Event Report by Rob Sloggett

A wet start to the day made me think “should I”?

It did not take me long to move on and say yes. Why not! Its at Nant Ucha so its under a good canopy, I was riding the Evo for the first time in ages, I was having a go at the Expert route and most importantly I was out to meet my trials buddies, so whats a little rain.

I am so glad I did, as did the 71 riders who turned out on Sunday 5th November for a day that started with layers and gradually warmed up to normal riding gear. This event saw a good mix of 20 Pre 65’s and 22 twinshock, with 13 AC Monos and 16 modern monos making up the entry. Once again, the highest entry class was the popular intermediate route with 28 riders taking up the challenge.

Nant Ucha always makes for a great event and whilst their are some regular favourite sections, once again Russ and the team were able to keep it fresh and interesting by reversing some sections or throwing in some twists on the regular theme. The new parking area provided by Dave and the family has also made the venue even more event friendly, certainly with some of the colder / wetter months coming up.

With only two events left in the 2017 Championship and some of the places still left to contest it was always going to be a tight event and once again the final results show a nice balanced table.

For those of you who know my story, I have dotted across a number of bikes the last few years. Mainly the Bultaco and a TY Mono turned into a twinshock to learn sidecar. The Beta Evo has played last fiddle as I focused on the TY and Bultaco to attempt the intermediate route. I have never felt confident to tackle the Experts on the older machine. I know my capability and know that I was likely to run the risk of injuring myself but the modern bike is a bit more forgiving and I always promised myself when the time was right I would try that route on the Evo. So that’s what I did and it was so the right choice. I have always believed that trials is about 60% technique and 40% psychological approach and having practiced regularly at Nant Ucha, the likelyhod that the routes will stretch me and force that 40% to the surface as i was “forced” to ride a route in practice I would probably shy away from was quite an attraction.

Well Section 6 and 8 immediately did that!

Section 6 was a stream that we regularly practiced and the waterfall at the end was actually on my bucket list 6 years ago to ride up and ride down (ticked that one off a few years ago). That was the waterfall before the storm reshaped it. The route (taken by the green route) was our regular practice line this year but the bit to the left for the Experts was something we never touched (and so lies the lesson – in competition you have to ride what is put in front of you)! So what did I think? Well the first lap I took the easy option. The flags had two lines, a 4 rock climb to the left which was quite steep and to the right a more forgiving route but involved a left hand turn on the approach followed by a right hand turn as you traversed the climb over a number of misshaped rocks and slabs. I elected for this route on the first lap, taking a couple of well planted dabs to ease my way up. Happy with that, on the second lap a chat to the observer made me aware that most riders were getting up the harder left hand side without a problem so the only option really was to give it a go.

A little tip here. Observers are brilliant for helping you improve. It is one of the reasons I observe regularly as you get to watch other riders lines and techniques. Having a chat with the observer on the second lap on sections you are struggling on can sometimes have great benefits. Anyway back to the section.

Having seen Messer’s Bou and Raga throw modern bikes up much harder things I realised the bike was capable. It was just about mastering the 60/40 split above. My head told me that “technically” I could get lined up and squirt the throttle with some reasonable body position. The 40% psychology aspect was the problem! My brain told me “nah -you will only five it or worse crack a rib, or maybe the bike will slip out from under you and then you won’t be working tomorrow will you….”. But what is the point of stepping up the class if you fold at the first hurdle. So I entered the section thinking on Mr Bou and Raga, cleaned it up the river bed and lined up for the waterfall. All I can remember is getting up it quite smoothly and slightly overshooting the turn out of the out gates as I carried a little to much speed, but a reassuring dab corrected that and I think I exited for a single dab. Result! The final two laps I think were a dab and a clean and a massive smile on my face and I had conquered a demon.

Section 8 was a different outcome. Once again, an area we regularly practiced but the twisty turns with the rock aspects were something we had not added before. That was all straight forward and really helped to fine tune slow control and a little bit of obstacle climbing but the key challenge here was a short sharp incline up a root infested bank. Once again, this bank had a varied aspect that went left to right with a more serious aspect of gradient and concentration of roots. We normally stick to the left hand side but the expert route was covering the right hand aspect. A significant gradient of 10-15 ft climb with a tree to the right hand side and a collection of 3 muddy roots. Regardless of my line or speed of attack I could not get this. Once again the bike was more than capable but on this occasion my mind would not allow me to attack with the right closing speed and roll off. Fears of the bike grabbing grip and throwing me backwards or carrying to much speed over the roots and getting airborne prevented me from mastering this section. Two fives and two threes were the best I could muster but a specific obstacle to clean in the next practice session.

The other highlights of the Expert route were the range of new obstacles in the stream sections and some great climbs and banks in the other sections. Am I happy that I tried the Expert route? Absolutely. I know at the moment I would not be confident tackling them on the twinshock or AC Mono bike and I am comfortable riding around the inter route on these machines but the confidence the modern bike gives has allowed me to experience the harder sections and bridge that 40% psychological gap and maybe one day…. just one day the Bultaco would be treated to a set of blue and red flags.

As always, a huge thank you to the observers, organisers, signing on team and section plotters. Not forgetting Chris for the catering on a cold day and also the Kynaston family for the use of the land.

You will notice a few photos on this report courtesy of Jan Jones and Roger Kenyon. Many thanks for taking these. The full selection can be found on the Aqueduct facebook page.

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Top Places:

Pre 65 Expert: Peter Edwards, BSA (38)

Pre 65 Intermediate: Vernon Roberts, BSA (11); Roly Jones, Ariel (13); Keith Gardner, Triumph (14)

Pre 65 Clubman: Roger Smith, BSA (11); Peter Cottrell, BSA (17); Terry Lloyd, Triumph (21)

Pre 65 Beginner: No finishers

Twinshock Expert: Tony Gush, Majesty (9); Matt Spink, Beamish (12); Dave Wood, Gareli (20)

Twinshock Intermediate: Paul Cook, SWM (15FC); Adrian Kent, Bultaco (15); Jim Williams, SWM (23)

Twinshock Clubman: Phil Cottiga, Fantic (16FC); Peter Cockins, Fantic (16); John Sowden, Honda (27)

Twinshock Beginner: Chris Jones, Yamaha (45); Craig Fowler, Yamaha (50)

AC Mono Expert: No enteries

AC Mono Intermediate: Paul Young, GasGas (14); Ian Emery, Yamaha (19); Martin Powell, Honda (23)

AC Mono Clubman: Andy Steele, Yamaha (22); Steven Blaxall, Fantic (26)

AC Mono Beginner: Chris Macgillivray, Fantic (25); Chris Matthews, Fantic (32); Pete Thomas, Fantic (36)

Modern Mono Expert: C Hughes, Beta (40); Cleif Roberts, Beta (47); Rob Sloggett, Beta (92)

Modern Mono Intermediate: P Hempkins, Beta (25); Andrew Dean, Beta (36); Spencer Bradley (42)

Modern Mono Clubman: Ken Williams, Montesa (19); Mark Bill, Honda (25); Kevin Hillidge, Sherco (27)

Modern Mono Beginners: Pete Rainsford, Montesa (29)

Observers:

Sec 1 – Zara

Sec 2 – Ben

Sec 3 – Ange

Sec 4 – Addie

Sec 5 – Annette

Sec 6 – Gordon

Sec 7 – Laura

Sec 8 – Russ

Sec 9 – Dave

Sec 10 – Rob

Bike Stats:

Pre 65 – 20

Twinshock – 22

A/C Mono – 13

Modern Mono – 16

Total = 71

Classes

Expert – 11

Intermediate – 28

Clubman – 19

Beginner – 13

Bikes

Pre 65:

Ariel – 1

BSA – 8

Francis Barnett – 2

James – 2

Triumph – 7

Twinshock:

Beamish Suzuki – 1

Bultaco – 3

Chase TY – 1

Fantic – 4

Gareli – 1

Honda – 2

Montesa – 1

SWM – 2

Yamaha Majesty – 2

Yamaha TY – 5

Aircooled Mono:

Aprilla – 1

Fantic – 3

GasGas – 2

Honda – 2

JCM – 1

Yamaha – 3

Modern Mono:

Beta – 9

GasGas – 1

Honda – 1

Montesa – 2

Sherco – 1

Event Report by Rob Sloggett

Well, Pen Y Graigs event on the 1st October has got us into a position where their are only two more events in the Championship (but more on that later). The long break since Plas Onn on the 2nd July (only broken by the Kia round and the Foel non-championship) expected to see a good turnout. Unfortunately the event clashed with another Kia round so entries were down on the normal number but that did not stop the 58 riders turning out to a great days competition.

As always the clerk of the course and his team made superb use of this excellent venue with some firm favorite areas exploited and a few new bits thrown in for good measure. For me, Section 10 on the inter route was a great opportunity to test some little used skills. An entry up a short double bank then required a left hand turn to then traverse a left side drop camber comprised of earth and rocks. A quick right / left up camber combination then resulted in a short downhill run with a curved run out on the flat but strewn with rocks.

Section 5 was also an interesting one for me and appeared to take marks across the inters. A simple entry then required a right hand turn with some roots showing as you entered a short gully. Dropping into a small opening you were then presented with a short upward climb with a twist. The first climb was straight forward but you were then presented with a second climb offset about 5 foot to the left. This required a tight S turn to realign which killed momentum and really required smooth control at the throttle point. Too late and you bogged down, to early and you ran the risk of missing the climb. To make things worse, at about 2/3 of the way up, the rear wheel really bit in lifting the front wheel. A great section!

So what of the results? Well an interesting couple of observations (sorry no pun intended). Firstly 4 of the results were sorted by furthest clean (mine being one of them)! This for me is one of the great aspects of this sport. Reviewing the results and seeing the outcome so tight is such a great feeling as firstly it gives you someone close to really compete against (in a lighthearted sporting way….) but also makes you think “damm, that one stupid dab I did not need in Sec x….. argh….”. Both Mono clubman and Mono inters top positions were decided this way. Such great tight competition!

