Latest News Items
John Cadogan
East South Wales' powerhouse John Cadogan died last week. He leaves an amazing history of involvement in our sport and was extremely helpful with West Glos as we have frequently run events that cross the borders and serve both Western Centre and East South Wales. More details on his funeral on EnduroNews.com
[On: 05Jul2010]
Thanks to our Riders
If you've been to one of our events lately and partaken of the nosh facilities then big thanks as Teresa (Vess's better half) was able to hand over £150 to her chosen charity: www.maggiescentres.org for the benefit of the Cotswold centre
Not bad for just doing a bit of grub!
[On: 3Jun2010]
RTA Cover for Trials
Martin Worgan is always a mine of information. He has just found a company who include RTA insurance for Trials and Enduros within their standard policies.
http://www.msminsurance.co.uk/trialsenduro.asp
Worked out about +£30 compared to his best quote without trials cover, so well worth it. (For those not in the know, RTA cover for LDTs is £9.50 for the day normally.)
Bikes Stolen
Craig Hancock missed his ride in the Wyegate Trial thanks to some thieves who raided his garage the week before. He's offering a £500 reward for the return/info leading to the bike or if you can spread the word it would be great. They were - One KTM450 exc-r 2008 Black and Orange and One Yam YZ125 Blue and White. Contact via admin@wgdfmcc.org.uk
Local - 4 Bikes Stolen
Keep your eyes peeled and check your own locks guys, Monmouth biker Steve has been targetted.
Hi guys, I have to report that in the early hours of Monday morning the b........s got into the garage whilst I was at work and had the lot away .
I am located in Monmouth, South Wales - bordering Hereford/Ross on Wye/Chepstow/Forest of Dean/Wye Valley, so a big chunk of countryside...........
- The KTM:- Photo
- 2003 300 Exc
- Reg. No. HV02 YUU (Taxed and Tested 'til Feb. 2010)
- Chassis No. VBKGSA2092M419051
- Engine No. 0255643266
- Colour: Orange
- Distinguishing Features: Rekluse automatic clutch, Supermoto front wheel - 17" Gold Talon hub/black rim with orange 'KTM Racing' rim stickers *BUT* it had a standard rear wheel - silver rim/silver hub with off road nobbly on the back !! (I was between changing over the wheels for winter use).
They will therefore either be looking to sell 1 x standard back wheel complete and buy 1 x rear Supermoto one, or; selling 1 x supermoto front and looking for a standard one! You know what I mean.
- The Kramit:- Photo
- 2000 250GS
- Reg. No. W629BAW
- Chassis No. ZFZ250GS10980034
- Engine No. 64130
- Colour: Silver Tank/front mudguard, black plastics with silver and green 'Kramit 250' decals.
- Distinguishing features: This is quite a rare bike - very few imported, same as an Alfer 250. It has a Rotax '257' single cylinder/manual-powervalved/2 stroke engine (there will be a black marker penned number on the cylinder.... saying '64' or '67' etc. - probably it's last rebore..), Marzocchi RWU forks, Ohlins rear monoshock, Brembo brakes and a Magura hydraulic clutch. The yokes and wheels are Gold anodised, the plastics will be marked inside as 'YZ 96' as they are from the Yamaha. Most unusual is that it is has a left hand side kickstart and takes some getting used to! The back wheel and swingarm will be set up for chain on the right....
- Monkey Bike:- Photo
- Jincheng chinese-copy of a Honda Z50
- Frame No. LJCPCBLD524H00632
- Honda C90 engine fitted, Engine No. n/a
- Colour: Red
- Distinguishing features: Cut down Honda CR250 front/rear mudguards, early 6 volt total loss electrics/kickstart Honda C90 engine (very poor compression...), 'Jincheng' decals on tank.
