metisse

www.ventoux-trial-classic.com

Entries open this weekend.... www.ventoux-trial=classic.com

I really do not know, where trials and more my bag, classic trials are heading here in France. Your right in your view of the low entry at the recent twoday classic trial in France, I observed at the sunday venue and I think the club scrapped 50 riders. Fuel costs, over active rozzers with speed camera's, speed limits, and sheer time you have to spend getting back and forth are all impacting trials here. Bikes have to be registered and insured , this adds another 75 euros yearly per bike. Clubs are loathed to organise due to high and complicated paper work and costs, you should have a doctor and or ambulance present at the trial. Sections, you should have vehicular access in event of an accident, and of course the old chesnut of finding observers. The seventies and eighties were the halcyon days of trialing here where many of clubs held trials those club stalwarts have sadly died or lost interest and the trial has been lost. I am riding this weekend at a club where its deemed a friendly trial, sections marked no observers, you mark yourelf or your mate marks like golf. There will be a good turnout with only a small percentage of these holding a competition licence. How you convince these riders to support " Proper trials " I really dont know. Sadly its a a big problem, getting land and permissions to use the land is the easy bit...

Dabster, I remember us discussing the Ventoux several years back and thats only 18, three different loops and like St Feliu although you could do a few more, it does seem enough . My point is that I really think 18 / 20 is the bare minimum. If people accept 16, next year it maybe 14, etc. Apparently talking to a chum here riding from the Uk 36 sections is a minimum requirement for a centre round. My local national the Phil king is 39/40. For a national that Rochepaule is there should be at least a few more.

Interesting comments, not really my cup of tea for a days competition, but understand the sentiment. Speaking to a couple of riders who where there, competing on the harder routes. were fed up with the amount of interzone and lack of sections, but I imagine the less competitive classes might have enjoyed the ride round more than sections. I have always found stopping for lunch a hinderence, however French, civilised it might seem. Each to their own.

The recent classic trial at Rochepaule, France, attracted an entry of over 100 riders, the trial was held over 55 kms of interzone, and had 16 sections, 10 in the morning and 6 in the afternoon. When I mentioned at the weekend it seemed rather too little section action and not for me, I was met with a little gailic backlash. So would competitors on here, be happy with a trial with only 16 sections, would you travel up to 200 miles for this, or am thinking this is the slippery slope. .

You right, and also they cannot believe an annual licence in the Uk is around 15 euros, compared to the two federations here charging 50 or 150 euros a year to ride a handfull of trials if that . This coupled with the long distances, expensive fuel, road tolls, and the 80 km speed limit, whereby you cannot nip.... along... to a trial early on a sunday morning, without getting pinged on a camera, make it harder to justify doing the competitons. There are so many riders that go out on a sunday in organised practises , but have no interest in competing. A " Friendly trial in Angoleume, in a fortnight will attract 80 riders, most of which never compete or take a licence, so how do you get them to support organised trials... The two day trials I will do this year only require a weekend licence.. so whilst not cheap I will bite the bullet just to ride.

Just as I sent the reply above, I remembered reading that this years trial at La Roche was going to be the last... not far further East, Joel Correy used to run a 2 day classic trial in August, that has now been discontinued Something is amiss for sure

No, but have done in the past. Its a very good trial. This year , the first in many, I have not taken out a trials licence as France really has to sort out its trials ( in my opinion) and its two slightly warring federations the FFM and UFOLEP. I will ride the two day classics , 2 days in Andorra, VTC Mont Ventoux and Sant Feliu in Spain. We have a small but dedicated group in the Dordogne that ride quite regularly, some fantastic land and anybody heading this way is always welcome to come out. Hopefully things will improve in the future and we might bump into each other...

There is always this year... just hope the sun shines this year... it all ended in tears last....

The dates are the 12 th 13 th October.

Speaking to some chums yesterday, the word is that this might be the last ever trial held there. Apparently there are Mayorial elections next year, and there is a new candidate, who if elected wants to turn this whole area into a natural park. Result, no motobikes... So, whilst not set in stone, anybody who has always wanted to ride or its on a bucket list, I suggest when the entries come out later in the summer, to do it. There is a previous thread on what you need to do and how your bike needs to be... will be a real shame if it goes its the best two day twinshock / Pre 65 in France.

