Old photo and OT

[mthee]

Looking very composed, if not nonchalant!😎👍

[iansoady]

I agree with spooky, Ian your very competitive to me👍

Not always....

[Moto63]

Serious bit of mud your stuck in there Ian 🤦
Ps.. what was the montesa model you had, I used to run a montesa 200 back in the early/mid 80’s.
Used to compete (not competitively) on the Wednesday night’ers at the local’ish trials club.
Cheers, Michael

[mthee]

Seriously great pics! Did you manage to get out of the mud, unassisted?

[iansoady]

I did get out by strenous paddling eventually but seem to remember I was exhausted and had to lie down for a while to recover....

The trials pics were taken by Mary Wylde whose husband Deryk was a leading light in the pre-65 trials world. I have a feeling that Mary passed on some years ago but have lost touch with the whole scene.

[Itsme]

Hi Ian

Were any of those trials Midlands Classic Club trials? People may not know that our paths crossed many years ago when we rode a couple of MCC trials at the same time. I do remember you being on a Royal Enfield and I was always on my home-brewed CZ 250 single. I was very definitely not a competitive rider!

Loving the old piccies chaps, memories of a better time.

Spartacian

[spooky]

Is there a photo of the CZ home brew bike then ?   

[Itsme]

Is there a photo of the CZ home brew bike then ?

Ooo now you're asking. I will have a squint around to see if I can find any old photos and then post one if one turns up. It was basically a 250 single that I had removed various bits like the large speedo, side panels etc from and built a 21" front wheel for, fitted a small headlight and rear light, plastic mudguards etc. Most of the bits I used like the speedo and shorter exhaust pipe came from other CZ models as I was a real fan of JAWA/CZs in those days. The front wheel I built using a CZ hub and a rim from an old Suzuki trail bike which I joined with a set of spokes I had made up by a company called Clarkes in Carlton, Nottingham which is no longer there. The real trick bit was painting the frame red with Dulux. Well I did do an apprenticeship as a painter and decorator.

Spartacian

[themoudie]

Morning Spartacian,

The real trick bit was painting the frame red with Dulux.

The ultimate competition performance improvment for any competitive machine! 

I was fortunate to acquire in 1976 an Ariel 500 HT, attached to a chair that had seen serious use by the Kissack brothers in I.o.M. It was stripped and rebuilt, with some ingenuity by myself and Chris Rowe (RIP), as it had been heavily modified by the Kissacks. We decided upon the red frame, polished alloy finish and it looked a treat. However, it was a beast to control over rocky ground, whilst the obligatory "Charge through a swamp!" as demonstrated in Ian's image was always a pleasure. There was also an HS bottom end and piston for "Spares!". Needless to say I only used it solo, in the IoM VMCC recreational events of the time and others had wee shots on the beast, but no images survive of it.

It was sold, with sidecar and all it's spares, when I left the Island in 1977, to John Bullivant (RIP), one time builder, Peel boarding house keeper, bored out Honda 400/4 racer and brother of the Bullivant from Finland who wrote in MS back in the day. It sat in his builders store at Tynwald Mills, which at the time was semi-derelict and was only used a couple of times before his untimely death. Where the old bird went to after that I have no idea.

The original idea had been to put the Duke in the chair and ride the whole outfit, carrying my worldly goods back home. But that wasn't to be and as usual I needed the funds for my next college year. If I remember correctly £150 was the purchase price and £250 was the sale price. 

Bill

[iansoady]

Hi Ian

Were any of those trials Midlands Classic Club trials? People may not know that our paths crossed many years ago when we rode a couple of MCC trials at the same time. I do remember you being on a Royal Enfield and I was always on my home-brewed CZ 250 single. I was very definitely not a competitive rider!

Loving the old piccies chaps, memories of a better time.

Spartacian

Hi Ian.

The photos were taken at various rounds of the pre-65 championship trials like the Harry Perry and the Wyegate, where I don't think I ever managed to come higher than last - on the occasions when I completed the course. They were great events but they attracted serious riders - Sammy Miller turned up for some - so the standard was very high.

I remember the MCC colonial trials well - the best bit was usually lunch in the pub. I've dug out some of the results sheets and names other than yours & mine are Roger Gagg on his 750 Triumph outfit, Roy Robinson on a unit Triumph twin which was very standard, Mick Worthy on his Pink Panther, Paul Asher on a side valve Norton etc. I remember once you had a puncture and we all "assisted" you to fix it...

Great days.

[Itsme]

Hi Ian

As you say great days indeed. I do remember the puncture episode as I think my back tyre went flat twice in the same trial. Was it you who donated me a spare tube the second time? I know some kind soul did.

I remember Roger Gagg well (another painter) as his son Steve ran his own fabrication shop in Bulwell, Nottingham and did several jobs for me back in the 80s and 90s. He also competed with the MCC and last I knew he was racing a BMW K100 outfit in VMCC races. I remember Roy Richardson too and Paul Asher but not the chap with the pink Panther. Paul's Norton had the most battered petrol tank I have ever seen.

Lovely era to go out trialling and some very interesting bikes. My CZ fell victim to my divorce of my 1st wife as I had to clear out quick and as it was in pieces at the time it just got carted off to the local tip. Oh how I still mourn that.

Spartacian

[iansoady]

I may have given you a tube as I usually carried a spare but can't remember now. Shame about the CZ which seemed quite well sorted, at least for the MCC events. The worst bit about them was (for me) getting up at an unearthly hour to load the Enfield on the trailer and get from south Brum up to the peak district.

Better stop now as everyone will be jealous!

[themoudie]

Not a bit of it Ian. Yarning on and chewing the odd old inner tube is what this forum is/was intended for, I thought. 

Used to use the inner tube band to hold the leggings up on the old Dunlop Safety wellies, with the cooling fins down the front and the steel toecap that ensured your toes were frost bitten, whilst standing at a section! 

Good health, Bill

[Itsme]

Hi All

I'm still searching for a piccie of the old CZ, but yarning as you say Bill reminded me of another incident whilst riding with the Midlands Classic Club.

They used to run enduros for classics at a place called Duffield in Derbyshire and I did a few on the CZ. During one competition I got my foot caught in some deep mud and when the rear wheel lost traction it spun the bike around which twisted my knee very badly damaging the ligaments. I needed to be taken to hospital along with another unfortunate who had broken his shoulder blade. Off we went in the St John ambulance to A&E check in at Derby. The nurse on duty asked the other guy for his details, nature of his injury and how he'd done it then turned to me with the same questions. When she asked how I had injured my knee I pointed at the other man and said 'chasing him on a motorbike'. She gave me a look that just said 'MEN!'.

Happy days.

Spartacian

[iansoady]

That's why I stuck to the trials being something of a softie (then and now).

When I first started trial riding I too used a pair of the Dunlop wellies. My shins and ankles were black and blue for the following weeks so I quickly saw sense and bought a pair of proper trials boots. The wellies came in handy for commuting in later years - together with a Helly Hansen bib and brace I could have them off & sat at my desk in seconds. What my visitors thought of the malodorous pile in the corner was never mentioned