- Mountain Bike:- Photo
- 2007 Marin Attack Trail
- Frame No. n/a
- Shimano Deore groupset, Fox 36 (RWU) front forks, Fox RP2 rear shock, Hope hubs/Bontrager rims, WTB saddle and Crank Brothers 'Gravity Dropper' seatpost
- Colour: Matt Black c/w faint silver italic graphics
- Distinguishing features: All the bits above plus a very badly cable-rubbed rear shock body and no rear brake pads (...go on, ride it and crash it you .......!)
If anyone does have any news on any of these bikes I would obviously be very keen to hear from you.... you can remain anonymous as far as I'm concerned and a reward is being offered for the recovery of any of the bikes.
Gutted.
Thanks for looking everyone, please go and check those locks... Steve. (Contact admin@wgdfmcc.org.uk and we'll pass it on.)
[On: 18Nov2009]UK Rally Championship
Rallies - Ideal events for novices, old farts, big bikes and for occasional riders who don't want the pressure or intensity of full blown enduros. It's nice to enter an event and be reasonably confident of finishing without breaking bike or body. Any bike with some off-road potential can be used, although I would suggest that the bigger and heavier bikes would require a bit more rider ability (HP2s, KTM Adventures, Caponords, Africa Twins etc).
There were quite a few events this year, there's even a championship! www.ukrallychampionship.co.uk
See if you can spot any of our club member's rankings in this years current standings!
[On: 28Oct09]
Help for Heroes
Glenn says: A lot of you know Mercian's next event is a charity do. It would be nice to see as much support as possible for this event from West Glos members either as riders in the event or marshalling, (you don’t have to be a member to help out). Aberbeeg is a nice venue with some good challenging going and entry limit has been increased to a 150. Check out this link to www.merciandirtriders.co.uk website and see you there.
We have a number of club members who will be riding this event and helping run it so if you are not already sponsoring one of them please consider it. So far we have Craig Ruck signed up - Son of Steve Ruck, Biddle's Pit crew. You can find more details on MDR's Website (linked after this text.) Below is the official press release from the club.
MOTORCYCLE racers are gearing up to raise cash for injured soldiers in memory of a 21-year-old soldier who died after an explosion in Afghanistan.
When enduro competitors take to the start line of the final round of the Mercian Dirt Riders club championship at Aberbeeg on November 15, foremost in their thoughts will be the family of Private Richard Hunt. And when the flag drops, the cash is expected to come rolling in for Help for Heroes, which has been chosen by Pte Hunt's parents Hazel and Phillip and Sister Fiona, as the beneficiary of the event.
Riders will be sponsored for the number of laps they complete in the demanding three hour, non-stop cross country race; there will be a raffle, and other fundraising initiatives.
Private Hunt died in hospital in Birmingham on August 15th, two days after he was wounded in an explosion near Musa Qaleh in Helmand province. He was 21. He was on vehicle patrol with colleagues from the 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh and he was the 200th soldier to die as a result of injuries sustained in Afghanistan.
He attended King Henry VIII Comprehensive School and Usk College in his home town of Abergavenny, before joining the Army in October 2007. He won the physical training prize during his training, and was regarded as a fine sniper and Warrior driver with clear leadership potential.
His family has helped stage and continues to officiate at Mercian Dirt Riders events, and the club was pleased to help them support Help for Heroes.
The charity supports members of the armed forces who have been wounded in service of their country. It particularly wants to help servicemen and women rebuild their lives once they have left medical care and rehabilitation.
To find out more about donating and the event, visit www.merciandirtriders.co.uk.
[On: 23Oct09]
Two Championships in One Year for Jake
Another excellent winning ride at the final of 4 rounds of Wye Valley's Junior Trials Championship has landed Jake Hoare his 2nd Whole championship win of the year. A few weeks back Jake also won the last round of 5 of the Gwent Schoolboy Trials Club's similar championship. We've not allowed him to sit on his laurels though - we've asked him to come up with a report just to keep the pressure on him - Cruel aren't we, but, hey! He did, have a read.
[On: 13Oct09]
Bike Thefts
This is a press release from our local Police
Police in Gloucester and the Forest of Dean are urging motorcycle owners to follow some simple steps to protect their property from theft.
