city trials

Can you imagine the looks this guy gets when he attends his next trials event?

What happens if you don't have a full time hard-on? Good gawd. Should but a warning on that suit.

Knight said the 'Scott' was his toughest race ever. But he says that at every tough event he races in. He did mention the punctured tire story when we chatted - and said he would've done better without that mishap. I couldn't understand the whole conversation but it was something about going over the bars in a moor. He also mentioned he'll be there cheering on his brother Juan. I'm going to go on a limb and pick Jarvis to Win, Dougie to Place and Wiggy to Show.

If you don't come in the top two in your heat race, it's a good bet you'll be doing nearly 22 racing laps in a two hour period - with very little breaks inbetween. Outside of the top 4, (Knight, Huffman, Pearson and Wineland) everyone was fading towards the end of the main event. Arm-pump is a common issue.

Colton rode a mx bike for one of his early afternoon races and his lap times were 13 seconds off his lap times on his trials bike. His fast trials bike times were running in the 1 minute 22 second range to 1m.35s on the mx bike.

Thanks for the links. Here's one where Colton and Phil finished 3rd and 4th respectfully. LCQ. Colton almost scores big at the 3:55 mark of the video. I noticed the Montesa 4rt really had the motor to keep fairly even with the enduro bikes down the straight aways. Watch Colton launch the rock pile too. The kid is exciting to watch on the track.

AMA press release.

Thanks Tom, same here. Noel's a lucky man to have four wonderful kids. I'm a lucky man he and his wife allow me to take off around the country with one or both (Pat and Phil) of them at any given moment to try something out of the blue. Frank Totton and yourself represented Northern Illinois trials (NITRO) well on the track in the vet class. No DNF's, no trips to the hospital, the club should be proud of you two as well. Yes, we hope to see you in Vegas. FYI: Phil got some luck even though he didn't make the main event. Both Keith (3rd) and Phil (7th) are in the top ten in EnduroCross series points. Now they don't have to qualify on the 'Anything Goes' Friday in Vegas!

Trials riders beware, EnduroCross isn't as easy as it looks. Just ask the 1/2 dozen or so that showed up this weekend to give it a go. Keith Wineland (ERE/Montesa) made it to the main and finished 4th. Keith was again our top class trials rider, showing the EnduroCross world he's a player to be reconded with. Nick (Sherco) was trying his best, but last nights track didn't suit his style. Phillip (Sherco) and Colton Haaker were railing and each missed the main event by one place. Phil just missed a main show entry in his first heat race, placing third in his first heat race - and Colton, well, Colton could be a future star once he controls his abundant amount of energy. Colton was on the leaders heals every race and - came in second in the last chance qualifier, Aaron finished fourth and Phil was right on Geoff's heals. Reverse from last week. Word was KTM and Suzuki are mighty p****d at the Trials guys and threatened to pull out if the tracks kept favoring the trials bikes. I heard orders were given to level the playing field. This weekend the track was super fast, with long straighaways and less rocks and tough obsticles. My though was, "if we wanted to compete in a SuperCross race with a trials bike, we would've entered a SuperCross race with a trials bike." A thanks again to RYP/Scorpa's Mike Harker for the extra pit support. A big thanks to Ron Lee for his help during the week. You guys are the greatest.

I called RYP to have that sprocket sent to your house by tomorrow.

Check this video out.

You-Tube has a

I wanted to share one last photo. I'm guessing this is why all the reporters figured Phil and Keith were on the Scorpa's. As it was the 'in spot' to be. This was the end of the evening, kicking back with the trials riders favorite food, banana's. Nick and I each enjoyed a cold Heineken.

Here's my copy of the hot lap times from all 34 riders in the main event. This was for gate placement in the three heats.

Big shout-out to Mike Harker and Brad Baumert aka, RYP Scorpa/Sherco for taking super care of us this weekend. As the incorrectly article read, Phil was on our Custom Smage Sherco Sales Sherco, not Scorpa. I'm guessing because we were buried in back of the Scorpa paddock instead of Sherco USA we got confused with Team Scorpa. We came in as a privateer team. Top privateer - by the way.

Holy moly, we didn't finish last. With these promising results for our real young USA team and the great showing our trials riders had at Endurocross, we're really making some serious progress.

I'm splitting out of Denver and short on time, but let's give it up for the main man, Keith Wineland. Keith posted the fasted hot lap times and in the main event finished 2nd to none other the Knight Rider. Trials riders were winning heat after heat. Simply amazing and a must see. Three trials guys made it into the main event. Wineland (2nd), my kiddo Phillip Smage (6th) and Mr. Trials guy himself, Nick Manzarro (8th). Five trials riders total showed up. Colton Haaker and Geoff Aaron were the other two. Phil beat Aaron to take the last chance qualifier with a pass on the last lap. These guys took down the who's-who of the off-road world. What an event. Olklahoma, watch out- Endorocross invades the state next week. And who says trials riders are wussies. The top enduro guys may be asking for a special trials class next year.

Yep, that's the dude that was driving the car pulling the bike. Thanks. Glad to see he's using for go instead of show.

Patrick, Travis and I would like to throw a huge shout-out thanks to the Northern Illinois Trials Riders Organization (NITRO) for hosting a great event yesterday. The overwhelming financial support Patrick receives from clubs like NITRO shows our USA trials community has a big heart. We enjoyed ourselves to the fullest extent - and hope everyone enjoyed the show Patrick put on after the event. Thank you NITRO!

Oops, sorry, didn't mean to triple up the photo. My bad. How do I fix this mistake?

On the way home from a trial this weekend, I saw this classic trials bike on trailer heading into Chicago. Very clean and shiny. Anyone know what year and make this is?

Those wacky Italians. While shipping their bikes over to the event, they stuffed the crates with wine and pasta! Now the bikes are detained in customs and the Italian champ won't ride unless he's got his official race bike. What, they couldn't get a good bottle of vino and some pasta over here? And gotta love our trials guy Shan Moore, who's doing the reporting for Cycle News this weekend. He hunts down the juiciest stories.

We need to see if the thing starts first.

Yes, Patrick and Noel are going to the TdN. Phillip and I will be in Denver for round one of the endurocross series that weekend.

Okay, I'll admit it, this is funny. It would be even funnier if he hired Bingo on as his first trials pilot. Paying him in expired Hooter's gift certificates of course.