mr neutron

Actually, that was very true, for me and many other riders I knew and/or rode with, around 30+ years ago. One, maybe two beers would relax you and let you ride a little more "loose". It never seemed to impair us at all. Gosh, we rode so much. and so often back then, that small amount of alcohol hardly affected us. (added in EDIT: we also drank quite a bit back then as well...... ) But nowadays, the general uninformed public believes you're committing a horrific crime to ride with one beer in your system...... Whatever..... It's a moot point for myself, personally now. I have recently been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, and the medication I take isn't supposed to be used with alcohol. At least until my blood tests say that maybe a small amount of beer or wine might be alright....... Jimmie

I find that I tend to get more confident the more I drink beer. I try to make use of this confidence in a chair, rather than on my bike, nowadays..... Jimmie

Jimmie

Really good advice & help, Htrdoug! Thank you, many times over. I appreciate that! It's funny..... When I was being "recorded", I thought I had the the bike leaned over really far. As I watched that last turning video, I noticed the bike is actually pretty straight/vertical. I keep forgetting Ryan Young's "balance" example he gives in his video, about "if 100 pounds of bike are leaning one way, then you need 100 pounds of your weight counter-balancing it."....... And yeah, my arms are way outta position from where they should be. That's probably one of the (many) things that made me dab on my last little circle while turning left? One other thing here that has always kinda puzzled me.... The rider's inside leg when turning.... I have a video called "Trials Training With the Champs", with Tommi Avahla & Mark Manniko. In that vid, when teaching the art of turning, Tommi A. pretty much has no pressure at all on the inside peg. I think Mark Manniko even mentioned that all the pressure was on the outside peg, and the inside leg was "simply along for the ride"..... He mentions having the outside foot out far enough for the end of the peg to kinda "poke" into the bottom of the boot as the bike rolls over. I'm sorry, but that feels really weird to me..... I have to have the pressure on the inside peg to initiate the turn, and pretty much hold it there throughout the turn. Is this wrong??? Jimmie

Hmmmmm. Now, that's a thinker....... Wonder which one would do better at, say, the Scottish? Or even a local club trial? Jimmie

I love that, Sherconoob! To that end, I've always admired this guy here: He doesn't seem to concerned about what shape he's in (basically, "round" is his shape, much like myself), and looks like he could survive most anything short of an atomic blast..... Jimmie

Okay, here's some more ammo for public humiliation. We did this drill at a school our club had last year. I found the tight circle they had there a challenge on the flat, smooth lawn we did it on there, and my lumpy, bumpy, slightly bigger (actually 12 feet in diameter) is still hard for a squid like myself. But that's the whole point; it shows me where I need to spend my practice time...... It can be done in a really limited area. It can be made harder by tightening up the circle, adding junk in it that the wheels have to track over, stopping & balancing, done on a hill, or all of that, I suppose. I guess my deal here is to show folks "what NOT to do in these vids, hee hee. Hopefully, other folks will be able to use this concept at their own practice areas...... Jimmie

I'm betting some of the exercises are the same ones I did when I had my knee replaced, Mags. The whole point of the physical therapy is to build up the supporting/surrounding muscles as you described, as well as gain some flexibility. I hope they can do you some good, Mags. And do remember that this is gonna mean work for you to do, in order to accomplish a stronger knee. It'll be worth it to keep riding..... Jimmie

