Trials Training And Technique

Just sharing something that has helped me incredibly much over roughly the past year. I'm just a happy user. Neil Price is an Australian Expert level rider, 18 times West Aust. champion, 2x Aust Champ, has competed in Europe and World rounds and all round nice fella. He has been coaching trials for decades and is a real thinker - always considering the detail that makes things work. A year or so ago Neil started a Facebook online coaching group which proved the concept had wings. Six months ago (+/-) he launched a dedicated online platform - quite similar to most social media platforms - Feed, Chat, Likes, Comments, Notifications, Hashtags etc. but also "groups"…

Hi, Your suggestion, how to get kids to master throttle and clutch control? First on the very basic level of get moving and stopping. Mastering clutch and throttle is endless journey. Kids 10 and 11 are both okay with Oset and quite confident on wheels. Now they have their first Beta 80 jr. We took our first small step and made first circle with all expected issues like frog jumps, stalls and extensive throttle etc 😅 They kind of get the logic and mechanics, what is the gearbox and clutch and why they pull it. They also kind of know the sound when its too much revs and where is the safe level. I would imagine to start with just start-stop on flat ground and…

Feel like I need a training day to help me a little , been racing road and Mx for years at high level but now retired from racing, I started trailing a few months ago ( doing middle route ) I do ok but struggle in a few places can anyone recommend a training school pref midlands area

Throughout this and other threads there are innumerable discussions about various techniques and manoeuvres that digress into discussion/argument about exactly what's what, sometimes degenerating into completely unnecessary vitriol, or sometimes just becoming a confusing mismatch of terminology. I haven't found any definitive "Trials Dictionary" either here or elsewhere online. Perhaps a sticky could be put here with broadly agreed definitions of eg. Roll-up Double Blip Zap Splatter etc Each should have all the commonly used terms worldwide (or at least in the english language as that's the default here) ie Zap, Jap Zap, Zap Zap …

After a bit of what I saw as misunderstanding around the differences between Double Blips & Zaps from my first couple of videos with bar-cams I thought I'd have a go at making a video with those two plus a Splat. I'm not pretending these are particularly good specimens of the technique (large understatement!) but maybe they give a fair idea of what I consider the differences. Double Blip doesn't use any clutch - just throttle, Zap uses rev and dump the clutch as both suspensions bottom & Splat uses rev & dump to launch the back wheel directly into the obstacle. Willing to be corrected, but this is my understanding. EDIT - corrected "Zap" to…

Part 3 in my micro series. Clutch and throttle cameras synced to maybe give a better idea about timing. Obviously not much going on with the clutch in a Double Blip. This clip I've tried to show the difference in reaction when the back wheel hits with throttle on and off - it's perhaps a bit subtle, but it should give the idea I think. Throttle on and the bike jumps much more, not as smooth rolling over. Don't take what I offer as reliable knowledge - I'm just a dabbler of little real skill!

This is something I looked for when I was starting to learn zaps - I couldn't find anything. So now I can make some approximation of a zap I thought I'd have a go at syncing a closeup of the clutch with video of the maneuver. I'm no expert, that's for sure, but I think this gives some idea of when the clutch pop occurs. When I started I think I was always too early popping the clutch and the wheel just drove forward without getting much lift. Still lots to work on, watching this video has already given me a couple of things I want to try to correct. Timing is the hardest thing to get just right I find - it's not so hard to get the movements kind of working but i…

Hi all, I'm new to trial bikes and would appreciate a bit of education about slow wheelie. After several weeks of practices, I start to be able to reach the balancing point but have problems with the rear brake pedal. Many instruction say "cover the rear brake" and I have no problem with my dirt bikes doing so. However, my trial bike has the rear brake pedal much higher than my dirt bikes; I can only bring it down to slightly above the level to the foot step. Then, I often inadvertently drag the rear brake as the front wheel gets higher. There are several scenarios I can think of; 1) This is because my body position is wrong during wheel…

