old trials fanatic

Some really good answers here and I agree with all of them as when you set the Trial out it's all on gut feeling as we never know who will turn up. I've never set a Trial out with one person in mind as everybody pays the same entry fee so everybody deserves an enjoyable day out. I always aim to take up to 10 marks off the winner in each class. sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. Our Trial last Sunday was very dry and turned out quite easy apart from the Expert route which looking at the results was about right with the winner losing just 4 marks but he was on fire that day and with the rest in the teens to low 20's I think that route was about right. Two things you have to remember. With todays multiple route trials some people will be riding the wrong route either due to ego as in "i'm an Expert" ( even though they don't always ride like one) or "I like being a big fish in a small pond" or perhaps they are recovering from injury etc. Also I wish I could get it through some peoples thick heads that some Trials at some venues will by the very nature of the venue be easy and some trials at other venues by the very nature of the venue will be harder. Either way as many have said try to cater for the middle ability on all routes and you wont go far wrong plus don't even attempt to please all the people all the time as some people just love to moan. Funny how they never pick a bag of flags up and help lay out but take every opportunity to slag off the poor sap who does week in week out. So develop a thick skin. If you please just a third of your entry then sometimes that's as good as it gets but if you get just a couple of thank you's it seems all worth while. Good luck you'll need it

We seem to have been blessed with nice weather for most of our events this season and last Sunday was no different with the sun shining making Carsons Farm in the heart of the Derbyshire Peak District bone dry for a change as when it is wet this historic venue can become quite tricky. Because of this the scores were low and the loss of a careless 5 could have meant the difference between success and failure. Departing from usual practice for this event the clerk of the course had decided to make two sections just for the premier classes and the Expert and Classic Expert classes rode 4 laps of 10 sections with the Clubmen, Classic Intermediate and Intermediate riders riding 5 laps of 8 sections. This seemed to be well received by most riders and may be an option at future events. Back to the business of the day and the all important results. Expert Twinshock was won by an on form Sam Brownlee whose recent work commitments have meant he doesn’t get the opportunity to ride as many of our events as he would like showing the other riders how it should be done losing just 4 marks which was a stunning ride from the ex John Shirt Majesty employee. Sam used to build the Majesty’s so he knows a thing or two about how to make a Yamaha twinshock work and used those skills to perfection on Sunday. Second place went to Mark Weston on his Montesa who along with Robert Carson out on his Yamaha TY250 special both lost 11 marks with Mark taking second place on the most cleans tiebreak. Close stuff guys. Classic Expert British Bike was won by Roberts father Peter Carson on his Bantam with a superb ride to lose just 2 marks. The Twinshock Classic Expert class was a very close fought affair with Bultaco mounted Robert Mycock narrowly taking the honours on 13 with Michael Atmore snapping at his heals riding his Fantic to second on 14 marks and current Championship class leader Tony Sprinks securing his lead and third place with a good ride to lose 15 points. In the Intermediate class and completing a hat trick for the Carson family Derek Carson, BSA Bantam, took joint honours along with Cub mounted Kevin Scott both riders being inseperable as they stayed feet up for the whole trial which left unlucky Jonathan Harrison on his Cub in third place who lost just the 1 mark on section 7. Also staying feet up was David Pattison on his Bultaco on the Intermediate Twinshock route taking the win ahead of Colin Slater also Bultaco mounted on 2 and Yamaha mounted Mark Kearsley in third losing just the 3 marks. Another close battle well done lads. Another close fought one was the Classic Intermediate Twinshock category with Tony Shaw guiding his Bultaco to the win losing just the 1 mark the same as Steve Fletcher, Yamaha. Behind them a battle royal between Peter Austin, Bultaco and Martyn Nelson, Yamaha vying for third and fourth. As they both lost 3 marks it was down to the most cleans tie break again to decide with Peter taking third and Martyn fourth. That brings us to the Clubmen classes with another close fought battle in the British Bike section giving young Harry Lyons on his Bantam the win as he stayed feet up and Arthur Tomkinson on his Greeves 62 years his senior losing out on the win by the slenderest of margins just the 1 mark. Clubman Twinshock was won by Tony Fray riding his Yamaha losing 12 marks ahead of Championship class leader Glyn Ridgeway on his Ossa taking second on 17 and Ian Dommett, Suzuki and Mike Watson, Fantic, slugging it out for third on 18 marks with again the most cleans tie break having to be used to separate them with Ian getting the nod. For more details and Championship standings visit our website www.peakclassic.co.uk A big thank you to the landowners the Carson family who have been part of the Trials scene in the area since the early seventies and it’s so heartening to see trial riders putting so much back into the sport with the use of their land for our event. So an enjoyable day had by all and attention now turns to the next round which will be held at Stathams Farm opposite Matlock Golf Club on the A632 Tansley to Chesterfield road start time as usual 11.00am. See you there. Expert Twinshock 1st Sam Brownlee Yamaha 4 marks 2nd Mark Weston Montesa 11 marks 3rd Rob Carson Yamaha 11 marks Classic Expert British Bike 1st Peter Carson Bantam 2 marks Classic Expert Twinshock 1st Robert Mycock Bultaco 13 marks 2nd Michael Atmore Fantic 14 marks 3rd Anthony Sprinks Bultaco 15 marks Classic Expert Air Cooled Mono 1st Eddie Osbourne Yamaha 46 marks Intermediate Twinshock 1st David Pattison Bultaco 0 marks 2nd Colin Slater Bultaco 2 marks 3rd Mark Kearsley Yamaha 3 marks Intermediate British Bike 1st Kevin Scott Cub 0 marks 1st Derek Carson Bantam 0 marks 3rd Jonathan Harrison Cub 1 mark Classic Intermediate British Bike 1st Paul Beswick James 0 marks 2nd Dave Pickering Francis Barnett 11 marks 3rd Jim Wickstead B40 16 marks Classic intermediate Twinshock 1st Tony Shaw Bultaco 1 mark 2nd Steve Fletcher Yamaha 1 marks 3rd Peter Austin Bultaco 3 marks Clubman British Bike 1st Harry Lyons Bantam 0 marks 2nd Arthur Tomkinson Greeves 1 mark 3rd Ray Critchlow Cub 33 marks Clubman Twinshock 1st Tony Fray Yamaha 12 marks 2nd Glyn Ridgeway OSSA 17 marks 3rd Ian Dommett Suzuki 18 marks

