www.hrc1.org
www.hrc1.org
FEBRUARY NUMBER
109
NEWS AND COMMENT
– NOTE THESE DATES!
COMMITTEE MEETING
Wednesday 10th March 8.30 pm – Dog
and Bacon, Horsham. This will combine
with club night, also it’s the final
for the year before the following
AGM
Wednesday April 7th 8 pm Dog &
Bacon, Horsham
Last April, following extraordinary
pleas for help, we managed to gather 20 odd
members and from them got the committee
we needed, hopefully this will repeat
itself but full details of Agenda
next month.
TRAINING TRIAL – Rome Woods –
Saturday 14th February
As usual this is for members only,
signing on starts at about 12 noon. Half a
dozen red/yellow. blue sections
will be laid out to practice on until 2.30 pm (ish),
then a two lap scoring trial on
same route. Maybe there will be onlookers to
advise but ask other riders if they
can see where you’re going wrong. Ride or try
any route you like then enter what
route you’ll be on for the event.
Entry fees : £5.00 Adults
£3.00 Schoolboys/girls
VOLUNTEERS WANTED : Anyone willing
to arrive early, say 10 am, to set out the
sections will be most welcome –
phone Dick.
SOUTH COAST GROUP MEETING
This was held at Crawley with some
members from all the clubs involved
attending. It was agreed that
charges for Group Trials in 2004 will be £12 adults
and £8 schoolboys. All
trials will have 4 routes, there are 12 events in the
championship series, best 10 events
to count with points awarded for finishing
position in the class. Clubs
schedule is as follows :
January Eastbourne
July Brighton, Ifold
February Carshalton
August Eastbourne
March Eastbourne
September Southern Trials Club
April Bognor
October Eastbourne
May Horsham, Rome
November Bognor
June Crawley,
Birchanger December Brighton,Faygate
Being motorcyclists I suppose most
of us have felt the cold shoulder of a pub
landlord at some stage over the
years, well this one was different. Mark Webber’s
pub was home from home - a photo
album on the bar, huge plates of delicious
sarnies, nice beer, the tastiest
pickled onions and hot sausages, boy did he spoil us
- so he’s the tops and when he beats
Alan Lavender he’ll be up there on the top
rung of the blues too! Thanks
Mark, we’ll be back.
Some must have known of the 5 star
treatment as there was a good number turn
out for an evenings teeth gnashing
around Derek Head’s trial at Rome. Did I
detect some glee that Nipper’s rib
cage was not intact after setting out the course
and the spleen, well that’s a bonus.
Gary B said at the next event there would be
5 routes, one marked ‘Derek H only’
and Clint said it’s gonna be hard! Nick H was
missing his normal 5 pints night
out and stayed on Shandy as he had to drive.
Tim downed a couple and got stopped,
breathalysed, 200 yds up the road. Tim
was crimson - the tube turned orange.
Keith Tracy told us he’d got Dan Laker’s
wreck and would fit it up with a
250 Honda 4 stroke - take about a year he
reckons. Kevin B was eager
to have the club news in colour till it turned out to
cost £2 a copy and someone
said ‘no-one ever learnt anything from Dick!’ to which
Biff responded that he did when
shown how to punch his card - it was upside
down!
But we can’t go to Mark’s every
club night as it’s too far for some so we’ll feed it in
as often as we can - watch the events
page so you don’t miss it.
AUTOMATION - THE CONSEQUENCES
When you renew membership our highly
efficient machine prints the new labels for
Newsletter posting from details
on the new list. Some 70 - 80 members have
renewed but 50 - 60 have yet to
do so - they won’t get a News until they do. It
causes a bit of a problem with setting
out teams when we don’t know who’s
coming or going so please - give
us a break and do it now, if you’ve binned the
form send in your details with £8
now - you can sign at the next trial. (Form also
available on www.hrc1.org)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
These can be sent to Fiona or Mike
on their email address and if not rude will be
published - let’s have your views.
This week we had 3 ………
One from Australia - Just a quick
line to say what an excellent website.
Keep an eye on my little (?) brother
Nick Herridge for me. He tells me he's
getting on well with his Gas-Gas
but the results indicate otherwise!!! Tim Herridge.
One from Swindon - Although it’s
50 years since my last trial I endured HR spin,
joined HR and have got a 200 Gasser,
my wife thinks I’m mad, do I need help?
The website is brilliant.
