Rider of the Day

By Bob Adams

At 79 I'm supposed to be self-isolating but early March saw my great grandson Noah's first ACU Trial, as he has just become old enough to ride, so sod it, I was going!

Noah (4) and Archie (5) are James Dabill's two boys. Both have been riding round my front lawn since they were 2 years old on their electric trials bikes, and their grandad (Mark) has been training them in made up sections. Archie is steady and intelligent, Noah is a lunatic. He crashes for fun, tries to lift the front and just goes for it, so how would they both get on in a proper trial?

The Mansfield trial was four laps of eight sections. Archie started steadily and well whilst Noah was coping OK but, at just four, forgetting where the section went and losing marks. I was doing the same at sixty four!

On the last two laps everything changed. Archie was still good (3 marks off the win) but Noah started to show us how the son of a World Junior trials champion could ride a bike. Noah twice cleaned the camber of section 3 where all the other riders lost the back wheel, then on the hill of section 4 he rocketed up through the trees, head up and under full control, at age four! I will never forget that sight- a rider twice his age could not have done better.

Archie finished second and Noah third, out of a thirteen rider group, just a dozen marks behind. Noah was voted Rider of the Day and I reckon he will get that accolade a few more times in years to come.

Unfortunately the virus has put a stop to the next few months trials, but I hope you all get through OK.