (or Quorn?!?) Burger up to £4.00 for a plated meal)
Cheers
Nick
Other Information
Directions – Head for the New Forest in Hampshire.
From the South - If you are south of the site you are either swimming or close enough to find the way. Head for Burley and then out towards Bransgore
From the North and East – Head down the M3 and M27. The M27 dies out in a queue of traffic called the A31. Struggle along the A31 for a while until you see a turn off for Services and Burley. Follow the signs for Burley. This will take you into the little village of Burley (surprise!). Please ignore your Sat Nav telling you to go down unsurfaced roads, it really is wrong.
As you approach the queue of traffic and tourists in Burley you will see a cross in the middle of a junction where you need to turn right (if you turn left then you are silly and can turn around at the top of the hill near the cricket pitch). Having gone the correct direction just follow the long straight road until you get to a cross roads at the top of a gentle hill where you turn right (you are nearly there now if the kids ask). Follow this road to the UK Youth Activitiy centre which is where the Big Bike Bash is happening.
From the North and West – It is a bit messy for you guys as they don’t do big roads out your way. You basically want to head towards Ringwood so depending on where you are coming from you could head for Salisbury and then down the A338 to Ringwood. Anyway, however you are heading for Ringwood, don’t go into the town (lovely though it is) but stay on the by-pass which is the A31 and head east towards Southampton. About 5-10 miles past Ringwood there is a services area and sign to Burley. Follow the signs for Burley. This will take you into the little village of Burley (surprise!). Please ignore your Sat Nav telling you to go down unsurfaced roads, it really is wrong.
As you approach the queue of traffic and tourists in Burley you will see a cross in the middle of a junction where you need to turn right (if you turn left then you are silly and can turn around at the top of the hill near the cricket pitch). Having gone the correct direction just follow the long straight road until you get to a cross roads at the top of a gentle hill where you turn right (you are nearly there now if the kids ask). Follow this road to the UK Youth Activitiy centre which is where the Big Bike Bash is happening.
Arrival Procedure
After following my excellent directions you will be driving down the drive of the venue. You will be met at the gate either by a person handing you a site plan or by a cardboard box with site plans in. Set your tents up in the campsite which is about 20 feet further up on the right. There are rules about space between tents but there are also a lot of people coming so please set up considerately as you don’t want me telling you to move your tent later in the day.
If you arrive on Friday, after pitching your tent head on down to the main arena which is the other side of the road you drove in on and in front of the big house. Here you will find the beer tent and the food tent and probably me. Now just kick back and relax remembering that Saturday does start tomorrow morning even if you do try every beer.
If it is Saturday when you arrive it is the same routine except instead of heading into the beer tent straight away you have to go to the admin tent first.
BRING A PRINT OUT OF THE PAYPAL RECEIPT EMAIL AND THIS EMAIL WITH YOU
Saturday morning you wander over to the admin tent from about 8:30ish where the delightful Caroline will be waiting. If there are a group of you all booked with the same email then only the person in charge needs to go to the tent. Caroline will give you all of the race plates and wrist straps for the group based on the email address they were booked with.
Wrist Straps are important!
White wrist straps are for people under 18. Please write the mobile number of the person responsible for the child on the wrist strap. That is why they are white! It is almost like we planned it. These people should also be given a race plate to attach to their bike or body if they don’t have a bike.
Blue wrist straps are for adult competitors. You also get a race plate to fix to your bike or body.
Red wrist straps are for spectators. You do not get a race plate as you are watching not racing.
Racing and Events
Hopefully I have remembered to attach a copy of the schedule to this email, it is approximate.
Most of the events you just turn up and take part
The XC race guys want a bit of advanced warning. Somewhere near the race start area there will be sheets showing the XC races with all of the possible race numbers. If you know that you are going to race in a particular XC race then please highlight your number. This will allow the race team to judge numbers for each race and fiddle the categories accordingly. You won’t be barred from racing if you don’t preregister in this way but your results are more likely to be recorded if you do.
Other Stuff
Try and listen to the announcements on the PA as these will tell you when the pedalos, zip wire, climbing wall etc are open.