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Is that you in the photo Bri??? Nice a*** eh Marky G or do you still prefer Raga?? On a slightly more serious note, as well as the very good points already made, aren't the Gassers slightly higher geared than the Sherco? Should you maybe be knocking it down a cog, particularly on the 200? Just a thought.

I have the Kliponoff rack. Don't presume you're getting a better product just because it's more expensive. I think I paid about

Peugeot very soft on the back end. I had a 306Xtdt for years and no end of scrapes and bumps just carrying things like bags of sand. My suspension went a couple of times. I also had a strange thing happen with my handbrake on, parked facing up a steep hill, the weight of the car pushing backwards pushed the suspension right up in the air, looked like a bloody dragster, could hardly step out of it. Very funny at the time I presumed this was due to damage caused with heavy loads. I presume there is an upgrade for the rear suspension (maybe the estate springs). I have a Polo at the moment - very surprising car - only fairly small, but the estate version hardly sags at all with my Sherco on it. TDI engine in a little car goes like stink. Just under

"Helmit Airbrushing" - A fine German rider - not seen him for a few years.

My only concerns at the moment over the Novogar series. I see the entries dwindling a little, and I reckon it's due to increased severity. Each year a little bit harder (most of them). I can't say I'm in favour of a second route - it adds another level of complexity to what is a lovely simple championship, and it opens it up to pot hunters on the clubman course (how do you grade who can ride the clubman class??? Surely the winner of the clubman route was riding the wrong route??? And probably a fair few after him "And the award for the best rider on the wrong route goes to......" It may also take the entries for the more popular ones to an almost unmanageable level. Yes you can have entry limits, but do you make a ruling to give priority to National class and end up with the odd trial with 120 National riders and 10 clubmen, or do you make it first come first served, and the Yorkshire rounds get filled with 130 Yorkshire Novices I'm quite happy to be the puff standing up saying ease the courses up a bit. It doesn't make you a tough nut just because you can mark out a killer section. Make it tough sometimes, but make it enjoyable for ALL centre experts, that's the hard bit. I'll be the first to stand up and apologise if we get ours wrong. None of this "You've got to sort the top boys out". The top boys will get sorted out as long as they've lost some marks. I felt sorry for the Cumbria Novogar - I think the entries there were down, maybe due to severity of previous rounds, but the trial was absolutely spot on. Hope ours goes OK or I'm in for so much sh*t I'll gladly take it if the comments have some validity.

If the Novogar rounds were the same as the National route, I would fight to get to every one. Some sections I didn't manage to get up, but could have a good go at nearly all of them. Last year was brilliant, and I thought maybe I had enhanced the memory of it in my mind, you know what I mean, some things when you go back are not as good as the first time you did it. But this year was every bit as good as last year. I still ran out of steam around the beach on Saturday (Scarlet really knackers me out, all that grip and hopping about), and it all came back a bit later on. Nightmare Sunday morning , but didn't put a foot wrong on Sunday afternoon. The trial is absolutely brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I almost don't want to shout about it, because I want to be able to get an entry every year. We were saying the other day, we'd book the hotel now if we could guarantee an entry. For our group of riders, giving priority to National entries would make most of us definite about riding it. There were a lot of riders on the clubman route that ride better than me. Not sure if it's pot hunting or just playing safe, I suspect a bit of both. Looking at the results on the Saturday, I reckoned I would have been around 20th-25th on the clubman route. There are some good centre experts on that route, when everyone in the top 50 AT LEAST is capable of the National route. I know it's hard to control it, but I reckon everyone under 40 who has won a 1st class award or higher on the clubman route should have to ride the National route (or something based around that sort of idea). And I think it would be fairly safe to make all riders who are of Expert status ride the national route. What would concern me a little (maybe) is a new Clerk of the Course next year - If the level increased next year by the same as it increased this year, then I think I'd have a bit of a struggle, and I was just wondering if the idea might be to increase the level as the National route this year was catering for the top 20% of the entry as opposed to top 25% last year. (You know what I mean - just keeping an eye on the trend). Anyway, absolutely spot on trial, including the organisation, admin, course marking, people, etc etc - superb!!!!!!!! Just my thoughts - it would be interesting to see what others think.

