What a farcical result on Saturday. The top two in WTC both lost more in time penalties than on observation. How, by the way, can you be out of time when the sections are so easy?

World Cup was just as bad, Iwan Roberts, on 2 marks, lost out in a three way tie for second because he took longer to complete his three laps.

Let's hope Sunday is more selective.

WTC may be increasingly irrelevant, but it's sunny outside, I'm going to take the mountain bike out

 Sadly it seems to me that a step backwards would be a way to swell entries. A minimum weight limit of 90 or so kilos and compulsory drum brakes(!) would help to level the playing field. In other words make bikes harder to ride so that sections do not need to be so extreme in order to take marks off the top guys. Make it easier to actually get through sections for a scrabbling three! And then I woke up!!!!!!!

 Sadly it seems to me that a step backwards would be a way to swell entries. A minimum weight limit of 90 or so kilos and compulsory drum brakes(!) would help to level the playing field. In other words make bikes harder to ride so that sections do not need to be so extreme in order to take marks off the top guys. Make it easier to actually get through sections for a scrabbling three! And then I woke up!!!!!!!

You're joking, right?

Also take on board SHM's suggestion of a less capable rear tyre!

why not?

 

 

6 spectacular sections and six that most BTC riders could have a go at would swell the entries

That would help but the majority of good centre riders would still be dissuaded from entering, whereas before things became so extreme,  entries would contain a fair few local riders of decent ability. I was never good enough to ride a world round but I rode a good number of British Championship rounds when It was more possible to "scrabble through for a three". There seems to be a similar situation there! It was a big thing for us kids (and still is!) to say that we had ridden the same sections as the top riders of the day, Lampkin, Rathmell, Shepherd, Reynolds, Vesty, Andrews, Saunders etc. Rather put your own ability, or lack of It, into perspective though!

its not going to happen until your current top 5 / 6 are gone, you are asking turkeys to vote for Christmas.

 

As it stands each has a well paid ( I certainly hope so) factory ride as nobody else can do their jobs.

 

So there is very little left to fund the up and coming riders who just like the top few need minders for practice as well as for events. This means an up and coming rider needs funding for all expenses and something to live on x 2 people. Unless a young rider has a private sponsor its just not do able

Yes, It all boils down to filthy lucre at the moment but unless fundamental changes are made in order to attract bigger entries, I can see the championship folding in the not too distant future. By making things more rideable, minders and the associated expense would become a thing of the past. No riders-no event.

Yes the only difference between my view and yours is that i think it needs to fail before being reconstructed

If it does fail it would be interesting to see what is changed should it be re-constructed. Obviously there's no way that the manufacturers would step backwards with development so what happens next? Even with a crap "control" rear tyre the performance of bikes would still be good enough to do sections that would rule out the "lesser" good riders.

We need to ban the top 5 or 10!

 

 

Or the more WTC point, the more weight they need to take with them. Or make them use road tyres!

 

 

ATM the difference from the top few and the rest is too big, which is just the way it is.

Edited September 6, 201510 yr by crazybond700

Always been that way, however, nowadays the top riders are better able to exploit the bikes ability to perform. Ultimately the machinery needs to be restricted in some way. As I suggested in an earlier post- a minimum weight limit and drum brakes! Sadly of course that could never happen.

 

Either that or a compulsary very heavy clutch action!

lots of good thoughts and some not so good. not buying into the old days were so much better argument, i've been at this for a long time and i like the current form of riding. BUT i hate the outdoor section layout. to many very large jumps. no need for it, just go to an mx or sx race if that's what you want to see. i think it's entirely possible to layout sections that challenge without the huge jumps. the last event i went to was USA TN in 2013 a big mix of sections and yes some had the big flying jumps. i didn't spend much time watching those and moved to the really good creek sections.

 but from watching the videos from lots of the latest rounds heres my thoughts. to many easy sections that only become a clean or 5 at one or maybe 2 spots only because of the large flying jump. i think the section layout needs improving and the nostop needs enforcing for toni bou and the rest of the top 5 or 6. because in vids i've seen they seem to be getting away with murder. can't speak about the lower class riders as they are seldom shown in videos so far.

rob

 Ok, serious question: Can you recall a section that you have seen at a championship level trial that had the qualities to challenge both top and not-so-top riders, WITHOUT the big flying leaps, and what was it that made that section so effective? And second, what would the response (both rider and public) be to a trial consisting of nothing but that type of section?

 Really curious to what your responses will be.