I was recently very fortunate to stumble on an original copy of ‘the Motor Cycle‘ for 1935 in which there was a 3 page report with images of the Liverpool Motor Club’s ‘Reliance Trial’

The event which had become a classic on the British sports calendar was a reliability trial and not a sporting trial so the skill was sustaining riding for the duration of the event rather than excelling at specific section challenges. in 1935 the event was based at Mold in Flintshire although in its earliest years it had started on Merseyside with competitors travelling into North Wales.

This is the Article as published in ‘the Motor Cycle‘ October 24th 1935

IN spite of a timed restarting test on Allt-y-Bady and a short, rough section that had to be covered at not less than schedule speed, it was impossible to separate the performances of the only two riders who retained clean sheets in last Saturday’s Reliance Trial in North Wales. The two out standing men who were G.E.Rowley (560 A.J.S.) and L.G.Holdsworth (346 New Imperial), and as there was no rule giving preference to the smaller capacity machine, the two stand as joint holders of the ‘Reliance Trophy. Thus a most unusual situation is created, for It seldom happens in open events that the “premier” cannot be placed in one particular direction, especially when two special tests are used in view of possible ties.

Photo – Trials riders find their way up Heartbreak Hill, Glyn Ceiriog during the Reliance Trial 1935

This year the trial started at Mold instead of at Llangollen, although it finished at the latter place as usual. The change was thought to indicate that something new would be introduced, but the event was much the same as other Reliance Trials, with the hills of the Bady range as the notable obstacles, Heartbreak and Ken’s Cut in particular. Vron, that long grassy slope which seems endless (and surfaceless) on a wet day, proved no stumbling block on this occasion, and Allt-y-Bady, which is slowly reverting to trials calibre after being repaired a few years ago, was used for the timed restart. In spite of the 1 in 3.8 gradient now having a surface “like a heap of dominoes’.’ (as one rider put it), even two-fifties made no bones about standing starts, which is an indication of the improvement in modern engines and the grip of present-day “comp.” tyres. The sidecars, however, were not too happy; they needed all the urge available from a gradient point of view, and yet when their skippers “gave them the gun” it mostly happened that the front wheels caressed the earth lightly and sportively and the outfits slewed round crabwise, and that was that.

Continue reading →