ishy Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 (edited) Trials doesn't have a home, when you compare to other sports, the British championship at football will be decided at Wembly, motor racing will be decided at some world renowned circuit and televised to the masses, the British trials championship will be decided in a farmers field on't north Yorkshire moors, witnessed by the few enthusiasts who are willing to brave the elements. No doub't we all have the passion for trials or we wouldn't be posting our thoughts on here, while the top few riders have evolved way beyond what you could of thought of ten or twenty years ago, they still can't entice more sponsorship, and public interest than the old flat cap wellie wearing stallwart of thirty year ago. But the clothing and bikes do look a darn site better Edited October 8, 2007 by Ishy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomant Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 I like the Gate Idea mentioned by Ishy above . As also mentioned, once they see a line they virtually all ride the same line ( expect the unexpected from Fujigas though). So, the gate system could offer many possibilities and adds that other dimension to the sport.. Strategy! They are always on about it in other sports and it would be a welcome addition to trials I think. I certainly would travel to watch that too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillary Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 Strange, isn't it, I'm reading my column on TC and it's not been on the site for 24 hours yet and already it has over 850 hits with 16 postings. Already VERY valid points have been made and even now I'm thinking about next week's offering, but more of that on Sunday coming. Incidentally, and I'll air this here rather than in the column, are there any "top liners" logged on to this website. It frequently seems to me that it's mostly the regular club riders that join in, do the likes of Britain's top ten read and contribute? I would love to know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ishy Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 While I'm on a roll, they could save everyone a lot of time and money, if they made each countries domestic championships the qualifier for the world championship. Top 4 riders from each countries domestic championship duke it out for world championship rankings over two or three rounds at the end of the year. This would at least give the domestic championship more prestige, and I dare say the same fella would be world champion at the end of the day. Then the following weekend the same top 4 from each country could sort the TDN out too. Forgot to mention, Scott and Scottish would need to be classed as 2 rounds of the UK domestic championship, then rappers would get to see the top lads go at it in the proper sections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorpa3 Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 While I'm on a roll, they could save everyone a lot of time and money, if they made each countries domestic championships the qualifier for the world championship.Top 4 riders from each countries domestic championship duke it out for world championship rankings over two or three rounds at the end of the year. This would at least give the domestic championship more prestige, and I dare say the same fella would be world champion at the end of the day. Then the following weekend the same top 4 from each country could sort the TDN out too. Forgot to mention, Scott and Scottish would need to be classed as 2 rounds of the UK domestic championship, then rappers would get to see the top lads go at it in the proper sections. Fabulous ideas there Ishy. Would make the domestic championships a lot more interesting and make the WTC an end of season spectacle! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomant Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 While I'm on a roll, they could save everyone a lot of time and money, if they made each countries domestic championships the qualifier for the world championship.Top 4 riders from each countries domestic championship duke it out for world championship rankings over two or three rounds at the end of the year. This would at least give the domestic championship more prestige, and I dare say the same fella would be world champion at the end of the day. Then the following weekend the same top 4 from each country could sort the TDN out too. Forgot to mention, Scott and Scottish would need to be classed as 2 rounds of the UK domestic championship, then rappers would get to see the top lads go at it in the proper sections. Fabulous ideas there Ishy. Would make the domestic championships a lot more interesting and make the WTC an end of season spectacle! Ishy is on form tonight aint he I agree, this stuff sounds good To add to that, the WTC could compete in one location over a whole week ( I think this has been mentioned before too) and then move around the world on a yearly basis. It would be well cheaper too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swooshdave Posted October 9, 2007 Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 Thanks for your very interesting perspective of the TDN Mike. I feel a 'non stop for all' debate looming The increased challenge of going "no stop" would greatly improve the watchability of modern trials. Riders "stop and hop" is just not interesting. Keep the action moving, make the athlete think faster and react quicker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgshannon Posted October 9, 2007 Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 Thanks for your very interesting perspective of the TDN Mike. I feel a 'non stop for all' debate looming The increased challenge of going "no stop" would greatly improve the watchability of modern trials. Riders "stop and hop" is just not interesting. Keep the action moving, make the athlete think faster and react quicker. Spot on. The "skills" needed should include the ability to walk a section, and plot out an entire line ahead of time, with which you can negotiate the section in one smooth, linear, flowing ride. That is "riding" trials. Otherwise, it ain't riding, and just becomes very boring stopping and hopping. Anytime a rider can stop long enough for his minder to yell instructions on how to line up there tire "just right" for the next short blast, that is not "riding" trials. Instead it is, aim, shoot, stop, aim, shoot, stop... