Revving Up for a Rally Challenge!

Preparing for an Exciting Roadbook Rally Adventure

In about two weeks, I’ll attending a Roadbook rally through the beautiful landscapes of Småland. This rally will take place over two days and cover a total distance of around 650 kilometers. The first day stretches about 250-kilometer, while the second day will be even more challenging with approximately 400 kilometers. We'll be staying overnight at Ödevata Gårdshotell, which will give us a chance to relax and recharge for the next day's route. A total of 27 participants will be joining this adventure, and I’m really looking forward to this challenge and the opportunity to meet like-minded enthusiasts!

It's been about 17 years since my last roadbook rally experience. The only rally I participated in was one called "Back 2 Basics" back in 2007, arranged by members of the forum soe.se. The event covered approximately 300 km on the first day, with an overnight stay in a cabin whose name has since escaped me. The second day consisted of another 300 km all the way down to Blekinge and then back to Växjö.

What is a Roadbook Rally?

A Roadbook rally is a form of orienteering competition within motorsport where participants navigate a predetermined route using a roadbook. A roadbook is a detailed navigation document that contains a series of instructions, or "notes," often referred to as "tulips," that describe the route to be followed. The term "tulips" originates from the Netherlands, where this system of navigation was first developed. The diagrams, resembling the petals and stem of a tulip, provide a simple yet effective visual representation of intersections, turns, and landmarks, allowing drivers to quickly interpret the required maneuvers.

Unlike a traditional GPS that shows a map or turn-by-turn directions, a roadbook provides only visual and written information about specific landmarks, distances, and directions. Participants must read and interpret these "tulip" diagrams and instructions to stay on course, which requires a high level of concentration and skill. Correctly following the notes is crucial; a single mistake can lead to getting lost, costing both time and energy. Thus, the rally becomes a balance between maintaining a good pace and carefully reading and following the instructions in the roadbook.

A Brief History of Roadbook Rallying

The concept of roadbook rallying dates back to the early days of motorsport, where navigation was a key challenge for competitors. The "tulip" system, developed in the Netherlands in the mid-20th century, revolutionized the way rallies were navigated by simplifying complex instructions into easy-to-read diagrams. This method soon became a staple in rallying across Europe and was adopted by iconic events such as the Monte Carlo Rally.

The sport gained further prominence with the rise of the Dakar Rally, which began in 1978, and became famous for its use of roadbooks as the sole navigation tool. Competitors in the Dakar Rally and similar events traverse thousands of kilometers through uncharted terrains, such as deserts and mountains, relying on the precision of "tulip" diagrams and notes in their roadbooks.

Roadbook rallying has since evolved into a discipline that combines navigation, endurance, and mechanical skill. Unlike circuit racing, where the course is predictable, roadbook rallies challenge participants with unpredictable terrains where every turn, landmark, or distance marker described in the roadbook is critical to success. The reliance on roadbooks and "tulips" preserves the sense of adventure and skill in rallying, maintaining its historical roots where human capability and navigation take precedence over digital technology.

The Digital Roadbook Experiment

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to join the organizer of the upcoming rally and go scouting parts of the planned route. This allowed me to brush up on my navigation skills and familiarize myself with the route. During the reconnaissance, I tried using a digital roadbook on my phone with the Rally Navigator app.

The idea was to see if the digital format could be a more convenient alternative to the traditional paper version. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a total dissaster; as soon as I started riding, the vibrations from the motorcycle seemed to cause the app to scroll back to the beginning of the roadbook, making it impossible to keep track of which note I was on. No matter how much I adjusted the settings, the app wouldn’t stay on the right note, which quickly became frustrating.

Going Back to Basics: Building a Traditional Roadbook Holder

It became clear that I needed to rethink my approach. Instead of risking technical problems during the rally itself, I decided to go "old school" and build my own traditional roadbook holder for paper. It may not be as modern, but it’s a tried-and-true concept that gives me full control and eliminates the risk of unexpected technical issues.

The Build

When I decided to build a traditional roadbook holder for paper, I started by researching the simplest and most effective solutions. The most basic variants usually consist of a simple plastic box, like a lunch box, with some threaded rods to roll up the roadbook and a sturdy way to mount the holder on the handlebars. After browsing around a bit online, I found an enclosure box with a transparent lid on Amazon that seemed perfect for the purpose. Since I was unsure if the size would fit, I also ordered another, slightly larger box just in case.

Constructing the Roadbook Holder

When the boxes arrived, it turned out that the smaller box was just the right size, while the larger one was too big and bulky. With the right box in hand, I took a trip to Bauhaus to buy the necessary materials: threaded rods, plastic tubes, nuts and bolts. Then it was just a matter of getting started with the build.

Since the lid of the box was quite deep, I wanted to get the roadbook roll as close to the transparent lid as possible for easy reading while riding. To achieve this, I first cut and glued plastic tubes to the inside of the lid, which would allow me to run the paper roll over and close to the lid. This would provide good readability. Then I drilled four holes in the box, two on each side, that i could insert the threaded rods throud and fasten them with nuts. These rods are used to roll up the roadbook.

Since the threaded rods can be difficult to grip and turn by hand, I started looking for star knobs that would make it easier to maneuver them. When I couldn't find any that fit, I came up with another solution: I found two plastic plugs that I could glue to the ends of the rods. This improvisation worked perfectly and provided just the right grip for quick and easy use.

To mount the entire holder on the handlebars, I reused an old Ram Mount bracket that I had lying around from a previous phone holder that had broken. I drilled additional holes in the box and attached the bracket with bolts and nuts. The end result exceeded my expectations – a robust and reliable holder that is ready for the upcoming rally!

Final Preparations

The next step was to print out a roadbook to test, and it turned out that the size of the box was absolutely perfect! Now all that’s left is to put new tires on the motorcycle, and then I’m ready for the rally!!