Thanks for your encouraging words. I’m sure when I’ve been at the club for a bit I’ll knock around with a few riders and learn loads. I intend to watch at a few comps, and enter a few too to get a feel as to what you need to be able to master in order to complete novice sections.
It’s a journey and I just want to be able to enjoy what I do safely, challenge myself a bit every time and hopefully surprise myself a bit too.
I’m lucky to have such a good venue nearby - Earl Shilton. The club owns the land, and it’s only £50 a year for 7 day a week access!
Well done to you for taking up the sport! Welcome to the family, and I hope you have many years of happy riding. Oh and the static balancing and the wheel hoping takes loads of practice and time to master (especially for the more mature person, no offense) but stick at it and you will get there!!
Thanks for your smashing reply. Much appreciated.
I put together this little vid of my second hour on the bike. I had a go at some stuff that I found a little daunting to look at (and the camera makes look small of course!) Climbs, rocks etc. Apart from looking like a sack of spuds I don’t think it looked too bad - and I managed not to fall off either!! Watching tutorials on YouTube helps enormously when practicing techniques. At least you know what you’re attempting should look like!
Wheelies and balancing next!
Hi, I introduced myself a couple of weeks ago with the intention of buying an Electric Motion. I instead bought a 260 4rt - new, from Inch Perfect trials after a days training on an intermediate course.
so, what have I learned?
1, trials is a fascinating, addictive activity but is extremely tiring for the over 55, 2 stone overweight, deskbound out of shape operative!
2. Trials is relatively safe but it can bite. A lady on my course was airlifted from Inch perfect with snapped tib and fib! Ouch, freak accident, not on a section, hope she recovers well.
3. Stationary balancing is very hard, hopping the front harder and the rear harder still. How do they do it?
4. It’s a fantastic feeling wheeling a brand new bike from the shop and loading it onto the rack for the first time and chucking your new boots and helmet into the car to take home.
5. It takes far longer than you think to be happy that you’ve strapped your new pride and joy firmly enough to the rack for the 3 hour drive home!
6. how much your body aches after 5 hours of riding the previous day! Bloody hell!
7. Taking the new bike out to my new club (Earl Shilton) was joyous. Spoke to a couple of members, so friendly and helpful. Great place to ride. Practice 7 days a week, dawn til dusk, £50 a year!
8. Be brave, be committed, the bike will do it. Now managing 2 foot rock steps without bashing the sump guard!
9. Tyres grip far better than you expect,
10. YouTube is a great source of learning and Ryan Young is a great teacher (but makes it look sooo easy).
11. Trials takes over most of your waking thoughts,
12. I love slow speeds, turning sharp corners and pulling wheelies!
13. Of all the parts of my body that don’t function as well as they used to, it’s only my knees that I’d like to be as good as new.
14. I aspire to be as good as a 6 year old on an Oset!
15. It’s 1 o’clock, must go to bed!
Check towbar and car specs , I'd be very surprised if this is legal and in the event of an accident may invalidate your insurance
I would love to have a discussion with towbar suppliers and insurance companies on this issue to get clarification. Is the specified maximum legally enforceable or is it max recommended? Do the police ever stop and check trailer nose weights? After an accident, how could noseweight ever be verified, weight could slide forward in an accident? What if the noseweight was just 1kg over? You can’t be that accurate can you?
I used to check my ‘van nose weight by trying to lift the weight by hand. If it was hard work but doable, it was about 70kg and about right, I didn’t mess with bathroom scales every time!
My towbar supplier ‘Tow Trust’ actually advised me not to use a Dave Cooper rack on a car because of leverage loads etc etc. Sounded hyper risk averse and illogical to me. I phoned Dave Cooper and recounted what I’d been told. He was puzzled indeed and said his racks had been tested with TT towbars at MIRA, overloaded, and on cars like mine, smashed over speed bumps and all sorts with no problems.
He said he’s even seen cars picked up by cranes and swung around by the towball as a demonstration of strength!
There’s clearly a lot of toss regarding racks, trailers, loads etc.
