ROOKIE RIDER STAGGERED STARTS
In order to enable more riders to make it back in time for the finisher’s meal, in 2023 we changed the way our Rookie category starts. It worked – More riders finished within time in 2023 than ever before.
There’s no denying that All Points North is a tough event to complete. Riding a hilly 1000km in the north of England with all of the challenges that the terrain and our lovely northern weather throws at you can be tough, even when you’re not up against the clock and trying to finish within 72 hours to get back for the finisher’s meal.
Our Rookies are a determined bunch – statistically more Rookies make it to the finish line than the 72-hour riders – because they don’t scratch when they know they’re not going to make it to the finisher’s meal, they keep on riding, sometimes days after our HQ has closed.
We like being there to welcome every rider home but sometimes it’s just not possible. We always feel for the riders who press on to the finish once our HQ is closed, at 3am in the morning when there’s nobody to welcome them in. What an anti-climax to your epic ride, turning up outside our shop in the dark and posting your tracker through our letter box.
The rider community is important to us – we don’t just want riders to finish, we want you to have the opportunity to share your experiences out on the road with one another, to sit down together, enjoy a meal and celebrate your achievement with people who understand what you’ve just done and why you’ve done it.
In order to acheive this, Rookie riders can choose to set off up to three days before the 72-hour start. You decide how long you think it will take you to ride your route around all the 10 checkpoints in order to make it back for the Finisher’s meal on Monday night and set your start time accordingly.
When you leave Sheffield is up to you. You’ll collect your cap, event pack and tracker from A Different Gear. We’ll check over your bike, start your tracker, take your photo and off you go!
The earliest that riders will be able to start is 10.30am on Wednesday, 22nd May. To get back for Monday evening you’ll still need to ride a distance of around 160km a day for 6 days, which is still no mean feat in the North of England. If you reckon you can manage 200km a day then start on Thursday morning instead, that’s up to you to work out. You can start any time between 10.30am – 6pm (last registration time is 5pm).
Once you’ve been accepted to ride, you’ll need to plan your route and there’ll be a cut-off date to submit your start time to us (probably around one month before the start).
All the other event rules still apply. It’s still a completely self-supported ride, you must not accept any assistance that’s not commercially available to all and you cannot book accommodation in advance. All accommodation must only be booked on the day that you’re going to use it. The 3-hour mandatory rest rule will also apply to Rookies in 2024.
Please give your requested start time some thought before you fill in your application. We really want you to finish in time, to celebrate alongside your fellow riders, and we’re sure you do too. If it all goes to plan, by 8pm on Monday evening we will have a hall full of tired, happy riders at the finisher’s party tucking into a plate of curry and sharing their tales of the road.