bikespace

Worth considering using tape to mark out sections rather than flags? Very hard to go wrong with tape.

You want a pork pie sticker don't yer? Doner Kebab, maybe a curry, or better still Strongbow

Yeah - 70 my ar5e Looks absolutely brilliant and of course I hate you all for living there. Happy Birthday Dave! Just spent about an hour going through all your photo's. Does make me jealous. We do have our own little bit of it round here as you know from your younger days, but it's just not on that kind of scale. Looking forward to next years photos

Entries close on 16th September - first in, last away. The trial is not one that is unrideable if you're first away though so don't let a late entry put you off.

Regs are now out for the Mid Wales Novogar round on 23rd September 2007. This is a real hardcore trials venue - we put a few trials on the banks to give a little variety, but really it hurts to not use the streams and rivers. We've been trying to build a reputation for good honest ridable sections. The going will be tough in places, but nothing daft. Have a look at last years results to guage the severity or speak to someone who's ridden it. A good clubman who likes proper sections will love it (Expert/Inter). For those that ride the Forest Trophy Trial, you'll know the venue. For this trial though we use slightly more of it. Around 40 sections and around 25 miles of mixed on/off road between sections. novogar_23_sept_2007.pdf

Been grabbing the regs together - apologies for delay. I'll put a post elsewhwere on the site announcing the trial, but regs attached below. It's the 23rd September by the way. Hope to see the entry growing. I know we've had good reports from the past two years, and we intend to keep it the same format and roughly same level. novogar_23_sept_2007.pdf

Give us some deyails on the job then. How've you cut the shape, printed the pattern, stuck it down? Would laquer hold it firm then?

Probably not - I'd look for minimum 2005. Bikes used to last a lot longer in 'our day'. You can rejuvinate them, but it'll cost you more than buying newer. I just splashed out on all new bearings/fork seals/footrests/chain/sprockets/airbox and really I need a new spare rear wheel soon - a few hundred quid spent easily just because I don't want to swap my rock solid engine (and hassle of swapping). I'd say that a very good 2006 would be around the mark you're looking for, or with a few hundred quid more you're looking at a year old bike.

Apparently there was a BIG queue at the new group just before Ramsey at the 3rd sub. Unfortunately I did the first two sections then shot off after the rest of our riders, checked with the bloke guiding people in that there were only 2 subs and set off through Ramsey and up the mountain. Got up the mountain and realised I'd missed a section, so went back down through Ramsey again. Loooooooong detour - bike was a wee bit hot by the time I caught up. Generally for the whole of the rest of the trial I didn't see too much queing. Just wondering Cubby, is there anything that can be done about the lunch stop? Always seems to happen that the later riders opt for a 5 minute lunch and half the entry descends on the sections after lunch. Happened in a bigger way last year. Is there a better way of enforcing a minimum stop of 15-20 minutes? This is not a complaint by the way, just wondering if you can improve on perfection And no Dabster - no new fitness regime. Had more beer and more weight this year and it seemed to work so here goes next year As one of the heaviest riders I'd like to pay tribute to my amazing 4 year old faultless Sherco 290 I dunno how she manages but I can't get rid of her while she's still hanging on in there.

Just back - Brilliant trial again, lots of areas missed out and a lot more road work, but didn't detract from the quality of the event in my view. Some new areas too - felt a bit strange riding between families making sand castles on Laxey beech. Left me wanting more trials anyway. Bad bits (although slightly comical in places): Waving as I passed a Honda 200 going up a steep hill on the road, then popped a wheelie round the corner, tyre flexed, I did an involuntary pivot turn (although one of the best I've ever done at speed) and had to wave at him again as I passed him on the way down Endangered underpant moment. Beaten by a girl OK I can put up with it, she's a good girl. How can she throw that bike around better than most of us lot, with such a small frame, well done Katy (my kids are still going to take the mickey ). Good bits: Everything else - too numerous to mention - Roll on next year!

