bikespace

Very hard to find a replacement. Dunno what the full requirements are, but I would imagine that a good start for the ideal place would be: 'Fairly' Central to the UK to attract most spectators. Sections worthy of a world round - perhaps supplemented by man made. Sections close together. Good viewing for spectators including safety Parking for 4000? vehicles. Camping for x000 pi55 heads Access roads which can support the sort of vehicles which may be needed to support (building sections, carrying stages, team trucks), and the number of spectators. Running water - although possible to get round I know it's a consideration. I'm sure there's others, but that's a start. I can't think of anywhere at the moment. I know we have somewhere local that's been considered (even more local than Hawkestone), but it would need a fair bit of work to fit in with the majority of the requirements above. From what I hear, there may have been some sort of headway with locals at Hawkestone, but my info may be out of date on that one (He may have recovered - Joke!)

Yep - change the plug, and if you haven't already strip the carb and blow it all out, including the inlet filter. Strip off the airbox and make sure you get it spotless. Big cloth pushed down with a big screwdriver, bamboo or summat to get in there.

Trouble is there doesn't seem to be a rule that covers it. I agree with you, but unless the rules changed this year, I don't know of a rule that specifies that it's a failure unless you actually ride outside the boundary. I seem to remember a rule from years ago about an imaginary line between flags, but there doesn't seem to be anything similar in todays rules, so if you don't miss a flag, you haven't crossed a boundary. Wrong in my eyes, but seems to be a bendable rule. I take it as my job to stop that by putting enough flags in when I mark out, but I've got to a section on the odd occasion and been gutted that I've missed a flag out where they've managed to find a cheat route. Anybody point out a rule which covers it?

Come to think of it, mines third party fire and theft, so it makes it even worse. I tell you what, forget the price I pay, as I'm nudging the limit on the points front 50,000 business miles last year, plus the personal mileage. I had some hassle avoiding speed cameras. Most of my fines on nearly empty roads in the middle of the night (4 oclock in the morning) 3 of them on motorway, 6 of them on dead straight dual carriageway, all of them just under 90 in a 150bhp car in perfect safety. Don't get me started I'm paying for it now.

Yep - Second that - I'm insured with them - Bultaco Sherco 290. About

In slightly more recent years the Army used to have some fairly big events but mainly enduro as it fitted in better with the machinery available. I rode quite a few events in the 80's as a 17 year old. Good fun, but a seriously hard day out, trying to get a Bombardier round the same course as modern machinery. I got an Armstrong eventually, which were a bit more competitive, but still hard work for a young lad, when things got sticky. Had a few rides on what the Army classed as the modern machinery - 17 year old first enduro ever on a Maico 500 - Bloody good fun, but probably the hardest days work I ever had The signals enduro died off a bit due to funding. Amazing what a difference the odd Major can make in the right place. Captain not quite enough power to get big things done I found What I found - I think as far back as the 50's it's not particularly that the Army supports trials, it's the fact that people who rode trials ended up in the Army, and they created their own opportunities. I know my old man was national service at the same time Arthur Lampkin was, and it was pretty popular then, usually on the same bikes they were using to get home from barracks at the weekend.

Hmmmm..... For his age I've found Ross to be one of the more mature thinking riders. Maybe if he didn't hit you, he didn't mean to hit you??? The GasGas may be underpowered compared to a 280 or 300, but you could be roosted by a beta 50. Sounds like you got a bee in your bonnet about something?? I'm getting there myself, but it sounds to me like you fit in to the miserable old git category.

I do like to like to try to keep a positive slant on things as i think it's always very easy to slate a governing body. I think it's a good move to reduce the amount of work to get a coaching certificate as long as it keeps the safety level to a minimum requirement. I do think there may be a few people a bit miffed from last year having jumped through (many) hoops to embrace the new system, their work was, not pointless, but certainly somewhat wasted. I think we're moving back in the right direction.

Know what you mean - last trial school I did was Jack Galloway, preceded by Rob Edwards. Does it show?

LRC was some sort of 1950's drug I'm guessing? Presumably it failed the human testing phase?

Bank of America network engineer - oh yes it's all very interesting stuff snore... Whenever you get junk mail from MBNA, or from Virgin, or from Alliance and Leicester, or Abbey, or god knows how many other credit cards, I've been a part of filling your doormat with ****. Whenever you ring the companies above to speak to a human, and you get an infuriating automated (IVR) to talk to instead - that's me again. When you get cold called in the middle of your favourite TV program by some annoying sales bloke - yep, I provide the connectivity for those diallers. And a few other bits and pieces that rather than annoy you would probably bore you to tears

I reckon Ishy's just a hnd fisted Yorkshireman I reckon with the right spacer on the caliper side, and a crow bar on the other side it'd go in Would be good to get ths answered once and for all. I think when I looked last time there was a difference between the GasGas and Sherco wheel which was - 6mm less distance between disk and sprocket on the Sherco than the Gasser. Maybe if you get the disk in the right place using spacers on the disc side, you can lose a bit of space on the sprocket side. In any case you'd have offset the wheel by 6mm. Maybe the Montesa wheel is less of a difference? Maybe Ishy's had a car jack in between his swinging arm to make some room. Anybody?

Good work More info here - Fort Smith

Nothing wrong with a healthy discussion. The people with religious beliefs tend to want to discuss it less than the non-religious once there is any question of proof. There are far more arguments against it than for it (not that that in itself proves anything) Not sure how heartache or happiness has any bearing on whether a God exists though? Don't think there was any decrying going on. One group have one view, another group have another view, we were discussing the reasons for those beliefs. The non-religious tend to have their beliefs questioned a lot more in our society than the religious even though we have the weight of science and historic evidence on our side. I'm probably becoming less open minded as I get older, but only because of the lack of any evidence. I like to discuss the possibilities - but it does amaze me that my young impressionable kids come home from school having been told religious facts by similar people with "faith", and I have to explain totally illogical concepts to them without calling their teacher a liar. I have to tell them to take the religious ramblings with a pinch of salt because it seems that due to belief, there seems to be an inability to teach kids that they are 'beliefs' and not 'facts'. If our whole society were more open minded then maybe our kids could understand other beliefs a little easier.