Also in other classes the results were so tight. Pre 65 inters positions 2 to 4 were separated by only 3 marks, clubman positions 2 to 5 also by 3 marks and the list goes on. We are really lucky to have a great level of competition and whilst everyone has the odd bad day  (needless to say I have had plenty of those in the past), the venues, course set up and classes always give everyone the opportunity to have a good competitive days sport.

So what of the Championship? Well with 2 events left, some classes are near enough sewn up. But what of those where it is wide open?

Well the Pre 65 Clubman class is going to be interesting with 5 riders between 109 and 90 points. Whilst Terry Lloyd is out in front on 109 with the next 2 riders sharing 92 points each, Roger Smith could, if on a good run close this gap significantly. Lets not lose sight of Keith Baddley and Graham Miller, both on 90 who could really upset the final standings. Peter Elvidge has not ridden since round 5, but if he appears back on the scene, who knows what could happen.

In a similar way the Twinshock Inter group are tight between 2nd and 4th. Jeremy Suttons DNF on this event has left the door open for Alex Barrie to take the 2nd place spot and with their finishing places being so close this will be a great one to watch come to a conclusion.

With Phil Cottiga and Keith Jones trading blows (not literally) in the Twinshock Clubman class, it only takes John Sowden to get in between them and mathematically anything could happen.

Aircooled Mono looks pretty sewn up as does the Modern Mono class but I am sure people are scrutinising the table and planning their last 2 events as well as asking themselves if next year is the time to move up to the next class.

We look forward to seeing you all at Nant Ucha on the 5th November and until then, dont forget that this superb venue is available for practice.

As always, thanks has got to go to the organisers for such a fantastic event. The observers as always were brilliant and the back room team keeping the signing on and results flowing always need recognition. Oh and Chris for the food….

Top Places:

Pre 65 Expert: Kev Ellis, BSA (29)

Pre 65 Intermediate: Vernon Roberts,BSA(1); Mark Newman,Triumph(15);Tim Lewis,BSA(16)

Pre 65 Clubman: Roger Smith,BSA(1(; Graham Miller,Triumph(4); Mark Gaskell,Triumph(5)

Pre 65 Beginner: No enteries

Twinshock Expert: Tony Gush,Majesty(8)

Twinshock Intermediate: Jim Williams,SWM(8); Stephen Knight,Yamaha(8); Adrian Kent,Bultaco(10)

Twinshock Clubman: Keith Jones,Yamaha(2); Phil Cottiga,Fantic(3)_; Mark Litherland,Bultaco(10)

Twinshock Beginner: Steve Williams,Bultaco(12); Chris Jones,Yamaha(34); Craig Fowler,Yamaha(35)

AC Mono Expert: No enteries

AC Mono Intermediate: Ian Emery,Yamaha(14);Neil Francis,Aprilia(19); Paul Cartwright,GasGas(26)

AC Mono Clubman: Steve Blaxall,Fantic(12)

AC Mono Beginner:No enteries

Modern Mono Expert: Declan Marsden,GasGas(46)

Modern Mono Intermediate: Andrew Dean,Beta(23FC); Rob Sloggett,Beta(23); David Molyneaux,Montesa(41)

Modern Mono Clubman:Tony Rainford,Sherco(4FC); Hayden Rainford,Sherco(4); Spencer Bradley,GasGas(6)

Modern Mono Beginners: Nigel Rigg,Honda(7); Ewan Edwards,Oset(11); Pete Rainsford,Montesa(30)

Observers:

Sec 1 – Albert

Sec 2 – Annette

Sec 3 – Harry South

Sec 4 – Gordon

Sec 5 – Geoff

Sec 6 – Dave

Sec 7 – Russ

Sec 8 – Brad

Sec 9 – Aidy Green

Sec 10 – Jan

Bike Stats:

Pre 65 – 15

Twinshock – 19

A/C Mono – 6

Modern Mono – 18

Total = 58

Classes

Expert – 3

Intermediate – 25

Clubman – 23

Beginner – 7

Bikes

Pre 65:

AJS –

Banville –

BSA – 8

DOT –

Francis Barnett – 1

James – 1

Norton –

Other –

Triumph – 4

Villiers –

Twinshock:

Armstrong –

Beamish Suzuki –

Bultaco – 5

Fantic – 3

Honda – 3

Kawasaki –

Montesa – 2

Ossa – 1

SWM – 1

Yamaha Majesty – 1

Yamaha TY – 4

Aircooled Mono:

Aprilla – 1

Beta – 

Fantic – 1

GasGas – 1

Honda – 2

Yamaha –

Modern Mono:

Beta – 6

GasGas – 5

Honda – 1

Montesa – 3

Oset – 1

Scorpa –

Sherco – 2

Event Report by Rob Sloggett and Ian Emery

A lower than normal turn out due to some other events did not dampen the spirits and the 43 riders who turned out at Pen Y Graig were not disappointed with a great event.

As well as the normal competition it also turned into a bit of an informal workshop as Mark Gaskell rolled out his latest project and took the opportunity to get a range of advice on fine tuning activities. Mark has moved through modern mono, into twinshock and is now contesting the Pre 65 class which really fits in with the spirit of what the club is all about in my opinion.

Rob Sloggett (Observer) – Section 9

A shortage in entries can sometimes mean a shortage in observers so I took the opportunity to grab a board and dive in. I really enjoy observing as it gives you a unique opportunity to watch the other riders techniques and lines which ultimately can help make you a better rider. I had Section 9 which was just off the beaten track in a bomb hole type basin, so I positioned my bike at the top of the drop in to give the early riders a bit of a visual prompt.

A great section for all classes had a fantastic rock step early on for the Experts, a nice tricky across camber climb for the Intermediates (with a cluster of rocks on the exit), a nice challenging 180 around a tree for the clubman and a simple meander with changing textures for the beginners. As I said, for me the benefit of observing comes from watching the other riders and it was great to see the Experts in action with what was a formidable obstacle.

Once through the entry gate they were presented with a simple set of choices. Ninety degrees to the left a drop into a gully presented a set of flags about 20 feet apart. Why 20 feet? well they had three options:

1) A hard drive up a steep bank with a loose surface

2) A jagged rock step

3) Between the two options above a climb up the same steep bank but more grip, the downside being the entry in being more complex

The first lap saw all 5 Expert riders attack the step with a range of scores ranging from fives down to a two I recall. On the second lap, Kev Ellis, after taking a five on the first lap stood back, assessed the route and tried the third option for what I recall a single dab (but cleaning that main part). That was it, route for the rest of the day decided with only a few riders still attempting the rock step (I think more out of a “you wont beat me” rather than optimum route!)

Intermediates did not have it easy either with the entry missing the step but still being presented with a left to right camber to climb before dropping down around a tree. Once they cleared that aspect they were then presented with a diagonal run across a cluster of rocks with a left turn off of them. Unfortunately on the left had side was a slightly larger cluster at the end which caught a few rides out on their sump guards for the odd dab and in extreme cases the odd five.

A really good section which I thoroughly enjoyed observing. It is always great seeing the riders of all ages having a great time.

Ian Emery – Intermediate (Yamaha TY Mono)

Section 1 was a double climb firstly over moss strewn jagged rocks and followed by a clay embankment. It looked daunting but a straight line approach proved successful for many but some failed to get enough traction on the clay to make the top where others got too much grip just at the wrong time and got ejected off the back. I ran 1st gear for 3 laps but a slack dab on the third lap had me using 2nd for my final attempt.

Section 2 was another that looked straightforward but needed full concentration to stay clean. It started with a climb to the right with a tight u-turn left around some trees, to then drop back across the path to a 20ft climb and immediate 90 right at the quarry face to then traverse a very slippy, moss covered camber and down across two sets of polished tree roots and out. Very easy to lose the front crossing these obstacles.

Section 3 was my joint favorite of the day. In cards took you up and to the left before an immediate tight banked U-turn to the right, across a camber which fell quite sharply away to the right, the issue being that we had to make a tight left and climb a very slippy clay bank of c10ft before turning left again and heading down for the out cards. I watched this carefully before I had a go and saw some riders lose the front slipping away to the right at the base of the climb and others just not having the momentum and/or grip to make the climb itself. I chose a reasonable pace in 1st and attacked the climb at 45 degrees letting the front lift a little as the back got stuck into the grip. It worked for me with three cleans and a 1 which I was well chuffed with.

Section 4 was another which used the right embankment of the path with a tight u-turn back down and a double climb with dropped into a sump followed by a very tight right, and another, and another to the end cards.

Section 5 was my other joint favorite. A descent across a camber with an exposed root just where you didn’t want it to be, to then thread yourself left right between three trees with a rock protruding just where you didn’t want it to be, followed by a cambered right turn and across to then make a left up the hill and aim for the best bit – a double staircase of jagged, slippy rocks, some loose, some fixed, which once up and over led to a tight left and out. I managed two hard fought cleans, a 2 and a 1 which again I was very pleased with. The suspension of the Yamaha being fully stretched but working superbly.

Section 6 started with a muddy bog crossing which caught a few out, followed by a greasy step between two trees and a drop down between two footrest snagging rocks, to then go tight left and head through slippy mud to the out cards. Full concentration needed to stay feet up.

Section 7 started with a dry climb up a rocky bank and down the other side, to then make a tight u-turn left between two trees and over a jumble of fairly big rocks. One rock was about 15ins cubic and moved around during the day. For two laps I squeezed past on the left, then one lap to the right, and on the final lap it was bang in the middle and I had no choice to ride straight over it with the Yam’s suspension seeing me safely over. After these obstacles there was a double climb to the right with two steps that claimed marks if you weren’t fully committed or spun you to a halt if you had too many revs.

Section 8 – I just couldn’t get to grips with this one! An immediate right through the in cards followed by a left over a jumble of rocks to a cross camber which fell away to the left just as you were required to turn right and start a very steep climb of c10ft. Control of the front wheel was crucial on this turn with many coming to grief as the camber took their front away. If you mastered the turn and made the climb the next bit was even more challenging as you dropped into a steep sided bomb hole which you had to climb out bearing slightly to the right. The front had to start climbing out before the back had finished falling in causing a compression effect in the middle which led me to have two 1’s and two 2’s in my efforts to get through. A great section!

