kevind

These are another two gentlemen who put in a huge amount of effort and money into trials in this country and I for one thank them for that, so perhaps tykes just needs moving on. New times people lets all give each other a cuddle and prove the CEO of team toast inc is wrong apart from the tights bit as that has moved on .Although I thought I saw Robin in tights when he thought no one was looking, practising on Adams bike for a comeback in the new over 35 class at BIU. I might get a one piece lycra trials suit and go for a street ride with team toast and anybody who knows me, will know I might get locked up for that.

If Sean is the guy that works with Adam at TB, then yes he was volunteered, but is only doing the BTF webpage. as far as I know.. I am guilty as charged about not feeding information to be put on the website from the Scottish club. But as I said I do not do social media as one, too old and two I really dislike most of it, don't care what everybody had for breakfast. I need help from someone in our club. I know Graham at Crowthorne does a better job, but it isn't centralised. Although I was going to send Jack on a how to butter toast course after his last video. When we were in Blackpool at the British, there was a BMX event on and I got chatting about that with someone after, and he mentioned that some of of these events get over 900 entries. Now I know its an Olympic sport and therefore gets funding from the Manchester battle star, but that is still a lot of people taking the time to travel and compete, The point being is that presented with a proper competition calendar and trials into a new age then perhaps there is the enthusiasm to see if we can move it on. Look at putting a trial on with one of these BMX rounds? Bloody big Audience? There is the enthusiasm for that as my round at Cream of the Croft proved, over 2000 people over the weekend watched in amazement at what trials is, constant thanks and questions and new lads coming to have a go. They are desperate to have us back as it added to the weekend for the organisers big time as it was easy to watch. We get free access to all that they have organised over the weekend. As I said before, comps on a windswept hill side are dead. Although Barbara might explode with 900 entries! Can anyone explain how the European countries can build trials courses for their national events and where the funding comes from as they seem to be doing ok for numbers?

Slightly off topic but I do think it is applicable, I do know no one volunteered to do it when Ben S stood down. Ali C mention of the lack of the need to get together because of social media and the internet, we as trials community do almost nothing to use it to promote trials and especially when we win at world level. Look at Tribalzine French or Trials Inside Italian? to see how much they promote their own. Other than Aaron telling me yesterday that Jack won again I would have no idea. How many here know how well the BIU riders did or Adam won his class at the youth games? That is perhaps where somebody(s) needs not to be helping run the comps but do their bit on getting British trials on the interweb. Aarons brother will have a couple of youtube edits up of the BIU riders in Czech shortly. Thoughts?

Thanks Ross, It was a good one as Cream of the Croft was, It seems to be on the up here in Scottishland. Lots of laughter and smiley faces, I saw through the day. Thanks for all the help to everyone that helped and I will post up entries as soon as I get the info. It was very interesting on the positive comments from the new club members and parents and I hope this keeps up the momentum. Seems we may get a good few from Englandshire due to the next events location. Let battle commence in a very PC type of battle for our modern generation. Ross you are on a recruitment drive to get all the dusty old comp riders out of retirement, October and demo season should be over.

Thanks for the insightful contribution there. Those of us that make an effort to contribute will I am sure lay on some breakfast bread if you ever wish to broaden your horizons. As CEO of whatever it is you are CEO of, maybe your demands will be outwith our clubs resources. I am sure that the riders that went out for a street ride at Fort William Saturday night before the comp on Sunday fully back you up, but I did make them change into lycra before the comp.

2nd October.

Just back from Fort William, The new riders appeared again and we all chipped in and helped run another fantastic trial. enough observers and helpers. Beer till midnight around a camp fire, F***in midges last night but enough beer and they seem to go away or maybe i just started get them pissed as well! Next one is near the Englishshire border at a new venue for us, so all Englishire people welcome. will post up details soon. (except any body that has no interest in competitions! )

