Comment (May)
By TMX Archives on 14th Apr 03
As someone who cut his dirtbiking teeth riding trials, I'm almost ashamed to admit that I've kept well away from the feet-up side of the sport since my competitive swansong which consisted of one dire lap at the Cotswold Cups sometime in the As someone who cut his dirtbiking teeth riding trials, I'm almost ashamed to admit that I've kept well away from the feet-up side of the sport since my competitive swansong which consisted of one dire lap at the Cotswold Cups sometime in the '90s. Don't get me wrong - I've always maintained maximum respect for the likes of Dougie, Grimbo and Stevie Colley. What these guy can do on a motorcycle commands - and demands - complete admiration. But over the last few years I've found myself increasingly drawn into the world of two-wheeled racing.The last world trials round I attended was Hawkstone in, I think, '99 - so the time was right to kick the MX habit and get a good honest fix of trials riding. And where could be better than Bangor in Northern Ireland for the opening round of the '03 WTC? So with baldy bloke JD in the passenger seat it was foot down to Troon and a short hop courtesy of Seacat's 'vomit comet' across to Belfast.The things the world's top trials riders can do on two wheels is jaw-dropping stuff and the best place to appreciate their skills was section two on the Bangor coastline where Dougie and his mates had to contend with a near-vertical 14ft rock outcrop. And they didn't even get a run-up - it had to be attacked from a standstill less than a bike's length from the bottom. Pure aggression was called for and the acceleration must have topped anything you see out of a MotoGP startgate. Get it wrong and it was a long way down with some evil-looking rocks waiting to snag the lycra one-pieces.My trip to Bangor was at the expense of the Brit MX champs round at Wakes Colne - although one man managed to attend both. Hanging around at section two on the Saturday morning I bumped into Gordon Crockard who lives just down the road at Newtownards. Gordy was booked on an afternoon flight to Stansted but, being a bit of a closet trials rider himself, he couldn't resist a morning on the rocks at Bangor. "In the winter it's too wet and cold for motocross so I get the trials bike out and do as many events as I can," he said. "I couldn't pass on the chance to watch a few sections before my flight - what these guys can do on a bike is absolutely amazing and they make it look so easy."Trials, MX and enduros are three pretty different sports and, to a certain extent, attract a pretty different audience. But they do have one very important thing in common - arsing around on dirtbikes - and that's what it's all about.Away from motorbikes for just a second, the grainy black and white image is actually Lawless Jnr at 11 weeks old. With the patter of tiny feet expected around mid-September I'm already sourcing a suitable bike and drawing up blueprints for world domination of the schoolie trials and MX world.Regardless of whatever sex the baby turns out to be, he or she WILL make up for all my short-comings on two wheels. By applying enough pressure at an early age I reckon I can ensure, by the time the poor little mite reaches 16, that it's had a thoroughly miserable childhood and never wants to ride a motorcycle again. Either that or I'll be completely laid-back about it all, content to watch from the sidelines and ready to provide gentle encouragement when it's needed...Riding bikes is meant to be fun but there are too many parents out there who have lost sight of this. The bottom line is that kids today have enough pressure on them simply growing up. B******ings and beatings won't make them any faster or more likely to stay feet-up through a section - it'll just make them miserable...