Andy Posted January 13, 2008 Report Share Posted January 13, 2008 There was a good thread started in the forums on Thursday about the British Championship as the annual BC forum at Rugby was held this weekend. I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big john Posted January 13, 2008 Report Share Posted January 13, 2008 Whilst I’m on my high horse about this sport of ours, and because it’s New Year, therefore a time for resolutions, how about those trials riders that NEVER, EVER assist in the organisation of a trial in any shape or form, make a resolution that at some point during this year, they will make a single, significant contribution towards the organising of an event. Now Michael, that is probably the most sensible single suggestion you have ever made, good on you well done! Quite a few clubs should make it a condition (to my knowledge Lanarkshire and the Inverness & district already do this) of continued membership of a club! Those two clubs have it in their rules... Big John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timp Posted January 13, 2008 Report Share Posted January 13, 2008 Now Michael, that is probably the most sensible single suggestion you have ever made, good on you well done!Quite a few clubs should make it a condition (to my knowledge Lanarkshire and the Inverness & district already do this) of continued membership of a club! Those two clubs have it in their rules... Big John Now this is where another topic could start. Surely it would make sense that a rider should be a member of only one club in the country so they can develop a bond and get involved with its running. At the moment riders often end up members of many clubs, especially in the early years of competing but never get involved with any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big john Posted January 13, 2008 Report Share Posted January 13, 2008 Now this is where another topic could start. Surely it would make sense that a rider should be a member of only one club in the country so they can develop a bond and get involved with its running. At the moment riders often end up members of many clubs, especially in the early years of competing but never get involved with any. Good point Timp, I didn't deliberately post to this end, after all the subject was more to do about BC rounds, but that is very true, from a countrywide perspective, you only need to be a member of one club in reality to enjoy our sport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perce Posted January 14, 2008 Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 I can't speak for further North events but would say that doing a big road based event anywhere here in the south of the country would be asking for trouble. The public will have a field day complaining about bikes racing around.... and that need not be on the road. They only have to see you from their windows a mile away and they are on the phone. If it was only the competitors it wouldn't be so bad but we all know that the minders and various other team people plus spectators will be also trying to keep up... just asking for problems.I visited all 4 or the south based events last year and it was great to be able to carry the cameras around the loop several times, on foot. Sitting in one place to watch just a few sections really doesn't make me want to go and spectate. It's that sort of lilly livered attitude that has killed off proper Trials & created the 3 laps round a blanket crap that it has become. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neils on wheels Posted January 14, 2008 Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 Perce's robust views notwithstanding, I do think that British Championship is a different case to the majority of trials. If we consider BTC to be a potential stepping stone to WTC for our better riders then it makes sense to have a similar format & rules. Couple the potential for spectators ("crowd" might be pushing it a bit for a trial!) with the more extreme nature of the sections making a bent bike or body more likely and I think it makes sense to keep BTC trials on compact off road courses. The potential to see lap by lap results is also appealing for spectators, be they trials riders or tourists. I do not think this should undermine or diminish the big single lap road or moorland based trials, if anything I think it can allow them to have eased sections which attract a larger entry than a BTC event. Clearly events like the Scott and Scottish are exceptional but they do highlight the mass interest in 'big days out'. I think I'm describing something like the current situation and in my point of view it is about right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john collins Posted January 14, 2008 Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 (edited) Mikes column makes some interesting points this week and these added to the posts already in place before the weekend are certainly worthy of a reply Edited January 14, 2008 by John Collins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old trials fanatic Posted January 14, 2008 Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 (edited) All well said as usual John. Isnt it about time you had your own collumn too ? Alright i know youve got more than enough on your plate already. The "camp followers" are always going to be the main headache and may well be the final nail in the coffin some are looking for to end the traditional Trials so lets not go down that one. As for promoting Trials it's a constant source of amazement to me that when i speak to people about my sport they give me a blank look when i say i ride in Trials but as soon as i mention "Kickstart" their faces light up and they know instantly and thats nearly 30 years ago! So lets make the most of a bad job and run the championship on a closed course and promote the British Championship as an "event" a showcase of our sport and who knows in this multi channel media world perhaps get TV coverage? Well if bloody Cyclo Cross can why cant we? You cant turn the clock back and this brave new world will not tolerate all the camp followers and hangers on in their trucks following their rider around so a closed circuit is becoming a prerequisite. Why do they need such bloody great big trucks anyway? Mick Andrews still uses his Citroen and Sammy Miller managed perfectly well in a saloon car converted into a pick up Edited January 14, 2008 by Old trials fanatic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bilco Posted January 14, 2008 Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 It's Trial's Jim but not as we know it. Time we all looked this game in the eye's and separated the two diffrent type's of trial going on at the same venue at club level,until then we're never have a full list of rider's that have the skill's to ride the british champ with sucess,not to mention the WTC,it's going to be a long long time until we have a brit boy who can bring us home a WTC title. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christoff Posted January 15, 2008 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 It's Trial's Jim but not as we know it.Time we all looked this game in the eye's and separated the two diffrent type's of trial going on at the same venue at club level,until then we're never have a full list of rider's that have the skill's to ride the british champ with sucess,not to mention the WTC,it's going to be a long long time until we have a brit boy who can bring us home a WTC title. Bilco Im not quite sure where you are going with this one could you expand a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bilco Posted January 15, 2008 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 Christoff. Don't know if you've been to walk around some of these trianing camp's around the uk,the kid's there have been putting into practice jumping from one rock to the other with very little contact to the ground normaly only on one wheel,most of these kid's are probaly just club rider's,i don't know about you but i've not seen a club trial with all it's section's that involve that type of riding,and if the club do take a risk and put in the odd section like that the older rider's would have a word and rightly so. so what im saying is if the kid's can't ride how they've been training to there never going to master that ride,which to me would mean there never be ready to take on a trial like the british champ or even have alook at doing the wtc which that kind of riding seem's to be based on.It would be great if one of the club's around the uk would take a risk and just run a trial on this type of riding,every section would be a splat and hop and see where it goes from there. I know we've got a good handfull of youngster's coming up the rank's, but we need more,and it all start's young from club upward's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosey Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 Forget trying to publicise trials it had better press 10+ years ago. After the ace run that Lampkin had its a real surprise that it did not merit a lot more attention. I bet Miller didn't hold back with the publicity either! Trials ... great motorsport Enjoy it whilst it lasts A fool once wrote a letter to TMX saying how farqued up the BC series had become.. this was ages ago... This fool still thinks the same! The British Champ format will get a winner, but its sad when there are not enough riders capable of riding these events... 5 maybe? A lot of good riders in the UK, but not at the BC level never mind the WC level (World Champ not toilet!) ACU caused the van congestion problem at old style BC's by balloting top 15 together. Its a good job they are on postage stamps now anyway... easier to watch and no problems with the 'feds' for having reg plates the size of a folded Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyl Posted January 16, 2008 Report Share Posted January 16, 2008 There seems to be lots of passionate views but how many are from current riders in these championships. Are the boys "putting their bums on seats" unhappy? . From feed back JC has had it does not seem so. Can riders of a huge variety of ability find a championship that they enjoy and challenges them. I think so. Can we showcase the top boys ability, I think we have the best chance with the format we have. From feed back on Saturday one of the best supported and atmospheric events was one which is the most far removed from a traditional national as possible. Lets make Sheffield a big lap event to, that will make it better - not. As a rider, organiser and coach I really think we have a very good set up nationally that is workable and an ACU that care and really do listen. It would be god to hear from some of the top riders as to what they think Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts