Do it with your eyes closed!

With my busy schedule preparing race bikes over the last few weeks I’d not had much spare time to take Ted riding on his Oset. The third Oset trial, which I organise alongside the Frodsham trials club, was due to take place on Sunday April 6th. After spending a few hours marking out sections with my brother and nephew at the venue on the previous Saturday afternoon, I got home and figured I’d give Ted a ride on his bike to shake off the rust on the field next to the housing estate, AKA the ghetto! As always we marked out some ‘sections’ with cones. Ted likes to show me which route he would like to take. He walks the route and I follow dropping cones along the way for him to follow when he’s back on his bike. We got to one particular easy bit which he wanted to include I, which I now realise mistakenly, said “You could do that bit with your eyes closed!”. He finished walking the section got on his bike and headed around the course. On arriving at the part of the section in question he……….shut his eyes!! Remember Dads –  always watch what you say as it may be taken a little too literally!

Not normally a show that I watch I caught a bit of “The Voice” with friends a few weeks ago. The question was asked “Which mentor would you pick if all of them were to turn around?” Several answers were coaxed from the group but no one seemed willing to commit to a conclusion. The immense talent of Sir Tom Jones, pop queen Kylie, the indie rock sound of the Kaiser Chiefs or the slightly abstract style of will.i.am?

The trial got underway on Sunday morning; dry but cloudy. Watching the kids pulling wheelies and stoppies before the start my brother, Steve, turned to me and said “I think we’ve made it a bit too easy bro!” In the previous events there had only been a few kids riding the harder route. Suddenly I’d got 13 out of 18 riding it and some really talented little riders. With 18 riders this time the series seems to be growing nicely, all told we’ve seen 25 different riders through the three events that we’ve run since new year.

Jo signed the kids on this time, as opposed to the club doing it, to save time and things generally ran smoothly. The venue this time was a little more cramped and with more riders showing up than expected we are already starting to outgrow what space is available. The day went really well and I was really impressed by many of the kids’ riding abilities. Ted rode well, as most 4 year olds are he is easily distracted but enjoys riding. At one point when being called into the section he was looking everywhere but at the observer to then announce that he had seen a worm whilst he was riding through the section begins cards! I’d been running around in front of him through most of the sections as he finds it easier to follow me than to follow the route markers. At the final section of the day he told me, in no uncertain terms, that he would do this one by himself and that I was to stand aside! He promptly rode his four laps through without fault then, when being congratulated by one of the other parents, was completely blasé about his achievement. I guess he gets this side of his personality from me as I come across pretty much flatlined about everything too!

Aside from the trials the race bike is back in many pieces once more! It seems to like being like that anyway! RLR Motorsport are checking the engine over and plans are being hatched on an hourly basis about how to improve the rear traction issue which reared its head at Anglesey. I’ve always run standard exhaust headers but on advice from Ricky Leddy, RLR Motorsport Yoda, a performance system is being sourced. Potential mods/replacement of the swinging arm are also on the cards although last time I checked neither James (Infront Motorcycles) or I were millionaires! The next outing is April 26th at Oulton Park, depending on where modifications are up to I may ride the bike which we use for instructing, to get the required signature for my mountain course licence.

I reckon that’s all the news once more. Oh and as a teenager when the “Spinning Around” video was released (look it up on YouTube kids) it had to be, the gold hot pant wearing, Kylie Minogue…….. in a heartbeat.

Cheers,

Mackers #30