www.wgdfmcc.org.uk

West Glos & Dean Forest
Motor Cycle Club

Celebrating 71 Years of Motor Cycling 1953 - 2024

Wyegate Trial Frequently Asked Questions

When reading these FAQs please keep in mind they are generic and the questions could have been asked at various times during previous events, so please don't ask 'why hasn't the road book been sent out yet?' when it is two months before your start time! There is always one source of info for any event, not just our Wyegate - Read the bloomin Regulations!

What? Your question isn't answered? - OK send us your question.

What is the sequence at sign-on?

Before Sign-on you need to have taken your bike, helmet and boots to scrutineering where you will either pick up a ticket or push your bike back to the van to go home! Remember bike changes must be notified to sec 1 hour before signing on (TSR7). Reg number must match your entry. And tyres must be correct for your Class. The Scrutineer will have a tickoff list of your entry details.

Now you may join the thankfully short queue (despite the new ACU Online entry system.) Sign-on, which confirms you comply with regs etc. and pickup your riding numbers. Check any notice boards for any last minute changes (Weather and road closures can mean you need to update your roadbook, so bring a pen.)

Why do I not show on the entry list yet I have entered?

This could be that you attempted to enter after our entry limit was full. We are able to hold your entry on a reserve list until either you choose to withdraw and have your payment refunded or a confirmed rider pulls out and enough space is created for your entry to be confirmed. The entry Sec emails all riders to confirm which option they wish to take as soon as the entry is seen (Our Volunteers do this when they have time, not instantly!) As with all email systems things can get lost so email check again if you think there is no response. The ACU entry list gives us limited options to show entry status so we repeat the listing on our own event web page where reserves are shown. Update thanks to S:80 system - We're not sure how this reserve system works yet so we'll tell you after we get past full!

The ACU system says you have spaces, yet you now tell me you are full!
The quantity of spaces shown when you had entered was correct. What you were not able to account for is the number who were at that time in a list 'Awaiting approval'. Sometimes there are 30 entries waiting to be processed by an Entry Secretary in an evening and yours just happened to be one that came in later! Life often appears to be not fair, for instance I was in a queue for riding ability but ...

Are my new Freeride's Maxxis trials tyres OK?
Our Supplementary Regulations as of 2023 state you must have a TSR8 compliant tyre on the Front and Rear. We know for sure that the Rear Maxxis that comes with the freeride is Not compliant. We are double-checking whether or not the front is also not to spec. Please don't turn up with that tyre on. You will have 119 riders watching you put your bike back in the van thinking their friend on the reserve list has been robbed of a ride!

Why haven't I got my route by email yet?
First, are you sure we have announced that we've sent them out on the event's page? If so then read on.

Every year anti-virus and spam prevention systems improve, so your email system could be thinking we are trying to sell you something and may have knocked us out. Also, some groups of riders have elected one member to sort out the entries and they have used only one email address for the whole group. Whatever, send us an email asking and it will usually come back in ok as a reply.

That's a lot of Miles in the Total Box! Help?
Ah! You are probably looking at the Box number rather than the Miles in the Total box. The left hand square box contains in bold 2 numbers and in small print a box number. The top one is the Total cumulative, which is reset every now and then around 10 miles (explained in this FAQ) and the bottom one, which is bigger or in grey, is the distance to that box from the previous one. (Our route plotter may change some of these features but you should get the drift.)

I want to try the GPS option this year, what format can you send me?
Actually this is down to whoever has created the route book. This year our techno wizard is Vess again. But, as we are trying to make things fairer for all riders I doubt he will make one.

My bike is a bit slow on the road, is there enough time to get round?
You need to keep up with normal traffic on the road sections and stay ahead of our course closers. Spare a thought for our section marshals waiting patiently for you in all weathers. The sections will not need super-low gearing. It's a Long Distance Road Trial so gear up for what you will be doing most of, road going.

