Motobene
Well-known member
"Only those uninterested in improvement are certain."
Santa Fe Institute
Santa Fe Institute
Last edited:
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An Improved UNIVERSAL System of Trials Events Marking
- Thread starter Motobene
- Start date
Motobene
Well-known member
Not something new. Existing.
Motobene
Well-known member
I was waiting to see if anyone was interested. So far, nope.
grege
member
I don't know about anyone else, but I've been waiting for it 
. I like hearing new ideas and seeing how others mark.
Universal though? In the brief handful of years I have been in this sport I quickly realized nothing is universal when it comes to marking a trial. Neighboring clubs running a series can't even agree on a system. Mass confusion for the traveling competitors on day 1.
. I like hearing new ideas and seeing how others mark.Universal though? In the brief handful of years I have been in this sport I quickly realized nothing is universal when it comes to marking a trial. Neighboring clubs running a series can't even agree on a system. Mass confusion for the traveling competitors on day 1.
Motobene
Well-known member
After a decades of tweaking marking systems I went for a whole new one based on printed cards
for the 2016 Sooner Cup. I essentially afflicted myself with a major learning experience, trying to improve many things on top of being a mostly one-man army setting a major event on my
Oklahoma ranch property. Ryan Young came away with a complement, "Chris your event was the funnest event I've ridden!" That comment shocked me, but oh what a price!
The very day after the event I collapsed Being left with three months of tearing 32 sections down with a back problem I vowed to design my way around it in the next design iteration.
For the next Sooner Cup I set sections with a new system based on the British idea of flags for gates, only I tossed their use of left and right color flags for
each line. Additionally, I set a 2-day event with only 8 sections for Lowers and 8 sections for Uppers, which I could do because flags don't have an explicit front side to gates.
Other than using flags that were too small and stems stems that were too short, and some NATC colors that were near impossible to see in shadows, the event came off very well and
NO ONE COMPLAINED about running all of Saturday's sections backwards on the the same loop and direction Sunday. It took only two of us a couple of hours to reverse the sections
Saturday afternoon!
The system wasn't quite there so I evolved an update. That 2018 system became HPTA's system, which is still in use today. It's a great system, and I have only a few minor tweaks to apply it
broadly, as in potentially world wide.
Here is a summary of the system at the level it is, with some comments also on the few revisions I have applied. I have graphics only for the HPTA system, but will soon update to include an example of
a club using a split-day format. In the system:
I RETAINED
I ELIMINATED
I EMPLOYED
Below is the laminated sheet used by HPTA, a club employing a simple class structure (note how classes are assigned in the system). HPTA uses an all-ride format.
The above is from 2018. In the latest iteration, stick on large black vinyl numbers on the start flags get rid of hand-written section numbers.
With one event per day the standard is high viz dayglo orange for the loop to the start and end flags for one high-viz color, but the system is very flexible and clubs can use any color ribbon they want,
such as using up stock of red and blue tape. The only thing inflexible in the standard are colors and difficulty hierarchy. If an event requires 4 lines as few as the three top colors can be used.
A flexibility worth mentioning is how HPTA will use a section set for an event for a fun GATE TRIAL the day the sections are group set. This shows up on the sheet to print four of the handy
laminated cards we use for section setters and checkers:
In our fun GATE trial we typically ride five of the eight main event sections backwards without changing any marking. In GATE trials more points is better, and riders choose which gates to ride, accumulating points up
to a scorecard's maximum number of 'punchable' points per section per loop, which is 1+2+3+5=11 points.
But here's the catch! If a rider dabs even once in a section, he or she will lose all the accumulated points for the ride, making GATE trials a game of risk versus reward strategy.
Notice in the above points assignments for each color line how the HPTA club wisely 'upside downed' the points, making the harder gates worth FEWER points. This was done to specifically
favor the less-skilled riders. It's a system of honesty of course, as it is expected the better riders will ride harder gates. Given the event is group score and everyone watches, honesty is self enforcing.
HPTA is an example of a club that started afresh and being oriented toward fun and not taking things too seriously, and that posture tends to lower resistance to change and increase willingness to innovate.
Many clubs accommodate a wider bandwidth of classes and thus a wider skills bandwidth. This can lead to splitting the classes into two groups so the terrain can more closely match the skills bandwidths.
One club I long rode in had a all-day format for the whole bandwidth of skill sets leading to a burden to accommodate everyone in one section. That can be done with my system because it supports up to six lines,
which is more than enough.
For split-day formats, I apply the same hierarchy overlayed onto an Uppers and Lowers events. Sections in that case do not require any text to distinguish between events. That is done only by a difference in perimeter tape color.