Well just spent two days laying out the course for Sundays trial so now looking forward to loads of riders turning up for the 11.00am start to support the Club and make all the effort worthwhile. Usual mixture of rocks and tree roots for your delight and this time we are trying something a little bit different with two new sections just for the Classic Expert and expert riders. This is in response to the fact that we are now attracting a really high class entry in these classes but I also want to provide an easier challenge for the riders in the other classes i.e. Clubman, Classic Intermediate and Intermediate who will be riding 5 laps of 8 sections whilst the Classic Experts and Experts ride 4 laps or 10 sections. As always will appreciate your feedback. So with the weather forecast for a lovely sunny day why not spend it with us in the stunning Derbyshire Peak district. The venue is Carsons Farm, Grange Mill, Nr Matlock on the A5012 Cromford to Buxton road approx. 3 miles past the Holly Bush pub on the left assuming you are traveling from Cromford. See you there.

Don't you mean pikey gypos then again I wouldn't know the difference LOL

Loved the use of the Barnsley screwdriver in the workshop along with the wonderfully non PC photos on the wall. Proper man shed stuff.

Always seem to remember probably one of the most misnamed bikes of all time along with the Aprilia climber. Basically the Ossa yellow Gripper just didn't. The better bike was the 250 Orange "Gripper" which also didn't but was better than the yellow one.

