Paul Sager 40 and not out !

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My first Lomax was in 1982 on a Gori 280, followed by Montesa 200, Fantic 240 & 300 before moving onto the mono Yam in 1986.  My earliest memory of the Lomax was in 1975 watching Martin Lampkin on his red Bultaco 325 at a section below Tan y Garth in Pontfadog. My dad and uncle both rode the Lomax through the 1950’s, the trial passed through Bronygarth where our family lived, therefore they just had to ride.

 

My Mother, who is still involved in the Lomax today, was brought up on a farm a mile above the original start in Pontfadog.  My brother Colin rode his first Lomax back in 1976 on a Montesa 247 Ulf Carlson replica. In those days the best British riders like Martin Lampkin, Malcolm Rathmell, Mick Andrews, etc. would come out to ride the “nationals”.

 

Not only has the Lomax changed over the years but the world has too, I do remember riding in the mid 80’s and the time limit was 5 hours 30 minutes to do 42 sections, every one riding the same route. I remember not walking the last 10 sections just to get in on time. If that happened today, no one would ride next year.

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The sections although hard were straight forward, the South Liverpool club ran the trial their way which made it different.  There would be some strange sections, I remember a section at Moelfre Hall where only John Shirt got up the climb for 3 marks, then the following section was very easy, but that was how they did it !    One year I did the first 20 sections for 2 marks, only to get to Heartbreak where Josey Lloyd would mark out his own sections, it was a case of get up there if you dare. I probably finished on about 50 marks.

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It was different type of competition back then, not only concentrating on cleaning sections, but you had to manage the time, we didn’t go faster on the roads & tracks but the riders spent less time looking at sections or talking to the support crew (if there was one), and didn’t mess about, we just had to push on.

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Trials has changed, we now wear £250 boots and kit to match, I remember Dunlop trials wellies, if you looked hard enough you could see where the NCB (national coal board) logo had been blanked out. If you had a Sammy Miller trials suit (a boiler suit with waterproof legs) you did look the part. When I started, riding your bike to the trial had stopped, in the main it was a car and trailer, now it’s a van with all the gear.

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The format and route of the Llangollen Lomax is very similar to when I first rode, sections are always a challenge, but the improvement in bike performance and rider techniques has led to more technical sections, which take longer to walk and ride.   I remember Dan Thorpe asking Brad for some BIG Lomax sections, he meant the have a go, do or die section.  The introduction of a clubman route for a wider range of abilities & allowed the likes of myself to continue to enjoy a proper trial, without the do or die, this year is my 41st consecutive Lomax ride.

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Delicate point, me being a man now in his sixties, whereas most riders are less than 40. My Lomax highlight was in 2004 when my son Tom took the overall win. Not sure how many more Lomax’s I can or want to do, I always try to beat the clerk of the course, (not the other riders) and while I can do justice to the sections and complete at a reasonable level, I will keep on having one more go.

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                                                                              Paul Sager​