mags Posted June 13, 2014 Report Share Posted June 13, 2014 Get in the line up for silly dabs.... I'm the guy at the front of the line! So long as we keep improving... Mokwepa, Damn... those fig 8 circles are inspiring, never seen that imprint before! Makes we want to go and do some now!!! Great stuff!! Mags I specialize in silly dabs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mokwepa Posted June 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2014 Thanks mags Fig 8s are under rated.....it improving my balance a HUGE amount and is also teaching me to be super gentle onthe clutch. Im now spending a good portion of my training doing fig 8 on the side of loose banks and any other un even terain. Finding traction while turning on steep incline s is still my weak point.....but im getting better. Because I ride by myself, I have to try everything a million times to see what works. I dont have anyone telling me to, lift outside elbow, shift weight slightly forward, lower centre of gravity on the climb etc. Good thing is I am learning alot of what doesnt work 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mags Posted June 14, 2014 Report Share Posted June 14, 2014 Might be the title of your first book, huh?!!! What doesn't work in Observed Trails - by Dylan Marriner I can add a chapter for ya!! Hahahahahaha I've eaten a bit of dirt in last 5months!!! I need way more 8's and static before advancing to jumps. I'm very content to do old style trials... in the gate and belt through the novice line and out!!! Hehehehehe I'm just starting to lift front wheel, via clutch, onto small logs and let back wheel ride over. Baby steps! Really enjoy this thread! Mags Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mokwepa Posted June 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2014 Hi mags Good way to practice small weelie s is to find a mark on flat ground and practice lifting the front and placing it on the mark. Try this from different distances, requiring slightly longer weelie s. This is a great way to teach you how to place the front accurately, needed for crossing bigger obstacles at a later stage. You can do this on a drive way. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mags Posted June 15, 2014 Report Share Posted June 15, 2014 Hey! Great idea! Never thought of that... MMMmmmm! I have a decent driveway to do it, as well! Got an old motorcycle tyre here so will place on ground and practice putting front wheel in tyre from differing distances! Thanks! Mags Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mokwepa Posted June 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2014 Then when you get that sorted.....take two small poles and place them about a meter apart. Lift front over first and place it between the two, then lift it over the second pole.......but know remember that when your frt goes over the second pole, your back wheel will need to come over the first pole at the same time......a excellent way to teach you how to de weight the rear and teaches you how to handle a obstacle immediately after a obstacle. Can also do this on a driveway. Also when you are riding over one pole, try get the back over without moving the pole....this will indicate that you are de weighting correctly. Use a nice round pole (gum pole) that rolls easily to show you if you are not doing it right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mags Posted June 16, 2014 Report Share Posted June 16, 2014 Geez! If I start getting that adventurous I might need to get a second hand bike as test mule... and increase medical cover!!! Hehehehehee I am trying to lift back wheel via front brake in a very straight line only... gets a bit scary! More practice there for sure! Once I get the front wheel up and hit target I'll break out the poles. By poles you mean, say... two hardwood broom sticks good enough? And speaking of straight lines.... how damned hard is it to ride in a straight line slow!!! I tried riding along a 6 inch round tree on the ground! Do you think I could go more than a few feet before popping off.... more practice there as well!!! I was thinking of drawing two lines in chalk on the driveway 4 inches apart 10 yards long and try and stay in between them going reasonably slow? Mags Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mokwepa Posted June 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2014 The chalk idea is a good one....I try balancing along a log that is about 50cm off the ground but it gets interesting when you try and dab.....feet dont reach the floor! I think 4" is too narrow to start with, go wider to start with. With the poles: I used poles about 6-8" diameter then went bigger later on. Hey mags, please understand that im also learning so my advice is not necessarily correct but worked for me. Its great that there is someone else completely obsessed with trials . Dont over clean your bike, I have that habbit too but after having to regrease the linkage, I now clean when its really dirty and clean spotless before a event. The more you wash, the more chance there is of water getting into places it shouldn't. Looking forward to training later today......cant decide what terain to ride though.....im thinking rock, my favorite. