A shock awaited competitors and officials at the Manchester 17 club's latest Dead Easy Trial on Bank Holiday Monday, Sunshine! This trial historically is run in conjunction with the local Country Fayre with all profits going to local charities. Historically also, it has usually rained heavily! This year, no Country Fayre, and no rain.
A bonus the club has is the variety of land available for Dead Easy Trials, from limestone rocky venues, to grassy bank, woodland areas. This one falls into the latter with the sections set out in two groups in woods with a nice ride across fields with time for riders to admire the splendid views whilst getting their breath back.
As befits these events, the trial was a low scoring one on the whole. Four riders went clean on the Harder route, on a wide variety of machinery. Philip Wroe on his Cub, Bill Brown on a Fantic, then two youngsters, Oliver Jenkins on a Beta and Scott Hipwell on his dad's monoshock Yamaha. Another youngster, Tom Shepherd, was annoyed with himself for casting away a stray dab on the grassy banks of section one, as was no doubt Sam Wilson for a similar lapse in concentration.
Trickiest section on this route was section two, where a narrow gap through a tree, over a root, had to be negotiated. Confidence and right line equalled success. Nervousness and off line equalled disaster! On the Easy route, stalwart supporter of these trials, Phil Granby, went clean, as did John Irlam from Yorkshire Classic Club. Youngster Ellie Molyneaux on her Oset had a great ride, only losing four marks to finish third, just ahead of another young lady on her electric Beta, Molly Barber, who dropped one mark more.
A strong entry of sixty three riders, a full complement of Observers, a wide variety of machines, ages, and abilities, but the common factor was they all seemed to go home with a smile having enjoyed themselves.
Thank you to all the riders for supporting the event, the officials, and in particular the Observers, without whom running a trial isdifficult.
REPORT : Roger Townsend