Gone is the need to ride up to a section to read a start card for 'AM' or 'PM' as that information becomes obvious at a distance. All of this info is easily learned by riders as it is posted clearly in the signup area. For example:
SATURDAY AM
perimeter tape is
pink tape sample
stapled on
SATURDAY PM
perimeter tape is
white tape sample
stapled on
------------------
SUNDAY AM
perimeter tape is
monkey snot
dayglo green
tape sample
stapled on
SUNDAY PM
perimeter tape is
dayglo orange
tape sample
stapled on
Clubs often employ more than one loop trail in a weekend. That information is also easy to in a similar way with SUNDAY AM LOOP tape color and an associate piece of tape or whatever other marking.
For more formal events like nationals, specific-color number plates could still be used and associate with lines. PRO in my system would be BLUE, EXPERT would be YELLOW, etc, with the usual several classes
assigned to what was described in text as SUPPORT. Using my system, lines lose such descriptions as unnecessary. There's just the hierarchy with the difficulty set at the discretion of the hosting club.
When classes are hard associated to named lines and color in incidental, the flexibility to shift line difficulty when weather blows the lid off the intended difficulty is just not there, and the riders just tough it out.
The problem is that trials rider are few and participation is voluntary. Sometimes it only takes ONE too-hard event to swear a rider off of nationals or even trials. The fun versus difficulty balance is hard one to
struggle with. My desire to attend nationals went poof with an injury and ONE frustrating too-hard event. My hope shifted to an older bike and a lower line to have more fun than struggle, then they cancelled the
class and that was it for me. Maybe I will return some day to nationals, but I can't make all the local events as it is :-0
There's more to this system, but this is already too long. But here are two final details that are interesting. Yes, there is a fixed core hierarchy and color assignments, but there is flexibility. Two examples:
TWO-LINES CLASSES
These are classes that ride a base line but in about half the sections will ride a line up. Classes with 'senior' or 'semi' in the class names, for example where the line difficulty is appropriate with the easier of the
harder-line sections and the harder of the easier-line sections My system accommodates these classes with a simple single flag in an off color like silver, planted next to one of the start gates. Riders in that
class walk up to such a section and know, "Hey Bob, we ride this section up a line." Very simple.
CHAMP EXAMPLE
In my present club, NMTA, the section setters are additionally labor burdened by a highest class, CHAMP. Often there are no more than one or two CHAMP riders yet a whole line must be set for them. And if no CHAMP
riders show, it's a lot of wasted effort. Better in my system is defaulting CHAMP to the hardest core BLUE line to which MASTER is assigned, and adding a few 'CHAMP supplement gates' in another off commercially
available color, for example PURPLE. It only takes a PURPLE gate or two in each section to make the BLUE line significantly harder. The labor saving of this one trick is significant! And it's as simple as informing CHAMP
riders in the rider's meeting, "You guys ride BLUE and also any PURPLE gates you see.
It's old way:
...or new way:
for the 2016 Sooner Cup. I essentially afflicted myself with a major learning experience, trying to improve many things on top of being a mostly one-man army setting a major event on my
Oklahoma ranch property. Ryan Young came away with a complement, "Chris your event was the funnest event I've ridden!" That comment shocked me, but oh what a price!
The very day after the event I collapsed Being left with three months of tearing 32 sections down with a back problem I vowed to design my way around it in the next design iteration.
For the next Sooner Cup I set sections with a new system based on the British idea of flags for gates, only I tossed their use of left and right color flags for
each line. Additionally, I set a 2-day event with only 8 sections for Lowers and 8 sections for Uppers, which I could do because flags don't have an explicit front side to gates.
Other than using flags that were too small and stems stems that were too short, and some NATC colors that were near impossible to see in shadows, the event came off very well and
NO ONE COMPLAINED about running all of Saturday's sections backwards on the the same loop and direction Sunday. It took only two of us a couple of hours to reverse the sections
Saturday afternoon!
The system wasn't quite there so I evolved an update. That 2018 system became HPTA's system, which is still in use today. It's a great system, and I have only a few minor tweaks to apply it
broadly, as in potentially world wide.
