TO BE A TRIALSMASTER

Maybe not everybody’s No1 desire, but as they say someones got to do it. For those who fancy a “go”
at it here is a rough “idiot’s guide” as to what takes place, before, during and after the event.

First things first, pick a date trying not to clash with other established events. Once you, or the
organising body have the date fixed the next question will be venue. Here you need to know what piece
of land you are hoping to use and what permissions and permits you will need. If you are working with
a private landowner this will often be easier with a simple yeah or nay. If you are working with
government agencies (BLM, USFS)  then think anything up to 6 months in advance to get the
paperwork in and get the ball rolling……. and in all cases keep a copy of what you sent in and when.

I would personally start a file and keep a record of contacts, telephone numbers and any pertinent information that was “word of mouth” when the contacts were made. Another good idea here is to
have a battle plan with a list of “action dates” when various items need to be done by. Here you can
list such items as Insurance, how long to set up and get certificates etc? Awards and trophies? how
long to produce ? Score cards, do you have enough ? Port-a loos ? who to rent from, duration at site
etc? Spreading the word, contact list, emails, Trials Central, and in our case ITSA forums.

A little map like this may help the memory banks when you come to
laying out

Next in the sequence will be finding the sections, and best loop. Remember here if you went and did
a site survey in the winter months it is most likely going to look a lot different when you come back in
the summer. So draw a little map with section locations and the planned lines. Depending on terrain,
the loop not only needs to be negotiable by all riders but maybe by others who are not competing,
just spectating or taking pictures.

Thought and imagination required here ! It finally becomes a double
section for all 4 lines and was very popular with all the riders

Section changeover top left, Mike Salsman on the 1 line descent

On the “now” cleared area Jim Wagner in the turn to line up for the uphill
exit

When it comes to laying out sections try and divide the section into a series of acceptable hazards
and likewise a series of recovery areas. NO section needs to be so HARD that it stops the ENTIRE
entry ! You may have to modify the hazards by filling in holes and crankcase busting rocks or stumps
…. or find a different section. Remember, the moment you put a START and an END card up someone
will make a mess of it and in a lot of cases often the easiest section takes marks and I would always remember Town Hall Brae in the Scottish which we always thought of as a bit of a joke but MANY
riders, including some that went on to become World Champions have lost marks there !! Try and
design the section such that one person can SEE the entire thing and accurately record a rider’s
progress from one vantage point.

A great find here at this Ironwwod tree with a long tapering root that
almost shows the 4 lines. It can be used both ways up and down 

Running downhill

With the 4 lines identified time to decide if the splits and their sequence are clear and unambiguous?
Then look to see if you have left any “cheater” lines that if discovered will radically alter the section. If
you have any doubts about the rideability of the section either try it yourself or a get a helper to ride it
and then make your decision as to whether the section will get easier or harder with the passage of
riders. Use the maxim of mud gets harder rocks get easier.

You will need to become a landscape gardener so be prepared to lop off any helmet banging
branches, nasty thorny bits of vegetation and any sage type bushes that are within the natural lines as
these have a nasty and unforgiving habit of tangling themselves around boots, footpegs and shifters.

It also helps to have both the start and ends areas reasonably free such that a rider arrives at the
start gate in balance and ready to give it a go. Likewise after the end gate there should be an area
where the rider can safely stop and get his or her card punched.

When using multi subs the transition point between one and another should allow a rider who has
“5’d” a lower sub to be able to start into the next sub without major difficulty.

With sections cleared and traditional ribbon laid, unless natural features define lines, split markers
can be placed but remember other “visitors” to your in use land may destroy everything if you lay out
too early and ribbons can either be eaten or broken. While on the subject of ribbon make sure you
have enough or a good local source and always leave a little extra at each section to cover repairs.
Use natural resources to secure the ribbon and make it visible and preferably low where it won’t catch
on boots, pegs, fork legs etc.

ONE MONTH TO GO
Time to readvertise, emails one last time and TC reminders to attract last minute entries. Check that insurance certs are on their way, split markers, pens, punches, stakes, staplers, hammers, pruners
and saws are all available. Check all your paperwork, score cards, indemnity forms, entry sheets etc
are sufficient for your presumed entry numbers. Final check with landowners and permission from
other agencies.

TWO WEEKS TO GO
Another check on planned sections, any land changes, work in progress etc. At this stage some
“gardening” adjustments to fine tune section boundaries and hazards. Check for helpers or whether
it will be a one man show. Check on awards.

ONE WEEK TO GO
Ribbon time! I like to allow one day per set up for each competition day and one final day for route
marking and staking. Final checks on all paperwork.

DAY BEFORE
Ride the loop making sure animals, children and vandals have not changed all your hard work. Adjust sections according to weather, either actual or forecast. Check start area for trash and debris and
port-a-loos.

DAY OF COMPETITION
Another ride around loop and sections checking tape, splits and direction marking. Have all the forms,
pens, punches ready at the start table along with a general interest map showing approx layout of
event, loop and sections. As Trialsmaster have your info sheet ready for the rider’s meet with some, or
all of the following;

Welcome and thanks (helpers, landowners etc)
Basic game plan (3 loops of 10 sections etc)
Time allowance
Rules of the day (stop or no stop)
Special notes (hazards, non beginner sections, multi subs, graded hills)
Groups (start points)
Ride or become Travelling Marshall/ Trouble shooter/ Photographer

POST EVENT
Run as backmarker with last group of riders if using checkers and close the sections
Check scores, winners, deal with protests etc
Present Awards, thanks to those helpers etc
Tear down crews with any special instructions
Drink heavily
Publish results on blogs and forums
Complete any post event forms as required
Letters of thanks
Check land for missed ribbon, left over trash etc.

