10 Rules
10 Important rules:
1) Leave every morning with your mobile phone and completely charged battery.
Make sure your phone is key-locked but stand-by. Complete your equipment with a map and emergency blanket. This thin blanket of aluminum really helps in case of low body temperature.
2) In case of emergency: Call 112! / Mark way point and text message the organization.
Suppose you pass by a rider who needs urgent support, immediately call 112 and the organization. When you have no range with your phone, let another participant find a spot where he does have range by phone, most likely on a mountain top or tarmac. Pay good attention during the briefing, so you will know how far away you are from the doctor’s car. This can be the quickest way to get help!!
3) Always check your position format of the GPS.
This should be set for hddd’mm.mmm
You can check this at set up/unit/position format.
In degrees and minutes rounded to 3 digits after the comma.
The card date is mentioned at the same unit, this should be: WGS 84
The rest of the units should be set for metrish or meters.
4) Always mark a way point in case of trouble.
Just ‘Mark + Enter’ and ready. In case of an emergency, you always mark this point. Even if 10 others have already done this. The coordinates for example N52 56.748 E007 09.124 are also mentioned under position. Just press page a couple of times and you can read the position at the spot where the GPS is at that moment. When you press ‘Mark’, make sure to remember the way point number of change the name before ‘Enter’. This to make sure you can always find the right position.
Also check if you are within range of 5 satellites. These black bars and the accuracy are mentioned in Metres at the position page.
5) For help: text message always your position and situation number of the road book to the organization.
In case of technical trouble or any other none life-threatening situations where you need support? Send a text message with your position and situation number together with your question. When you are at the track there’s no need to worry. The sweeper motorcycle always passed at the last time schedule. When this motorcycle has passed, the trail is closed and you are on your own. Even when you had contact with the organization by telephone, always send your position by text message.
6) Are you lost? Always track back! At your GPS.
Do not wander or ride through the woods to a next way point. Don’t forget: 30 Kilometres is a walk for one day The mountains can be so steep that you will have to leave your motorcycle. Track back is always possible, so go back to a situation of which you are sure is right. After this, you determine your route.
7) When there is nobody at a CP, stay there yourself.
8) Send a text message to the organization when you ride straight to the hotel.
The organization checks off everybody at the starting list at CP’s and at the hotel. When you do not pass a CP, send a text message to the organization. If you get in too late and decide to spend the night somewhere else, please mention this also.
9) Obey the traffic laws and keep the maximum speed.
We are guests and ride public roads. Even when you have not seen anyone for hours, at least once you will meet a car, horse or tractor! And of course this will be at a track you really did not expect this…
So do not think you ride through a closed area! Pass by horses as quietly and slowly as possible. When a horse is very anxious, feel free to take of your helmet. Be aware of chickens, goose and dogs. When a dog threatens you, you raise your voice and certainly try not to fall down. Do not let villages eat dust and avoid wheel spin or intense braking at nice gravel roads. Do not ever ride through crops.
10) Your track log of your GPS should be on.
After every day of riding the organization can read your GPS. Besides all way points, the track log also shows speed. Before the start at every start day, you remove the track log, however not before 07.30 o’clock. The organization can require your track log of the previous day until 07.30 o’clock. Do not forget that a track log per day is much clearer when you are lost for example.