So you're the one Massive exodus to the clubman route this year. Absolutely brilliant trial. Because I am so close to being an old fart I refuse to go down to clubman - thoroughly enjoyed it. Do you know if National riders get priority entry over clubman Cubby? Just wondering as I saw it on the Lakes 2 day entry form. Not sure if I can manage the National route on the lakes, but that's for another topic???

Even with Fuji and Raga at their respective No.1 positions, Dougie is still the biggest thing in trials. I reckon he's got 3 good years before even showing signs of fading. What I'm saying is, I don't think he's really faded at all. The 4 stroke factor has slowed him up a bit, but I reckon he's still right up there. I can't see Honda wanting to give him up. I can't see them letting their world champ go either. The sort of money that they command isn't going to cripple Honda. If Freixa's on his way then a new baby recruit to the Honda fold could be on the cards. Who would turn down a chance of riding for Honda? If Dougie left Honda, surely he'd go back to JLI? Dunno. I bet he'd love to knock Honda or GasGas off top spot with team Lampkin. Can't see Caby moving yet, but he's going to have to go where the money is I suppose.

Lovely - Now how much do you want for that TY80 kickstart I can see lying there?

Drop me a PM with their details and I'll get it checked out. I know there are three local lads that entered last week, and I've not received the updated list with them on yet. As far as I know that list was up to date at the beginning of last week (that would be about the 21st August).

Never really thought about it, but I suppose I always use my heel. From the days when sitting down was a more regular thing (not particularly in the sections, but more often than should have been the case ) it's just about impossible to shift with your toe when sat down, waiting to go in to a section for instance. These days I suppose you're more likely to be stood up, even when waiting at the section. I remember the gear lever on my TY's being at least the 10 oclock position just to make it easier to change with the heel.

John Collins has it spot on as usual. I'm not a**e licking, he's just one bloke that seems to have a hold on reality. Just looking at the replies so far, I'd say most of the replies are from quality riders, Jools, Timp, Tordi, who will manage far better than the likes of myself to get round an over-ambitious trial, but they are in total agreement too. Where are the people that want the killer trials? They are few and far between. It looks like we may become a victim of the rise in level of the Novogar's at our round on the 25th Sept. At last count, before we all went away for the Manx 2 day, there were 47 entries. We've got a couple of weeks left before the entries close, but would like to see a fair few more. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE - Get the entries in - If you've been a Novogar entrant over the past 3 years you will enjoy it. Good solid sections - nowt stupid. Experts, Inters and the sort of clubmen that enjoy the SSDT type sections WILL enjoy it. If not you can beat **** out of me afterwards. The rest of the team involved are of the same opinion, so don't worry, it won't get out of my hands and become another nightmare. (I'm bigger and uglier than them anyway - except Graham Evans who wins the ugly bit). Get the entries in - Link below to our website - click on the big yellow Novogar bit.

Just wondering, maybe you're riding "old style" with no clutch. With the clutch you've got an infinite amount of control over how fast it 'blips'. Are you using the clutch much?

Yep - agree with all above. Depends on your weight. Also amazing what a difference it can make running a higher pressure on rocks where grip is not a great problem. That extra bit of bounce can flatten a rockery nicely. I think if you've got the energy to bother it can make a hell of a difference dropping the pressure for mud, raising it for rocks etc. Need an air canister, or a handpump and a bit of elbow grease.

Just returned from the pub, with among others Paul Sagar (Tom's dad), and I mentioned tonight that he shouldn't expect the world round at our Novogar. Paul was in total agreement, that there is somewhere for riders to progress to if they feel they have outgrown the Novogar, but in any case, it's hard to ride even the easiest of the Novogars and stay in single figures (which I think the top boys should be aiming for). Tom will not be bored at our trial, but the riders like myself will also be kept happy if we hit the right spot. P.S. Would still be in the pub if it weren't for Doughbouys fitness regime

I've often wondered why nobody has developed a lever something like the ones below. I remember this sort of thing from when I was a wee bit younger on BMX's. Really comfy and you can work them with 2 fingers without crushing the other fingers, the ball end would be further from the end of the bar as well, so less likely to break. The ball end could face almost forwards so it doesn't get in the way of the fingers. Maybe they have developed them, but I've not seen them?