I will load up and drive accordingly, stick to speed limits and avoid accidents like I have for the last 40 years. If someone decides to have an accident with me, it is much more likely to be their fault. Anyway, what is life without a little risk? I’ve just bought my first trials bike at 57!
Unfortunately, common sense no longer applies. It is not permissible to sit on a river bank or canal towpath and fish alone at the moment, nor play golf on your own or even fly your own helicopter alone from your own house, pick up a bag of chips from the chippy and fly home again without attracting the wrath of the masses.
I fully support your desire to keep your skills up to date and believe that it is still a ‘National Health Service’ and not a ‘Covid Health Service’.
There is nothing morally wrong in the desire to pursue an entirely acceptable and normally legal activity. I’m afraid however that you must accept that it doesn’t comply with the current diktat and you will need to ride with a spare. £200 in ya bumbag until April 12th.
At 57, I have, to some people flouted the rules. I’ve shopped when I didn’t necessarily need to, exercised more than once a day, drank cider in a closed beer garden with the Mrs, shopped without a mask (but with an exemption lanyard) and hugged my mother.
If you want to go and ride, ride.
Most people buying new or nearly new bikes are never going to even see the piston or mains. Whereas before an engine rebuild is needed things like the rear linkage will have been stripped and greased a dozen times, several changes of hydraulic fluid, fork oil, wheel bearings and who knows how many brake pads etc. etc.
We could even get picky about things like electric still having mains.
It's probably fair to say that there is less to go wrong, but if someone doesn't have the facilities to maintain a petrol bike then I don't think an EM fixes that, they still have many of the parts that need routine maintenence.
Some very good points there and I agree that the EM is only a partial solution. I have been thinking about little else since my first post, weighing up the pros and cons and taking on board lots of the constructive and considered comments.
To that end, I have decided against the EM as my first trials bike! I have asked for my deposit to be placed instead on a 4rt 260.
I will try the 4rt out during my training session at inch perfect on 2nd April and will also try the Beta 250.
Had a good long chat with Graham at inch perfect and discussed the pros and cons of each machine. I understand that the Beta may possibly feel a tad better in some conditions, and the 4rt in others. As I have experience of neither I’m choosing what, I feel, may be the better ownership proposition.
I’ve considered getting an old secondhand model for a couple of thousand to get me going, but if it was worn out and ran like a dog, it could put me right off for one thing and be expensive to put right for another.
A nearly new machine may have been looked after, or may have been used like a wrecking ball and not maintained. So, I have decided to get a new one. It will save me nearly £2.5k on the purchase price, and, I think I stand a better chance of losing less if I sell after 3 years or so.
It feels like a massive indulgence and it is I suppose but after the last terrible year it will bring some much needed cheer!
So, thanks all for your comments so far, maybe there’ll be more!!
Everything I see and read tells me that the current model is fully competitive. I’m less convinced about 2/3 year-old models but I don’t have enough information to be definitive.
I have no idea about future values. If I could predict future values of anything I’d be a lot richer than I am.😀
Me too on the crystal ball front! Yes, I agree that the EM might be a hard sell at 2-3 years old and that means losing a shedload of money. It’s an unknown. Common sense tells me to look at a good newish 2T at around £4K and just get on with the business of coping with its relative lack of convenience.
Now I know I can practice on a nearby trials ground 7 days a week, the need to be silent is not a compelling g argument!
I can't imagine anyone being embarrassed at an electric bike. They are good kit and will do the same as a petrol bike. More likely curious and want to have a go on it themselves.
Yes, embarrassed was probably the wrong word. The bike will certainly be capable of much more than I’ll be asking of it - apart from its ability to carry a heavy load that is!
I’d probably feel more comfortable turning up on something more conventional but the Electric machine has many compelling advantages and no real disadvantages as far as I can see.
Reason 1: Cost
Reason 2: Conservatism
Reason 3: It's new technology and advancing quickly. A 2 year-old electric bike won't be nearly as good as a new one. Whereas a 10 year-old petrol bike in good condition is just as good as a new one.
I envy you. If I could justify £8k for a bike I'd definitely be following your path. It is the future.
Thanks for your reply trapezeartist! I fully agree with reason 1.
