I was refering back to the time when the SSDT complained they didn't get enough riders because of the "Stop" rules.

When was that.....don't remember that being labelled as a complaint???

So yes, it was no-stop rules that rejuvinated the SSDT, no question.

In all fairness was it the no-stop rules or the easier sections?? can we have easier sections and still have stop & hop trials?

I am not hearing any thing positive from ANY local riders abought the possibility of going no-stop, no one here wants it, it's hard for me to believe that this is going to REJUVINATE trials, most club riders here can't hop at all, only the top riders can stop & hop, but everyone stops

In all fairness was it the no-stop rules or the easier sections?? can we have easier sections and still have stop & hop trials?

Give 'em the ability to correct their mistakes by allowing stopping & the ability of a straight forward section to take marks will reduce.

& no I don't think that the simple changing of the rules from stop allowed to stop not allowed will significantly change the wr's & encourage a resurgence. But a bit of imagination by the powers that be & implementation of other rule changes who knows?

Edited October 15, 200916 yr by PERCE

When was that.....don't remember that being labelled as a complaint???

Seeing as the post started with "The SSDT was in real danger of collapsing in mid 90s due to lack of riders due to section severity with stop and hop. In '97 they went no-stop and had a very healthy entry.", isn't that a complaint?? It indicates to me that for the type of trial they were running they had it wrong. In Trying to make it difficult for Dougie and the World Championship riders the course became impossible for anybody else. Now we all know that that's a recipe for disaster for a multi day event. By changing the rules they HAD to ease the course whereas just easing the course might not have convinced the riders soon enough to raise falling numbers.

Physiologically the rule change was a flag to the riders it would be easier so numbers went up.

Edited October 15, 200916 yr by Telecat

When was that.....don't remember that being labelled as a complaint???

Mid 90s - they were actually lobbying some riders to enter due to the shortage of riders purely because the trial had become too hard. It was beyond most clubmen. I know someone, who had been a regular rider up until then, who received a letter asking him to ride

What is it people can't see about the reason or need to tighten sections under stop and hop rules to take marks off better riders. Sections that can be cleaned or may take a mark with a tricky turn under no stop will easily be cleaned by a stop and hop ride.

If the SSDT left the sections as they are now (still hard for average clubmen, without whom there would be no trial) and changed the rule to stop and hop, what do you think that would do to the scores of the top dozen or so riders. Under no stop, where they can't stop and correct their mistakes, they are only dropping a few marks a day as it is. If they were allowed to stop, correct mistakes, hop to another line to get out of trouble etc. how many of them would be going round clean each day. I'm not talking WTC riders, I mean good national riders like Dan Thorpe etc. as well as the likes of Wigg, Brown, Dabill.

If a section is laid out so that it could be cleaned with a very very good no-stop ride by the odd rider but the rules allow stop and hop, what do you think riders will do. Those that can will just hop around the hazard = no hazard. It's the reason stop and hop sections are made tight. We've had some very good trials in the Traditional championship this year and the sections have taken marks off the leaders of the series because they have to ride them no stop. If they'd been allowed to stop and hop, or just stop, I can think of a few trials that would have cleaned by more than one rider.

Simple fact is that if you lay out a section so that it may pinch a mark off most but allow a talented few to clean it under no stop, then under stop and hop there will be many cleans recorded. Apply that to each section in the trial and you're not going to have a winner.

I'm not saying no stop will sort out WTC, don't know, don't care, but it isn't possible to lay out no stop style sections for stop and hop rules.

Mid 90s - they were actually lobbying some riders to enter due to the shortage of riders purely because the trial had become too hard. It was beyond most clubmen. I know someone, who had been a regular rider up until then, who received a letter asking him to ride

My brother being one of them, not a letter, but a phone call from Jim McColm wondering if his entry had got lost in the post?

It was tough in the 90's so the lads nowadays have it easy Its a far better trial in its present format