That's absolutely true. I bent my gear lever about 12 months ago. I ordered a new one just in case I snapped it off when bending it back, but by the time it turned up, I'd dropped it again and bent it back exactly where it should be. Still got the spare now Not had a puncture since I got the spare wheel, or broken a front brake/clutch lever since I started carrying spares in by bum-bag (fanny pack or whatever )

I never really read books these days. No time. But I could put some time aside if you ever write one Sendero You pop up from time to time and always a good read. I still remember the Duluth Ringo story. One day I'll meet you, and probably wish I hadn't

Little update - Marked out first 5 sections last Thursday, another 6 on Sunday, and 6 more tonight. Some lovely sections tonight - real quality rocks and waterfalls. Don't worry - no near death experiences!!! Some of it really reminds me of some of the Scottish sections. Not that we're fooling ourselves, but it's a good honest trial. I reckon I can get through almost all of the 17 so far, with the odd few which I'll have to have a real good go at, but there is nothing to break your neck on. Please talk your local experts in to having a go - I'll put my neck on the line - it will be a thoroughly enjoyable ride for ALL Experts and most Inters (and Yorkshire Novices ). Tough on the arms, but nowhere near at the level of the Inter Centre Trial. We've got to admit we're aiming at a level easier than the Yorkshire Novogars, but still quality sections. I'll be taking some regs along to the Manx 2 Day and hassling people , and take up Andy's offer of front page on TrialsCentral, plus a TMX add for those that haven't found the web yet, but would appreciate it if those of you on TrialsCentral will pass on the word (and even the regs if you could) to anybody who enjoys a good quality trial. Entries close on 12th September, we'd like to make it well worth while. Anybody who has been to our Forest area loves it!!! Please spread the word

Oh dear! We're staying there this year. Gonna be hard to get back to the room when the bar is calling just downstairs. Struggled on Sunday last year after only about 5 pints Ran out of liquid as I got to the big rocks at the beach Can't wait

I reckon you're stuffed for a short term bodge if it's snapped that far in. Bodges include: Drill a hole right through the lever and put a bolt in with locking nuts (so the bolt sticks out enough to get your foot on). Attach a little G-clamp (C-clamp) to what's left of it (that one was a bit fragile). I'm sure the proper engineers on here will have some better ideas for bodging it. Must admit a lot of people over here have spares available. I've got a spare clutch/brake/gear lever, and will have spare back brake again soon. Spare kickstart is a bit extravagant for me, but you can get away without that for a while. Even managed to get my spare wheel now, but bloody awkward to get hold of a Sherco wheel second hand, waited about 4 months with about

Not going to help you much here. GasGas manual (2004) says 550. GasGasUK SSDT preparation guide says 400? Mind you, manual also says 40:1 on the fuel - anybody using that - shouldn't think so. Enough people on here to give you a good answer, just a matter of time Come on Jools, where are ya - tell the man!

I would hate that. I can't understand it. It shouldn't be rocket science. Works just like a toilet cystern I would have thought. Float comes up, and turns the fuel off. Are the floats not "floaty" enough to force the fuel off or summat? How much pressure does it take to push the fuel off when the float bowl is off? Are the floats an awkward or smaller shape compared to other bikes? Just curious, it would bug me if mine did it.

Your dad's written that. You're 18, I didn't start appreciating stunning views until I was...............well I don't think I've properly started yet, I still have to lie a bit Not when I'm out in the countryside anyway.....beach maybe But, I don't think you'll see any other scenery like this trial outside of Scotland. Ride round the side of the mountain/hill after the first couple of groups and it's unbelievable. Some quality streams, with some banks, woods, dry rocks in between. It's that good, I wish I wasn't marking it out, just so I could enjoy it more

I think they're pretty similar to the Isuzu below. It's not this one is it? They always seem to be full of rust, but maybe that's just my perception. You can get some cracking deals at auction for cheap vans, if you know what you're looking at, or you know someone you can borrow to take along.