Why does the road book total mileage keep changing back to zero?
Yes this needs a better explanation for anyone new to road books. If you have a mileage trip that is easy to set you could tap it at every junction to judge when you should see the next diagram, so you would be using the 'Part' distance. If you need to put effort into resetting back to zero then you don't want to do it too often, We have put resets every ten miles'ish on the cumulative (Total) distance so that you won't be too far out during that range as long as you have stuck to the course. Also bear in mind that you should be stationary when fiddling with anything other than brakes/clutch/throttle. New for this year is a smart phone application that works like a resetable trip meter if you don't have one. It is free for android plus a paid for one on an Iphone. And thanks to Burt Hughes (at Rallymoto.) for pointing us in that direction.

I'm stuck for accommodation, can you help?
Bed and Breakfast accommodation and a camp site (no electrical hook-ups) are available with one of our section landowners at Cherry Orchard Farm on the route.  If you need a hook-up, Rushmere farm has camping and is also on the route. The Orepool Inn (01594 833883) is a Motel and may have rooms available but will allow vans to park over-night on the grass at the rear of the pub. You could also try this site visitforestofdean.co.uk or phone the Tourist Information: 01594 812388.

Where is the Start?
This map should get you there. - You can even print out instructions from your home to the start on this website!

PrintingAidHelp, I've printed the PDF route but can't see the diagrams properly?
Ah yes we've spotted this problem before. When you come to printout the route some of the road lines disappear. Solve this by choosing an option of 'Print As Image'. How? when you click the print icon within a PDF file's page you should see a dialog box with a button named advanced. Click this and tick the box labeled 'Print as image'. Then print again or have a look at the other button labeled 'Printing Tips'. Also use the scaling option of 'Fit to Printable Area' as shown in the image, which improves the margins.

Can you give me more tips for using the road book?
Some of our more experienced LDT'ers go through the route instructions with a highlighter pen using Red for every 'R' (right - keep up!) and blue for the 'L's. If you are doing that please highlight the 'Quiet/Slow/Care's also. Some also pencil in the route on their OS map they carry, just in case they fall off and destroy their road book holder. Remember the Part mileage is the distance to travel before looking for the junction in the diagram. If it is 1 mile then ignore any other minor turnings until about a mile.

Do I need to put numbers on my bike?
No. We will provide numbers for you to tape onto the front and back of your bike, or back of helmet. This year we may or may not be plasticised, so they may get soggy, but they are bendy enough to tape to the back of your crash hat. Have you spotted the critical element here? You will need to bring some tape which may have to stick to a possibly wet area! Oh yes, that means bring a towel/tissues to clean/dry the area off as well. You could pre-tape one of those plastic pockets on before you arrive ready to slip the number in - leave enough room for a 110mm x 155mm number. While we are on the subject, take any other competition numbers off of your bike!

What does this Route Card/Road Book look like?
We have an example from a previous year's route that you can download to check that it will fit your carrying method. The format is similar to rally notation, which uses tulip style diagrams to represent the junction. A ball at the bottom going up to whatever junction in the middle and leaving whichever way the arrow points. Each diagram will have extra text to describe what to look out for plus we show you the mileage to the junction and the accumulated mileage from the previous reset, which is really useful if you have an easily reset-able trip. The example is printed on an A4 sheet as 2 columns, the idea being you cut them in half and join them in to one long roll with tape. The boxes are numbered as are the columns. We also have some hints on using Road Books from a previous event, Border100 But ignore the map references as we will use traditional 6 figures, or even no map references at all. (NOTE: Map references may or may not be included.)