Reason 2. Yes indeed, seasoned triallists may be embarrassed turning up on an electric bike! Understand that. I really hope I can keep my embarrassment gene suppressed!
Reason 3. Most that have used the EM Race reckon it’s as good as an electric can get and is more or less the equivalent of a petrol bike now in terms of its capabilities!
Do you think it will lose value quickly because of the suspicions of battery life?
PS still trying to justify it myself actually haha!
Earl Shilton is a fantastic club and really good venue so hope you enjoy. They run great trials for all abilities but also great training days which both my wife and son attend. We run both petrol and electric trials bikes and during lockdown it has been great to use the electric bike with no hassle and as you state very little maintenance. Technique is certainly different and no noise on events causes some amusement but hope you enjoy. Electric bikes have come on a long way, to see what youngsters do on these bikes is great. We have had both Oset and Beta versions and a match for any petrol bike apart from the tyres which is not an issue for yourself. Look forward to seeing you enjoying the sport at Earl Shilton
Great stuff, thanks Aaron. Certainly looks a smashing venue and great for practice. Looking forward to it. 👍
Electric trials bikes? You see hardly any at trials competitions. There must be a reason.
Best learn on an ordinary, modern two stroke trials bike, before venturing into the electric world.
I guess you don’t see many electric trials bikes at the moment. Probably mainly youngsters on OSETs.
A cheaper 2 stroke to start on makes perfect sense, and if my circumstances were different, that could work. I will keep my options open for sure but the sheer convenience, lack of need for maintenance, lack of smell and no heat is all very compelling. The fact it wouldn’t annoy neighbours or anyone else because it makes no noise is probably the biggest advantage of all.
Hopefully it’s ability to be ridden completely submerged in water would never be tested but it could come in handy haha!
The test ride will decide it for me.
No worries on that score, the trials scene is by and large welcoming and patient with new riders and plenty of people are happy to be genuinely helpful when it comes to understanding techniques too
One thing I'd say is don't worry too much about having fancy trials tops and trousers - a comfy helmet and trials boots are the only special bits needed, I still mostly ride in stretch jeans and t-shirts and use cheapy Mechanix gloves more than the proper "off road" ones I have.
Good luck with your new hobby!
Absolutely take that suggestion on board re keeping it low key! I think Matt black will be my colour scheme haha!
It’s great that there seems to be such an instinct to help others starting out. Any help would be much appreciated of course. Good to know.
Hi all. Well, at the age of 57 I finally get the opportunity to have a bash in the world of trials! (I think).
Always been fascinated by the sport and love everything to do with off-road. I’ve been a road rider for 40 years and have only limited off-road experience with 2 sessions at Mick Extances enduro school in Wales and one go at ‘Trials Day’ which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I’ve always wanted a trials bike but could never really decide how to make it work for me. I don’t have a garage or workshop so the maintenance side would be tricky (and a faff), plus, I never knew anywhere I could ride or practice so always put a purchase off.
I’ve since however discovered that Earl Shilton club is only 6 miles away so that’s one problem sorted!
Bike wise, the Electric Motion Epure Race has caught my eye and ticks many boxes. People who have tried them seem to rate them highly and with no maintenance requirements (apart from chain oiling), no noise nuisance, no heat, no smell, 4-5 hour battery life, no fuel to mix etc it seems like a no brainer and has got me excited!
Cost is obviously the issue at £8k and it may seem daft for a novice to lash out that much on a machine, but, it seems the only realistic way I can get into having a go. I’ve justIfied it with ‘man maths’ and even the Mrs is onboard! Winner.
I’ve booked a days training on an Electric Motion at ‘Inch Perfect’ trials for April 2nd, and at the same time put a small deposit on a new machine they have in stock. If all goes well, I could be bringing it home with me!
I’d feel like the ‘all the gear and no idea’ man and would feel very self conscious turning up anywhere as a ‘wobbler’ on such a machine but I’d hope for a friendly welcome anyway.
Just massively looking forward to the whole thing!
cheers, D.
TrialTube. On YouTube
in Trials Videos
Posted
Very watchable, interesting, tongue in cheek. Fun, well done Danny.