Trials Rules ??? Possible bending of rules

[venturi]

Hi

Say a trial consists of 3 laps of 7 sections. Is it allowable for a single rider to double up or possibly triple up the sections so to only do one lap?

understandable if ALL riders have been given permission in trial briefing  

In my eyes this is cheating as in that this rider is remembering lines and repeating straight away without forgetting a section

Also the ground conditions can be less torn up or stones become wet or muddy as this rider is riding on a possible one lap so misses a lot of damage to section find by the rest of the field of riders

Are they any written rules re this matter?

Or is it just an unwritten rule and this tactic frowned upon?

[heffergm]

Check your local rules obviously, but generally speaking the loop is part of the event. You have to ride it the prescribed number of times. Typically you can start at any section, but you then have to ride sections in order. 

If you're saying that someone is riding each section 4 times in a row (or however many loops you have), once for each loop card, without riding the loop or completing sections sequentially, that's totally illegal around here. Or anywhere else I've ever seen a trial run. 

[feetupfun]

If an organiser wants to prevent people doing this, they only give out score cards for the next lap when the previous lap card is handed in.

Sometimes permitted, sometimes not, some people care, some do not. Sometimes mentioned in rules, sometimes mentioned at riders' briefings.

I know when my kids were little and needed lots of parental support, I preferred them to ride sections using this pattern so I only had to walk the loop once instead of 5 or 6 times.

[venturi]

1 minute ago, feetupfun said:

If an organiser wants to prevent people doing this, they only give out score cards for the next lap when the previous lap card is handed in.

Sometimes permitted, sometimes not, some people care, some do not. Sometimes mentioned in rules, sometimes mentioned at riders' briefings.

I know when my kids were little and needed lots of parental support, I preferred them to ride sections using this pattern so I only had to walk the loop once instead of 5 or 6 times.

Hi Feetupfun

This happened in a kids trial today. The said young rider I’m not blaming, more the parent that will know the rules as he’s on Trials clubs committees

this rider is at the thick end of competition so I see it as cheating whilst the rest of the riders rode round Riding as per the events instructions

We do not use cards which are collected each lap or various point on a larger route but maybe that would be the answer

thanks

 

 

[nigel dabster]

its cheating although not knowing the exact circumstances it may be genuinely not be to better a score.

Look it up in the ACU rulebook basically you should ride sections in order lap by lap.

Edited October 16, 2017 by nigel dabster

[nigel dabster]

tsr 18 covers this, and it is set out so as to make ties a fairest way to decide equal scores as much as anything.

TSR18

OBSERVED SECTIONS

The organiser must display which route each class is riding indicating the corresponding colours of

the route marking. Details may be displayed at signing on, at the first section or contained in the Final

Instructions or programme. Riders in the same class must all start at the same section.

It is recommended that routes be marked as follows:

Route 1 – Principal Route – Blue (left) Red (right)

Route 2 – Yellow both sides

Route 3 – White both sides

Any further routes to be marked in a colour chosen by the Organiser.

In the above, the letters denote the severity of the sections in descending order ie Route 1 would be

hardest, Route 2 next hardest and so on.

Routes may be marked in their entirety in the colours shown – or the Organiser may mark

appropriate diversions in these colours. Ideally – the coloured section of markers should be in the

shape of an arrow – with the point toward the centre of the section.

No penalty shall be imposed on a rider who wishes to inspect a section before riding it.

The lateral limits of an Observed Section or Sub Section may be defined by artificial boundaries such

as markers or tapes, which shall be firmly placed and positioned in a way so as to clearly define the

intended limits of the section. If tapes are to be used they shall always be clear of the ground but not

exceed a height of 500mm from the ground.

The Start and Finish of each Observed Section or Sub-Section will be clearly defined, with the Section

Begins and Section Ends identified as such.

Sections and Sub-Sections shall be numbered or lettered and ridden in the correct sequence unless

otherwise instructed by the organisers.

A rider failing in a Sub-Section must restart in a forward direction from the Sub-Section in which he

has failed.

[lineaway]

Our club started doing this for the electric bikes, so they could make it on one set of batteries. But it is cheating as the rider only completes one loop.

[cleanorbust]

4 hours ago, nigel dabster said:

tsr 18 covers this, and it is set out so as to make ties a fairest way to decide equal scores as much as anything.