Yeah, Sherconoob, the replies here have been nothing but Great! I began riding enduros & mx in 1970 or '71. I've been riding Trials for about 2.5 years or so. I basically got into it due to a friend. He seemed to be having a ton of fun when he rode, and he rode a lot more often than I can/could on a big bike. It appeared that he was taking less of a beating than I was on my mx bike, as well. I liked the challenge of it, so I sold my '06 YZ450 in 2011, & bought my Gas Gas. I now get to ride a lot more than I did when I rode mx & off road/enduro, so I'd think that I'd be a bit better rider than I am. I'm a slow learner, I suppose. I get these "Pearls of Wisdom" (Good Advice) from friends at trials events sometimes, and maybe they'll help you, or others. Once when I was practicing doing a floater into a log, then going over the log, a friend told me to " pick a spot" on that log to hit with the front wheel. And not a vague, general area-type of spot, but a patch of that log about 1 inch square. Aim for a very precise location on that log. Now, this is probably something a lot of folks here already know, or have already figured out. But for whatever reason, i hadn't learned this. I'm happy just to even hit the damn log most of the time, let alone any one exact spot. When I can remember this, and then actually do it, it seems to help a lot. Getting the mind, body, & throttle in sync is harder on some days than it is others, hee hee.... Anyway, with all this, I've kinda learned not to worry about results at the events anymore. You throw out some ribbons & maybe an observer, have me attempt to ride it, & I fall to crap. I regularly get my butt kicked by everyone so often, I never even notice it. I don't particularly want to beat anyone, except for myself. Just seeing some improvement is all I'd like to see. So thanks to all that have responded with help & encouragement. You folks absolutely Rock, & I hope you find many rocks to ride over! Thanks, Jimmie

Really GREAT Advice, Y'all!!! Thank You All So Much!!! I do have another area I ride at, with a bigger log, and not much more. I need to attack that with my brush cutter/string trimmer & my chainsaw. Amazing how quickly these areas get overgrown..... But that area has the Dreaded Ribbons! I will sometimes have ribbons & flags in the area in the video, but they got removed a day or two before so I could mow the grass.... This other practice area I have has what Dennis Sweeten called "The Circle Drill" ribboned off. I learned this practice drill at his school that our club had at his place. It's just a letter "C" shaped ribbon laid out to be around 10 or 11 feet (3.5 or 4 meters?) in diameter. You enter into the ribbon, and try to do 3 complete circles inside the ribbon w/o dabbing. Do this in both directions. You can tighten up the ribbon, or make it larger to suit skill level. A helpful hint is to enter as wide as possible when you ride in. I have it laid out in an area that isn't smooth, and I've thrown some stuff in there to make the front & rear wheels not track smoothly, if you can understand what I'm trying to convey here. It's a challenge for me when done on smooth ground, and I seldom clean it in both directions here. Having a tough time figuring out when I need to use momentum to get me over these little obstacles, and when to "finesse it over"...... Hopefully some experience will help in this department. I'll try to make a vid of this exercise some day..... Baldilocks, thank you for pointing out the bit about the log needing to be higher. Things like this truly help me (and hopefully, others as well) a lot, and I appreciate that. I appreciate all who've posted their input & help here. Thank You! And Glenn, I get what you mean about the "No Fear" deal, along with trying to reach retirement age without being in a wheel chair, hee hee. I've always felt that age shouldn't be a limitation on what you do. It has, however, made me re-evaluate what I do, and more specifically, at what level it's done at. It's probably better to ride at any level than to NOT ride, huh? This "age" thing is kinda confusing. It's the first time I've ever gotten old, so I'm relatively new at it. It's not going to how I'd planned at all, hee hee....... Jimmie

Mags, Lineaway, & Glenn (Axulsuv), Thank you for your responses; They're VERY Much appreciated! Mags, that corner/balance drill you described sounds like a really good one. I'm planning on incorporating that into my practice sessions. Last trial I competed in, I got my butt kicked pretty good by corners and obstacles, but mostly the turns. At my level, balance & turning are probably what I should spend about 90% of my practice time on anyway...... Lineaway, thank you, & very much, for keeping a perspective on riding. I've re-thought stuff after reading your post, and decided that at 58 yrs. old, it's probably okay to suck, as long as I have fun. Shoot, for me (or anybody else, for that matter) to be riding at all is a blessing. I need to really keep that in mind. Thank you, Sir! Glenn, thank you very much for reminding me of some stuff I should already know from other sports I've done over the years. Keeping the mind calm, riding relaxed, & breathing have always been central to doing well in most anything. It's excellent advice, & I feel like a Goober for not remembering that. Question: To you guys that have been doing this for, say, more than 5 years, do you ever just practice the basics sorta stuff? Or do you mostly just ride a little of everything when you practice? Thanks again, Jimmie

