Trials Training And Technique

I've been watching some video of Tony Bou and it occurred to me how amazing he is at hopping on his back wheel. What I'm wondering is, when you are hopping in wheelie position, but staying in place, say maybe just spinning around, is he on the gas and feathering the clutch or just the back brake?

The highly mentioned Ryan Young trials training DVD's are readily available, if out of stock in the UK. Both Basic and Advanced versions. Two methods, Direct at www.RYPUSA.com, via online/phone orders and charge cards $49.95 or about 31 quid. Post to UK is package rate at $14.95 or about 10 quid. 41 total. No Paypal. Indirect, costs the same at what equated today at 31 quid things, but I can get a bit better rate on the post and package at 3 quid, and I will accept the Paypal on it if needed, yet may take a bit longer at 34 quid. I am not available to run to the postal office on demand, so adjust. Normal post times are 6-10 days. I make squat on naut, so pick your pr…

Hey, All!!! Decided I'd have my daughter video one of my little practice sections at my home. After watching it, I'm kind of ashamed of how poorly I ride. If you folks see something that you can point out to help a Novice/Intermediate level rider to improve, please send the help in a post. I caught my front wheel essentially just "skimming" right over some of the contact points on the log (i.e., didn't hit the front wheel where I wanted to....). I also seem pretty stiff, and don't seem to bend my knees enough. And I haven't a clue how to fix these problems..... I really want to improve my level of riding. I want to get the fundamentals down well first, and figure other …

My first post after lurking for a while....Hello! I used to ride trials as a lad (a few decades ago when twin shocks were still cutting edge!) and really fancy having another go. My 'skills' will be pretty rusty but I've been racing MX til a few years ago so am not totally lost off road......however, I'll be pretty rubbish!! I'm looking for a Trials school that provides teaching + bikes for a day's try-out. I live in SE London so anywhere nearish to there would be perfect. All the ones I've found are right oop north and just too far to travel within a day In another life, distance wouldn't have been a problem, but now I've got a young family so am very 'time-poor'. …

Currently I don't have access to much trials country as my bike is down south of where I live (2 hours away) as I don't have enough room for it in the City (Australia/Sydney/CBD) so currently I only ride on the weekends. I was thinking about buying a trials bike to muck around on during the weekdays. I'm wondering if this is a good form of cross-training for moto trials? I have noticed that a lot of the guys who a very fluid on the motorbikes are from a bike trials background. If I was to buy a bike, it would most likely be a mod 20" and mostly would just dick around in small areas up stairs and what not. Thoughts? Anyone else done the same? Did it help?

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...

hi ,i'm considering getting a pod or cti brace after struggling with a knee injury .Has any one used these for trials ,do they help. i seem to sometimes have problems if i dab on a angle step and push.Any one tried some ? what works? cheers

I picked myself up a 2001 Beta rev 3 last week and have been watching a bunch of Australian guys on you tube (brilliant video's) and trying to put what iv seen into pratice. Ill put up a little vid, and would welcome any comments. I have no rear brake pedal st the moment, but hope to get one sorted next week. Shay

Which of the two do you use when making tight turns, figure 8 etc?. When riding on road bikes, I have been always using rear brake only when making slow speed turns, u turns, etc, in order to prevent losing balance if front brake is applied to abruptly. Is it the same with trial bike?

Throwing together a series of vids on basic trials techniques for the club I joined a few months back, to repay them for helping a noob out so much. Keen on feedback to make sure the information is accurate. Keeping them fairly general but bits will be specific to Australia e.g. we don't have the non-stop rule yet. Available as text files from the club site here. GENERAL TRIALS INFORMATION Setting up your trials bike How to walk a section Pre-competition mechanical inspection & other pre-ride check lists How to spot for another trials rider Building man made obstacles & a practice course BASIC TRIALS TECHNIQUES Balancing on a trials bike Full lock turns and piv…

OK...I admit it...I suck and I'm flummoxed. What I can do, though, is get up onto obstacles that are big enough to make going down the other side front-wheel-first very scary. This is especially scary on logs that are up off the ground. Imagine a concrete highway divider...having the front wheel dive down when the rear hits would be a guaranteed trip over the bars. Don't ask how I know. How to carry the front wheel instead of nose diving off the other side? I can't even get it on small (18" or so) logs.

