gizza5 Posted March 10, 2006 Report Share Posted March 10, 2006 for many years prior to that, the trial was struggling to get enough entries. Your absolutely right and I have said in the past one year there was 167 riders. The riders that are in the entry today and in those previous years are the ones that have supported the event through the bad times. We had a telephone call from Jim McColm one of the years asking if my brother had forgotton to send his entry in, his cicumstances were that he just could not afford to ride that particular year, but the club were scrathing around for anyone to make up the numbers. I would imagine in the lean years that the club, were glad of us regulars as it probably nearly got to a point where they were wondering whether it was viable to run it at all, but we were there giving our support. I am not saying who should be in the entry, or who shouldn't and would any of us on here want to pick/ballot/choose/select the 270 riders, so good on the club Whether your capable of riding at Club, Centre or National level does not make a scrap of difference the SSDT is one to do on your wish list of trials, and the popularity since going no stop has made it over subscribed. The club would like a solution if there is one, so maybe I can start and get shot down.................... The trial used to run 300 starters, the club say it is just not viable to add another 30 riders nowadays. Now I know it is a long day for the officials, and a 0730hrs start is early, but could we not start at 0700hrs Another Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the artist formerly known as ish Posted March 10, 2006 Report Share Posted March 10, 2006 I think the current cropp of baby boomers will soon be booming a little less, probably in year or two it will sort itself out. Is the entries from new young riders, more than those who probably will soon be saying enough is enough ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timp Posted March 10, 2006 Report Share Posted March 10, 2006 Not sure about getting rid of the last 30 or so finishers. As Highland Lassie says what about the retirements. Some riders get to thursday and call it a day. That to me is worse than coming in the last 30. If some way of grading out the "trail riders" is needed I think it would be fairer to do it like this. The results show how many fives a rider has during the week. If it was assessed at the end of the week to show what proportion of your score was made up of fives those 30 or so riders who had most could be not given an entry the next year. This could also be applied to the retirements who would be assessed on the percentage of 5s in their score before they retired. Riders going round and not making a valid attempt would soon become apparent. Mark T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted March 10, 2006 Report Share Posted March 10, 2006 There are riders who just enter for the ride-around (I was involved on the administrative side of the event for long enough to know that!), but their numbers are tiny and it's well known who they are. My understanding is that they're being weeded out by tracking the "ask for five" brigade using new processes that weren't available when I was involved. However, it's not an ovenight process. With an event that happens for one week a year it's going to take time to record and identify the consistent "can I have a five?" riders and eradicate them (they've already clamped down on folk making registrations under multiples names and clamped down on payment dates being adhered to). I'm sure it will happen that entry control gets tighter to ensure those who actually WANT to ride and do their very best are the ones who are in the Parc Ferme Monday morning thinking "Oh my God. What am I doing???" As far as the success of the modern day SSDT goes, it is largely down to that cantankerous, argumentative bugger many of us knew as the late Willie Dalling. As much as it pains me to admit it, having had more run-ins with him than I care to mention (and over stupid little things that you don't appreciate till folk have gone), he did an awesome job in shaping the SSDT to where it stands today. Knowing the guys behind this event, I've every confidence in Mark and his fellow management team taking on Willie's legacy and can only see the event go from strength to strength. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slapshot 3 Posted March 11, 2006 Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 As Martin Luther King said, "I have a dream...." I'm nearly 40 but I still dream of riding the Scottish (on some nights I can still win ), I know it'll never happen, I know it would kill me to try but I still dream about it and for a lot of trials riders that is a vitally important part of every year, deciding whether they have the wherewithal to stick in an entry. Everyone who has ever ridden a trial wants to ride the Scottish, whether they are world round contenders or someone who will take 180 fives, finish 59 minutes late every night have a knackered bike and body by Monday teatime, they still want to try. In our esoteric little world, the Scottish and the Scott are the two biggies, finish them you are a "real" trials rider as my old man likes to say. Whatever we have to say I think Willie got it spot on and that legacy is what will keep the Scottish going. Some will bitch every year but it won't change a thing, the Ballot is the only fair way to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trialero13 Posted March 11, 2006 Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 After read all posts I'm nearly absolutely agree with Rappers. We discused this in Spain some time ago and the SSDT (apart from Holiday in the Highlands) it's a competition, and a hard trial. In my opinion nothing wrong with the bottom 30, except if they walking the sections, getting delays, attempting 90 % of the sections, don't put the bike on a van, or cutting route...I mean cheating. It's a pleasure to see how popular are the SSDT arround... Congrats to the organization and keep good work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marky g Posted March 12, 2006 Report Share Posted March 12, 2006 What is the criteria for getting in ? There does seem to alot of folks who get in year after year with out any problems (average joes, not superstars) just lucky maybe ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highland lassie Posted March 12, 2006 Report Share Posted March 12, 2006 For those of you who don't read the regs.... There's thirty places assigned to the factories (they each get a guaranteed six places) and fifty places set aside for the club to allocate at their discretion. The rest go into the ballot. These eighty places tend to go to the same / similar riders every year, and then there will be some in the other 190 that get through the ballot more often than others. It's called Sods Law. It's no great mystery - it's all in the regulations, which are publised on the SSDT website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinnied Posted March 13, 2006 Report Share Posted March 13, 2006 What really bugs me (and others) more than anything else is the rider that rushes around all week, gets to the start of the section, rides in the first few yards, takes a five and pulls out and is then off over the hillside onto the next section or moorland/road stretch to the end of the day. That is NOT doing the Scottish; doing the Scottish is queuing, walking the section, getting delay, attempting the whole section and each sub section, then moving on having made a genuine attempt at each of the day's 30 sections. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Some time people find it hard to get beetween the groups of sections not alone attempt them (It takes all sorts) Vinnie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adsy Posted March 14, 2006 Report Share Posted March 14, 2006 Vinnied Posted Yesterday, 01:25 PM Some time people find it hard to get beetween the groups of sections not alone attempt them (It takes all sorts) Then they should'nt be in the event in the first place. I rode the event in 98 & 99, getting a first class award both times, I entered again in 2000 & lost out in the ballot, despite much pleading with the then secretary, I entered again in 2001, lost out again in the ballot, By this time I was losing patience, after losing out a third time in 2002 I did lose patience & hav'nt entered again since. I am contemplating entering again for 2007, so if the secretary's reading this, please remember me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinell Posted March 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2006 Vinnied Posted Yesterday, 01:25 PM Some time people find it hard to get beetween the groups of sections not alone attempt them (It takes all sorts) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pnnich Posted March 14, 2006 Report Share Posted March 14, 2006 (edited) The riders that are in the entry today and in those previous years are the ones that have supported the event through the bad times. not always true ive ridden from 1989 to 2005 and never got a entry this year Edited March 14, 2006 by Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boofont Posted March 14, 2006 Report Share Posted March 14, 2006 Vinnied Posted Yesterday, 01:25 PM Some time people find it hard to get beetween the groups of sections not alone attempt them (It takes all sorts) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the artist formerly known as ish Posted March 15, 2006 Report Share Posted March 15, 2006 That bloody Kinell's fault, getting em all wound up!! mi mum said he wer a bad un Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinell Posted March 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2006 A decent bit of debate without the usual p*** taking and slagging each other off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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