ABR Festival 2024
4 days, 3 nights, camping, bikes, music, food & great company!
What more do you need?
27th - 30th June 2024
I've been waiting for four years to attend this festival, and I was also looking forward to hitting the Bridgestone trail. Unfortunately, I no longer have my Himalayan bike, and taking my Honda off-road wasn't an option, especially since my bash plate and engine guards weren't ready in time. They're still waiting to be fitted, but there's no rush. I'm super excited about getting them installed, though. Why? Because I plan to explore off the beaten path, mostly on gravel roads, and I want to ensure my bike has some protection. Customizing my bike has been a joy, and I'll share more about that in future posts!
We booked the tickets as soon as they were available last year. My Dad and Brother-In-Law, who also don't have adventure bikes, were eager to experience the festival, especially since the MCN Festival, our go-to weekend adventure for the past few years, ended last year.
We were all new to packing a mountain of gear on our bikes. For the MCN festival, we needed less as we always stayed in a hotel. This time, we loaded up with full camping gear. I was amazed at how much stuff you can fit into a small space and how effortlessly the bike carried it to Ragley Hall. It was a frequent topic of conversation when we met at 10 am on Thursday at the Food Stop Café for breakfast before heading to the event. The extra weight felt different from carrying a pillion; we couldn't feel what was going on behind us. Both my Brother-In-Law and I had our bags shifting slightly, poking us in the back when we braked. Some extra straps, courtesy of Oxford's atlas straps, fixed the issue, though it took my Dad and me a while to figure out how to use them!
After breakfast, we set off, only to find one of the roads closed, forcing us onto a single-track road with heavy traffic. After a few miles, we were back on track, and I set the sat nav to avoid motorways, opting for a more scenic route.
Upon arrival, it felt like entering a different world—bikes and tents everywhere. I spent most of the weekend just watching people ride and return from their test rides. My Brother-In-Law had to nudge me a few times to snap me out of my daze as I stood mesmerized by the scene.
Despite the crowd, it never felt overcrowded. The steady flow of people around the exhibitors allowed us to take a good look at everything. There were numerous manufacturers and exhibitors, and I was particularly inspired by the photography museum showcasing various adventures.
An unexpected highlight was test driving the INEOS Grenadier. My Brother-In-Law and I took it on an off-road test ride, and it handled hills and deep ruts effortlessly. Despite its size, it felt surprisingly refined.
Setting up our tents, Dad's lacked guide ropes, so he used bungees from his bike, which worked perfectly in the windy conditions. Ragley Hall was vast. We decided to pop out for food and snacks, thinking we might attempt some cooking. However, it turned out to be a disaster!
My Brother-In-Law and I ventured out, following a one-way system out of our field. I took a wrong turn and ended up on a trail meant for manufacturer test rides and part of the Bridgestone trail. Although I hadn't planned to go off-roading, my CB coped well. I panicked when I couldn't find my Brother-In-Law, who had wisely left his phone with me. After 10-15 minutes of searching, I decided to find the supermarket on my own. I took a nice picture while there, though.
Returning to camp, my Brother-In-Law was already back, having followed the correct route. He didn't want to venture out again due to the unsteady ground and his lack of off-road experience. I had enough food and snacks for everyone anyway.
In the evenings we went to watch and listen to the entertainment and it was really good! I hope they have Krystal Roxx next year I really enjoyed her dance music! AC/DC were brilliant to, in fact I can't fault any of the entertainment! The food wasn't bad either although it was expensive but these places usually are and you don't really have a choice unless you prepare and buy food to take with you, I am not sure we would of had the room, next year however we can re-think!
We also went to see many of the talks including Girl on a Bike, The Missenden Flyer, Alun Davies, amongst others and they were all really interesting and entertaining. One of the talks that stood out was Lavi & Ollie and their round the world trip, that was amazing and inspiring!
One morning, we attempted cooking breakfast—bacon and beans with toast, which was a disaster! My bacon ended up on the ground, and Dad's toast was blackened from being placed directly on the gas. It was hilariously ridiculous, especially since we've camped and cooked many times before.
On the Saturday we planned a ride out, my Brother-In-Law wasn't feeling to well that morning so he decided to stay at the festival whilst me and Dad had a ride out to Chipping Norton and to Clarkson's Diddly Squat Farm Shop which we did not hang around for due to the queues and as it was so hot we would have melted in our bike gear. The ride out was nice, we did about 70-80 miles. The countryside was stunning and the properties were even better. I imagine the house prices would be substantial but I could see why. But we enjoyed being out for a couple of hours before returning back to the festival.
The weekend was thoroughly enjoyable, well-organized, and relaxed. We did miss some daytime biking entertainment like stunt shows, and I was disappointed not to hit the trails due to my bike's lack of protection. Despite the long queues for test rides, we could always visit a dealer for that. We enjoyed it so much that we've already booked our tickets for 2025. Hopefully, by then, I'll have an adventure bike and can tackle the trails!
Bikes that Shined - The Himalayan, the stand was amazing! The CF Moto 450MT is surprisingly well put together and looked good! And the biggest surprise was the KOVE 800X! What a nice bike and a decent price to!
What I enjoyed the most - The camping, the company and being around something I am passionate about, it was all interesting, enjoyable & fun!
What I enjoyed least - Our attempt at cooking and the queue's for the showers, there weren't enough!