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