The Roy's Stream Novice/Trail bike Trial - 14 Jul 2012
Words: Colin Jones
Would you believe this result? I didn't, I even phoned Graham to double check. Viv wins the Easy route, and much more believable, Huw wins the hard.
With a trial that is actually aimed at being suitable for beginners to come and have a go without slaughtering them, this, as they say, does what is says on the tin. Three complete newbies to trials entered. My boy Viv, (only because I was too ill to ride MY bike). Owain, Rod Jones' lad, who had only ever ridden the hill climb before and more used to road bikes. And Ian and Carol Wixons's Nephew Oliver, who was really in at the deep end, only had a bike 2 weeks and gets entered for an actual event!
I'm sure many potential riders played wimps and didn't enter, probably because they expected us to call off last minute or provide such high scores they'd never walk properly for a week after all the legging but Clerk of Course Matt got it right. I'd have enjoyed riding it myself and the rest of you missed out as the weather made a window for us with only 2 drops during the event before it p'eed down after we'd cleared up, we had enough grip to get through almost everywhere without too much legging.
A few had gremlins to deal with. Nick drowned his immaculate EXC and Sam had some electrical outages.
The hard route was marked out to be manageable if it was dry, so most were advised to not punish themselves with it, but Huw decided a good whipping was called for and pushed on for a respectable score. He also wins extra credits for doing the 4th lap (as did Ian) and an extra one again after with Viv, Owain, Rod and Matt to clear up. (Did you notice how I slid out of doing signing-on? Thanks Jack)
The cognoscenti (Roy and Jules & Jim) came out to see the newbies put themselves through their paces and were impressed. Oliver was improving his rides on virtually every lap whilst his tutor Ian was getting worse on some!
Owain had support of dad although that could have been to laugh when he got it wrong. Viv and Owain are of course both well known Mountain bikers so should have mastered 2 wheels by now but applying power with an engine wasn't plain sailing, also they had to learn the rules along the way. And as only Huw was doing Hard route, Matt neglected to explain the white markers which indicated the hard route, that threw them a bit too. but I'm more inclined to believe the scores as they rode together. Viv was beginning to think he might beat Owain when he cottoned on that he was in fact on a Randonne trail bike and it was only 125, you could call it a draw then, maybe.
When is the next battle? Well, Steve Workman and the Coopers have persuaded Viv to try a rocky trial, t
hat should put him back in his place!