Wyegate Trial 2008 - Wyegate Wanderings
The bemused observations of the Clerk of the Course
Before the event several people asked me what the weather forecast was. I told them that weather was booked. I wasn't wrong! What a contrast. First thing Saturday morning and it looked ok. By the time half the riders had left the start the first drops were falling. And then it came down by the bucket. Oh well, the glorious sunshine on Sunday meant that those riders who had dragged on sodden gear on Sunday morning could take it home nice and dry.
Waiting for the riders to turn up is always a moment of anticipation. Who will actually turn up? What weird and wonderful kit will arrive? As happened back last century a representative from TBM arrived on a machine designed especially to give the course closers a nightmare. Instead of Blezard on a road spec BMW Funduro it was young Alex on a Reiju 125 complete with wheels and tyres more suitable for a BMX bike. Give him his due he did alright, only being nearly last and showing up one or two of his riding mates as well. Get some decent wheels next time though.
After several breakfast heart attacks Sue and I set off in the Landrover (I'm not as daft as I look) to see what was what. The last section in Lords Grove seemed ok. The Cheltenham Home Guard mob were happily winding each up. They should know better at their age. Along the track against the flow of traffic we came across some nice easy sections that some how were causing fun for some riders. An off camber finish to one showed those riders who knew what tyre pressures to use. I couldn't believe that some thought that "dropping to 10 psi" was going to work, half that maybe?
Further on the Bionic man had a rather nice little section going, although getting to it wasn't easy if you had failed the section before. Poor old Pete, Chief Marshal was busy dragging bikes up the bank. His comments about those riders who wouldn't use all their throttle, are best left out on a family website. Actually this and the tyre pressure issue was obvious throughout the weekend.
The section at the end was great. A steep climb up a shallow gully with a 90 left at the top. I watched Jason Bendall hit it hard on his 525, plenty of grip there then. Dan Bendall was next on a XR4, same approach, same result - a wild and woolly 3. Bruce Bendall next, a 320 Pampera should be alright on this sort of thing, but no, the commitment wasn't there and a sad 5 was the result.
What is it about the Bendall tribe? I think about 70 of them were riding, all as back up to young Henry. I reckon they share the same gene pool as the Bishops, what with their riding ability. Even more of them as well!
It looked as if things were going ok although the poor chap from Ireland who was pushing a clutchless DRZ out of the wood probably didn't think so.
So off to Roy's farm. By now it's persisting it down. We met Roy Breakwell, dressed for the weather as only a Welsh farmer knows, on his quad. He was towing a soggy Pete Hughes, well his Serow actually. "Problem?" said I. "Bike won't start, this is Roy's. It won't start either" Another 50 yards of bailer twine tugging and off they went. Spectators were asked to park at the bottom of his drive, making the most of my exalted status I drove up and saved myself a soggy trudge.
A wander round the ***t heap and a skate down the fields led to Roys 3 where a fairly happy Glen reckoned it was all a bit too easy. True enough. Rumours of a bit of slipperiness out the back of the woods had by now reached me. Glen was going to sleep. Boring this, so we wandered off down to Dave at Roys 2. Bit harder this. After a few minutes the TBM forum mob turned up. There was much chattering (what a surprise!) and a brave soul went for it. A dab or two and he was out. Next up was Mr Dunkley, he of a million forum posts. Good approach but a trifle too much enthusiasm. Somewhere I have a cracking picture of his sump guard as it went over his head. Various other forumites had a go with varying degrees of success. Next up is young Alex on the Reiju. Not a hope we thought. Much to our surprise he cleaned it then failed on the escape route. Whilst dragging him out I missed even younger Chris go over the bars. By now Sue was back in the Landrover having an early lunch. Common sense said join her, so squelching up the field I went.
What is it about fields that bring out the worst in riders? There was perfectly good clear route around the edge yet several riders who shall be nameless had to ride though the crop rather than slide a bit on the same route as the rest of the entry. It was probably the same riders who had to tear around the field by the start of the special test leaving marks all over Roy's grass. My comments shall remain unpublished!
The next section was half way up The Graig but walking up to see Mike Allen was going to get me wet again so I left him to it and went to see Jammer (Paul James) and his mob at the bottom of Jacobs Ladder. This was a bit of an unknown quantity as we haven't used it for years. A wall enclose lane with a stone base had potential for fun but it proved surprisingly easy. Not so the step at the top. I spent a happy half hour dragging up those riders who don't know what their right hand is for. I also caught the front wheels of several as they went above my head.
Tony Falconer arrived with a puncture and looking for a pump, as his had gone of with son Ben. Handily enough Angela Jones was able to do her Raleigh Rep bit and flog him one.
Up the wood is Tony's wood. An old time supporter and organiser of the event, Tony Bull is always good for a laugh. He got rather a lot. Blind brows with tight curves are the rider's lot here. All good fun! So is the drop into Barn lane. One rider looked about to burst into tears here. Further along the lane was Gavin Bailey, marking the section. Never one to hide his feelings, he was pointing out with some enthusiasm the riders deficits of commitment and their over inflated tyres.
It's back on the road towards home. At the bottom of Tregagle we met Colin and Jackie and stopped to say hello. Big mistake as I left everything electrical on and the damn Land Rover wouldn't start. Never mind there were lots of jump leads about (buy something dependable next time, like a Toyota - Ed).
It was getting on so we decided that the finish was the place to be so off we went, missing out Anthony on the exposed hill side of Keith's stream and the carnage in Pingry. What a shame.
The rugby club was a scene of wet gear mud and soggy riders. Not a gloomy face there though, which was great to see. It was a shame that a short but tough day turned out so hard, but everyone got around in some way or another and there was always tomorrow to come. (Yep! you read that right, there is more to come including his photos...)