As per the title... The sort of hill that is going to be 3rd Gear + and lots of throttle and should be fairly easy but requires momentum, but then there's a bump/rock/log/hollow etc. somewhere where you'd want to be at maximum speed. I can see two options, of which the second seems more appropriate but what do you think? 1. Flat out, hit the obstacle as hard as you dare and get kicked or launched and then try to get hard on the throttle on landing. This seems to really kill forward momentum and the bigger the kick, the worse the stall. But it seems the obvious option because... Flat out. Or 2. Approach the kicker and roll off to just cle…

Hi, As suggested on this forum, I started my trials journey by learning full lock turns and figure 8's. I think I know what I'm supposed to do but I can't use my rear brake during these full lock turns because my foot is all over the place from bending my leg and ankle (O-leg). For instance in a left turn, your right foot is supposed to be on the very right end of the peg, so I can't reach my brake. Is this normal and are you supposed to just use front brake during these sharp turns then? Or do I exaggerate too much with the foot and ankle bending?

On a slow tight turn when using clutch bikes front wheel wants to slide away instead of turning bike, if that makes sense Any ideas on what I am doing wrong?.

Decided to try something new in the backyard … Edit - Video removed as it was just for April Fools :). Some interesting stats from posting a trials video for 2 days...

Wow! This is hard. Just thought I'd have some fun and ride along the kerb edge - I was all over the place. Most of my slow riding is very tight figure of eights, and in my practice car park I'm riding in to and out of the parking bays and it's great practice for slow full lock turns. Can still only get between the white lines in the corner ones that are wider! But then I tried following the white line down the middle of the road (this place is empty) and I was wiggling everywhere. Seems to be about tiny amounts of weight difference that I'm putting through the pegs, so need to learn to have really fine weighting between my feet. Seems even harder than static balance!…

Found a local car park where I can practice during this virus lock-down. There's a flood drain opening built in to the side of the bank just off the tarmac, the wall of which is about ~2' 6" - ish or so. Not done drop-offs from that height so here we go... Did 4 or 5 and finally landed both wheels together. Not sure why that put more force through the pegs but because I was standing too far back it jerked the front of my foot sharply upwards and I've effectively sprained my right ankle, not too bad hopefully . Left was OK thankfully. I should have learnt from watching Guy Martin's Great Escape, where he did the same, landing after a jump. Have now realised…

I like this chap, but as this is an English language site have not shared with everyone my "find". However this has English subtitles and I found it very informative with the slo' mo' and breaking up into sections. It's better to watch without the subtitles as they obscure some of the vid. so you can re-run bits without the subtitles switched on as an option. Or brush up your French ?

hi returned to trials and love it but missing something just cant ride as i should si could do with a few hours lessons do anyone know if there is anyone that do lessons near oxfordshire in the next month or two many thanks rick

hi i have just returned to trials scorpa 280 im 57 been off the trials since the early 90s and did my first trial today and loved it getting better every section but there is one thing that i cant get right i can turn tight on off camber ok but turn tight on the flat and the front wants to push away from me tried leaning the bike over a bit more helped but was still bad running 5psi in the tyre was tacky conditions

Hi guys! I would like to learn how to balance stationary bike with front wheel straight and sleeping engine. I should add it is on the smooth concrete floor. I have tried plenty of variations like keeping the weight back, middle, front, low and high, moving bum/knees sideways, crouching wide or touching bike with inner legs while weighting quickly on the pegs when doing all of this. I see some progress but not enough to see what is working and what is not. Can please somebody tell me what to do? Also, I cannot figure up the leg stretching - which side is which and what is it combined with. Brain balance implant chip wanted! Maplin?

It’s a crazy idea and I just wanted to hear feedback. For back wheel hops, wheelies, or even controlling speed in a section I’ve always struggled with rear brake modulation. I tend to favor the front brake. Tempted to split both brakes off front lever. Lets hear why it’s a horrible idea! Maybe I’ll just give it a go and find out for myself.

I came across this video and was wondering what this technique is. It looks like half of a double blip. Maybe a zap, but the more I read about the zap VS double blip, the more confused I am as to what the difference is. In this video, Mori-san pops the bike over a log by simultaneously revving the engine and letting go of the clutch. In some attempts there is a small bounce. He does the same thing over a rock. When going over the rock, the faster attempts look like a double blip to me. If you have the patience for videos you don't understand, this channel has some interesting content. Like a demonstration of riding an XT250 Serow up a rock taller than the bike i…