This Is Not As Easy As It Looked!

[rickr]

Yesterday, I took my first ever ride on a trials bike. I had known that there was a substantial amount of skill required to do this correctly, but boy, was I ever unprepared for what trials was all about. I had watched the Ryan Young and other Trials related how to videos on line. I knew that trying to climb a six foot sheer rock face was lunacy for a guy my age, but the examples of correct riding positions and techniques were pretty much counter intuitive to what I knew from riding a dirt bike. Luckily for me, no sooner than having pulled up to my parking area, a guy on a trials bike rode by. I flagged him down and explained my rather clueless situation with trials riding and he said "Well, lucky for you, me mates and I are meeting right over the hill. Come on over". (Got to love the Britt accent). First hundred feet or so, I was still trying to figure out where to position myself. Following my new found friend through really deep sand, I was amazed at how on my Sherco, it was a non-issue, where on my dirt bike, it was a hassle. After meeting the group of another four riders, I explained my "newbie" status. Three of the guys jumped on my bike to offer opinions on set up, etc. One of the guys was advanced skilled and right off, he said "Your bike is set up for an expert level rider. Who did you get this from?" He knew the guy right off and said that the guy who owned my bike before me was able to do things that most would not even dream of. He tried to show me some very basic maneuvers such as a figure eight around a couple of small trees, with mild off camber decreasing radius turns. I couldn't do it. Than I realized, I was out of breath and being eighty two degrees (F) and humid, I was sweating like I was in a sauna. He was patient and demonstrated quite a bit of basic techniques. I spent most of the time watching and being somewhat awe struck. I found it interesting that most of the guys were from mid fifties to late sixties in age. As such, not one of them was out to show off, just an overwhelming desire to help out. A short time later, we joined up with another six trials riders with varying skill levels from semi-pro to beginner. We rode over so many great trails that when it seemed too dangerous for me, they would point over to another path that would enable me to finish the day without a ride in an ambulance. I was able to get the hang of it just before I was too mentally and physically exhausted to continue. After getting back home and cleaning the bike, I went right back to watching the training videos. Next Sunday, I'll bring along my Go Pro so I can film myself doing things wrong and compare the techniques to the instructional videos and go from there. I also found out that there is a ton of really cool gear that I just had to have. It certainly wont help my skill level, but I'll look good standing still. So, what suggestions do you all have for practicing skills for new trials riders? What are the "must have" tools and riding gear to take along? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Rick

Florida, USA

[michael_t]

Welcome to the sport !!!

Man you really lucked in, having people who can show you the ropes is an amazing help when getting started.

As far as gear goes, a decent helmet (light with good air flow) is a big help... I can work up a real sweat here in Nova Scotia, can't imagine riding in Florida. Trials boots are another plus. I will warn you just because trials riders wear spandex in videos best to check what riders in your area are wearing before you spend money on some .

Keep your feet on the pegs and a smile on your face !!!

[dan williams]

Welcome to the sport. It's not easy at the moment because you're fighting the bike. Don't worry, it'll come but right now every reaction you have is tuned to a different style of riding You are having to unlearn the conditioned responses of another type of riding so you are using 2-3 times the energy you'll need when you have reprogrammed your muscle memory to the trials bike. That is why it looks so much easier even for the old guys. Of course once you get the hang of it there are more difficult things to try so the battle goes on.

What you will find amazing is how the reactions developed in trials translates to other styles of riding. You're going to find that a lot of what you accepted as being the proper way to ride a bike isn't.

[dan williams]

Allow me to drop the fundamental learning on you. Stay centered. You will find that almost all of your dabs (foot touches) will be on the inside. There is a reason for this. New riders, and this is a constant battle for the rest of us, don't bend their knees. Try this sometime. Stand on a hill sideways, perpendicular to the fall line with your feet slightly apart facing forward (if you extend your arms one should point uphill, the other downhill). No problem right? You're nice and stable. Now look down at your knees. The uphill leg is bent, the downhill leg is straight. This is the proper technique for standing on a hill or turning a trials bike. When you lean a bike one peg and handlebar come up the other side goes down. Now if you are a trail, enduro or street rider you are used to leaning in a turn. This is done when standing usually by keeping both legs straight and dropping a shoulder into the turn which moves the center of gravity to the inside of the line between the contact patches of the tires. At typical trail speed, no problem. At trials speed, inside dab.