Here is a summary of the system at the level it is, with some comments also on the few revisions I have applied. I have graphics only for the HPTA system, but will soon update to include an example of
a club using a split-day format. In the system:
I RETAINED
- perimeter tape
- gates defined by two markers
- section numbers on the entrance gate
- gates differentiating LINE difficulty
- gates excluding non-assigned classes
- the classic 2-tire no-line-crossing rule
- all the other traditional trials rules about points assigned (excluding the FIM ambiguous stop rule most countries have rejected)
I ELIMINATED
- classes in sections (already a precedent)
- all use text in sections
- custom materials like printed cards and use of any patterns
- throw-way gates
- anything implying left or right (already a precedent)
- explicitly-sided gates
I EMPLOYED
- SOLID COLORS, commercially available, conveying information
- COLORS emphasizing visibility
- COLORS & CONTRAST at least considering the color-vision impaired
- ONE use of numbers: section numbers on entrance gate flags
- SAME line color hierarchy (with minor flexibility) applied to ALL events
- FLAGS for gates, high-quality, large-format on long stiff wires, source from ONE US manufacturer
- MAJORITY of gates are '360 visible'
- COLOR of perimeter tape determining which sections apply to what events (4 events in a weekend means 4 different and contrasting perimeter tape colors)
Below is the laminated sheet used by HPTA, a club employing a simple class structure (note how classes are assigned in the system). HPTA uses an all-ride format.
The above is from 2018. In the latest iteration, stick on large black vinyl numbers on the start flags get rid of hand-written section numbers.
With one event per day the standard is high viz dayglo orange for the loop to the start and end flags for one high-viz color, but the system is very flexible and clubs can use any color ribbon they want,
such as using up stock of red and blue tape. The only thing inflexible in the standard are colors and difficulty hierarchy. If an event requires 4 lines as few as the three top colors can be used.
A flexibility worth mentioning is how HPTA will use a section set for an event for a fun GATE TRIAL the day the sections are group set. This shows up on the sheet to print four of the handy
laminated cards we use for section setters and checkers:
In our fun GATE trial we typically ride five of the eight main event sections backwards without changing any marking. In GATE trials more points is better, and riders choose which gates to ride, accumulating points up
to a scorecard's maximum number of 'punchable' points per section per loop, which is 1+2+3+5=11 points.
But here's the catch! If a rider dabs even once in a section, he or she will lose all the accumulated points for the ride, making GATE trials a game of risk versus reward strategy.
Notice in the above points assignments for each color line how the HPTA club wisely 'upside downed' the points, making the harder gates worth FEWER points. This was done to specifically
favor the less-skilled riders. It's a system of honesty of course, as it is expected the better riders will ride harder gates. Given the event is group score and everyone watches, honesty is self enforcing.
HPTA is an example of a club that started afresh and being oriented toward fun and not taking things too seriously, and that posture tends to lower resistance to change and increase willingness to innovate.
Many clubs accommodate a wider bandwidth of classes and thus a wider skills bandwidth. This can lead to splitting the classes into two groups so the terrain can more closely match the skills bandwidths.
One club I long rode in had a all-day format for the whole bandwidth of skill sets leading to a burden to accommodate everyone in one section. That can be done with my system because it supports up to six lines,
which is more than enough.
For split-day formats, I apply the same hierarchy overlayed onto an Uppers and Lowers events. Sections in that case do not require any text to distinguish between events. That is done only by a difference in perimeter tape color.
Gone is the need to ride up to a section to read a start card for 'AM' or 'PM' as that information becomes obvious at a distance. All of this info is easily learned by riders as it is posted clearly in the signup area. For example:
SATURDAY AM
perimeter tape is
pink tape sample
stapled on
SATURDAY PM
perimeter tape is
white tape sample
stapled on
------------------
SUNDAY AM
perimeter tape is
monkey snot
dayglo green
tape sample
stapled on
SUNDAY PM
perimeter tape is
dayglo orange
tape sample
stapled on
Clubs often employ more than one loop trail in a weekend. That information is also easy to in a similar way with SUNDAY AM LOOP tape color and an associate piece of tape or whatever other marking.
For more formal events like nationals, specific-color number plates could still be used and associate with lines. PRO in my system would be BLUE, EXPERT would be YELLOW, etc, with the usual several classes
assigned to what was described in text as SUPPORT. Using my system, lines lose such descriptions as unnecessary. There's just the hierarchy with the difficulty set at the discretion of the hosting club.
When classes are hard associated to named lines and color in incidental, the flexibility to shift line difficulty when weather blows the lid off the intended difficulty is just not there, and the riders just tough it out.
