Report by BenF.
Caerphilly MC and LCC's Ivor Morkot LDT proved popular with West Glos riders. Stan Howitt, Dave Harris, Bill Brown, Roy Breakwell, Ian Wixon, the Worgans and myself joined a healthy number of CHG and Western Centre riders for the short trip to the start at Bedwas RFC on July 11.
The Caerphilly club has plenty of LDT heritage - between them the Adams boys have won quite a lot of Wyegates - and the event promised to be a cracker.
Loads of off road going showed the club had put a really big effort in with the landowners, making it one of the best LDTs about, and worthy of being the first round of the ACU British Trailbike Trials Championship. Lots of club members who ride were out punching cards, some of them at 2 sections.
Without my minder (Falconer Snr), I tagged on to the CHG group of Messrs Eeles, Wells, Venn, Osborne, and Poel. Slowly but surely most of our group had a daft five somewhere, leaving me and Keith to glance anxiously at each other's punch cards (well I did anyway). Most of the sections were fairly straightforward and the first big threat, a section through a stream, up a bank and back round, saw me have a half-necessary dab. I fived this last year, so wasn't too unhappy. Certainly not as much as Chris Poel whose front wheel washed out inches from the ends cards - so easily done!
The raging torrent that is Pant Yr Esk was little more than a drip this year, and presented less of a threat than normal.
The weather was hot and someone kept turning the shower on and off, and waterproofs were on and off every five minutes. Near the end, the waterproofs were most definitely on, and approaching the last 2 sections atop a moor, the first real stopper loomed. An innocuous twirl in and out a big puddle was followed by a properly snotty bog. We stood in the pouring rain watching abortive attempt after another. Full marks to Tom Pike for trying another line but the front wheel dug in, and he set the record for the biggest leap over the bars. He can ride a bike, young Tom, so I figured I'd stick to the slot and if I got a 3, I'd be content. When I saw the championship holder Julian Page fail in the slot, I was worried. I needn't have been - somehow the Pampera torqued its way through. Clean! Though more to do with the bike than the rider.
The last section was pretty similar, and as soon as a rapid Scorpa T Ride rider spotted a dry line around the bog, I jumped on my bike and had more of the same. Checking our cards at the end, me and Keith were on 2 each, so who'd beaten who would be down to special test times.
Results are not yet out officially, so better not say too much on that score, but suffice to say, if I'd lost a few more, I'd have still gone home with a smile on my face. Thanks to all at Caephilly for a top day out.