hrmad

You've got to trust that the bike will grip, I often find myself dabbing when I don't need to because I'm nervous about going across a camber or turning down a steep slope. Speed up your frames per second in between sections by going a decent pace and it increases your reaction time in the sections, meaning you can adapt to rough terrain and make quicker direction changes. Keep the bike going, keep momentum and be determined not to put a foot down!

I ride a beta rev 3 200, plenty of power, I've flipped it a few times practicing up steep banks lol. I think beta still produce an evo 200, can't say what they are like in comparison to my old beast I think a bit snappier due to having a different carb. I wish I had saved some money and bought something newer, I've spent well over the initial price of the bike replacing parts and getting the bike to suit me. I've had a go on a 2011 ossa 280, too much power, 300s and the like tend to drag you into sections, the ossa was very on off re power delivery. I also had a go on a standard Cota, 2012 I think it was. If I was buying new I would go for a montesa standard 4rt, lovely suspension, rides like no other bike through a rocky stream, really impressed when I had a go on one. Build quality is really nice on them, plenty of torque and power, and any bike will take some learning to ride, whether it be a 4 stroke or 2 stroke. In some ways a 125 takes more input to ride than a bigger cc. It depends on what type of riding you want to do. I personally find ragging a small bike is more fun than being careful on a big one. Trials is about having fun.

Gone with the stylmartins, they look like they offer a bit more protection. I tend to catch my feet a lot, we'll see how they go

thanks. Have you had a pair of gaernes? How would they compare to the stylmartins?

Thanks Paulmac, I wear knee guards that cover that boot to knee area, they have helped prevent quite a few bruises and have saved a knee when I landed on a tree trunk. They have also helped with whacking myself on the pegs. I don't want another pair of alpinestars, I want something that is easy to apply dubbing to and look after.

Hi, Has anyone tried the Stylmartin impact evo trials boot? I've pretty much trashed my alpinestars, the sole has come away from the boot. I'm thinking about getting a pair of oiled Gaernes next, but wanted to ask if anyone has tried the stylmartin ones? thanks

no but i need to, cycling is probably a good idea, and maybe some weights

315 Honda/montesas are pretty much bullet proof and reliable. A Scorpa with the yam engine or rotax would be a good choice too.

using the rear brake in a turn helps stability and seems to make the bike turn tighter? First gear almost everywhere, you can still go quick in first gear, you just need to rev it more. Give yourself time in the sections, accelerate in that hard bottomed stream, before the muddy climb out of it and give it plenty when you do! If the bike looses grip on a climb, ease off the throttle and bring it back in again, whilst pushing up and down on the pegs, weight towards the middle/ rear of the bike. And practice what you're not good at, sounds obvious but we don't always do that. I've had some boulders set up in the garden and a log high enough to catch your sump plate. I've been practicing landing the front wheel on the rocks all week, yesterday at the trial there was a log in section 1 high enough to catch you if you didn't put your front wheel in the right place. Cleaned it every time!

Having worked on my beta and fixing almost everything over the past year, haven't had many problems with hydraulics apart from expired master cylinder rubbers and bleeding the brakes when replacing them, a nightmare to bleed! But the clutch and brakes have never failed me in a section or in practice, and that is practice at least once a week and generally 2 to 3 trials a month. I've also ridden a friends ty175 and his clutch/ front brake is as light as the beta, don't ask me how!

I wear alpinestars mx gear and some sixsixone mtb kneepads. Never felt as though I don't have enough flexibility, jumped off the bike a few times to save my a**. Plus you can bulldoze thorny vegetation out of the way without too much worry for your skin. Can't relate to the heat in Arizona, the gear works well in year round soggy conditions here

Haven't got the head light on the bike, it would be nice if the problem were that simple though, thanks anyways

Thanks. Maybe it's the voltage regulator then, i'd be happier if it is...

