Kidding Ourselves ?

[baldilocks]

We have had much discussion this last few months on the potential change back to no stop at all levels.

As Mick Wren has mentioned elsewhere there is little wrong with the Trials Scene in the UK with all champioships thriving with perhaps the exception of the Championship Route at BTC level. To be fair the championship route was never intended for the masses so maybe 10 riders isnt actually a problem. I've got no problem giving the ACU some credit for this, they set up the infrastructure under which the vast majority of trials run, by that I mean , Insurance, championships,training, calenders etc

I prefer a long one or two lap trials and these events tend to suit no stop, certainly in the North. But trials needs to attract many riders of many different age groups and abilities.

I recently rode the White Rose, its always been a tough event and in recent years has gone down the Multi Route road with 3 courses. There was nothing wrong with the trial this year but I think it illustrated one of our sports current issues which we will struggle to resolve.

Sam Haslam won the Hard course on 8 marks lost cleaning the majority of sections, the last finisher on that route lost 100 marks

Oliver Sharp won the 50/50 route on 51 marks, the last finisher on this route lost 161

S Hall won the clubman route on 51 and the last finisher lost 149

It would be unfair to name the last finisher but when you think about it thats an awfully big ability difference between the guy who was last on the easy route and Sam Haslam.

So whilst I may think No Stop is the way to go on this evidence I cant ever see that Sam and the last clubman can really compete on the same course whatever the rules. If you made the White Rose non stop I dont think many people losing 80 and 90 marks on the 50/50 route would really move up a level to the top course, they are losing plenty marks already. The other thing I noticed at the white rose was the number of people who are around 40 years of age, there seemed to be very few young riders present. Long term thats a problem if such trials are to continue.

Looking at the WTC no stop will be cheaper for the factories if there are no minders to pay for at WTC level and will also reduce the organisers headache in terms of the number of officials BUT given the range of ability in modern trials the chances are it will do little to increase entries.

My view is becoming that the long term success of trials has perhaps got a lot less to do with the observing rules and a lot more to do with the CoC. In future the CoC is going to have to decide who to please and people will need to know that before the trial. We could overhaul the grading system to make it clear who a trial is intended for as at present an expert is not really an expert countrywide but only in their centre. We have to accept however that we cant really run a single event for everyones ability whatever the rules, the days of a good centre runner being able to do the British trials championship and WTC are gone whatever the rules are.

Edited September 21, 2009 by Baldilocks

[mickwren]

I have just read an interview that Malcolm Rathmell gave where he states "Trials rules worked well for over 60 years until some smart a*** ( no doubt sat in an office like all modern day decisions are made) decided to start messing with the rules.

This is just absoluteley not true. The rules were changed to fall in line with the way the riders were riding at that time. Riders like Jordi Tarres and Bernie Schrieber were doing things which at that time seemed incredible. I remember as clear as if it was yesterday sitting in the Farmers Arms at Lowick at a Barrow Club meeting where we had been asked ( presumably by the ACU) to vote on this new style of riding and scoring. Everyone in that room EXCEPT ME voted in favour of the new rules. I believed that the rules were there and should be adhered to, just because the riders were doing things contrary to the rules was not a reason to change them. Despite my current oposition to No Stop I did at one time feel the oposite way. So, Malc, it was not some office bound smart a*** who was responsible for this but rider power.

The headline of this topic is "Kidding Ourselves" and that is what Malc is doing. As I have stated in other posts, if we are going to save trials we have to do it by putting it on a firm foundation, not just by pushing the parts we like and keeping quiet about the negative parts.

By all means lets go back to no stop, but only if that is the best way forward, not just because we weren't told all the pros and cons of each argument