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Can Someone Talk Me Through The Process


lacey9
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Ok, so I've come from an AMCA Motocross background so the process was I joined my nearest club, Joined the AMCA, got my licence. Attended club nights once a week and booked in for available meetings within my group, paid the club chairman, I'd get my confirmation slip in the post that week. Roll up at 7.30 on a Sunday Morning, hand over my slip at the gate, Gear up etc. Practice, 3 races, go home in pain and soak in the tub for a few hours.

As a complete novice to Trials I just wondered of someone could guide me through the process involved in competing in a club trial. I'm not an AMCA member anymore but am willing to re-join if that will give a wider scope of meetings available. Is most booking online/telephone or turn up on the day and book in?

What should I expect on competition day? Track walk etc?

I'm based in the northants area? Anywhere I should be looking for localish regs?

Basically I don't want to make a complete fool of myself on my first trial or get in anybodies way and spoil their day.

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Most clubs are ACU so you most likely can enter a trial and ask for a ACU application number form the club then apply online. Dont worry about making a fool of yourself 98% of us do it all the time, i have ridden for years yet still make an ass of me self now and again, its not like motorcross full of up them own asses people. Just try we all like a have ago harry.

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Download an acu application form, turn up at a meeting, fill in an entry form and a membership form, pay your money get a unique code. warm yourself and your bike up walk and look at the first section and watch a few other riders go through the section, ride it yourself if you aren't sure about anything ask, yet to find someone who dosen't want to help move onto the next section have fun and enjoy it. end of the trial go home wash bike wait for results

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You will probably be surprised how laid back trials are if you have done amca mx.

Usually turn up 45 min before start, find the organisers van,fill out entry form, pay up.

Ask what colour flags you will be following & how many laps/sections usually 4 laps of 10.

Kit up, 5 mins before start there is usually a briefing, listen then ride.

No scruteneer, no track walking, no jobs worth trying to ban you for not attending club night!

Ask observer if you are unsure of your route.

Trials will not give you a buzz like mx does but most people involved with it are spot on.

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It will be very friendly, as opposed to motorcross, which just... isnt. You can allways just ask someone of almost anything if your not sure - be it form where a section is to help with your bike to what to do next.

Prior to the day, download and complete the ACU registration form so its ready.

Arrive say an hour before and get some breaky or a cup of tea from the burger van if they have one (check in advance if your not sure!). Go along to the signing on desk and pay your monies for the ACU along with your form (thats the fee done for the year), youll probably then need to join the club you want to ride with (will be like £15 for the year or so), then sign on and get your number/ticket, signing on fee is usually £10-15 per trial for an adult, then your ready to ride! Ask (or look at your number card) at what route your riding, then head back to the car and kit up. Usually theres a briefing at the begginning explaining where the sections are etc, then head off with everyone else and have some fun!

Trial is layed out in sections, so go to the section (doesn't allways have to be Section 1 as every man and his dog will be there!), walk the route your going to do (begginer presumably), plan what your going to do, and then ride it, and probably fall off :chairfall: ! Onto the next section and do it all again!

Most trials run a 2 round system, where you ride all the sections (try and keep it in order, even if you start on 5 for example) in the morning, have a break for lunch and then ride them again in the afternoon, by which time lots of riders have gone through and its a completely different scenario!

After 2 rounds, head off home, I'm affraid your still going to be sore, but a good "ive worked hard" sore, not an "ow some idiot used me for grip on the track" sore, Wash the bike down and soak in the bath for the rest of the night with a beer :beer: .

You'll feel good, and best of all you will have sorted yourself out for a year for 1/2 the price of a meet that motorcross costs you, and you will have probably had more fun.

Next time you go to trial with the same club, its going to cost you £10-15 plus petrol/lunch etc, and your wallet will thank you for the motox-trial conversion!

Don't worry about making a fool out of yourself, its an embarrassing sport! Just be nice and polite and you will get tons of help - same as foruming really?

Good luck sir and welcome :icon_salut: !

Edited by Cursed
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Although most clubs will allow you to enter without a Trials Registration (Licence), I recommend that you contact a club and join prior to entering your first trial, that way you can get everything in place before the event. Most clubs only charge a nominal fee and they will give you a unique code for your ACU application form.

You can download the form here: http://www.acu.org.uk/uploaded/documents/2012-ACU-Competition---Trials-Registration.pdf

Towards the bottom of the form you will see a box, you will need to join a club to get the unique code that needs to go in there.