Hi guys, Pleased to say at my last trial I scored 8, best result so far, the first trial I completed I scored 93, so it's a good feeling to make progress after close to a year of riding. What was not so great was the bike getting really hot, coolant coming out of the cap and tubes, and the fan not kicking in last Saturday. We took the bike apart yesterday. It's not the thermostat as we connected the two leads that join onto it and the fan did not work. It's not the wiring above the radiator or the two black boxes above the radiator as we connected a battery to the system and the voltage was correct for these areas. What was not good was the reading for the coil that is behind the flywheel, below 1 volt. Is this a common problem with betas? Will I need to replace this coil? Thanks

I pump mine up to 30 psi after every ride, stops water collecting in the rims and stops the tyres coming off the bead. Usually check the front cold, get it down to 5 or 6. I can get away with 2/ 2.5 on the rear due to my weight, but I usually do that visually, until the tyre is almost flat when you press on the suspension. It's hardly ever dry down here, may as well get as low as possible on the rear.

Find the lowest gearing available for the bike, no clutch riding. I've been told it takes a year to get used to a 4rt, this advice is from a former expert and works rider I know. Had a go on one last week, loved it, I can't see how you'd ever need anything above 1st gear in a section, a lot of fun trail riding too. lots of torque and power, suspension was really impressive. Easy to get in trouble if you get caught in a branch and wind the throttle round, haha Just stick with it I guess, don't expect too much in the beginning, it takes time

0,1,2,3,5 is simpler for the observer too and for the unlucky soul who has to count the scores at the end of the trial...

hose pipe, car wash stuff and a bucket on a concrete driveway. Towel dry parts of the bike (I know haha), wd40. Pump the tyres up to around 30 psi so water doesn't collect in your rims. Remove flywheel cover, sometimes remove chain, pop up dust seals on forks. Every couple of trials remove brake pads and clean- squeak free braking. concrete driveways are easy to brush down and get mud free, at least in my experience.

Ta Dadof2, I'll look into getting a copy of the book.

good video but do you have a version without the music?

That's only part of the master plan, hehe What made me think of asking this question is what I've been learning from some twinshock old hands who have taken me under their wing. They are teaching me to leave the clutch alone and use 1st gear for almost everything. This approach has improved my riding, and hopefully will help me improve my score in the lower classes. But it's not the only way, I know riders who use only 2nd and 3rd and are successful in doing so. slow riders, fast riders. Seems to me like with body positioning you've got to stand on the bike like you're standing on the ground, in balance. weight down the hill on a camber like you would if you were standing on it. Slightly forward but weight still central up hills, squatting to weight the back wheel and lean back going down. The more natural the stance the better, or so it seems to me! Some guys can hop, it looks cool. Others seem to make things worse for themselves with hopping! It seems to be another technique where you have to do it without thinking. Modern bikes can be geared down to have old school engine characteristics, the old boys I've been practising with used to have 4rts, geared them down as low as possible and never touched the clutch. Still took them 8 months to get used to the hondas though! I know there are many variations, but it's just interesting to see what people have to say on the matter

Hey guys, I get a lot of different advice from different people at the trials clubs I go to. Watching people at trials I've noticed ways of riding vary a lot. Just curious, how do you guys generally ride a trial? I know a lot depends on conditions, but some guys only really use 1st gear, some experts I've watched are going round on a 300 in 3rd slipping the clutch. Some guys use no clutch at all, others use it for everything. Some people squat and hang off the bike, some people have a more neutral position. There are fast guys, and slow riders too. I'm too early on yet to have developed a way of riding, but I think I need to practice in 1st gear more, really try to get a proper hang of throttle control and body positioning. Going slow also gives me more time to think in practice and competition. So what is your style? How does it change with conditions?

https://www.facebook.com/jitsietrials They've posted a few videos here, as usual music is horrendous, not my doing! Anyone else got any footage?

Generally over mud, roots and leaves, I ride mainly woods. I made some progress yesterday by using more front brake, less rear and keeping off the clutch more. I also learned to think about the paths my front and rear wheel are taking- that part is going to take some polishing though!

no worries about going off topic Michael_t, I'm enjoying the photo Went to trials training wales yesterday for a practice day. Didn't spin once, the tyres are excellent in mud, up over roots and on slippery rocks. I've discovered stream sections are a lot of fun and technically interesting to ride because the line you pick determines if you 5, paddle your way through or get a clean. I also had a chance to practice a drop in down a bank, that has improved, still not using enough brakes down hills though. Had an awesome day, another practice day today with too old fellas who are definitely going to put me through my paces!