What happened to all the Mini-meets.
 

Not long ago, hubb members were throwing together mini meets faster than you could ride there !

Its all a bit quiet on the western front these days.

Come on guys. I need an excuse not to work... ;)

There was a recent attempt I saw, but doesn't look like it came off?

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ondon-up-80398

I hadn't noticed that they had gone despite enjoying the couple of local ones that took place. I know Tiffany is organising something near Land's End although I think that is a GS club event, perhaps Ted would like to come along and give them the benefit of his experience with and opinions of this marque, I am sure they would be most welcome. :eek3:

I think I'm already going. I do love a good GS convention. bier

I look forward to seeing you there.

Nope. We were looking all set but then a spanner got thrown in the works.

Ted you organise one - then we can all come along. Bet you get a few more if your picking up the bar bill.

I done a few (i believe the first mini meets ) many years ago - around Yorkshire moors and Dales different pub each time like a mini tour of Yorkshire beers - a sort of welcome to the (D)ales tour, but then everyone else started doing them so i stopped. Things seem to me that they have now become much more than a casual meet up a few beers etc - they now have to be off road weekends, maybe involve bands or another event of sorts - more of a rally which is fine - but its not what the original mini meet was and for me too much hassle to organise, Hats off to those that do - but there is room for the simpler version as well.

If it was just easy pub / camping meets like I started years ago - more of a social get together a drink a laugh and maybe a tiny ride out to the chippy - well i would sort another.

The Scottish do's are like that and in a way are far more relaxed. The first Scottish do up in the far north was one of the best i ever went to - very late night a fair bit to drink, and excellent company - I am waiting for the next Scottish do to pop up. Well worth a visit.

Jake.

The original idea of the mini-meets was KISS - err I mean keep it simple stupid! :)

Anyone wants a nice simple meet feel free to go for it - and don't feel pressured to do something fancier because "everyone's doing it" - do what you like! :clap::clap:

Date location and a field, not much else needed except maybe permission to be in the field... :blushing:

And anyone who wants a fancier event, that's up to you to work out!

?c?

I wonder if this should also apply to future national HUBB meetings, I never went to Donnington but the last couple at Lumb farm had so much happening it seemed impossible to see everything and I know took a lot of time and money to organise. Off topic I know but the thought just occurred to me, perhaps the next one should get back to basics which might also make finding a venue easier.

Being one of the few HUBB members who can manage simple and stupid at the same time, I might just be qualified to pull it off.

When it's a bit warmer obviously ;)

Ted
Being one of those former (northern) mini-meet organisers and regular forum visitor, I'm surprise I overlooked this thread of 3 weeks ago.

As said, why not throw your hat into the ring? Buy me a beer and I'll tell you why I don't any more. Ok, I'll tell you without any cerveza purchase necessity: To me, organising a forum-advertised mini-meet (or maxi-meet) generates the same sensation as riding a DRZ with 14/47 gearing at 60mph for 500 miles on a motorway, seated. :(

:rofl::rofl::rofl: at least add naked in there chris, to make it a 'complete' PITAdoh

:offtopic: Sorry. Not :scooter:

I think If I did one if would run something like this.

"Be here on this day as this is where we're camping. Here's a link to the campsite. Book it yourself"

If I'm feeling really helpful I might also post a link to the location on google maps.


I can't see why it has to be harder than that ???

Well, do it then!


But the questions you get asked:

Will there be vegan skinny latte (without olives) served at breakfast? (made up question :D )

Will it snow? Will there be sand on the road? If there's a terror attack 2 countries away will this affect the security of the event? What if a dog chases you? Do they use toilet paper in the town where the event is situated? (Also made up questions, but based on my reading on the hubb :innocent: )

Do you have liability insurance to run off road rides? (a real question that a mate was asked when he was organising a free mini meet. He hasn't bothered organising anything since...)

Some people these days run events by invite only. That way you control who turns up. Open forum meets can be tricky, unless you have a vested financial interest to take the rough with the smooth and tolerate the hassle and headache.

PS. If I do turn up to an event you organise I won't threaten to sue you if I fall off my bike :Beach:

Surely all those guys are just doing the ABR meetings now...

