Engines rev at South Coast Bike Fest – and the music wasn’t bad either! [WATCH]

Organisers and event safety officials took a last minute decision to cancel the South Coast Bike Fest Mayoral Mass Charity Ride due to inclement weather last Sunday. However bikers who gathered in the St Mike’s car park, the start of the event, decided to go ahead with the mass ride, but only doing a tour around Ramsgate and back to Margate.

Ray Nkonyeni Ward 2 councillor Dave Watson said the decision to cancel was done in the interest of doing everything possible to ensure rider safety.

“Notices were sent early on social networks, WhatsApp groups and announced continuously on East Coast Radio. Many riders did an impromptu ride from St Mike’s to Margate and this was spectacular and a delight to many spectators,” Cllr Watson pointed out.

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When the Herald asked event organiser, Vicky Wentzel, on the decision to cancel the ride, she said that biker safety was of paramount importance. “The wet weather experienced overnight and in the morning made for slippery and potentially dangerous riding conditions; in addition to this, strong winds were also forecast to come through at the time of the ride, so we needed to put the bikers’ safety first,” she explained.

She added that the chosen charity, 1 Million School Shoes, still benefited from the generous donations of shoes and cash made by the biking community. Despite the gloom and doom, the event created a spectacular sight and everyone there experienced the electric atmosphere and thunderous roar of engines. Excitement and anticipation were definitely evident among visitors and motorcyclists alike. Bike enthusiasts and their incredible machines lined up early for the spectacular mass parade.

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