INTERNATIONAL Enjoy the Kia Twin-shock British Trials Championship

Has the KIA Twinshock series gone international? Well, as the arguments roll on as to whether round six, run by the Cumberland County MCC over the moors close to Newcastleton, was actually in England or Scotland the 2015 series moved on with four more ground-breaking events.

Since we reported on the first three events in the previous issue the series has visited Cheltenham, Cornwall, Newcastleton and Llangollen. In round four the 11-times British Champion Steve Saunders and the Zona One MCC put on the first really tricky event of the series after heavy rain turned the sections at Aggs Hill, high above Cheltenham and overlooking the famous racecourse, into more challenging hazards as the day wore on.

Ride of the day was undoubtedly Nigel Tompkins on a little Majesty Yamaha — ineligible for the results as it had 38mm Ø forks — but nevertheless the local man conquered the subs like no other! (All four series classes allow up to 36mm Ø stanchions, although any classic machine can participate but not figure in the results.) Though more difficult than intended, the series actually benefited from the difficulty after the opening three rounds at Congleton, Daventry and the Red Rose Country of Lancashire had been won on clean sheets. The Cheltenham venue and organisation was just brilliant, and the organisers will certainly be asked to run there again.

Round five took us to Wadebridge in Cornwall in early August, a month that on reflection is not ideal for travelling down the M5 motorway to the South West! But the piece of land that organiser John Young used on behalf of the Cornish ACU was acclaimed by all of the much reduced entry of 65. Natural stream beds and wide open climbs abounded. Free umbrellas, Cornish pasties and red wine greeted riders and observers at the finish. “Just the social atmosphere that used to exist” claimed all that were there. But a lesson was learned by the series organisers: big entries don’t result from running events in far off places in the holiday season!

Again, the sections reflected this exquisite part of England. Again, it was a long way to travel from the South of England, but who wants to ride pocket-handkerchief courses with 4 laps of 10 nadgery sections? This series typifies how trials used to be in the day, and that is the very simple objective. Experience it for yourself at the final round at Knighton on 26th October.

www.nationaltwinshocktrialschampionship.co.uk