Trials...........and tribulations

Probably best to just enjoy both 'sides' of the sport and carry on turning up on a Sunday trying to get over that slippery as hell little branch, without feeling too inadequate...

:augie

Couldn't agree more, especially the last bit. I moved up a class on Sunday, and it's just like starting all over again! :blast
Mark
 
I moved up a class on Sunday, and it's just like starting all over again! :blast
Mark

Hi Mark, me too, into the reds/novice (one up from wobblers), down here it's mainly mud, ups and downs, cambers and tight turns. Not a lot in the way of rocks (thankfully!) Still hard though....

:eek:

Great sport, totally addictive.....

Think we need a 'how many points I lost this weekend' thread?

:)

My aim this year is to finish a trial riding reds and not to score a single five....

Looking to try a multi day trial in France too...

:mmmm

Jon
 
Hi Mark, me too, into the reds/novice (one up from wobblers), down here it's mainly mud, ups and downs, cambers and tight turns. Not a lot in the way of rocks (thankfully!) Still hard though....

:eek:

Great sport, totally addictive.....

Think we need a 'how many points I lost this weekend' thread?

:)

My aim this year is to finish a trial riding reds and not to score a single five....

Looking to try a multi day trial in France too...

:mmmm

Jon

Well we have a "yellow" route up here for the novice class, which is one up from beginner. You follow the standard route (between the blue and red markers) except where there is a yellow, easier, diversion.
This weekend was my first DNF in any form of motorcycle sport for years, owing to a combination of mechanical failure (thermostat died :blast) and rushing to take my daughter back to Uni.
First lap was a sobering mix of 3's and 5's, with one 2 my best.
Second lap I got my first 0, a 1, two 2's, one 5 and the rest 3's
Third lap two 0's, four 1's, a 5 and the rest 3's
Fourth lap a 0, two 1's, then my Beta started boiling up, paddled through two more sections in a cloud of steam and called it a day.
Last year my totals were in single figures. :blast
Mark
 
Well we have a "yellow" route up here for the novice class, which is one up from beginner. You follow the standard route (between the blue and red markers) except where there is a yellow, easier, diversion.
This weekend was my first DNF in any form of motorcycle sport for years, owing to a combination of mechanical failure (thermostat died :blast) and rushing to take my daughter back to Uni.
First lap was a sobering mix of 3's and 5's, with one 2 my best.
Second lap I got my first 0, a 1, two 2's, one 5 and the rest 3's
Third lap two 0's, four 1's, a 5 and the rest 3's
Fourth lap a 0, two 1's, then my Beta started boiling up, paddled through two more sections in a cloud of steam and called it a day.
Last year my totals were in single figures. :blast
Mark

Are you riding the yellow clubman route now (as opposed to beginner before) or red 50/50 novice route:confused:
 
Well we have a "yellow" route up here for the novice class, which is one up from beginner. You follow the standard route (between the blue and red markers) except where there is a yellow, easier, diversion.
This weekend was my first DNF in any form of motorcycle sport for years, owing to a combination of mechanical failure (thermostat died :blast) and rushing to take my daughter back to Uni.
First lap was a sobering mix of 3's and 5's, with one 2 my best.
Second lap I got my first 0, a 1, two 2's, one 5 and the rest 3's
Third lap two 0's, four 1's, a 5 and the rest 3's
Fourth lap a 0, two 1's, then my Beta started boiling up, paddled through two more sections in a cloud of steam and called it a day.
Last year my totals were in single figures. :blast
Mark

Sounds like we're at a pretty similar level then, but if you're already getting some cleans you're doing very well.

:bow

Something I have found is what constitutes a red route varies between clubs, I've ridden a combine trial with an easier route than a charity one! Obviously one guys easy is anothers impossible, but now I try to get there early and check out a few sections before deciding what route to ride.

A fellow Beta rider..... 08 250 here, cracking bikes..... (I take it you know about the water pump problems some suffer with?)

:)

Jon
 
Now you know how I feel:D

I walked the "white" route with Denise as well, we were thinking of you, especially as your mate was there with his Mont. :D


Are you riding the yellow clubman route now (as opposed to beginner before) or red 50/50 novice route:confused:

There does appear to be an agreement to disagree about route marking. :eek
Cheshire & North Wales centre mainly use:
White route - beginners
Yellow route - novice
50-50 route - inters
Red and blue - experts

Mixed in with this are different classes of bike and rider.
I was advised to start with the beginners class, as I had never actually competed in a trial before. At first this was challenging enough, but after a year I was thinking it was time to step up.

A fellow Beta rider..... 08 250 here, cracking bikes..... (I take it you know about the water pump problems some suffer with?)

:)

Jon

Mine is an '04, with '07 plastics and a new graphics kit. The water pump case had been replaced by the previous owner, who was a bit of an animal. If I had known on Sunday what I know now (link wire :blast) I could have finished.
Mark
 
I'm reading all this thread with great interest, as an ex trials rider (years ago) it all sounds very familiar.

I started at 10 or 11 at schoolboy level on a Greeves 2T (an ex works ISDT model) with little success as I was too small for the bike, after that I used Triumph Tiger Cubs for a few years then eventually ended up with a 500HT Ariel (not as good as Sam Miller's one though, sadly)
The Ariel was used both solo and as an outfit with my Dad. I had very average success as a solo rider, but we did win an OTC Southern centre trial on the outfit.