Between July 1 and July 14, 12 scooters or mopeds were stolen in the area.
Offences such as these often result from criminals seeing opportunities and taking them, so don’t give criminals an easy ride.
The more security measures you use, the less attractive your bike will be to thieves.
Your bike may be insured against theft but have you considered the time it will take to replace your bike and that your insurance premiums will go up because you’ve made a claim.
Follow these simple steps to reduce the chance of you becoming a victim:
* During the day park in a busy public place
* At night, park in a well-lit area
* Wherever possible, attach the bike to an immovable object or another motorcycle, using high tension steel cable and a high quality padlock, or a v-lock through the rear wheel or bike frame
* Don’t leave your crash helmet, or other possessions, attached to the motorcycle
* Mark as many parts of the bike as possible with the Vehicle Identification Number, registration number or postcode
[On: 22Jul09]
On-Line Entries
Entering our events may never be the same again! Colin is trialling his on-line system for the forthcoming Novice Trial and the Hill Climb. Don't panic you luddites, you can still enter using the old school method regardless, but those who are already conversant with paying on-line may wish to go with the flow. Whatever your opinion you can see his help file on the topic here... (Now - you have to promise not to laugh if it all goes bits up!...Much! Well, computers always do that don't they?)
[On: 10Jul09]
3 Wheels Down
Very sad news that Brian Lethbridge sadly passed away last week. Brian was a well loved character in the Pre65 Sidecar Trials and Long Distance Trials world for many years with many inspiring performances on his beloved Triumphs. "Lefty" or "Fag Ash" was an early supporter of our Wyegate and helped promote the event to ensure a healthy sidecar entry for ages.
[On: 16Jun09]
Stolen Bikes
One of our Bristol based members, Jerry Walters, has just been robbed. Keep your eyes peeled. Jerry says:
Just to let you know that I was targeted by thieves last night and had a GasGas EC200 enduro bike stolen from my back garden in Whitchurch, Bristol. I know its a long shot, but if anybody sees or hears anything of the bike please let me know.
Its a yellow, 2001 model frame number UTREC200104010286. Some distinguishing features include gold anodised front brake lever, silver renthal handlebars with home made bar risers, yellow & black 'Pro Grip' grips, Metzeler MC4 rear tyre, Michelin S12 front tyre, Blackbird Racing stickers on fork guards, non standard lowering link & white number backgrounds. The seat cover had been repaired at the back with Vinylweld and there was some 'road rash' damage to the front brake master cylinder, top yoke & front number board. 3 youths were seen pushing the bike through a neighbours fence (literally!) at about 3.15 AM this morning. It was last seen being pushed in the general direction of Hartcliffe.
The bike had always been troublesome and currently has a broken gearbox so cannot be ridden. Nevertheless I'm keen to get it back in any condition as it was not insured. Any help would be appreciated. Jerry.
We will pass any info on to Jerry if you don't have his number, so email us. admin@wgdfmcc.org.uk
[On: 11May09]
Another Rider Down
James French tells us sad news - Ray Gerring died of a heart attack on Tuesday.
Ray was a great supporter of LDTs, including the Wyegate, on a KMX 200 and latterly a sorted Mk3 Pampera, which he used to great effect. He finished 10th in the Wyegate last year and scored championship points in all but one of the ACU Trailbike series rounds too. From Oxford, Ray will missed by his many friends in the Western Centre. More details and funeral arrangements on Western centre site.
[Updated: 16Mar09]
Wyegate DVDs
That's right, Colin has finally got around to editing the Wyegate 2008 video and started to get Roger Baldwin's epic Vids from the 80's and 90's together. More on our Merchandise page. [On: 04Feb09]
Matt needs your current email addresses
Club Sec. Matt Neale needs your current email addresses, email him (secretary@wgdfmcc.org.uk) to confirm you exist please and don't forget to add your name!
Also, think about next year's Club Membership, it is £4 if you pay at a meeting, or, for £5 you get your ACU licence form signed and sent off, plus your membership card posted back too.