Camping in February?! It's the Dragon Rally

North Wales on the second Saturday in February may not be many people’s idea of the perfect plan for a night under canvas, but for the thousands of intrepid riders who attend the Dragon Rally every year it’s a true pilgrimage.

Since the first meet in 1962 the challenge has always been to make it there and get the badge. This was no mean feat in the harsh winters of the 60s and 70s, especially when you consider the reliability of bikes and effectiveness of the kit available at the time.

Community spirit has always been a strong feature of the Dragon and back in the day people would even set up soup kitchens en route to ensure that those venturing from the south of England would make it. 

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These days it’s still an achievement and sounds like utter madness until you’ve been – then you can’t stop coming back. Tickets go on sale in late September and are sold out right away, even though no one will know where the site will be until they turn up at one of the checkpoints for final instructions on the day. The location of these checkpoints is also kept under wraps, with participants only being informed in the final run up to the event by snail mail. 

It seems fitting that one of the UK’s longest running rallies is organised by one of its oldest clubs and Conwy MCC is just that.  With around 150 members they’re active throughout the year and hold twice weekly meetings at their clubhouse behind Conwy Castle. Visitors are always welcome, especially those interested in the Dragon who will find a veritable cornucopia of memorabilia within.

The club also organises an annual summer camp and Christmas party as well as ride outs to various shows and rallies around the country. Meetings with other clubs, be they local or from overseas, are a regular occurrence too, celebrated as an event and marked by a unique memento. Members also get access to the club’s own tyre changing rig, a truly worthwhile bit of kit that can save you a few quid too!

When is it? Club meets every Thurs and Sun from 8-10 pm, Dragon is the second Saturday in February. 

How to get in touch? Conwy Motorcycle Club on facebook

How much is it? Membership of Conwy MCC is £15 first year then £10 renewal, 2018 Dragon tickets tba  

Don’t forget, this is a great way to rack up some miles for our #ride5000miles campaign.

 

If you want to get your meet in MCN, email: sam.williams@motorcyclenews.com

 

Looking for the perfect two-wheeled companion? Visit MCN Bikes For Sale website or use MCN’s Bikes For Sale App.