i dared to bring this subject up a few years ago on this forum but was put back in my place swiftly .

whilst it's true,trials began as an endurance event and there's nothing quite like a trial with some roadwork to explore some scenery,here in the US at least,land usage issues and zero chance of getting my bike street legal are serious limiting factors.

i think i came to the conclusion a while back that there is no easy solution.but the days of being able to meander through the countryside to ride the perfect sections,over here at least,are over.

i think short spectator friendly loops are the way to go and could be made to work well with some planning.it was tried at a donner national a few years back and worked great but was shot down by folks that seem to live in the past and don't take todays constraints into consideration.enduro promoters have pretty much given up around here and it would be sad to see trials go the same way just because it's traditional that we cover every square acre possible to make it a "real"trial. trials is a fun sport to watch and should be allowed to grow in that direction.if i want to thrash/challenge my bike and body i'll drive a few hundred miles and ride an enduro!

ok,i ready to take a beating again so don't hold back .

pip.

all very funny stuff, but clover leaf do you think i would really ride the loop instead of just cutting across? also no offense to anyone but other than the top level riders, trials is really boring. other than an occasional crash or the rare really cool move trials is not fun to watch for the average person. it doesn't even make sense to them when you try to explain the rules.

i don't really like watching guys in my own class because i see how we really look. the average trials rider (in the us) is probably middle aged and used to be a good athelete but now just likes to ride and have a good time. trails is more about what the rider experiances in the day than what makes good spectating motorsports.

it's slow, one rider at a time, no big air. fancy moves and hard to figure out why they got the points they did. i even have trouble with the last one. i love riding trials it puts me and my bike against the toughest terran i can attempt and it challenges my limited skills, i love riding in the woods for 4 or 5 hours it's my stress relief from life. but fun to watch me ride i doubt.

i wouldn't go walk the woods to watch me ride. watching the top dogs? sure thats cool but only 30 guys in the world ride like that.

how about one section that we ride all day long right next to where we park our trucks we could bbq and have lunch waiting for our turn and the wife and kids wouldn't have to walk through the woods. we could all ride and watch every rider and learn and challenge ourselves with a little peer pressure, we could have a live band, stadium trials without the stadium. even a PA to let us know who the rider is and what score he got.

how about one section that we ride all day long right next to where we park our trucks we could bbq and have lunch waiting for our turn and the wife and kids wouldn't have to walk through the woods. we could all ride and watch every rider and learn and challenge ourselves with a little peer pressure, we could have a live band, stadium trials without the stadium. even a PA to let us know who the rider is and what score he got.

In the words of John McEnroe "YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!"

**** me, what a joke!

I think it comes down to, if you got it! use it! I understand some clubs are restricted to a small area of intense rocky terrain, other's have less intensity but a greater area to cover, many times I have been told by riders when they hand in their last card "that loop was a blast".

If you are used to riding what I call the parking lot trial, then that is probably your preference, but when you can go to places like western Canada, Washington, Oregon and ride long loops with steep climbs and downhill, parts of the trail harder than some of the sections, it is a blast.

If you enjoy the parking lot trial, should those who prefer a long loop be restricted to that type of event ?

Isn't variety the spice of life ?

In a way this topic is no different than which bike is best, it's great to have the choice, and the same is true for the type of event, which would you rather have! a long one or a short one.

Trials WAS a huge spectator sport. It is diminishing because the public has gotten lazier. So we can regain the appeal by changing to suit the public

all very funny stuff, but clover leaf do you think i would really ride the loop instead of just cutting across?

I guess you just skipped over the part about the section on the outer part of the leaf. So sure, you could just skip to the next section beside you and miss a section (and at least in our club get an additional 10 points per section missed) but I think most of us would choose to go out and ride that section.

I must say though that I was mighty tempted to just take the 10 points for section 6 at our last event

please forgive my sarcasm, if you eally read my response you see i like to ride long loops. that whole 4 or 5 hours of riding thing?

When half a post is serious, and half is sarcasm, and there is no voice inflection, and I don't know you, makes it a little hard to sort out which half is which.

Ooops, and I hit post a little to quick,

I think I can assure you, that a cloverleaf loop through the area that I am familiar with (TTC) will give you a full measure of trail riding. I think Any loop that Dan lay's in, will challenge the vast majority of us.

Edited December 14, 200619 yr by Alan Bechard

alan i do ride the stra events also, i know most of the land and trails very well. i even helped tony layout some of the original ttc trails up to the big waterfall. i also love riding long trails, but i am capable of cutting off trail when i need to get home and not missing a section. the average drive time to and event for me is 7.5 hours so on sunday i'm usually going home before most people finish their last loop. i hardly ever make it to the awards give away on sunday even if i'm lucky enough to get one.

if i can't cut trail i just ride faster and i love that part. i wish the stra would tighten up the finish times for sunday events but i understand and do love the laid back casual way in which the stra is run. i feel we have the best culb in the nation and our time line for events lend themselves very well with the freindly casual atmosphere in the club. most everyone is laid back happy go lucky having a good time attitude.

The opportunity to change the current time limit deal is rapidly coming up at the year end meeting.

Last year I was the only one I believe that voted against the moveable time limit. I felt rather lonely

If it is a concern, make sure you attend the meeting, and maybe two of us will vote against it for 07.

I am guessing you are in NC area?

nope, lower, new orleans.

also i can understand the time thing from both sides how many of us travel that far to ride an event. it was funny when we did the first hattisburg event everyone was talking about how far that was to travel and i was like hey 2 more hours farther south from here and you would be at my house.

i can also see that if i was only 2 hours from every trials i wouldn't care what time it was over because i know i would still get home at a decent time. so should the time and events be geared to a few of us that make the journey? i guess the votes show it. i hope at this point to make many more events in 07 than i have in the last 2 or 3. i hope my knees hold up because i'm really looking forward to riding.

We ride loops because thats the way it has always been. Plunker is just trying to come up with some new ideas and thats good. I like a loop myself I ride better than in a group, but the last event I rode in Ark. we rode in a group and all the spectators followed, it took all day, but it was a blast.

If you want to get on Spike ... your gonna have to lose the lycra. Skinny 160 pound guys dressed in one piece skin tight lycra suits riding weird bikes ain't gonna cut it on SPIKE TV!! Didn't see any of those rock crawlers dancing around in full lycra now did ya!!!

the last rock crawl i saw on Spike, all the entries put together barely made a full set of teeth!!! let alone lycra!

If you want to get on Spike ... your gonna have to lose the lycra. Skinny 160 pound guys dressed in one piece skin tight lycra suits riding weird bikes ain't gonna cut it on SPIKE TV!! Didn't see any of those rock crawlers dancing around in full lycra now did ya!!!

I don't know where you ride, I'll give you the "weird bikes", but 160 pound guys dressed in lycra? Not in my neck of the woods.

Though to your point if 160lbs guys wraped in lycra is the reality then maybe the Oxygen (women's channel) is the place to expose trials.