Trials Uci Support From British Cycling.

[JackMeek]

Im not quite sure what the story is with british cycling. They have turned away some of our top uk riders who represent our country. I will not be mentioning names so they are not effected in any way by this topic.

I feel that if we shout for help for our top riders to have support by just copy and pasteing and send to there British cycling facebook webpage they will start to notice.

This is the link.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/British-Cycl...2908144?ref=ts#

This is the copy and paste comment.

WHY IS THERE NO SUPPORT FOR UK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP UCI RIDERS IN BIKE TRIALS?

This is just to get the ball rolling and make them aware we exist on a larger scale than they previously thought.

I hope we, the bike trials community, can help our riders, who deserve support.

Thanks

Jack Meek

Edited February 4, 2009 by JackMeek

[Rusevelt]

It would interesting to find out in detail, the real reason why UCI cancelled freestyle bmx, and skateboarding events from Bejing 2008 olympics when at the start of bejing olympics campaign, uci gave its full support to both events. Its the same sh*t with the uk trials scene, we need to know the reasons why uci failed to show their support for the top uk comp riders without the bullsh*t politics. ultimately, its a give and take situation with sports governing bodies/organizations that if they decide to put time, money and resources into something, they expect something in return for their efforts. Next month's london could be a good promo event if we could get a few uci representatives or someone from london 2012 team to come down and observe the scene.

Edited February 4, 2009 by Rusevelt

[JackMeek]

Already on it.

[Scotty Evil1]

Already on it.

Officially THE ledgend!!

[ben_travis]

Completely understand your opinion Jack and I do follow your notion....our top riders do need more support from British Cycling - lets be honest we know who the most eligible riders for support from british cycling are - however I am not sure facebook is the right way to go about things?

Firstly, I dont have, nor wish to have a facebook account so I cannot post my support for your petition (as it were). Secondly, i feel it would be more appropriate to get in touch with them directly (email or set up an online petition which we (as a forum / group) can then send directly to the committee at British Cycling).

From your initial reply to the first comments on this topic, my assumption is that you are currently attempting to get officials from UCI / British Cycling down to note the following trials has around europe / the UK, which is the best idea of this topic i must add, and hopefully it will give them an idea of the size of the sport. Only downside I can offer to this is that I feel British Cycling do not see the commitment to competition which they will see on the London ride.

Branching off slightly from the topic - trials has had its problems for a long while, with some examples being the following:

• TGS / Street Constant debate
• people unwilling to travel to competitions etc
• lack of competitions
• TWO supposed british championships in the same year
• a non standard set of rules (biu vs. UCI)
• laymen not understanding rules
• in the UK especially - bad locations for competitions (for public view)

My main feeling is that british cycling do not see trials as good media exposure, with it being a much smaller sport than DH / XC and the general age of people able to do the sport being much lower (aside from the obvious riders) it might not appear that attractive to those above a certain age. I also feel that the problems we had with two 'groups' arguing for the british trials series which then led to two different series with two different sets of rules. Something we definitely need to standardise (a hand up here for UCI rules - as its more attractive to the eye).

Sorry i got a little carried away there, however I feel these are all points we need to address before I think British cycling will take us seriously. Competitions need to be attended better (myself included in this) all round the UK as this would prove to British Cycling that the potential is there after the current crop of riders get older and stop competing (i know this is a long way off).

Please note - I fully support where your going with this Jack, and i feel that we should be attempting to get trials in the UK noticed more. If you want my help with anything feel free to drop me a PM or an email then I will be more than willing. I just wanted to put my opinions in (partly cos i like a good debate, but also because I feel a subject such as this needs to be put into a 'realist' perspective). Also, as i mentioned previously, if there is a more 'global' way of getting us heard then i feel this would be better than face book.

Ta

Ben

[forteh]

Also is spamming the facebook wall with lots of repeated shouted messages really going to win their hearts?

I agree with ben

[walker]

It going to raise awareness though. It still feels like trials is the forgotton cycle sport...

Nice one Jack, keep on it!

Andrew

[forteh]

It going to raise awareness though. It still feels like trials is the forgotton cycle sport...

Nice one Jack, keep on it!

Andrew

Im not saying that its a bad thing to do, far from it; more that perhaps a more diplomatic approach may be more successful. That said I have had no involvement in the past and dont really know any of the history in this case, just my opinon

[JackMeek]

The FaceBook idea is just the beggining.

It is a sublte question. Why dont they Support?

The question should be asked. Just to get chit chat underway in the cycling industrie. It is know way a Bully tecnique and is definitly not Spamming, just a unansweard quetion.

