What is this all about? am I just being an old git or what ? despite being 100 per cent keen on trials this sort of event seems so far removed from the trials that I have known for years , to me it seems to be some sort of tacky PR stunt to showboat trials to the urban masses by using the terms like RACE etc , when has trials ever been a race? . God help me if this is the future of trials .!!!!.

Ok it's not trials as we know it but a bit high level publicity can't be anything but good.

Folk still go on about Kickstart 30 years after it was shown did a lot of good but not exactly "the future of trials"

Trials events in general just preach to the converted which is hopeless.

Anything like this that attracts a wider audience get's my vote.

Red Bull City Trial will once again be a unique opportunity to showcase the sheer talent and skill (yes in a dynamic format - but one that still has the soul of the sport at its core) of the World's best Trial riders to a massive mainstream audience - Last year more than 30,000 people enjoyed the second edition of this free event.

Feedback from the riders, public, media and the various authorities was highly positive last year.

Come - see and then comment.

Turbo, Why not use a city centre venue to show the DS/keyboard generation that there is real sport to be had outside of their darkened rooms? Its a shame there aren't more such events around our cities in my view.

You can please some of the people all of the time and you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time.

That is the dilemma of modern trials. For every post on here about the demise of modern trials and how there is no money or funding for promising riders, there is another post that doesn't want to see any change or forward thinking.

The City Trial is not my thing, but then I've been around trials & mountain bikes for over 30 years, so don't need much persuading. I am however completely in favour of the City Trial and similar events for the promotion they give to our sport. Toni Bou and Doug Lampkin putting on a show in front of Saturday shoppers, what's not to like?...Perhaps I've just convinced myself it is my sort of thing after all!

Nothing tacky about Bou almost taking a nose dive in the water near the end of the video .

Just try to enjoy it and if you can't stand it, take your bike for a strol in the woods to take your mind off of it

I would love to get to Manchester for the event ! I wish we had something like that here , just for the exposure of trials ... In Any Form !!

Glenn

I'm with Glenn, wish we had something like that here! I live in a capital city and we have a great venue just up the road (entertainment centre).

The chance of seeing a trials bike show in ANY format... well, lets just say I'd have more chance of flapping my arms and leaving the ground!

Mags

turbo, i can see your point. but i'm a convert of this sort of PR.... our club runs show days where the guys deliberately pick up the speed and do (or try to do) all the flashy tricks. and afterwards all these dirt riders are saying how cool it was, and they have thought about getting into trials over the years but now they'll start looking for a bike etc.

i kept thinking these guys would be disappointed when they saw what trials was really about. but without exception these new members love it and ditch any misconceptions they might have had about doing huge jumps and tricks and are learning the art of balance and full lock turns with gusto.

in any case, what we think of as traditional trials was probably looked down on by old timers who thought the scottish way was the only way. the sport will evolve but i think the old ways will always be around too.

I think a bunch of people wobbling about between some rocks is kind of boring,

Hey! I resemble that remark! Hehehehehehehehe

Mags

I thought this looked quite good. Have you guys seen the trials events they do/ did in the middle of I think Paris, with 40,000 or so spectators? I just watched a brilliant video from 1994 or so with Steve Saunders competing on YouTube.

I tell you what does make me cringe are those trials demos with the gear they unfold off a trailer. It just looks so naff. Seeing Lampkin riding that sh!te it just seems like it's so below him and we are whoring out our sport for some cheap exposure