Realy Cool Video!!! It breaks down a lot of techniques, at a speed a Trials Goober like myself can see (but not do.....). And I know this will seem weird, but did anyone else notice the guy in the blue t-shirt kinda doing a pole dance with a tree at the 2:45 point in the vid???? Jimmie

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 things will come with time. It's really frustrating, Some days. I feel like, at 58 yrs. of age, if I don't learn this stuff soon, I may not EVER learn it. Other days, I don't really care, and am just grateful to even get to ride...... Thanks, Jimmie

While we're sorta on the subject of "looking ahead" as we ride: Is this pretty much applicable to trying to ride the length of a log? Jimmie

You've made some really Fantastic vids here, Sherconoob! The advice to "Be Looking Ahead; Not At Your Front Tire" at the 2:55 point in the latest Creek Bed video is absolutely Spot On. The last trial I rode had a lot of creek beds to ride, and I got bit, numerous times, by not heeding that advice. Sigh..... Some of us learn a little slower than the rest, I guess...... Thanks again for all your work on this entire series. It's very much appreciated, and they help a lot! Jimmie

I look forward to each & every one of these when I get a notice that you've done a new one. Thanks for your work on these, Sherconoob. I appreciate them very much!!!! Jimmie

I get what you're saying, Guy! One thing I really like about the Gaernes is the fact that they are very, very comfortable. They're good for walking sections, reasonably waterproof, and they offer what I would say is a really nice "feel" for the controls & pegs. They allow your ankles to bend fairly easily, something necessary to ride Trials. I hope I've found a deal that will work with the boots, and still help my ankle somewhat. My Dr. gave me an ankle brace that seems just tailor-made for someone like myself that wants to (try to) ride Trials. It should fit easily inside my Gaernes; will see how it works in a few weeks or so, after the ankle mends some more...... Dandabs hit on something about the Gaernes that I had forgotten about; they do take very little-to-no break in time at all. A very nice feature..... I hope your new boots keep working well for you, Dandabs! Jimmie In EDIT: I fixed a spelling error. Left out the letter "k" in the word walking......

Guys, I'm curious..... Why???? I was actually considering trying a set of Alpinestars. I have a set that is around 1.5 years old. As far as comfort & fit, I agree completely with the video. These things absolutely ROCK my world in that department. And again, as far as the abilty to allow some "feel" for Trials riding, I think they're wonderful again. I like these boots a lot, but...... I've had to have the soles "re-sewn" back on, after only around 6-8 months of use, if I recall correctly. The stitching came loose at both the toes & heels, on both boots. The sorta yellowish colored lower sole separated from the black mid-sole after the stitching came loose. Chose to have them repaired locally. It happened again a short while after I had them repaired! This time I stuffed a bunch of a flexible rubber cement/glue called Shoe Goo in between the lower & mid-soles, and it's held up beautifully. The boots are still as flexible & waterproof as ever, and no more "floppy/drooping" soles at the front/toe parts of the boots. Same for the heels as well; the Shoe Goo works really well. But to me, after what I paid for these boots, and after what I further invested in a repair, I really don't feel that this should ever have to be done. Please don't misinterpret this as "blasting" Gaerne's product. Like I said above, I really like certain things about these boots. And to be fair to Gaerne, I am a Novice/Intermediate level rider that has poor technique, and is probably harder on equipment than some better skilled riders may be; I dunno. I also had them repaired locally because I badly wanted to ride an event with them at that time, and chose not to send them back to Gaerne, thinking I probably wouldn't get the boots back in time to ride with. That turned out to be a bust, as, like I said above, I still "fixed" them with Shoe Goo..... As I sit here now, I just got the news today that I've broken the Talus bone in my ankle. Did it while practicing Floater turns, and dabbed fairly hard, causing the bone fracture. I was wondering if there may be a more "protective" brand of boots out there??? Again, I'm not blaming the Gaernes, or expecting them to cover for my lack of good riding technique. But again, I do wonder if maybe there may be better boots for a floundering squid like myself..... Jimmie On the "broken talus bone in ankle: Turned out to not be broken. Have Rheumatoid Arthritis instead.....