Bernard Oxborrow (he did the Scottish in 1952 so yellows
will be easy!)
One Anon - I heard it was an accident but did Rome’s C of C survive?!
MONSOONS FOR MARKERS AT FEBRUARY TRIAL
It was tipping it down on Saturday
and gales made it worse; when Clint called for
the kit it was a case of rather
you than me. But the Harleys (Clint said that’s not a
motorbike and wants another H) were
a happy team. Gary Medhurst, John
Illingworth and Keith Edwards hacking
away at the rhodos with Derek’s machete,
sorting out suitable sections for
this weather, did a good job as the scores show
and only 3 dnfs on the top 3 routes.
Everyone praised the event and at signing on
several said they were sorry for
the team that had the job and gave them a
thought on Saturday! They
had no bikes so Clint went to check sections early on
Sunday and reported section 7 would
be flat out in 4th to get up the banks for
whites.
For Sunday a fine day. Duncan
Archer hadn’t been around for a bit ‘bad back’ he
says. Tea Bag - no bike today?
- ‘Bad back’ he says, Tim gives him exercises in
the caravan relating tales of his
‘bad back’ but Dave’s was so bad ‘the Mrs has to
put my socks on’. You get
to expect the Farmers to arrive late - ‘it’s the cows’ but
Mark Webbers ‘I’m waiting for the
pub chimney to be swept’ was a new one. He
raised himself to the white route
and didn’t he do well on it especially as his plug
had to get cleaned with my lighter
and The Sunday Times before the bike would
start. A bikeless Derek came to
pay his dues, our Newsletter ads sell things quick,
will his next mount be trials or
a track day update - you can do 18.75 club trials
for the cost of a track day, does
Mrs Napper know this? And where was Richard S?
- basking in Country music at Frimley
Lakeside.
Blues first where the finishing
order aligned virtually with the ladder order. Alan
Lavvy at the top and Kev (UK) Brooker
tagging along, his bike stopped and he
pushed back missing a lot of sections
but asked us to add 5’s as he didn’t want a
dnf - the bike is in the small ads!
Richard Darlison and Kev Thompson (now on
Sherco) were having their usual
battle - the 1 mark difference half way grew to 6
in Kev’s favour even though he rode
section 1 without having the petrol on. Benge
was having a good day finishing
ahead of Dave Blackman by 4 points but the long
suffering Benge steed was sad at
the end with a tyre off the rim and without a
front mudguard - ‘I’ve been waiting
for these to bust so I can put the new ones on’
he says. Ian McCulloch asked
the audience not to laugh as he plunged down
section 7, we didn’t and he cleaned
it looking over his shoulder at the ‘ends’ which
was not forthcoming. John
Illingworth had set the blues, couldn’t be there in the
morning but came after lunch to
help clear up. Unable to get parked his car was in
the entrance narrowing the opening
- as we were leaving Tea Bags Transit was
slipping in the stream nearby and
a caravan had to taken off a 4 wheel drive to get
him out. Jesse Brooker had
a good day too, Dad, Pete’s shoulder prevented him
riding so Jesse was riding with
Adam Bird so perhaps he’ll be up to White soon.
Yellows were set by Gary M who rode
his Fantic to his best finish yet - 2nd behind
Phil Jobbins Senior (Junior has
other teenage interests!) Phil was finding it all
rather easy and promises to go up
to Blue next time. Shock news was John
Yardley pushed down to 3rd spot
when he had a 5 on section 4 on the last lap -
he’d ridden the first 2 laps for
4 then dropped 14 when it got slippery. John
Richmond was only 1 behind showing
he’s on form for India on the Enfield’s next
month. Dan Webber topped the
6 schoolboys on this route, Richard Laker leaving
brother Andrew well behind in spite
of his numerous attempts at one section - it’s
the first that counts Andrew!
John Pocklington made a zero sign as he passed the
van window on finishing ‘you wish’
got shouted back. But today’s star was Biff
Harrison, he’d done one trial where
he completed 2 laps of red and here he was on
yellows in control - a few silly
errors cost him 90 marks but what progress -
where’s he been to practice?
White route was contested by 8 riders
and even though Clint lost 21 scores at the
wrong end didn’t go OTT so they
likely all lost marks on one or two sections. Scott
Farley the only schoolboy on the
route was in second spot and Mark Webber’s first
time on HR whites rewarded him well
- he needs Alan L up there to keep him on
his toes. There was only ten
points between the next 4 riders so it was anyone’s
guess on finishing order which was
unusual when Mark Jordan led Pete Penton
home and only 5 ahead of Duncan.
