turbofurball

I got my Scott suspension bike for £100, and spent about £150 making it mechanically sound. It's not light, but otherwise nice :-) That's about the same as I've spent on my Gasgas in the last year after buying it, not including petrol, 2-stroke oil, filter oil, or engine oil (and I need to do the fork seals now ...)

Because now, for much less money than a trials bike, you can get a nice full suspension mountain bike which doesn't need mucking about with premix or cleaning air filters every week, can be ridden anywhere, doesn't annoy people with noise, etc etc. ... and for most people it scratches the same itch. Possibly.

With the short notice is there any way to promote the event? Like email lists or something? It's a shame I'm so far away, I'd love a go at it!

My local club know how useless I am, if I miss one particular gate that I don't feel confident getting around they don't mark it; it does take a bit of pressure off me, even though I'll be in last place anyway, lol

Those were Imperial hours back then, much bigger than today's namby-pamby european hours!

Thanks, but I'd like to avoid MSM if I can! I'll just ring around a few places and see how I get on

Who is a good insurer for my TY? I need to insure it with the frame number so I can register it (got everything else ready already, just need a cover note)

I find it exhausting, I can imagine someone less bloody-minded being put off by it.

There's not a vast difference, some makes have specific years to avoid due to a known problem and older bikes will probably be harder to find some parts for, but the weight and handling etc will be about the same. The more modern machines like to have more regular maintenance than the old twin shocks, though - lots of oil changes and air filter cleaning. It's the price you have to pay for having a bike that's under 70Kg!

The Contact is changing to electric start, with the battery under the seat (which I guess means the seat is permanent now?) There's marketing blurb about it and the TXTe maybe becoming a production bike in On the Pegs

IIRC Autograss is the biggest participant motorsport for cars, and nobodies heard of that, either

Trials schools seem to be very expensive and out of my price range, which is reasonable considering it's the instructors' livelihood and they usually have bikes and gear to buy / maintain. My small friendly local club has been a huge help in learning, and I count myself lucky in that! I don't understand that, either ... I average about 3000 points per trial, but love it. Perhaps that's a case of people with unrealistic expectations and being over competitive (?) in which case the last thing needed for the sport is for them to be pandered to.

It'd be nice if there was a quicker way to sign on for events; eg. turn up and book in on your phone (using an app that knows your details), pay through paypal, and just collect your number. Also, if you have a listing that just says something like "Farmer's Wood" and the postcode on an events page, it's a bit offputting. Having a photo or two of previous events there, maybe a link to a video, gives people an idea of what to expect and might help encourage those who are on the fence about going. Few clubs appear to have an online guide for newbies (like, here are the nearest loos, the stages are usually around this area, you can park over there, etc etc), or an introductory video about the club ... that's the sort of thing new riders would appreciate regardless of age.

I second that ... I'm up to my elbows in resto-modding my TY, if I didn't have my Gasgas to wail on I'd have been despondant by now. Also, trials in winter are great fun (apart from the odd bit when you sink up to your hubs in mud, etc) and an essential part of the experience

That looks good, it's not like the chains all rusty etc ... best to start on something that's not all shiny anyway

I don't have a solution, but as a new-ish 40+ rider when I look at classic trials in continental Europe it looks like a nicer setup - taped courses where you can just get from the start to the end as a beginner (or someone who isn't competitive and just wants to have fun), with a small number of tricky gates for the A and B riders. It looks like it makes it easier to understand on the day, and makes more sense when you're watching a video of it too. Is there areason why this is rare to see in the UK? Is the tape too much faff?

Crash statistics don't lie; having ABS on bikes leads to less accidents, less serious injuries from accidents, and fewer fatalities. It sounds like your ABS system may have been faulty if you've locked the wheels and it hasn't activated. German kids do learn about the Holocaust, my nieces and nephew can attest to that ... whether all kids are paying attention in class is another matter.

For reference, with a low seat post I've found practicing on my old/heavy full suspension mountain bike to be excellent practice for things like turning on inclines, tight turns on loose surfaces, and ballance practice when at or near stationary. There's a place near my place between a railway line and some houses with banking to cut down on the noise, which is maintained by the council but nobody ever goes to - just the thing for a quick practice after work

I said mine will have cost £2500 by the time it's finished, because eventually it'll be full Majesty / modernised with no stone left unturned (The frame goes off to powder coating tomorrow! Woo!)

Good point

A bike braking with ABS stops far far quicker than any scenario where a bike and rider are sliding along the ground, regardless of road and weather conditions. ABS prevents or mitigates a large number of accidents, both in cars and on motorbikes (it especially improves outcomes for heavy braking in corners); on fast road bikes traction control also makes a significant improvement. When helmets became compulsory there was a LOT of complaining - their arguments were very similar to yours. By the way, did I mention my day job is being a crash tester? Also, in what way would removing Confederate statues that were put up after the war had ended erase history? How many statues of Hitler has Germany put up since the second world war? Have they forgotten about him? Lets have more statues dedicated to the brave soldiers and slaves who fought against the Confederacy instead - that would be historical.

At that point manufacturers will probably split the line into road legal and "competition only", like the Honda CRFs etc, and those who want to do things like the SSDT will have to shell out extra or run old bikes. TBH this sounds exactly like the complaining that was done when helmets became mandatory. Ah yes, the heritage of erecting statues 50 years after a war, to traitors no less - definitely worth standing up for.

Why keep looking back instead of forward? ABS on a road legal electric trials bike could be removed after sale (or just switched off, as needs require)

On a long steep ascent, yes you've gotta rev them, especially if you're on the heavy side like me. On the plus side, the reduced power gives me confidence that on those climbs I'm not going to get a sudden wheelie due to bad technique or a slip of the throttle I can't say the exhaust has bothered me as a rider, there are other things to think about when you're doing the riding, and I enjoy a little bit of the feel of hooliganism without the consequences

I'm aiming for making it rideable in October (using the old wheels, seat, tank, etc), and finished by the end of the year Being realistic, I've got three other bikes to maintain / improve / ride, plus my SO's two ... I'm in no rush, and want to get it right!