The Wallace was a bit of a let-down this year. Usually it’s so dangerous that you can expect to see lots of crashes from all and sundry, but this time the sections were so easy that they wouldn’t have terrified me if I’d been riding. So what happened, why the boring trial? Well evidently the organisers had a visit from the Berkshire Safety Police just prior to the event and they put the frighteners on. You don’t argue with that lot.
The Colmore was much more like it, all the big hills at Dovedale were in as usual and I had a really entertaining time watching the “two stone riders” flying up into the sky past the ends cards. It was while I was there that I had this strange conversation with a young rider that I’ve never seen before. He had made his attempt on the hill using the technique, as seen in all the best trials DVD’s, of revving the nuts off the engine, in fourth gear with the clutch in, then releasing the clutch and aiming for the top. Unfortunately his brand new engine hadn’t taken too kindly to this treatment and had siezed solid on him. He came back down the hill, came to a stop nearby and then took up the Richard Fogg recovery position.
After a few minutes he collected himself and started to kick the engine over, but it wouldn’t fire and with each kick he was getting more angry. Really,I suppose I should have moved away at this point, but I tried to help him out by suggesting that he might try starting the bike with the choke on. Bingo, it ran but as soon as the choke was off it stopped again. “Why is it doing that?”, he asked. “I don’t know, maybe the carb is empty. Take the carb off and have a look”. “Oh I can’t be bothered with all that stuff”, was his reply and he marched off looking for his dad.
At the time I thought his behaviour to be off the wall, but the more I’ve thought about it the more I’ve come to realise that he wasn’t that unusual in not being in the least bit interested in the mechanics or maintainance of his motorcycle. Most young riders around today are like that. What they are interested in is the look and presentation of their bike and the position of those all important stickers, but nothing else. If it goes wrong that’s dad’s job and he’s to blame if it can’t be fixed. Unfortunately the result of this situation is that it is producing a generation of bike wreckers, with absolutely no concept of mechanical feel or sympathy for their machines.
I suppose that this would be OK if all the bikes were built like brick-privies but modern trials bikes aren’t made like that. They are all built these days to be as light as possible and can be very fragile in the wrong hands. An already dicy situation is likely soon to be made even worse, if the reports of the latest designs due for production are to be believed. It looks like at least two makers are vying with each other to find the most stupid place to put the fuel tank, one choosing inside the back mudguard and the other low down in front of the engine. I dread to think what will happen when Joe Public gets his hands on these. I think to be safe I’ll stand well back behind a tree when they turn up.
Last month we welcomed to her post our new Centre-Secretary, Theresa Talbot, who won the ballot by a landslide. There’s an old saw that says, ” If you want a job done quickly and well then give it to someone who’s already busy”. She keeps quite busy. There’s a house to run, Wilts-Border club to oversee, stewarding and observing, running a four-person trials team, IC Church flowers, Mothers’ Union, Womens’ Institute and President of the Foxham and Kington-Langley Smallholders Association. There’s another old saw that says, “If you’re of a nervous diposition don’t argue with a busy person”. So trust me if Mrs Talbot says it’s wednesday then it’s wednesday. Ba