The Kendal Classic Club’s Nostalgia Weekend – or Week, if you include the trial and road runs – has become one of the ‘must do’ events on the classic and twinshock calendar since the club orchestrated its relaunch in 2003.

The combination of a traditional moorland trial, allowing a decent ride out for as wide a spectrum of twinshock and pre-65 bikes as you’ll see at any UK event, and the chance to ride (or even just watch) a real old fashioned scramble seems to be proving irresistible to riders and spectators alike and, to me, that’s no surprise.

Take the trial for example. Three laps of 15 sections, with everything from muddy slots and roots, through gritty northern streams, all spiced with a big, balls out hillclimb where the big bore pre-unit pre-65s can have the last laugh over the later lightweight usurpers – the sections have something for everybody.

True, this year there were queues at a couple of the longer and trickier sections but, for most, that just meant an opportunity to get your breath back and tell your mates just how you would have cleaned that last section if only your bike hadn’t dropped out of gear at the wrong moment (is there ever a right moment?).

There’s little doubt that the hard route was, indeed, hard this year, extracting 21 marks from unit pre-65 winner Tony Calvert and 13 from twinshock victor Ashley Bell. When you think that Pre-65 Scottish winner Calvert dropped just one mark over both days of the Highland classic, it gives you an idea of just how tricky the Holme Farm sections were.

Main mark stealer for the hard route lads seemed to be the steep climb out of section five (I think), which started by the fence at the bottom of a steep bank and then snaked its way up to the top via a series of tight turns culminating in a tight left leading to the steepest part of the climb and – ultimately – the ends cards. The last few yards of the section didn’t get any easier all day and, in fact, seemed to get harder as the line got cut out ever deeper.

The other section causing the lads to think a bit was the big hill climb set in the depths of the Holme Farm woods. Second or third gear, a deep breath and nerves of steel were the order of the day for this little beauty – but even that wasn’t enough in all cases. And, while the clubman route through the section was eased considerably, the steep exit still caused plenty of problems.

Less dramatic, but still nicking plenty of marks – even from the better riders – were sections three and four, lurking at the bottom of yet another wooded bank. These two slimy little beauties got steadily worse as the day went on, especially for the hard route riders.

So, it was no cakewalk on either route, but there was nothing dangerous and, if you got round OK, you’d definitely earned your free bottle of Bluebird at the signing off tent. And in the meantime, you’d have had great value for your entry fee – I reckon I was out on the course for around six hours. In short, interesting bikes, terrific sections (even if my TL steadfastly refused to rev out up the big hill) and as friendly a crowd of riders and observers as you’d find anywhere – and that makes a great trial in my book.

More in the magazine...

End of sample article | Top of page | Buy Classic Dirt Bike