hillary

Thanks Spike for knocking the ACU - I wonder exactly how much YOU put into the sport when compared to the huge volume of work that the vast majority of ACU club officials do to simply get a local trial off the ground. Whilst it would be great to acknowledge Emma's efforts and also those of her two compatriots at the Women's Trial des Nations on the BBC SPOTY, what exactly would that have achieved. Would it have attracted more riders into the sport, would it have attracted more individuals to go out in all weathers and mark out a trial, would it have enthused more people to take up the paperwork mantle which is behind every trial, would it have generated somebody to spend hours of their unpaid personal time liasing with the RAC, government and Forestry Commission to ensure that motorcycle events can continue to run in the forests and would it have created the newly announced road traffic act insurance that now covers ALL UK riders and officials to be legally covered whilst they are organising or riding a trial on the road. No is the answer to all those points; being on SPOTY , much I would have liked to see it featured, if only momentarily, has absolutely no bearing on what happens within our sport. Simple as that, Spike. As an aside, I saw John McGuinness with the Dunlops in the audience and he was not mentioned either, even though they are probably the only sportspersons who genuinely risk their lives to compete in their chosen sport.

Just to clarify the Normandale series. It is for three classes, Over 40, Over 50 and Over 60 on any machine the rider chooses. It is recommended that the organising clubs have two routes. Over 40 would ride the harder route, over 50s a mix of the harder and easier routes and over 60s the easier route. However, some clubs (Lancs County MCC is one) have in the past chosen to have one route for everyone, which is OK as long as the clerk of the course sets it out sensibly, taking into account that a 69 year old rider is likely to be less able than a 40 year old.

In response to Gasserguy, ALL the information with regard to how the 2016 championships would run, classes etc, were distributed back in September prior to clubs applying. However, we can't pretend that the information actually reached those who wanted or needed to know. The ACU's method of communication has been to post the information on the ACU website and also to send it out to all the Centre Secretaries who should then distribute it to clubs. We recognise that this is not the best solution and have now arranged with Andy Grieg, owner of this site, Trials Central, to have a ACU news page where all the information with regard to changes etc can be found. The plan is to post the information following every T and E committee meeting and then hopefully more people will know about it. The first batch has just been sent to Andy and presumably he will set up the ACU page very soon. To everybody else who has a view about what should happen and what is wrong, there is an open trials forum to which anybody is invited on February 6 at ACU headquarters, Rugby. The fact of the matter, is that no matter what decision the committee makes - and believe us loads of time is spent talking about the most seemingly insignificant problems - it is not possible to please all the people all of the time. The committee, all very experienced riders and organisers who are very much in touch with the sport, do their best to make decisions that they believe will benefit the majority. And if they get it wrong, they are not afraid to change!!

Yes, happy to enlighten Mr Turbo. The ACU Trials and Enduro Committee realised that the Normandale series which included a class for pre 1975 British Bikes, Twin shocks and air-cooled monos, saw an ever decreasing number of entries in these three classes, with the bulk of the entries being in the Over 40, 50 and 60 categories. Therefore it was decided that the Normandale series, after consultation with Phil Ducker the sponsor, that the series would forthwith be a Veterans (over 40) championship for three classes. Two of the committee members had several meetings with Alan Wright and Gerry Minshall with a view to bringing their popular twin-shock series in within the ACU's jurisdiction. There followed a meeting in the summer at Rugby with Alan and Gerry, and the ACU committee were hopeful that the Kia championship (Wright and Minshall's sponsors) would become a fully fledged ACU championships and when they left the meeting, the committee felt that every question and potential problem of amalgamating had been overcome. However, it proved not to be and both Alan and Gerry decided they preferred to go their own way. Having already decided that the Normandale would be a Veterans championship, the new Air-cooled championship was created as that would cover every machine that would no longer be eligible for the Normandale series. However, only two clubs applied to run a round, and one of those has yet to supply a date. The committee are hoping to attract at least two or three more clubs to run a round so that it becomes viable and long term the committee hope that the Wright/Minshall series can join in with the ACU, as only under ACU jurisdiction can class winners in that series be called a British Champion. Hope that makes everything clear to date. Mike Rapley T and E Committee.

The ACU is the UK's main governing body for all motorcycle sport and is the one recognised by all other country's national federations. The country is divided into 23 Centres and with regards to trials, the vast majority, when they apply for a permit to run a trial they apply for an Open permit which allows anyone from anywhere in England and Wales to ride in the event without having to join the organising club. If the club applies for a Restricted permit, they can then put on any restriction they like - must be a member of the organising club, must ride a four stroke bike, or be a one legged seaman in wellingtons - get my drift!! They can put on any restriction they like, but usually it's the need to join the organising club. All trials riders must join a club, usually the one local to them or the one they prefer to ride with. The club issues them with a Unique Number at the time of joining and the rider then applies for an ACU Trials Registration Card and to obtain this he pays a £10 fee and quotes the Unique Number he has been given. Once the rider has the card he can then ride in any trial anywhere in England and Wales. Scotland usually require the rider to join a club in Scotland or pay a small extra fee. Hope this is clear. Mike Rapley, ACU Trials and Enduro Committee member

I can see how we got on to Lew Coffin in a Charlie/Geoff Shopland piece, which brings me to my next comment. I knew Lew for many years when I lived down in the south west and I recall him speaking with a newcomer to grass track when I was within earshot. The newcomer to the grass was complaining about having to ride on stoney tracks. Lew's instant reply which I remember so well to this day and which is so pertinent to the newcomer's problem: "No stones at the front boy!"

Hi Garyhib If you would like a decent print sent to Charlie's daughter, I would be happy to oblige. Contact me on 07788 161929

Good heavens, it's worked. Trouble is I've no idea where or when I took the picture. Hope the Laird likes it.

Now then, having just made the above post, I've actually managed to find a picture of the Shoplands which I shall try to download.

I knew the Shoplands when I lived in the SW Centre many years ago, in fact I recall writing an article about them for Trials and Motocross News in its very early days. If anybody has a full set of TMX, I think you will find the article sometime between February 1978 and the end of '79. They were actually a pretty good crew, SW champions as I recall and they also rode in a number of nationals. They were a rough and ready pair but sound blokes though I never knew them very well.

The evening starts at 7pm officially but it's usually about ten past by the time the drinkers/latecomers have found their seats. Finish is normally about 10.30pm. A good night for all with tickets at sensible prices. Parking is good and easy, the stadium is well signposted, in fact what is there not to like - nothing!!

On December 20, 2012 I had a triple heart bypass operation. On December 24, 2012 I was back at home and the following day I ate a normal Christmas dinner. Three days later I attended a Christmas lunch and on January 1, 2013 I was secretary for a New Year's Day Trial and walked half way round the course. Fourteen weeks later I rode a trial on Good Friday and finished fourth in the Clubman class then two days later I rode another trial and finished third in the Clubman class. Since then I have ridden regularly on my Beta Evo, my BMW F800 and also my Beta Alp. I'm still secretary of the local club, I'm an ACU Steward and a member of the national Trials and Enduro Committee and a regular contributor to this website. So, in answer to your question, yes you can ride again. Are there any warnings I would give. Yes, again. The chest wound takes a long time to heal and seems to ache after activity such as washing the car, sweeping the drive or emulsioning the walls. So take the car to the local car wash, sweep the drive by pulling the broom not pushing and get a in a decorator. Riding a bike is no problem. And the leg wound from where they have taken the vein tends to be sore for a long time. Other than that, take plenty of exercise, take the pills and put it all behind you. So who am I - Hillary better known as Mike Rapley.

Hi, I think you should know that the whole subject of tyres for electric and C/D class machines is under review by the ACU Trials and Enduro Committee and in the meantime it seems important that you should ensure that any tyre you use is to the current specification in the ACU Handbook.

I'm a regular contributor to this website and writer of the Centrally Speaking column and with 52 years of trials experience, consider that i have a good idea of what's right and more importantly what is not right. I'm also on the Trials and Enduro Committee but a newcomer this year and I'm just finding my feet. Let me tell you that it's amazing the number of e-mails that have circulated about the Sammy Miller series and the eventual introduction of the Non Championship class and more recently a protest following the Golden Valley event. The Non Championship class was intended to allow anyone with a bike that was so obviously NOT at the real heart of the series to have a class in which to compete. So when Jon chose to enter in the class he thought he should be in, rather than the class created specifically for the style of machine that he choses to ride, it should be obvious that he would be moved out of his chosen class into the correct one. If there was no Non Championship class, then in my opinion an organiser would have been perfectly in the right to refuse him a start as the machine did not comply with the spirit of the regulations. That there is now a class - allbeit Non Championship - gives Jon and others an event to ride, in which they can compare their performance with the results of others on machines that are to the spirit of the regulations. As John Collins has said, there is an intention to review the whole set of Sammy Miller regulations for 2016, and whilst I can't even begin to think or say what form those regulations will take, I do know that when they are drafted in committee, the intention will be to satisfy everybody's opinions, though inevitably somebody will have a different view. Perhaps this is a good time to point out that the Trials and Enduro Committee is not a group of 8 persons with no knowledge of the sport. Three of us are current trials riders, three of us have been competitive enduro riders, four of us currently organise major events and all eight at some time or another have been event secretaries or otherwise have been involved in the organisation of the sport. So it's not a bunch of dummies trying their best to formulate rules and run the sport. And also bear in mind that the current Chairman of the ACU as a whole, has been a factory supported trials rider, a multiple centre trials champion, a national trial winner, a member of the British ISDE team and a very respected organiser of centre trials, British Championship enduros and British Championship motocross. I think the trials and enduro side of the sport is in good hands. It's easy to knock the ACU but as a whole the organisation does very well to manage such a diverse sport. Mike Rapley

Didn't pick up on that instruction Andy. Sorry.

It's not weight the X-Lite is about, it's about it's extra grippability. I love it.

I think the X-Lite is a brilliant tyre; the X11 is good but the price difference generally is only a few pounds and I think it's worth it.

I've been wearing knee pads for both enduro and trials since 1990. There's loads on the market but the pair I wear are from Tackla (a Finnish ice hockey wear company)that I've used all that time. Wouldn't be without them.

The recommendation from the ACU has always been blue on the left and red on the right for the main route, i.e. the one that the majority of riders in the trial would ride. Variations should then be by a different coloured flag in pairs, i.e.two yellows, or two whites. Lancs County use plastic 25mm D strip available from your local window company - the stuff they use to finish off window fitting when they have damaged the plaster. It costs around £2 for a 5 metre length which you cut down to 10 x 50cm pegs, then spray the tops red, blue, yellow or whatever colour you need. They last for years.

Fabulous, absolutely fabulous.

The Normandale sponsored ACU Traditional Trials Championship, held over 10 rounds nationally includes a class for air-cooled monos.

I've been trials secretary for Lancs County for the past 15 years, but for New Year's Day I also set out the trial for the first time for many a long year. Not complaining, it's my choice. Sunday Dec 28, walk round venue with three helpers and bags of sticks marking out ten sections. Monday Dec 29 Laminate section begins and ends and signs for the trial. Wednesday Dec 31 Walk round venue checking sections, making a few changes and putting up last of flags between sections. Thursday Jan 1 Panic! Heavy overnight rain, thawing ground and rain at the start, talk to landowner who agrees trial can go-ahead. Take 83 entries whilst helpers do their best to park all the vans in a limited space. Ask treasurer to find 10 observers, which she does. Ride trial. Assist in clearing up course. Pay landowner and caterer. Get home, wash bike, have a shower, with assistance of wife put together a results sheet which is on the club website by 7.20pm. Monday Jan 5 count money, fill in forms for ACU and produce a trial balance sheet, put pictures from trial onto website Tuesday Jan 6 empty bags containing section pegs, wash them, clean off begins and ends and wash observers boards and ready them for next trial, deliver cash and paperwork to treasurer. And I'm not complaining as I'm happy to do it. But its totally voluntary and there's no expenses to assist with fuel etc. And I've only set out the one trial, the other club members who set out the other events through the year are equally enthusiastic, so I think the £17 pound entry fee is simply peanuts for what every rider gets out of it.

I'm a regular contributor to TC and wrote the Centrally Speaking column for many years so lots of folks will know who I am. The point I'm getting to is that just two years ago I had a triple heart by-pass on December 20, 2012, was out of hospital on December 24, went to the Kendal Classic Club luncheon party on December 28, was secretary for the Lancs County trial on January 1 and walked round half the course, was back at work on January 31 and rode trials again from March 14, finishing 4th in the Clubman that day and third two days later. Needless to say I'm still around, riding, observing, organising and occasionally writing. As folks say, it's all in the mind to a great extent. I did 22 trials last year, plus a load of observing or stewarding and rode my road bike loads of times, so it can be done and I feel spot on.

Living in Blackpool, the club likely to be of most use to you is Lancs County MCC which operates around the Carnforth/Caton/Bentham area. However, as a beginner, the best place to start is by taking part in a Sunday or Wednesday evening trial when this club has a easy clubman route. They have a trial on New Year's Day at Ingleton but whilst the course planned for that day is fairly easy, it's a one route trial and the suggestion is that you visit this trial on Thursday and have a look at what they offer. Some of the sections you would be able to do, but some would probably be a bit difficult but even so bear in mind this trial is aimed at all classes from 14 year old riders up to those in their late sixties. They will all be capable riders and there's no easy way to become such a rider. So the suggestion is to have a look at this trial, start time is 11am, then plan to have a go in their February event which is on the 22nd. Speak with folks, get an idea of what is on offer with them and other clubs and take it from there. It's not an easy learning curve, but it's enjoyable and it doesn't matter to anyone, except perhaps yourself, how good or bad you are. Nobody else cares but all will offer suggestions.

AS a multiple world champion why lower yourself to the lowest of the low TV rubbish. In fact why would ANYBODY lower themselves to this unadulterated ******** - for once in my life, written words fail me.