NAD1

I do triathlon and believe me trials is a LOT cheaper! Am doing Ironman UK in July - £400 entry fee. Add in winter bike (for wet training), road bike, TT bike, all the kit, wetsuit, all the kit, running gear, all the associated accessories, food, food, food while training and it's a very expensive sport and one that NEVER stops taking. I guess all in I'm well over £10,000 of kits and always getting more. You can easily do £10,000+ on a bike, £3000+ on wheels and so on. It's accessible yes - can swim, ride and run anywhere and there's lake a plenty for OW swimming. You can, as with trials, also do on a much smaller budget which helps to attract a wider audience. Compare that to trials - less and less land available all the time and frowned upon because it's 'noisy and bad for environment' Trials has a bigger problem in the UK - clear to see when you look at the support the Spanish and French riders had at Penrith. I'm itching to get back on my bike after IMUK, so is my wallet

Thanks for the helpful reply.....

Has anyone bought tickets from the website? I can't see any weekend tickets or family tickets anywhere. Seems (to me) you can only buy individual days for both adult and kids. Is that correct?? Also the 'discounted' tickets offer ends today apparently. Expensive weekend when you factor in hotels, food, transport and tickets to see a only a few riders and rules that are ignored / not implemented.

Ha... Thats madness Dan. If anyone has an ounce of uncertainty about how ridiculous the rules are and how they are not being even slightly enforced watch the You Tube video of Toni Bou at Penrith last year on (I think) section 7. He was stationary for circa 4-5 seconds, then later in same section went backwards with his foot down and got given a 1. Yet at the same trial a sterling (best ride of the whole lap) ride by Grattarola on another section (possibly section 3 - the section where everyone sits on the grass bank) where he had a single dab he was given a 5. And people wonder why these guys don't want to ride WTC - often at their own expense.

My original post was that the Gas Gas situation has just made a tricky decision - stay at Gas Gas or move to TRS - a much easier one. I'd imagine he'll now ride TRS for 2016 onwards and maybe 2015 if they can sort a bike quickly enough. He's got the bike, trick bits etc etc sure funding won't be too much of an issue for him - is it all Europe trials now??

Looks like Gas Gas situation has made a possibly tough choice very easy! Wonder whether they can get a bike to him this season.

Just watching and every section they show Karlsson on his Mont 4RT sounds like a 2 stroke.... I'm assuming (as no one written anything) this is very poor editing and montesa aren't slipping a 2 stroke back into trials.

No weekend ticket option is a disappointment to be honest. Also, on topic yes you can say it's not hugely expensive but as an overall cost the event will likely cost me well over £300 what with fuel, hotel, meals, tickets etc. Worth considering a foreign WTC round I think - better weather guaranteed and make a bit of a holiday out of it for pretty much same price

Jorge Casales signed for Beta for 2015 season. Beta obviously doing something right. Lose Dibs and replace with the only genuine young threat to Toni Bous supremacy. Where does this leave Gas Gas?? Where will Raga go IF anything happens at GG that threaten WTC / X trial? Hope Casales does well, been looking immense over the last season

Does anyone know if there is a DVD available from this years championship?? Nothing on Duke website so assume someone (FIM??) not given Duke distribution rights etc. Is there a Spanish / Italian etc version out there does anyone know?? Thanks

Hi, yes I've ordered from Michele. Really really good guy, very trustworthy and did me a mega deal on some Ossa bits and gear. Delivery costs a bit but comes quickly. Drop him an email.

I'd expect - same as 2014 model, some improvements and new stickers

Last WTC round from Arnedillo on. Motors TV tomorrow at 9:00am followed by the Cahors Urban trial at 10:05 also on Motors TV ?

Yes you get the choice of seats when online booking. As a general rule we always try to sit on the back couple of rows of the first tier of seats and middle-ish of the arena. Too near the front and you'll have a decent view of 1 or 2 sections but nearer back of first tier you'll have a good view of 6 or 7 and obviously you'll have the screen wherever you sit. Earlier you book the better the choice. If you go on the website you can see the seating plan

You're correct, never been

Problem with Penrith is that it's largely ride in, huge step, drop down, little turn, huge step exit. 0 or 5 The Spanish live and breath on huge steps so nothing to do with observers favouring local / best riders (this time) I've not analysed the scores but would imagine a lot of the non top 5 riders points were 5's. The factory support helps but again won't make any difference to your score. As for ACU input or support or even review and analyse.. I don't think they give a monkeys TBH. Look at other countries all have their federation with them, supporting them (financially, with trucks, minders, mechanics) and making their life easier. Spanish, French and Italian all out in force with their brightest and best. Had a good chat with the Italians who were in our hotel. Great bunch, great set up, great team mentality and most importantly great support for the riders. Do the ACU do ANYTHING like this? I don't think any of our riders get anything other than a few ££ here and there.

