Moor to Sea Trial Oct 2008

Other Trailbike Championship rounds in 2008: Ivor Morkot, Fred Rist, OK Supreme.

Full Championship Results on the ACU website

Team Falconer was in two minds on whether to enter the West of England club's Moor to Sea long distance trial, held on October 19.

Apart from being a fair way away, when we last rode it about 4 years ago, the trail etiquette of some entrants left something to be desired and I lost a footrest on a very hard piece of Devon scenery.

But as I'd ridden all three rounds of the ACU/TBM Trailbike Trials Championship and this was the last round, we gave it a go.

And I'm glad we did.

Our first two doubts were dispelled straight away - 2 hours down an empty motorway and in to the excellent start venue where the official starter left every rider in no doubt as to the standards of behaviour that the club expected.

After a few looseners, we spent ages navigating some fantastic lanes before Dad's Pampera boiled up. That meant the end of his day, after only 8 sections but he sent me on my way.

I spent about an hour riding the lanes, with very little on-road action before hitting the next section.

The route took in some great views of Dartmoor and the sea (hence the name of the trial) - at one point I emerged from a group of sections in woodland on to a moorland road, surrounded by about half a dozen tors on the skyline. Magnificent.

Typically for the WoE club, who know a thing or two about trials, the sections were marked very well, and there was lots of variation. I can't imagine many of the large entry went home thinking they hadn't had value for money.

There were six sections set aside with a hard route and all were cleanable. I didn't clean any of them!

I didn't drop any fives though, and lost 11 marks, which was good enough for ninth.

Julian Page dropped two for the win, and deservedly won the championship, with Gavin Moore again second, on four. Regular Wyegate rider Mike Husband had a return to form, losing six. He edged Graham Lavis in to fourth on test time. Graham won first round and the only round Julian didn't, Caerphilly's Ivor Morkot, with a really great ride. Apparently Gavin heard a fair bit about that in the van on the way home.

My result was good enough for a respectable championship result but in reality, only Julian and Gavin were ever in the hunt for the title. The championship created a nice bit of friendly rivalry and I rode four excellent events (Neath's Fred Rist and Stratford's OK Supreme were the others), so job done.

Though before I got too carried away with my score, it was worth turning the results page - the club separated out enduro bike riders who chose to ride the HARD route. A certain Nick Life (Wyegate, Weston, and Le Touquet top runner) lost just 3, riding a YZ or WR 250 2T. Andy Muller dropped seven on a KTM 125 and Kevin Lennox 10, on a KTM 530. Good going guys.

WG members Martin and Nick Worgan were not far off the points, finishing within 7 marks of each other, with Bill Brown also a finisher - they all rode the hard route though.

Most of the entry rode the common route, with CHG members John Edmonds and Chris Harvey 1st and 3rd in the trail class.

The winner of the common route came from the enduro class. A certain Steve Wilson dropped only 7, riding an oversize Beta 250 4T.

Older members will remember Steve as a former works Saracen rider, amongst others. Aside from being a darned fine trials rider, he built some BMX bikes, including mine some 25-odd years ago and it was a pleasure to catch up with him over the a tasty serving of stew (included in the entry fee).

Full marks to the WoE club for a great event, organised very well. Whether it's in the championship next year or not, we will make the effort to ride it. I have even located the rock that took my footpeg off all those years ago.

Results are not online but the championship results are.