What a difference a venue makes. With round 6 barely a month ago at Bracken Rocks made much more difficult than envisaged by the clerk of the course, Paul Beswick, when he laid them out the previous day due to torrential overnight rain turning the course into a quagmire the course at Burycliffe Quarry was almost unaffected by the downpours of Saturday. The outcome was 10 sections ridden 4 times over and around the sandstone outcrop that comprises this ever popular Classic Trials venue. Riders came from far and wide with entrants from as far afield an Corby, Hull, Stockport and Skipton as well as the usual more local suspects. Yet again we were fortunate to have all 10 sections manned by volunteer observers which also contributed to make the event so enjoyable. Competing in trials is so much better when you don’t have to observe each other so we thank all the observers for helping us to have such an enjoyable day out in the beautiful Derbyshire Peak District. So back to the main event Round 7 of this years Club Championship. With the Championship now just over half way through there are some clear leaders appearing in each and every class so the pressure is on to maintain their advantage. Some of the riders managed to increase their advantage, some maintained it and some sadly lost their Championship leads. One of those who managed to increase his advantage in the Expert Twinshock Class was Ian Margetts on his Fantic who despite an early 5 on the tricky section 10, a drop over rocks into a dell with a snaking climb out over a grassy bank interspersed with some daunting sandstone boulders. Ian was understandably worried about a recent knee injury and had his knee strapped and braced and this probably resulted in the maximum on the first lap on this section. However this must have really fired him up because he only put his foot down once more on section 9, a climb over some slimy rocks, which resulted in the loss of just 6 marks in total. Local ace Rob Carson out on a TY250 twinshock for a change was snapping at Ians heels but had to settle for second place with a score of 7. Steve Hitchcock rounded off the top three in this category on his Honda with a score of 8. Close stuff guys and it could have gone either way. All three riders were most complimentary on a technical course that really made you think and concentration along with consistency was the key to a good result. Now to the Classic Expert Twinshock category and current Championship leader Anthony Sprinks, Bultaco, had to settle with second place on 28 marks as Rob Mycock also Bultaco mounted was on top form on the day and took the win with a loss of just 15 which included a 5 on section 1 without which his result would have been even more commanding. Nice ride Rob. Another Bultaco rider Gary Shield had a day of highs and lows which resulted in him securing third place with a loss of 51 even so Gary said he had an enjoyable day and found it difficult adjusting from riding his Beta mono in modern events then jumping onto his Bultaco for Classic ones and it took him a couple of laps to acclimatise to the joys of a Bultaco. David Pattison extended his Championship lead with a strong first place in the Twinshock Intermediate class at one with his Bultaco losing just 5 marks. Sporting a great tan was Chris Riley who made the long journey from Yorkshire to take second on his Fantic for a loss of 11 ahead of Nick Burton also Fantic mounted in third on 13 marks. The only rider on the day to stay clean was Kevin Scott out as usual on his gleaming Triumph Tiger Cub who easily won the Classic Intermediate British Bike route with Paul Beswick, James, following him home in second on 2 and Johnathan Harrison on another pristine Tiger cub that would have probably won awards in a Concours competition never mind a trial who lost just 3marks. Classic Intermediate Twinshock was just as competitive with John Morley, Honda, securing the top spot on 8 marks closely followed by Dave Cole on his Suzuki Beamish losing 10 marks and Peter Austin, Bultaco, on 14 in Third. Nice to see the classes so hotly contested. Which brings us to the Clubman classes and the British Bike section was again won by Championship leader Arthur Tomkinson on his very original Greeves Scottish who only lost 11 keeping Dave Pickering on his Francis Barnett in second on 20 followed in third by 12 year old Harry Lyons out again on uncle Colin Frays BSA Bantam who lost 33 marks. Amazing this class had the oldest competitor, Arthur, and the youngest, Harry, fighting it out for Championship glory. Great stuff. Last but by no means least Clubman Twinshock was won by Philip Higgins on his OSSA for a loss of just 15 marks from Tony Fray, Yamaha, on 17 and in third Mike Watson on his Fantic who with a loss of 21 points kept Championship leader Glynn Ridgeway in fourth. I have a feeling this category will go right down to the wire. So the Championship rolls on to round 8 which will be at Carsons Farm on 29th September when battle will recommence for those elusive Championship points. Fingers crossed for a full turnout of observers again along with an impressive turnout of riders supporting the Club. Thank you one and all to the riders, observers and land owner Barry Burton for their contribution to such a successful event. Expert Twinshock 1st Ian Margetts Fantic 6 marks 2nd Rob Carson Yamaha 7 marks 3rd Steve Hitchock Honda 8 marks Expert Pre95 Air Cooled Mono 1st Andrew Weston Yamaha 48 marks Classic Expert British Bike 1st Peter Carson Bantam 1 mark 2nd Mike Sanderson Cub 63 marks Classic Expert Twinshock 1st Rob Mycock Bultaco 15 marks 2nd Tony Sprinks Bultaco 28 marks 3rd Gary Shield Bultaco 51 marks Classic Expert Pre95 Air Cooled Mono 1st Gary Martin Yamaha 31 marks Intermediate British Bike 1st Colin Fray Dot 16 marks Intermediate Twinshock 1st David Pattison Bultaco 5 marks 2nd Chris Riley Fantic 11 marks 3rd Nick Burton Fantic 13 marks Classic Intermediate British Bike 1st Kevin Scott Cub 0 marks 2nd Paul Beswick James 2 marks 3rd Johnathan Harrison Cub 3 marks Classic Intermediate Twinshock 1st John Morley Honda 8 marks 2nd Dave Cole Suzuki 10 marks 3rd Peter Austin Bultaco 14 marks Clubman British Bike 1st Arthur Tomkinson Greeves 11 marks 2nd Dave Pickering Francis Barnett 20 marks 3rd Harry Lyons Bantam 33 marks Clubman Twinshock 1st Phillip Higgins OSSA 15 marks 2nd Tony Fray Yamaha 17 marks 3rd Mike Watson Fantic 21 marks

Awww thanks very much guys I really appreciate it. Not very often we get compliments Thank you

After reading the last few comments it makes me realise that the sport of Trials as you run it in the US is almost a totally different sport to Trials in the UK and Europe. Good luck anyway.

