Hastings May Day 2022
Discussion
Does anybody know if the May Day run to Hastings is taking place this year? If so, is it on Sunday 1st or the Bank Holiday Monday?
The usual website seems a little sketchy on detail: https://www.bike1066.com/
Doesn't seem to be advertised anywhere, or am I missing a trick?
I went 3 years ago - hopefully the weather won't be cold & grey like it was then....
The usual website seems a little sketchy on detail: https://www.bike1066.com/
Doesn't seem to be advertised anywhere, or am I missing a trick?
I went 3 years ago - hopefully the weather won't be cold & grey like it was then....
I've seen many facebook biker groups organising rides down there so I get the feeling that it might not be 'officially' happening but there are still going to be a huge amount of bikes heading down anyway.
Not been before myself so no idea how it not being official will make it different to previous years...
Not been before myself so no idea how it not being official will make it different to previous years...
Edited by FurballS2000 on Monday 25th April 13:39
Interesting. I've been 4 times over the years & thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle of thousands of bikes - the noise reminds me of a large earthquake! The trick is to ride in on another route, maybe from Bexhill direction. I've read of t
ts & some nasty crashes, but not seen it first hand.
ts & some nasty crashes, but not seen it first hand.https://www.hastings.gov.uk/news/latest/may-day-bi...
It is happening on the 2nd May .... but as per the above and the general rumour mill down this way - they are going to be pretty heavy handed with where people can park up. I rode through there about a week ago and a fair few concrete bollards have recently appeared in some of the usual parking corners of the seafront stretch.
Whilst I do enjoy seeing all the bikes on display and have found this to be fairly civilised in the past - I'll be giving this one a miss as its the first big meet down this way in a while and I have a feeling that its going to attract a lot of throbbers like the Margate Meltdown normally does!
For anyone going, good luck and I hope the weather holds out!
It is happening on the 2nd May .... but as per the above and the general rumour mill down this way - they are going to be pretty heavy handed with where people can park up. I rode through there about a week ago and a fair few concrete bollards have recently appeared in some of the usual parking corners of the seafront stretch.
Whilst I do enjoy seeing all the bikes on display and have found this to be fairly civilised in the past - I'll be giving this one a miss as its the first big meet down this way in a while and I have a feeling that its going to attract a lot of throbbers like the Margate Meltdown normally does!
For anyone going, good luck and I hope the weather holds out!
If bikes can't park on the pavement, then that's about half the participants. If the numbers are anything like previous years, surely that's something like a potential 20,000 visitors who won't be able to stop in the town even for a cup of tea. Why would the local council turn away all the potential business & consequent income??
I've been loads of times. Most of what's been said is accurate.
It is a great spectacle and really good to see the public come out to view bikes in a mostly positive light for a change.
However you do get some bell-ends for sure. Sadly no matter how many signs the Police put out this element always try to push boundries, and force te Police to get involved. I've not seen much focus on speeding for the last 10 years or so and the main thing has been observing double white lines.
With that many bikes it can go wrong, and my wife refuses to go as we rode through Hurst Green one year and they were performing CPR on a rider in the middle of the road... who we later found out didn't make it. It's not the sort if thing you see and it just disappears for you to have a good day. Unfortunately you can be riding really sensibly and an idiot can cause issues. It's really not for beginners and you have to be 100% aware, 100% of the time.
As it doesn't have the same "organisers" this year I wonder if they'll be marshalling the car parks. If you loose the marshalls and the ability to park on the prom etc. then it's going to be carnage!
It might just be me being an old git but the May Day Run is like World Superbikes.....the great hey day was 20 years ago.....
20 years ago you used to get classic bikes, new bikes, exotic bikes, modified bikes etc. and there was a real variety. It seems people don't modify bikes as much these days, the classic guys have been scared off, the exotics stay parked in collections...which leaves the new bikes and who wants to look at a car park full of ugly adventure bikes?
If you go then let us know what it's like, and be careful.
It is a great spectacle and really good to see the public come out to view bikes in a mostly positive light for a change.
However you do get some bell-ends for sure. Sadly no matter how many signs the Police put out this element always try to push boundries, and force te Police to get involved. I've not seen much focus on speeding for the last 10 years or so and the main thing has been observing double white lines.
With that many bikes it can go wrong, and my wife refuses to go as we rode through Hurst Green one year and they were performing CPR on a rider in the middle of the road... who we later found out didn't make it. It's not the sort if thing you see and it just disappears for you to have a good day. Unfortunately you can be riding really sensibly and an idiot can cause issues. It's really not for beginners and you have to be 100% aware, 100% of the time.
