How To Get Our Sport To Grow

[bbk]

kvothe you do have a point about websites there are a few that are up to date and are well run, with a lot of them that go nowhere. The site you mention is a great looking site looks modern and professional looks like a growing sport.

cbutler is a hardcore rider that has just gotten into the sport I think he might have missed your intention

Im 53 years old was not an avid bike rider never heard of the sport until  2004 once I tried it i was hooked. But I first had to hear about it ,this is where our sport fails there is no national marketing but then again there no reason to, because theres no money to be made for the compertitors of the sport no reason for sponsors to invest because theres no big stage to show off this sport, Unlike over seas they draw hughe crowds, they compete in the streets in statiums oh the riders make money too and they have a lot of sponsors. 

 I like the tee shirt ideas that mention before we need to post our clubs meeting,events and restults in local papers. I remember when I was young caught a 16lb catfish my parents took a pic the news paper was glad to post it and say a few words its free advertisement for our sport. Also makes the sport look active . I was at a neott trials event this weekend a tv crew came out because they were invited channel 6 in tulsa OK they interviewed Gary Wing shot some video of him going riding and going over a 3 foot log like it was a ant hill Gary will 80 years old this December riding keeps him young how many of you guys know a Gary Wing in your club ?

Keep ideas coming hope I can contribute to the sport too 

 

[dmartinson]

Our club has hosted countless state, regional, and national events over the years. We have tried newspaper ads, TV ads, social media, and even have had a TV station out doing a report(great publicity, but it aired on the Sunday night after the event). The best advertising and cheapest, we have found, is the local newspaper sports section. We had a reporter and photographer come out a few days before an event and they did interviews and photo shots of practice. The reporter was so impressed that he changed his schedule for that weekend and we got front page of the sports section coverage all weekend. The best part was that it was free!

[wakka]

Our trials club is very small on a good day we would get 4 riders turn up! if lucky 5 ,last year we had the last round of the North Island. We needed Observers most never been to a trial by the end we had 8 new riders as they liked it so much, Advertising we worked hard on that it did not work , so its back to people seeing you at events eg   mx days ect  we work very hard to get and keep what we have  it's a up hill battle. But it the best sport ever

[retro]

Hello,

I started this Facebook group to try to get riders(& others) together in my area(Arkansas, USA). We have over 200 members but I am not sure how many ride(or even own?) a trials bike. I will need to find places to ride, too. I do know that I will have to push, push, push if I want anything to happen. I also run ads in Craigs List in my area & on other FB groups. Many people want someone else to do all the work so that they can just show up & ride. So if you want a few people to ride with, you are gonna have to push the sport. That's just my opinion. 

 

Facebook group - ATR - Arkansas Trials Riders

 

 

 

Larry Haney

ArkansasUSA

Edited May 13, 2016 by retro

[retro]

Here in Arkansas, we have many spring & summer festivals. If you have a few riders that are good enough to put on a show, the festivals would luv to have you. Most of the festivals are WAY boring. A couple years ago, Pat Smage was at the Music, Mountains & Motorcycles event at Mtn View, AR. The big crowd luvved him! He is supposed to be back this summer. Ya gotta get it in front of their faces. Oh well, that's just my 2 cents worth. 

 

 

 

Larry Haney

Beebe, AR

[michael_t]

I agree,

Here in Nova Scotia we try to do at least one "public" type event each year for 3 years we did an outdoor show which was actually in doors in the winter but there were lots of people who got to see guys riding trials bikes. This year we are doing a big biker bash called the Wharf Rat Rally in Digby they have offered to put up the riders and build whatever obstacles we want plus a nice bit of cash to support our other events. You don't need to put on a pro level show just promote the riders in the local area whatever level they are at... sometimes it is better if people can watch and say "hey I could do that". Head to head competitions (can't call them races for insurance reasons) are usually a lot of fun for people riding and watching.