That's sort of what I was getting at Bri Not trying to dog you down. My ears have always been open, I've studied various religions and still remain open to a compelling argument. I've had lengthy, totally unbiassed (in my view) discussions, but it tends to come back down to the similar arguments you've just quoted. As an electronic engineer I'm fairly happy with the argument behind electricity, and we seem to agree on this one - I keep my fingers to myself too, and on my way through various levels of physics I'm fairly comfortable with what Mr Newton had to say, and gravity has a greater effect on me than most. I don't think those two examples are comparable with your last statement though. It will seem like bullying if I ask for examples of the proof, so I won't, but if that proof would stand up to any level of intelligent argument you'd be a rich man. Where we're very different - I can honestly say that if you were to type the right things then you could possibly change my mind on this. My mind is open, but it won't be made up by blind faith. This blind faith is what worries some of us about the USA. I know it's not everyone, we just seem to get the general idea that blind faith is right up there backing Bush no matter what. I think it may be good to question it sometimes. We might be wrong but generally the British are MUCH less religious that the US, and I think these two things are linked. I think generally we are more open minded.

If there's one thing that religion gives you it's an argument for everything, all based on blind faith. You're saying that I doubt your faith, and you have a story that shows that I may be wrong to doubt your faith. And this story is of a disciple, a story relayed over time, to promote your religion. That's the whole argument Brian - we have no reason to believe that these stories aren't made up. For a logical person it's very difficult to believe in something that has so many impossible stories. Ahh but they were miracles I hear you say. Yeah - when did we last see a miracle? So many in one lifetime, but nowadays when we would have the means to disprove them, they don't tend to happen. I will not deny the possibility, but to be realistic you've got to look at the probability. Not very probable unless you're willing to wear the blind faith blinkers. In my view it's short sighted not to admit that it may all be nonsense, but the whole religion is based around unquestioning faith. Why would you base something around unquestioning faith? The "because I said so" method is usually flawed. I'm willing to admit there may be a God, but fail to see that any scriptures provide any more than a remote possibility.There are just as many scriptures for every other religion. Why would yours be the right one. If yours isn't the right one, then which one is. I really don't understand how any intelligent person can base an argument on blind faith.

I'm on standard gearing. I've tried 4th once, in mud, and unfortunately it gripped like hell and choked. I only tried 4th because others had failed in 3rd (Gassers and Shercos). Other than that I've never felt the need for 4th. I've often thought about gearing it up a bit too. 1st is pretty low, I usually use 2nd. So with a little higher gearing, I think 3rd would be ample. Be good to hear what others think of the Sherco gearing though.

One of our bunch borrowed a Gasser 300 for the Manx 2 day. He had a mare starting it. Every time I get on this bike it starts first time. It is totally down to the size of the right leg. I'm sure the other things would help to make it easier, but it may just be that it needs a bigger kick.

My old man was a permanent fixture observing from the 70's onwards. Flat cap, barber jacket, flask, big fishing umbrella - all weather observer - (until the brolly got up to 700 feet above Penn Hill one time). But it's not the lack of a brolly that puts him off now - it's the rules. For a no nonsense old bugger, the stop and you get a dab rule would be fine if it were that simple - modern riding involves regular momentary stops and the rules don't fit. He won't observe because of the ambiguity of a stop. You could tell if a B40 stopped, you weren't likely to see him hop the back wheel sideways, so no doubt there, and you were unlikely to find a section which required him to do more than turn on full lock to get round a turn. I don't want to turn it in to another rule debate, but he's not the only one put off by it.

"Is this top reversible, or would you end up with the hood at the front over the face. I can't quite picture it." Yes - I've probably had too many beers again

Good to hear you're back home mate. If you didn't need that transplant, I'm happy to have the kidney beans back. Go down well with a nice chianti.

Some people have the odd gripe with Macs too Clicky HERE

While we're at it, got to say a big thanks to Elwyn Williams. 67 years old and marked out most of the trial - in fact all of it, just on some of the days, he had one or two of the rest of us along with him. There are loads of other people involved too and I don't want to mention anybody else in person, because I am bound to leave somebody out. Big team effort by the Mid-Wales Centre and also assisted by members of bordering centres, particularly on the observing front. Hopefully everyone enjoyed - could do with getting some more people along next year. Just under 60 entries is a bit disappointing after 4-6 weeks of marking out and organisation, and it really is some excellent land. We can just put flags either side in a lot of places. If you rode and enjoyed, then please let other people know so we can break even next year An extra 20 riders would make all the difference - once you pay for land and the facilities at the start, and get the observers a bit of a breakfast, it's pretty tight financially - part of the reason that the centre runs this, rather than just one club. I know there's loads of people out there who would love the trial! We wanna share it - get here!

Doh! Well Darren probably meant this in jest, but...... While we were marking out on Saturday Daz managed to have a bit of an off. Broken leg last year. This year he went one better. Broken wrist, broken rib, and punctured kidney. Now out of intensive care and I believe on the way to recovery, but will get update from Elwyn and Jean tomorrow. Probably unable to get to the web from hospital, but get well soon mate.

I hear rumblings that I may be able to walk to it next time. Am I warm? Obviously with my stature, that makes it under about 600 yards