The Meets/The Roads (Incomplete)

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Here are a few of the best meets and top roads the south-east has to offer the riders of Essex and London. These are just a few, please add your personal choices to the list by e-mailing us at chris@docklands-superbike.co.uk

The Finest Meets

Each meet is rated by certain attributes - they are:

1) Location - how easy it is to get to.

2) Number of Bikes - the more the better.

3) Police Presence - the less the better.

4) Pose Value - is it worth cleaning your bike before going?

5) Stunt Action - sliders? Check. Small plate? Check.

6) Food/Drinks - will you go hungry or be able to get a snack?

7) Parking - is there space for me and my mates?

Chelsea Bridge -

Chelsea Bridge has been established for more years than I can count! It has earned a reputation as one of the more dangerous meets, with the amount of traffic passing across the bridge being pretty constantly busy throughout the night. But this is all part of the appeal right? Chelsea Bridge has got something special without a doubt. Happens on decent Friday nights from about 9pm onwards.

docklands-superbike.co.uk Ratings:

1) 9/10 - Piece of piss to find, lit up like a Christmas tree and full of bikes. Check your A-Z if in doubt.

2) 8/10 - At the height of summer, there can be 150-200 bikes there.

3) 6/10 - Not as many as there used to be a couple of years ago, but still a regular occurence. Watch for cameras.

4) 7/10 - Plenty of bikers strolling up and down inspecting your bike, so looking good can prove worthwhile.

5) 8/10 - Depending on number 3, it can get a bit hairy with the traffic and the traffic lights right in the middle of the bridge.

6) 7/10 - There is a long established burger van on the bridge but it can attract a long queue, worth the wait though.

7) 7/10 - Parking available on the pavement apartment-side, or at the entrance to Battersea Park.

OVERALL RATING: 7/10 - STILL A GOOD NIGHT, PARTICULARLY THE LATER IT GETS.

The Dick Turpin Pub, A127, Basildon -

The Dick Turpin Pub on the A127 is near Basildon on the Southend-bound carriageway. Bike night is on a Tuesday from around 18:30 onwards. In the height of summer, the ample car park can be full to capacity. Being located on a busy fast-moving road doesn't really make The Turpin the most ideal place to meet up, but it is very popular none the less.

docklands-superbike.co.uk Ratings:

1) 6/10 - Reasonably easy to find, but not the easiest of places to pull into or leave with the fast-flowing traffic on the A127.

2) 9/10 - Can be absolutely rammed on a nice night, plenty of trick bikes on display. Arrive early for a good space.

3) 8/10 - Regularly set up cameras along the A127 in both directions around The Turpin, unmarked patrols also common.

4) 9/10 - Due to the location, most bikes are polished up ready for some attention in the car park, instead of being stunted.

5) 5/10 - Not much opportunity for the stunters to have a play, confined to the odd wheelie away or fly-past.

6) 6/10 - Drinks on tap from the Pub (funnily enough!). Sometimes a barbecue is there for a quick bite.

7) 8/10 - Parking is good for around 150 bikes, but if it's nice, get there early!

OVERALL RATING: 6/10 - IF YOU WANT TO SHOW OFF ON A TUESDAY NIGHT, GO. IF YOU WANT A LAUGH ON A TUESDAY NIGHT, WATCH A DVD OF GIBERNAU'S 2005 SEASON.

The Finest Roads

We all have our favourite stretch of road, set of roundabouts, quiet back-road or twisties. If you look hard enough the south-east has plenty of top tarmac on offer to get you out on a nice warm day and wear out those knee-sliders!

Basildon's Festival Leisure Park Roundabouts -

Just off of the A127 in Basildon is the Festival Leisure Park complex, which has become popular with scratchers due to the series of roundabouts along Cranes Farm Road. The best of the three is the large Tractor Plant roundabout at the Burnt Mills Industrial Estate end, which is wide enough to allow a wide range of lines on entry and exit. The smallest roundabout in the middle of the three is the busiest traffic-wise and is not as grippy as the Tractor Plant one. The third roundabout is more square than round, so you can't really have your bike tipped in the whole way round, but it has been resurfaced recently so it offers a fair bit of bite on a good day.

Between each of the three roundabouts are short bursts of dual carriageway, so the opportunity to open it up or pop it up is there. As already said, the two lanes open up the lines for varied entries or exits traffic permitting.