I'll have to put an extra sentence in the advert.

"All stupid questions will be ignored".

In the event of a total eclipse of the sun. And the chicken's go to roost early, will that be one egg or can I get two for breakfast?


John933

I once filled in a BMF risk assesment for an event. It concluded that motorcycling, using camping stoves and having alchoholic drinks served made it too dangerous doh

I trust the BMF have now either come up with a form they didn't just copy off the internet, or they'll be informing their membership that they will now be wrapping them in cotton wool (Oh, sorry, that's a choke hazard). :rolleyes2:

Andy

It’s enormous..!!!
 

I prefer the older meets myself but that’s progress and you cant “ungrow” something.

You can compare the meetings to watching football.

The mini-meets are like going to watch your local pub team on a Saturday. Everyone gets to know each other. It's all a lot of fun. It's not taken very seriously at all. You end up in the pub chatting about the times you used to play and make lots of new friends.

The big meetings are like going to watch a Premier league game. You're just another face in a large crowd. Watching primadonnas ponce around acting like they're saving the world. Then you pay £10 for a pie and a pint whilst getting blasted in both ears by advertising and vendors.

You still enjoyed your day out. But they make you appreciate what you're missing out on. Then you promise yourself to start supporting your local clubs and vow to go and watch some games in a wet field on a cold November morning.

But you never do.


Then you put on Match of the Day and renew your season ticket.

When I was organising the HU meeting in France up to last year, I had a deliberate policy of trying to keep the meeting quite small in terms of numbers, but packed full of top quality stuff. This worked very well. The first meeting we had (2012) was 18 people and it pissed with rain, but we all had a great time and came back for more. The meeting now hosts around 100 people which IMO is big enough. More than this and you get ''cliques'' of attendees who womble around in groups and don't mix or share experiences. If there are too many people it becomes more of an exhibition. Nothing wrong with exhibitions, they're just impersonal (IMHO). In France also we sit down together to eat and pass the evening as a group- it's a great feast and everyone moves around the tables and loves it.( It gets very lively after a nice bottle - maybe 2...3... of wine with new friends!).

Countries like France are huge, it can take two days to get from one side to the other in the summer time ( at a sensible speed!), and one big meeting does have a disadvantage in that it only attracts those with the time and the means to attend. Localised regional mini meets anywhere are a good idea, as it keeps the spirit alive for those who aren't able to travel to the big meet for whatever reason ( we're by no means all permanent travellers, and our enthusiasm has to be paid for). It's all under the same umbrella, and we all have very similar motivations.

The only downside to mini meets is that it is the bigger meetings which generate the necessary to keep the website what it is. Mini meets just about hold their own in terms of costs. The major meetings must therefore continue and probably expand, but perhaps the mini meets could make a contribution also.

Not easy
 

Myself and Touring Ted have been looking for years for a venue to host a mini meet. However in this gorgoeus neck of the woods there are no camping sites and the football, rugby and cricket grounds I have approached have all backed off as soon as you mention a few motorbikes. It's as if they fear SAMCRO is moving in and they have to lock up their daughters and get the local militia out.

Private gardens are great for a couple of tents but neighbours complaining about noise and a lack of secure parking spaces also limits me and others I am sure. Trying to organise events miles from home mean they are not local and others are probably better placed to to do this.

On top of this, as others have said, trying to cater for veggies, real ale lovers who only want hand pumped beer in a local pub with a roaring fire complete with a food menu that looks like a shipping list. Alongside all of which are, those who only want to go all out for a day blasting up mountains on wet grass, loose gravel and ice and those who just want to sit around a fire and talk bolloxs all night is challenging to say the least.

Add in safety regs and insurance and it is clear that what used to be a group of people meeting up for a chat is now expected to be more of Thompsons weekend getaway. I am saddened but not surprised the mini meets are dying out or have become private invites only.

I do however live in hope.

