view from a field nr. Richmond

[totalshell]

Just back from the Scott. classic weather chillly light winds, damp miserable heavy spitting and mist on the hills. water but not loads in the becks and the ground was damp but not boggy. first stop was the petrol stop at Hurst. saw the first 100 through here fairly smartish and most arrived in numericla order ish the occasional lad with a puncture ( dont carry those one shot air canisters cos when you've used em once thtas it your out.. use a small bike pump 3.50 and your still in the trial.. hard lesson.) pleanty of folk carrying toolboxes and spare wheels inc a ktm with a wheel rack on the back!! but the best thing a rider needs besides his fuel is a dry pair of gloves and something to chew on.

next stop Whaw we wathced the top of the second section rider no 72 a young lad first time out came flying through first to be followed 3 mins later by browny and two others that had virtually the same start no as hime.. jarvis and dibs came through 5 mins down ( ish) no lampkin.. james came through late and the rumour was a repeat of the scottish, allegedly stators dont like the high revs of the better riders ( that'll be why mine has never gone!) nice to see the two fantics going strong and still plenty of riders from throughout the field still going well ( saw maybe hgalf a dozen clear the section.. it was far from easy)

next up a liesurely ride back to the start field a quick butty use the loo then a mile down the road to clapgate the last section. it was raining but as browny appeared at the bpttom of the hill it stopped 9 minutes till the next rider then dibs came through all calm and collected but 2 minutes down on Brown's time and only 50 yds to go.

in the hour after browns arrival we only saw 19 bikes through the section and only 1 of them had a start no. lower the 150! the road to the finish was full of retired buikes making thier way back to the start all bar one under there own steam so i can only suppose that the bikes were better suited to the conditions than the riders.. it was a far from nice day for a ride out never mind 86 mile off road and 70 odd sections enroute.. anyone who can claim to finish is a real trials rider.. they dont call it the toughest trial in the world cos its hard its because its the toughest.. simple. end of.. grand day out... same time next year?