IMO it's probably just as easy and probably cheaper for me to go to a WTC round in France, Spain, Belgium than it would be to go to Fort William. If it's 3 hours on from Penrith, that's 7hr 30 or so for me driving. Can probably hit most of France in 7hr 30 (not allowing for ferry etc) or just fly from Luton. When Penrith was originally only 1 day I decided I wasn't going to go all that way for 1 day only. Going Fri/Sat/Sun makes journey worthwhile. I liked Hawkstone - centrally located. I also love Houghton Towers - although been 20 years since last there so guessing that's a bit of a no go Not knowing the logistics behind securing a venue for an event like this I'd assume that options are few and far between as there's certainly ample ground in Wales, Yorkshire etc. It's a shame we can't do European style in a town or village in the UK as the whole ambience and atmosphere is always amazing and the locals seem largely welcoming and open to the event (not sure UK would be as open armed)

Why does he sound like a 13 year old girl??? Everything he said was 100% correct. As for the 'what lap' question the 5 that wasn't was lap 1. The 5 that he got given was lap 3, full on, laid down, off the bike 5. That's where people started shouting out 'that's a 5 this time yea' etc etc

Nothing to do who does or does not volunteer surely? Unless you're just trying to pick an argument because I'm voicing an opinion!!!! I had my 6 year son with me and he's not going to want to stand around all day observing at a section. IF I did observe I can truly say that I would be consistent. Anyway, as Dabster said I'd paid WELL over £300 for the weekend when you factor in fuel, hotel, sons tickets etc etc so have done my bit I feel for the British WTC round.. If you volunteer to observe at a world championship trial then kudos on you, its great that you can willingly give up your time and I applaud that. HOWEVER, regardless of what, how, why you are observing you MUST be consistent throughout.... In defence of the observer on section 3 and largely on section 8 they were on the whole consistent - too harsh IMO, but still consistent. The observer on section 4, whether he'd ever admit it or not was too scared to give Toni Bou a 5. He could NEVER argue he didn't see it EVER he was simply still way too long. He bottled giving a 5 to the world champion and championship leader. It wasn't even an area where you could say 'he was still hopping, trying to keep momentum' etc When Bou 5'd section 4 on the last lap on Sunday about 20 people shouted out "you know thats a 5 this time yea' or words to that effect. It is a shame that this is the situation we are in and it is a very hard situation inflicted on the observers by the clowns at the FIM running the sport that insist on running rules that are impossible to observe and that every rider hates. The only way you'll get the consistency is to have a team of observers that observe at every WTC round across the championship. And yes I'm aware that that does not help in 'keeping costs down' (which the afore mentioned clowns keep banging on about) however neither does running WTC events in Australia, Corsica etc

I've seen WTC rounds in UK, France, Andorra, Czech Republic and Poland over the years but never have I seen such atrocious observing decisions as I witnessed this weekend. A few of the many examples Saturday section 4: Bou still for at least 4-5 seconds and bike stalled, got away with a 0 Saturday section 3: Ferrer given a 5 for the merest of stops, was not 'technically' stationary either Sunday section 8: Grattarola having the ride of the first lap and blitzing the rocks that most others (inc Bou) 5'd and got given a 5 yet, same section other riders actually stopped getting away with it. Sunday section 2: sheppard stopping, going backwards, going sideways and getting a 3 There were many more examples of this pathetic observing but these were the worst that I witnessed with my own eyes. The worst and most blatant was Bou on section 4, how anyone with a functioning eye could say he did not stop is beyond comprehension. Ultimately probably didn't alter too much position wise but clear 'benefit' being given to some riders and not others.... If you want to run stupid, impossible rules MAKE IT FAIR FOR ALL RIDERS. Also, for what it's worth every rider stopped in pretty much every section!! Idiotic rules and unbelievable observing aside, CRACKING weekend in Penrith. Well done all who made it happen

Yes he was massively and harshly robbed of what would have been the best ride on lap 1.

OK ta will have a look, any idea if the sprocket would fit at all?

Hi, Has anyone tried the above on a Mecatecno? Mecatecno only do the standard teeny-tiny chain which Adam has just snapped. The logical choice seems the heavy duty Oset one but looking to see if 1: the sprocket fits and 2: the chain is the right length for a. Mecatecno. Trials UK were very helpful but couldn't guarantee either fit. Or correct chain length. Anyone know anything?

I'm looking at a set of hydraulics also and have looked at the Clarks Exo Skeletal as well. What is the reach adjustment like on the levers? The pic on CRC website seems to show them I what would be a long long way out of reach for a 6 year old.

I use GRO gear extrem 75w as recommended by Ossa Factory team. Not as expensive as the Putoline but needs changing more