You will need a passport photo to send off with you application form.

The ACU licence dept are very quick at this time of year, you will get your card back within the week.

This will cover you to ride in any ACU trial and runs until the end of 2012, you will automatically recieve a renewal form in November.

Typically a club charges £5, the licence is £10 and entry fees vary but are usually around £12 to £15.

I hope this helps.

Pete

.

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Some great info folks, up here anyone and his dog can roll up and ride at our club (AMCA).

Any new members are normally asked if they want another rider to take them round.

Also we have a information booklet too.

At our club I,m proud to say the social aspect is as important as the riding side.

Happy Trialling.

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Just thinking. :wacko:

If you are brand new to trails, it may be helpful to you to attend a couple before you ride, and perhaps offer to observe for one event? (You will probably be very popular with the organisers if you do...)

I have been away from trials for many a long year, and if the holes in the Swiss Cheese all line up, I may start again. Before I do, I shall observe a couple of times, just so I can get the hang of this STOP - NO STOP malarkey.

Good luck!

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Not sure just how much they are able to do it there, but in our beginner class, we have an advanced rider take the group out for a somewhat guided tour. The class may only do one loop or two, depending, and the class is scored accordingly and separate. Quality time and learning is important.

After getting to know a few folk, you may find a riding buddy! This is allways helpful as well.

If your club does any training days, go! Fun rides and training gets you out to ride and learn the finer points!

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Thanks for all the replies folks. Lots of info to digest.

My early retirement from MX came about due to the overt intensity and as some have pointed out, nasty rivalry. So Trials seems to be the answer. Still getting to ride a bike, test my own skills, learn some new skills without all the bitterness and ill feeling that came with amateur MX.

I just want to have some fun and test myself with out all the melodrama.

From the replies here it seems that Trials is a very easy sport to get into and get started with once you have a bike, boots and helmet etc. Just what I'm looking for.

SSD here I come. :lol:

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As a beginner muyslef.... rule 1 is to try and practice slow riding in the garden, field or somewhere else legal just to get the feel of riding so differently.

I was lucky to also have a trials instruction guy near me so a day with him made a huge difference.

I was so slow first time and wanted to die by the end of it.

At my age I forget the routes between laps.

I often need to ask where the yellows go as they are nowhere near the good guys route and I frequently get lost half way through a section.

It's great fun and everyone pretty much without exception is friendly and helpful even if they haven't a clue who you are.

By the time you've done 2 laps of 4 the good guys have finished and it gets much quieter.

I've done a couple of enduro practice days and hated the attitude of the quick riders who don't give a toss for your welfare and are way too aggressive for a sensitive soul like me who just wants an occasional nice run out without the restrictions of the lanes.

I'm sticking with road, trail and trials.

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Thanks for all the replies folks. Lots of info to digest.

My early retirement from MX came about due to the overt intensity and as some have pointed out, nasty rivalry. So Trials seems to be the answer. Still getting to ride a bike, test my own skills, learn some new skills without all the bitterness and ill feeling that came with amateur MX.

I just want to have some fun and test myself with out all the melodrama.

From the replies here it seems that Trials is a very easy sport to get into and get started with once you have a bike, boots and helmet etc. Just what I'm looking for.

SSD here I come. :lol:

Some very good advice has already been given but just one final note .

You don't need a 45 ft motorhome or a spare bike and another spare engine ( that was rebuilt by Steffen Everts works mechanic ) and a blonde haired, blue eyed 18 year old model !!

Trust me, you'll love it !!

P.S. I was only joking about the model ! She can come along so long as she observes a section !!

Phil

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Some very good advice has already been given but just one final note .

You don't need a 45 ft motorhome or a spare bike and another spare engine ( that was rebuilt by Steffen Everts works mechanic ) and a blonde haired, blue eyed 18 year old model !!

Trust me, you'll love it !!

P.S. I was only joking about the model ! She can come along so long as she observes a section !!

Phil

Sadly some in trials still think you do need all that. :wall::chairfall:

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No blonde models down here sadly.

I won't even wear trials clothing as it would look stupid on my 6'3 57 year old body.

And it's ridiculously expensive.

I've got a plainish pair of mx jeans and some cycling tops for summer use and I wear my trail riding waterproof trousers in the winter wet or a cheapo pair of thin waterpoofs over the mx jeans.

Why can't you get plain and inexpensive stuff?

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