Jeff DeBell's article in Trail Rider Magazine - "T

[BlueRidgePathfinder]

Howdy folks,

I received my March issue of Trail Rider yesterday, after driving Paul Clipper nuts over not having gotten my copy yet.  Mind you I do also subscribe to the on-line version of the magazine with cyclepedia.com, but it just not the same as having the genuine article in your hot little hands.

Jeff's fascinating article "The 48th ISDT: Dalton Revisited", looks back at the 1973 ISDT in Dalton Massachusetts, an event that happened over 35 years ago and touched the lives of hundreds of our brethren.  I feel Jeff's article will quickly become a much sought after reference by those like us who revere the history and honor of the International Six Day Trials.

Editor Clipper also writes about Jeff's piece in the "Breaking News" section of the magazine, "It would have qualified as a short book, and then he added to it a sidebar on Al Eames that was the length of a feature story itself. Well, we really wanted to print it, but we had to wait 'til we had some breathing room. Since we had most of the "timely" racing articles out of the way, we stole the room for DeBell's epic story this month, hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as we did. We tried to find some formerly unpublished photos to illustrate the article, and we found success when DeBell pointed us
toward Henry Bolton, who graciously supplied the pictures we used."

Like Vinduro's Peter Dubaldi stated earlier today, we need to encourage Jeff to expound on this article and author an anthology of riders' memories of the events leading up to, during, and after Dalton? It would be a great companion book to Chilton Book Company's "The Olympics of Motorcycling - ISDT '73" by Ron Schneider's, circa 1973.

I would like to ask you all to remember that Paul Clipper's Trail Rider magazine has been the only publication to carry pictorial articles about EVERY ISDT Reunion Ride, and of their recent Penton Anniversary issue.  Trail Rider magazine is also feeling the pinch of our troubled economy, having lost several long-time advertisers.

In the February 2009 issue of Trail Rider, in an article entitled "What's Up With Trail Rider?" Paul wrote:

"That is an excellent question to be asking right now, and we are asking the same thing. The recession continues to screw down onto the motorcycle industry in general, and at our end it materializes as lost advertising revenue and subscribers. We lost three more longtime advertisers this month, who complain they can't afford it any more. As we call around to find new advertisers, we find that everyone is in a crunch, and new clients are hard to come by. Our trouble with all this is that, much as we love your subscriptions, that $20 doesn't even pay for the postage, let alone production and all the other costs. What will happen to us? Sadly, since we're printed about 45 days in advance, we can't predict exactly where this will all lead in the short term. What we can tell you is that when Trail Rider starts actively losing money—when it reaches the point where it will not pay its bills any more— you will see a drastic change. We have been discussing options such as going to an all black and white magazine again, or to a thin newspaper format,or even publishing it six times a year rather than 12. There is also the possibility that, without support, we won't be able to continue Trail Rider in any form. Sorry to say it, but it's true. Things are tough, and we're not the only motorcycle publication feeling the pinch — although we're the only one who will admit it to you."

"At this point in time, all we can say is keep an eye on your mailbox. If Trail Rider shows up, yay! If it doesn't...well, look on our website, and all the rest of the active web sites, for news about our state of health. Sorry to put it so bluntly, but that's just the way things are going this winter."

"Oh, and if anyone hears about any government bailouts for small publishers, please let us know right away!"

I would ask any and all of you who enjoy eastern style trail riding, dual sport riding, adventure riding, or vintage enduro and ISDT type event to subscribe to Trail Rider magazine.  I would also encourage those of you in related businesses to spend some advertising dollars with this fine publication too.  I would surely hate to see this
journalistic icon of American off-road motorcycling go the way of the Dodo bird of Mauritius.....extinct!

It's easy to subscribe to Trail Rider, simply go to their website at:
http://www.trailrider.com/ , click on "SUBSCRIBE" at the top of the screen, and you're on your way.

Once you have subscribed, keep an eye on future issues for my article on my 1976 Yamaha IT400C Chris Carter ISDT Gold Medal Replica in the "What's In Yer Garage?" feature, and my yet to be written pictorial article on the upcoming Inaugural Carolina White Lightning Cross Country Classic.

Happy trails,

Al Roof
American Motorcyclist Association: 696745
American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association: 3843
Founder & President - The Blue Ridge Pathfinders M/C, Inc.