The problem is that trials rider are few and participation is voluntary. Sometimes it only takes ONE too-hard event to swear a rider off of nationals or even trials. The fun versus difficulty balance is hard one to
struggle with. My desire to attend nationals went poof with an injury and ONE frustrating too-hard event. My hope shifted to an older bike and a lower line to have more fun than struggle, then they cancelled the
class and that was it for me. Maybe I will return some day to nationals, but I can't make all the local events as it is :-0
There's more to this system, but this is already too long. But here are two final details that are interesting. Yes, there is a fixed core hierarchy and color assignments, but there is flexibility. Two examples:
TWO-LINES CLASSES
These are classes that ride a base line but in about half the sections will ride a line up. Classes with 'senior' or 'semi' in the class names, for example where the line difficulty is appropriate with the easier of the
harder-line sections and the harder of the easier-line sections My system accommodates these classes with a simple single flag in an off color like silver, planted next to one of the start gates. Riders in that
class walk up to such a section and know, "Hey Bob, we ride this section up a line." Very simple.
CHAMP EXAMPLE
In my present club, NMTA, the section setters are additionally labor burdened by a highest class, CHAMP. Often there are no more than one or two CHAMP riders yet a whole line must be set for them. And if no CHAMP
riders show, it's a lot of wasted effort. Better in my system is defaulting CHAMP to the hardest core BLUE line to which MASTER is assigned, and adding a few 'CHAMP supplement gates' in another off commercially
available color, for example PURPLE. It only takes a PURPLE gate or two in each section to make the BLUE line significantly harder. The labor saving of this one trick is significant! And it's as simple as informing CHAMP
riders in the rider's meeting, "You guys ride BLUE and also any PURPLE gates you see.
It's old way:
...or new way:
Last edited:
I've never attempted or attended a Trials event. Looks like fun, though.
The only suggestion I can give is to make it as clear as possible that you're interested in constructive criticism from participants after an event, and that you make it as easy as possible to receive that criticism. Establishing that kind of dialogue should help drive adoption and improvements to the system while relegating the Not Invented Here curmudgeons to the sidelines.
The only suggestion I can give is to make it as clear as possible that you're interested in constructive criticism from participants after an event, and that you make it as easy as possible to receive that criticism. Establishing that kind of dialogue should help drive adoption and improvements to the system while relegating the Not Invented Here curmudgeons to the sidelines.
Motobene
Well-known member
Maybe, don't care except if I have to expend the labor to set sections. Again, I'm agnostic about marking systems.
Motobene
Well-known member
The original post has been extensively edited for a more comprehensive story and system explanation (and to fix the usual boo boos).
I cut and pasted into my marking system folder for more materials to explain it, if so asked.
I cut and pasted into my marking system folder for more materials to explain it, if so asked.
Motobene
Well-known member
I have various Word documents and saved text and graphics built up since the system firmed up in 2018, but I have not birthed a complete standards document. A well written shorter version is a lot of work!
Few would endure reading it but it's necessary to anchor a system and assure the quality does not degrade over time. A YouTube video would be great, but that too takes time.
There's no substitute for direct demonstration! That's what sold the system to HPTA in 2018, and it meeting the need and being a quality system has keep it in place since then.
Few would endure reading it but it's necessary to anchor a system and assure the quality does not degrade over time. A YouTube video would be great, but that too takes time.
There's no substitute for direct demonstration! That's what sold the system to HPTA in 2018, and it meeting the need and being a quality system has keep it in place since then.
You've put considerable thought into developing the system. Hosting it as a web page would be another way to get it out there. Being a living document, you could continue refinement, adding photos & video clips. Add a version designation to updates and you're set.
A clumsier way would be converting it to a Google Doc with a public link. Photos wouldn't be a problem, but I'm not sure how GD handles video.
I like the idea of you maintaining control of the system - unless you turn its maintenance over to a group. Sharing a static file runs the risk of multiple versions floating around, causing confusion over the standard. Multiples also allows detractors to latch onto old data to justify dismissing the system.
A clumsier way would be converting it to a Google Doc with a public link. Photos wouldn't be a problem, but I'm not sure how GD handles video.
I like the idea of you maintaining control of the system - unless you turn its maintenance over to a group. Sharing a static file runs the risk of multiple versions floating around, causing confusion over the standard. Multiples also allows detractors to latch onto old data to justify dismissing the system.
Motobene
Well-known member
Good suggestions! I've owned only one web page and it is now inactive due to the business becoming inactive.
This being a decades-long non-profit effort in a hobby version of my professional career, plus getting older, my motivation to push to achieve against intransigence is pretty low.
And it's not like I don't have enough projects already!
But yes, I do need to take it to a next level as i could be asked to present something - maybe - to willing ears.
This being a decades-long non-profit effort in a hobby version of my professional career, plus getting older, my motivation to push to achieve against intransigence is pretty low.
And it's not like I don't have enough projects already!
But yes, I do need to take it to a next level as i could be asked to present something - maybe - to willing ears.
Motobene
Well-known member
Zoomer, I do, but first am publishing it to myself to make sure the design fits all possible class structures.