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mags Posted June 16, 2014 Report Share Posted June 16, 2014 Oh ok! Logs!!! Hehehehehe I was very happy with little broomsticks!!! AAhahahahahahaha I'll grab a post or two... I'm very wary of water into electrical terminals et cetera so am a bit paranoid about water ingress.... I wash with a small sponge and wash off with a fog nozzle (no hard spray). I was thinking today to do wash every second day of riding... I've read the whole thread and you have done it from first start of bike to where you are now... you can give me advice anytime mate! Admittedly we are more social trails riders than full on comp technical riders (for now)... BUT we have so much fun together, every time we ride them, it should be illegal!! Hehehehehe Mags 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mokwepa Posted June 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 Howzit guys. Ive started training quite hard for nationals coming up. 13 more sleeps......cant wait. Gonna be a loooooong/expensive trip but I just have to go. Im hooked on now having to climb the intermediate ladder. Thanks brumby . To keep costs down, ill be camping at the nationals for 3 nights.....in winter....brrrrrr. My front wheel hopping is coming along nicely. I was showing off today and hopped a complete 360 d both ways so I started working on little rear wheel hops. Doable but not as easy or near as reliable. I did soon realise that hopping is what kills my left shoulder so I better leave that out so close to nationals. Oh yes, the dude that was gonna come with me pulled out so costs are all up to me now.....a trip I cant afford in the first place but im so syked up I just have to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mags Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 Good luck! The work you have put in will see you through! We just did 3 days , 3 nights camping in canvas tent at 2 deg C with bikes. Geez it was cold on these ageing bones!! Hehehehehe We were in thermals, socks (they really helped), beanie, sleeping bag extra thick, and a heavy blanket over sleeping bag. To stop cold from underneath we had 50mm of foam on top of portable camp stretcher. It was ok! JUST!!! Any colder and we would need a colder "rated" sleeping bag... like for SNOW!!! Hehehehehe Enjoy your time, mate! Dont forget a report on return. And some pics if possible? Mags Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axulsuv Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 I love your enthusiasm , if I could count how many events I've gone to , that I couldn't really afford ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mokwepa Posted June 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2014 Hi mags Ill also be taking my canvas tent. As you can see, I hate my bike getting so cold. Im sure these temperature fluctuations dont do it any good. Shell be be sleeping next to me in the tent. Ill be packing the thermals, 2x warm sleeping bags and will be on a airbed. The spot im going to has power points so ill also run a lead and pop a small fan heater in the tent......im just worried about condensation ??? Have you ever run a heater in your tent? Temp will be similar. ..0-3 degrees C. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
totty79 Posted June 27, 2014 Report Share Posted June 27, 2014 For those temps you only need an appropriately rated sleeping bag and something to insulate you from the floor, I wouldn't bother with a heater. Try to get a bag with a comfort rating down -5, it would be called a 4 season bag here. Some bags have 3 ratings with a comfort range and then extreme ranges either side of it, you need the temp to be in comfort as they aren't joking when using the word extreme. I've used a 2 season bag at -6, it's extreme range went down to -10 but it's comfort range started at +7, those nights weren't fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mags Posted June 27, 2014 Report Share Posted June 27, 2014 I have not run a fan heater... although I would! I have run a single electric blanket in each camp stretcher.... warm as toast then! We've rarely had a powered site so I run a Honda generator if the grounds allow it. Don't discount boiling some water for a hot water bottle to take chill out of sleeping bag. It seems the chill of the bag is the thing that takes the most heat from body! I have heard some guys that use sleeping bags in cold areas don't put too much on their body so the body heat creates a warm bag quickly. They said the secret is too insulate the bag well from surrounding cold and use body inside bag.... sorta makes sense? I was worried about the bikes cooling system freezing but remembered there is glycol in system so O deg or even a bit below won't freeze the cooling system busting the radiator. Be careful with water containers outside or any hoses with water in... they may freeze cracking them? The property owner where we stayed emptied the bore system every day to stop pipes cracking... just in case it too far below zero. You bike looks snug! Hehehehehe Sleeping beauty!! Hehehehe I put an old blanket over ours then a tarp.... ours were outside though! Don't forget some chocolate! We loved eating chocolate in the sleeping bags... I had my wife giggling like a little girl with some jokes about the chocolate! Mates in the campground said next morning.... "Was that your wife giggling last night at 11pm".... AHHHHHHHH! No!!! Hehehehehehe Don't forget to hydrate still.... you still need heaps of fluids in the cold if expending energy on the bike!! You'd know that though! Mags Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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