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Brian Sussex's
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My brother Trev and I having a well-earned break.
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TTRs in France!
My brother Trev and I had a brilliant trail riding and sight seeing
holiday in France at the beginning of June 2015.
I wrote a couple of reports for my local TRF Group newsletter:
Trail Riding
in France - Part Une
Trail Riding
in France - Part Deux
Many thanks to our mate Geoff, Torsten and Ro at
Ridelimousin and Stephen Dunne at
Le Mas de Forsac for making our
stay and trail riding so enjoyable!
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My brother Trev completing a tricky climb.
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TTR
Heaven!
My brother Trev and I had the “weekend of a lifetime” trail riding
in the Andalucian mountains with fellow TTR enthusiast, and member
of the TTR forum, Lyndon Foster who runs the
ToroTrail outfit in
southern Spain.I was asked to
write a report for my local TRF Group newsletter so thought I would
share it here in case there is any interest.
Here it is!
The weekend was a practical
confirmation for me as to how sturdy and capable the TTR is. Lyndon
currently runs 100% TTRs and you can take it from me that his bikes
get some heavy duty treatment from both novice and experienced trail
riders alike yet seem unburstable.
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Collecting my signed copy of "Lois on
the Loose" |
Devon
TRF Group scoops Lois!
The Devon TRF Group were royally entertained by the intrepid
"Lois on the Loose" Pryce,
aka the African Queen, at our monthly meeting on 11 September 2007.
This remarkable woman wasn't content riding solo from Alaska to the
tip of S America on a Serow but followed it up with a trip down
through Africa - but on a better choice of bike - a Yamaha TTR250!
Lois started with a quick hello and introduction, then moved on to a
20 minute PowerPoint presentation of her journey. Remarkable slide
show and stories - I bought her first book Lois on the Loose (signed
by the author at point of purchase!) and can't wait for the
Trans-African follow up due in Spring 2008 - too far away Lois!
Lois had plenty of time for questions and meeting local members and
was more than happy to sign her book, which was selling for a very
reasonable ₤7.50. It seems every one had a good evening with the
bonus of a guided tour of
Wheeldon Farm Adventure
Centre's superb indoor riding circuits by Andrew Savery. |
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First pic is of my third
TTR250 - a 2004 UK
model - my current trail and general purpose fun bike! Second pic was a
"project" WR250F which I modified for trail
riding. Pic taken at a Devon Group TRF "Funday" at Fulford Estate - a
wonderful venue. Sadly I don't do enough riding to justify keeping it so
it is now sold to a mate - and the extra space is handy!
The TTR is an amazing bike and has won me Gold Medals in the three 2003
MCC "Classic
Trials" and hence a coveted Triple Award - it certainly ain't
because of the rider. A little bit of the background to me getting started
again as a born-again off-road biker follows. I am too unfit these days
other than to marshall at Enduros but still very much enjoy the
competitive element involved in Long
Distance Trials.
I am a keen supporter of the
Trail Riders Fellowship (TRF) and am
currently the Rights of Way Officer for the
Devon TRF Group.
I am also a member of the
Devon Green
Lanes Group although there is limited scope now to sort out the Rights
of Way mess
as the NERC Act has curtailed our work in saving our lost heritage
of old roads.
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MCC's 2006 Lands End Trial - 14/15 April 2006.
407 miles travelled and 21 hours duration including compulsory breaks. A
good test of man and machine. The picture is of my brother Trevor and I at
the top of the very last section of the trial - Bluehills 2.
Click here for the full story
of our adventure. |
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The BMW R80GS is probably the best two-up green
lane bike around - this is my 1989 example. I haven't tried it in the
mud but it was great to do a bit of summer touring with Trish - mostly on
tarmac but some easy green lanes included - and we stayed upright! |
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Where did the road go?? Green laning in South
Wales in September 2002 - I should have checked the landing first but
survived.... Wales is definitely trail riding Nirvana! |
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My second TTR - a 2002 TTR250 - can't think of a
better all round bike for green laning, Long Distance Trials and an
occasional Enduro (Sportsman Class of course!). I won an MCC
Silver Medal on my first attempt at the Lands End Trial in 2002 and then Gold
Medals in the 2003 Exeter, Lands End and Edinburgh Classic Trials along
with the coveted Triple Award. |
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What a cracking bike - my old KDX200 -
excellent Enduro and trail bike but.. I wanted a 4 stroke so sold it in
2000... Was pre-owned by brother Trev. I miss its "lively" nature but it
wasn't happy coasting along on the road - it liked the throttle to be either
WFO or closed... |
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Devon TRF Dart Valley Run - 11 February 2001 - overlooking
the Dart at a lane end - from left to right: Mike, Tim, Pete, Pete, Ian
and Chris (I think..). I was taking the photo. Really nice bunch of lads.
