trialsurfer

I thought the Vikings were here first! (After the Natives of course)

When you come across the pond to Tennessee we will introduce you to the "black rocks"! And you think your greenies are sli ppery!

Also try shaking the bike side to side (very fast) immediatly after it starts, mixes the oil that has setteled out.

Ishy, try the old flattrack trick; put the bike in gear and pull back on it till it stops-should be the backside of TDC!

On year down with the 4rt; improved my riding results from last year, found thet there are some things the bike makes smoother, especially floaters and cambers. It has been upside down a few times with NO ill effect and restarted WAY easier than anything else . Maintainance is a little more difficult, but what else can you do in the garage after dinner?

Lane - you really get my blood boiling at times. You are so off base about our TDN team and I want you to know that I totally disagree with your opinion about the US wanting to drop back to the B Class so they can be at the top of that class sometime in the future. That is just ridiculous!!! I also want you and everyone else to know that Chris went to the NATC meeting this year and, after much discussion, hopefully he managed to convince this year's hosting clubs that it is in the best interest of the Pros to be challenged with tougher sections at "all" of the National competitions. When he finished an entire National with 1 measley point for the entire day, how does that challenge our riders and make them better riders??? And just to add my opinion, I feel that at this level of competition, it should be based on skill (and maybe some luck), not silly mind games. Chris had also thought he had convinced NATC that it would be in the best interest of the Pros to ride the World Class level at TTC during the World Round, but somehow that decision has now been reversed since the adjournment of the meeting. Who made that decision after it was agreed by the NATC Council that they would be riding at the World level? Chris Florin is the only American who has received any world points in many, many years. His hearts desire was to go for World points at TTC but at the same time he can't afford to toss away any of his National points, so he is stuck between a rock and a hard place since the reversal of this decision and its caused him a lot of frustration. Chris is the only "American" who rode the last World Round in Duluth at the world level, and thankfully Cody and Steve rode at the Jr. level. Does that not prove to the trials community that we have riders who are willing to make the sacrifice to improve, but somehow that choice keeps being taken away from them. Has anyone even asked our Pro riders and taken a vote amongst them to see who wants to ride what line during the World Round at TTC? I believe it should be the majority rules in this case, and if the majority votes the lower class, then so be it, but leave the decision up to the riders. Personally, I think it was poor planning to combine a National competition with a World competition and maybe some valuable lessons will be learned from this when it is all over. On a note to help the younger generation, has any thought been given about simply asking NATC to add another class for the "Jr. Pros" so they could compete on their 125s and still maintain their competitiveness in the Jr. World Rounds? If not, maybe this should be a topic of discussion for the next NATC meeting; and if that means changing some rules to accommodate them, then so be it! Isn't that what a Council does? There may be some logistics to overcome, but wouldn't it be worth it to our younger generation who have hopes of aspiring to this level, as well as our older generation who are still hoping for another USA World Champion? Jean

I don't usually add my comments to this site, but merely from my point of view from attending a few World Rounds that were held in the US in the past few years, I noticed that all of the top riders and teams had prior World Champions as their "Team Managers", responsible for training and overseeing all of their riders, from the current World Champion (Dougie Lampkin) on down to the up and coming rider (Adam Raga, at one of those times). I think this is one area where the US is lacking as none of our top riders have anybody of the World calibur to work with them, to push, encourage, or give them the incentive to excel beyond their wildest imaginations, or to even show them what they might be doing wrong, or could be doing better. It would have been nice if Tommi Ahvala could have taken on such a role and worked with all of our Pro riders, regardless of who sponsors them, while he was in the country, but this did not happen to my knowledge. The only suggestion I can think of that would not cost the sponsors or riders a bundle of money would be to have "training" days set aside in conjunction with the Nationals for all of our riders who ride the Pro Class, which would provide them with the opportunity to ride and train with each other, not just compete against one another. I am so proud of Chris, Geoff, Cody and Keith for bringing home the Gold in the International Class this year at the TDN, but if the US is going to have a chance of excelling next year in the World Class, I can't think of anything that would benefit them more than by being able to ride with each other and mentoring one another whenever possible, if we can't get a "Pro Team Manager" to help them. If that isn't feasible, then maybe we should think about setting up "training days" at TTC, or wherever, several times a year just for the Pros. Doing something would be better than doing nothing, and just continuing down the path we seem to be headed does not appear productive to me or our riders. Thanks for your time, Jean (not Barry)

The spray foam for filling cracks around pipes works pretty well, put some on the back of the card (a little goes a long way) and hold it in place for a few seconds till it stops expanding. To remove you peel it off and if the foam stays rub it off with a stick or hand wire brush.