Just ask the question and leave it there. see what happens. Do Not right anything else or add a aggresive comment.

It is to make the British cycling community and riders aware there is a issue. Build this up and they wont stop talking about it till it gets resolved.

I am going to chase up the British cycling and all who are connected to them for research to find out the delicate way of setting this up for the long run.

Branching off slightly from the topic - trials has had its problems for a long while, with some examples being the following:

TGS / Street Constant debate

people unwilling to travel to competitions etc

lack of competitions

Essex bike trials club

Hamshirebike trials club

ymsa Tyke trials club

B.I.U Official National Rounds

Bike trial federation UCI rounds Adding up to more than 30 compitions dates

Add if you know more.

TWO supposed british championships in the same year. THERE IS ONLY ONE AND YOU ALL KNOW WHO IT IS. DO YOUR RESEARCH PEOPLE TO DECIDE WHO WAS THERE FIRST. Its is up to you who you want to go to and my choice is to attend both and undertand there differences.

laymen not understanding rules. UNDERSTAND THEM BOTH Both its not that complicated.

in the UK especially - bad locations for competitions (for public view) THIS WILL CHANGE ONCE BIKE TRIALS PARKS ARE BUILT TO SIZE TO HANDLE BEING A COMPITION VENUE. Alic C beat me to getting mine done.

Design a plan and take evidence to your local council and give it a go. You will be Hero if you can get one built with permission and faunding.

We dont even have evidnce from British cycling that any of this is the problem. Once confirmation from the person at the top of british cycling answears we can start getting somewhere.

The clubs dont know there full potential to contacting new members and intice them to at least give a comp a go in there local area. This can be changed with better communication and brain storming at club meetings By inviting expert/elite riders and parents for coffee and biscuits to put hands up and throw ideas.

Just soloution ideas, no Digs.

Thanks

Jack Meek.

[Ash-Kennard]

It going to raise awareness though. It still feels like trials is the forgotton cycle sport...

Nice one Jack, keep on it!

Andrew

and its the best one

[skuzzbucket]

As i do not have or want a face book account i would like to place my support to the cause in question.

also to add that the comp scene has taken a bit of a knock in the last few years, i support my local club HBTC series and attend as many others, if only just to watch. but have notice that a few years ago we could expect somewhere between 100-150 riders per comp for around the area,

but last year it was more like 30ish max.

i do feel that more support to the comp scene is a way forward in showing the UCI and the rest of the world that we to are a force in biketrials.

hopefully gonna see more riders this year as i'm not sure how long these smaller club events can go for on such small numbers.

maybe we need to increase the number of excessable trial venues or even produce a series of Andrei Burton style trials events. (can't remember the name but the one in devon)

course getting more media coverage would be a Massive help as it would help show joe public that we are not a bunch of mindless vandels but hardcore sport fanatics.

Good luck with the campaign jack and hope to see you in london and many others .

Edited February 5, 2009 by skuzzbucket

[Ross McArthur]

What about making a video and sending it into channel 5? They tent to show stories that folk have sent in and that could get trials some notice?!

[duncshaw]

I agree with much of what ben said.I dont think anyone will argue that the top few riders deserve support at world championships. I think over the past few years brit trials riders have won 4 golds and 3 silvers?am i right in the juniors? British cycling no doubt will use this succes to get their funding but then doesnt give the trials riders the benefits. I dont think taking uci reps on the london ride will help your cause though. Its just two very seperate things.Its a competition issue and dont see how taking them on a massive street ride will make them think differently. They will be very elite minded and seeing aload of folk bashing up the streets of london will do more harm than good. Before anyone gets at me that wasnt a dig on anyone and i think the ride sounds awesome i just dont thing british cycling officials will feel the same.

The way forward has to be one uci british championships, in venues such as fort william and blackpool where people can actually watch. Having two series is just wrecking everything and has personally put me off for the past couple fo years.

out of interest? how many riders to people think should be supported for the world champs?

[AdamAllen]

I agree with what Ben says, also I think that because trials is so small, unlike downhill/XC/BMX there's no chance of anybody making a living out of it, am I right in thinking that the top downhill riders just do that and don't work day jobs?

Something else that needs to be looked upon?

What about making a video and sending it into channel 5? They tent to show stories that folk have sent in and that could get trials some notice?!

Great Idea man, I mean people will say "Meh that'll never get anywhere." But whats the harm in trying, I know for one that if people like my Dad/Uncle were to see trials on the telly they would defiantly watch it, even if I had never bothered with it, and there's got to be more people like that in the world.