Boom from Barbara. From a personal side I do it because i love it and i get to spend time with now One of my boys and the other now plays rugby which fills my winter weekends and yes I do help at the rugby club as much as I am needed, even down to filling the water bottles pregame or taking a turn washing the game jerseys. These days will move on a as they go do their own thing which is already happening. Will I help after boys, I don't know but I have done this all my life from moto trials, enduros, 4x4 racing at British level. and always sat on committee and /or spent many weekends helping. As Barbara, mentioned never for the thanks, but when it happens it makes it more worth while. Now I get more help just doing little things at the Scottish comps, that makes my set up and comp day easier and more enjoyable. Also to give to every rider a chance to progress and see them do so is just a brilliant feeling. (apart from maybe Ross MC as he was old when I met him, but doesn't seem to get any older and his bikes get more and more roadier by the year, but has been a year on year rider which i thank him for) I have stated how I will try to progress the Scottish club with comments and more help it will survive. Robin and J of SL has stuck their heads up and offered, Czech was by far the best foreign event we have attended in out four years of doing this. I am fortunate that I work my ass of to afford it and it has been our summer hols. Why was it so good this year, we had great sections and organisation, but it for me was like the old days when I travelled to events, majority of the British team in one hotel and thanks to certain over the top characters (what happens on tour stays on tour) it was just a laugh for a week, and that's with three new families on tour that just joined in the fun. They assure me they will be back, but perhaps there may have been to much public nudity and they are scared for life. What I am saying here is brilliant times that I will laugh at and tell tall tales over the years to come, made new friends and helped new riders progress at world level. But the most important thing for me as a dad is that both my boys, share the same memories and now have friend from around the world. (Which they can and do keep in touch with due to this bad or great thing called the internet) The world moves on and perhaps trials has not, I am of an older generation that part of what Barbara and Ali C discusses, maybe the new torch bearers are not going to come through, but I disagree, younger riders once they realise and are educated that it all just doesn't organise its self tend to help when asked. That is also going to help them in the long run. Clubs always run on a few and that will never change, as people are either to busy or are the type that just expect that everything is done for them and these also tend to be the ones that whine the most when they do not get what they want. I have reached an age when I can now tell them to shut the F*** up or pick up the marker tape and help and have done. Now off to complete loading the van, done all the paperwork yesterday and head off to Fort William to set up and run the next one. Camping with beers, friends and BS stories to tell and make more BS stories.

Weather improved for Sunday. No rain till late afternoon. Need to see that sun dance Saturday night Ross.

There is huge history of in the last few years at British and tyke. As I said we don't do many tykes so I can only see results and what happens at the few events we do but we do do all the British comps. Over the years all the Elites left, because as I have been told that, Jack was so good they couldn't beat him. Seems a bit daft to me, in my competition life if someone beat me then i just practice harder and that was a focus.Some stuck around, but then Andrei beats Jack at Blackpool and he goes home,and not for the first time. (Mick and Karen did a huge amount of organising and work for the clubs over the years and has made huge personal sacrifices to get Jack to where he is, one of the gentlemen, I have had the pleasure of meeting through trials ). Jack has moved on to another level that nobody can ride at. Blackpool was to easy for him but when I helped set out, I had the rest of the Elites and 50/50 Experts in mind as I do with my own trials. (the majority) As an organiser we need to see the bigger picture and some people do not (Fact) The history has to go and the fact that the British is now organised by clubs in their respective areas is in my opinion helping. I don't need to name names here, as I will discuss face to face as my prefer old man option. On a wee point, as an organiser, I didn't even understand about the left right issue until what you talked about happened. Because 1 nobody told me and 2 my lads were not at that level. I do now and sometimes the terrain is against you, but gate width and placement has to be thought about.

Interesting points. Ali C maybe a valid point, but why are the rest of Europe as far as I know still having great numbers? Bing Yes to all. Mark from someone in it much longer than I its seems the Tykes may have never changed. Clicks are natural in any club, I have been involved in many clubs over the years and have been in clicks, even lead some and also been out of the clicks and felt very isolated within the club.(it never ever bothered me except for one diving club I was in but I just left to Join another) One thing in my six years I have never felt isolated in the trials community and I don't know anyone who would disagree with that. But the clicks are usually just a group of personalities that get the most out of the club and usually put the most in.But I have never seen clubs with individuals that do it just for there own agendas ever, its always for the greater good of the club and people eventually get accepted into the clicks. I run the Scottish club as a dictator (Joke to those with sensitive souls or no sense of humour) and it seems to be working. Ive made mistakes along the way and i listen and try my best to resolve any issues. (example being Aaron still riding expert as we had no Elite class, a suggestion to have him in Elite to give the older and new expert class riders a chance to win. It was fair suggestion and now Aaron gets bigger sections to push him. I was not happy at first to have to set out another route for one rider, But at a recent bike trial I was at they just put in a couple of extra yellow gates in the red route to harden it up Simple) No one gets priority up here even my own sons no matter what has been said in the past. You want to be better then train harder and practice more like any other sport.

