Horsforth Trial Pil***ks

[rabie]

its a very tough cookie

in our group trials each club riders aren't allowed to ride their own round (and each club puts on a round) and thus in theory there are enough not riding riders to cover the event - doesn't work perfectly. the idea is also used by local enduros.

the logical next step is to be like (modern) AMCA MX - you have to help your club or no licences - it seams to really work. also the club has to put on something like two events if it has 40 members - any surplus members must go to another club or start a new one. then clubs are moved about by then AMCA from each centre (group) so that each group has enough clubs and everyone is virtually guaranteed a ride every weekend - lots of problems with this as there in no encouragement / reason to run a good event because your entry is guaranteed. also you can't / its very hard to ride elsewhere when a crap round is on in your good.

or at the other extreme find 10 or 20 people (whatever) and pay them. a) there isn't the money in trials to do it and we in MX can't find the people even though we have the money!

IMHO there is no answer but .......

rabie

[jack_h]

when you join or continue the membership at my club ( nash mills ) you have to

[bikespace]

We are very lucky not to have to struggle too much at our club to find observers. We recently expected a fuller entry and went up to 12 sections knowing that the extra entries should bring 2 extra observers.

One thing I'm concerned about is riders giving lip to observers. I've never seen it first hand (fortunately). I would not overestimate the life expectancy of someone I saw doing it. It really gets my goat, but I have heard of it locally.

Every riders responsibility is to have a quick chat with the observer (when they have the time), and have a laugh and a joke with them. Keep the poor buggers happy!

Every observer on that course is doing the riders a FAVOUR. If just one thing you do all day can make that observer have a more positive day, then you've contributed to the club getting the full compliment of observers at the next trial.

That's the only way to look at it. By all means have a joke, even just to check that they really do think that you had a three rather than a one or a two. But past that point, the only way you're going to change that point of view is with a less than confident observer being put in an awkward position. And thats NOT ON!

Riders need to realise that very few of us are at a level where it's a privilege to observe.

[andy_290]

I always make a point of thanking the observers at each section on my last lap, the least I can do.

Only problem is, I've usually broken down before starting the last lap so they don't get their thanks that often

[jonty]

I think the Horsforth club was a victim of it's own success on sunday at Home Farm. Their Novice and Beginners series is vey popular-generally they get the sections spot-on for both classes and are always well organised.I think that had they put out the marker boards on the unmanned sections then someone would have picked up at some point and stayed there.

I know that some riders were disgruntled but the various posts on this specific event seem like an over reaction to a problem that all clubs encounter at some point. Hopefully this was a one-off for Horsforth but I don't think the comments under the heading "pathetic" on their website do anything to help the situation.