lopez Posted January 31, 2018 Report Share Posted January 31, 2018 (edited) Well after lots of time mucking about but never actually competing, I entered my first trial at the weekend. It felt a little bit unfamiliar/disorganised to me because I've never entered one before, no inherent organisational issues, but nobody died and everything overall went smoothly. I just followed everyone else. The hardest things for me were 1) Following the route marking. With different routes for novice/expert etc I personally found it tough to remember where I was supposed to be going all the time and I didn't think things were clear on every section sometimes even after walking them a few times. 2) I was KNACKERED by lap 4 3) Conditions were really really muddy and slippery compared to what I've practiced in, but I guess that's the same for everyone There were 69 full entries I think, and I : 1) Didn't come last 2) Improved during the event 3) Cleaned some sections 4) Learned a lot 5) Didn't fall off 6) Didn't break or damage anything (me or the bike) Overall, really happy I entered, great day, great value, can't wait to do another. Totally different world to practicing free format. Loved it! Edited January 31, 2018 by lopez 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel dabster Posted January 31, 2018 Report Share Posted January 31, 2018 whereabouts are you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopez Posted January 31, 2018 Report Share Posted January 31, 2018 Earl Shilton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel dabster Posted January 31, 2018 Report Share Posted January 31, 2018 1 hour ago, lopez said: Earl Shilton im surprised you finished at all as thats as bad as it gets there, so well done for that. Yes keep at it and as the weather dries up you should enjoy ES more and more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel dabster Posted January 31, 2018 Report Share Posted January 31, 2018 2 hours ago, oni nou said: Marvellous,couldnt be improved upon. as long as I'm oliver reed thats fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b40rt Posted January 31, 2018 Report Share Posted January 31, 2018 1 hour ago, nigel dabster said: as long as I'm oliver reed thats fine. I'm absolutely sure you could fill his shoes .. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopez Posted January 31, 2018 Report Share Posted January 31, 2018 2 hours ago, nigel dabster said: im surprised you finished at all as thats as bad as it gets there, so well done for that. Yes keep at it and as the weather dries up you should enjoy ES more and more Thanks, I've been practicing there a while but this was my first event. I really couldn't believe how boggy it was around the back (sections 6 to 8), never seen it so badly chewed up and sticky like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trapezeartist Posted January 31, 2018 Report Share Posted January 31, 2018 11 hours ago, lopez said: Well after lots of time mucking about but never actually competing, I entered my first trial at the weekend. It felt a little bit unfamiliar/disorganised to me because I've never entered one before, no inherent organisational issues, but nobody died and everything overall went smoothly. I just followed everyone else. The hardest things for me were 1) Following the route marking. With different routes for novice/expert etc I personally found it tough to remember where I was supposed to be going all the time and I didn't think things were clear on every section sometimes even after walking them a few times. 2) I was KNACKERED by lap 4 3) Conditions were really really muddy and slippery compared to what I've practiced in, but I guess that's the same for everyone There were 69 full entries I think, and I : 1) Didn't come last 2) Improved during the event 3) Cleaned some sections 4) Learned a lot 5) Didn't fall off 6) Didn't break or damage anything (me or the bike) Overall, really happy I entered, great day, great value, can't wait to do another. Totally different world to practicing free format. Loved it! I'm still feeling my way too, so I can identify with these things. If in doubt about the correct route, ask the observer. Sometimes he'll have a more liberal interpretation than you expected, and sometimes a more demanding one, but that's the one you're going to be marked on. I really find that practising doesn't do much for me. No matter how much I know I should be trying certain difficult things, I end up taking the easy way out. There's no substitute for the real thing. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metisse Posted February 1, 2018 Report Share Posted February 1, 2018 Gary Player a famous golfer OF many moons ago said " The more I practise, the luckier I get " . 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dadof2 Posted February 2, 2018 Report Share Posted February 2, 2018 (edited) And to get back on topic. Recently there was what could be expected to be a very good trial that I have ridden in many times, had good results in and always enjoyed. For the last few years I have not attended. Another trial (not as good) about 10 miles away I and about 10 other locals attend. The difference between the two event? Roadwork. The better trial has roadwork. Some (about 75 to 80%) don't attend because their bikes are not legal or they don't have licences. The rest of us fully legal riders (the minority) don't go because the majority or all of our colleagues don't go. Edit follows The younger riders several of whom have 300s don't want to take the time and trouble of doing their tests to get on the road, nor do they want the subsequence expenses of VED and insurance just to do a very few road trials a year, the great majority of the events now being all off road multi lap. Even some of the older riders who have licences no longer bother having their bikes road legal - just don't think its worth it for a few road trials a year. Edited February 2, 2018 by dadof2 got called away part way through post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldilocks Posted February 2, 2018 Report Share Posted February 2, 2018 (edited) Lonsdale cup last weekend run by the Westmorland club with roadwork ..90 entries. The infuriating thing about trials riders is that they moan about roadwork, moan about single route or hard trials , moan about travelling , moan about long laps etc etc. Yet the most popular events include at least some if not all of the above. The Internet, it's full of crap Edited February 2, 2018 by baldilocks 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel dabster Posted February 3, 2018 Report Share Posted February 3, 2018 8 hours ago, dadof2 said: And to get back on topic. Recently there was what could be expected to be a very good trial that I have ridden in many times, had good results in and always enjoyed. For the last few years I have not attended. Another trial (not as good) about 10 miles away I and about 10 other locals attend. The difference between the two event? Roadwork. The better trial has roadwork. Some (about 75 to 80%) don't attend because their bikes are not legal or they don't have licences. The rest of us fully legal riders (the minority) don't go because the majority or all of our colleagues don't go. Edit follows The younger riders several of whom have 300s don't want to take the time and trouble of doing their tests to get on the road, nor do they want the subsequence expenses of VED and insurance just to do a very few road trials a year, the great majority of the events now being all off road multi lap. Even some of the older riders who have licences no longer bother having their bikes road legal - just don't think its worth it for a few road trials a year. ..and your point is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbofurball Posted February 3, 2018 Report Share Posted February 3, 2018 If younger riders don't see the appeal of riding a motorbike on the road, then civilization as we know it may be doomed ... seriously, road bikes are so much fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baldilocks Posted February 3, 2018 Report Share Posted February 3, 2018 2 hours ago, turbofurball said: If younger riders don't see the appeal of riding a motorbike on the road, then civilization as we know it may be doomed ... seriously, road bikes are so much fun! I'm quietly confident dadof is not young... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dadof2 Posted February 4, 2018 Report Share Posted February 4, 2018 Baldilocks - You are right unfortunately. Nigel wrote "and your point is". My point is that trials with roadwork effectively exclude quite a number of riders, that would not have been the case in past times. Underlying factors in this are that modern bikes are too specialized, insurance costs and the number of steps and cost to get a full motorcycle licence. Look at the Westmoreland Club Lonsdale cup results (the excellent trial to which Baldilocks refers). Note the age profile of the clubman riders. The age profile of the green and hard courses is not published. The ages are a bit younger than the clubman but there are very few who are under 25 and virtually none in their teens. The ACU and the whole motorcycle industry seem oblivious to the damage the licensing laws are doing to trials entries and the uptake of motorcycling in general. The British conservative government (under whose watch these changes were introduced) saw no merit in these changes but went along with them because Tony Blair (previous labour government) had already signed up to EU harmonisation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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