[lineaway]

I spoke with some of the members back in 05 of couse i was a newbie with big ideas and was not listen to. I still think myself as a newbie but I see a need to make this sport grow. I've been to natc events and never saw a bill board or anything in dealerships or yard sign saying we have a meet here this wekend. As i said earlier I watched 16year old   Pat win the round and recieved a beer for a trophy. I think there were around 125 people competeting ,just with entry fees paid on time thats $12500.00 not counting spectators fees.

  Where does that $12500.00 go that was just for just 1 day

Our club has always got new members and showed a profit putting on Nationals. A National bout every three years works for us. Most clubs are not as organized. We started Team New Mexico in 1994 to make getting to the Nationals easier for our club members. In fact the Team haulers left today for Florida. Our ad from 2013.

https://www.facebook.com/New-Mexico-Trials-Association-172108542805367/videos

[playwithgravity]

Shows are sort of a double edged sword. Yes, it gets it in front of people, but they also see the show and think they could never do that sort of thing. If you are doing a show strictly to promote the sport and gain riders, you really need intermediate and novice riders there as well as Pros. 

 

There are a few shows I have done that I reached out to the local club and essentially offered them a booth for free that they could have some promo material for anyone interested in seeing more of the actual competitions. Unfortunately, each time I have tried this, no one was able to do it, or even just have promo for me to hand out. And these were pretty large missed opportunities. 

 

I will say, I have a few projects in the works that may help the sport immensely. Both of them are a bit of a twist compared to traditional trials, but will also get it in front of massive audiences (Well, massive in comparison anyways.) 

[mike e]

Most riders are not familiar with the sport.

Yea, they may have some knowledge, or seen a demonstration, but hardly anyone knows what's involved. Very, very few have ridden a bike and not many understand what's involved in starting out or how it could benefit their other riding.

Seeing a Red Bull video, while impressive does not draw people in to personally participate because it seems out of reach.

Balancing while standing still is intimidating, and most don't know that it's possible for them to pursue this.

There is very limited information online as to how to get started. (Ryan Young on YouTube is good though...)

Bike demos, basic intro, basic skills, more promo of benefits of trials on other types of riding, more event promotion, better online content will all help.

Given the small trials community, it's a tough problem. Significant growth will require lots of effort from manufacturer/ dealers/ clubs/ riders in a coordinated way. Better online content is needed.

The manufacturers will probably need to work together to make it happen.

Not easy.

[bbk]

Well i think ive might have found a way to make it grow 

we put on a trials event a 2 day i had a few goals that i want to happen 1st one was everyone to have fun , that happened 2nd everyone to be tired after the ride that really happened 3rd everyone talked about it and on there way home and 4 they were still talking about the event a week later which i think they were because everyone was still sore. Ole Charlie Mallow came down on Sunday we talk about the old days when he said you had to be in shape and you really didnt have time to take a break because you might get caught in a section with a long line and not be able to get finished in time I think he said they rode about 7 hours .

 

[spenser]

Just a some points from the great state of Canada:

• I have seen events turn away a lot of riders as they are often set too hard for most in the class. Coming away disheartened over your personal performance will mostly just kill your love of the sport. I have seen more people simply leave the sport because they got simply thrashed at an event, or taken on a ride that was much too hard for their abilities.
• We have seen the greatest number of new riders coming from the ranks of the mountain biking community. Once they turn over to the "dark" side, they spend all of their time either riding, or convincing their friends to buy a bike as it is the most fun ever had. The local mountaiun biking club that has over a thousand members has 2 or 3 trials riders on it's board of directors!
• In our area, mountain trials is the dominant sport, with trials competition being a distant second. The interest in using the trials machines, for whichever sport,  has strengthened the import/dealer network which is a good thing.

I would agree on the general state of trials information in North America, it is pretty weak when compared to other sports.

 

Spencer

[borus]

From an importer / distributor standpoint for trials to move into the mainstream our dealerships need to be mainstream with bricks and mortar. In the past too many dealers we're backyard dealers selling to the friends etc. From my experience about 1 in 10 trials riders actually competes. Trials bike and trials skills need to be marketed, in front and accessible to the mainstream off road rider in the main stream shops. jmo.

 

Support your local dealer and hopefully they will support you. cheers