Adam Bird no longer a schoolboy entered as
Inter but noting his results elsewhere
there will soon be an E appearing after his
name.
Finally reds - leader Miles Packham
was so keen to get the results he enquired at
the caravan at the finish.
9 riders started but 3 found the tracks between sections
too tiring to get to the finish.
Jack Northover and Dominic Philpot kept at it as their
brothers retired and only schoolgirl
Katie got in 4th - on a slippery day they all did
well. Thanks to the Harleys for
a good event especially Keith Edwards who joined
the team and Jesse who helped them
all clear up - the muddy mess on my bench
is the result!
Thanks to Steve Hook for this months
photos.
RESULTS here
Eastbourne Club were at Hourn Farm
for this one, that’s the site with lots of
stream sections, all day rain didn’t
help matters when waters got deep and the
banks slippery causing some high
marks for lower white riders. A good entry low
on HR’s and last years Intermediate
Class championship Duncan A didn’t appear.
Selected Results
White Route : Exp. 1 (A Blackman
16) 6. P. Martin 46 8. A. Peach 75
Blue Route : Nov 1 (N. Varney
31) 4. Adam Bird 35 7. P. Bowker 45
Over 40 1 (S. Farrall 17)
6. Mick Huskinson 39 7. Mike Husband 45
16.
Yellow Over 50 1 (T. Franks 42)
2. Bob Collins 57
Next event is Carshalton at Don Barratts 9th February
YOUR RESULTS FOR 2003
- HOW MANY RUNGS DID YOU CLIMB?
As Revealed by the
2003 LADDER
Rules of the ladder system were published in issue 97 February 2003 as follows :
1. You must complete 4 events
to qualify
2. Enter 6/7 events - lose
1 worst score
3. Enter 8/9 events - lose
2 worst scores
4. Enter 10/11 events - lose
3 worst scores
5. Enter 12/13 events - lose
4 worst scores
A bonus deduction is given for the
amount of trials entered - ie enter 6 events -
5 best scores to count - totalled
and divided by 5 - then take off 6 bonus for the
amount of events entered.
On the enclosed ladder results we
have listed those that have qualified to occupy a
rung according to the above and
by showing your 2002 results you can compare
your progress or lack of it.
Interestingly few places change and as 2002 results
did not have bonus points the level
of trials severity is about the same. Thanks to
Komputational Kev and Fiona who
worked all this our, the printout occupied 3 A4
sheets full of members showing everything
in every event - it was beyond these
old brain cells so it’s been simplified
and we’ll ask KK to present it this way in
future.
The Ladder is here
pdf file
RIDER PROFILES
Many moons ago Clint and Garry Budgen
suggested we made this a feature in the
Newsletter and that we send out
questionnaire to get member details. I thought it
a good idea but it got no further.
Coming across the above photo I thought these
two warranted a marketing.
RICHARD SHOESMITH - pictured on the
right
Joined HR in 1996. Rides yellows
on a 250 Gas Gas, started on the low rungs but
now up near the top. He’s
helped
the club on it’s way, got us the caravan free of
charge, is on the committee and
is now TEAM ORGANISER checking everyone’s
available for setting out.
Richard is a farmer on the Downs and when it’s harvest
time he disappears for a few trials.
His transport is a Series 3 Land Rover which
sometimes has problems like his
tent at camping weekends which has produced
some head scratching in the past.
Also rides a road bike, recently changed from
SV650 as Pat, his wife, found pillion
uncomfortable and he’d like to get some road
riders together from the club for
the odd spin out.
DAVE ALDER - on the left
Joined HR in 1997. Rides yellows
on 250 Beta and sometimes finishes. He is one
of the Chessington mafia group of
old BT men and his prolific consumption of
India’s best leaf has earned him
the title of tea bag. His transport is a Transit van
equipped with stove and water bowser
that allows an immediate brew when it
stops. Dave has arranged ALL
the PRACTICE DAYS at Don Barratt’s for our guys
once a month making him one of HR’s
great assets. He is a road and trail bike
rider recently acquiring a Pan European
which goes quicker than allowed much of
the time. Although a long
way Dave manages some of the club nights where many
pints clear the tea stained tubes
only to be coked up with emission from the
enjoyment of a Panatella.