If you're stuck, this bloke did a good job on mine a year or so ago. - About

This looks more like my cup of tea, errrr sort of..... Clicky here

I always get an old screw driver in from the other side for the wheel bearings. Bit of a push against the sleeve should move it easily and hit the bearing. Shouldn't do any damage to the sleeve. Most other bearings I can push out in the vice with a big socket one side that the bearing will push in to and a small socket the other side near enough same size as the bearing. For nasty stuck bearings, nicest way of getting bearing out is with a hydraulic press. Not always easy to find, but if you hunt around locally should find one, bit of heat if needed.

How hard are these normally? Sounds like fun and just wondering whether I'd get a KTM 640 round one? Looks like I can't do this one as we have a Novogar that weekend I think, but interested to know for the future.

Actually.... I've been offered an old TY125 as a project. No wait, I'm serious. That might put the fun back into things If you really want a TY125 as a project you can have mine for next to nowt! Take 'em both Neon, you're my size, you'll need both engines in it

Drop doughbouysherco a PM. He's got a nice 125. Think it was 05. Not done much as his lads took up cycle trials pretty soon after getting it. Been sat in garage for at least a year. Should be very tidy. Or PM me and I can get him to drop you a text with details. Think they're away this weekend.

380 don't sound enough. I've not had an edition, but that sounds more like the amount for pro. Check first - someone will come back to you here.

As soon as you get to any twists or small obstacles the trials bike will come up trumps. We (myself and Gasserboy) had a day out with Ady Smith a while ago looking at some new land. We had a bit of an enduro circuit and could stay with him pretty well all the way round (couple of miles). The odd small log was a bunny hop for the trials bike but a slow obstacle for the enduro, the downhills were much easier on the trials bike, we were braking later for corners at the bottom and in some areas the enduros were holding us up. Having said that, give them a straight and they were away. And when we had a go on a little ktm125 we couldn't stay anywhere near him In fact I've never buried myself in to so many hills I've ridden a fair few enduro's although admittedly a looooong time ago, the trials iron is an equal on lots of terrain. I rode a Maico 500 when I first joined the army, but had to ride my own trials bike once or twice and it was fairly handy - at that time a Fantic 301. Wrecked every bearing in it, but it went well and competed with the enduro's.

Yeah - Ian's the one at the burger van in the background A man after my own heart Some of the photo's are his kids by the look of it, grey helmet - Sam Oliver (British Champion), black helmet Tom Oliver (was it 2nd in Brit Champs?) and the lad on the Koxx 26" I think I'd be safe saying is "Trialsman" Ben Savage above average rider too in fact World Champion You must be keepin them lads busy Ian, pub almost unused this summer. Fridge will be open next week if you're around

You may well be right on the technical front, but I wouldn't expect the cheap labour to change too much. They are similar to India in being able to afford 75% turnover of staff, there's plenty more where they came from. China has the potential to own the world in years to come, they already own more than we realise.

Candywheels was the one I was trying to think of. Heard good reports from them, and not heard any bad ones yet.

You probably would benefit from bending your legs a bit. I say this as someone who's carrying a damned site more weight round than you are , but found it much easier on the arms when you make the rest of the body work too. You look to be stood on the bike leaning on the bars, and I think a lot of people do it, especially when the legs are tired, I do too but it all gets worse from there. A little bit of leg effort can save a lot of effort spent pushing/picking the bike up. Get a lower centre of gravity by getting yer legs bent, and it'll let the bike move when and where it wants to, helping it over obstacles if you know what I mean.

I always used around 80:1 (It's actually around 62ml per 5L of fuel). My old man always used to say better too much than too little, but I was told some time ago that this was a bit of a wives tale, and that too much oil could actually make the bike run too hot and have just as bad effect as too little. I would like to hear a definitive answer - not sure whether there is one out there. I know I saw 50:1 in the book years ago, but I don't know of anyone that actaully runs on that. I'll stick with between 75:1 and 80:1

Link to Scarborough Club

Unless he's a small 7 year old, then he'll be getting pretty close to the Beta 50 - the one with gears, not the Rev and go. My lad's got one, he's 10 now and I suppose getting to near the end of it. Been a solid bike - don't worry no other motive - not looking to sell it quite yet For a decent one it's likely to cost around the