douglas_trials

I am a "competitive" expert and am 22 years old and 14.5 stone and have always loved a responsive gasgas. i also have always opted for the 250 in standard spec. I find they never run out of power once you get to grips with how to get the most out of them. However i bought the 09 250 and found it to be one of the softest and smoothest gassers i have owned (ideal for some), so i put a short S3 pipe on it and this is now a brilliant combination for the conditions you say that you find yourself riding (instant launch in second is unbeatable). i have always found the ragas to be a bit OTT and 99% of the time cause more trouble than they offer in benefits (although i base this on the 300 and 280, never tried a 250). however i do remember having an ohlins rear shock on my 06 or 07 bike and that was brilliant so if the 08 raga comes with one (can't remember) i would be tempted to let that sway the decision, as it improved backend feel on climbs and had a much more refined response when hitting steps rather than just kick or over damped.

i think you are hitting on the right lines with fashion. you just have to look where the "young" riders are now, on their biketrials bikes. i am 21 and at uni and have competed at higher level of trials (ish) and found that it is not the older bike pushing me out but the difficulty of getting to the events/practice and storing the bike whilst at uni. so now i have gone on to bike trials and am finding it a very easy sport to do logistics wise, the bike will go in the back of my car and i can keep it in my room at uni. if i want to ride i go to the end of the road or find a spot in town. there is also a huge trend on creating videos of a very high standard from an editing stand point, plus the modification market is massive to individualizes your bike. i know i am stating what most people already know, i am just trying to link it in. so i disagree with the money aspect as i know of loads of guys with