Trachops Summer Party 2005

I booked the crossing from Hull to Rotterdam only a couple of days before I left. (last minute decision). I booked through the "Camping and Caravan Club" and it cost £99.00 return. As the ferry was very full, I had to share a cabin.

Left home at about 5.30pm and it pissed it down all the way to Hull. (it stopped when I got there!) The ferry left at 9.00pm on Thurs and took about 10 hours. Very comfortable ferry but drinks at the bar were a bit expensive, £2.60 pint. The ferry was well loaded with about 200 scooters on their way to a rally in Holland. I teamed up with a bunch of scooter guys from Yorkshire and had a great time. There were also a lot of bikers in "Power Ranger" suits. Right stuck up bastards they were!

I teamed up with a bunch of scooter guys from Yorkshire and had a great time. There were also a lot of bikers in "Power Ranger" suits. Right stuck up bastards they were!

Arrived in Holland with a hangover at about 6.00am as the clocks are different, then set off for Berlin which is a bit less than 500 miles. From experience, made a point of filling up before I got on the boat in Hull as Europort is an easy place to get lost and a bit of an industrial maze. Petrol is a similar price as GB but Germany is a bit cheaper than Holland. Headed for Rotterdam along the motorway then followed signs for Utrecht. From then on it's just motorway along the Euro route E3. At a place called Bad Eoinhausen the motorway just fizzles out and becomes a road through a town. Quite strange! after a couple of miles it becomes a motorway again.

Made about 4 fuel stops. My bike does about 120 miles before reserve. No problem about filling stations as there are more than on Brit roads. They are also less inpersonal than ours. At the second fuel stop I met a young Australian guy riding an old Honda 1000 race rep type thing with a skate board strapped accross the back. We had a natter, he had been working in London, bought a bike and was now doing the Aussie European tour and had come from Amsterdam that day. When I told him what I was doing he said he had done his 200 miles for that day, but after a spliff said "Oh what the hell, think they'd let me in the party too?" This is very similar to how I had met Chrissy Rindt (then vice pres of Trachops MC) in Ireland in 2001. He joined me for about the next 250 or so miles. The riding had been at between 70 and 85mph nearly all the way.

We arrived at Trachops MC at about 6.30pm. Entrance fee is 15€, but they wouldn't let us pay. Not a lot there on Fri night, but plenty of beer and relaxed atmosphere. Needed to chill a bit after the long ride. Spectacular thunder storm on Friday night made all the more interesting by the stuff that Ishmael (Aussie) had brought from Amsterdam! The club can't sell things directly so you have to buy tickets then use those to get beer, fags, food etc. but it's no problem.

Got back in time for the silly games, I only took part in 2. Rolling a tractor tyre from the inside and...Oh yeh...Spitting pig's eyes

Trachops MC have their own Club House and about 6 acres split into 2 fields.The Club House has a verandah type of area at the front which is used for a bar and a cooking area serving burgers, sausages, steak etc. and it's not expensive. Take as many slices of bread as you want... In the morning there is a constant supply of FREE coffee, yes real coffee, not just a bit of powder and water and also a supply of some kind of scrambled egg stuff, tasted fine, had to swap a couple of tickets for that but help yourself to as much bread as you want. There was also sliced ham and cheese.

Saturday was really hot, didn't drink much as I wanted to go on the ride out. About 150 bikes, mostly custom and mostly stunning, (mine looked pretty shabby even though I'd cleaned it in the morning.) set out for a 60Km ride around the countryside. Led by Chrissy, now Trachops MC Road Captain, every time we came to a junction, a couple of Trachops MC riders blocked the road while we all rode through then they flew past us up the wrong side of the road to take up their positions again. No police in sight and no prior arrangements had been made! Got back in time for the silly games, I only took part in 2. Rolling a tractor tyre from the inside and ......... Oh yeh.......Spitting pig's eyes. I gave it my best shot but only managed about 6m. The winner spat his pig's eye over 9m!!! Yes they are real pig's eyes, but the good bit is that they are kept in a jar of vodka so they don't taste that bad.

Bands are mainly local playing a variety of covers, everyone is friendly and quite keen to talk. They really appreciate the fact that someone has taken the trouble to ride all the way from GB to their party. It was quite hard to use my payment tickets as the club runs the bars and they wanted to give us free beer. After a lot of beer it was time for the presentations and both Ishmael and I knew that we were getting awards so we had put our bikes near to the stage before the beer really took hold. We were both called up and I rode my bike up the ramp onto the stage, OK so far. Then I had to move it foward to make space for the Tazmanian Devil. I stalled and Ish wheel span and fishtailed up the ramp. Lots of talking, lots of cheering then time to get the bike down the ramp at the other side and turn sharp left to avoid the smashed car (didn't tell you about that) and the privet hedge. Use engine braking down the ramp, back wheel slipping, front wheel hits wet grass, try to turn, back end slips, staighten up, avoid car, hedge is very close, bit fast, bit of break, SHIT. Right mirror smashed and right foot trapped under bike. Loads of help and nobody falling about laughing!!!

After about 20 miles it pissed down until I got into Holland, about 300 miles

Next morning they even found me some gaffa tape to sick the heel back on my boot!!

Set off at about 12.00 on Sun. After about 20 miles it pissed down until I got into Holland, about 300 miles. Saw a sign for a campsite at Delden, just in Holland. As soon as I got their it stopped raining! Camped for the night. The site had a cafe and bar, good showers etc. cost about 14€. Set off for Europort at about 11.00 and reached Rosenburg (a small town near Europort) by about 2.30/3.00. Sat outside a pub in sunshine, watched the world go by, got some petrol and set off for the boat at about 5.00. On the boat by 6.00. Into the bar and who should I bump into but the same bunch of scooter guys. It's funny how the price of beer doesn't stop you from drinking. Anyway, another fun packed evening when I was presented with a Scooter Club T shirt and invited to their club night in Leeds.

Tuesday morning, another bloody hangover. Off the boat, swap my one remaining mirror over to the other side then back on the road on a sunny morning. Eighty odd miles and back home by about 10am.

Now that's what I call a good weekend away!!!!!!

I'm up for it again next year, but I think I'ld want to do the ride there in 2 stages rather than all in one day. Although depending on the times of the boats I think it would be feasible to do each of the journeys in one day.

Follow the link from our web site to Trachops MC site and have a look at the pictures of previous parties. It will give you a good idea of the atmosphere. There should be pics of this last party on there in a few days.

Rick

trachops