From the Scottish clubs scene we are on the up, I just run it with more and more help and it has taken the enthusiasm of a new riders Dad to get the numbers up? I posted a while back a post" is comp trials dead", some interesting comments there. The average British champ was around 40+ not 25 which is still not good. But just back from the worlds and there were over 130 entries, and I believe UCI world cups get around the same number? We only do a couple of Tykes a year, but we go to one and Jack C can loose marks and then the next one we go to certain people only loose a couple of marks in Elite which is, I think what the problem is and also a few people running it for their own agendas. The Scottish is all about just fun within a comp. last event because so many were camping and we had thousands of spectators I opened up the area on the Saturday so everybody could play all day and some new lads got a shot on a seatless bike.Our events will more and more just tie in with other bike events and that gives the riders and helpers/parents something else to have fun at. Last one had bar,food,movies, enduro racing, huge water slide, silent disco and much much more. That in my opinion is the way forward, Look at Tarty bikes event, Radical bikes and Sheffield a couple of years ago all well subscribed. In my opinion two laps of eight sections comps on the side of a hill in the middle of nowhere is dead in this country due to many reasons. But only takes one Dads enthusiasm to turn it around with no personal agenda and some other people to be prepared to give up there time to organise and help at events then we can keep it alive and still produce riders that can ride at world level. British cycling is a double edged sword, it may or may not help ( after being involved in a few meetings I personally believe they would make it worse) They are by far the most ignorant, arrogant bad mannered people I have ever met and I am old. Although other counties have pushed and pushed and finally got in with their national body and they have gone on to be better. Standing next to that Hart (dont know his first name) downhill rider in Andorra last year at the world champs, I overheard him shouting his mouth of to his entourage that what is the point of trials, stupid bike with no seats. With that attitude of other British team members then you know its an overall no chance for trials in Britain. I watch in constant amazement at what the top world riders can do in all disciplines and appreciate the dedication and hard work. Now anybody can ride downhill but will never be world champion, but I like to see that little mung even ride a section. I have been only involved for six+ years while others have many more, but it is the same since I started, same venues and same sections (that's why I left motorcycle trials and I live in Scotland), now is time for change or it will just die, those still involved need to change or go and let the new (if there is anybody willing) move trials comps into a new arena. Look at the hard work done by the Ackerlys to put on a new age event for the British. Lots more to discuss but I have already been told off for typing to much as people on the forum have no attention span?

Couldnt get them to go away, The force is strong in me now

Yup entries coming in should be a decent night as a few camping!! Weather will be sunny. weather will be sunny, repeat as many times as required.

BIU rules. 75 at Fort Bill Not a chance been getting away with it for far more years.

just windin the line in now

Right or wrong, its publicity for trials, and the few that do something about it get F*****g slated as usual. Ross's brilliant dark humour aside. Get of yer desk bound arses and help, then you will have something to contribute. The negativity in this country is outstanding. Well done guys.

Gordon has emailed in an entry form. Pay on the day. Three riders now!!!!!! One day to cheap beer time.

Probably been said before, but too much money involved,like other certain sports, TV and how ever many organising committees have made it into a soap opera which in these days TV viewing audience is what makes money (look at whats on TV nowadays anybody that watches Big brother should be neutered, but it has viewing figures) , Love the technology, but the racing, nah its like watching an episode of Eastenders. (which I dont do either) Caught the last race of the touring cars yesterday, now that was entertaining. Even managed to take one of the TV camera towers down at the start. How the TV guy walked away unhurt? I dont know if its just Britain or its a world wide thing, but watch the drivers press conference and just listen to the questions presented by the various journalists. Our tabloid press are there and its cringy to listen to. But some of the drivers responses are brilliant.

slurp mmmmmh

Is it not interesting that Nobody listen to crap chart music, and although wide appeal, its all good music. I love my music and will be looking at some of the recommendations listed. Thanks. I am mostly a prog rock fan but if its good it will be tracked down!! Album man but listed a track if it stands out for me: Anything by Steven Wilson. Hand Cannot Erase (Routine) Anything by Porcupine Tree. Tool. last two albums: Lateralus and 10000 days. Beth Hart: some collaboration albums with Joe Bonamassa Sela Sue Warren Haynes. Man in Motion Anything by Govt Mule Lunatic Soul Riverside.

Entry Form. Aaron and I are away to Czech on the 2nd August and don't get back till the 14th. So any questions will not be answered during that period. Beer I have been told is very cheap there. 2015kinlochleven entry.doc

I am back. Entry posted up this week. Camping on site Saturday. Please let me know with an entry form if you are coming. Trophy winners from last year please bring them to this event so I can get them scribed for last year and ready for the last round. It will be in the Borders at a new venue run by Cal and Mark Herd. 2nd October.

What a brilliant weekend. So much fun with loads of non trials stuff going on and beer on site. We as a club made a big impression on the non trials crowd 1000 people over the weekend and had lots of amazed comments and kids looking to have a go. The two Aarons killed the bunny hop comp with Aaron Duke clearing 120cm and just a half tyre of 125cm. Thanks to Cream- o- the Croft, Muckmedden events, Colin and digger, Mikes Bikes for Medals and all the officials for the day Thanks to 29 riders that attended and hope you all had a great day. best ever entry for a Scottish round and with a couple of regulars missing we would have made 30. Lets keep the momentum going and I will try to get another round in before Cal Herds one in September. New date as a few of us are in Austria. Aaron getting the section 1 side hop. Simon making his comeback?