So here's the problem, you lean the bike and one peg comes up. You keep your legs straight because that's what you're used to and to balance you twist your spine to rotate your butt to the outside. Your body is now torqued and twisted dropping your inside shoulder. You have lost the ability to pressure the foot pegs to steer the bike so the slightest obstacle that changes the speed of the bike causes you to drop a foot. You can illustrate this easily back standing on the hill. Get into the proper comfortable knees bent stance and have a friend push you this way and that. Pretty stable. Now try straightening the bent uphill leg and notice how you have to twist to stay balanced. Now have your buddy apply the same force and note how easily you can be knocked out of your stance.

The great thing about this is it can be practiced in a driveway or yard. Do figure eights trying to keep your shoulders level and using peg and bar pressure to steer the bike. Get used to keeping your knees out from the tank and the feeling of the bike moving as you stay centered over the line between the tire contact patches. At first it'll feel odd then it'll click and you'll feel balanced. Practice enough and it'll become second nature and when you dab you'll know exactly why. Watch the really good riders turn and you will see how they stay centered and steer with their feet. This is why they can stop at any point in a turn.

Edited December 29, 2014 by dan williams

[fivebrick]

Rick you're lucky man. Keep doing what you're doing- watching vids and riding with experienced riders. And Dan's advice is spot on, practice those turns.

[rickr]

Thanks for the info, folks. I burst out laughing when I saw that the pants were Spandex. I'm 5'8" 260 pounds with tree stumps for legs. I already ordered the pants, but if they are anything at all like the horrifically embarrassing road bicycle outfit I bought and wore w/o looking at a mirror, well, it may not be for me. Let's just say that for guys built like me, loose is a better fit. My plan is to ride every weekend with the experienced riders and soak in as much as I can. I will say that after 47 years on motorcycles, this is the most challenging and fun time I think I have ever had. Cheers and thanks again!

[axulsuv]

Allow me to drop the fundamental learning on you. Stay centered. You will find that almost all of your dabs (foot touches) will be on the inside. There is a reason for this. New riders, and this is a constant battle for the rest of us, don't bend their knees. Try this sometime. Stand on a hill sideways, perpendicular to the fall line with your feet slightly apart facing forward (if you extend your arms one should point uphill, the other downhill). No problem right? You're nice and stable. Now look down at your knees. The uphill leg is bent, the downhill leg is straight. This is the proper technique for standing on a hill or turning a trials bike. When you lean a bike one peg and handlebar come up the other side goes down. Now if you are a trail, enduro or street rider you are used to leaning in a turn. This is done when standing usually by keeping both legs straight and dropping a shoulder into the turn which moves the center of gravity to the inside of the line between the contact patches of the tires. At typical trail speed, no problem. At trials speed, inside dab.

So here's the problem, you lean the bike and one peg comes up. You keep your legs straight because that's what you're used to and to balance you twist your spine to rotate your butt to the outside. Your body is now torqued and twisted dropping your inside shoulder. You have lost the ability to pressure the foot pegs to steer the bike so the slightest obstacle that changes the speed of the bike causes you to drop a foot. You can illustrate this easily back standing on the hill. Get into the proper comfortable knees bent stance and have a friend push you this way and that. Pretty stable. Now try straightening the bent uphill leg and notice how you have to twist to stay balanced. Now have your buddy apply the same force and note how easily you can be knocked out of your stance.

The great thing about this is it can be practiced in a driveway or yard. Do figure eights trying to keep your shoulders level and using peg and bar pressure to steer the bike. Get used to keeping your knees out from the tank and the feeling of the bike moving as you stay centered over the line between the tire contact patches. At first it'll feel odd then it'll click and you'll feel balanced. Practice enough and it'll become second nature and when you dab you'll know exactly why. Watch the really good riders turn and you will see how they stay centered and steer with their feet. This is why they can stop at any point in a turn.

Wow ; That's what I just told hrmad with different words but the same point , You just explained it alot better !

