2019 Land's End Trial

Good weather suggested a pleasant run out into the country. Binky, Louise and Lee enjoy some quiet reflection at Plusha.

Well, we made the start but not much else. Mr Adrian Booth was there solving last minute problems for fellow triallers. Dave Symons had an indicator that wouldn't work on his MX5 and to get through scrutineering Age found some spare wire in the boot of the Arkley-MG that I didn't know about.

Know thy beast, as the Vincent owners used to say.

I should also mention poor Dave Middleditch (great name for a trialler) who was also part of our Steampunk team. He went for petrol in his Dutton before the trial and ran his bottom end on the forecourt of the filling station! At least we managed to get to the start...

Louise only got there thanks to Adrian's good auspices. Her local garage removed the additional throttle return springs required to pass scrutineering. Then they lost them!

Adrian went down into his vaults and re-emerged with just what she needed.

So, happy to have got this far, we set off for Bridgwater as night fell.

After crossing into Somerset, I noticed the fuel gauge was reading very low. Between Wellington and Tiverton the indicators packed up and then the engine fluffed and died. We coasted majestically into a convenient layby and I thumbed the starter to dispel the ominous silence. The battery would barely turn the engine over.

Fortunately it was  a dry night and we tempered our disappointment by singing Cornish trialling shanties (you know the ones!).

The AA sent out a sub contractor who arrived remarkably promptly and boost started the car. He was very taken with the car. He suspected the battery isolator switch was playing up.

By now we were so out of time, we hatched  a plan to retire and went home to get some shuteye and spectate at Blue Hills.

However, there were some funny smells on the way home. And they weren't the usual agricultural ones at this time of year, either.

Somebody somewhere was getting the hot oil treatment.

I just had no idea it was me.

It was only as we pulled up at Boogie Wundaland and reversed into the car's parking slot that we found we had trail of smoke following us.

On inspection, the nearside rear hub was too hot to touch. The smoke subsided in the torchlight while we found that the inner rear mudguards on both sides were covered in axle oil.

So we made the start and got home but didn't so any sections of the 2019 LET.

In the morning, I jacked that corner up and could move the wheel up and down in the axle. The bearing was shot and oil was everywhere.

The oil seals had shrivelled off their mortal coil and were feasting in automotive Valhalla with the halfshaft I broke on the Exeter.

Experienced competitors know better not to turn in too soon. Or too late! Johns Young and Hind show how it's done on their Yamaha XT580.,

So, we whizzed down to Blue Hills where we met up with Ruth one of my old school friends, who was down visiting her father. In spectacular weather, we watched many of my mud brothers and sisters ascend Blue Hills 2 - although it was dusty rather than muddy.

I can think of a lot of worse places to be on a sunny Easter Saturday 

The repartee from the marshals was first class as I remember from watching as a youth in the 80s.

To the driver of a 2CV that needed a tow - "If you vegetarians had paid yer pole tax, we'd've tarmacked this by now!"

The Marlin of Arnold Lane and Dexter Blain isn't flapping its bonnet for take off - it's to aid cooling.

Of Marlin No. 225, which had an elaborate soft top (or it might have been one of those roof top tents you get on Land Rovers) - "What Class are hang gliders?" "Tip it off the cliff and see if ee'll fly!"

Thanks to my 1970 edition of The Observer's Book of Automobiles, I knew this to be a Zaporozhets ZAZ-966

We saw the distinctive yellow MX5 of Lou and Lee descend into the coombe but after a long time they hadn't appeared on Blue Hills 2. Fearing a problem on Blue Hills 1, which is probably more difficult nowadays due to the polished stone setts and muddy water beforehand, I ventured down the hill and found them tucked into the pull in by the seat just before BH2 section began.

Sam Lindsay was just a little bit too late in turning or not far over enough to the right. As a result, his outside front tyre fouled the wall on BH2 and he had to reverse to get to the Restart Box - his only failure! Long old things these UVA Fugitives.

They'd had a puncture among the stones between the sections and had to replace a tyre in one of the most awkward places of all. Lee had got it all sorted by the time I pitched up.

They suffered three punctures in all during the trial and had to get a tube changed in Kingshill at a bike shop. I asked Louise what pressures she was using and she said 20psi. As I usually run 12-14psi, I thought she did brilliantly although she was annoyed at stalling on Darracott. They were also out of time from the consequent delays.

Local talent Clive Kalber had no trouble in his Pop after the bent axle incident on the Launceston Trial

Binky and I caught up with Brian Partridge and Richard Nikel for a meal in Bodmin in the evening. Although tired, they were obviously elated as they had cleaned everything and had put in for a Gold.

Brian Partridge and Richard Nikel go low on BH2 restart and from our observations that seemed to be the way to do it. The Ridge-Cannon definitely isn't in my 1970 edition of The Observer's Book of Automobiles.

Many people had experienced overheating issues in the warm weather but the general feeling was that time penalties and the special tests would determine class wards and how many Gold Awards would be won.

Would you buy a Clan Crusader from these people? Yes! Peter and Ruth Tudor on their way to a Gold

On Sunday morning, Binky set off for home, and I got the big jack out and took the wheels off so I could waggle them on their knackered bearings in all their satanic majesty. The nearside one was very much worse than the offside. 

Faulty bearings or a bent axle?

Time will tell...

Darren Ruby lays rubber