Thanks for the input. Scanning the various sites, seem a nice selection in Spain. And finally the difference between the red tank and seat and the cream is it purely age related. The red looks better in my opinion, thanks again.

I have a 1979 SWM that I have ridden most of the time over the last couple of years. Its a good shout, just fancied something a little different.

A year or back I let my Fantic go and now thinking of another Post 80 bike to take its place, the logical option would be another FANTIC but I do fancy something different, a Montesa. I don't know too much about them what could people who do tell me about the 242, or the 330. I have read the kickstart is a little fragile, but are these realistic competitors to the Fantic, it wll be ridden on a middle route in trials so not easy but not stupidly hard also. Thanks

Thats interesting as its around that price the guy I know, has paid to get his manaufactured. I know trials riders are known to be tight, but if you want one they will be around that price. The problem we all know a man who knows a man who can do it, sadly like a lot of things it never gets done. The guy is looking into where he can get the hardened washer made, that sits, if I understand correctly just above the knuckle. He tells me its the same as a Beta one. He spoke to the Beta trade stand last weekend at the French motocycle show in Lyon to see if they would be up for supplying just this piece awaiting a reply . We are looking therefore a second hand Beta kickstart to rob the washer and get it remade in the correct material. Then et volia it should be ready to go. Any help to get the show on the road would be apprciated. Cheers

Well, a contact of a friend has had 50 of these replica kickstarts made, in fact we were speaking on the phone today, however is just awaiting the final piece, which is holding the project back. if all goes to plan they could be ready shortly,, there is no price yet , none the less they were not cheap to manufacteur . I will keep you informed of the progress and where in the Uk you can buy them from.

The difference between the good riders and very good riders is immense too. Classic trials both Pre 65 certainly, and ever increasingly Twinshock has evolved to something it never was in the day. The middle route in the trials I ride , is now the new hard route, and the hard route is marked out in a modern style for old bikes. The top sections are becoming more do or die , certainly in the big European classics, the bikes are engineered accordingly and the type of riders its attracting is changing. So, there is not a cat in hells chance riders can all ride the same sections, unless some fancy a trip home in an ambulance.

Surprisingly no one really notices the forks, its because they do have SWM cast at the bottom, and they are from a jumbo, so I kid myself and follow the well trodden " It could have been done in the day " adage.. that everybody trots out when talking about something similar and covering their a***'s. The clutch is a little tricky as its got Aprillia written all over it and is clearly from another era, and stands out like a fighting dogs bollocks..... I like that phrase.... but I have tried everything possible, and spent more than a few euro's and its still not as good as it needs to be for an old fart that is starting to creak a little...plus it seems every other SWM I see has had it done. Hopefully it will be in Scotland next year, at the SWM themed trial, cant imagine for one moment I will be the only one... if I do it.. Decisions decisions...

And there's me having sleepless nights on whether or not to help my tennis clutch elbow, and put an Aprillia clutch on the Swoom.

I would say watch out for it being a complete rocket ship, would give a decent motocrosser a run for its money.... well thats how I felt about it anyway, didn t stay long in the garage, big big section bike.

All bikes whether practice or not should.. be insured. Competition wise if its all on private land they need to be insured and registered lights not needed. Competitions taking in road or bridal paths, need to be road legal, insured, registered and lights . Some require lights working some or most classic twinshocks require lights working or not... No one said it was easy....For the classic Costa Brava in Spain, part of the entry covers insurance and they have special dispensation from someone high up.... so no lights, registration document, and I assume no insurance is ever needed or indeed checked. They even have the local rozzers on the rounderbouts stopping traffic in favour of trials bikes roaring through the town. For these two trials the numbers speak for themselves, quality events in quality areas, attract riders willing to possible moderate the amount of mediocre trials in favour of the must do events.

No in France no licence required to practice, however the bike should be insured. To ride in a competition the bike should insured and registered even on private land.

The 200 Fantic is the bike most riders should have, we have one back in the garage after the first one over thirty five years ago. Its got the pegs a little back and down, and the motor has been fully rebuilt thats all, and its fab. I do weigh a little more now than a 14 year old when I had the first one but it still does everything and more that I need. I did like my 240's and had several and lately a 340 , but the 200 is a super little stead.