Section 9 started with a left turn and up a clay covered bank which had a lot more grip than it portrayed. A long swooping turn to the right followed by another nice jumble of nasty rocks to cross before turning left and out. Again full concentration required.

Section 10 started with a gentle right turn falling into a tricky right turn over a fallen tree which moved back and to as you crossed it making it difficult to maintain control for the swooping banked turn that followed. After that was a climb to a blind summit before dropping sharply down, up across some more rocks and right between two trees to the end cards.

I enjoyed every section as each had its own challenges and each flowed superbly using the terrain to its best – a credit to those who gave up their time to set them out, thank you again. I couldn’t fault the Yamaha – it did everything I needed it to do and got me out of trouble on many occasions.

All in all a great day’s sport. As always, our thanks have got to go to the land owners, the club officials, section setters, observers, catering team and results crew who make everything happen. A special mention from me also to those people who offer their time and knowledge to help maintain some of our bikes where we either don’t have the time or the skills.

Our next event will be on the 1st and 2nd of July at Plas Onn. On Saturday we have a fun trial commencing at 3pm with the usual Championship Round on the Sunday. Camping and catering is available and for those who have not come to this 2 day event, it really is a good weekend of fun and socialising.

Top Places:

Pre 65 Expert: Kev Ellis, BSA (66)

Pre 65 Intermediate: Mike Hughes, Triumph (12); Vernon Roberts, BSA (21); Barry Jones, BSA (29)

Pre 65 Clubman: Graham Dukes, James (9); Steve Jones, BSA (10); Peter Cockins, BSA (12)

Pre 65 Beginner: Ray Critchlow, Triumph (4)

Twinshock Expert: Tony Gush, Majesty (20); Ian Jones, Fantic (41); Dave Pengiley, Kawasaki (44)

Twinshock Intermediate: Jim Williams, SWM (6); Stephen Knight, Yamaha (17); Alex Barrie, Honda (28)

Twinshock Clubman: Phil Cottiga, Fantic (11); John Sowden, Bultaco (15); Chris Forshaw, Montesa (21)

Twinshock Beginner: Steve Williams, Bultaco (5); Pete Thomas, Bultaco (9); Chris Jones, Yamaha (16)

AC Mono Expert: No entries

AC Mono Intermediate: Ian Emery, Yamaha (12); Gordon Wilson, Honda (42); Paul Cartwright, GasGas (42)

AC Mono Clubman: Andy Steele, Yamaha (23); Steven Blaxall, Fantic (23)

AC Mono Beginner: No entries

Modern Mono Expert: No entries

Modern Mono Intermediate: Patrick Forde, Beta (94)

Modern Mono Clubman: Mike Sutton, Beta (49)

Modern Mono Beginners: Ken Williams, Beta (1)

Observers:

Sec 1 –  Albert

Sec 2 – Annette

Sec 3 – Kevin Lyon

Sec 4 – Mark Litherland

Sec 5 – Mr Cartwright

Sec 6 – Russ

Sec 7 – Brad

Sec 8 – Rocky Holland

Sec 9 – Rob

Sec 10 –  Geoff

Bike Stats:

Pre 65 – 15

Twinshock – 17

A/C Mono – 8

Modern Mono – 3

Total = 43

Classes

Expert – 5

Intermediate – 19

Clubman – 13

Beginner – 6

Bikes

Pre 65:

AJS –

Banville –

BSA – 7

DOT –

Francis Barnett –

James – 3

Norton –

Other –

Triumph – 5

Villiers –

Twinshock:

Armstrong –

Beamish Suzuki –

Bultaco -3

Fantic – 3

Honda – 1

Kawasaki – 1

Montesa – 2

Ossa – 1

SWM – 1

Yamaha Majesty – 1

Yamaha TY – 4

Aircooled Mono:

Aprilla – 2

Beta –  1

Fantic –

GasGas – 1

Honda – 1

Yamaha – 1

Modern Mono:

Beta – 3

GasGas –

Honda –

Montesa – 

Scorpa –

Sherco –

Event Report by Mark Gaskell and Richard Beddoes

We hope you enjoy reading this months event report. We have tried to give you as much information as possible and it is interesting this month amongst the 91 entries to see that a third were cleanly split across both the Pre – 65 and Twinshock classes with 15 BSA’s and 7 Bultacos topping the bike marques on this event. It is great to see how healthy the entries are in these classes. Another surprise in the numbers was 40 riders contesting the Intermediate route. The extra challenge provided by this class appears to be getting very popular!

This month we have also added in a section with the names of the observers. As well as acknowledging the help they provided to allow us to compete, it is nice to see their names so you can get to know them in person… As always a big thanks goes out to these volunteers who consistently turn up to help us enjoy our days sport.

Finally the usual thanks to Dave and the Kynaston family for the use of the venue and it was great to see you observing as well. We hope you enjoyed the day as much as we did.

This months event report is kindly contributed to by Mark Gaskell and Richard Beddoes.

Mark Gaskell (Intermediate) – Triumph Tiger Cub

The good weather seemed to boost the turnout, with a very full car park hinting at queues ahead. Nant Ucha is a fabulous venue, but narrow paths and streams require patience. At least you get to have the craic, and if you’re in a rush, you’re in the wrong sport!

Section 1 proved to be my nemesis this week, two 5’s for failing the step, a 5 for clearing the step, managing the bank, but then riding the wrong way through the exit, and a hard won 3.

Section 2 was the first of the (dry) stream bed sections, only my loss of concentration lost me a 3.

Section 3 involved a sinuous route over slimy rocks, which took 4 marks off me early on, until the slime wore off.

Section 4 more sinuous slimy rocks, followed by a short steep bank, and a long run out to the end. Looked far worse than it was, and I cleaned it three times. We won’t discuss the fourth attempt.

Section 5 gave me a distinct sense of deja vu. Same section, and same observer at which I had a tank/ Crown Jewels interface some months ago. That’s my excuse for a wobbly 3, fear!

Section 6 was a tough one. Slimy, sinuous rocks, with a slippery step that put you (me) on the wrong line for the exit, therefore ensuring that you (me) paddled through the end in a fairly pathetic fashion. At least that’s what I thought the observer said….

Section 7, and more of the same, with three flights of steps and a log to contend with. I managed this far better, only losing a 1 when put off by another competitor, who shall remain nameless (Moz)

Section 8. Rocks. Steep bank out of the rocks, then back to the rocks. Rocky.

Sections 9 and 10 were joined, and flowed together, like a stream. A slimy rock infested stream, with rocks, and slime. Sorry, got carried away there for a minute! A silly dab at the start of section 9 ruined a clean sheet there, which was a pity. The exit to section 10 needed very precise positioning, which is why I only cleaned it twice.

Great to see so many familiar faces at the start, and a huge thank you to all who contributed to such a splendid trial. I ache now, but in a good way.

Richard Beddoes – Beginner/Easy AJS 500cc Single Rigid

A glorious day in sunshine, with friendly faces and plenty of interesting bikes to admire, Nant Ucha is where I practice on my modern 250 beta to hone my skills. The chance to ride the big AJS there proved challenging, and very difficult at times, a rigid rear end, and a total weight of 160KG’s makes the AJS a real exhausting and often frightening venture, but it is very rewarding! When queuing and speaking to people they were very interested in the bike, but they also made funny comments, such as ‘Are you crazy?’, ‘You’re a brave man!’ & ‘You must be mental!

Section 1: Not much to challenge here, straight across the top of the bank and didn’t even have to get wet!

Section 2: Rather more of a challenge, starting in the twisting gulley, planning the route was key with the AJS as turns and greasy rocks make it a real fight, dropping only one mark but I was pleased with the result

 Section 3: Right at the bottom with Mr Kynaston kindly observing, straight across the stream proved easy enough, the only real challenge being the step at the end, but I still managed to get the bike airborne!

Section 4: Dropping into the water the only real test here was the turn before heading up the bank, the AJS is so wide that getting maximum width on turns is key but I managed to get to the top comfortably for a good blast along the bank

Section 5: Straight into the water again and creeping through the rocks, they were very greasy and kicked the bike around, maximum attack here to keep feet up and prepare for the climb out which I needed plenty of speed for.

Section 6: This section proved to be the hardest technically, starting on the other side of the stream into the first right hand bend I had to get the line right for the second tight right hander, with a big horrible rock in the middle. Straight across the stream and up the bank and it still wasn’t over; I had to force the AJS over a big tree root avoiding a rock, towards the end gates. I made a real hash of this on the first lap but the second lap amazingly I cleaned it!! Frankly, the bike could have packed up there Id have still been smiling pushing it back, loved it!!

Section 7: Amazingly only one mark lost, through three long stretches of rocks and deep pools of water, a ‘works’ dab here saw me through and I even think that by accident on the last lap I rode some of the inter route! (Always up for a challenge)

Section 8: A deceptively hard section, only one line on the easy route in my opinion over the slippy rocks, my best ride was a dab on the last lap, the first lap I stalled on the turn followed by the words Bo****ks (apologies to bystanders and readers….)

Section 9: Only one attempt, the turn at the top round the tree put me in a bit of a mess and thundering back down the hill wasn’t worth the risk, three 5’s requested from an understandingly sympathetic observer (Most observers are curious as to why you ask for a five, to which I pointed at the AJS and received an agreeable nodd)

Section 10: Only one attempt following number 9, a near ripped off exhaust put this one out of the running for me but the first 8 were great for me I would like to thank all the observers and organisers for another fantastic event, I will be out on the AJS at the next one for everyone to see, if you would like to try it then just ask, despite the size she ticks over beautifully and is very enjoyable to ride.

Now…….Where’s that plug spanner ?!

Our next event will be on Sunday 11th June at Pen Y Graig. We look forward to seeing you all there.