SEND A PICTURE AND DETAILS AND WE’LL
GIVE YOU A GOING OVER TOO!
Trials Beyond the Universe?
Your current trials experience may
well exist entirely within the HR universe, but there is much
more out there and you don’t need
to be a real ace to take part and enjoy these events.
First off in the South Coast Group
trials, these take place on the second Sunday of each month and
are run by several local clubs using
AMCA permits. This means you can just turn up on the day and
enter with no fuss or pre planning.
Severity of sections is slightly harder than an average HR event
for each route normally, but this
will vary with the weather.
Most other events are run by the
ACU & to ride these you’ll need to join a ACU club & the ACU.
This will enable you to ride several
“National Championship” series.
Don’t be put off by the Championship
tag, read on.
The easiest of these is the Sammy
Miller series. Intended for Pre 65 bikes (old fourstrokes ..ask
Dick...) but also allowing Trail
Bikes and now Spanish twinshocks to take part. The idea is to
recreate the old style trials of
the 1950s (ask Dick...). Usually starting from a Pub the event will
have one lap of about 35 miles and
35 sections. They aim to take low marks from the winners and
usually suceed. John Richmond &
I have ridden several of these on a Beta Alp & Gas Gas Pampera
repectively. John rides the easy
route & I try the harder route. So you may need another bike for
this series and it will need
to be taxed and insured too. Rounds are held all over England & Wales
with one in the Isle of Wight this
year. with the right bike most of you HR riders could ride this
series.
One of the best series is the Classic
series, usually a fair bit trickier than the Sammy Millers these
also follow a style of older events
with one or two laps sometimes with road work. The classes are
for Twinshock, Air-cooled monoshock,
Pre-65 and anyone over 40 on any bike. I ride the Beta in
these and ten years ago used a Triumph
Tiger Cub for a few years. Tough trials on an old bike for
an average rider, but perfect on
a Beta! If you are finishing halfway up the HR blue route (and are
old enough) then think about riding
some of these. Many of this series have a class for any other
rider i.e. not 040 on a modern bike.
Again 10 rounds nationwide with the nearest being the Phil
King near Chelmsford last Sunday.
Ladder climbers will need to know
that there is yet another two series to aim for - the Novogar -
aimed at the better riders, such
as Group trial potential winners. Normally not HR contestants,
although I believe King Clint has
ridden a few. And the British Championships with three routes set
out, with the top route suitable
for King Doug!
There are a handful of two and one
three day trials run in Yorkshire & the Lake district and most
have two routes the easier being
tagged a Clubman route but probably suitable for our white or
experienced blue route riders.
Finally there is France. Here four
events of three to five days are held and all have multi routes
catering for most standards of riding,
even HR’s clubmen. HRs that have ventured abroad in the
past include Dick, Fiona, Tim, John
R, Rich Darlison & Jeff Cox. I’ve ridden out there most years
and I’m aiming to ride three French
trials this year.
Dates of the French "classic" trials:
10/04/04 to 12/04/04 3 Jours
DE TRIAL EN INDRE - LA CHATRE
20/05/04 to 23/05/04 LES 4 JOURS
DE L`AVEYRON SAINT GENIEZ D`OLT Département :12
15/07/04 to 18/07/04 4 JOURS DE
LA CREUSE SARDENT Département : 23
24/08/04 to 28/08/04 5 JOURS DU
VERDON DIGNE BOADE SENEZ ALLOS Département : 4
So there is a whole galaxy of trial
for your entertainment. If you need more info on any of these
trials see Trials & MX news
for Uk events or give me a call or email about France. Mike H
HR CLUB STICKERS - 4 for £1.00
for your road bike or car
HR CLUB RIDING SHIRTS - M, L, or
XL £25 each - phone Dick
MERLIN MOTORCYCLES sells Gas
Gas, Sherco, Scorpa, Montesa & Beta Trials and Gas Gas
Enduro bikes. Offers spares, service
& tunning too. Also imports Honda XR’s and yamaha TT600
R
and WR 450 F. www.motomerlin.co.uk
-
coming
soon : Trials Bike Hire
MERLIN BOOKS sell motorcycle
books and videos, new and secondhand - free catalogue or
www.merlinbooks.com
Mike Husband 01403 257626
HEADLINE ENGINEERING For aluminium
and stainless welding - helicoil thread repairs - cylinder
head, brake discs/drums refining
- all machining work - one off and prototypes.
Phone Derek Head 01306 712565