Trials Central - The Niggle That Won’t Go Away

The Niggle That Won’t Go Away

Date: 27.07.2009

It was the Reeth Three Day Trial this weekend, and though I’m a touch late in sending this column for uploading, there is a very good reason.

Let me say once and for all, the Richmond Club did a fantastic job, putting on a great trial that took in vast tracts of wonderful Yorkshire scenery. I have praised the club in past years; it’s obvious the efforts they put in, the huge amount of work the members do to ensure the event is the success it is, and having ridden six of these trials now, it never ceases to amaze me how they manage to get permissions to do what they do.

There’s every point in praising the club to the heavens, but that would be repeating myself once again, so suffice to say, you all did a fantastic job and long be there many more.

Let there be no doubt, it was a challenging trial; riders who enter know what to expect and this year they got plenty of what they expected. No matter if your ability level sees you in the first ten or the last ten, it all has to be ridden.

So, having praised the club this year and in past years, is there any aspect that niggles? Unfortunately, there is one, just one and no matter who the rider, or what their ability, all are affected the same and almost to a man, it’s an aspect that casts a cloud over the trial and indeed, over most trials in Yorkshire.

It’s the no-stop rule. Time and time again, you hear a rider say in conversation, “I might have got a five”. What they are referring to is a momentary halt in their progression through a section. You see, these sections are difficult. Sure, they are straight with no tight turns, but it is so easy to sump on a rock, halt momentarily at the base of a step, drop into a hole, or have to heave bike and body up a step that may well be a touch bigger than what you are really capable of.

It depends very much on the observer of course. Many are sensible and tolerant and see that effort to keep going is rewarded, equally there are others who give no leeway at all. Simple as that. They do not consider that you have just ridden 110 sections and struggled your way up extremely trying ravines, and it’s all you can do with the energy left to keep the bike moving through the section.

And those that suffer the worst are the less able lads. Generally, the better riders are fit and capable enough to do in the section what they intend to do. The strugglers, and they far outnumber the good ones, do have to stop and heave bike and body through jumbles of rocks, only to see on the results that what they considered was a well fought three has been recorded as a five.

Is the above sour grapes from me? No actually, as my score was bang on, on day one, two fewer than I reckoned on day two, and two fewer than I reckoned on day three. So I’m not complaining. But others have voiced their opinions to me, so let my broad shoulders take the flak likely to head my way from Yorkshire.

One other aspect that surprises me is the lack of support for such big events. Richmond have loyal, local sponsors, but the trials importers with one exception, who all have their companies based within two hours drive of the start in Reeth, totally ignore the event. Gas Gas have a tent and a few spares there, but there’s absolutely no presence from any of the other big four.

There must be a good reason I suppose, but with a captive audience of 210 riders and at least another couple of hundred enthusiasts in attendance, I would have thought it was worth a tent and a display, maybe even a bike to try out.

But what do I know? I’ve only been around the sport 44 years!

And sorry for the delay in posting; e-mail problems until late Monday night.

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