Week 63 - Get Off Those Bikes!

[Andy]

It

[gizza5]

Well said Mike and I don't profess to your writing expertise but the title may read ''Don't bring your bikes!'' if you havn't got your off road bike with you then you won't be tempted, however we live in the real world and that will never happen.

One example that happened was my brother and me were leaving the sections at Coire Mhorair heading down the track to Kinlochleven having seen several illegal riders coming the other way, having avoided most of them my brother wasn't so lucky.....................

He was hit head on by a youth who was with his father and both bikes and riders were in a big heap, thankfully my brother took enough evasive action to not get injured the youth wasn't that clever. We spent time with him (in our running time!) to make sure he was 'Breathing' the rest could be sorted? so we set off again.

Brothers bike front brake hose was broken and lost the fluid, and he was pretty shaken, now the run down the road to Lagnaha, taking in Pap of Glencoe for those of you who have ridden you will know what its like, for those who havn't it is the mother of all down hills and not ideal even if you have both brakes working.

This incident happened on the Monday and could of quite easily ended his week, don't suppose the lad and the father would have picked up the bill for the week if he went out of the trial!!!

For those of you that are reading this and are one of those people I will talk to you in words that you may understand:

''You can't ride your Bikey Wikey with the big boys until you are older and understand, there's a good boy"

[greeves]

As GIZZA said so eloquently, can somebody translate this into Spanish as it is definitely a significant number of foreign riders as well as English speaking riders who are causing the problems.

As a Spanish rider in the Pre-65 I can say it is a shame for me to see some of my nationals trying to follow the route when they know they can

Edited April 13, 2008 by Greeves

[slapshot 3]

the old chestnut, pity we have to go on about it every sodding year.

It's on here somewhere already but last year coming back in from the Dubh Lochan section during the P 65 myself and Old Trials Fanatic came across two mature gents of European descent ridding up the road on their big traillie bikes. I stopped them and took great pleasure at watching them nearly kill themselves turning these huge bikes round on the steep bit of the road up to Pipeline.......I'll happily do it again this year on the same route and on the Saturday on Mamore Road.

I'll reiterate it again "KEEP YOUR BIKES OFF THE HILLS UNLESS YOU ARE RIDING OR OFFICIATING"

[kinell]

Brothers bike front brake hose was broken and lost the fluid, and he was pretty shaken, now the run down the road to Lagnaha, taking in Pap of Glencoe for those of you who have ridden you will know what its like, for those who havn't it is the mother of all down hills and not ideal even if you have both brakes working.

I bet he got down the Pap fair quick

[geordabroad]

Hi

I'm off to the SSDT for the first time and know nothing of the particular routes or places.

In this weeks posting, there was talk of a PROGRAMME for the event. Where would i get one? Are these readily available in and around Fort William during the week?

Are there any other places where the general outline of the week is set out, I'm specifically thinking of the internet. Couldn't see any detail on the SSDT site. I'm taking my parents (and my dad will probably be more interested in the pre-65 as that's when he was biking) and it'd be good to know a little more before we turn up, and also good to give them a little more information on the trials before we go.

Cheers

Ian

[gizza5]

Routes will be posted on the SSDT website nearer the time and a link to them will be on Trials Central. The official Programmes are readily available for the Pre 65 in the start area and the main event in the park ferme and several shops up the high street.

Edited April 14, 2008 by GIZZA5

[Guest majestyman340]

Sadly the future of the SSDT may well be jeopadised by the ever increasing numbers of riders taking bikes where they shouldnt be going. One way of reducing this might be to make it clear (multi language notices), that bikes being used where they shouldnt could be confiscated and crushed, and if illegal riders were linked in any way to a competititor in the trial, that person would be excluded immediately and banned from riding ever again. Until measures something like these are introduced, the illegal riding will continue to increase, and leave the future of the trial at risk.

[chewy]

These guys are just another problem for the club and officials (of whom I am regularly one now that I'm too decrepid to manage a whole six days) I have approached guys who could tell me practically anything in the right accent (being a southerner I can barely understand what's being said anyway) and I would have to believe them even if I didn't there is nothing one can do exept threaten to report them. As we all should know another problem is dogs at lambing time (as it is in scotland in May) the law is as usual quite vague about a landowners right to invite or restrict access to his land yet there are plenty of self interested smart asses who insist it is thier right to do what they want irrespective of the damage they may cause to the relationship twixt the trial and landowners. It seems in this modern age that common sense and courtesy are forgotten thing. Perhaps we should try more direct action with these people e.g I might try distracting them whilst my mate lets thier tyres down; at least it would slow them down.!

Another issue which winds me up which should or could be another topic is expert spectators.. if the observer needs your opinion he or she will ask. It's sometimes difficult to politely handle you , keep a line of sight on the section, be impartial and fair to all the riders, deal with unhappy ,confused, broken down or lost riders who can't tell the time or read thier route card and also a recent phenomenon of "gangs" of riders arriving at the section all walking the section together, rushing back tothier bikes and then shouting for delay. Please riders be reasonable about this if 8 of you do this and the section takes 90 seconds to get through thats a minimum of 12 minutes.. this happened to me 3 times last year with the same "gang".... it does take the edge off of a what can be a long day for us old gits with the books. Finally please don't leave any litter take any that you see away with you whether you are a rider or a spectator: my rucksack can only carry so much! Or put another way half an hour clearing the section and disposing of the litter will delay the results by half an hour. Twelve minutes of delay at a section will grow into half an hour and thereafter the whole trial would run late ...it's only common sense and co operation that help the event to run smoothly.

[overthehill]

These guys are just another problem for the club and officials (of whom I am regularly one now that I'm too decrepid to manage a whole six days) ...........................................

Chewy makes some good points here - It is worth remembering that we all are immensely privileged to be able to experience the SSDT over some of the most remote, beautiful, and environmentally sensitive areas in the UK. Treat it with respect, but its not just the land we have to treat with respect - please appreciate the hard work that the officials put in - remember they are there an hour before the first bike and wait until the backmarkers come round - regardless of the weather - they then have to clear up the cards and as Chewy points out tidy up after you.

If everyone used a bit of common sense and respect for each other and the environment it will go a long way to ensure that this event survives.

We don't want to scare people off or give the impression that we are anti trail bikers - please come up and witness this historic motorcycle event which will be celebrating its centenary in a few years time - bring your walking boots with you; you will enjoy it.

Mark

SSDT Clerk of Course