Where Are The Experts?

[furse]

What has happened to Expert riders, in national events? Take the Manx 2 day 16 riders on the national route 130+ on the clubman, it's probably 11 years since I last rode national events, granted I finished in the last third of the finishers of the national class but I rode the hard route as it was the done thing for a lad in his 20s who wanted to improve their riding, and I'm sure the entry was almost split 50/50 on each route.

When I look at the results for some nationals now I see people I rode with in the 90s riding the clubman route, fair enough age is creeping up on us, work on Monday etc other family commitments. But where are the next generation of national lads.

[faussy]

I imagine there are a lot of reasons, but in one simple sentence i think trials has changed in the 20 years ive been riding. Trials used to be hard and riders wanted a challenge, now trials are easy and riders want to win awards or feel if they go round clean they are getting better. Its a race to the bottom.

[gizza5]

Biggest class of riders is the over 40's who for their own reasons want to ride the clubman class!

[baldilocks]

I imagine there are a lot of reasons, but in one simple sentence i think trials has changed in the 20 years ive been riding. Trials used to be hard and riders wanted a challenge, now trials are easy and riders want to win awards or feel if they go round clean they are getting better. Its a race to the bottom.

Agree

[breagh]

I think a lot of good riders get chased away by the way the expert route is run.

 

Though I only speak for up here, at Championship level every section has an A route.

 

Always seems really heavy handed.

 

This means the step up is significant .and just too much for most.

 

Don't know if this is mirrored throughout the uk.

[imexian]

Blimey, i think you could write an essay on this? I'm one of the 80s 90s riders you are mentioning, i alternate between 50/50 or hard or even clubmen class depending on the trial how knackered i am from a week of work etc.

You could give a stack of answers, some like to win or be near the top, some find the sections just to tight, that is a major problem? the sections may not be too hard or dangerous but it's the sheer effort of hopping leaping about that puts some off!

I'm not too bad a rider, but i don't bounce like i did at 20...and after riding for years have picked up a lot of niggling injuries that will never go away!!

When i was riding at my best i still had to fit in  work, general living etc, but could still ride all the nationals, even some WTC, and get round with my limbs still on!! nowadays most riders could not even attempt any of the sections in the BTC or WTC.

I think trials has split, you have a few young guns, who think they are better than they really are, the really good riders who can get round all the big sections ok, then the majority who have their own sport of trials, which involves some form of enjoyment not a physical endurance test!!

I know that this is only scratching the surface of the reasons, but thought i would put me two pence worth in...

Regards,

Ian

[duggan]

Where are the experts? In the clubman class? The top 20 clubmen riders would all be more than capable of the hard route in the Manx, which has been made easier every year.

The problem is made worse when the high level riders ride the clubman route as the sections are then set out to take marks from them, making the trial to hard for a large proportion of the real clubmen, resulting in loosing entries in both classes.

The national / expert class should be hard to push the best riders and hopefully encourage more to make the trip, the clubman class should be challenging but to easy for the high level riders to consider dropping down.

Other factors have effected the Manx ie ferry prices, hotel spaces, clashing events...... etc but the level of the sections seems to be the biggest issue.

[timp]

Trouble is you have some who want big steps and hopping and stopping.eg British champs and Seymours arena stuff.

Some want traditional sections without the big, dangerous stuff because they have families and jobs to go to on Monday.eg Jack wood and s3

There are just too many trials championships and trials in general nowadays.

Too many clashes. Eg Manx 2 day and British champs on one weekend.

Cost and hassle of travelling the country every weekend is just out of reach of most. Then a £25 entry fee.

Easily £100 a rider a week for nationals.

[stpauls]

For a variety of reasons, many of the past Expert riders are now competing in the Novice or Easy sections, where they will often get a very low score.  As a result of these past experts getting low scores previously, the Novice sections are then set far too hard for the true novice rider.  The outcome can be that the novice will give up competing in trials events and some of the Novice sections are too challenging or even dangerous for the true novice rider.  Poorly differentiated sections demonstrate a lack of understanding by those setting the sections.  Here in the south west, several clubs are notorious for setting out very difficult and at times dangerous Novice sections (no names, no pack drill).  However, some clubs, such as Somerton, Blackmore Vale, Zona 1 and Mendip Vale can be relied on to set out Novice sections that are challenging, but realistic and not dangerous.  

Edited September 3, 2015 by stpauls

[dadof2]

Agree with opening comments of imexian #7. Trials used to be tough but not generally dangerous. Because of what modern bikes can get up a fall on hard course obstacles now has a much higher potential for injury. I have even ridden clubman courses where a minder would have been desirable on 20 to 30% of the sections.

 

C of Cs need to think of what can happen when a rider fails a section, not just lay out sections with the sole consideration of mark taking.

[cubby]

It was really unfortunate that this year for the first time I can remember the Manx clashed with the BTC. Back in the 90's we had one route where there was always a few testers in for the top boys, but for the better clubman riders they could still make a fair attempt and with luck get through. Not dangerous sections, just naturally hard. We've had a Clubman route for around 15 years, and for the first few years the bulk of people stuck to the 'main' route which we called the 'National' route. But that gradually got harder, and more and more dropped to the Clubman Class. Same story all over the place I guess.

 

Things have moved on and really it is so difficult in a trial like ours to take marks of the top men as whatever you put in front of them gets levelled, they just ride better. Obviously the cost of getting here and accommodation puts a few off, but there currently isn't an solution for that.

 

But would a single route trial work with trials as it is now? Some seem to think so, but we still want to attract a group of 'better' riders in the now 'Expert' class as for many locals, kids especially they wouldn't see many people riding at that level through the year and obviously gives the event a bit more attraction to sponsors and the public generally.

 

But the main bulk of the event is still as a Clubman event and the sections for that have been spot on in recent years.

 

But it is true that less of the young lads are trying the event, a weekend away with the lads etc possibly because they can have that every weekend around the country at the large number of other trials that are on through the year? And if they never try it, they can't tell their mates and don't start coming back year after year.

 

The stalwarts of our event are now mostly over 40, some over 50 and they still love it!!!