Starting Trials
First
things first. Do you know what a trial is? Don’t confuse
it with trail riding. You will need to belong to a club affiliated
to the centre in which you intend to ride (there are discrepancies
in that statement which will be made clear later). Selecting a
club suitable for yourself is important and it is recommended
that you read the page on
Joining a Club before parting with hard earned money.
You will, of course, need a machine and suitable clothing etc and it is suggested that you consider purchasing ‘good’ second hand equipment. Being new to the trials scene can make you prey for some of the ‘get rich quick’ specialists. It is considered that it should be worthwhile perhaps paying a little more in the first place by dealing with the long standing dealers in the sport. A lot of them have been around for many years whilst others have started up after having learnt trials the hard way. These people aren’t going to go away and sell ski boats next month, they are in it for life and the sport. Not only that, they want to keep you as a satisfied customer. Think on it - it’s Saturday, you want a spare, they may well endeavour to keep you happy by bringing it to the meeting the following day. Many of our local dealers also advertise in the Eastern Centre Gazette.
Most people, but not all, will enjoy their first forays into the world of trials but if you find it is not for you then it is possible, by purchasing second-hand equipment, to cut your losses without incurring too much of a financial loss. However, if you start with new equipment, you will find that the items have lost a considerable part of their value as soon as they ‘leave the box’.
Before you are able to take part in a trial you will need to affiliate to the ACU as a trials rider and the requisite Affiliation Application Form should be available from your club secretary.
The purchase of a machine not only depends on how much you can afford but may also be related to your age, particularly if you are still at school. Please refer to the current ACU Handbook for the machine capacity that may be permitted to ride. A copy of the current ACU handbook should be provided when you obtain your affiliation card.
As in most aspects of life it is best to know and understand the rules. Rules are not written for others to comply with, they are written for the safety of all concerned (competitors, organisers and spectators), and a desire to ensure ‘fair play’ between competitors. Knowledge of the rules can also give you an edge over your competitors.
Almost certainly, you will find trials to be harder than you had anticipated, both from the physical standpoint as well as mentally. Don’t start the sport expecting to win - that is MOST unlikely! Instead, aim to finish each event, gaining experience on each outing. Don’t attempt sections that are dangerous when equated to your ability. If you crash heavily - what have you learned? You have learned that Mother Earth is pretty hard and unforgiving - but I assume you already know that - but if you finish, then you have a far better challenge for the next event - to beat that rider who just pipped you last time out!
Normally it will be necessary to enter an event before the day in order for a programme of riders etc. to be compiled although more and more events are ‘enter on the day’. Normally it will be necessary to complete an entry form and send it together with the event entry fee to the Secretary of the Meeting. Trials events may be of Closed to Club, Restricted Invitation, Centre Restricted/Open to Centre, Regional Restricted or Open. The definitions are in fact quite simple: Closed to Club - open to members of the organising club only; Restricted Invitation - entry restricted to members of specified clubs; Centre Restricted - the event is open to members of any clubs which comprise the Eastern Centre; Regional Restricted - the event is open to members of any club belonging to the centres defined in the regulations - for our part of the world this would normally be ourselves (the Eastern Centre), the South-Eastern Centre, the Southern Centre or the South-Midland Centre and occasionally the East-Midlands Centre; Open - equivalent to a National but where the permit is issued by the local centre.
Entry forms for Eastern Centre events are published in the monthly
Eastern Centre Gazette which is normally obtainable from your
club. However, if you intend to travel further afield and enter
trials events to which you are eligible to enter, e,g Regional
Restricted, then it may be necessary to purchase The Sporting
Motorcyclist which is published in the Southern, South-Eastern
and South-Midland Centres. Distribution of The Sporting Motorcyclist
is undertaken by Andy Wood.