Top Places:

Pre 65 Expert: Kev Ellis, BSA (43)

Pre 65 Intermediate: David Beddoes, Villiers (7); Gavin Andrews, BSA (14); Jim Pickering, BSA (17)

Pre 65 Clubman: Mark Lucas, BSA (13); Peter Elvidge, BSA, (16); Les Richardson, Villiers (26)

Pre 65 Beginner: Richard Beddoes, AJS (55)

Twinshock Expert: Phil Houghton, Honda (1); Danny Littlehales, Fantic (18); Tony Gush, Majesty (21)

Twinshock Intermediate: Paul Shacklady, Bultaco (17); Paul Cook, SWM (18); Stephen Knight, Yamaha (20)

Twinshock Clubman: Graham Pennington, Bultaco (47); Phil Cottiga, Fantic (48); Matt Hopkins, Yamaha (49)

Twinshock Beginner: Chris Jones, Yamaha (83)

AC Mono Expert: Phil Hulme, Yamaha (30)

AC Mono Intermediate: Paul Young, GasGas (12); Ian Emery, Yamaha (34); Paul Cartwright, Beta (51)

AC Mono Clubman: Steven Blaxall, Fantic (54)

AC Mono Beginner: No entries

Modern Mono Expert: Tomos Price, Sherco (67)

Modern Mono Intermediate: Lewis Hurdsman, Beta (19); Paul Hempkins (19); Sam Storr, Beta (28)

Modern Mono Clubman: Paul Grocott (31); Richard Corbett, Beta (32); Thomas Atherton, GasGas (35)

Modern Mono Beginners: No finishers

Observers:

Sec 1 -Albert

Sec 2 – Geoff

Sec 3 – David and Laura Kynaston

Sec 4 – Zara Lloyd

Sec 5 -Christine

Sec 6 – Mark

Sec 7 – Angela

Sec 8 – Jan

Sec 9 – Gordon

Sec 10 – Annette

Bike Stats:

Pre 65 – 32
Twinshock – 31
A/C Mono – 10
Modern Mono – 18
Total = 91

Classes

Expert – 14
Intermediate – 40
Clubman – 27
Beginner – 10

Bikes

Pre 65:
AJS – 1
Banville – 1
BSA – 15
DOT – 2
Francis Barnett – 1
James – 2
Norton –
Other – 1
Triumph – 6
Villiers – 2

Twinshock:
Armstrong – 1
Beamish Suzuki – 1
Bultaco – 7
Fantic – 5
Honda – 5
Kawasaki – 1
Montesa – 1
Ossa – 1
SWM – 2
Yamaha Majesty – 2
Yamaha TY – 4

Aircooled Mono:
Aprilla – 2
Beta –  2
Fantic – 1
GasGas – 1
Honda – 2
Yamaha – 2

Modern Mono:
Beta – 8
GasGas – 2
Honda – 1
Montesa – 1
Other – 1
Scorpa – 1
Sherco – 4

• 

Event Report by Rob Sloggett, Ian Emery and Paul Owen

Sunday 22nd May saw what originally started as a mild day turn into a set of changing weather which challenged the riders as the sections appeared to offer fresh surprises each lap. The 65 riders turned up to the day on 22 Pre 65’s, 20 twinshocks, 7 Aircooled Monos and 16 modern Monos. The class split was broken down into 8 Elite, 18 riding 50/50, 32 Clubman class and always it was great to see 7 beginner’s including Rhys Bagnall on his Oset 20 Light.

This months report is kindly contributed to by
Rob Sloggett (Observer Sec 4)
Ian Emery (50/50 Twinshock)
Paul “Moz” Owen (50/50 Pre 65)

Paul Owen:
The day starts off as a lovely spring morning with the sun shining, but as we started the trial at 11am it started with light rain as we got to section 1 inside the old rugged Quarry. What then followed was a monsoon, but we all stayed and had fun. I was riding the green route (50/50) on a rigid bantam.

Section 1 was under the rock face and with a steady rise up the bank and around to the right then left down a bank and just kissing the muddy pond you climbed back up the top of the bank to a sharp right turn, down a greasy bank to the out gate. Section 2 was across an old stone wall, zig zaging up and down over roots and the loose stones of the wall. It was very tricky and made you smile if you cleaned it. Section 3 was a slippy section from the rain, climbing up a large mound with an option of a sharp right turn or a slippy left drop back to the path then around the mound to a steady climb and either drop down the bank to a sharp turn back up or you could attempt the slippy roots for an easier exit, just missing a tree.

Section 4 was a short climb to the left then a climb to the right with a fallen tree that so many lost the front end on, that led to a steady ride to the exit gate around some trees. Section 5, was a long rockyish climb between some trees to a sharp left turn down a greasy bank with a rock to help you stop or in my case do a face plant! then an off camber slippy exit. I think I made the observer laugh with my rest in the middle of the section (haha). Section 6 was in a rocky bog, with large rocks to tackle and 2 sharp right hand turns on the bank. It was challenging for the rigid bantam.

Section 7 was a large rocky step followed by a tight turn up an off camber bank, across some more large rocks and to a steep drop down to the exit gate. Section 8 saw you drop down a slippy bank and immediately across some large rocks to a steep drop off to the exit gate. Section 9 looked easy as you had a tight right turn then a big rock which caught a few out including me, then a greasy mossy long climb up the bank that got grippy after the first 2 laps, then followed by a downhill bank to the exit.

Finally Section 10 was a nice easy one to finish the lap with a short steep bank around 2 trees to the exit.

Ian Emery:
For this report I thought for a change, it would be good to give my thoughts on two sections where it all went right for me and two where it didn’t.

Section 2 with Albert in command – I just couldn’t get a flow in this one. The section swept up the bank and across a log to the right before dropping back down over loose rocks and over a nasty 6ins sawn off tree stump which always seemed to catch my rear wheel and throw me off line for the slippy 180 turn that followed. This opened into a sharp step and right turn over more jagged, loose rocks before dropping back down towards the end cards. I never managed a clean with 2,2,3 followed by a 5 on lap 4 when I locked the rear on that stump and stalled. From the book of excuses I blame this 5 entirely on me being so wet and cold I couldn’t get proper feedback from the brake pedal proving my decision not to bother with waterproofs as “it wouldn’t rain that much” to be a daft one.

Moving to Section 3 I fared much better. A short climb followed (for my chosen line) by a steep descent to the left, a 180 turn back across a dip to a 90 left over exposed roots, to then squirt across the camber onto a narrow target ledge before turning sharp left and down around several trees to the ends. Some riders chose a different line taking an immediate right at the top of the first hill but this made crossing the dip very steep and I saw several riders in trouble. 0,0,0 and a daft 1 near the end cards for me.

Further on we get to Gordon’s section, no.8. This was a tough one with a sharp descent between two rows of rocks to then turn left and up the bank aiming for a “V” between two footrest snagging rocks, which if you got past led immediately to two smaller rock steps before swooping across the top of the embankment to turn right and down a steep descent to the ends. The best I managed was a 1, with a couple of 2’s, and a cold shivery 5 on the last lap locking the rear again on the opening descent.

Then came Section 9 with Anette observing, taking shelter high on the bank under the big tree. It started with a full lock sweeping right turn over a jumble of rocks, with no run up to a big cubic lump of rock which caught my sump each time as I tried to hop over it. In less than a bike’s length followed a tight 90 left and straight up a 15 foot steep climb to where Annette stood, followed by another short climb and up round a another tree to then begin the steep descent to the ends. I watch Harry Lyons on his Bantam approach the big climb and with clutch in, gave it a big handful of revs before dumping the clutch and just flew up the hill. Many others didn’t. I took a different approach not being a fan of touching the clutch once in a section, and let the Ossa chug round the left turn a smidge over tickover before squirting it at the hill, fighting the rear for grip whilst making sure I didn’t get too much and end up thrown off the back. Four cleans for me which I was well chuffed with.

Credit must go to the observers who sat/stood through some of the heaviest, persistent rain I’ve seen for a long time. As a rider at least you generate some body heat, as an observer you don’t but I noticed some had more sense than me and wore waterproofs. Thank you all including a very wet Roger Kenyon who didn’t expect the rain either.

Rob Sloggett:
Where else can you get to watch a pre 65 Matchless 350, queue up with an Oset 20 Lite (that’s 900w/36v for those that are interested). A wet day did not dash the riders spririts, even those who started the day in mild weather gear and did not bother to then get changed as the rain poured down.

Section 4 was a really interesting if not slightly long section broken down into 3 distinct phases. The entry pitched the riders up a bank with a 180 deg on camber turn. Beginners and Clubman had a gently turn, although with the changing weather the climb up the bank took a few 5’s from those not quite reading the lack of grip accurately enough. The 50/50 and Experts had a higher climb up the bank and then a loop around a tree with the Experts having a tighter turn, following the natural contours of the root system. Dropping down for the 2nd phase, the Beginners and Clubman had an easy run into the 3rd phase whilst the 50/50 and Experts once again had a climb up a low bank, with an immediate left hand turn over a log which rose up from the apex, forcing the front wheel into the curve unless the front wheel was lifted. An immediate right turn then ran the rear wheel over a hidden root which caused it to slide, taking a number of dabs off of the riders. The 3rd phase mixed it up a bit with the Beginners having a wide swing to approach a left hand turn and curved climb towards the end markers. Clubman and 50/50 had to extend further into the section with a left hand turn around a tree and a climb out across a camber. Finally the Experts had a series of tight left / right turns across a variety of gradients before linking up into the clubman route.

As a regular rider, it’s always nice to be an observer every now and then and whilst I could comment about some great rides in the Elite group, demonstrating great bike craft and an understanding of the terrain, for me the stars of the day were the beginners, some only just at the early stages of their competition experience but giving it their all. It’s no surprise that the majority of these were on smaller capacity machines as these give a safe and forgiving introduction and allows the riders to fully develop their balance and throttle control without getting themselves into trouble.

It was also great to see a number of riders not just moving classes but also bike types and I have got to say how comfortable Mark Gaskell was looking on his Tiger Cub after moving from a Sherco to a Whitehawk.