I then stopped trials at 15, when I left home, but after a 15 year break, whilst I found my feet again, I took it up again riding a TY 250 then a KT250 shortly followed by a Shirt framed TY250. Although I enjoyed my return, the sport had moved on, the sections were much harder (or i'd lost my bottle:D) the kids all seemed to be on top quality kit and really ran rings around an old duffer like me. So after 3 years I packed up again after hurting myself on a section, putting me off work for a few weeks.

These new modern Trials bikes look fantastic, i've never competed with a monoshock bike although I did ride a few in practice sessions, but these modern bikes do look to be a huge step forward from even those.

I rode a couple of pre 65 trails after that, on a borrowed triumph twin that was fun but very tiring and neither time did I finish the trial.

It's a great sport though and it appears to be quite cheap to compete still:thumb2

Good luck to you all

Shep
 
Mine is an '04, with '07 plastics and a new graphics kit. The water pump case had been replaced by the previous owner, who was a bit of an animal. If I had known on Sunday what I know now (link wire :blast) I could have finished.
Mark

As in wiring the fan so it's on constantly?

I've got an '01 as well, that SWMBO rides (when she's not dislocating her knee walking a section.....) and they really are superb bikes to learn on. Friend of mine has a Sherco 250 and the power delivery is much quicker, I find myself getting into trouble far easier on that

:augie

It's a great sport though and it appears to be quite cheap to compete still:thumb2

Good luck to you all

Shep

After buying a bike and finding a means to transport it there, it's got to be one of the cheapest forms of motorsport.

I use 2 to 3 litres of petrol every trial, change the gearbox oil every 4 to 6 trials and clean and re-oil the air filter at the same time. I haven't changed a spark plug in a year.

To join a club costs around £10 and entries are between £10 and £20. Practicing is either on borrowed land for free or a couple of official places for £15 for the day.

The biggest expense is fuel to get to events.

No ride this weekend....:(

:)

Jon
 
Yes, and the Wrexham club are running one this weekend. Bit of a drag from your end though. :D
Mark

Certainly would be.... I think we're spectating at Canada Heights this weekend, could've ridden, but I know my limits and the Sidcup Sixty (:ymca) is above those....

:augie

But, something I would like to do as I progress. We've found nothing but very genuine, very nice people at the different trials and clubs we've ridden last year.

So if there was a camping weekend trial this summer somewhere.....

:)

Jon
 
I walked the "white" route with Denise as well, we were thinking of you, especially as your mate was there with his Mont. :D




There does appear to be an agreement to disagree about route marking. :eek
Cheshire & North Wales centre mainly use:
White route - beginners
Yellow route - novice
50-50 route - inters
Red and blue - experts

Mixed in with this are different classes of bike and rider.
I was advised to start with the beginners class, as I had never actually competed in a trial before. At first this was challenging enough, but after a year I was thinking it was time to step up.



Mine is an '04, with '07 plastics and a new graphics kit. The water pump case had been replaced by the previous owner, who was a bit of an animal. If I had known on Sunday what I know now (link wire :blast) I could have finished.
Mark

Thanks for that Mark...................I ride the Yellow - Novice (Clubman as they call it in Yorks)

I find it ok and was told that the White route was either too easy or unavailable:confused:
 
Thanks for that Mark...................I ride the Yellow - Novice (Clubman as they call it in Yorks)

I find it ok and was told that the White route was either too easy or unavailable:confused:

The Yorkshire yellow route is probably the same as our white:augie
 
There does appear to be an agreement to disagree about route marking. :eek
Cheshire & North Wales centre mainly use:
White route - beginners
Yellow route - novice
50-50 route - inters
Red and blue - experts

Down here in the South Midland centre, we have

Sportsman / Wobbler riding Blue
Novice / Clubman riding Red
50/50 & Inters riding Red/White
and
Expert riding White.

A rider who rides out of centre could get confused very easily.:blast
 
Down here in the South Midland centre, we have

Sportsman / Wobbler riding Blue
Novice / Clubman riding Red
50/50 & Inters riding Red/White
and
Expert riding White.

A rider who rides out of centre could get confused very easily.:blast

Darn sarf...

Wobblers ride yellow
Novice ride red
Those who hop ride blue
Those who can ride vertically (and in control) ride white :eek:
Those who can do stuff that I can't work out how they do it ride white with a black cross. :eek: :eek:

Keith, I notice you mentioned earlier you're a member of Berko trials club. Is it possible to join and just use the practice ground? Is there a rule that says you have to observe or anything?

:)

Jon
 
Jon.

Check out Berkotrials/

It is possible to join and use the practice ground, club rules state that a member has to observe (or supply an observer for) at least one trial a year if they are riding in club trials.
If you do not ride the club trials I dont think you need to observe, More info in the website.
The Practice ground is near Hemel Hempstead.
 
Jon.

Check out Berkotrials/

It is possible to join and use the practice ground, club rules state that a member has to observe (or supply an observer for) at least one trial a year if they are riding in club trials.
If you do not ride the club trials I dont think you need to observe, More info in the website.
The Practice ground is near Hemel Hempstead.

Thanks very much for that, it looks an interesting place....

We use Hook Woods a bit, but noticed Nash Mills wasn't much further away from us. I take it you ride with them?

:beerjug:

Jon
 


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