Adam.

[JackMeek]

Spreading the word will eventually become hot gossip in the british cycling employees. Now i no for a fact there are people in contact with them in the trials world and riders have made contact to get support.

If they meet again, longer conversations will happen and more of them with other riders that attemp to approach. Continue to communicate and push and links to the right people will appear and realationships will grow with them in time.

Trials riders are all over the country and talent scouts are out there alot trying to find more velodrome riders all the time. If you see them have a chin wag with them about the trials issue.

If Ben savage got them on his side once upon a time. It can be done again and this time even better for riders and clubs.

It will take time but it will happen.

[Rusevelt]

Lets be frank, the british government doesn't give a toss about promoting any form of sport unless someone successfully brings home a medal, or world championship title. after which they exploit that individual with news media coverage until it becomes old news with the general public. The uk trials scene has never really needed the support of sports organizations like uci to sustain itself when you look closely at the growth of competition riders compared to casual riders.

[JackMeek]

Lets be frank, the british government doesn't give a toss about promoting any form of sport unless someone successfully brings home a medal, or world championship title.

This not true.

The attitude is to be positive towards our goverment and to push this. It can be done.

after which they "EXPLOIT" that individual with news media coverage until it becomes old news with the general public.

It is not Exploiting. It is coverage and interest from the media. It only helps. Chirs hoy has achieved some amazing feats. The people who have been behind the scenes to help shanaize (female olympic bmx track racer) to get to that level are people to look up to.

The uk trials scene has never really needed the support of sports organizations like uci to sustain itself.

when you look closely at the growth of competition riders compared to casual riders. Where have you got your results from to see the growth difference?

So that sentance i would agree to include the uci. It also means all the sports orgainizations which gets rid of all the Bike trial clubs. Which woould create a butterfly affect and alot of people would not reicive sponsor support. Less riders to look up to. Trials slowly dies out in the uk. With no stuctured side to the sport. But theres always trialsforum. But then there is no topic on interesting riders due to lack of riders.

Can trials live totally unstrucutred.

Trials is so broad with it styles and brilliance to be able to do it anywhere anytime. But the topic is we need British cycling on our side to support our potential world champions. At Competition level.

They deserve it.

[psycholist]

Lets be frank, the british government doesn't give a toss about promoting any form of sport unless someone successfully brings home a medal, or world championship title. after which they exploit that individual with news media coverage until it becomes old news with the general public.

This is frighteningly true - it's actually the likes of McDonalds and Mars that we have come to rely on rather than the government for putting money into getting people active without worrying about whether they can bring their country glory at world class level (Which is often dubious in the big money sports, especially road/MTB racing thanks to rampant drug abuse). The question that should probably be asked is whether it's better to have a country where people spend a lot more time watching sport on TV rather than playing the sport themselves...

[JackMeek]

British Cycling Supporting top uk championship riders. Lets not get lost.

[Rusevelt]

Exactly jack, because they are champions!

[N.Wood]

Kinda pointless supporting those who are already champions (to an extent), its those who show promise and COULD be champions with the support from British Cycling are the ones to look after.

[Rob Brodie]

just a thought jack, get some t-shirts made up saying 'we get no support from our country' on?

Give them to riders that do go to other countrys to compete and maybe even get the people over here wearing them.

if they see a load of photos from competitons with us all in them surely that would make them sit up and take notice?

[Ali C]

pretty much all went down hill when Fred Savage got his foot in the door with the UCI folks.

[liam n]

This is the copy and paste comment.

WHY IS THERE NO SUPPORT FOR UK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP UCI RIDERS IN BIKE TRIALS?

I COPIED AND PASTED !!!

What about making a video and sending it into channel 5? They tent to show stories that folk have sent in and that could get trials some notice?!

good idea someone who can make a good video could use parts from the london vids of all the people and a bunch of clips from a trial of young and older competitiors...and then u sould advertise all the clubs and barrow farm etc ;D

just a thought jack, get some t-shirts made up saying 'we get no support from our country' on?

Give them to riders that do go to other countrys to compete and maybe even get the people over here wearing them.

if they see a load of photos from competitons with us all in them surely that would make them sit up and take notice?

i would wear one of thos t-shirts quite happily...not that im a very good trials rider..i'd just wear one and i'd pay up to £5 for the privelage or maybe more if your lucky

[kevind]

Just a further point, when I set up Scottish Bike trial Club, I contacted Scottish Cycling to see if they would put a page up on their website to let people see/contact the club. The reply from up high is they dont recognise trials cycling so they cant help/do anything. Even put a page on there website.