TONY DOWN

DOLORES PREVIEW

With the Mountain West Trials Series now in full flow we are really into our busy period with Turkey
Rock, Dolores 2 weeks later and then a brief 3 weeks until Casper which as you all know is my
personal favorite.

Well lets see what SW Colorado has to offer for our Escalante 2 Day Trial. Many people asked why I
chose to do it the same weekend as the Town’s Escalante Days Festival.  Simple really it just adds to
a fun weekend and we will get to ride our unregistered bikes through the town killing several birds
with one stone.

Home sweet Home,  Cozy Comfort in full summer

Our start venue will be the Cozy Comfort RV Park and although in peak season we should be able to
fit most people in but BOOK NOW or you will be on internal power only  but water, hot showers and
dump facilities will be available.

A shade garden beer awaits

Assuming all route and section marking has been completed by lunchtime Friday 10 August  O’beer
thirty will be declared early and we will be drinking in the Shade Garden.   Saturday an early sign up
between 0800-0900 in the CC front desk area or Lodge Room and then a short ride down Central Ave
to join in with the town parade…. might even get our newly elected DA (Will Furse) to join the fun on his
new Gas Gas.

The Parade stops at the Town Hall

“Many horses come this way Kemo Sabe”  ….. The Town’s fire service
closes the parade with bells, sirens, horns and whistles. I think we should
be just ahead of them

With the parade done we will be free to ride down the dirt road CR28 to our real start area at the Town Cemetery Parking Lot. Once there we will brief the running order and start sections for our 3 loops of
the now 12 sections. Its a very short loop so we should all finish early and be able to get back into
town (1/2 mile) and join in the fun of the last chain saw competition outside the Hollywood (town bar)
….. or if we are later it will be the arm wrestling comp which is definitely worth watching!!!

The annual mountain bike race gets ready

Chainsaw competition outside the Hollywood Bar

The ladies arm wrestling competition…… not to be missed!

Sadly we will now all be prisoners in the 2 bar areas (bummer!) until the Mountain bike comp is
finished and they use Central Ave as their finishing sprint to the line. Well never mind there is always
the Duck Race on the river which pays 1st,  2nd,  3rd and last place sometime in October when the
river goes up and your trapped duck is released.

The Brew Pub opens at 4 p.m.

Dancing the night away on the Brew Pub patio…… yes those are “real”
hops

Sunday we are at the Town Dump area about 2 miles from Cozy Comfort so we can either load up
and go or double up on trailers with extra bikes for those staying Sunday night. Another 12 sections,
all singles today and perhaps a bit more variety. Another shortish loop so we should finish fairly early
and be able to get the long distance people away on their return drives.

TONY DOWN

The kit came from Mid Atlantic Trials with extra jets and a guarantee so they think its the Bees Knees
on just about all the bikes they have tried it on. With all the engine mods done on mine I had to come
up on the pilot  using the Mikuni so may have to go the same route with this fella, and of course I’m at
7000′ so my final jetting will be different from anything people are using down at sea level.

Lets have a look at the beast in some detail and see whats what. First thing to note is the float bowl
is only secured by two bolts instead of the conventional four. On the air intake side it takes a 2″ filter
body and they recommend my favorite podded UNI system which I have used for many years. The
airscrew Is an airscrew and not a fuel screw and the final position needs to be between 1 and 2 turns
out when it is set correctly. You can buy a see through plastic float bowl as an extra.

Rough castings and only 2 screws holding the bowl on

Chromed flat slide, top cable adjuster would not fit my cable

Taking it to bits it is much cruder than a Mikuni as the casting in many places is rough and looks like
it needs finishing. Internally the “flatslide” is flat on the air side and semi curved on the engine side and finished in chrome. The Cable mechanism I quite liked with a plastic locking unit to secure the nipple
in place that is connected to a very strong spring. In order to fit it was necessary to give a little more
free cable so the Domino had to be undone. My cable would not fit in the OKO cable adjuster so I
swapped the Mikuni adjuster over.

The jetting that mine came with was 115 Main, Needle on 2nd clip from top out of 5 and a 48 Pilot with
airscrew at the 1.5 out setting. It also came with a spare 45 Pilot and 112 and 110 Mains. All breathing
through the UNI podded filter. Worth noting here that during the SG rebuild I used a “stack” type hi-tech
filter but this proved to be worthless as it let a lot of dirt through….. so stick with UNI or K&N in my
opinion.

Fitted and mated up to the big angled UNI

It fired up on the second kick and after warming the tweaking began. Increase idle, and now adjust
the airscrew for that increase in revs and the treasured sweet spot. Seems I was bang on with those settings !! and the afternoon temps were around 90F up here at 7000′.

Out for a little testing and it pulled cleanly all the way off idle, (and I always set mine with zero tickover
and a smidge of free play in the cable), right through the range in first and second. To be honest I
can’t say if there was any discernable difference between the two carbs but I’ll be looking at some
further testing in the coming weeks.

Running with zero tickover and no clutch 

Smooth pickup from tight turns

Instant wheelie

I have certainly enjoyed riding SG in the first 3 events of the season and my return from the enforced

sabatical, however, I still love riding that Cub so I have plenty of choice for the next bunch of trials only
a month away.TONY DOWN