bigfoot Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 Dougie Lampkin Experience I know our very own Andy and Kinell are going to this on Friday and will surely produce a full report and pictures but I thought a quick report for those attending later in the week would still be worth while. I and a few friends attended the school on Monday and had a great time. The school itself was of limited value to me as a rider (personal opinion) but a great day out all the same. I had hoped to work with the instructors on techniques that I felt I was struggling with but the group sizes and mixture of abilities made this unlikely from when we arrived at the first section. Morning Session We were first split in to two groups based on the riding of an extremely simple section. It goes to show how much these guys know that they got the split of group member Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinell Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 I'm really looking forward to Friday, I know that Andy prefers to take photo's of riders with their feet up but I've got a funny feeling that TC.com will be publishing pics of me upside down in a beck! Bigfoot, was Ben Hemmingway not there? I think he's very good at teaching trials techniques, he's similar to Steve Saunders who also manages to get the point across very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoot Posted August 3, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 Kinell Ben stayed with the B group all day. I didn't say it in the report but one of the problems was that with each group being ten or eleven riders and the fact that we were riding reasonably long sections rather than concentrating of just small single techniques one at a time meant that there was a lot of sitting waiting for your turn. Still enjoyed it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinell Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 Hmm, I forgot about the A and B grouping, I wonder which one I'll be in this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoot Posted August 3, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 Like always, I'm sure you'll be in a class all of your own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 Kinell has been told that after three days with Saunders and a day with Dougie we will expect nothing less than a Special First Class Award at next year's Scottish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinell Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 Kinell has been told that after three days with Saunders and a day with Dougie we will expect nothing less than a Special First Class Award at next year's Scottish ... and kinell wasn't listening as per usual Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dabber Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 Where was it held bigfoot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoot Posted August 3, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 I don't know the name of the venue but it was just up behind Silsden. If you know the area it's on Brunthwood Lane up behind the golf course. I wee burn on the lower side of the road and a good range of spectacular rocks up behind the road. Dougies video was shot there a few years back. I recognised it straight away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
city trials Posted August 4, 2004 Report Share Posted August 4, 2004 Dougie Lampkin ExperienceOne thing that did change in the afternoon with Doug and Jake was the fun. They joined in with a bit of banter and generally had a good laugh mainly at our expense I have to add. I can only imagine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toofasttim Posted August 4, 2004 Report Share Posted August 4, 2004 Dougie Lampkin ExperienceOne thing that did change in the afternoon with Doug and Jake was the fun. They joined in with a bit of banter and generally had a good laugh mainly at our expense I have to add. I can only imagine? With Bigfoot involved that's where you'd better stop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinell Posted August 6, 2004 Report Share Posted August 6, 2004 Just got back from Silsden after spending some time with the trials stars, it was a hot & sticky day so feeling a bit knackered now! One of the riders brought his gorgeous wife along for the day, nice one mate Apparently I only just managed to scrape into the 'A' group, which made me want to try harder. We had Ben H. and Jim L. as tutors for the morning. Jim pulled me to one side once or twice to explain things in more detail. This must have done the trick as I ended the morning session by having a go at the 4ft step at the top of section 2. After lunch, we were with Doug L, Jake M. and Danny. This was my worse kind of section (tight and twisty turns) The best I did on this one was a dab, which p****d me off a bit, as I'd done better than usual in the morning session. The better riders were taking a much harder line which had a 6ft rock step that leant back slightly. Just before we moved on, Dougie asked if anyone else would like to try it, six or seven daft buggers (me included) said Yes Jake and Danny did the catching but they seemed to do a fair bit of ducking too as Betas, Gassers and Monts flew up the step minus the rider The last section was the best - rocks, turns, big slabs, drop-offs, more rocks and a big effort to get up the long knobbly hill. A young lad called Josh showed us how it should be done by cleaning it twice on the trot. He only looked about 8yrs old and his 125 bike made mincemeat of the job. The trialling finished with the Master and his Mont' doing their awesome demonstration. I video'd the demo so that I could watch and learn at my leisure Summary - top day out with a good bunch of blokes in God's own trialling county. Cheers fella's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted August 6, 2004 Report Share Posted August 6, 2004 I don't know about those taking part, but I had a blast! Great day out and something a bit different. Photos are all ready for uploading and as soon as my mate buggers off to his bed, I'll nick his broadband and upload them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinky boots Posted August 7, 2004 Report Share Posted August 7, 2004 Well, I survived - just! THREE days with Doug and the boys in the 'A' group has pushed my mind, body and soul to the limit. I've collected a few bumps and scrapes (cheers Jake! - who needs a minder with a mobile phone!!!), and my bike has a few more battlescars, but I can once again say that not only have I had a fantastic time, but I've learned a lot about riding trials. As this is my third year, and I've clocked up ten days in the school, I feel I've a good understanding of what they are trying to achieve. Many riders go there thinking they are going to learn how to 'trick-ride' - how to 'op and bop' the bike around, and how to look like a showman. Some riders can already DO the opping and bopping about, and want to learn more. But thats not what the school is about. Its all about learning how to RIDE your bike and how to ride sections. When the sections are marked out, the first thing they have us do is walk through, and explain the various reference points and how to choose your line - this for me is one of the best bits. When I ride club trials, I try to choose a line that avoids all the bits that look a bit tricky - but quite often this isn't the best line - its just the one I think will be easiest for me. But with the guys, they teach you that sometimes you have to take on some bits of trouble in order to get the best results - sometimes over slippery rocks rather than round them, sometimes up on a slippy bank to give you room to work etc etc. Then, once we get riding, its the subtle little bits of advice which give you the most benefit. I'm sure Kinell will agree with me on this one. Most of us average clubmen ride looking about 4 feet in front of the front wheel - but this week I have learned the importance of picking your head up and looking a way in front, locating your reference point and getting the bike set up to achieve them. 'Pick your head up and have a good look' is some of the best advice I've had - sounds daft but its true!!! When Doug, James or Ben ride each of the sections which we practise on, they ride smoothly and in control. No hopping, no bouncing, no pirhouettes and no fancy stuff - just good, simple riding. And thats what I want to learn. If they can get through without all the tricks, then with enough guidance and practise, so can I. Watching the boys on their bikes makes it look so effortless and simple - and in truth, with the right approach it CAN be that simple - I had a few rides over the days which made the sections a breeze - but I had to listen to the advice and learn from it. Club trials that I ride never require the need for all the trickery - and besides, the rules don't allow it any more - so why put so much emphasis on learning it? One guy who I know who was on the Wed with us is an Expert class rider, and a damn good one. But he took on board some advice about riding steps, and afterwards commented on how much easier the technique was that the way he would normally ride them. There is always something to learn, if you are prepared to listen. I know that I have improved as a rider as a result of the time I have spent with on the Masterclasses (although I'm sure the boys might disagree ) and provided The Fat Controller doesn't put the prices up again next year, I'm sure I'll be back!!!!! Thanks to the whole team for making the experience what it should be, and as soon as the swellings and bruising goes down I'll be out to show off my newfound skills!! Cheers KB. PS Kinell wasn't joking about that step with the bikes flying all over - my Beta actually registered on the radar at Leeds and Bradford Airport it went that high - just a shame I wasn't around to enjoy the view from the top when it finally came down!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted August 7, 2004 Report Share Posted August 7, 2004 The photos are uploaded. It'll go front page as soon as I've finished writing the story. Oh, and Kinky Boots isn't joking about his bike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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