pete_scorpa3

Nice shots. My daughter was pestering me to go out on her 12.5 today, but theres still three inches of snow on the gound. So I persuaded her to stay in and play with the Wii game instead. Roll on the summer!

Worth taking a look around any areas where kids go on their scramble bikes if there are any near you, it might just turn up.

We often get some scruffy oiks handing out leaflets offering various garden maintenance services... always with just a mobile number on it. They then ask me how fast it goes.... then their dad/brother/cousin (or all three) pick them up at the end of the road in a transit tipper truck. That's why I always keep the garage door closed when I'm cleaning the bikes and always lock them up like fort knox.

Correct. I took the lights off my Scorpa for it's first MOT (they don't meet the requirements anyway.) I then plugged a cheap horn into the live headlight wire and used an old kill switch to operate it on the earth side. Here's an example fo a cheap horn. CLICKY

1. If it's just a simple case of reading the supplementary regs. then why has the sacu decided to have a common system? 2. If the ACU centres can't agree on what system to use, how did the SACU come by their decision?

It hadn't occured to me that there was any stiring at all. I think it's an excellent idea. I've ridden under every version you can imagine and it just seems suprising that such a simple thing isn't stipulated by our governing body.

We did try a four route system (a sample fo which I did pass onto the ACU) which was met with approval by our riders. We had some small coloured arrows (triangles) made in four differnet colours and the riders were told to ignore all the other colours completely. Red Arrows for Hard A Blue Arrows for Clubmen B Yellow Arrows for Easy C White Arrows for Beginers D No one went the wrong way! It's obvious which side of an arrow you have to pass. By no means am I suggesting that this is the best method, it was just what we tried... and it worked.

Drops into water are my real fear. I always imagine an undercut rut just where my front wheel is landing.

Mid way through last year, the ACU invited all clubs to send their representatives to a trials forum at Rugby. Sadly the event was cancelled due to lack of interest. I had my name down to go and amongst the items that the Stratford-Upon-Avon club wished to raise was the idea of a common set of colours for all trials. Our proposal was put forward in writing anyway. As we know, most events have two routes, many have three and some have more. Confusing and less than ideal I agree, but this is how it is. So why not have a common laid down set of rules so that we all know which colour to set out our trials. You don't need to be a genius to think up a common system. Red arrows, yellow squares or what ever. If the ACU would just put it in the hand book we could all go from there. I know that Wrighty has bored (Sorry- thoroughly covered) the matter with the powers that be and it was decided to stipulate red-blue for the main route but this really doesn't help us set out multi route trials. So now I read with interest the SACU's decision to introduce such a system. See the PAGE article. Come on ACU, why not introduce a generic marking system? Too late for this year I know, but why not make it for 2010? This would at least give clubs chance to use up their existing stocks of markers. Pete

125's are actually very good, providing you can buy a newer one. The trouble is that they do seem to hold their money better than 250's (until they are basket cases), so providing your stepson can get a bit of practice in and wait until he is 16 he can ride as an adult on his 250. Pete

As Wayne says, it is easy to open an account with someone like photo bucket, upload your pictures to there and then simply place the link in your forum post. The picture then appears in the post.

Welcome to TC, you will find lots of friendly people in trials and you will alos quickly learn which clubs/venues/routes suit your ability best. Some clubs put on harder trials than others, so when you find an event you fancy having a go at, let us know and someone on here will tell you what to expect. One thing just to note, in ACU events, riders under the age of 16 can't ride a 250 in an event, they are limited to 125's as are all youths. When your stepson is 16 he can ride as an adult. Let us know how you get on. Pete

You may well be right, however so long as we run under the rules of the ACU and every rider signs to say that they have read and understand the rules and regulations as laid down in the handbook and the national sporting code, then there is no requirement for the club to inspect machines to a road legal standard. If our club was ever put in the position that we had to ensure every rider and every machine was fully licenced, road legal and of a good mechanical standard, then we would simply not run road trials. How many clubs would be prepared to accept that kind of responsibiliy? I'd hazard a guess the answer would be... none. Only my opinion you understand, there's brighter people than me writing the rules. Perhaps John Collins might be a better person to comment with a little more authority on this subject.

Yes, I suppose that's part of trials. You win some, you loose some, although you only tend to remember the times you loose out.

By the way, providing you are 21 and have no more than six (I believe) points on your licence, the road insurance is just

Yes, to be 100% correct all of the obove and more should be checked on every bike, but the onus for this must rest on the competitor and not on the organisers. A bike MOT should take 20 minutes, so if every machine was checked to this standard there would be no road trials. The more we check, the more we can be held liable for not checking correctly. One thing that I do believe we should do for all road trials, is that road insurance should be part of the entry fee unless a rider opts out signing a declaration to say their own insurance covers trials. At our one big national last year, only nine from 116 riders took out the extra insurance (and I was one of them) I struggle to believe that the other 105 all had insurance that covered them for trials. This is potentially a much bigger problem than riders riding on the road without a rear reflector. All my own personal opinion you understand.

Yep, but they do last for more than one year unlike some of the other makes!

To be honest, no one seems to bother with speedos, a horn would be a good idea if you got stopped by the police but most important is a legalish looking number plate, an MOT and a tax disc. Plus the MOST important road traffic insurance, which the sec of the meeting can supply for a small fee when you sign on if your own policy excludes trials. We will be scrutineering the bikes for the Colmore Cup Novogar in March, but all we check is that the throttle self closes and there are rounded ends to the levers. Everything else is the riders rersponsibility. We wouldn't notice if a bike was taxed or not. The big numberplate is a bonus because it makes the bike look more legal as it travels past all covered in mud. Hope this helps. Pete

Certainly more Gassers than anything else at the moment. Although the better riders seem to go for Beta's, hardly ever see a 4rt now.

Welcome to TC Terry, what bike do you ride? Are you in the UK? Pete

The new non championship route for this years Colmore cup is proving to be popular with 13 of the 42 riders entered so far on the easier route.

Yes we've had a bit of banter on a cold snowy day but I think that we should stop feeding the troll now.

Actaully with the weather the way it is, so many trials cancelled this weekend and such rubbish (or depressing) programmes on the box..... yes, we probably have run out of things to talk about. No need to get angry.

Yep, click HERE to see one.

A few spelling mistakes or typos on a forum can be excused, but what makes me cringe is when you see people use txt talk when they are hand writing... although I must admit I'm getting to the point where I hardly ever write with a pen, my life seems to have been taken over by the keyboard. Especially at work over the last few years.