And rickr ; You are quite lucky to have stumbled onto other trials riders on your first time out ... Nothing works better than practicing with peers ...

And folks that can do it better than you . I've got one buddy that every time we ride a event together , I go out of my way just to make time to watch him ride ... one of the smoothest guys I know , and he's almost 70 ... and still kicks everyone's a$$ !

Glenn

[dan williams]

Allreet another member of TFGIS (Team Fat Guy In Spandex). Welcome to the team. If we can't dazzle them we can blind them. Or at least make them wish they were blind. Either one works for me. I will warn you though if you get the true trials pants they run small. Like two sizes smaller than you think. Those skinny little euro stick figures are probably wearing a large. But they are sooooo comfortable with absolutely NO padding. Oh yeah, there will be no question as to your, er, "qualifications" if you get my drift. I find a set of the spandex bicycle shorts under riding pants works well since there is no padding on the fender and we all sit down at some point.

[dan williams]

I can't bear to look. Did I scare him yet?

[lineaway]

Thanks for the info, folks. I burst out laughing when I saw that the pants were Spandex. I'm 5'8" 260 pounds with tree stumps for legs. I already ordered the pants, but if they are anything at all like the horrifically embarrassing road bicycle outfit I bought and wore w/o looking at a mirror, well, it may not be for me. Let's just say that for guys built like me, loose is a better fit. My plan is to ride every weekend with the experienced riders and soak in as much as I can. I will say that after 47 years on motorcycles, this is the most challenging and fun time I think I have ever had. Cheers and thanks again!

And I laugh each time a guy falls and tears those pants and ass. I still wear mx pants, but remove excess padding and the silly rubber labels that do not breath. By the way I started riding trials long before the silly gear came along.

[axulsuv]

Whatever happened to the lightly padded denim riding pants that were around when we were kids ?? I would think they would be great for trials ...

Glenn

Edited December 30, 2014 by axulsuv

[rickr]

Well, it turns out that there must be more of us TFGIS riders than originally thought, because Ryan Young is sold out of XXL, XXXL and XXXXL pants and jerseys. He expects more in February when the new styles come out. Still, I'd love to at least find a Sherco jersey, but I can't find any place other than Ryan's store to order one. If the trials pants are that thin, I'll stick with my Thor MX pants. Comfortable, breathes well and padded. I need to find boots. I wear a 12EEE with a corresponding calf size. I can just barely close a set of MX boots. Any suggestions? I'll order from any shop in USA, UK or Europe as long as the shipping isn't as much as the price of the boots. Helmets seem to only run up to XXL and I use an XXXL to XXXXL (7 5/8) helmet. Do they run small too? I read a post here about heavier wight riders possibly having a "gravity" advantage. If that's the case, I should be world champion within a few weeks.

[tahoebrian5]

I will add my vote to trials being harder than it looks. I think part of it is the top videos that come up in a search shows highly advanced riders so of course that's how I want to ride. Reality is quite a shock.

Check out Exid brand for pants. They have something that looks a bit between the spandex and the motocross pants.

[dan williams]

Rick your sense of humor is greatly appreciated. Your Thor pants are fine. I also have a set that I'll usually use. I love the Gaerne boots because they have a world better feel than any others I've tried but like everything you're going to have a hard time finding stuff in your size. (NOTE TO SELF: Do not p*** off Rick)

I think your best bet is to look at the British websites advertised on this site. I've had good luck ordering from all that I have ordered so far and they carry a far greater assortment of trials goodies than anyone in the US. Ryan will have to special order for you but he is also very good to deal with but it may be you won't find real trials gear in your size.

The trials helmets seem to run pretty true to size but fit differently depending on shell shape. Unfortunately it's kind of a crap shoot since no one has a stock of different helmets over here. Gaernes seem to run true to size but other trials boots I've owned have been variable usually on the tight side of things.

[axulsuv]

My old novogars and my new Gaernes both fit about the same and are the same size . My 15 yr old that now uses the novagars is like you , thick legs.....

I just adjusted the straps to work on him and so far he has been fine with them. But then again he probably would say he isn't .... (mean dad and all )

Glenn