Club Memberships

[bbk]

Hello All,

 I would like to hear from you about your clubs. What is your membership? How many show up to ride at events? How many new riders joined this year? And do you have spectators show up to watch your events not just talking about family members showing up to watch. Who has the most successful clubs and why? List your club 

 

[jreilly]

Our club is in upstate newyork.We can go from 40 rider turnout to as little as 16 show up.Total club members maybe 50 but most likely less.We may have had 4 new riders join this year.Seems there is way to many events around and people have other things to do.Most of are core group are 50 to 60 yeras old.

Spectaters same as riders sometime the word gets out and 20 or more will show up you never know.http://3dtrials.org

[ridgrunr]

Our club is the Wasatch Trials Association in Utah.  We've been in business since 1973 and to be honest, we have just about the same number of riders today that we did when I started riding 25 years ago with the club.  We average 20-40 riders at our meets (dependeing on the location).  Off hand I can think of 5 new riders that started this year.  Our main problem is distance.  I drive 3-5 hours one way to get to our events.  The spectators we have are mostly family members.  I've seen hundreds of riders come and go in the last 25 years.  We probably have 5 of us that started out together 25 years ago left.

 

One thing that was driving experienced riders away was the time they had to take off of work to set a meet (we have 10 meets each year), so we changed how we set our events last year.  Historically we had a couple of guys be Trials marshals who went out to the area a few days before the meets and set all the sections.  Seemed like it was the same half dozen guys setting all the meets, and quite frankly we're getting burned out, not to mention old!  So last year we started setting the sections the day of the event.  Guys show up at 8:00am and are paired up to go out and set one section on the loop.  Each pair of section setters is given a small back pack with ribbon, split plates, markers and such that they'll need to set a section.  Ideally we want to pair a  lower class rider with an upper class rider paired together.  Section setting starts around 8:00am and they have three hours to set the section as the meet starts at 11:00.  We usually are done with the event by 4:30 pm.  Each rider who sets a section gets 5 additonal club points (a first place gets 20) for the day, plus the entry fee for riders who set sections is $20 vrs $25 for those who don't.  So far we haven't had any problem getting riders to show up and set sections. We had ten great sections at last Saturdays event. 

 

The other plus for setting a section that you get to "ride in" the section that you set to make sure it works.  That helps the riders warm up and we get better sections.

 

This has helped get a lot more riders involved in the section setting chores, and we have seen a lot more diversified sections.  It's helped get more riders involved with helping the club run.

[bbk]

Great idea having  other riders pair up and set section the day of the meet. I think weve lost riders because of burn out, Hope some day to host a large trials event here at my place with a large payout to the riders    

[biffsgasgas]

Here in Michigan we have five clubs currently. Each club has to put on two events a year. We have some two days and some single events. Most of our two days are because people have to travel. Our club has 20 member or so and we all take part in trying to put the trials together. Either mowing, section lay out, checking whatever you can do to help. We collect for parking and get some from the riders entries so that pays for the landowners present (never beer ) and our supplies. Other clubs are not quite as large but they seem to pull it off. A few year ago we lost our Ontario crew because it was just three people and it just wasn't feasible for them. We can't wait till they return but only time and help will tell. 

 

In the event we generally have 35-55 riders. Over the past year i think we have seen 7 or 8 new riders show up. Some show up and trials is just not for them. Some show up and take to the sport like water to a duck. Our riding fees are 20 per event with valid ama. No other fees necessary but if you want season total points you must join a club and help. Zippy and I are pretty active in our club along with several others. Our property owner is a bit of a red neck and big in flat track so our event can have up to 150 spectators but most clubs usually have a few dozen. We usually have a group of flat trackers from the Flint area show up and ride then after our event they will pull out the XR100's and have at it. Flint is a flat track mecha. 

 

I grew up in upstate NY near Syracuse so I started riding in D4 and was one of the first people to ride in the infamous 3D club. In those clubs we found that a few people would set up a whole event. It was much different but it worked for them. Dad and I had setup several events over the years in New York but it was up to the organizer to solicit checkers. That's the hard part. Some events we would get checkers because they just didn't feel like riding while other times we had to beg the wives or riders to help out. 3D has no checkers. Its the honor system and it is a relaxed atmosphere. I have ridden a few events in 3D since i moved back to Michigan because its fun. Here in Michigan its a club effort and no one person senior or noob isnt aloud to provide input. I found that refreshing because the effort is shared. I usually work 2 to 3 weekends for each of our event and camp at our property the night before just so I can clean up any last minute things. Some how i get blamed for all of the mud in our event which I am still trying to figure out. 

 

I also ride TI events in Ohio or Indiana now and they seem to be setup by an individual but in the end they put out some really great events as well. 

 

--Biff

Edited October 14, 2015 by biffsgasgas

[firebolter]

I am in the Mid-Atlantic Vintage Trials Club, and it is open to modern as well as vintage. We had 55 at our last event (50 is about normal for our events), 2 weekends ago and it is about a 50/50 mix of modern vs. vintage bikes. Our events are very family oriented and laid back. Our riding fees are 20 bucks to enter, 5 bucks for the gate fee and 20 bucks club dues a year. 

 

We have alot of folks come out to watch and alot more guys who have bikes but don't compete, they just like to "free ride"

 

http://www.mid-atlantictrials.com/

 

Here's what is on our front page of the website that says what we are about:

 

Welcome to the Mid-Atlantic Trials website.   We are the promoters for the MAVT, Mid-Atlantic Vintage Trials series. Our observed trials events are vintage oriented; we use the "no-stop" rules of the seventies, and design our sections with older, twinshock bikes in mind. However, we welcome, and have classes for all trials bikes, old and new.  We are not observed trials for the very best riders.  We are trials for the rest of us, who still want to challenge ourselves, but with the emphasis on having fun. 

MAT is an independent, self-sufficient organization.  Our events are self-sanctioned and insured, and riders need not belong to any other organization to compete in our events.  Membership in Mid-Atlantic Trials is not necessary, but saves the rider money at sign-up. 

Here, you will find our schedule of events, scores and results from those events, as well as event photos, projects, links, and anything trials related that we can think of to amuse and assist new and seasoned riders alike.

We invite you to take a look at our web site, and better yet, come to one of our events, so you can see for yourself, what we're all about.

Edited October 19, 2015 by firebolter

[bbk]

Great webstie Firebolter thank you.

Than you Biffsgasgas for your imput