As always, a big thanks to the organisers, observers, catering team and land owners and we look forward to seeing you all at Plas Onn on the 5th June for the next event.

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Top Places:

Pre 65 Elite: James Francis, BSA (8); Russ Jones, Francis Barnett (20); Kev Ellis, BSA (22)
Pre 65 50/50: Harry Lyons, BSA (12); Mark Newman, Banville (33); Tim Lewis, Triumph (34) tie with Steve Walker, Francis Barnett (34)
Pre 65 Clubman: Jon Flower, BSA (7); Roger Smith, BSA (9); Graham Miller, Triumph (12)

Twinshock Elite: Paul Smart, Fantic (12); Stephen Knight, Fantic (33); Julian Price, Fantic (36)
Twinshock 50/50: Rob Jones, Honda (25); Ian Emery, Ossa (29); Alex Barrie, Honda (38)
Twinshock Clubman: Karl Kavanagh, Fantic (12); Steve Jones, BSA (18 FC); John Sowden, Honda (18)
Twinshock Beginners: Bill Beverage, Fantic (19)

AC Mono 50/50: Gordon Wilson, Honda (34); Paul Cartwright, Beta (51)
AC Mono Clubman: Neil Francis, Aprilla (7); Steven Blaxall, Fantic (17); Andy Steele, Yamaha (19)

Modern Mono Elite: Tony Gush, Beta (4)
Modern Mono 50/50: Declan Marsden, GasGas (37)
Modern Mono Clubman: Andrew Dean, Beta (17); Nick Macgillivray, Montesa (20) tied with Steven Creaser, GasGas (20)
Modern Mono Beginners: Wayne Francis, Sherco (39); Tyler Jones, Sherco (45); Rhys Bagnall, Oset (47)

Class Breakdown:

Pre 65 – 22
Twinshock – 20
A/C Mono – 7
Modern Mono – 16

Elite – 8
50/50 – 18
Clubman – 32
Beginner – 7

Event Report by Paul Owen, Mark Gaskell and Jon Flower

Sunday 3rd April saw Aqueduct Classics put on another fantastic Pre 65 and Twinshock Trial where 66 riders enjoyed a dry days competition. The 18 Pre 65’s were joined by 23 twinshocks, 7 Air Cooled Monos and 18 modern Monos. The Clubman route was the most popular of the day with 35 bikes contesting this class and a further 20 in the 50/50 group. 7 Experts and 4 Beginners made up the final totals.

This month’s reports is contributed to by Paul Owen (Pre 65 50/50 class), Mark Gaskell (Twinshock 50/50 class) and Jon Flower (Pre 65 Clubman)

Paul (Moz) Owen: (50/50) – Rigid Bantam

There was a good turnout of riders and lots of friendly faces and banter as we rode down the farm track to the bottom of the old quarry.

Section 1 was a nice tester to how the day’s sections would be, on lap one it was nice and flowing between trees and on a light cambered bank but the roots of the trees then made it rather tricky on the following laps.

Section 2 had a raised mound on the entrance gate then a steep downhill to a sharp left, then it was around a small right handed banking back down into the gully then a long climb up to the bank top to the exit.

Section 3 was a drop into a small steep bomb hole with a sharp left turn over some slippy routes, across some rocks then a left right turn and a long climb up a steep loose incline to the exit.

Section 4 was the shortest section, with a small climb and around 2 trees over some rocks and another small bank then to the out gate.

Section 5 was a downhill start to a level platform then left around a tree, sharp right then down a steep bank to some rocks and another drop into a tight mossy left hand turn and a long steep climb back to the start gate between trees with slippy routes showing.

Section 6 was a shorter version of 5, but with a rocky gully that caught a few good riders out.

Section 7 was top of the rocky quarry, with a steady drop down 2 steps to some large rocks and a left hand turn that lead into a sharp right turn up a banked rocky section across some larger rocks then down a bank to the exit.

Section 8 looked the easiest but you had to concentrate around the slippy twisting bank as not to lose the front end.

Section 9 was a left, right, left twist then up a uneven bank to a sharp right, over a steep mound, between some trees and an off camber path to the exit gate.

Finally Section 10 started on top of the bank and you dropped into a right-hander and left up a steep bank then between the rock face and a tree that dropped into a bomb hole, climbing out to a left turn and back along a level bank, then a sharp 180 right turn downhill and along another off camber bank to a 180 left then down another bank to the exit gate.

Every section was challenging and the bits between the sections were nice to ride as well, the quarry has loads of grip but also tricky and slippy on the loose shale where it counted.

Mark Gaskell (50/50) – Whitehawk 175

Aqueduct Classics third trial of the season at the superb Pen y Graig quarry opened to almost perfect riding conditions. The numerous elevation changes make this venue a real pleasure to ride. Riding the green, or intermediate route, my main concern was whether my recent bout of man-flu would affect my day.

Section 1 looked to be a relatively simple slalom around trees and small mounds, with a slippery looking root to catch anyone not concentrating. That gave me a hard fought 3 on the second lap, for not concentrating.

Section 2 started with a fearsome looking drop from the track, before twisting around the gates to a short climb out. The drop looked far worse than it actually felt on the bike, but I was still glad each time I reached the bottom safely!

Section 3 gave me the “which gear” question, as I looked at the steep bank we had to ride up. The approach to the climb was over a jumble of rocks and a bomb hole, making the run up difficult. As it was, the grip afforded meant the climb was easy.

Section 4 again looked simple, but needed caution over a rocky gate if you were to stay clean.

Section 5 had quite a steep descent, followed by an off camber left turn, then quite a steep loose climb out. Those people who walked down the section treated the turn with far more respect that the twit who stood at the top and thought he didn’t need to. Silly three.

Section 6 caught a few out with a tricky little rock step, me included. It was easy with a dab, and I did manage a clean once.

Section 7, the rock garden, looked trickier than it actually felt under wheel. If you managed to keep the bike on line it handled the rocks easily. If you didn’t, it required a fairly huge dab to get the plot back on track!

Section 8 shouldn’t have taken any marks from me, but when my front wheel found a small tree stump, it did.

Section 9 required a steady throttle around a short climb and turn, before an off camber exit. Another silly dab.

Section 10 started badly for me, when another competitor’s bike fell on me, not once, but twice! This resulted in a badly bruised wrist, and my back wheel knocked out of line. This required a trip up to the car for spanners, and a restorative brew from excellent catering van.

The section itself was one of my favorites, having several direction changes and banks which I managed without losing a mark.

All in all, a brilliant days riding, with some great company. The silly dabs I blame on the man-flu!

Jon Flower (Clubman) – BSA C15

One of my favorite venues was host to the third round of this year’s Aqueduct calendar, with its vast amount of varied potential Pen y Graig Quarry makes a great trial!

The first unofficial section is making your way into the quarry! Working your way down the big hill and along the track under the bridge warms the old girl up just right! The lay of the land and the sterling job of the setters always make a great lap of ten sections, finishing one lap and dropping down a little way to arrive back at section 1!

Section 1 began with a short climb from the track, leveling out and heading sharp left around a tree, leading you down over some lose rocks in a small gulley. A right turn lead you down some more into a little valley, a little way on was followed by a sweeping left turn that took you uphill, over, and back down the other side of a mound about 6ft ish. You were then met with a small but sharpish bank back up onto the track and out the finish gate.

Section 2 was a cheeky little number that took you off the track into a steepish downhill descent, as you began to level out a tight 90* turn took you through the gates and into a slight uphill round to the left. Control was needed as you immediately leveled out and had to negotiate a 180* right turn which required full lock on the BSA, as you proceeded forward you dropped down a little bank and made a left 180 at the bottom round a tree. This lined you up for the final part of the section, which was a large climb up quite a steep bank, which swept round to the left halfway up, and crested to flat over loose ground through the end gates

Section 3 began on the level heading through a couple of trees on some leafy terrain, this soon changed as you dropped down about a foot into a bit of a sinkhole, as you back wheel dropped down, you immediately had a steep soil bank about 2 or 3 foot to hop up, as it crested you landed on some exposed slippy roots and kinked left on the camber. A kink right took you along a grassy/ mossy bank, followed by a left turn off the bank, down and back on yourself. As you headed across there were loose rocks underwheel, a right turn up a bank brought you out onto the rocky track, which was loose under wheel and continued steeper up a large climb. Control was needed to pull round onto the track and up it without losing traction as you turned. As you got to the top of the track you turned left onto the level and rode out the end gates over a small hump.

Section 4 was quite a short section but wasn’t without its challenges, as it made use of the undulating, rocky, mossy terrain. You began making your way forward into a swift sharp climb up a mossy shale bank, as your front wheel crested onto the level you had to turn sharp 90* left and follow the front of the bank. The ground then quickly changed into large loose rocks which you rode over between two trees. Between the trees was a slight raise in the rocks which dropped away a few feet as you went over them. You then dropped down to level and made a blip up and over some other rocks, round a tree on your left side, as you came around the tree the exit was in front of you, but a large rock was in your path, you could go round or over it, either way it would have been easy to let it catch you out!

Section 5 made use of some very large steep banks, on two levels on the way down, and one big climb up and out. You started dropping off the track at the top, and entered straight into a large downhill on hard ground, this leveled out quite graciously and you made a 90* left turn through a couple of trees and across the level for a short way. You then swung wide to the left, so you could make a 90* turn to the right, over a ledge and down a large steep loose soil bank (first time I’ve used my back brake in years!). This didn’t level out anywhere near as graciously as the first descent, as you had to negotiate a sharp 90 deg left whist avoiding / riding over rocky outcrop. Once you had made this turn you had a short way on the rocky level with a kink right, this prepared you for the final stage. A tree was the marker point where you made a tight left turn slightly back on yourself, you entered onto the uphill as you came around, and were met with a long, steep, narrow climb all the way back to the top. The climb got steeper as it went up on loose dirt and followed round to the right and the left before cresting back out onto the track.

