‘We lost our tents and had to sleep in the marquee’
Honda Cubs, random Chinese 125s and a whole host of classic machines not necessarily designed for distance work.
In order to prevent people ‘cheating’ by arriving at the rally early, the exact location for the Dragon changes every year and remains a secret until the day of the event. To get that information participants must first visit the designated ‘control’.
This year the folks at check-in were club secretary Pam Owens and treasurer Graham Bradshaw, the latter solely responsible for ticket admin from the late 1970s right up until the previous event. “Graham deserves special recognition for the huge amount of work he’s put in over the years,” says Dafydd. “He used to keep the records of up to 5000 annual entrants handwritten in an exercise book!”
Flying tents
The weather conditions for my Dragon were ideal for a first visit gusts of 60mph driving horizontal rain from across the adjacent lake, and an ambient temperature factored for wind chill at just 2ºC. The ground was already waterlogged and just pitching my tent was challenge enough, especially in full winter riding kit including helmet. Perseverance paid off though (unlike some riders who just picked up their rally pin and turned tail and headed for home) and once that little victory had been achieved, I could check out the contents of the welcome goody bag in comfort.
Aside from the coveted rally pin and club stickers was a commemorative slate coaster bearing the legend Er cof am Kenny – ‘In memory of Kenny.’ Kenny ‘Plank’ Davies was one of the principal members of Conwy MCC and was involved in every single rally from the beginning. He sadly passed away in March of last year, but together with his brotherin-law, Bomber Thomas, he was instrumental in ensuring that the Dragon always went ahead, even funding it out of his own pocket when the coffers were low.
Although their number is in decline, there are still many other veterans of the Dragon about and these old hands are not hard to find, dotted around the campsite in small groups beneath leeward facing tarps, safely settled on camping chairs with a brazier on the go to warm their wet bits. There may well be a well-stocked bar and DJ to help people party into the night, but it’s these guys who are the real entertainment and you could happily spend the whole rally just dropping in on their cosy gatherings, listening to stories and laughing at jokes.
Colin Baker and Dave Barlow from Blackpool are two such seasoned gents, 69 and 72 years young respectively. They call me over to join them and I ask why they’re here. “You only have to look out there,” laughs Dave, gesturing at the maelstrom around us. “We’ve been coming since the mid ’80s. One year we lost both our tents and had to sleep in the marquee, but it was memorable rather than horrendous. You could see tents flying past all night!”
“They key to surviving the Dragon is years of experience,” adds Colin. “The first year I came, 1985, it was almost called off due to snow, but I figured it could only get better so I keep coming back in the hope that it does!
“The atmosphere is so friendly as we’re all in the same boat.”
The spirit of misadventure
It’s true that the Dragon is a great leveller, and that resilient community spirit is what brings everyone together. Everyone you pass has that same knowing smile and glint in their eye, a look that says so much without a single word. People start talking to you as if you’re old mates - it’s definitely a special place to be.
Midlander Barrie ManselEdwards is another long-time veteran with over 30 rallies under his belt. “Back in 2020 we got hit by Storm Ciara and I was washed out of my tent at three in the morning,” says 72-year-old Barrie, “although most years it’s like this and that’s why you come - it puts life into perspective to know you’re just a mere blot on the landscape. What motivates us is the spirit of misadventure and the camaraderie which that brings, it’s not something that you can find sitting down the pub with your mates.”
And that’s really the point - the only way to truly understand the Dragon is to do it. By the morning I had muddy boots, soggy kit, a filthy bike and 250 miles to ride home, but it felt utterly fantastic to have stuck it out and my grin said it all. It may sound like hell on Earth to some people, and at times it is, but you’ll meet some amazing characters, make some great memories and leave with a sense of achievement that is hard to quantify.
You only get one go at life, so why not take a chance and do the Dragon - you might just enjoy it.
‘What motivates us to keep coming is the spirit of misadventure’