Just an update re tomorrows trial. We had a bit of a downpour this morning so this afternoon I have been round and eased the sections off a bit to allow for the weather. However according to the met office the weather is set to be dry now right through Sunday so should be a great days sport. Looking forward to seeing you all there.

My fingers came over all funny LOL

Doesn't time fly ? Well it's that time of the month again and time for Round 7 of our Club Championship which will be held at Burycliffe Quarry near Elton, Derbyshire. As usual start time is 11.00am and we will be having classes for British Bikes, Pre 85 Twinshocks and Pre 95 Air Cooled monos. Routes for Expert, Classic Expert, Intermediate, Classic Intermediate and Clubman. Been down today and the ground is in fantastic condition, dry and grippy, and I've laid out 10 sections to be ridden 4 times. Just some fine tuning to do tomorrow so please come along and support the Club. for more info on the Club including Club Championship standings and more visit www.peakclassic.co.uk Also one of our sponsors PB Trialsport will have their van in attendance for all your trials requirements. So come along and enjoy a trial in the beautiful Derbyshire Peak District.

Definitely worth doing at least once and the Spanish will make you so welcome. Sell a kidney and do it! I'm only joking about the kidney but it's a fantastic experience. I just wish I could afford to do it again.

Yeah much better without the fluorescent gear going for a lye down now come over all funny

No idea who she, I assume it's a she ?, is but assuming she's a babe then I have to agree with Andy lose the fluorescent gear

Well said that man

There you go I don't blame this guy in the slightest. What he has said is smack on. The sport has lost observers and over fist because of riders, spectators, dads etc ATTITUDE ! this is something that has become prevalent in todays world. To me the observers decision is FINAL ! period if you have ANY grievance then take it to the Clerk of the Course. As for the spectators well that's what happens when you let the rabble in. Only answer as far as I can see it is as I have suggested before let the riders mark each other as they all seem to think they have a GOD given right to get whatever score they deem fit no matter what the actual ride should have scored. As for that Spaniard well he should have been excluded for dissention and abuse of an official. Pathetic behaviour by the riders and more importantly the spectators who have probably never got off their fat arses and officiated at any event never mind a WTC.

Didn't realise it was your son. Sounds like he's pretty sorry for what happened etc so good luck with the repairs. Immediate family is the exception I suppose. Just have to smile through gritted teeth LOL I've got the t shirt for that one. As I said good luck and just let him work it off and keep his bike. Lesson learnt hopefully ?

Whats the cylinder head off Fantic ?

If you decide to follow Dabsters advice, I would, then search facebook for Solo Bultaco

seen worse straightened out. Gassers are a bit fragile then again most modern stuff is. They aren't meant to last they are all built to the old Colin Chapman of Lotus adage that as the car crossed the finish line it should collapse. OK I paraphrased that but he always thought that if a component could manage more than one race then it was over engineered and could have been made smaller, lighter etc. Trials bikes are a bit like that definitely more so than say an enduro bike or MX. Perhaps next time you loan out a bike loan out one of those or an old twinshock especially if it's some plonker who thinks they are the dogs bollox but really have no idea. Remember you used to have a Gas Gas 280 Pro there's a clue in the title "Pro" not "Prat". In my book you don't take liberties with someone else possessions and if you aren't proficient, as in newbie, don't try and show off what a prick you are as people have probably figured that out already. Question did they even offer to foot the bill ? if not that's disgusting and I think a baseball bat to their car, or their knees, might be appropriate

Over here when someone wants to borrow your bike we say "you break it you bought it!" think I would have slapped them with a bill to put it back to how it was or just have them but the bike. Moral of the story "never a borrower or a lender be". Good luck with the repair / bodge

Would have thought that adequate. I seem to remember the Ossa tanks a lot of guys use holds just about 5 ltrs so a gallon should be fine.

They are.

I've always had great service from Simon too. Top bloke.