ROAD PETE ’ S NEWS PEOPLE
close calls , but thankfully no bad endings , in situations that were out of my control due to car drivers apparently deciding that , behind the wheel , God was guiding them by divine decree . I had two young kids and my logic was to change tack to off-road riding . You know how when you watch someone really good at doing something , one naturally assumes , “ Yeah , got that !”? Yeah ... My first foray was to stand up on the pegs , balance while riding slowly , accept the heartpounding , my hands welded to grips - offering clear evidence that knuckles don ’ t need blood flow . Find the bloody rear brake pedal , gently and smoothly operate throttle , and twist , without haring off into the gorse bushes ... there just waiting to punish the useless . So , I progressed to thinking that having mastered that , a small slippery log was ripe for showing it who was boss . Front wheel over it , by about 17 feet . The back wheel immediately decided an oblique angle was the perfect approach - needless to say , gravity and battered pride are good at quickly enforcing lessons . One person I must mention at this very early stage of my riding was Mel Banks , a recent convert from speedway , whose help and friendship has lasted to this day . He was a big part of my progression , and as I like the social element of riding with other people , he was great to ride with ; we denied that it was a competition , neither acknowledging that we were actually trying hard . A year or so went by and the two of us decided we were keen to compete in modern trials . At the first one we attended we were as welcome as a dog-fart in a van with no windows . Perseverance was the key , we were riding for ourselves and we discovered that the only way to learn was to watch better people . I ’ ve owned six classics . The TLR200 , a Montesa 349 , a Kawasaki 250 ( which was a rocket ), I rebuilt an AG80 ( with lots of metal removed it was capable of winning clubman in the classics division ), and two Yammy TY250s , both of which were rebuilt by young Mel . Mechanically gifted , he is a bloody wizard , and he ensured both machines were very capable of being competitive in either style of trials . The classic comps were where I earned my nickname ‘ Captain T ’. T is for Tourettes , and it was bestowed on me by Dicky Gardner [ your story teller ], from my tendency to express myself firmly . My pressure relief valve upon making mistakes is to rip about 50 expletives in very quick succession , at a sound level that does echo a bit . I ’ ve owned modern monoshocks ; an aircooled Beta 246 , a GasGas 250 , an RTL250 Honda ( it was a pig and I never got to grips with it ), another GasGas 250 , a Sherco 250 , a GasGas 280 ( that seemed to aim for space at every opportunity ) was perfection , and now I ’ m on a GasGas 250 , bought new , and has been magic since fixing early teething problems . Something that always sticks in the ‘ good memory ’ bank , are the properties and scenery we get to see and ride , which you normally wouldn ’ t ever visit . This applies to both modern and classics , and we are forever grateful to the landowners that allow this to occur on their lands . The sport of trials is one that has many skills to offer all bike riders , whether road , enduro , motocross or track-racing , and you ’ ll notice the World ’ s top enduro riders all use trials training . You never totally master it , and there is so much to learn , and it is never boring . For some inspiration , if you want to ride in competitions regularly , Canterbury runs two every month , both classic and moderns , usually with thirty or more riders at each . On Sundays we have a group of riders ( Trials Sunday School ) who meet just about every weekend . Our devotions start around 8am for the keenest , and 9am-ish for others , and then ‘ Worship ’ starts at about 11.30am with a bit of Communion Beer , with the re-telling of conquests of the day and a bit of pub grub . It ’ s hard being this devout , but we try .
66 KIWI RIDER