Blackpool

[Matthew_Gibson]

What happened to the guy who was taken away? broken ankle??

Notice there only you on the podium.

More pics when I get them edited!!!

[rugbyman]

Notice there only you on the podium.

More pics when I get them edited!!!

there was actually a second and third but as soon as John exposed his armpits they both fell off

[robster]

What happened to the guy who was taken away? broken ankle??

Notice there only you on the podium.

More pics when I get them edited!!!

My competition had to go home.

Granted there were only 2 in my class but we were seperated by just 1 mark, so for us it was a fierce as for the younger lot, and as you can tell from my face i was truely made up and buzzing.

You have to be in it to win it.

What a day.

JP

there was actually a second and third but as soon as John exposed his armpits they both fell off

At least my van didn't get stuck ................................................................................

watch this space for some top pics from Fred.

[Waynio]

JP eh. what a laugh.

was a bit pi$$ed off, blackpool is one of them places, that just needs more "rolly" and more "direct" lines at the rocks, i felt a bit disheartened that riders were using lines that were cheating around or over something that was "making the section" more interesting.

was pretty angry on section 3, this was due to my rear braking finger causing me much grief, as it has dislocated on friday and wasnt feeling too great, a bit painful but still got through the day.

more tape is needed next time, make trials direct, as opposed to allowing riders to manouvre around or above flags that are intended for a direct line up/over or through something. (maybe its just my old age having a moan, but i just feel trials is loosing its "do or die" atmosphere)

Wayne.

[Nickkkkk]

didn't get to go to blackpool so i'm going to make up for it with Fort William!. Sounds as they blackpool was fun but waynes kinda right about the flags in the trials. anyone know why tape isn't used like in other trials i have seen.

Nick

[rugbyman]

didn't get to go to blackpool so i'm going to make up for it with Fort William!. Sounds as they blackpool was fun but waynes kinda right about the flags in the trials. anyone know why tape isn't used like in other trials i have seen.

Nick

It's quite simple, all the trials we set out we use tape, but at Blackpool the council wont allow us to drill into the rocks at all, so therefore it's impossible to tape, we tried with a sticky hazard tape but it wasn't that good, and what bits we did put in to try and make things more difficult were removed between us putting out that starts and ends (finished at 10.15am) and the start of the trial (10.30am). People eh!

While I'm on, just briefly can say thanks to everyone who helped, you know who you all are, it was great weekend made even better by the spirit of riders. Big thanks to Dave for taking over the observing on section 3 when i had to pop off for a while.

[Barbara]

Saturday photos here (click on UCI trial link on right)

Sunday's coming soon.

[robster]

On the old marking out thing, I have been involved in the last 2 at blackpool and belive me it is a tough place to mark out a trial.

1 because we can,t drill the rocks

2 because the rocks don't lend em selves to sticky tape

3 it's bloody windy and usally wet and

4 it is a very public place with all sorts of people and scum about that think it is a laugh to pull stuff up when we all go out for a well earned pint at night.

Waynio I can agree people do use some interesting lines but that doesn't mean you have to, I for one prefere the 0 or 5 mentality that you have addopted and it is riders like you that people want to see , so stop being a wuss and carry on inspiring people to achieve what you have done.

See you this week sometime pal.

JP

(number 1 old git)

[PaRtZ]

haha mint day! loved it, the sections were great and well marked out, maybe expert was slightly too easy but I sure as hell wasn't complaining, I was knackered.

Anyone get a pic of me and miss blackpool?

[robster]

Here is the link to the rest of the pics.

Mods please validate this guy as he can only put the pics up in nmc.

Thanks.

John

http://www.photoboxgallery.com/myeventphotography

Some great pics for you in there even a good un of me or two

Edited May 19, 2008 by robster

[Waynio]

i want to put something forward............... i will speak to you tonight about it John.

i agree it is hard at blackpool, BUT maybe some "simple" tape here and there we could make it a bit better. but someone going 7 or 8ft around or over something to short cut something???? you cant do it at a world round???? thats all i was pissed at. OH and me dislocated finger haha.

id really like to be part of the marking out of shipley glen, as it is local to me and know quite alot about it (and possibly addingham) i could possibly get Chris Akrigg to ride also, as when i was speaking with him yesterday we had similar ideas about sections and such forth. make trials more fun and less cheatable.

Scores of less than 15 i personally feel the trials are on the easy side. iv looked back at scores from 2005 in the year which i won red route, and even on yellow the scores are not on less than 15/20 marks.

Less hopping, more riding its a bike with 2 wheels for a reason, it would be a unicycle or a pogo stick otherwise.....