How do other people fix their road book to the bike?
Various methods have been seen. Lets go through the options: Bee's Knee's method is the brilliant holders used by the Dakar rally riders, if a bit pricey. Have a look on the Touratech site. Manually operated ones come at a much better price. As tested for a number of years by our members, the Acerbis version can be bought from Haines & Co who can supply Acerbis holders (same as Anthony Moore uses and shown on the right in 2 photos.) at a manageable price. Click on the link for their phone number and info. You can also buy cheap rollers but I don't know where from, they are exposed to the elements and need the route waterproofing and also don't accept too many sheets. You could make your own out of the traditional butty boxes. You could put the sheets in a waterproof bag and roll them around your padded crossbar, removing them (and putting in your pocket not the ground!) as you get to the end of each sheet. Or you could put each sheet in a plastic A4 pocket and duct tape them to the crossbar letting them hang down over the tank. You may prefer to transfer the route to a map. That is why we give you the OS coordinates for each junction in some years. If you are plagued by gadget mentality, you can also use a GPS to guide you around. Depending on who is creating the route, we may be able to supply you with a computer text file that may be read into various software packages which will point you to the next junction, but be warned, we are talking about walker type GPS, Not your average TomTom Sat Nav. You will need to ask whoever the Entry Sec or main Wyegate Sec is, have a look on the regulations.

Will I be able to get Petrol on the way around
Yes, we will indicate on the route card where Petrol stations are, but there are no stations near the Orepool Inn start venue so come with a full tank.

What if I get lost?
Well it is supposed to be a navigation event as well so it will be a great learning process for you. There will be very few arrows out and probably only on private land. You could always follow the person in front but dock yourself an extra 10 marks for morally cheating! (You may also find that they are a local and popping home for a cup of tea!) You should always carry a map if all else fails, OS Explorer Sheet OL14 covers 99% of the course. More details to come.

My bike has Kilometres instead of Miles, can I have the route in Km's?
We will email those who supplied an email address soon offering you the choice. The default is in Miles.

I need glasses for reading, could I have a really big version of the route?
The standard width is about 100mm (2 columns). If you can't copy and enlarge it yourself then ask nicely (wyegatesec@wgdfmcc.org.uk) and we will make an A4 or A5 version as long as you have email to receive it.

Can I add a team to the list?
Not any more. In 2019 we removed teams to ensure everyone rides as an individual.

I didn't get a ride this year, can I come and help?
Sure, but the marshals take some organising so contact (wyegatesec@wgdfmcc.org.uk) as soon as possible and our chief marshal (may have their own email on the Wyegate Page, check.) will get back to you with the options. Incidentally, helpers will normally get preferential treatment for entry next year if it comes to full entries.

I've broken my bike/self, and can't ride. Can I get a refund?
If you contact us (wyegatesec@wgdfmcc.org.uk) in time to let a reserve have a ride then you may get a refund, however we reserve the right to charge an administrative fee or even no refund if you give us no warning!

I'm new to riding sections, is there any procedure or protocol I should know?
Well most of the information you need is in the ACU handbook, you can read it on line on the ACU site here.
There are some simple ideas/protocols that will help you as well.

  • The Observer is the boss, pay attention to them.
  • Check your numbers are clean before you enter a section.
  • Wait for the Observer to call you into the section, there could be a rider still in the section further on.
  • You are in the section when your front spindle passes the start cards and only out of it when the front spindle passes the ends.
  • If your numbers are damaged then shout your number as you pass the observer.
  • If you stop in the section please move your bike out of the section as soon as possible.
  • Observers are volunteers and deserve respect and a thank you as you pass.
  • Now you are out of the section, get clear of the end cards and don't hassle the observer by asking for your marks and distract them if other riders are coming through.
  • It is also wise to check that the observer is not shouting after you 'what is your number?' You will get a 10 if they can't see it!

I've got the route but don't understand the diagrams. Help?
They are mostly obvious with bigger roads being represented with 2 or 3 lines and tracks shown with one solid line. Wavy lines are streams or rivers. Trees show forested areas and houses could be single significant ones or groups showing built-up areas. Have a look at a previous event's help sheet, Border100 (But ignore the 12 figure OS references.)