On another really wet and windy Cumbrian day, Lucy and I set off to the Aughtertree Trial for me to have a go at the trial and for Lucy to wander around with the dog practicing her navigation as I still haven't sorted her rear brake out yet on her little 125.
I didn't take any photos this time as I forgot my camera and it was such shite weather they probably woudln't have come out anyway! ;-)
Once I'd paid my £15.00 and filled out the forms, got the bike set up and myself changed, the riders were all starting to set off across the moorland to the first section, which turned out to be a little twisty one around and over a few rocks with a short climb out to finish... I didn't clear it the first time but did the next two times so was happy with that...
The second and third were together and were really nice and flowing, swooping up and over grassy hummocks and onto short steep climb outs.
Section 4 was a good little twisty one with some good off camber sections and a few rocks thrown in for good measure. Again first time around, no joy, but after this I managed to clear it each time...
Next up was a steeper climb up some wet grass, my bike tends to spin out on this, partly due to my lack of control and inexperience and partly due to the bike. (I may well look at the gearing options and change them to see if I can get more or less low down grunt to try to stop the wheel spinning/sliding that seems to be the norm). I bailed on this section each time I tried it and got a 5 for not finishing it.
Section 6 was a proper swoopy thing, all flowing and lovely, I really liked this and did it a few times to practice. It was here that I figured out, (with some help), that my number was one from the 'experts' category which explained why the observers kept telling me I'd done the wrong section all the time! After this I had to tell any observer I was a novice so they would mark me correctly. No worries as to be honest I was happy mixing and matching as I went along and was not eplanning to do the full four laps anyway...
I seem to have completely forgotten 7 & 8 so can't tell you what they were like! getting old and my memory is going!! ;-)
Section 9 was a good ride across the fells and was actually in a stream bed, but the water was too high for the modern trials bikes so people missed it out.
Section 10 was a steep beck climb, really good, I managed half of it before I put my foot down, from there on though it was practically a walk up the thing pushing my bike as it was a bit too hard for me. I'm a long way off being good enough to do these with any style at all! That said I watched a young lad who failry danced up it, it was a joy to watch how relaxed and easy he was with it, a naturally balanced and capable rider...
Section 11 was a lovely one, loads of little tight turns and hops over rocks, really good fun and I cleaned it on the second go, which I was very happy with...
All in all this was a pretty easy trial and ideal for beginners, with enough to test you but somethings to boost your confidence. Apart from the weather and a couple of grumpy people, both Lucy & I really enjoyed the day. Some of the harder sections looked possible as well and it would be good to just have some practice days on things like this, but with how difficult it can be to get permissions just to run these events there is little chance of getting a chance at that.
I had a good catch up with Martin Bell & his partner who runs MHB Motorcycles in Kirkby Stephen, they were obseving on the last section from their truck... good call!
Martin sponsors the event with CCMCC and is always a nice helpful chatty guy to have around...
I was also lucky enough to have a bit of a chat with Drew Morten, who is pretty handy on a trials bike to say the least, he showed me a technique I'd seen before but not picked up on, the 'Double Blip or Tap'. You bounce your front wheel onto an obstacle and then use that to get your back over it... it keeps the bike more balanced and is less jerky so your more in control... like it, so a bit more practicing coming up...
I also saw a lad who was on the same bike as mine, he was having the same problems I'd had with my Sherco when I first got it, so we had a bit of a chat about that in the rain, he was also spinning up as he climbed the wet grassy slopes, which was comforting to see if not to experience!
A big thankyou must go to the guys who laid the course out for us to ride. They were out in some really crap weather on Saturday sorting out where to put things and flag the whole lot... its a lot of effort which is done for others benefit... and of course the Observers who came out to stand in the wind and rain, hopefully they all got a beer and a big dinner at the end of the day!
Meanwhile for Lucy and I, its back to practicing at the places where we have the permission of the owner/farmer and of course at my place with some mates til the next trial...
Biking, always a good social bit of fun...
I didn't take any photos this time as I forgot my camera and it was such shite weather they probably woudln't have come out anyway! ;-)
Once I'd paid my £15.00 and filled out the forms, got the bike set up and myself changed, the riders were all starting to set off across the moorland to the first section, which turned out to be a little twisty one around and over a few rocks with a short climb out to finish... I didn't clear it the first time but did the next two times so was happy with that...
The second and third were together and were really nice and flowing, swooping up and over grassy hummocks and onto short steep climb outs.
Section 4 was a good little twisty one with some good off camber sections and a few rocks thrown in for good measure. Again first time around, no joy, but after this I managed to clear it each time...
Next up was a steeper climb up some wet grass, my bike tends to spin out on this, partly due to my lack of control and inexperience and partly due to the bike. (I may well look at the gearing options and change them to see if I can get more or less low down grunt to try to stop the wheel spinning/sliding that seems to be the norm). I bailed on this section each time I tried it and got a 5 for not finishing it.
Section 6 was a proper swoopy thing, all flowing and lovely, I really liked this and did it a few times to practice. It was here that I figured out, (with some help), that my number was one from the 'experts' category which explained why the observers kept telling me I'd done the wrong section all the time! After this I had to tell any observer I was a novice so they would mark me correctly. No worries as to be honest I was happy mixing and matching as I went along and was not eplanning to do the full four laps anyway...
I seem to have completely forgotten 7 & 8 so can't tell you what they were like! getting old and my memory is going!! ;-)
Section 9 was a good ride across the fells and was actually in a stream bed, but the water was too high for the modern trials bikes so people missed it out.
Section 10 was a steep beck climb, really good, I managed half of it before I put my foot down, from there on though it was practically a walk up the thing pushing my bike as it was a bit too hard for me. I'm a long way off being good enough to do these with any style at all! That said I watched a young lad who failry danced up it, it was a joy to watch how relaxed and easy he was with it, a naturally balanced and capable rider...
Section 11 was a lovely one, loads of little tight turns and hops over rocks, really good fun and I cleaned it on the second go, which I was very happy with...
All in all this was a pretty easy trial and ideal for beginners, with enough to test you but somethings to boost your confidence. Apart from the weather and a couple of grumpy people, both Lucy & I really enjoyed the day. Some of the harder sections looked possible as well and it would be good to just have some practice days on things like this, but with how difficult it can be to get permissions just to run these events there is little chance of getting a chance at that.
I had a good catch up with Martin Bell & his partner who runs MHB Motorcycles in Kirkby Stephen, they were obseving on the last section from their truck... good call!
Martin sponsors the event with CCMCC and is always a nice helpful chatty guy to have around...
I was also lucky enough to have a bit of a chat with Drew Morten, who is pretty handy on a trials bike to say the least, he showed me a technique I'd seen before but not picked up on, the 'Double Blip or Tap'. You bounce your front wheel onto an obstacle and then use that to get your back over it... it keeps the bike more balanced and is less jerky so your more in control... like it, so a bit more practicing coming up...
I also saw a lad who was on the same bike as mine, he was having the same problems I'd had with my Sherco when I first got it, so we had a bit of a chat about that in the rain, he was also spinning up as he climbed the wet grassy slopes, which was comforting to see if not to experience!
A big thankyou must go to the guys who laid the course out for us to ride. They were out in some really crap weather on Saturday sorting out where to put things and flag the whole lot... its a lot of effort which is done for others benefit... and of course the Observers who came out to stand in the wind and rain, hopefully they all got a beer and a big dinner at the end of the day!
Meanwhile for Lucy and I, its back to practicing at the places where we have the permission of the owner/farmer and of course at my place with some mates til the next trial...
Biking, always a good social bit of fun...
