breagh Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 I help run a local trials club and it concerns me that entries/membership has tailed off a bit recently. At times I feel the trials world in these parts is like a secret society,how do other clubs help promote themselves to the wider public? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pindie Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 I think a lot of it is down to how the club is run, the characters you meet and the land the club can use to run events. The latter is tricky and land owners are easily upset. Trials is also not the biggest sport. Too many clubs in a niche market means you'll struggle but never give up. Try not to get upset if the entries are low and do not be afraid to ask people why they don't come. With answers to problems you will find solutions. Has you club got a web site? I'm not a twitter man or Facebooker but this may help entice younger riders which use this type of media? This is the 21st century afterall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 Do you put your events on the TC calendar? I don't recall any request from East Fife for publishing rights. I didn't realise how popular it was until there was a riot when it changed to the new calendar and all the old events disappeared. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breagh Posted August 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 Cheers Andy,I'll get a friend to put the next Trial on,I tried with our 2 day and made a dogs breakfast of it. No offence,but most lads on your site are already converts and really what I'm aiming for is "Trials Virgins" if you pardon the expression. We've got a site but like every other club up here the banter is to put it nicely pure dross. We run another wee site which is a bit of a laugh that keeps us AMCA types amused. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon v8 Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 My only bit of advice,(for what its worth) is to listen to the riders and try to put on events which they enjoy.The majority of riders are not at a high skill level,so keeping the sections to a non dangerous,achieveable level is a good start.Remember most riders will need to go to work the following day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tankygsy Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 Try promoting with pit babes. Get some totty involved and I garuntee every man and his dog will go to trials! Couple this with food and a beer tent and bobs your uncle. 1 % of competitors go to win, the other 99% go to have fun. Make it fun and people will want to come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmostin Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 How did we get into trials? I thought it was all a bit naff before I tried it. I've been trying to convert folk since. Other than the occasional articles in street bike magazines showing how trials riding improves control. I don't see any intermingling between other motorsports. I did the trial at amca's birthday event and there were enduro and mx riders there having a look at trials but how do you get them to go feet up and give it a go? Guy Martin had a go at classic trials? Josh Brooke's is a trials cyclist? Carlos checa is a trials rider? Gary mason trains near me and mick Rutter is a midlands man. More than welcome to have a go on my beta and get the sport some exposure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breagh Posted August 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 Funny we've got a few ex roadies,TT winner Ian Duffus is keen and he's brought his Buddies Terry Rymer and Rod Mac up at times. Another crossover is Gordon Shedden from the touring cars fortunetly he's not as good at trials. You would think there would be a bit MX crossover but no,maybe it's a macho thing about being humiliated by a 10 year old on a Beta 80. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatbastard Posted August 31, 2012 Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 Was thinking have you had any new folk join that are pretty rubbish , make a joke of everything and take nothing seriously. Oh and they say Circles not Roundabouts, and are from Bonnie Dundee Think I've found your problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0007 Posted August 31, 2012 Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 I agree with making it fun and enjoyable Give people a reason to come early and stay late, camp or socialize Riding is only part of it, meeting up with like minded people is a big part as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted August 31, 2012 Report Share Posted August 31, 2012 Cheers Andy,I'll get a friend to put the next Trial on,I tried with our 2 day and made a dogs breakfast of it. I've checked and you're not registered for events/news since the site was re-vamped. The calendar is FAR easier now and there are tutorials provided to help you. I'll PM you instructions on how to upgrade your account. The major change is the addition of Google maps. Makes it far easier for spectators and those interested to find where events are being held. No offence,but most lads on your site are already converts and really what I'm aiming for is "Trials Virgins" if you pardon the expression. Most of who? Most of who you see post here? TC is far more than a forum. I think forum regulars who come straight here for their daily fix sometimes forget that. Trials Central, across the entire site, gets an average 45,000 unique visitors a month. The majority, by far, are lurkers so there's no way of knowing who are riders and who are not. I think part of your problem is geographical. East Fife is not exactly noted for Trials (BTW, I'm in West Fife and it's no different at this end of the Kingdom) and there are a lack of outlets (e.g. dealers) where you can publicise your club. You're pretty much relying on word of mouth which just isn't going to work. How about using Crail Raceway to promote your club? No shortage of petrolheads, both two and four-wheeled, there. Get yourselves a wee gazebo, set up a couple of basic man-made sections (there are a number of topics on here with ideas for making home-made obstacles) around it and do some demos when they have events on and hand out flyers. Doesn't have to be anything fancy, just enough to get people interested - make the flyers play on how cheap Trials is compared to other forms of motorsport. Could also do events at Knockhill. It's not a million miles away from where you are and again, a captive audience. People will want to look at and know about "these funny bikes with no seats" as chances are most will have never seen a Trials bike before. Because of where your Club is, you can't sit and hope people find you, not in such a tiny sport. You have to get out there and publicise if you want to grow. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breagh Posted September 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2012 (edited) Thanks for giving this a bit thought Andy. My old pal Kirsty from lothian Trials Club helped me out and has put our next event on your calendar. I'll try my best to sort things out myself but a new computer is arriving next week. We should have had a trial at Knockhill by now as we've been offered the ground,there is one in October,but it is a good shop window. Crail was an option before we even started as a club,but I said it was no good for trials. As a venue for a demo great idea as it's on our doorstep. Great advice,suddenly I like Crail. Much appreciated. Edited September 1, 2012 by breagh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cabby Posted August 14, 2013 Report Share Posted August 14, 2013 A wee bump for your topic Allan. Here is what I have observed of late trying to get folk interested in trials. It is quite possibly the worst spectator motorcycle genre out there. I have shown folk vids of our trials/sections and even I have to concede it's a rubbish sport to watch. I think the problem for wtachers is, it looks too easy and boring, it's getting them to try it it the problem, for the afrementioned reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taffe Posted August 16, 2013 Report Share Posted August 16, 2013 Hi Breagh, I used to be involved, as you are in the promoting of trials way back in the day [i retired from trials 21 years ago when I thought I was too old] and took it up again 2 years ago. But any way. Back then I started a trials group to try to encourage my son away from Enduro after he had had an industrial accident and lost an eye. I'll try to keep this short [too late] We started with two guys, then my son and it grew over the years to over 40 members, this was in a remote town in Central Australia of 12000 people. We figured that was more than enough to have a good trial once a month. So how did this all happen........ *Word of mouth - Demonstrations - *Regular articles in local rag prior and post events complete with scores and tasty info about the event - *Posters around town each event - *well sign posted locations - *Gazebo style static displays at other events [bikes, riders, videos, info and at times a sausage sizzle] - *One of the best outcomes was gained by the event public relations guy or gal at the trial event.This was normally me and mixed this with riding too. But I would make sure that anybody that looked interested was approached and offered a ride of a trials bike [ not at the event but at a time arranged] *All riders/members were encouraged to talk to people hanging around the pit area *Sunday fun rides no pressure where newbies could be encouraged to ride, and have a laugh. *We had a club bike so that newbies could get started and then get their own *we encouraged the local bike shops to get involved, one became a member and rode. We did all of this at some time or another. The nearest other trials club in any direction was well over 1500km away, but we had inter-club competitions throughout the year. Sad thing is that when a complete new committee took over after 9 years, the club folded within a year. So I suppose it's a case for "you get out what you put in". Cheers Taff 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breagh Posted August 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 26, 2013 Thanks again folks. We're still picking up members,but still lose a few as is natural. We're still like a secret society at times,I feel this is our greatest burden. I've said similar before,there's plenty riders out there if only they knew about trials. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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