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I've been avoiding cycling for ages as anyone with any sense will find something with an engine ten times the fun and 100 times more fun on the up hills, anyway that's my pop at cycling out the way. Moving on last Sunday I was invited by a "friend" actually my fish man for a socially distant spin on the 2 wheeled thing with about 27 gears none of which work very well. Had a really nice trip over the bars on what I would be reluctant to call a descent and he nearly broke his ankle with a tumble on the ice. I'm sticking to power in the meantime even though I accidently hit a very low hanging branch on the pit bike on Saturday or maybe I meant to?

I'm not advocating taking the Beta for a spin down the high street to spice things up a bit but I for one have been cutting myself a bit slack on the biking front off late. Let's be frank at 58 there's not many miles left in the off road tank so you've got to take every chance to get out. Normally I would ride at weekends but now I slip off at every opportunity for a play in the local area. This sounds crazy but I've got away with it probably because folk have far more to worry about than me buzzing around. As it looks like Trials are off the agenda for the rest of my life I've got to make the best of things and the thing is not one person has complained. All sounds a bit insane but the alternative is a slow lingering death so there's nothing to lose.

Being Scottish it would be bad form to over do the oil changes. If you're light on the clutch which I am I think every few months would be sufficient on one of these horrible modern plastic toys. I've done 4 out of the last 5 SSDTs and the oil has always been fine for the week and you can imagine how hard it's working compared to your average trial. I run synthetic atf which is cheap and cheerful as the dealers a pal but I feel "real" oil gives the transmission a better feel though I'm probably imagining things.

What about a beta 80 big wheel, brilliant on the tight stuff clutch is feather light and bike is very light. Just have to look at the kickstart to start it and it has plenty gears so you don't have to clutch it much. Done the odd trial on one and it makes no difference at my level, I'm 57. PS, I've got a Scorpa 200F and though it's a hoot to ride it needs a very definite method . They ride quite heavy if you don't keep the revs up but if you're not doing sections it'll make no odds. Cheers.

I would say I'm a regular on the Isle, was there Jul/Oct last year broke my heart that the Ormidale Hotel was closed. As I said house is booked for July.

Just come back from a two hour session on the Stomp ( I can ride there from the house). Thing is I've silenced it well and ride kind of Semi Trials stuff which is great fun. Just make the section miles long and keep it flowing. Great for fitness and concentration. I use it when setting out events too as it's got a proper seat, stand and it's dead easy to find neutral. Even bring it to the odd play but I get some real funny looks ,well more than usual. Sadly plenty idiots have them and sell them so they get a real bad rep.

Hi CBR99 from snowy Fife nice to here someone has a bike on my favourite place up here. There must be other riders on the Isle as I've met a few over the years they would be my first port of call for help if you can contact any of them. The best lad for advice over your way would be Murdo Macphail who helps out at the Bob Macgregor trials academy. He's good on the spanners too. MIght be able to get in touch with him through the academy site as he's very well known. All the best I should be over in July if we're allowed.

My point would be there's not an entry level budget trials bike .I can buy a new kid on MX pit bike for £1k and have more fun than you can shake a stick at plus cheap spares when things go wrong. I don't think that would buy you a set of wheels for a Trials bike for that money . This for sure holds Trials back .

Can't agree on this one otf I love going out for a "play" though I do prefer a "real" trial if such a thing actually exists these days with observers and not too many routes and classes. I've got a worn out uncompetitive bike a 2006 Scorpa ty200f which is my default bike, a hoot to ride, sadly the bikes probably better than me now or maybe it always was?

Often am, it was an Englishman that told me though he lives in Fife now. Should have known better. As an aside Ross I've spent plenty time on that big Triumph and can nearly claim to be in control of it. The downside is that riding anything else is like learning to tap dance. I'll keep at it (The Triumph not the Tap Dancing} as my sponsor has invested in some new/old forks and wheels. Hoping they'll be some decent Trials to ride it later this year .

Mx trousers for me as I like to wear a sturdy pair of knee protectors (Fox dh MTB) these days. Fantastic when you smash your knee of the kickstart or similar.

I could be wrong I heard everyone that entered this year {pre 65}eventually got in ???

Should run them all like a mini Scott, no inspection just flat out against the clock, at least it would be great fun. You would get a decent entry too I'll wager.

Strange I was thinking of getting rid of a bike or two last night but that was as far as it got, there's a massive connect every battle scar, every sticker, every mod the smell and the sound and the way they look and feel .There's no logic ,bikes get a weird hold of some folk or maybe just me?

Thing is it's ok for me on my 14 year old Scorpa going to local Trials and a back tyre lasting a season. At the sharp end a bike will be lucky to last 6 months you'll eat spares and tyres and travelling costs will be considerable. You would have to be more than enthusiastic to take that on the chin . No one could do it without some help and riders are just being realistic when they call it a day..