Lost in a Sea of Adventure Bikes

ABR! The Adventure Bike Rider Festival

Over 20,000 riders attended the Adventure Bike Rider Festival. They claim it’s the largest adventure motorcycle rally in the world, and they just might be right.

For more than a week, a dedicated team transforms the grounds of Ragley Hall into a small city. Built by Edward Conway, 1st Earl of Conway (1623–1683), Ragley Hall has a fascinating history and was the first stately home in England to open its doors to the public.

The festival sprawls across 450 of the estate’s 5,600 acres. Four main stages are surrounded by motorcycle manufacturers, gear vendors, travel exhibitors, food stalls, and more beer vendors than anyone could possibly visit. Beyond that lies an endless sea of camping fields stretching to the horizon. The scale of it all is hard to comprehend. It’s absolute madness.

I usually attend rallies like this to catch up with friends, swap stories, and hopefully inspire others to set off on adventures of their own. An event this large can make me feel a little lost in the crowd.

Because of our friends, and having the Travelers’ Tent as our central meeting place, we had an absolute blast.

After 16 years of traveling the world, we’ve come to realize that the journey is no longer just about the places we visit—it’s about the people we meet along the way. Thanks to a rally called the Overland Event, we were fortunate enough to meet many genuine overland travelers. Over the years, several of those people have become some of my closest friends.

I don’t have a lot of true friends, which is exactly why this event meant so much to us.

Friends.

Fortunately, our friend, author and world traveler Sam Manicom, asked Melanie to help out in his booth selling books. Since we were already planning to attend, we happily said yes. In return, Sam provided us with two admission passes and a campsite right in the middle of many of our traveling friends.

That made all the difference.

With so many familiar faces and the Travelers’ Tent serving as our central meeting place, we had an absolute blast. One downside to having more than 20,000 people in one location is that the local internet infrastructure simply gives up. Cell service and data were practically nonexistent as the sheer number of users overwhelmed the system.

Rather than try to describe it all, I’ll let the photos do most of the talking. Some are ours, while others were shamelessly pinched from friends who shared them on social media.

For three days, the stages featured talks from riders who have accomplished incredible journeys and built sizable social media followings. It’s always interesting to see how those speaking opportunities are chosen. Like it or not, without a significant social media presence, you’re unlikely to find yourself on one of those stages.

Enjoy the photos.

Cheers,

2WANDRRs