A warming Sunday 10th May saw a bit of a landmark in Aqueduct Classics history. I think (and I am sure the club officials will correct me if I am wrong), this event was the first time (excluding the Foel) where the entries had hit the 100 mark. 10 sections of 4 laps were set up and managed perfectly for this size entry but the club also managed to put on its first "electric class" with four "cadets" (if that is the correct term?) having 4 laps of 4 sections incorporated into the event.
32 pre-65's, 27 twinshocks, 8 A/C monos and 28 monos were joined by 5 Oset/Beta electric bikes. The split between the classes was 16 Elite, 34 50/50, 36 Clubman, 10 Beginners and 4 "cadets. One electric bike contested the open 50/50 route.
This month we have 3 riders providing the report giving an interesting cross section of the day. Tony Haigh was contesting his first ever competition on a BSA C15 he has been building, Ian Emery who has recently acquired a tango coloured 250 Ossa Gripper (he normally rides a bright yellow 350 Gripper) and Rob Sloggett who normally rides twinshock 50/50 having an attempt at the Expert route on a Beta Evo whilst his Sherpa is being repaired.
Tony Haigh - Pre 65 Beginners Route
This started as a 'should I' or 'shouldn't I' debate, given I'd never ridden an observed trial before, the bike, a BSA C15, had never been used in anger after a partial rebuild and I hadn't a clue what the sections at Pen y Graig looked like. Anyway I decided to go for it and got the bike on the trailer the night before to ensure an early start. Things didn't quite go to plan from the outset as I had to extricate a sheep stuck between a hedge and wire fence at home before leaving, so ended up arriving late after all. I parked down the lane from the quarry having been advised there was no space left. Bike fired up OK and I joined the queue for registration, still quite a few folks in front at this stage. I joined the end of a long queue at the first section and decided to ride onto the next section. Managed to get round with one foot down, though amazing how the pressure is on with lots of people watching. The second section went badly wrong, there was a steep descent at the start and halfway down the back end started sliding – should have been in 2nd rather than 1st gear perhaps?, anyway ended up missing the turn at the bottom and had to abort in a rather undignified manner. The fourth section required another dab, bit frustrating as I should have been able to do it. I joined the queue for the 5th section and the bike was getting a bit hot and bothered at this stage (bit like the rider!). Having propped the bike up for a quick look at the section, it was then proving very difficult to restart. A fellow rider pointed out the carb should have an insulation block between it and the head, and on checking the carb was virtually too hot to touch, so a definite fuel vaporization issue, this is something I'd never had a problem with before, but of course the bike had never been used in actual trial conditions. I managed to get it started after a while and decided to call it a day. So many lessons learnt, but guess you have to start somewhere! I found everyone, both riders and observers, really friendly and helpful, and despite my poor showing, it was a good experience.
Ian Emery - Twinshock 50/50
This was my second competition on the new 250 Gripper and the 50/50 route was a good challenge with some well thought out, flowing sections. Section 1 began with a dog-legged climb which needed concentration on the first lap to find grip. It then flowed into a tricky rocky section with a 90 turn round a big rock which tended to catch the rear wheel and then some more jagged rocks before a tight left turn at the end. Section 2 began with a short incline followed by a 90 right onto a long cross-cambered climb before dropping sharply down to the end cards. This camber was littered with slippery roots and a smidge too much throttle led to the rear wheel spinning out for some riders. Even though a line developed during the day it still caught many riders out and cleans were well fought. Section 4 began with a loop climb and sharp descent back down onto moss covered jagged rocks with a left/right combination to the ends. Section 5 began with a very tight left turn onto a patch of unforgiving moss covered rocks. Two lines appeared, with the right-hand option slightly less rocky but made the imminent right turn even tighter. The section then dropped across more rocks to a slippy 90 left and then a loop clinging to the quarry wall before dropping over a large rock into the muddy stream with a final rock step before the ends. Section 8 began with a steep drop down to a tight left turn with more steep undulations and turns before the ends. A good test for brakes on a twinshock! Section 9 began with an even steeper, longer descent with a large root which kicked the rear airborne so care was needed not to lock the rear and stall. A 180 turn at the bottom led to a steep double climb before plunging blind over a rooty summit dropping down steeply to the ends. And finally to section 10. A steep drop with a dog-leg right/left between two trees with a choice of lines over slippery rocks or an even slippier exposed root. Then followed a steep climb with an even steeper drop to a tight right turn and before meandering through loose rubble and trees to the ends. All in, a great day of sport.
