pete

Jeeeeeeeeeeezz!!!! Most impressive bit of driving I've ever seen I think!! Wouldn't you just love to see one of the F1 boys trying to do that - wouldn't get more than a few yards I shouldn't think!

I still get this from time to time, but When I first started riding it was always annoying me. The first thing a friend said was: "Don't do your gloves up so tight". After that, it went away! Now it only comes when I'm tired or using too much clutch! And again, try to relax your grip on the bars and keep your fingers loose-ish - it woks for me! (and I've left myself wide open for some rude-ery there!)

Don't want to appear rude, but isn't that where walking the section helps?

Saw one of these a few months ago at Bagshot Heath. A very interesting beastie - unfortunatly was always in front in the section queues so didn't se it perform. And if I remember it had clear plastic discs on the rear wheel, not at the front I think . . . It was definately attracting the most attention in the padock!!!

Well, it seems that the two clubs I ride with are pretty much the opposite to some of you Northerners! The 1st club I rode with (and still do!) has: pairs of Blue for the easiest route;pairs of Yellow being slightly harder; pairs of Red being about as hard as the blues skill level + the yellow skill level, and with pairs of White for the suicidal chaps! The other club I regularly ride with again has pairs of colours on every gate: yellow for the easiest, red for the next step up, blue's up again and again white's for the suicidal folk! (just realised exactly like gasgasthermo said!) If the same gate is used by all the routes, they're just stuck in a vertical column on the same bit of tree/bank etc. From what i've found its a lot easier to walk (and ride) a section with each gate being a pair of the same colour - but the different colours for the two different clubs didn't bother me at all! What I have found tricky to get used to is the 'follow *such and such* colour with *such and such* colour deviations' - especially when that's not written in the rules on the entry list! I guess if its what you're used to then its no problem, but the 1st time I cam across it as a raw novice it was a bit tricky to get used to!! Although it would all be very nice to have a standardised system, I almost think that its' a part of each club's particular contribution to the sport and to lose each club's different styles of marking would almost be a shame! Yes, for regional and national events it should be standardised (I've got no idea if it is already!) but the difference's at club level are one of the special 'quirks' of Trials. Well, just my . . .1 . . .2 . . .3 . . .4. . ...5678 . . .10 penny worth!! Pete.

Gee willikins!!! Makes 'The Widowmaker' from On And Sunday look like a slight lump on a main road!! I can't decide which is more dangerous - trying to ride, or trying to catch the bike/rider before they fall down the hill!! Totally nuts!!

fastest 50 yard sprint i've ever seen!! Should hate to think the state of the forks after that impact though!

I've always thought it was fine, as long as you don't move something that was an obstacle when the section was laid out. i.e. a boulder that's been dislodged by someone else and is sitting smack on your line - its been moved already, wasn't marked as a hazard so I would move it! Likewise with sticking out twigs etc. Polishing rocks is extracting the michelle quite a lot!!! I guess the trampling of a small dam to let a big puddle drain is ok, but building a take off ramp is going a bit far! I have to say when I'm walking the section its quite nice to have big feet - if they're wider than the tyres then you can make a firm line in mud and the number of rocks that can be moved with a clumsy loss of balance is quite large sometimes! Just my tuppence worth! Pete.

Nearly ain't good enough - why didn't you go back and have another go?!? Count me in, by the way!!! Pete.

I was struggling on something like this last year, Tim Connor was watching and said 'Try squatting into the tank of the bike and put as much pressure as you can onto the pegs.' I tried - it worked and turned a 5 into a clean!! So 3rd, maybe 2nd gear if it's not too long a climb, plenty of gas with the clutch slipping a bit, then release clutch, hang on tight and squat into the tank!! If there is any flat dry ground at the bottom of the hill, use it to get as much momentum as you can - makes it less hard work when you actually get onto the hill! Hope this helps! Pete.

