Get Off Those Bikes!

It’s Saturday morning and I have been looking at my diary to book in a job for a few weeks time, and suddenly I realised that the Scottish is only three weeks away. Yes, I know I’m a bit slow on the uptake having only just realised that, but one day seems very much like another to me in my line of work and dates all seem to merge into one. In fact as it’s only three weeks to the Pre 65 Scottish, as I write this now, in three weeks time I’ll be traversing the Highlands on the Battymobile Villiers.

Looking for something to write about this week, I naturally glanced through recent postings on Trials Central, and sure enough, the old favourite popped up about routes, directions and what to see, where to go for the duration of the two trials.

Taking the easy way out, buy a programme where all the details will be explained, but basically, whilst there are some changes day by day, it’s very much as it has been in previous years. No one trial is the same as the previous year, the Scottish develops from year to year as land becomes available/is lost, as the requirements forced upon the club change from year to year.

In fact whilst it would be great to plan three weeks ahead what you are going to see and do each day, in reality it’s not like that and never has been. Purely as a spectator, which sections you go to and who you see riding through them tend to relate to which riders you are following in particular, or indeed if you are planning to see everybody.

I have my own favourite sections, but again, as the years have passed these have changed and I tend to alter my days to accommodate what my friends want to do. I always try to have at least one day with a decent walk, usually it’s out to Blackwater on Monday, but I don’t think the trial is going that way on the first day, so it may have to be another day, or I might have to change my plans entirely. It can all be considered a day or so ahead, because, as I say, what’s happening does change from day to day and can also be very much influenced by the weather.

Regular poster GIZZA5 made a very valid point when he commented upon illegal riding by riders going out to look at sections, particularly those used in the Pre 65 Two Day Trial. Obtaining permission for the trial to use the tracks and paths, particularly those around Kinlochleven, is given purely for the duration of the trial and only for riders in the event, signed on officials and marshalls. Yet year after year there are dozens of people on bikes in places where they should not be. I’m absolutely sure they don’t want to read and hear about this, but it doesn’t alter the fact that as I’ve already said, only those directly involved with the trial should be out on bikes.

As GIZZA said so eloquently, can somebody translate this into Spanish as it is definitely a significant number of foreign riders as well as English speaking riders who are causing the problems. Look, I know it’s a pain having to walk up the hill from Kinlochleven to the Mamore Road, but it’ll do you good, and if you set off in plenty of time, you’ll still see all that you wish to see. There’s plenty of girls that do it, so the blokes on bikes need to leave them at the end of the tarmac road, then walk the rest of the way.

However, one of the problems in getting this message across is that not everybody who is likely to be guilty as charged reads this website. Many trials fans from around the world read all this, but equally many don’t and perhaps have never even heard of Trials Central, so for those who don’t know, I’m sure there will be many appropriate signs in the areas which give the greatest cause for concern.

Now, no more of the whinging; as I’ve said, it’s only three weeks away, so let’s look forward to a dry, bright, warm and sunny week, for sure we deserve it as the weather, certainly in North West Lancashire, has been pretty poor so far this year. In fact there has been snow and hail outside my front door today, whilst the same weekend last year was bright, sunny shirtsleeve weather.