Trials Blog - One in the bag - Trials UK

Trials Blog - One in the bag

• 6th March 2010
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We’re blessed with plenty of trials clubs up here in the North and I have 4 within spitting distance of my house.  This week, by recommendation from one of the lads, I tried a new, or should I say ‘additional’ club.  Yeadon & Guiseley (home of world indoor number 4 James Dabill, no less) had their first novice and beginner trial today and, along with Clive and his brother Rick (also new to trials), I took part and, for the first time, actually completed every section – with quite a reasonable score, too!

Ironically, Yeadon & Guiseley was one of the first trials clubs I was going to join, not only because Guiseley is my hometown, but because the Membership Secretary of the club and I share a garden fence!  Yep, all I had to do was hand over my tenner and a completed application form to Margaret Carter, the lady who lives at the bottom of my garden!  The only reason I didn’t join before was because the club had nowhere to practice.  I wonder how many additional members the club would get if it did have somewhere to practice?

I guess this is a totally separate subject, but it is disappointing that there are so many fields, rocks and hills around Yorkshire, but so few places to practice.  I am sure it is the same countrywide, which is frustrating.  Maybe this is why our sport, our incredible sport, is so small.

Anyway, back to my trial.  It has to be said that Yeadon & Guiseley really do seem to understand the difference between novices and clubmen when it comes to setting out sections.  There was nothing that physically frightened me and nothing that was going to hurt me or my bike.  It was not an overly difficult trial – yes, there were plenty of elements that would catch you out, cause a dab or make you turn incredibly tightly – but I completed it feeling utterly enthused about trials riding and my ability to ride a trials bike. 

I established two things today. 

1. I have a certain inability when it comes to following flags.  Without flags, I seem to ride so much better, but put flags down and I go to pieces.  The thing that I noticed today is that as the sections got ‘bedded in’, by that I mean tracks appeared where riders had been, I found it much easier to follow the tracks, rather than follow the flags.  It certainly showed in my score
2. I am almost rigid when I over concentrate and my riding suffers.  When I relax, my riding becomes so much better.  I am convinced that if I spend less time worrying ad more time enjoying the ride, I will ride much better. 

I actually feel ‘buzzed’ about the trial I’ve just completed.  I really feel like I accomplished something today and left the trial feeling confident and genuinely looking forward to the next one. I also realised that when I relax I ride better.  Why hadn’t I realised that much, much sooner?