David Pye rode this year on a Fantic twinshock with disc brakes fitted front and rear, A reg, oldest bike in the event

Big John

Rode it and rode it bloody well too.

watching a bloke a good few years older than me on a much older bike getting up massive steps and passing me on the moor, respec

Having seen the SSDT up close is it the best trial in the world? Certainly it has the sceanery sections and sense of achievement but does anyone really enjoy the masssive roadwork on unsuitable modern bikes

believe me the road work is absolute bliss, after a couple of hours bench pressing your way across the hill the smooth black stuff gives a good rest.

Oh come on - you can't ride until you're 17 and have passed your test, so there's only a range of 12 years that you can ride as an under thirty, there's a good 40+ years you can ride as an over thirty.

As for being the best trial in the world, everyone has their own opinions on that - thank goodness we can rely on you to provide an alternative viewpoint. Do you cheer up after lunch time, or are you cantankerous all day?

Maybe you are just too close to be objective, maybe I am just not that well informed to comment but the truth is somewhere between the two.

As for the thousands and thousands of riders worldwide if it were everyones favourite then you would get way more trying to ride surely?

I think it irrefutable that the trials riders average age is getting older, which maybe in ten years time will make ishy's thread starter appear sound and sensible, only time will tell.

Meanwhile good on you for dedicating time and effort on the job,

Edited November 25, 200916 yr by Nigel Dabster

Cantankerous all day then!

a bit off topic but with regard to the helpers and observers, would it help to add an incentive for helping, ie guaranteed entry the following year for the helper or someone of their choosing, could give people who have never ridden it a little insight by taking their bikes over some of the moors to get to the sections, and ride the sections before or after the numbers go through.

Just a thought

Edited November 25, 200916 yr by thespikeyone

The topic looks to be simmering away reet grand, I'll get back to mi SSDT training.

a bit off topic but with regard to the helpers and observers, would it help to add an incentive for helping, ie guaranteed entry the following year for the helper or someone of their choosing, could give people who have never ridden it a little insight by taking their bikes over some of the moors to get to the sections, and ride the sections before or after the numbers go through.

Just a thought

No ulterior motive there then?!!

I wouldn't write it off for the future, because we don't know what that will bring, but for now if we did that all that would happen is that we'd have a ton of inexperienced observers for one year and none again the next...so we'd be back to square one! We'd also have far less places to ballot for those that can't provide helpers through no fault of their own.

We do have the fifty club places set aside for us to allocate, and they're used to ensure that any regular observers get an entry if they opt to ride, so if someone were genuinely interested in helping out for a year or three before they rode then we'd happily help them out!

No ulterior motive there then?!!

I wouldn't write it off for the future, because we don't know what that will bring, but for now if we did that all that would happen is that we'd have a ton of inexperienced observers for one year and none again the next...so we'd be back to square one! We'd also have far less places to ballot for those that can't provide helpers through no fault of their own.

We do have the fifty club places set aside for us to allocate, and they're used to ensure that any regular observers get an entry if they opt to ride, so if someone were genuinely interested in helping out for a year or three before they rode then we'd happily help them out!

no actually, no ulterior motive (i'm not a woman ) was just thinking out loud.

as you already have that kind of system in place I won't mention it again.

(you shouldn't chat with dabster so much, it's starting rub off)

no actually, no ulterior motive (i'm not a woman ) was just thinking out loud.

I did wonder, seeing as I know who you are, but the cheeky grin at the end of the post got me wondering!!

I did wonder, seeing as I know who you are,

oh dear!!!!!!!

oh dear!!!!!!!

Just as well you have the three magic letters helping you out......you'd be B*****ksed otherwise young Mr Milligan ..... she'd get you

Back to the origional suggestion.

I know this will get shot down but what the heck.

How about a team of 3 entering under one riding number, three bikes or one it makes no difference they all have the same number.

Each person rides for two days, minds/pit crews/acts as goffer for two days and observers for two days.

For those that like a bit of action/rest/involvement in their weeks holiday it might be quite appealing.

Needs refining, but it's a start.

Fire away !!!!

Tomsdad, I mentioned that a couple of years ago, but teams of two riders, 50 places would then allow 100 riders to do half the trial each.

I got shot down on that one too.

I can see that there is no reason to change anything when the event has been oversubscribed for the past ten years, they must be doing summat right, if it isn't broke don't fix it.

Will land use or getting enough live bodies to man the event come before the entries dry up to the point it's no longer feasible, probably.

I know this will get shot down but what the heck.

It's okay, I don't shoot everyone down, it's just that Dabster's always good for a squabble!

However as The Moffster mentioned, that wouldn't be possible under the regulations we run under - we have to run the event under FIM and ACU jurisdiction and multiple entrants under one number just isn't permissible.

The SSDT is a unique six-day reliability trial that's designed to test you to the limit - it's not meant to be achievable for anybody that fancies giving it a shot, and at the end of the week it's a massive achievement to get round in one piece. It's a piece of history, and for most clubmen, finishing is something to tell your grandkids about. Like 4ourtea said at the beginning of the thread, if it's two-day events you want, there's plenty out there to pick from...the Six Day is just that, six days. Like it or lump it.

Now does anyone have anything cheery to add? All this speculation about the demise of the best trial in the world (in my opinion, Dabster...) is a bit on the pessimistic side to say the least! We're roaring ahead with the routes, the fuel, the sideshows and a lot more for 2010, so hows about brightening the outlook up a bit?

I would like to hear more about the sideshows,