CELEBRATION
Mike Rapley
For Mike Rapley, December 15th 1963 was a notable day as he rode in his very first motorcycle trial: the Farnham Royal club’s Home Guard Cup Trial, which was a single-lap road trial which started at the Rising Sun inn at Fifield, Berks. ‘Rappers’, as he was called then, fresh out of school (and as he is regularly called now) rode his 199cc Triumph Cub to runner-up position in the Novice class but in his own words remarked recently, “I was hopeless, I didn’t have a clue. The machine was woefully uncompetitive but I thoroughly enjoyed myself.”
That trial, which he rode to and from his then home in Slough, set the seal for a further 50 years of off-road riding and, to recognise his personal achievement, on December 15th 2013, also a Sunday, he returned to ride the same club’s same trial, held this time on a short four-lap ten-section course at Isle of Wight farm, Gerrards Cross.
“I was almost as hopeless but at least I did know what to do and the machine, a modern 250 Beta Evo, was more than competitive – and I didn’t have to ride it to the trial, arriving in a smart van with my trialing friend!”
So some things have changed in the intervening years, but equally, some things haven’t.
“However, I have had some fair results in years past and there’s no doubt that those early years of riding trials gave me a good grounding for sidecar trials and enduros, as well as modern trials. They’ve also worn out several body joints, but that has been a price well worth paying for enjoying an obsessive 50 years of my chosen sport.”
Mike also revealed that whilst attending the trial that celebrated his 50 years of competing there were still some faces at the trial that he knew from 1963. Pete Haines, Pete Hawes, Chris Hurworth and Colin Moram were just some of the persons he knew in 1963; in fact it was Colin Moram, currently Vice President of the Auto Cycle Union, who can be blamed for Rapley’s enthusiasm for the sport of trials.
Mike continues: “Colin had a bike shop on Wexham Road Corner, Slough, and I lived at 1, Wexham Road for the first 16 years of my life. I used to watch him wash his trials and scrambles machines on a Monday after school and with my mum and dad we used to go to trials and scrambles to watch Colin ride. So one thing led to another. Dad bought me a machine and now here we are, 50 years later talking about my passion for motorcycling.”
Rappers went on: “However, whilst I was proud to take part in the same trial 50 years after I first rode, Southern Centre rider Derek Cranfield was also there, aged 811/ 2, riding in trials for the 59th year! It makes my 50 years look tame, so I suppose I shall have to continue for a few more years yet in the hope of matching Derek’s marvellous achievement.”
“They’ve also worn out several body joints, but that has been a price well worth paying for enjoying an obsessive 50 years of
my chosen sport.”