I'm afraid that I can't be of much help to you, other than the "Misery loves company" aspect of it...... I'm riding with a broken one myself on my 2010 280 Pro, and a friend of mine in our Trials club tells me that it's a very common problem. When I checked into simply buying an adjuster, I was told that I needed to purchase the entire cartridge to get one! I can't recall the price on that, but it was spendy! FWIW, mine had enough of the adjuster left that I managed to take a very narrow file, and file a slot in the brass the a small bladed screwdriver can get into (after I'd "broken" the thing loose). Did this while doing an oil change of the forks. And honestly, I have to go to the very "extreme" ends of the adjustment to feel any difference, most of the time. I wish I had a lathe at home. I run a CNC Lathe for a living, but the company I work for doesn't allow us to do any "home projects" like this. It would seem to be a fairly simple part for someone to make. If I recall correctly, the adjuster is swaged onto a small diameter aluminum rod that it moves up & down to restrict the oil flow inside the damping rod?? Jimmie

The alum. adapter mentioned is made by V-Mar Racing, in CA. As far as I can recall, they're only made for the Dellorto carbs. I have one, bought on recommendation from Zippy. It works great! Jimmie

Added in EDIT: I'm pretty certain they do lock up when hot, especially if you don't have enough free play at the pedal. If you have enough play at your brake pedal, the caliper is alright, and you manage to get all the air out of the system, I'm wondering if you somehow haven't accidentally gotten something (brake fluid, whatever detergent you use to wash the bike with last, chain oil, or whatever) on the pads? If so, then new pads might be best, but I've gotten lucky with the "Ride around while dragging the rear brake, get it hot, and then quickly hose it down with water" trick. This worked for me....... Hope ya get it beat! Jimmie

Today, for the second time since I've owned my bike, I replaced a chipped kickstart idler gear. The crowfoot-shaped gear on the kickstart shaft got replaced as well. And then I had a blast getting to ride it again! Hadn't ridden it since the early part of March at the last club trial. While at that particular trial, I wore some new rain gear, including some nice over-the-boot riding pants (trousers). Only thing I don't like about the trousers is that my kickstart lever kept going up inside the leg of these pants. Twice, I put my foot down to get off the bike & walk sections, with the engine still running, and engaged the kickstarter with the motor already spinning as I put my leg down. By the end of the trial, I had the familiar clattering noise associated with chipped idler gear teeth. I am very grateful to this website for the help in fixing that particular problem! Again, I'm grateful to those who responded in this older thread I started awhile back..... http://www.trialscentral.com/forums/topic/44037-pro-clutch-removal-problem/?hl=%2Bidler+%2Bgear#entry321174 I love riding this bike! But, Gas Gas's quality on certain items sure seems to be somewhat lacking. The new k/s gear had a lot of burrs on it from the machining, as did the idler gear. A friend of mine says that sort of thing is a big reason for all the "hair" one finds on their magnets of the fill & drain plugs. At any rate, I tend to really like this bike, so I suppose I'll continue to tolerate it's few shortcomings, I'm too broke to afford anything else, anyways...... Jimmie

That looked like a tough (for the Expert-level riders) but fun trial, Guy! Is that a more or less "normal" trial for you folks? Jimmie

Nice Job. Dylan!!! Way to go!!! Jimmie

One bit of advice I can give you, if you go with an "over-the-boot" type of trouser: Make sure there is something around the very end of the leg that can "adjust", or tighten up tight against your boots. With the brand I have (ARC, from Rocky Mtn. ATV/Cycle, here in the States), I didn't tighten the cuff enough on my starting side leg. After starting the bike (twice I did this.....), the leg of the pants slipped over the kickstarter lever as I put my foot on the peg. I rode to a section, and was going to get off my bike to walk the section, Instead, when I went to put my rt. leg down, I engaged the kickstarter, with the engine running. That happened 2 times during my last trial. I have a new Idler Gear & Kickstarter Gear on order right now....... Jimmie