It should not be this difficult if i was to do a mini meet i would find a motorbike
friendly campsite like

Disserth Caravan & Camping Park
Howey, Powys
Wales, UK, LD1 6NL
Tel: 01597 860277

in a good location and see who turns up :scooter::scooter::scooter::scooter:
and just go with the beer flow
:funmeterno:

There are plenty of venues for a mini-meeting in great riding areas of the UK.

I've done more than my bit in the past. So have others who don't even visit this HUBB forum anymore. Who wants to take over the baton?

Are 'none HU' mini meets even allowed to be posted on the hubb anymore ?

Dales tiny little mini meet.
 

Still not a mini meet up north I see, Like they say if you want something done do it yourself - I'm away quite a bit over the next months but if there was some interest I might see about a weekend at the Green Dragon or a similar located pub in the Dales early in March - if anyone would be interested - I won't be organising anything else just a meet up and camp site - if you want to go trail riding then sort it yourself replies on this forum please and i will see how much interest there is. Jake.

tiny mini meet.
 

Subject to a few other bits and bobs - i've just made enquiries with a pub in the Borders of Northumberland - so lovely area for runs out I have looked at 9 / 10 March with limited numbers up to 20 people on motorbikes not for the 4 wheel crowd thanks, bikes only. Pubs nice, good reasonable priced bar food, camping area. rural location. if the publican gives the go ahead the first ones to put there name down get to go on the meet. Anyone interested camping prices £10 night I think but i will try to negotiate this down a bit. Jake.

Available
 

Put me down for that Jake. It would be good to see you it has been a few years lol If I wait much longer the next time I see you, I will be on a mobility scooter God alone knows what the insurance risk assessment on that would be let alone the problem of charging points along the way!!

Sign me up...

Sent from my Moto G (5) using Tapatalk

I shall be talking to Danny up at Haggs Bank at the March Moto Madness event about a weekend event I organise annually for the UK TDM group.
Everyone is more than welcome to come and join us.
Late June more than likely.

Put me down as a possible, Jake. Only went riding yesterday for the first time since last July and logistical issues might mean early March is a little too short notice.

Hi Chris Im getting the feeling its maybe a bit short notice for many, Ive pm a few people had nothing back so I'm revising the dates and push it back till May.

Can anyone give me some feedback if May is any good Im thinking 18 /19 may so before the schools break up for half term.

This might give me time to sort out alternative pub etc up here. it would be easier for me as i am Out of the country during March and away in April. What I need before booking the pub is a bit of interest so I get a feel that its worth while for the pub to take a block booking for camping.

So that in mind I am going to scrap the March dates and look towards May as an alternative.

Anyone interested then please let me know. We have in northumberland superb roads and routes around the borders, There are some green lanes but they are limited in the north of the county but im not planning a green lane weekend in any case. Just a social get together with a few pleasant runs out around the county and Borders for those who want one.

Cheers jake.

May is better for me and probably many more. It's definitely warmer up there too ;)

Sent from my Moto G (5) using Tapatalk

Ditto. May better.

I'm interested in the May meetup.

May sounds great just need to shift this pneumonia then i can beer:scooter:

It appears the date Ive mentioned clashes with Haggs bank so again I will have to review that, I wouldn't want to be taking custom away from Danny and his family. I ll have another look at some dates and see how it goes. Im going to a few rallies this year and away on Holidays a bit so its a problem fitting all these nice things to do into the year.:frown:

Wow that would be so nice :thumbup1: The big HUBB events in Germany, Swiss and South Africa and the Tesch Treff in Belgium have become so expensive, that real long term travellers cant afford to join them anymore, even me and some friends were close at the right time. 75 Euro per Person (Entrance +Camping) for just one weekend + petrol + food and not even free camping if one gives a talk is too much just to meet other travelers :thumbdown:

This is not against Grant. I know runing a forum is expensive but i would prefere to finance it with advertising insted.

Hope to meer you all one day somewere. The Touratech Travelevent 06-10 June 2018 is free and at the AfricaTwin Meeting in Nürnberg 20-22. July 2018 you could camp, eat and drink for 3 days as much as you want for just 30 Euro :)

I really enjoyed the MRT meeting at Gieboldehausen in Germany last year. Camping, excellent presentations, vendors, live music and 2 breakfasts for 25 euros. Lots of like minded and chilled people, many of whom have been there / bought the t shirt. Ted Simon was there too.

https://www.motorrad-reise-treffen.de

They were never 'not allowed' Ted. See the Motorcycle Events around the world forum, it's all non-HU events!

