slapshot 3

Generations change but the thoughts are still the same, my wife still loves watching Steve Saunders, never could understand why she liked watching from the BOTTOM of a section

no way, think Dougie has one more in him. I think the biggest threat now though will come from Tony Bou or James Dabill, someone like that though I suppose we can still count Raga and Fuji in there

I shall bow to superior knowledge....again

that looks suspicously like a Honda engine, could be wrong but it look awful like it

Now pronounce it properly....

No Kinell? Suppose the mountain rescue boys will be relieved... Well done to all the TC boys who have got through the ballot

Happy new year to all the TC forum posters

Happy Birthday Big John

Not fancy that one for the garage John......

Hi Gordon, Have a few probs with mine as well but could find nothing at stripdown earlier in the year, I did some asking around as well. Like you the engine is now so strong that I don't want to alter this by stripping the whole engine again regards Donald

Over 5K, that's a lot. I know these are rare but 5K.....

This is just another way of sneaking an advantage, if the organisers and stewards don't clamp down on it folk will just keep getting away with it. In times past some riders would walk sections in the scottish, where no minders are allowed, and cunningly station their pals at certain bits to ensure nothing moved before their attempt or to move anything that did out of the way. Everybody looks for an advantage, where the stakes are highest cheating seems to be part of the game!!

or many SSDT's over the years.....

As long as we don't have a maximum rider weight I'll be okay.......

Don't give him a hint Perce, he might just do it.....

Methods for avoiding dabs..... Make sure the bit of string that keeps your boots together isn't too long or do what i do instead.......take 5s

Getting pricey at

What's difficult, if the front wheel stops moving it's a 5, dead simple. sorry boys just catchin up..

Andy, Seem to remember many nights in Fort William arguing the same thing... donald

your old what? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> bloody kids these days no sense of history!!! Raleigh bicycle made in the late 70's early 80's very chunky (read heavy) and could cope with me and the stupid things I used to do without an engine. Pre the first BMX bikes but I just broke the BMX anyway, 6 if I remember rightly. You Youngsters don't know what you missed!!! Whip off the naff handle bars, the saddle and all the other pointless bits, stick on an old pair of Fathers renthals a proper saddle and bobs your uncle. Bunny hops, endos riding sideways up steps, we were doing that stuff 25years ago, never mind now...... see some notes below and hopefully the pic will work as well from nostalgia.com Launched in 1976, the Grifter became the ultimate 80s bike - chunky and funky with hand-twist gears . . . This was BMX before BMX. You even got blisters on the insides of your hands (from doing wheelies you understand!) And with a deft fold of the rear mud flap you had a realistic moto-cross noise - even if it did leave a U shaped melted hole on your flap (oo-er missus).

Have to agree, thats superb. My old Grifter could never do that!! It also triggers my initial thoughts, is this how we want to see trials develop, because were nearly there already. Look at the indoor and some of the rounds this year. Personally I think we've gone too far and we need to get back to no stop. From the pics we've seen of Duluth earlier this year, pitch some of the natural stuff there on a no stop, that would be a test. The reality of what we see now means that we might be able to hold a WTC trial in a shopping centre car park in a year or two, hopping up and over the barriers, walkways and overpasses. I don't fancy that much.

Hi All, Just a hypothetical to fill a long boring night shift. We've reached the end of the season and one of the things that has struck me is number of times Andy has talked about the "man-made" element of outdoor trials and the severity of them, pushing the GPs to a "circus-like" trial. These bikes will do anything so where is the limit. The stuff is great to watch but it's great to watch the best riders in the world compete on any terrain What would we, the trials riders/afficionados of the world like to see in the championship in terms of rules, time limits, the nature of the sections that sort of stuff. Personal view; go back to no-stop, all sections in the World outdoor championship should be made up of natural terrain. No more man made arena type sections. With no-stop there will be no need for a time limit in sections. 1 minder only, not three or four plus a water/food/paper tissue carrier, any of that nonsense. Take trials back to what they should be, a battle between man and machine and the elements. Like i say long boring night and purely hypothetical FIM wouldn't listen to the punters, would they???

Guess we can all pray its back, some of the best sections of the week. Achlain Farm was also superb, some brilliant sections. Think the eason it went was because of parking problems as the group became more popular, I'll happily stand corrected though. Thats another group I'd love to see back

my tuppenceworth: Raga - won't leave Gas Gas or Jordi, but this IS his only outdoor title Fuji - Honda they have to have a japanese rider Cabey - Sherco, it's getting him good results Frexia - Scorpa, on the 4 stroke Grimbo - Sherco, 4 stroke development (depends on FIM i suppose) Bou and Farjado will stay where they are Doug will shock the trials world coming out on the fabled 4 stroke Aprilia secretly built and tested in a small family engineering works in deepest Yorkshire. He will take a clean sweep of all rounds and finally be recognised (as we all already know) as the greatest trials rider in the history of the sport. Seriously New Super team of Dougie, Tony Bou and James Dabill on the Beta. The "Old Bloke" takes title #8 before handing it all onto the next great British trials hope, James Dabill........you never know

Saturday's Weather: Looks not too bad, Mainly dry with an isolated shower or two one or two might be a bit heavy, not too breezy temperature up to around 19 or 20 degrees. Weak front over the north of the midlands shoulkdn't cause too many problems. Party time looks predominantly dry Sunday very similar