Section 6 was a short jaunt making use of a rocky gulley. You started heading in and to the left of a tree over the rocky terrain. Reaching the tree you came around to the right and down gently, negotiating between rocks and over them at the same time. Continuing on, a small drop down into a bit of a gulley, lead you across it and up the other side, around a tree and back down into the gulley to the exit gates.

Section 7 was another short section, as you entered you were met with a challenging drop off of about a foot, leading onto a descent down a loose shale bank. This leveled out and then you made your way across a carpet of large loose rocks, to a rocky plateau. A left turn led you into another drop off the same size as the first, and into a steep loose downhill out of the end gates at the bottom.

Section 8 began on loose ground straight into a climb up a rocky bank, a tree was the marker point to make a left turn around it and come back down. At the bottom a small rocky chicane lead you around another tree to the right, this lined you up to head towards a tree trunk for you to ride over, upon the other side an immediate left turn was awaiting on some slippy ground, followed by a right turn out of the finish.

Section 9 began on the track and made a small climb up and round to the left, as you leveled off the line took you around to the right and along the side / over some slippy tree debris. A 90* left turn lined you up for a bit of a climb up a steep bank on loose rocky soil, as you crested you followed round to the right and worked your way through the trees to another right turn. A shallow descent over a grassy surface lead you through trees to another right turn, this was followed by a tricky adverse camber climb around to the left and out the finish.

Section 10 began up on a bank, with a descent down and around to the right kicking it off. At the bottom a 180* turn awaited to the left, followed by a climb back up the bank. Over the brow, a kink right awaited, dropping you off a little ledge and leading your front wheel downhill onto some lose ground and roots. You then found yourself riding on the camber on very loose ground and rocks as you made your way alongside a tree to the left. As things leveled out a slow full lock turn to the left was called for over stony ground. The two sets of gates before the exit lead you slightly downhill, but also had the camber factor again, and very loose soil and rocks under wheel. Finally a sharp right off the camber and downhill lead you out of the end gates!

Our next competition returns back to Pen Y Graig on May 22nd. As always we would like to take this opportunity to thank the land owners, club officials, observers and the catering team for giving everyone such a greats days competition.

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Top Places:

Pre 65 Elite: Jack Butterworth, Triumph (10);

Pre 65 50/50: Phil Alderman, BSA (8 fc); Paul Owen, Bantam (8); Vernon Roberts, Bantam (13)

Pre 65 Clubman: Peter Cockins, BSA (0); Roger Smith, BSA (4); Jon Flower, BSA (5)

Twinshock Elite: Danny Littlehales, Fantic (14); Steve Shelley, Honda (16); Stephen Knight, Yamaha (24)

Twinshock 50/50: Rob Jones, Honda (8); Mark Gaskell, Whitehawk (13); Ian Emery, Ossa (15)

Twinshock Clubman: Karl Kavanagh, Fantic (3); Phil Cottiga, Fantic (5); John Sowden, Bultaco (7)

Twinshock Beginners: Pete Thomas, Yamaha (25)

AC Mono 50/50: Gordon Wilson, Honda (14); Paul Cartwright, Beta (26); Alex Barrie, Honda (34)

AC Mono Clubman: Neil Francis, Aprilla (1); Steve Blaxall, Fantic (10); Simon Edwards, Yamaha (45)

Modern Mono Elite: Richard Beddoes, Beta (10); Bob Shelley, GasGas (71)

Modern Mono 50/50: Declan Marsden, GasGas (10); Jim Droughton, Montesa (14); Tom Walker, Sherco (20)

Modern Mono Clubman: Ken Williams, Montesa (0); David Molyneaux, Montesa (5); Andrew Dean, Beta (6)

Modern Mono Beginners: Wayne Francis, Sherco (79)

Class Breakdown:

Pre 65 – 18
Twinshock – 23
A/C Mono – 7
Modern Mono – 18

Elite – 7
50/50 – 20
Clubman – 35
Beginner – 4

Event Report by Rob Sloggett and Paul Owen

A rapidly warming morning greeted the 65 riders who played a welcome visit to a venue that we only have limited opportunity to use. Our thanks must go out to the landowners for allowing us to experience 10 great stream sections for the third championship round of 2017. The riders of which 20 were Pre 65’s and 31 Twinshocks were supported by 7 Air Cooled Monos and 7 modern machines. A lower than normal turnout was seen across the Pre 65 and Mono group which may in part have been due to a clash with a Dales Classic event.

The drop off in entries was across the Expert and Intermediate classes  but as per last month it is great to see that the beginners class is heavily supported in the Twinshock class.

This months event report is kindly contributed to by Paul Owen and Rob Sloggett.

Paul Owen (Intermediate) – Bantam Rigid

For Round 3 of Aqueduct Classic Trials , I was riding the BSA rigid bantam in the green route.

Section 1 was at the bottom of the mountain gully, the stream was high and the submerged rocks were green and slippy, you dropped into the water and turned up stream and had to pick a line to two big covered rocks and exit over some slippy rocks to a greasy bank and out gate. Section 2 was alot easier as you dropped down a bank across the steam, right turn on the opposite banking and back across the water then a gentle bank, left around a tree and down to the exit gate,

Section 3 was off camber, down a bank to start into the water and across an ever moving rocky river bed to a sharp right turn up a steep rooted step and sharp turn left around a tree and back in the water for 10 meters to the exit gate. I was bouncing side to side on the rigid bantam trying to avoid the submerged rocks. Section 4 was short and you dropped into the stream and stayed in the middle missing the rocks and onto the right bank to a narrow steep exit gate.

Section 5 looked easy but was slippy and as you entered the start gate you then had to ride left over a greasy log but then stay to the right up some more submerged rocks to the exit gate. I almost got flung over the handlebars as my bike hit a rock, not my best section even though it looked easy. Section 6 started off on the right bank then you dropped into the water and had to turn right over rocks to more slippy boulders to the out gate, then up across the lane to the above stream.

Section 7 was a short slippy wet bank into the stream and a ride up the middle between more rocks to a tight right turn and another rooted step with a sharp turn left to some more roots and exit gate. Section 8 started in the water on the left and across to the right bank that was leaf covered and a slippy off camber bank then dropping down and immediately over a wet fallen tree and to the exit gate. Section 9 was in the field but an up hill muddy gully. You would enter the section and drop down the bank and climb up to a tight left hand turn around a tree and between a big rock and back into the gully to a gentle climb and a steep right hand slippy bank to the exit.

Section 10 was a slight uphill gully to a right steep turn, up a wet rocky bank and then another right back down to the exit gate

After the trials my boots and bike had clean from all the water hehe…

Rob Sloggett (Clubman) – Bultaco 175

Last month I reported as an observer, you may remember that the Bultaco had recently had a full engine rebuild and I wanted to give it a shakedown ride before a full competition so this month I got to exercise her legs in a full event, albeit in a class lower than I ride just to give myself a chance to concentrate on getting use to her again. I must say, I have missed the Bultaco, at my best she is the bike that has allowed me to improve my riding but Sundays event did not reflect that in the slightest! I put it down to the rear brake being on the wrong side and the different power delivery but to be honest regardless of the result I was so pleased to be riding her!

So what of the event and the sections, well as I said, it has been a while since I rode the clubman route but tackling it again you can see why it is so popular and also forms a nice stepping stone from the white route into intermediate.

A couple of sections caught me unawares and Section 7 was the first one. This is where I put my lost of marks down to the rear brake being on the wrong side! The entry started simple as a downward bank descent into the stream but as the event went on this rapidly carved out into a steeper gully a perfect wheel thickness across and a good 12 inches deep in places. The descent into the stream needed some brake control to both manage the gully and also get the entry speed into the stream just right for the next right hand turn. A mixture of “brake on the wrong side” and the soaking the rear brake had received through out the day made my technique poor to say the least and needless to say this element alone took 6 marks off of me.

Section 10 was another issue for me and a clean on the first lap was followed by two consecutives threes as I could not find any grip on the snaking mixture of gullies, cambered sweeping turns and across river bed obstacles. A walk of the section on the last lap showed me the error of my ways and whilst following the established line on laps two and three, I had failed to spot a much more smoother line with acres of grip obviously being used by others.

It was great to get back to Cwm Canol and we have to thank the land owner for kindly giving us access to use it. Its also fantastic to see the regular turnout of observers and a few new faces helping to make sure we get to enjoy our sport each month.

Our next event will be on Sunday 2nd April at Pen Y Graig.

Top Places:

Pre 65 Expert: Darren Walker, BSA (31); Colin Fray, DOT (35)

Pre 65 Intermediate: Vernon Roberts, BSA (15); Harry Lyons, BSA (16); Gary Shaw, Norton (18)

Pre 65 Clubman: Neil Walker, Francis Barnett (12); Peter Elvidge, BSA (17); Peter Cottrell, BSA (19)

Pre 65 Beginner: Nigel Houlston, BSA (29)

Twinshock Expert: Tony Gush, Majesty (18); Matt Spink, Beamish (21); Dave Wood, Bultaco (25)

Twinshock Intermediate: Jim Williams, SWM (8); Martin Nelson, Yamaha (13); Alex Barrie, Honda (19)

Twinshock Clubman: Tony Shaw, Bultaco (23); John Sowden, Bultaco (24); Matt Hopkins, Yamaha (26)

Twinshock Beginner: Steve Williams, Bultaco (22); Bill Beveridge, Fantic (23); Craig Fowler, Yamaha (27)

AC Mono Expert: No entries

AC Mono Intermediate: Ian Emery, Yamaha (18); Gordon Wilson, Honda (23); Paul Cartwright, Beta (28)

AC Mono Clubman: Steven Blaxall, Fantic (23); Neil Francis, Aprilla (48); Philip Roberts, GasGas (49)

AC Mono Beginner: Pete Thomas, Fantic (12)

Modern Mono Expert: No entries

Modern Mono Intermediate: Dan Hawley, Beta (26); Patrick Forde, Beta (34); Andrew Dean, Beta (45)

Modern Mono Clubman: Tony Rainford, Sherco (23); Hayden Rainford, Sherco (39); Bradley Jones, Sherco (58)

Modern Mono Beginners: No entries

Class Breakdown:

Pre 65 – 20
Twinshock – 31
A/C Mono – 7
Modern Mono – 7
Total = 65

Expert – 14
Intermediate – 25
Clubman – 20
Beginner – 6

Bikes:

Pre 65:
Arial – 1
BSA – 9 (2 rigid)
DOT – 2
Francis Barnett – 3
Norton – 1
Triumph – 4

Twinshock:
Armstrong – 1
Beamish Suzuki – 1
Bultaco – 7
Fantic – 6
Honda – 3
Ossa – 1
SWM – 1
Yamaha Majesty – 1
Yamaha TY – 10

Aircooled Mono:
Aprilla – 1
Beta – 1
Fantic – 2
GasGas – 1
Honda – 1
Yamaha – 1

Modern Mono:
Beta – 3
GasGas – 1
Sherco – 3

Event Report by Gordon Wilson, Karl Kavanagh and Rob Sloggett

What started as a chilly morning quickly warmed up as a great turnout of 86 riders descended on Plas Onn for the second championship round of 2017. The 86 riders of which 35 were Pre 65’s and 26 Twinshocks were supported by 8 Air Cooled Monos and 17 modern machines.

