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A How To Guide
Welcome to this page, a starting point if you're a newcomer to this highly addictive sport of Rally Navigation.
What is Rally Navigation?
Let's assume you have watched a major rally event such as The Dakar Race, traditionally the first round of the World Rally Raid Championship. This event sees competitors race across the dunes of the desert and dodge the rockfalls of the outlying boulder fields over several days. The event is open to trucks, SSVs, 4x4s and motorbikes. The latter race under FIM regulations, as opposed to FIA regulations.
They all use a navigation type called Roadbook, made up of a string of pictorial notes, referred to as tulips. Whereas the vehicles have navigators to assist the driver in finding their way through the roadbooks, the riders of the bikes have to navigate whilst maintaining high speeds and adhering to any imposed limitations put in place by the rally organisers.
What does a roadbook look like?
Traditionally a roadbook is built up of row upon row of detailed information. However, when we break it down it is a very clear simple set of instructions.
Each row is made up of three boxes. The first box on the left is a distance marker. This tells you at what distance the middle box applies. The middle box is the Tulip (pictorial instruction). This can be very detailed or sometimes just a simple T junction. The third box has additional information in that could help you decipher each tulip. This information could be informing you of a hazard, a feature on the track or simply a confirmation of what you might see, eg some cows.
The tulip will always be entered from the bottom and have its exit marked by the line with an arrow. Other lines/paths in the area will be stop ended.
Why not just use GPX routes?
This is a question regularly asked. A GPX route does not allow a rider to think for themselves. With a GPX you are simply following a predetermined line on the ground. With a roadbook, the excitement comes from not knowing. Every step is taken at face value and every turn could get you lost if you read the roadbook wrong.
What happens if I get lost?
Riders can misread a tulip or decipher it differently as to how it was written. In this case, the rider will first notice the next row of instructions may not line up with the measurement in distance correctly or the next junction does not reflect the next tulip. In this scenario, we encourage riders to go back to the last point they knew they were right. By keeping going, making the real world match the tulips, a rider will get lost deeper and deeper.
Ok. What do I need then to take part?
We run all our events digitally. To this extent every participant needs the following as a minimum;
1 - Android device with an installed SIM card ie a Samsung Active Tab 2/3/5, or a smaller phone. Albeit we find the screens small on a phone and difficult to see the information in the right hand box.
2 - A mount for the device somewhere where the device can visible.
On top of this, extras that make life a lot easier are;
3 - a remote bluetooth controller, mounted to the bars within reach of your thumb whilst riding, this allows easier adjustment of the device eg for scrolling the roadbook or adjusting the integrated trip meter
4 - power feed for the device as these events munch batteries.
Finally, what if I am the only newcomer at an event?
Don't worry. Everyone at any of our events started somewhere. Whilst some may be riders using the events as training for international events in Europe, the majority are people just like you. They've all been the newbie in the car park. You'll find someone to chat to and potentially even a buddy to ride with for the day.
Our team from Xplore Roadbooks (and sometimes The Roadbook Project) are always on hand and allow plenty of time to assist riders getting their setups dialled before heading out.
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