I happened to be following behind the riders when they had their major
turf surfing practice - Pete KDX's was spectacular - surprised nothing got
broke either on him or the bike! |
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My first TTR250 - luvverly bike....
Acerbis brushguards, Renthals, CRD bashplate and frameguards, otherwise
pretty standard. Looking a bit muddy after an enduro.... |
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Minehead again! This time its the Xmoor Club's first Enduro
- July 8 2001. TTR (No 106) looking clean and lined up at the start
alongside Rob Katschmaryk's KLX (No 62) and Clive Hill's RMX250 (No 133).
Great event, good track, well organised event, superb atmosphere and I
finished the 3hrs - what more can you ask? |
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Matt giving the RM125 some beans at Minehead. (Did we spend
all of our Sundays there???) |
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Me on the trusty KDX at Minehead -
riding sedately! The KDX was ultra reliable and repaid careful maintenance
- it never let me or my brother (who owned it previously) down - did the
Powys, Cwm Owen and a number of other national and local enduros, etc. |
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Matt at Minehead - not looking so keen
this time ;-)) |
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Me after another Minehead Hare
and Hounds with my good mate and encourager Adrian "Biker" Harris. |
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Tim after his first Hare and Hounds
at Minehead. "I am NOT - no matter what - going to do another bloody
lap Brian!" - it was Tim's first event and we had only done one lap
in three hours but at least he got on the finishers list - he wasn't last
- I was as I had been following him around! Enduros are definitely more
about technique than fitness. |
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Matt (again?) going through the punch gates
at Minehead on his RM125 - how come he is smiling then? Don't you envy
youngsters their fitness? (They are also not so afraid of breaking bones
or dying so take more chances than us greybeards....) |
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Matt again - this time on his
KTM125
competing in the Mendip Hills Hare and Hounds. I was pit crew for the day.
An interesting course where the St Johns crew managed to roll their Land
Rover on one of the hills. |
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Matt posing on his new bike - ex-schoolboy
MX bike - didn't take
long to get the RM125 dirty though - see following photos! |
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Matt about with KTM 125 MX that he
competed on - dig that haircut! Bike later passed on to step brother Tim -
see below. |
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Son Matt posing on a tasty little DT50
that he did up and sold to get some dosh for his racing fund. He did a
number of these - MT50s and mopeds - quite profitable if you start with a
scrapper. |
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Stepson Tim poses on Tom's CR80 at Bovey - get a
bigger bike Tim!!! (or have your legs shortened). It was actually Tom's
bike but Tim had "borrowed" it for the day - sshhhhh. |
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Trev (DR125) in trouble leaving the section
on Jubilee LDT - I think he got away with a "3".... The DR was a
great little bike for LDTs but not really up to enduros etc. It was Trev's
replacement for his KDX (which I bought off him) and his "4
stroke" experience" which all smoker riders seem to need at some
stage in their biking career... Trev now has an Open Enduro version of the
Yamaha TTR250.
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Stepdaughter Kerrie charges toward the "stop in the box" on a special
test in the 2000 Jubilee LDT. This was obviously in between the resting
periods...... We had been told it was an event suitable for beginners but
Kerrie begs to differ. We (Kerrie, brother Trev and I) didn't finish the
day and short cutted back to the pub after the drinks stop. Nice to finish
early but didn't get the satisfaction of the "finish".....
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This is more my style (I am the ugly bloke
4th from left) - the 1998 Jubilee LDT (Somerset) - beautiful day, excellent company and
brilliant course. Isn't it nice to do other people's lanes occasionally?
This was my first Jubilee - we kept up a good pace and finished in time to
relax in the pub just that bit longer ;-))) |
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My first ever dirt bike
event - the Brass Monkeys Enduro (Broadhembury, Devon) on a Husky WR250 twinshock - this was not
a beginner's event as my mate Adrian (aka Biker) had told me.... Nearly
put me off dirt biking for life! Sorry - not Adrian's fault - he just
didn't know what a crap rider I was and how unfit... |
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Trish and I on a quick trail ride on the quad across Dawlish beach in
November 1997. Well, no... actually it was November 1997 but piccie was
taken on our honeymoon at Daytona Beach, Florida - ahhhhhh..... bliss.... |
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