As it doesn't have the same "organisers" this year I wonder if they'll be marshalling the car parks. If you loose the marshalls and the ability to park on the prom etc. then it's going to be carnage!
It might just be me being an old git but the May Day Run is like World Superbikes.....the great hey day was 20 years ago.....
20 years ago you used to get classic bikes, new bikes, exotic bikes, modified bikes etc. and there was a real variety. It seems people don't modify bikes as much these days, the classic guys have been scared off, the exotics stay parked in collections...which leaves the new bikes and who wants to look at a car park full of ugly adventure bikes?
If you go then let us know what it's like, and be careful.
Totally agree. I did this with a friend a few years ago, I live in Kent and saw the bikes every year and wanted to join in.
Big mistake
Not a relaxing ride at all, A21 swarming with sports bikes ridden by dudes in jeans doing absolutely anything to overtake. There was a big crash the other side of Tonbridge and so the A21 was brought to a standstill for an hour or so.
Obviously not saying don't do it, but I found it far from fun.
Big mistake
Not a relaxing ride at all, A21 swarming with sports bikes ridden by dudes in jeans doing absolutely anything to overtake. There was a big crash the other side of Tonbridge and so the A21 was brought to a standstill for an hour or so.
Obviously not saying don't do it, but I found it far from fun.
phatmanace said:
Totally agree. I did this with a friend a few years ago, I live in Kent and saw the bikes every year and wanted to join in.
Big mistake
Not a relaxing ride at all, A21 swarming with sports bikes ridden by dudes in jeans doing absolutely anything to overtake. There was a big crash the other side of Tonbridge and so the A21 was brought to a standstill for an hour or so.
Obviously not saying don't do it, but I found it far from fun.
Not been before but some mates are thinking of going. I'm going to give it a miss, doesn't sound like my kind of thing.Big mistake
Not a relaxing ride at all, A21 swarming with sports bikes ridden by dudes in jeans doing absolutely anything to overtake. There was a big crash the other side of Tonbridge and so the A21 was brought to a standstill for an hour or so.
Obviously not saying don't do it, but I found it far from fun.
We live about 40 minutes away on the winding road (A265) that meets the A21 at Hurst Green. Even this far away the volume of bikes on the day can be insane and, as others have said, the whole thing gets ruined every year by a tiny minority of bell ends who are a liability not just to themselves but also to anyone in their vicinity.
Shame really.
Shame really.
I live 15 mins from Hastings, lived down here 18 years and think I've only been to the bike meet once (Only got back into biking a few years ago). Its certainly not a day to drive in by car via the A21!
Weather dependent, we will be going to a local pub ( The Bull Inn @ Rolvenden) that are doing breakfasts then ride down to Hastings avoiding the A21 as much as possible as I will also have my lad on the back pillion.
Weather dependent, we will be going to a local pub ( The Bull Inn @ Rolvenden) that are doing breakfasts then ride down to Hastings avoiding the A21 as much as possible as I will also have my lad on the back pillion.
I rode down out of curiosity yesterday, but came in via Bexhill to avoid the A21. Was pretty packed, but not so much parking along the pavements, so maybe not as many bikes as previous years.
There were marshalls & plod everywhere. Looked like a crash on the A21, I think involving a quad bike.
I didn't hang around, as all the cafes & pubs were heaving. Very pleasant ride home using Kent & East Sussex finest back lanes!
There were marshalls & plod everywhere. Looked like a crash on the A21, I think involving a quad bike.
I didn't hang around, as all the cafes & pubs were heaving. Very pleasant ride home using Kent & East Sussex finest back lanes!
I live not far from the A21, and normally it's a cacophony of bikes all day long. Didn't really hear it much this year, which suggests a good deal lower turnout than usual.
I've done the run myself a few times, but haven't bothered for years now. It's kinda fun once you're down there with bikes and bikers absolutely everywhere, but TBH there are just enough bellends making the journey with you that the ride down isn't as much fun as it should be. As mentioned already, you're guaranteed to find at least one person buried in a hedge or roundabout, having run out of space and talent - or having been shoved into that position by someone else running out of space and talent.
I've done the run myself a few times, but haven't bothered for years now. It's kinda fun once you're down there with bikes and bikers absolutely everywhere, but TBH there are just enough bellends making the journey with you that the ride down isn't as much fun as it should be. As mentioned already, you're guaranteed to find at least one person buried in a hedge or roundabout, having run out of space and talent - or having been shoved into that position by someone else running out of space and talent.
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