The Rules

Are really quite simple if you plan to tour the route:

Ride it as a social event, splicing and dicing it to suit your timetable, ability or budget.
Ride it with a support crew, welcome friends with e-bikes. Do whatever you want and have fun.
If you are planning to use a Tracker, please let us know where this may be viewed.
The DOT watching community is huge and we love monitoring the progress of others.


BUT...,

if you wish to set an official UNSUPPORTED race time that will appear in our records, please note the following:

1. Notify us timeously of the date of your attempt so that we can set up the TrackRace app, with your details.
2. Stick to the .gpx tracks, available for download from our blog. Towns and cities may be treated as black boxes with an entry and an exit node.As long as you pass through those, the internal route that you cycle, is of no consequence to us. At times it may be advisable to skirt around roadworks or, say, a sewer problem. Get back on the route as soon as is reasonable.
3. This is a cycle challenge. We are not testing your ability to read a GPS, therefore friends/dot watchers may advise when you have deviated or wrong slotted from the official track.
4. Social media posts are for public consumption. Feel free to use any info found there.
5. You may deviate from the route, but you have to rejoin the route at the point at which you left.
6. Your attempt must be completely unsupported.
7. You may, therefore, only make use of commercial amenities available to all other participants.
8. Friends, family, film crews and reporters may interact with you in towns or cities, at restaurants, at garages or may greet you where their route crosses the race course, but they are not permitted to follow along on the race course. Remember, it is an UNSUPPORTED race, so you are not allowed to received any food, drink, clothing etc from them at these meetings, neither may you hand over items for safe keeping etc. Your situation is not allowed to improve as a result of your interaction with them. Please don't abuse this privilege. 
9. No secret stashes or caches are allowed on or near the route and prearranged sending of parcels to any place along the route, is not allowed.
10. This is a single stage event. The clock runs continually from start to end. All stoppage time is  to be included in your overall time. All deviations from and returns to the course are included in your overall time.
11. If requested, supply us with a copy of your actual .gpx track for verification.
12. Performance enhancing potions are frowned upon.
13. Drafting is allowed amongst participants only. 
14. Non participating cyclists are allowed to join you on your ride. No drafting allowed in this instance and again, other than a handshake, no contact between them, you and your bicycle. No, not even to hold your bicycle whilst you open and close a farm gate!
15.  Aerobars/tri-bars are allowed.
16. Your attempt is a solo effort. Carry your own kit, spares, nutrition, water etc.
17. You are allowed to come to the assistance of fellow participants.
18. Get there under your own steam. No motors or towing etc.
19. If in doubt, let the spirit and intention of the this type of event, be a guide in your decision making. e,g Booking into the same B&B as your spouse or having dinner together is not in the spirit of the event.
20. All rule infringements will be adjudicated on an individual basis to ascertain what the intent was, whether the rule was knowingly transgressed and to what extent the participant was advantaged.
21. The judges decision in terms of rules violation, is final.

The reason for having an UNSUPPORTED event is to keep costs down and to allow participants of all socioeconomic backgrounds to compete on an equal footing.

Please also bear in mind, that you are doing this trip of your own free will, at a time of your own choosing, and on roads that are open to the public, so proceed with caution.
The author of this blog or any people mentioned herein, cannot be held responsible for any injury or loss which you may incur as a result of you riding along this route.