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowly Posted October 10, 2007 Report Share Posted October 10, 2007 (edited) As a spectator sport as soon as they stop, or even worse start sprottling about when stopped, it becomes a non event. What is also evident is the observing rules are not rules, but guidelines. It just makes a mockery. Edited October 10, 2007 by Rowly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorpa3 Posted October 10, 2007 Report Share Posted October 10, 2007 Thanks for your very interesting perspective of the TDN Mike. I feel a 'non stop for all' debate looming The increased challenge of going "no stop" would greatly improve the watchability of modern trials. Riders "stop and hop" is just not interesting. Keep the action moving, make the athlete think faster and react quicker. Spot on. The "skills" needed should include the ability to walk a section, and plot out an entire line ahead of time, with which you can negotiate the section in one smooth, linear, flowing ride. That is "riding" trials. Otherwise, it ain't riding, and just becomes very boring stopping and hopping. Anytime a rider can stop long enough for his minder to yell instructions on how to line up there tire "just right" for the next short blast, that is not "riding" trials. Instead it is, aim, shoot, stop, aim, shoot, stop... Wouldn't it be great for the FIM to suddenly announce that all FIM events would be Non stop for 2008. It might solve this argument once and for all, one thing you can be sure of is that the top ten would still be the top ten. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lastplacebrad Posted October 10, 2007 Report Share Posted October 10, 2007 While I'm on a roll, they could save everyone a lot of time and money, if they made each countries domestic championships the qualifier for the world championship.Top 4 riders from each countries domestic championship duke it out for world championship rankings over two or three rounds at the end of the year. This would at least give the domestic championship more prestige, and I dare say the same fella would be world champion at the end of the day. Then the following weekend the same top 4 from each country could sort the TDN out too. Forgot to mention, Scott and Scottish would need to be classed as 2 rounds of the UK domestic championship, then rappers would get to see the top lads go at it in the proper sections. Fabulous ideas there Ishy. Would make the domestic championships a lot more interesting and make the WTC an end of season spectacle! Ishy is on form tonight aint he I agree, this stuff sounds good To add to that, the WTC could compete in one location over a whole week ( I think this has been mentioned before too) and then move around the world on a yearly basis. It would be well cheaper too! Wow, what great ideas!, it is surely impossible to make the WTC into a "club type" or SSDT type event, but these are the kind of ideas the FIM and pentagon (or whatever shape they are!) should be listening to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastcoasthopper Posted October 11, 2007 Report Share Posted October 11, 2007 Great story Andy, thanks. When I set up events, I have splits for 4 different levels in my sections. From Novice to Expert. I try to make Expert hard enough so I get a few points from the top riders and Novice easy enough so the worst rider won't be discouraged. And I try to have at least some sections that are big with multiple lines and don't require any hopping, just technical skill. It's the same, to me anyway, for the better riders at higher levels; Nationals and World Rounds. I feel the sections should be hard enough to get some points from the best riders, and if all but the top 6 or so get a bizillion points, so be it. They need to drop to an easier class or practice more. I've never been to a world round, but it seems to me that they use these same principles that the local events use. It wouldn't make sense if everyone finished the event with no points. And if it's no fun to watch, well, that's that. It will sort itself out. By going away or becoming different, like the indoor stuff, I think. Of course, I hate to see any event where the best rider gets over 100 points, that's painful to watch, especially for the lower riders, and it doesn't help anyone, except the guys selling replacement parts. The stop and hop stuff is a whole different issue. I think we may see a day where there are two different systems. Like Enduros that run different rules for different events. Maybe there can be a whole organization for trials without stopping, very little hopping and big sections with multiple lines. And the pogo-stick riders will have their one line sections where they hop, stop, do backflips and defy the laws of nature. And that will be that. Sorta what indoor is anyway, isn't it? I see a day when these world guys will compete on bikes with no engines, to save weight, and just hop all the way through the sections. Hmmm, starting to sound like bicycles now, well, they're almost as light! Jareth ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williamd Posted October 11, 2007 Report Share Posted October 11, 2007 Bring back Kickstart! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottt Posted October 12, 2007 Report Share Posted October 12, 2007 Bring back Kickstart! Isnt that the point Mike was making? If Kickstart came back with top riders everyone would take the same line do the same hop, balance, stick leg out, hop etc etc. It would be boring. Its would be like watching a penalty shootout where everyone shoots to the left and the keeper goes to the right, boring. The point Mike was making is that its more interesting to watch people that arent as good, to see some variation than it is watching the same thing over and over again, this will continue till they start using sections that no-one can do then that gets boring, what happens then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomant Posted October 12, 2007 Report Share Posted October 12, 2007 Bring back Kickstart! Isnt that the point Mike was making? If Kickstart came back with top riders everyone would take the same line do the same hop, balance, stick leg out, hop etc etc. It would be boring. Its would be like watching a penalty shootout where everyone shoots to the left and the keeper goes to the right, boring. The point Mike was making is that its more interesting to watch people that arent as good, to see some variation than it is watching the same thing over and over again, this will continue till they start using sections that no-one can do then that gets boring, what happens then? What about Junior kickstart then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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