TSR18

OBSERVED SECTIONS

The organiser must display which route each class is riding indicating the corresponding colours of

the route marking. Details may be displayed at signing on, at the first section or contained in the Final

Instructions or programme. Riders in the same class must all start at the same section.

It is recommended that routes be marked as follows:

Route 1 – Principal Route – Blue (left) Red (right)

Route 2 – Yellow both sides

Route 3 – White both sides

Any further routes to be marked in a colour chosen by the Organiser.

In the above, the letters denote the severity of the sections in descending order ie Route 1 would be

hardest, Route 2 next hardest and so on.

Routes may be marked in their entirety in the colours shown – or the Organiser may mark

appropriate diversions in these colours. Ideally – the coloured section of markers should be in the

shape of an arrow – with the point toward the centre of the section.

No penalty shall be imposed on a rider who wishes to inspect a section before riding it.

The lateral limits of an Observed Section or Sub Section may be defined by artificial boundaries such

as markers or tapes, which shall be firmly placed and positioned in a way so as to clearly define the

intended limits of the section. If tapes are to be used they shall always be clear of the ground but not

exceed a height of 500mm from the ground.

The Start and Finish of each Observed Section or Sub-Section will be clearly defined, with the Section

Begins and Section Ends identified as such.

Sections and Sub-Sections shall be numbered or lettered and ridden in the correct sequence unless

otherwise instructed by the organisers.

A rider failing in a Sub-Section must restart in a forward direction from the Sub-Section in which he

has failed.

I've known it to be argued that a competitor riding section 1 three times, then section 2 three times, then 3,4,5 etc in a three lap trial is indeed riding the sections in the correct sequence. This isn't what the rules mean, of course, perhaps they need to state each section to be ridden once per lap.

[venturi]

Definitely cheating in my eyes

our trials are acu. I did not see a mention of this in their rules 

the father of the rider said he asked each observer off permission, which they gave to this one rider. Unfortunately a lot of the observers are parents helping out and chances are would not know this guy was bending the rules. 

This is a tricky one

[shakennstirred]

It's cheating.

You are going through the section that is very nearly the same every time.

Doing them once a lap. means 40/50/60 or however many riders are at the trial have all been through and that section could be very different each time you go through it.

Edited October 16, 2017 by shakennstirred

[b40rt]

1 hour ago, cleanorbust said:

I've known it to be argued that a competitor riding section 1 three times, then section 2 three times, then 3,4,5 etc in a three lap trial is indeed riding the sections in the correct sequence. This isn't what the rules mean, of course, perhaps they need to state each section to be ridden once per lap.

I hope you slapped them ....

[timp]

Its wrong.

i was at a club trial with a big entry yesterday. Lots of riders would miss a section if there was a queue. Then double up on the last lap. All that gains is a bigger queue later on for those of us who are daft enough to stick to the rules!

[jimmyl]

Only exceptions I can see are 

All of a class do it  - ie electric bikes young riders and is stated  at the start of the trial by the C of C/organisers.

A beginner who is allowed to do it but no award  - again agreed by C of C

A rider who is last to come through and is a lap down - to allow observers to pack up - again in reality they are far enough off the pace to be no award. A bunch of experts hanging back to ride a stream twice after everybody else would not be permitted.

Anybody deliberately doing it to avoid queues or gain and advantage should be deemed no award 

 

[cabby]

What is this award stuff  are they giving out prizes at these trials, like a hamper or t-shirts or something  next you'll be telling us every dab has to be punched and not just the 5s. 

[twinnshock]

Defiantly cheating. If a rider spots a section that will get worse/harder as the trial progresses and quickly rides it 3 times they have gained an advantage. A bottomless muddy ditch could be an example of this.

My club is a bit flexible on this depending on the situation. If a championship event it is normally stated in the briefing at the start that all sections are to ridden in order and where each class must start. If a rider deviates from this explicit instruction we would exclude them from the results. We also will exclude riders from the results if they a rude to an observer but this is a different subject.

With beginners and electric we tend to turn a blind eye to the practice. We want these riders to enjoy themselves and learn and more importantly come back another day. These riders are not going to affect the results hence the blind eye to this.

Stuart