A really good spread of Expert, Inters and Clubman made up the entry card and it is great to see that the beginners class still support the riders coming into trials regardless of their ages or machine types.

This months event report is kindly contributed to by Gordon Wilson, Karl Kavanagh and Rob Sloggett.

Gordon Wilson (Intermediate) – Honda TLM AC Mono

Arriving at the familiar venue of Plas Onn I was met with a fantastic view of the mist cloud lying in the valleys and wishing I had my camera. (fortunately Jim Droughton has posted pictures of this on the FB page)
I signed on for the green route as usual and enjoyed chating with fellow enthusiasts before the start at 11 am.

I started at sec 5 with the red and green route riders as instructed by Russ where we found a tricky uphill twisty section over roots and stuff
that we have been to before but is still one of the better parts of the venue, a section that cost me most of the marks lost due to the sheer incompetence of stalling on one lap and going the wrong way out on another.

Sec 6 was another uphill challenging slippy roots and rocky stream type section and I was very pleased to just lose one dab in total on that one.
Sec 7 was an interesting down hill and twisty up the gulley type section which although didn’t cost me any marks lost featured an animated observer who waved his arms about a lot so was quite entertaining  really. 🙂

Sec 8 comprised a lot of toing and froing across a stream which was quite simple until one got to the twisty exit – cost me a few marks that did,
never managed to clean despite trying different tactics.
Sec 9, 10 and 1 were pretty innocuous ones that involved transiting up parts of the stream that is well ridden and didn’t cause any problems as long as one’s concentration didn’t slip.

Sec 2 although short and sweet had an interesting turn before the end cards that cost me dab on (at least) one occasion…..
Sec 3 and 4 were a bit like 9,10 and 1 in that they were pretty easy but easy to mess up if you took your eye off the ball.

That comprises my first and hopefully last report (editors comment: I don’t think so, especially after your comment about me on Sec 7).

I would like to close by saying that it was a thoroughly enjoyable day out with good fellow competitors, stalwart observers and marvelous organisers.

If I was to add some final words, all I would say is that I would like to see more of the type of sections that took marks from me they were challenging without being hard or frightening – ones that take dabs but you can really try to clean them.

Karl Kavanagh – (Intermediate) – Fantic Twinshock

I’m Karl Kavanagh from Birkenhead Wirral, I’ve been dabbling with trials for a few years in between running and racing amca motocross events. A year ago I decided to px my worn out modern bike for a twinshock and ended up with a ropey but all there fantic 200 with the idea of doing all the 2016 aqueduct rounds. With a bit of luck I ended up winning the clubman route from the much respected John Sowden who I’ve probably watched as a kid at local events so it was nice to go full circle.

Anyway round 2 plas onn on the green route….

I did the trial alongside Paul Hempkins who rode modern inter whilst I tackled the same route on my twinshock, he’s a fit lad and keen to crack on, often I finish first but too often end up last.

Section 1, I walked in advance and with a little advice from Graham Pennington on the entry I got through fine.
Section 2 was a similar affair and with my fantic front end recently sorted I’ve gained a bit of confidence on rocks and streams, clean again.
Section 3 after a brief walk and look at the slippy bits I zipped through with no dabs.

Section 4 the last of the banked stream sections had a rutted climb then tight round a tree, down into the gully then sharp left up and out. This sort of thing I usually start breaking up into separate parts and messing up but after a quick chat with fellow Wirral rider Tony Rainford I zipped up the climb, dropped down into the gully and did my best to make a smooth left turn out. It paid off and cleaned it with no drama, Paul came behind me and admitted he had dropped a mark which gave me confidence!

Section 5 the long ride to the far side of the trial found Harry standing ready to burst my bubble. After walking the section and watching a couple of riders tackle it I took my turn. It was a muddy in and out affair with lots of roots which my on or off throttle style gets me in trouble. Anyway I used all of my concentration up on the roots and missed a marker. Why does this always happen to me on Harry’s sections, he takes it so personally !
So first 5 points in the bin.

Section 6 had both roots and a little greasy climb but I flowed through with new found confidence after my recent rear tyre purchase, (wish I had it on at carrog isa), anyway I think missed a marker on the way out so another 5.

By now I wasn’t happy at my mistakes, probably half due to not spending enough time in the sections walking and watching others but it was cold and I like to crack on.

Section 7 I was walking it as Ian Emery came through. An experienced and stylish rider, I watched him closely as he weaved round the tight turns and headed up and out past observer Rob Sloggett.
My turn as I dropped down into the pit, my back brake was sticking a bit so I was keeping it in first and going as slow as possible, tight left turn the quick line up over some rocks, a greasy bank then tight until a loose climb out. To my surprise I cleaned it.

A bit happier I headed back up the lane and out into the daylight to section 8.

Section 8 was up and down greasy banks with a real tight exit. I went in and out the wrong markers, again! Another 5.

Section 9 had Geoff observing, a little bit steppy but I’m getting the hang of these with the old bike and cleaned it.

Section 10 drop into the gully and up and out, keeping the weight off the front and staying loose I found it easy enough.

So the rest of the trial bought me another 5 for missing a marker on section 5 and a good fall on section 8 in front of my partner and grandson (the 4yr old you see floating round on his oset) . Karen looked horrified but Logan said its ok grandad has got his helmet on!

Many thanks to all the observers that stand there in the cold so we can ride, Russ Jones and friends for running these great events and Paul Cartwright for the machining work that’s made my bike such a pleasure to ride.

Lessons learned? Probably not but I’m enjoying my trials and surprising myself now and again and I’m happy enough with that.

Rob Sloggett – Observer Section 7

Following the TY breaking down at the last competition and the engine and frame for my Bultaco rebuild being returned to me it was a quick reassembly of the Bultaco that took priority. Not wishing to go straight into a competition without a shakedown ride, the Bultaco was ridden to the section and given a bit of a shakedown before me settling down for a days observing. What a great section I was given. In one of the usual spots, this time it had a twist. Instead of being a straight up the gully, this time it was a 180 degree u shape with a drop in from the top bank for all routes leading to 4 different mid routes according to the class and then a common run up the gully to run to the end cards. So lets break it down.

Well the entry was a simple affair, if not needing a level of attention as the more inexperience riders may have been phased by the angle. No nasty cambers to catch you out, just a 15 – 20 foot long, 45 deg angle drop with a nice wide river bed with light running water to settle yourself into. Good brake control and weight over the back wheel allowed the riders to settle down quickly.

The Beginners and Clubman then made a 180 right hand loop across the river bed to bring them into the exit gully (with the beginners joining further up the gully closer to the end cards).

Intermediates dropping in then engaged their sat nav with the section giving full value to the entry price! Starting with a slight cambered attack up the left hand bank they then had to loop around a tree and drop back down into the river bed. A rougher terrain then greeted them including a right hand turn around another tree with exposed roots finishing with a left hand turn to bring them into the exit gully.

The Experts had fun as the drop into the section then required a right hand turn to commence an arched 90 degree left hand down hill turn bringing them to face the adjacent bank. A good climb up the bank looped right around a tree (with a 2-3 ft gap between the tree and the fence) and then dropping them back down the bank at quite a nice challenging angle. The final part of this combination included a tight right hand turn around a tree in the middle of the river bed finally presenting a left hand turn over a root cluster which caught a number of rider out and took the odd mark away from them.

The common exit gully was really nice and was basically a 50 – 60 ft run along an uphill gully consisting of loose stones with a root step half way up.

It was a real treat to observe this section as all of the riders seem to either find enjoyment from the challenge and improvement each lap or for those who were regularly cleaning it just seem to be having a blast on what was a technically challenging section.

As always, many thanks to the land owners, the organisers, observers and Chris for providing the catering. Our next event will be on Sunday 12th March at Cwm Canol, a venue we have not used for a while so it will be great to get back there.