We're always happy to support mini-meets, and of course we prefer them to be HU Mini-Meets! There's also "Adventure Weekends" now too, with much more of a focus on riding, with Mini-HUMM's to make it more exciting.
See the Western Australia and Sweden Adventure Weekend events. Also Ontario for a smaller full event, with a Mini-HUMM attached.

Awesome news.

Just bounce this one out there the nice people at Touratech are doing a "Free weekend" adventure weekend with many big manufactures there to play on their toys plus this year they have moved to a larger site. We could meet up and have a mini meet get together with extras beer

Touratech Travel Event
11th to 13th May 2018.
Rheola House & Grounds,
Resolven,
Neath,
South Wales,
SA11 4DT

Bump
 

Any news at all from anyone for 2019?

Here's what I know of:

MCN Motorcycle Show at ExCel in London - Feb 15-17 £18 (They have a big adventure section every year)

Overland and Adventure Bike day at Ace Cafe - Mar 24th (Free, I think)

MACH Motorcycle and Music Festival 6-9 June in Wales £62 (This is the one Nick Sanders is putting on)

Adventure Bike Rider Festival in Warwickshire - July 12-14 £35 for a day ticket

Overland Event in Oxfordshire - Aug 29th to Sep 1 £60

Adventure Travel Film Festival - don't think this has a date this year yet, but it's usually on in August in London

I'm not sure how I feel about going to them TBH now that I've done a trip, it seems a lot of them are centred on a few overland celebrities and then crowds of people who have yet to do anything yet. I just kind of want to hang out with other overlanders and have a pint (or a few)!

Any relation to Charley Boorman ?

And of course the best one of all, and longest running in the UK, HUBB UK 2019! All the details here.

:D:D

I'm sure there'll be plenty organised, advertised in other media. Speak with your manly bread baking homie down the road from you. Bring your adventure bidet when you next go to one :innocent: I'll bring mine and we can compare notes :mchappy:

All of those - including the Hay HUBB meeting - are for me, (and for want of a better term) 'reflection' events, where I go to see what others have done, soak up a bit of overlanding inspiration, pick up some new ideas etc. They're the travel equivalent of meeting up with friends in the pub and someone going 'hey, haven't seen you in a while, where've you been'.

Go along to the HUBB or Overland or ABR and pretty much no matter what you've done there will be someone there who makes your trip seem like you've just nipped down to the shops for some milk and someone else who thinks you rate just below the moon landings. What they're not (imho anyway) are travel in their own right. They're a chance to reflect on what you've done, have a pint or two, and decide what direction you want to go in the future.

If you want to avoid the 'celebs', the marketing and the trapped in a shopping mall feel that sometimes pervades the bigger events there's plenty of 'a field, a tap and a fire if you're lucky' type rallies going on all year round. There's a whole series of well known endurance events going on throughout the winter - the Elephant in southern Germany with its 'about to re-invade Russia' feel, the Dragon in Wales with its 'muck and bullets, back to the trenches' setting (every time I've been on it anyway), the Krystall in Norway if you've done Antartica and can't live without snow and a whole load of others. I've done a fair few of those over the years and I've yet to meet anyone in the 'celeb' category (those who drift around these hallowed pages notwithstanding :rofl:).

The whole concept of what makes someone a 'celebrity' at events like the HUBB is interesting. Is it someone who's been first (not many 'firsts' left I would've thought), gone faster / further / tougher? Maybe it's a personality thing or good marketing and self promotion, a kind of the trip's only the raw material for the book, the DVD and the lecture tour approach. All of which reminds me I must sign up for the 2019 UK HUBB, finish my latest book and start some detailed planning for my next overland event. Us celebs in our own lunchtime have certain standards to keep up. :rofl::rofl:

living in hope
 

Chris I am sure there will be some mini meets at some point this year. The point of the original post was as Ted said there used to be more mini meets posted faster than you could ride there. The corporate meets are great if you like that type of thing and more power to the organisers of them. But... the mini meets do seem to have died a death for all of the reasons mentioned in this thread.