Wayne.

[robster]

Wayne I totally agree but it always the same few who do all the work and it gets a little hard on ""those few""

We will have a chat pal.

JP

[NSE]

As clerk of the course for Blackpool I feel inclined to comment;

Wayne, you know more than most about the restraints and limitations forced on us with regards to section marking out at Blackpool. Restrictions aside, I try to set out a fair course that will take marks – that is the object of the exercise. You suggest that some riders are taking crafty routes through the sections – I say GOOD! I say that because it costs a rider a mark to dab around a marker and that produces the end result. If you wanted you could have done the same, I assume you did not because don’t enjoy doing that, I’m pleased for you that you chose to have the most enjoyable day available and went for the risky clean instead of the safe 1.

With reference to your thoughts on the severity of the sections;

If you’re not going to look beyond the winners score for a bench mark for section severity any comp you lay out will be too hard for all but the winner. I see absolutely nothing wrong with a class winner going clean – as long as the 2nd and 3rd etc riders loose marks. Any fool can take 30 off the winner – I’ve made that mistake my self, (Brimham last year). Set out an event with a low winning score and you get one or two complaints from people that are upset because they had a stupid 5 and heaps of thanks and support from the other 98% of competitors. Any move to shift the goal posts and take a high score off the winner will fail. If Sundays winners had dropped 20 a piece what do you estimate, (or even better do the maths), the other riders would have finished on – or would they all have retired?

Fred.

Edited May 20, 2008 by NSE

[PaRtZ]

id really like to be part of the marking out of shipley glen, as it is local to me and know quite alot about it (and possibly addingham) i could possibly get Chris Akrigg to ride also, as when i was speaking with him yesterday we had similar ideas about sections and such forth. make trials more fun and less cheatable.

As one of the "cheating" riders I have to ask Wayne, do you have similar feelings if someone sidehops to pedal deliberatly in a section, when if they made more of an effort they would have got it to wheels?

[Jamie_Neal]

haha mint day! loved it, the sections were great and well marked out, maybe expert was slightly too easy but I sure as hell wasn't complaining, I was knackered.

Anyone get a pic of me and miss blackpool?

http://www.photoboxgallery.com/myeventphotography/8121420 check it out and pic no. 14 as well.

As for the lay out and severity of the sections - I for one found them at the right level (finished red on 51 I think) as I think blue would have been too easy but red was challenging but not too dangerous but not with out its risks. Especially when the wind turned up at about 3. (Having had numerous crashes at Hook Woods)

I know for Tim, Matt and Dave (1,2,3) they probably would have liked to see some more challenging sections with less room for manouverability but it probably would have meant that I couldn't have ridden half the stuff I did and definatly wouldn't have had as much fun.

On the Blackpool rocks I don't think there was much room to make the sections that much harder without making them far more ballsy - personally, I prefer the more technical side of riding than big moves.

Also, the riders who cleaned the trial probably felt under far more pressure and probably got far more satisfaction at the end as well.

Jamie

[Waynio]

i agree fred, i dont intend to aim my concerns at the "organisers" its more at the riders, and them cheating around lines that some riders will look at for a "straight line" route.

maybe its just me been old, but hey, the organisation and the sections were good, Brian Wrights section was good, and such forth, the section mick was observing was good, a lot of hopping etc, but when i spoke to ben, and asked the routes he took, he took majority of what i took. id just like to see a few sections from like the worlds in 2005.

Wayne.................

[Matt Burrows]

I know for Tim, Matt and Dave (1,2,3) they probably would have liked to see some more challenging sections with less room for manouverability but it probably would have meant that I couldn't have ridden half the stuff I did and definatly wouldn't have had as much fun.

I was more than happy with the sections! I did find a couple were quite easy on the Sunday, but I think thats because they suited my riding style more than usual. Because of this I really enjoyed all the sections and felt good about my ride.

The only thing I was a bit surprised about was that Saturday turned out to have the harder sections. I was really keen to give Elite a try, but was put off by the danger of some moves and realised red was still challenging. I would have thought it made more sense to have the Sunday yellow route as the tougher day. All the riders are seeded and should be more than capable of riding it, compared to Saturdays UCI where many less skilled riders like myself should be riding yellow. This is a minor point though, I rode Red on Saturday and thoroughly enjoyed it.

It was great to see members of the public take an interest, something which will only help the sport grow. This is only possible if the event is run smoothly and professionaly. So a big thankyou to all involved in organising such a top event, I am very grateful as I'm sure everyone is. A brilliant weekend of riding!