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Top Places

Pre 65 Expert: Darren Walker, BSA (31); Colin Fray, DOT (35)

Pre 65 Intermediate: Vernon Roberts, BSA (15); Harry Lyons, BSA (16); Gary Shaw, Norton (18)

Pre 65 Clubman: Neil Walker, Francis Barnett (12); Peter Elvidge, BSA (17); Peter Cottrell, BSA (19)

Pre 65 Beginner: Nigel Houlston, BSA (29)

Twinshock Expert: Tony Gush, Majesty (18); Matt Spink, Beamish (21); Dave Wood, Bultaco (25)

Twinshock Intermediate: Jim Williams, SWM (8); Martin Nelson, Yamaha (13); Alex Barrie, Honda (19)

Twinshock Clubman: Tony Shaw, Bultaco (23); John Sowden, Bultaco (24); Matt Hopkins, Yamaha (26)

Twinshock Beginner: Steve Williams, Bultaco (22); Bill Beveridge, Fantic (23); Craig Fowler, Yamaha (27)

AC Mono Expert: No entries

AC Mono Intermediate: Ian Emery, Yamaha (18); Gordon Wilson, Honda (23); Paul Cartwright, Beta (28)

AC Mono Clubman: Steven Blaxall, Fantic (23); Neil Francis, Aprilla (48); Philip Roberts, GasGas (49)

AC Mono Beginner: Pete Thomas, Fantic (12)

Modern Mono Expert: No entries

Modern Mono Intermediate: Dan Hawley, Beta (26); Patrick Forde, Beta (34); Andrew Dean, Beta (45)

Modern Mono Clubman: Tony Rainford, Sherco (23); Hayden Rainford, Sherco (39); Bradley Jones, Sherco (58)

Modern Mono Beginners: No entries

Class Breakdown

Pre 65 – 20
Twinshock – 31
A/C Mono – 7
Modern Mono – 7
Total = 65

Expert – 14
Intermediate – 25
Clubman – 20
Beginner – 6

Bikes

Pre 65:
Arial – 1
BSA – 9 (2 rigid)
DOT – 2
Francis Barnett – 3
Norton – 1
Triumph – 4

Twinshock:
Armstrong – 1
Beamish Suzuki – 1
Bultaco – 7
Fantic – 6
Honda – 3
Ossa – 1
SWM – 1
Yamaha Majesty – 1
Yamaha TY – 10

Aircooled Mono:
Aprilla – 1
Beta – 1
Fantic – 2
GasGas – 1
Honda – 1
Yamaha – 1

Modern Mono:
Beta – 3
GasGas – 1
Sherco – 3

Event Report by Ian Emery and Rob Sloggett

You know when a new competition season started well then the entry shows 73 bikes on a cold January Sunday morning. With 43 bikes making up the Pre 65 and Twinshock class and 51 competing in the Intermediate or Clubman class, its no surprise that the club that now enters its eight competition year is in hearty spirits as a well established classic trials club.

Lets be clear, it was cold! Cold and muddy and that sort of set the tone for the day. The sections we challenging. Not difficult or dangerous challenging, but offered that type of challenge that resulted in a higher than normal level of DNF’s either due to mechanical failure (as in my case) or riders finding that the 8 sections of 5 laps just took them to their riding limit on the day. Certainly in the Intermediate route I was riding, we were treating to a few new challenges which I will hold off for my part of the report below.

This months event report is kindly contributed to by Ian Emery and Rob Sloggett.

Ian Emery (Intermediate) – Yamaha TY AC Mono

Carrog Issa has always been a great venue and this event didn’t disappoint. For me it was the first proper competitive outing on my TY Pinky as I contest the ACM Class this year. To comply with the landowner’s wishes two sections in the main stream were dropped with 5 laps of 8 sections being the format for the day.

Section 1 was a cracker! The slight incline leading to the in-cards became a nightmare for many with some riders having several attempts just to get into the section due to the total lack of grip in the field. I took a 50 yard run up on the TY in 3rd gear (and once in 4th by accident ! ) and coasted up the hill into the section trying to maintain control for the tight u-turn left and back down, avoiding the footrest snagging tree stump and into the natural basin below where a swooping 180 turn back up the hill led to a slippy 90 left before crossing the camber to a gripless clay covered climb to the ends. I had mixed fortunes in the five laps. On a really steady throttle the TY found just enough grip pulling well at low revs and I ended up with three 3’s (including the 4th gear attempt !) and two cleans which I was pleased with. There were many high scores recorded but well done to Garry Shaw for getting his rigid Bantam round for 5 cleans.

Section 2 was a nice combination of a slippy double descent followed by a tight left/right turn combination to the ends with the slippiness of the slight incline catching a few marks. Section 3 used a similar line to the one set for the Kia National but was a bit tamer. Despite that, the lack of grip cost many a few marks especially on the slippy first turn and on the cross camber climb. Section 4 was a series of tight turns gentle climbing along the crest of the bank. The first tight u-turn saw a few lose marks often as the front pushed out but most marks were claimed by the jumble of awkward, slippy rocks just before the ends.

Sections 5 and 6 were back to back with Kara and Russ in charge. The first saw a steep double descent with a tricky dog-leg over exposed roots just before a tight left where many riders overshot and were lucky to recover with just a dab. There followed a climb up the clay bank to a left turn towards a steep bank taking you back to near where you started. The sting here was a gulley at the base of this climb, strewn with polished roots which had to be jumped hard to keep momentum up the climb. I used 1st gear for my opening lap, concerned I would need that gear to control the descent but it made for a hard fought exit. Using 2nd gear thereafter the TY flew up the climb out on a rolling throttle but needed the odd dab at the base of the descent to make the turn. For me it was a lesson as to just how well the TY’s suspension performed with the forks working hard on the descent and the rear doing the same on the exit.

 Section 6 ran alongside, dropping into the same gulley with a climb out up a slippy bank on the left to then drop back into the gulley on a cross camber and once back in follow the incline and finally climb out up the left bank. Two really good flowing sections.

Section 7 was nasty! A short but steep climb towards three trees with a choice of two paths either side of the centre tree. Left was a wider gap but had little run up for the sweeping climb and right turn to follow. To the right a narrower gap to thread through but a better line to attack the turn which was again strewn with gripless roots. My first two attempts were in first gear and yielded a 5 and a paddling 3, but thereafter I chose second gear carefully threading the TY around the tree to the right and squirted around the turn for three cleans.

Section 8 was interesting! A short climb was followed by a twisty path between trees leading to a steep down-up sump which also involved a 90 right turn. It was so narrow the front wheel was climbing the far side whilst the rear was still on its way down and the turn had to be completed whilst the front was still climbing to keep momentum and avoid another tree with the front. A climb over loose debris followed to then swing left and down across the bank to a right turn which fell away sharply needing a very quick turn to avoid snagging another tree on the way down.

Overall 8 really good technical, challenging sections. I was so impressed with the way my TY performed, testing its ability find grip and pull in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears and just how well its suspension and brakes all worked. Can’t wait for the next round at Plas Onn.

Rob Sloggett (50/50) – Air Cooled Mono TY

So as I alluded to in the introduction, this opening round had a few new treats and whilst I ended up as a DNF (bit of a trend that as the opening round in 2016 for me had the same outcome) the two laps I did compete were great fun.

So what can I pick out? Well certainly Section 1 was a treat. The first section in years I can recall requiring a 3rd gear run up with about 3psi in the rear tyre to even get into the section. I have never been good on really slippery section entrances as people who recall me riding a Beamish a few years will attest to (sorry to those who got sprayed then), but once in the section the drop into a small gully then offered a right hand turn over some rough items then up an adjacent gully to be presented with a climb up a bank, left around a tree and then loop right up the bank to exit. This took high teen / twenty scores from most of the Intermediate riders although the Pre 65 class did seem to fair much better on this section with over half of the riders dropping 13 or less.

The sections were split across the venue and they tended to be in clustered pairs with sections 5 & 6 certainly my two favorites. Both incorporating a downhill drop and then peeling off into a tight turn with a challenging run either up hill or across a gully with exposed roots (remember this was a muddy terrain day) that really felt good when the ride hooked up well.

A quick top up with fuel after my second lap resulted in the bike cutting out whilst queuing in Section 1. As I write this I have still not explored why but I am suspecting a fuel blockage of some kind as it did run rough after but died on idling. But to be honest that did not spoil my day. Why? because the event offered something a bit different. It was a tough event but it was not “silly tough”.

The next event is on Sunday 5th February at Plas Onn As always we have to pass on our thanks to the club, landowner, observers etc. for allowing us to have a good days competition.

Top Places:

Pre 65 Expert: James Francis, BSA (10); Peter Edwards, BSA (76); Kev Ellis, BSA (76)

Pre 65 Intermediate: Garry Shaw, BSA Rigid (17); Harry Lyons, BSA (35); Vernon Roberts, BSA (36)

Pre 65 Clubman: Roger Smith, BSA (19); Mervyn Powell, Arial (27); Peter Elvidge, BSA (28)

Pre 65 Beginner: No enteries

Twinshock Expert: Steve Shelley, Honda (34); Tony Gush, Majesty (46); Danny Littlehales, Fantic (63)

Twinshock Intermediate: Steve Blackburn, Montesa (65); Jim Droughton, Yamaha (70); Jeremy Sutton, Ossa (79)

Twinshock Clubman: Rob Jones, Honda (23); Gwilym Lloyd Ellis, Ossa (53); John Sowden, Bultaco (58)

Twinshock Beginner: Craig Fowler, Yamaha (65)

AC Mono Expert: Jerry Hawker, Honda (86)

AC Mono Intermediate: Ian Emery, Yamaha (27); Gordon Wilson, Honda (58); Martin Powell, Honda (65)

AC Mono Clubman: Steven Blaxall, Fantic (69)

AC Mono Beginner: No finishers

Modern Mono Expert: Richard Beddoes, Beta (56); Steve Richards, Montesa (60); Vincent Brett, Beta (64)

Modern Mono Intermediate: Paul Hempkins, Beta (41); Dave Lovell, Montesa (45); Andrew Dean, Beta (68)

Modern Mono Clubman: Tony Rainford, Sherco (47); Nick MacGillivray, Montesa (64); Hayden Rainford, Sherco (68)

Modern Mono Beginners: No finishers

Class Breakdown:

Pre 65 – 27
Twinshock – 16
A/C Mono – 9
Modern Mono – 21
Total = 73

Expert – 16
Intermediate – 28
Clubman – 23
Beginner – 6

Bike Stats:

Pre 65:
Arial – 1
BSA – 9 (2 rigid)
DOT – 2
Francis Barnett – 3
Norton – 1
Triumph – 4

Twinshock:
Armstrong – 1
Beamish Suzuki – 1
Bultaco – 7
Fantic – 6
Honda – 3
Ossa – 1
SWM – 1
Yamaha Majesty – 1
Yamaha TY – 10

Aircooled Mono:
Aprilla – 1
Beta – 1
Fantic – 2
GasGas – 1
Honda – 1
Yamaha – 1

Modern Mono:
Beta – 3
GasGas – 1
Sherco – 3