rij Posted November 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2012 Reading with interest. Promoting bikes is a difficult one to those that drive cars. How many drivers on the road can't change a wheel or check there oil or fluids? When I tell friends and colleagues about my bike riding they all say they'd like to try it. I've even got spare bikes to lend em. 2 friends tried it, just at some practice ground. They fell off and promptly got banned by there lady folk for hanging round with me and motorcycles. They didn't even get hurt. I'd like to see the clubs advertise an event a bit more widespread. Local papers an such. Reach a new audience. Dave 'Tubby' Hey dave ( Fellow Tubby) one of them did get a bit hurt to be fair! Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 Hey dave ( Fellow Tubby) one of them did get a bit hurt to be fair! Rich Don't count if he did not go to the Hospital!! Just trying to help Dave 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telecat Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 The price of the OSET'S and Mecatechno's is I think realistic. Both companies WANT to be there when it needs fixing and do offer guarantee's. On the other hand most of the Chinese pieces of crap fall to bits and have no back up. Yes they are cheap but it's pretty7 much hope over expectation whether they work or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dadof2 Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 Following applies to UK Firstly - does the sport need to be more popular. If too many get involved there will be more pressure on land and ileagal practicing will increase. My view is that the sport should be fun for those that do want to do it. What is good or desireable in trials is a very subjective topic - following just my views. 1) Bikes are too expensive, unreliable and come with inbuilt faults (as leaking carbs in earlier posts) 2) Parts are too expensive 3) Tyres are too expensive and have too much grip rsulting in dangerous sections. Far better if there was a maximum tyre price of £35 (rear). A good quality 225/65 R16 for my car costs only about £50 4) Bikes are too light resulting in development of special riding techniques that many don't have time to practice and making bikes more vulnerable to crash damage and reliability issues. 5) Entry fees are too high. 6) Should club riders be using the same (roughly) equipment as those at the top of the sport - imagine the results on entry numbers at car club racing if the expectation was to run F1s instead of Formla Fords. Cheers 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breagh Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 Wouldn't disagree with everything,but you may get the award for negative post off the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewy Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 At least this forum is addressing some of the basic problems of our sport . Baldilocks is quite right to say that the current sales ploy is inadequate. I guess that around 40 % of cost of a new bike is cost of sales.i.e sales promotion in one form or another. The current sales ploy of getingt the best rider you can afford and show him doing amazing things on your bike was simple and effective WHEN the average punter could aspire to mimic the top guy. Now we have practically nowhere to ride..sophisticated & fragile bikes practically no one can use to the limit , prohibitive insurance costs...Are the manufacturers so far up thier own as*es not to understand the effect of these factors?. Would they be wise to invest a tiny amount of money in a simple marketing exercise? Perhaps we should do it for them. I talk with many folk who could afford a new bike but do not and have indeed found other ways to enjoy trialing. Imagine this.. A manufacturer whose bikes sell for around £4.5K offer direct to end user a bike , with a 2 year warranty that will be respected with a ticket to ride somewhere intersting (that has something for the rest of the family to do as well) for the period of the warranty, an insurance deal that is unbeatable. I 'd be at front of the que to buy a new bike..I. go to the trials holiday park. I.d give them feedback, I.d be so chuffed with the deal all my mates would have to hear about it ad infinitum .my kids would associate trials with holidays ... Only a dream but possibly a better way to spend the cost of sales budget. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breagh Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 I would be reluctant to criticise the makers as we don't even make any bikes here. You don;t need the latest bike to be competitive. If you look after them you get very little bother. Insurance?,it's £17 for officials at our trials and about £4 a rider . Like the sound of a trials holiday park but the boss goes on holiday to get away from trials . Land sems to be a localised problem Agree promotion of trial by importers ,authorities is grim and the clubs have enough to do.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabie Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 my take on it is that my club runs a handfull of wobbler trials to get new people, we get a really good turn out - many ask why - my take would be (and i could be very wrong) a) out site is really easy to get to (right next to m25, j3) tarmac road in, all weather car park c) loos (we hire loads a year so we get a deal, us blokes don't mind but the ladies really appreciate it) d) burger van (we do a deal over all our mx, enduros & trials so a little trial balances out with a busy mx for them) e) routes - our easy route is for 50's, enduro bikes, sidecars & rigid pre65s. its so easy that anyone on any trials bike could clean them blindfolded (you know what i mean), but this build up newbies confidence. the 2nd harder route is for newbies on modern (ie mono) bikes. some times we'll put bits that approach the difficulty of the novice route at a group trial (ie still easy) f) we've got lots of mx and enduro riders in out club, and they've been buying old trials bikes (your circa £1000 ones) and having a play (because at that age the value doesn't really drop off any more) our problem down here is that having got 50 to 100 riders at these events, how do you get them to go to the next step up - group trials? our local group (NKTC) have run yellow (wobbler/sportsman) routes at most events and the red (novice) is meant to be easy, but its not drawing these guys who have an old trials bike at the back of the shed out for a play... ???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyp Posted November 12, 2012 Report Share Posted November 12, 2012 I've occasionally been asked about Trials by people who may be interested in taking it up, or by parents of interested kids. But it can be difficult to do a very good job of explaining & selling the sport. Is there a good video, or should there be a good video, that is really well put together and does a great job at explaining/selling trials to prospective new starters ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmostin Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 Don't count if he did not go to the Hospital!! Just trying to help Dave I do need help. Do we have a therapist on the forum? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmostin Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 Rich, put link of tubby vid on here. Shows trials ain't just for the elite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breagh Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 Rabie,that sounds great,no doubt a few will convert to mainstream trials but I would consider that an added bonus. Our club tries to be pretty laid back having fun rather than worrying about scores and rules. As riders improve we lose a few to other clubs, as we only run novice trials that's inevitable. We always get more new folk to replace them. I feel this is the way to go,the populations getting older and fewer want to risk injury,older riders also tend to have more time and money. There's a lot of people out there looking for trials,they just don't know about it yet. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rij Posted November 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 pro's at work!! Not! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old trials fanatic Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 (edited) Great video and IMHO this would be far more likely to inspire somebody to participate in Trials than any video of a WTC round. THIS is the sort of thing we need to use as a promotional tool NOT the sort of stuff that goes on at WTC, no matter wether it's stop allowed or not, as people will feel "i reckon it could do that" and possibly have a go. Who cares if they find bikes leaping up massive rock walls spectacular or that made a great photo opportunity? As others have said a lot more eloquently than me WE NEED MORE PARTICIPANTS and this sort of video will do more to encourage that than any WTC round ever will. Well done lads Edited November 13, 2012 by old trials fanatic 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippy Posted November 13, 2012 Report Share Posted November 13, 2012 There's a lot of people out there looking for trials,they just don't know about it yet. That is an awesome quote! that should be used in conjunction with a Tubby Trials Team type video for advertising. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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