Trials Training And Technique

I completely understand that there is no replacement for getting out on your bike and riding. but what are the best exercises, you can do in the gym through the week to help your fitness for riding at the weekend ? cardio? Strength training? Interval training? Combo?

I'm curious about what the top riders do as far as diet is concerned when training for competition. Do they follow a very regimented program all week long, 365 days a year, do they only eat certain foods a couple of days before a meet, and then eat whatever they want in the days that follow? Personally I find that my stamina is one of the biggest factors that cost me points as I go through a competition, because I loose form and can't execute techniques all through the day that I could do the first two laps, etc.. So I'm interested in learning some things I can try to maybe improve from a diet perspective of training. Please be as specific as you can if you don't mind…

I'm getting a tad bored practising on my own, so, any ideas as to what would make it slightly more appealing ? Bear in mind I've not long took up the sport so don't really want to be trying anything stupid on my own.

ive just started trials after a 15 yr gap went out today for the first time and im not to bad lost my balence thow .........any tips on how to get back up to speed ?.......... also i practice in warrington cheshire would anyone care to join me for the odd practice i use a small wooded area with hills and streams ..........

New moto trials rider. 2006 Beta Rev3. I'm trying to get the rear wheel off the ground to do some endos and whatnot. I'm not finding the power I really need to get this done. I've tried "jumping" like I've read in a different thread, but it doesn't seem to happen. I can nose wheelie and endo a bicycle with ease, using one finger on the brake. The only way i'm able to get enough power on the moto is to use two fingers and pull really hard. As I'm new to moto trials I'm wondering if the front brake needs maintenance? Or is this just a technique thing? The pads look thick and everything looks clean. Plenty of fluid too. Is it common to need two fingers or should…

Hi guys I need some advice on some training ideas that will force me to use the rear brake more. I dont use it as much as i should, only on steep down hills really. Any ideas what i can do to force the use of it upon myself?

Hello, I was recently cruising thru the training forum and I notice there is no advice for training with the engine switched off. When I first purchased my new montesa it was the first of February and I was weather locked in the garage with single digit temps and two feet of snow in the yard. So I first focused on static balancing in a stationary position finding the correct vector for the front wheel so I could learn how to balance the motorcycle with my feet on the pegs not going anywhere. At first it was very difficult and I was only able to get 10 to 15 seconds on the pegs before putting my foot down, as the weeks went by with continued practice in the garage my…

One of the many techniques that I struggle with is the muddy launch before a hill or obstacle. For example: Sometimes I put it in 1st and feed the power/grip in 'on the throttle'.Body position- down in the frame. Sometimes I put it in second, set the revs and feed the power in using the clutch (mainly).Body position- down in the frame. Sometimes I put it in 3rd and lean right back at WOT (burning for grip?scarey). Occasionally;Throttle on, snapped shut and hope there's enough grip/momentum to get me up. I seem to get very hit and miss with this next one;Any gear 1-3, clutch in, WOT, just as the revs drop feed out the clutch and pause then put a few more revs o…

Evening folks, Looking for a bit of advice and I couldn't see this previously asked. I was out practicing tonight, previously I have been clearing single obstacles by ridding slowly up to them, putting my weight over the rear and applying throttle so as to raise the front. However, I would like to be able to bring the front up from stationary...in other words go from having the clutch pulled in to realising it with throttle on such that the bike immediately raises the front without moving much further forward. Apologises if that doesn't make too much sense... Any advice would be much appreciated, I'm still new to this; about a month owning the bike! Cheers, Charlie.

I thought this would be easy, but they kick my butt! The rail bed is built up with gravel and it shifts easily. I have a hard time getting enough traction and holding pressure over the first rail, so the front drops, hits the next rail and stops me dead. I can sometimes do it diagonally, but if I don't hop the rear up enough, it hits the rail and it's very slippery. I fell the other day and there was actually a train coming! How do you cross the tracks?

Having trouble with downhills... Do you pull the clutch in and just use brakes? Or leave the clutch out and use engine braking? I've been getting conflicting advice from different people, not sure what to do. I find I tend to stall the bike down hill with the clutch out, but my friends say keeping the clutch in will make it more likely to lock up the rear wheel...

I know this subject has probably been discussed many times before, however i would like to put forward my observations on technique. Through forums etc i have been instructed to drop the knees forward to compress the front forks, and then to gently pull on the bars while transferring the weight over the back of the bike by straightening the knees. While gently pulling on the bars i find myself pulling myself forwards which is exactly the opposite to what i am trying to acheive. If however, i PUSH against the bars while straightening the knees my weight will automatically be transferred to the back of the bike.

Sometimes I can get over this obstacle without smacking the foot peg mounts and kick stand bracket but mostly they hit. There is no rear wheel lift. What am I doing wrong? (I think it is everything but everything is hard to work on.) The one time you don't hear the hit, the front tire deforms a little so impact does help. How do you safely impact a sharp obstacle like that. Do you need to come down on it rather than hit the face or....?

Nice POV video from PhotosbySergio. It gives a good indication of how narrow and tall those indoor world round obstacles are. Raga POV

Hi all, does anybody know of someone running specifically pre 65 or classic trials courses? I've heard lots of good reports of Mick Andrews training, but having searched the web I can't find anywhere to book.

Hi All, I am currently attempting to teach my son the basics of riding, in the garden still at the minute (waiting for membership for estc club to come through). I have got him practicing tight turns round old swarfega tubs ( abut 2 meters apart) which he is getting much better at - but how do I explain slipping the clutch a little to him?? - Is this something he needs to learn right now or should I let him get on with enjoying himself!! He can ride down the patio steps (about 3 foot) and he's been over an old log which he loves doing, but I want him to learn the basics early on and not being a rider myself (not trials)am looking for ways / exercises to help him, might…

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 ridin…

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…

Not really a motorcycle trials question, but.. I have an 11 yo who's sports mad (I also have a 13 yo whose idea of sport involves playstations). The 11 yo has a nice'ish BMX bike. So where can I look on the web for some sites that will describe tricks and techniques that he can practice on that bike to get him into trials. Sadly there's no cyclo trials scene in Auckland so that won't work nor am I going to spend NZD2,500 on a specialist trials bicycle until there's some indication of committment on his part. Billy, you'd probably have a good idea where to start.

I just watched some trials videos and i noticed guys like Toni Bou always have a finger on their front brake at all times when they are riding. I was just wondering if i should be do this? Thanks