Rob Sloggett -Modern Mono Experts Route
With the Sherpa still poorly and the TY bolted to a sidecar I took the opportunity to ride "up a class" on a Beta Evo I had recently purchased. Having ridden 50/50 for the last 2 years and attempted one Expert route last year on the Sherpa I thought I would give the class another go on a modern machine to get a feel for the sections again. Hoping for a mixture of stretching my riding ability and having some fun I was not to be disappointed. My goal of making every sections a least once and slowly improving each lap seemed to be achieved with a couple of memorable sections jumping out. The last section of the lap (10) was my nemesis with 18 of my 97 marks dropped here. A straightforward entry with a drop to the left, a tricky following left and then up a bank with a right hand turn as you dropped steeply down set you up for the main obstacle of the section. Presented with a V shaped tree approached uphill and a root across the base of the V, it was the natural gate but following this is was an immediate left hand uphill turn on loose shale for 10 - 15 feet before turning tight right around another tree as a 180 deg turn to drop back down toward the exit gates. Lap 1, no grip on the shale, lap 2 a different entry into the tree allowed me a 3, lap 3 same approach but the gear leaver just clipped the tree knocking it into neutral for a 5 and then the last lap went totally wrong...
Other sections included some great quarry gully runs, the odd step or cluster of rocks to navigate not to mention the abundance of long climbs and great cambered turns.
Do I think I am ready to tackle it on my Sherpa, not yet but I was please of the opportunity to get a feel for the sections and as always thank the club for the open approach to entries that allowed me to do this.
Final results were as follows:
Pre 65 Elite: Jack Butterworth, Triumph 500 (9); Gavin Andrews, Bantam (15); Jim Pickering, Bantam (25)
Pre 65 50/50: Phil Alderman, BSA (0); Harry Lyons Bantam (2); Gary Shaw; AJS (5)
Pre 65 Clubman: Roger Smith, BSA (0 - oldest DOB); Terry Lloyd, Cub (0); Stephen Leyshon, Bantam (3)
Pre 65 Beginner: David Beddoes, AJS (0); David Crewe, Bantam (27)
Twinshock Elite: Ben Butterworth, Fantic (10); Chris Gascoigne, Bultaco (14); Steve Martin, Majesty (23)
Twinshock 50/50: Carl Winstanley, SWM (1); Rob Jones, Honda (5); Ian Emery, Ossa (8)
Twinshock Clubman: Neil Francis, Montesa (3); Phil Cottiga, Fantic (4); John Sowden, Bultaco (12)
AC Mono 50/50: Gaz Thomas, Yamaha (3); Gordon Wilson, Honda (7); Alex Barrie, Honda (13)
AC Mono Clubman: Paul Cartwright, Beta (6); Andy Steele, Yamaha (16); Steven Blaxall, Fantic (47)
Mono Elite: Paul Edwards, Beta (34); James Edwards, GasGas (47); Rob Sloggett, Beta (97)
Mono 50/50: Alec Roberts, GasGas (3); Philip Clarkson, Beta (10); Jeremy Sutton, Ossa (17)
Mono Clubman: Spencer Bradley, GasGas (8 FC); Matt Sinnott, GasGas (8); Davd Molyneaux, Beta (9)
Mono Beginner: Nigel Tomkewycz, Beta (0); India Edwards, GasGas (3), Simon Edwards, GasGas (6)
Electric Class:
Rhys Bagnall, Oset (7)
Ewan Edwards, Oset (8)
Ted Mackman, Oset (27)
Molly Barber, Beta (45)
As always, a huge thankyou to the club officials, observers, catering team and course designers without whom our day's sport is just not possible.