I've had bikes for many years and regularly MTB, BUT... None of that has helped prepare me for trials!! Just bought and rebuilt the suspension (forks, swingarm and linkage bearings) so giving it a first outing. It's quite a unique riding technique isn't it! After watching a few you tube vids, here is my first attempt in the garden! Any comments, tips, criticisms from all you experienced guys welcomed!

So I've been working on learning as much as I can as fast as I can. Its actually been going a lot better than I thought. I can balance about 50% of the time. My clutch control and throttle control are 4x what it used to be. One think Im still having problems with is timing. Such as loading the suspension and letting out the clutch to lunch the bike. I've been working on small bunny hoops to help this. One on thing that I'm having problems with and always have even on the bigger bike is remembering to cover the break during a wheelie. I really want to use the wheelie to help find that rear glance point. One other thing i've learned is a rear wheel pivot! kind of fun actual…

Ive spoken to the really helpful club chairman of my local club, Yeo Vale MCC today. I've got my first ever trial coming up this Sunday 7th! wish me luck!! what techniques should I work on before then? Also, any tips on bike preparation, stuff worth taking with me etc. to make my day run as smoothly as possible??

I'm practicing a few days a week at home to supplement the rides on weekends. Here is a snippet of todays practice. I hope it works? I have used the Gopro studio for first time and had to open a youtube account and this is my first ever video on the net. Mags

Hi guys I thought I would start my own thread, hopefully where I can get some advice on "my" techniques. Im not very good....yet....but im working hard at it. Ive been riding for just over 2 months and try to ride for a hour everyday in my little obstacle course. What has improved dramatically is my ballance and throttle/clutch control. I still battle to use my rear brake and dont use it as much as I should....im guessing? ? Im slowly starting to hop the back wheel higher when doing that zap thing. Ive only started noticing now how much practice helps. Ive been frustrated up to now but today everything kinda clicked and I felt I rode good. I have a route marked out th…

Dont know about you guys, but heat stress kills me and my trials stamina, performance. Being originally from cold, rainy Scotland and now living in the really hot, dry, southwest USA the heat just saps my energy and subsequently brings on muscle cramps that are totally painful, subsequently causing me to cramp out of the trial. I have listened to many a person telling me to eat bananas, salt, magnesium, drink more water, drink pickle juice, take an Aspirin before the trial etc etc. Nothing worked. I had a doctor check my electrolytes and all was well. I tried numerous off the shelf products all claiming to stop the cramps, nothing worked. I have taken high doses o…

Last trip out I ventured down a dry creek bed and did a few dabs until I came to a 2ft6" to 3 ft washed away area that was a straight drop... and it was a two-footed 5 to take stock of the situation. MMMMmmmmm! I felt I might go back over front so chickened out. For me, rightly so... no need for any injury at this stage! I spent 5 mins piling rocks against the face at a 45 degree to enable me to go down the face for now and continue practicing riding rocks with minimal dabs. Remove rocks with more experience. You wouldn't believe it... as I'm moving rocks against drop-off face this voice from above says "Hey Mate!... No altering the section!!!" Thats right! My chee…

stitched this latest training vid together but can't help feeling i'm probably missing some crucial points. i'm only clubman so basically have never done any spotting, only filming the upper grades doing it. i've made a typo in the vid so will be redoing it shortly... if any experienced riders can suggest tips i've missed please let me know and i'll incorporate them into the revised one. thanks in advance!

Hi I have been looking for a thread about training without the bike, but i could only find one simple balance training. Is there anything else someone like to share? I am waiting for spare parts..