For years we in the FTA did observed scoring (work 2 events for end of year) and it worked well (also no "Bonus" checking or other BS),but with the rising cost of fuel this year we went to peer scoring with the classes riding pretty much with each other, and it has been very successful so far. We added more time to the overall time limit as it takes a little longer this way, and we also use the Shotgun start. For the 1st loop everyone rides together with some breaking off into smaller groups for the succesive loops. Also we send a few more experienced riders out with the beginner and novice classes. We have found so far that our attendence has been better with riders being able to ride the event instead of checking, and we also seem to have more workers showing up to set up sections. After this season we will re-evaluate our success with this and decide if we will continue. As a sidenote our Fun in the Sun 2-day will be run as a section observer trial as it has been for the last 25+ years on the 1st weekend of Daytona Bike Week!

If you are in Florida get in touch with me!

I know the blue van well, I'll take you up on that!

Redneck "Ice Chest"

If they were sherco parts he would say they are worth it! A self proclaimed Mont hater.

Haven't had that problem yet!

If Sanz beats some or all of the US riders, that would put the Kabosh on the press they are supposed to recieve!

As Craig says! The biggest difference I have found is traction on cambers, much more predictable and controllable!

Can't trust Californians!

The difficulty is always a challenge, but as the discussion was presented at the meeting will the coverage be on the WTC lines or the junior competition. As a sidenote in the previous years (without visibility zero and monsoon conditions Duluth would have been much more rideable)Chris got through well over half of the sections and cleaned 4.

It appears from the following post on the TTC website that no Americans will be able to contest for World Round points this year , which is very disturbing considering the time and "negotiations" that were had at the NATC meeting. By a concensus of majority it was decided to have the Pro's ride the WR sections, now apparantly that has been reversed! (One final note, it has been decided that the AMA National Championship for our Pros will ride on the blue gates during the Trials World Championship (corresponding to the same splits as the Junior World Championship) as the most appropriate level of difficulty for our national. AMA Expert class will ride the green gates, as corresponding to the Youth World Championship. Support and Expert Support classes will ride Friday on a totally different loop.)

With the current setup the ES and the EX lines ARE the training ground for the pro class, if the promoters stick to the 25% easy, 50% average and the 25% hard orchestration for the pro class even the retired pro riders can get through most of them. The key is getting the dedication from the lower class riders who show the ability to excel and getting someone or an organization to fund training. I know firsthand that with training the opportunity could be there for some riders that either by location or finances are at a disadvantage could make the climb to the top easier! Two important things were decided on at the NATC meeting especially for the Pro class, the Gate system of marking sections, and the exclusion of minders from walking the sections with the riders. Both of them will make the job of scoring easier, one by eliminating "Cheater" lines (RP) and the other from the minders re-building sections while the checker is distracted!

When some of the events this year had winning scores in the single digits and one event won with a total score of 1, how much easier do you think they need to be?

Will the top pro riders be happy riding E and ES lines, I don't think they would, how can you progress when they only would ride 1/3 pro lines. With the lack of diff1culty in some of the events their progression is limited,with sections at local event difficulty in some cases. On another note, they knew who proposed it!

"Why couldn't the TTC do a 2 day national with the youth national? And make better use of the junior class? I remember when they did an adult national with a youth national and I thought it was great, but instead I have to miss work, school, and go down there twice." One word----HOT!!!

Club size and checker help is always an issue, it might have to come down to other clubs helping each other as land use becomes the issue. Oklahoma is a tiny club and the Texas bunch are going to assist them!

We intended to host one this year also, but for lack af cooperation and desire to hold one we couldn't do it this year. Also economics play a large part in the picture, not that the profit margin is the most important as Ron says. The ability to assure a good compliment of willing checkers is the most difficult and importand part of the event planning. We couldn't do that! As for the additional classes and markers the one class that many wanted was a 125cc specific class which didn't pass this year, but the HS/Junior was a good compromise. The marker change was a Big step in simplifying set up and line definition. Another big change is that Minders are not allowed in the section before their riders ride! Also to simplify the checkers task of keeping some control over their section (no random ramp building)!