The Malle Mile: So Cal vibe – in Lincolnshire

Ten years ago a new phenomenon hit the motorcycling world. It was called the Malle Mile. Held in the grounds of a manor house on the outskirts of London, it was a weird mix of motorcycling: sort of custom, meets classic, meets drag racing on grass – with guys in shirts, waistcoats and chinos, girls in flouncy dresses, and toddlers having the time of their lives darting in and out of picnicking groups while trying to avoid tripping over the hampers and champers…..

Not your average custom bike show. Not your average classic scrambles. But the field was full customs and classics – and just about any other type of motorcycle you could imagine.

It was fresh, exciting and, weirdly, attracted a clientele base largely made up of young people who saw nothing wrong in a stock 160+bhp Diaval racing a 1914 7hp Big Twin Indian in a head’s up drag-race – on grass. Or even a ratty Vespa scooter lining up against a Metisse Triumph Pre-65 scrambles iron. In fact, the more ‘inappropriate’ the bikes, the more it was encouraged by the crowd.  And, like any great bike event the first Mile also had music, beer and great food. Such good times. Unless you were a purist.

I recall writing at that time it felt like being part of, ‘an idyllic, high-society garden party, with motorcycle drag racing!”

The word was out.

Ten years on, the Malle Mile has become one of the major ‘must do’ events of the custom/classic calendar. It’s run by Malle London, a company that was started in 2014 by two ‘designers/ cousins/motorcycle-disciples’ Robert Nightingale & Jonny Cazzola. Both avid motorcyclists, they set out to create more robust and British utilitarian ‘adventure accessories’ (high-class luggage equipment) and in 2015 hosted ‘The Malle Mile’, which has grown organically every year and has been a sold-out event for the last three years.

Six years ago, in search of a bigger site to accommodate the growing numbers of Mile aficionados, the event relocated 100 miles north to Lincolnshire and beautiful Grimsthorpe Castle with its 6000-acre deer park, oak forests and lake offering the perfect idyllic site for the Malle Mile madness.

And it is mad – in a good way. The Malle Mile has grown into a huge event. There’s still drag racing of sorts (called ‘The Art of Sprint’), and a hillclimb (The Dash Speed Trial), both held on the asphalt drive of the Castle. There’s the Mile Scramble (slalom races on the grass), Malle Go Round (oval grass track), and much more – including a kind of enduro-style lap that takes in miles of the Castle parkland. It all sounds competitive and, you’ll see some proper ‘race faces’ out there, but above all the Malle Mile philosophy is all about having fun. And there were those, kids and adults, not ‘competing’ who seemed content just trickling around the site on all manner of bikes. The entire event has, and always has had, that kind of So Cal, ‘On Any Sunday’ vibe.

There was Moto Polo (Malle’s version of the Euro 2024 footy but with players on motorcycles of course), the Mini Mile for kids, a custom/classic bike show, manufacturers, the Mile Makers trade area. You could camp or glamp. You could hang out in the Mile Metropolis, the heart of the event with bars and bands.  

It’s so popular now that the Mile has now become a four-day festival, rather than three. The organisers opened it up to Thursday to ease getting into the venue on Friday but all that happened was the customers arriving on Thursday to kick off the party a day earlier!

And while the Mile attracts a huge number of people to the event, the large percentage of ‘under-40s’ which is encouraging for the future good of motorcycling – though anyone with a love of bikes can enjoy the event.

Malle describe the event thus: “The Mile is a celebration of the motorcycle in all its forms, with a non-stop programme of very inappropriate racing. a celebration of the British summertime, the motorcycle culture, with world class bands and live music from the main stage, the expedition exhibition, the art of machine art show, brand exhibitions and the now legendary mile after-party.”

If you were there this year, you doubtless had a ball. If you weren’t? Well there’s always next year.

We love it.