At Dennis's birthday bash this year I was charged with organising a mini meet in Scotland for 2019. Stan's plan, apparently. I have not had much luck with trying to find a bike friendly campsite smack bang in the middle between Inverness and Carlisle at a time when most of the "Northern Tribes" are able to attend :rofl: Ted is currently busier than a really busy guy at the busiest time of the year.


Hence the bump :D

I was thumbing through a copy of Overland mag at Stanstead airport a little while ago while waiting for a delayed flight and noticed that they were now putting on a mid winter mini meet, in mid Feb iirc. Sadly, following it up on my phone revealed it was all booked up. As a substitute I'm now considering the Alte Elephant which I think is on the same weekend.

I don't know, having never done it, but I would think that taking on responsibility for a small winter meeting must be a bit of a thankless task. I notice some of the comments that the person arranging the ABR Dec mini meet in Devon made about some of the unrealistic expectations that a few attendees have and the flack he gets for not having anticipated their every need.

I suspect that if you're doing it on a small scale as a social 'service' rather than a profit centre you're only going to take so much before you call it a day. Maybe we're in that phase where all the people willing to put the effort in to arrange a mini meet have all had enough. :rofl:

Glad to hear Ted's 'just' busy. As he hasn't been posting much recently I was starting to worry he'd gone off to join a monastery or something. :rolleyes2:

Don't come to this site much very often anymore and as described in post #11, I won't arrange publicly available events because of the minority of prats with their pita demands and needs. Running your own *free* event gives you the right to control the guest list. Social media makes the invitation process muy facil.

There must be a Scottish resident who can arrange a Scottish mini meet, Stan!

I'm determined to try again this spring in the hubb. Just for old time's sake.

I'll post one up in the spring.

You are all welcome to come and see me for a mini meet in Cornwall, Falmouth exactly.
We have pubs and i can provide a field with the luxury of running water for you!
And it has some mx jumps for you to try out as your entertainment.

How about another Highland Mini Meet - for old times sake ? Speaking with Angus about it today - probably May bank holiday.

That would be BRILLIANT Chizz.

The last one in Cannich was a great meeting. How long ago was that now ??

Five years ?? doh


Also a great excuse to carry on and do the NC500. :thumbup1:


There are two bank holidays in May though.


6th May 2019 Monday Early May Bank Holiday
27th May 2019 Monday Spring Bank Holiday

Ok we will get this going for the first weekend. Watch this space. Chizz

The Bull run!!!!!!!
 

Chiz, Angus. Just checked it was may 2011 when I was first there.(the year of the first Cannich bull run , (news of which has since gone global). It was 2013 when me and Ted turned up in a van (naturally as you do to a motorbike event). The first bank holiday weekend of May sounds great to me. Looking forward to catching up and hearing about your travels. Is the big pub still shut or have new owners come to the rescue? If it comes off I really cant wait to have a pint with you and Angus :D:D:D:D

BC your location says NZ, when are you in the UK? A meet for a few beers and a good ole chinwag sound great. Have you any idea on dates for this? Looking forward to some more info when you have it.

I'll pencil it onto my calendar for the first May bank holiday. Friday 3rd May..

I'll see if I can take a decent wedge of time off and make a proper Scotland trip out of it.

I'm watching this space :)

So are UK mini meets now to be posted in the events around the world instead of UK events? Sorry for the confusion but at my age senility is now starting to set in :rofl:

That's a new thread started Ted - Mays a good time for the Highlands especially now they have "invented " the NC 500 - can be busy in the summer.

Chizz

That's us set the ball rolling - new thread started - Highland Mini meet 2019 - the good bar is closed unfortunately but there is another that will do and if weathers good we can kick around the campsite - Chizz

The Scotish Mini meet can be found here.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...t-2019-a-97010

HU UK events are in the UK, so seems to me that's where they ought to be posted ;) :mchappy::mchappy: