slapshot 3

....and are you government employed....doing covert design work do you introduce yourself as Tim, Too Fast Tim and do you prefer your vodka martini stirred or shaken....... .......

In your opinion... you have yours, I have mine, that's what freedom of speech is all about... read my other post I'm not going to argue your points Dabster, their your opinion, but what you infer is that the sport shouldn't change because it wouldn't suit a few riders, I'd suggest that the sport is more important and that the riders should be adapting to the sport. The best riders will still be the best riders whatever the format. F1 is not a great analogy. What comparison is there with a sport whose annual turnover is in billions and where the size of the field is controlled by Ecclestone and his money men. You don't have the bucks and the guarantees you don't get in.

Errr , who won it last year ? Clue Here Yep fully aware of that but he's won it before and grew up on trials of this nature. Doug won the Scott and the SSDT in 1994 before he first won a WTC crown and WTC contracts prevented him riding and apart from that, no-one (including him if I remember the article I read properly) knew exactly how he would go after years of not riding the Scott. Had Jarvis not missed sections what would the result have been??? Didn't say that, what I inferred is that trials like the Scott and the SSDT are much much more than just riding the sections, could all of the top boys handle that. Could they handle six days of moorland and roads "without" their minders and still throw out the cleans, no-one can say because they won't ride. Contracts notwithstanding, if some importance was placed on these events by the FIM, you can guarantee they would be there. Well if he did it would be a first........ As someone else has noted, whatever scenario you have as a "Championship", the best riders will always come out on top because it's marks lost that count, that's fine but for heavens sake someone take it away from the neutered, sterility of huge steps and slabs and monster climbs that only a few riders can handle. Most of us have slagged off the current format and the state of the sport but no-one has come up with a workable solution so we start with crass ideas and maybe, just maybe out of that comes something half sensible because the circus act we have now is doing nothing for the sport. Having something better might just change the fortunes as far as sales, money, sponsorship etc are concerned

Can't have the tightest man in Trials donating and me not! Sorted! Bloody ell! You guys beat France by 1 goal and its gone to ya heads!!! We won't mention your rugby scores then Ian.........

So what all these post are suggesting is that at the minute things at the top level of our sport is cr@ p....couldn't agree more. What do we, the punters, want to see; easy more of our top riders at more trials that matter. A world championship that actually represents our sport not the circus we have at the minute a battle against all types of terrain not just a few huge steps to hit properly or jump over. Entries are dwindling, there are few sponsorship opportunities, there's little money in the sport, It costs a fortune to stage a world round in its current format, we all know these problems, it needs to change. So despite the fact the the cycling world have made a complete c0ck of it, their concept of the Protour might be worth looking at. What it did was to take established events and turn them into a world championship unfortunately they screwed it but the concept is probably right. Take the British Champs and take what used to be the BIG nationals, Colmore, Colonial, Cleveland, Jack Wood, Mitchell etc etc (there's loads more, you know the ones I mean) throw in the likes of the Ian Pollock and Loch Lomond Two Day, Manx Two Day, Lakes Two Day then add the Scottish and the Scott and you get a year long competition that covers every possible terrain in the UK. Don't change the format, don't alter the fact the every level of rider can compete but chuck in five extra killer sections for the big boys to have a crack at and see what that does British Champ entries. If you expand that onto the world level, take likes of the Scott and SSDT in the UK, a biggy in the US and Canada, big trials in Spain, France etc etc etc and try to bring the Championship to the punters not take it further and further away from the sport as we know it already. It's only an idea but something has to give somewhere but something like that might give us a TRUE champion. Obviously, I don't question the abilities of the top riders but what would Bou do in Fort William, a seven hour plus day over Rannoch would kill him. How would they handle a trial likes of the Scott?????? Just my tuppence worth

High-energy Physics.......... FANTASTIC Tim I didn't realise you were a nerd try....www.cern.ch and www.fnal.gov these are fun sites as well

Isherwood, you are a disgrace.......................... but they are damn funny

YES...... mind you so am I, Kids asked what the song was as well

Admit it, he's an idle *** and needs a new bitch Comments like that'll get you bitch slapped......

Alpinestars are the stiffest but certainly comfiest trials boots, I got a pair recently, they are not hugely waterproof but a pair of sealskins socks soon sorts that out. Follow Billycraigs suggestions as well I have and they certainly work

Boys, can I ask that you be patient with the boss, he's a busy boy. In addition to TC he manages/owns other sites as well as holding down a full time job that takes in a shed load of travel. I know the work he puts in to keep TC going hence the "TEAM" of moderators on this forum to keep the nonsense down, takes a lot of the pressure off of him. I know he'll get round to you in the fullness of time Thanks Slapshot 3 Forum Moderator

I'll get your postal address off the Boss and send her your comments......... WHat Nikon Camera is it Mark?? cheers Donald

Hi Mark, nice pics.....how do you get away with the "Spousal Unit" comment, that would get me a swift kick in the dangly bits.......

Perchance....A certain Mr Brown, World Junior Champion ?????

As they say, your money your choice....are the changes impotant enough to you to spend an extra $1000?? 250 v 270 - 250 Rev 3 is more than enough for most riders, the 270's I've tried are hugely more powerful than the 250. If you are used to the 250 power of the Techno the rev 3 is not too much different. hope this helps

That sounds like a class designed specifically for TY80s. Are there any current bikes that fit the rules description for that specific class? Was the one current bike (which happened to be leading) a modified bike with smaller wheels? I suspect that's the case. While you possibly suspect correctly, I'd be keen to know how many of our current plethora of world class riders started out on a TY80, Dougie, Dibs, Browny, Wiggy, Ross Danby, etc etc etc ; go back a few years I suspect every rider has at some time early in their riding careers has had a spell on a TY 80. Now hypothesise: we have a class that's maybe tailored to the TY for a reason, it's still (after 30years) possibly the BEST bike there is for a young kid starting out in trials. Now maybe my vote should change to the TY 80 as well, because if correct then that bike has helped create many of the best riders on the planet, can't get a better credential than that.

Does look rather sweet doesn't it.....dear santa letter time again

I would suspect that people mentioning the 1974 Yamaha TY80 are unfamiliar with the 1973 Montesa Cota 25. No, many of us are aware of the Montesa 25 however in terms of the TY 80 it doesn't even come close....how many 25 cotas are still around now??? I also suspect that there were not too many Cota 25s in the UK at any time though I know of one that was given to a dealer as a demo, who couldn't get hold of more when asked. As a bike though the the TY 80 was streets ahead. My tuppence worth: do you want the bike that gave the biggest leap forward or the best trials bike ever, Biggest leap forward in technology for every rider: TY250, Best Ever - Lejeunes' RTL 250........odd they are both Japanese bikes (I'd have to score Vesty's 340 Bulto pretty close though)

Just when you mention the end tipping up........If Viagra made trials boots would they help keep your feet up???????

I think they take 550 from new, 500 comes out when you drop the oil so 50 must stay in unless the cases are split? As the man says 500 on a change......550 on a split

.....still talking about mudguards......

Got shot down for an idea like that.......... Brill go for it but you have to bear what Gizza said in mind

ang on a mo..I thought the cowboys fixed the injuns .....I'll get me coat nice to see you back Charlie

Superb Brian......may I draw your attention to the article in the first pic..the start of column three...." Leavitt has been to Spain at Senor Bulto's expense and is really quite accomplished, if not nearly so articulate as Edwards (Leavitt shunned all conversation with this reporter)"....Not our Mich Lin surely Actually it sounds just like him

You looking for some extra directions K....you enterin????