I beg to differ - There was a plaque by the car telling of its racing heritage and video footage in the background. Unless they were lying I think it raced. It certainly looked like it inside. okies, my mistake!! (that's always what happens when I try to be clever )

Excellent news, thanks very much chaps!! I'm sure that with a bit of extra marking like Town Hall Brae it could be used to take marks off again! Thanks again!! Pete

I've been pondering for a while as to the fate of one of the most famous sections in the world. Does anyone have any knowledge of whether it is still accessible either on foot or by bike? I think I heard someone say it is underwater in a reservoir? If anyone has any info at all I would be very pleased to read it!! Pete.

that GT40 is gorrrrgeous, but not an original racer unfortunatly! The factory prepared racer's had a bump aboe the drivers door to give enough room to wear a lid! Talking of Ferrari's, was woken up this morning by a 250 GTO being nailed along a straight bit of road not far from my house! About a mile away id the European centre for race preparing historic Ferrari's and they like this bit of road for a straight line speed test! As an alarm it beats the crap out of a cheap clock bleeping away!

Well, that's sent that off to 'Rt Hon Theresa May MP Conservative Party' lets hope something happens that is good! Although I doubt it with 'His Tonyness' still on the throne!

ooooooh, what a pillock!! next time he'll wear a lid!!

yeah should think he's fairly light - no more than 11-12 stone at a rough guess!

not exaclt under powered either! I know a chap who rides the stupidly hard route on a TL125 - does pretty well too! just as a pointer - 'tis the route Sam Connor rides when he does the Star Group trials!

have a Honda special my dad built with a stock XL 125 in it. Runs like a dream, with the sprockets all sorted (through trial and error!) it runs great - but more like a pre -65 than a twinshock. has great amounts of low down torque and still enough at the top end to be good between the sections! can't remember what the gearing is, but is pretty low!

ah, must have have been you talking to me dad then! I was the untidy youth wearing the black fleece hanging around in the background!! He's been watching those for years and finally to the plunge as a birthday present to himself! well worth it! Nice to have met you, even if I didn't know it was you!!!

ah, thought it might have been - clean forgot yer name though!!! Never seen so many Honda's in one place before, but some of them were a bit the worse for wear! Think I might have missed the Majesty though :-( As for the frames that were ther - the Cub, the James and the Honda - could all be hung a wall as a work of art! Wish I had'nae lost my camera now!

Honda Xl engines should fit straight on - similar gearing to the trils models as well. Also, they look a bit more period for a TL - I think TLR engine would look a bit too modern! XL's are fairly cheap at the moment, but most have been thrashed through their life, so you may need a few to make a complete decent engine.

ah that was Bernie's then - thought it might have been! Had a great day - new helmet for a ridiculously cheap price, couple of bashplates for my Dad's next Honda projects, and got Sammy to sign a pic in 'Four Stroke Finale'!! Bumped in to a couple of old mates, and saw a nice Seeley with TC stickers through the front number board - cannae remember whose it is though!! Will be going again hopefully!

don't be daft, won't take long as long as your careful! And don't worry 'bout the anastheic - I remeber it ferpectly. Needle in, the chap put the stuff in. I thought, 'hmm, nothing happening'. then felt like I needed a snooze. I said ' is this supposed to be happ . . .zzzzzzz' Was a bit high afterwards though - was singing in the recovery room!other people in there were still out! Long as ya look after it you won't have any problems! (but make sure you tell the surgeon to get the damn thing straight - mine is all twisted and kinked!) have fun . . .!!

What do you want to know?? Say we have 10 sections, and only 9 observers. Two riders volunteer (or get picked!) to share the same section. One will observe section 10 for the morning, then after the lunch break will 'don the vest (usually one for a pair of riders) and go like a bat out of hell to ride all the sections! The vest allows you to double up when riding the sections, and you can get to the front of every section queue no matter how long it is! There are drawbacks: The lack of consistencey of the observing of that particualar section; The rider who observes in the morning quite possibly gets the worst of the sections after they've all been cut up - while the chap who rides in the morning gets the best! There are other ad and disadvantages, but this is the system we use as far as I can tell! Any questions . . . Pete.